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Samsung, LG fined $35 million over alleged price fixing

Samsung and LG Display have been fined by the Chinese government over charges that they fixed the prices of LCD panels.

China's National Development and Reform Commission fined Samsung $16.2 million and LG $18.6 million, according to the Yonhap News Agency.

Also included in the fines for price fixing were four Taiwanese firms: Chi Mei Optoelectronics, AU Optronics, Chunghwa Picture Tubes Ltd., and HannStar Display. The total fine levied against all six companies reached $56 million.

The display makers were accused of fixing prices on LCD panels that they sold to Chinese TV makers from 2001 to … Read more

Gasp over hundreds of billions in gold at Bank of England

Have you ever seen billions of dollars in gold bars? A video -- made in the name of science -- gives a glimpse into the massive gold reserves at the Bank of England.

University of Nottingham professor Martyn Poliakoff loves the elements. The eccentric science wizard works with others on a popular Web site and YouTube channel known as The Periodic Table of Videos; one latest video focuses on one of the most valuable elements in existence -- gold. … Read more

Feds demand $1B from LCD maker for price-fixing

The U.S. Department of Justice has reined down hard on a Taiwanese LCD screen maker in court, demanding $1 billion in fines and significant jail time for two former executives.

According to the Associated Press, AU Optronics carried out an extensive price-fixing scheme that feds said was the most significant ever prosecuted in the U.S. During a federal trial in March, the jury found both AU Optronics and two of its executives, Hsuan Bin Chen and Hui Hsiung, guilty of price-fixing.

The original complaints for the case alleged that the company worked to create an international "cartel&… Read more

Apple Mini-iPad rumor cites Kindle Fire

Will Apple ignore Steve Jobs' decree that anything below 10 inches won't cut it as a tablet? The supply chain seems to be indicating it will.

Apple is "likely" to launch a 7.85-inch iPad before the fourth quarter of next year, according to a report in Taipei-based Digitimes.

Now, why would Apple go against Jobs' wishes? "In order to cope with increasing market competition [from]...the 7-inch Kindle Fire...and the launch of large-size smartphones," according to the report.

Displays will be provided by LG and AU Optronics (AUO), the report said, citing sources. … Read more

World's largest cinemascope 3D TV?

Size matters, especially for TV makers competing to come up with larger and thinner screens. Stealing the limelight at the China Optoelectronics Display Expo in Shenzhen is AU Optronics (AUO) and its new 71-inch display. The Taiwanese LCD panel maker is calling this mammoth the world's largest cinemascope 3D TV, featuring an ultra-wide 21:9 aspect ratio.

According to Engadget, this 71-incher also utilizes passive 3D glasses to view 3D images, similarly to the LG Cinema 3D TVs, though it's unclear if they're based on the same technology. In a prior interview, an LG executive told us LG Display is currently the only Cinema 3D TV panel manufacturer in the world.

China-based TCL is expected to be the first brand to roll out a passive 3D TV using this AUO panel. The TV is due to be released in August, but there is no further information on availability and pricing beyond the Chinese market for now.

(Source: Crave Asia)… Read more

Slimmer and eco-friendly LCD monitors

Taiwan-based AU Optronics is planning a new generation of widescreen LCD monitors designed to combine the best of media and computing functions.

The new line has video-tuned 1,920 x 1,080 resolution ideal for full-HD playback, as well as a thinner and power-saving design. Its 24-inch panel is just 14 millimeters thick, compared with conventional 35-millimeter offerings, while consuming up to 50 percent less power--enhancements were brought about by reducing florescent backlighting units. The company says this does not come at the expense of screen brightness and contrast.

According to its press release on Fareastgizmos, these 16:9 aspect … Read more

Note to Nike: Phones aren't shoes

Johnny Carson lived by a golden rule of standup comedy: Quit while you're ahead. The longer you try to milk a routine, he'd say, the better the chances that you'll bomb.

If only companies would take that advice. Case in point: Like others, we thought Au's candy-colored "Infobar" phones looked good enough to eat--and that's where it should have stopped. Instead, according to OhGizmo, it's been paired with a retro-looking line of Nikes in coordinated hues.

We realize that Nike has a thing about incorporating technology into its wares--shoes in particular--but … Read more

The 'Infobar' looks good enough to eat

We always thought the term "candy bar" was something of a misnomer as applied to mobile phones, especially those that more resembled bricks while claiming to be skinnier than they really were a few years back. And giving names like "Chocolate" to sliders and such just confused the matter.

But Au's new "Infobar" actually comes close--not just because it's only 15.5 millimeters thick, but because it's got rounded corners and tapered edges. Kind of like a 3 Musketeers bar, but wider and without the nougat. It also comes in some … Read more