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Google Invites Everyone to Be Friends on Its Social Network
Anyone can now sign up for Google Plus, which has new features including mobile video "hangouts."
After 12 weeks of socializing in select circles, Google has announced that anyone can sign up for its fledgling social network, Google Plus.
The wider adoption of the service now that it's widely available will be crucial to the success of Google Plus, & to Google's ability to compete with Facebook as a force in social networking & in selling more targeted ads. Google's social network was launched in June to positive reviews & considerable interest, but activity has slowed in recent weeks.
Unique features, especially the ability to target updates to different social "circles," were well received by the first rush of users. However, many of them appear to have stopped using the service, perhaps because so few of their friends also had access. Anyone can now sign up for a Google Plus account at this page.
Negative media coverage followed the recent drop in activity, but Bradley Horowitz, product manager for Google Plus, told Technology Review that the behavior was expected.
"There has been a class of user that has seen [that] the product is not ready for them, & we expected that," Horowitz says. "The idea of the field trial was to get a critical mass of usage so that we could measure & instrument the system to understand what worked & what was broken, & we got sufficient traffic to do that."
Horowitz says Google put little effort into driving interest during the field trial, doing little more than posting updates on the company blog. That policy doesn't appear to have changed yet, but in the future the company could use its search, e-mail, or other services to promote the adoption of Google Plus.
Several new features were added to Google Plus today. One expands the "hangouts" group-video feature to smart phones & also allows users to make their hangout chats public—something expected to be popular with celebrities or businesses using Google Plus.
Google has also added a version of its search engine to its social network. The classic search box now appears at the top of every Google Plus page, giving users a way to search through updates & links that users share within their own network, as well as everything shared publicly by all users.
For example, Horowitz, explains, "When you type 'kite surfing' into Google Plus, you will see a live stream of content not only from people you know & care about but also experts in the field."
Search—and the underlying technology that ranks information from friends & other sources—is a particularly significant new feature, according to Horowitz. "This moves the center of gravity of the project," he says. "Instead of relying on your social network to deliver you content, this allows an interest graph to emerge."
Google plans to release more enhancements & features to Google Plus in the weeks & months ahead. "There's a lot more to come," Horowitz says.
Netflix to Split DVD & Streaming Businesses
The company is betting heavily on the growth of online video delivery.
Netflix will spin off its foundational DVD-by-mail service, the company announced this morning, ceding its iconic red envelopes to a new site that will go by the name of Qwikster. Netflix says it intends to focus on the increasingly popular streaming-video model. Customers, already upset by an earlier decision to split DVD & streaming services & change the rates, are bemoaning this further split, which will increase costs & hassle for those who want the same service as before. All the same, the change could lead to some concrete technological improvements.
Netflix forever changed the movie rental market in 1999, when it began offering subscribers DVDs by mail for set rates. The company's wide selection & distribution technology laid waste to competitors that operated physical retail stores. In 2007, Netflix scored another coup with the launch of "Watch Instantly," a feature that allows customers to stream certain movies on demand over the Internet. In the years since, the service has grown in scope & popularity, owing in part to integration with televisions & game consoles.
But despite these successes, the company is still running scared. In an e-mail sent to customers early this morning, Netflix CEO Reed Hastings wrote, "Most companies that are great at something—like AOL dialup or Borders bookstores—do not become great at new things people want (streaming for us)." So Netflix has decided to take drastic action in the name of technological progress, moving the foundation of its business to a different brand name.
"Over time, we realized DVD & streaming were becoming more & more different & that we could do a better job for both services if we separated them," Hastings said in a video about the split posted to YouTube. In a related blog post, he added, "We feel we need to focus on rapid improvement as streaming technology & the market evolve, without having to maintain compatibility with our DVD-by-mail service."
Experts see strong technical justification for the move. "I really believe [DVD & streaming] are different businesses," says Jay Cofield, an associate professor in the mass communication department at the University of Montevallo, in Alabama, who has studied streaming video. The DVD, he says, is a proven technology that is most appealing when delivered with special features & beautiful physical packaging. But streaming is a work in progress, & Cofield believes improvements are likely to come in forms that are incompatible with DVDs.
For example, Cofield believes Netflix could potentially implement powerful social features. Some companies that stream live events already allow viewers to chat while watching. Cofield suggests that Netflix could move toward streaming events such as moderated chats with actors & directors. "If Netflix added this as a pay-per-view feature, or went ad-supported, I would imagine that for certain movies, you could announce a showing starting at [a certain time], with tweet-like commentary by the director or whoever," Cofield says. "Aspiring filmmakers would love it. & I reckon that Hollywood would lose track of the cash generated if the Twilight stars did something like this when the movie hit Netflix."
Cofield adds that the importance of mobile devices can't be overstated. Though it's not clear whether people would watch feature-length films on small screens, he believes Netflix may want to focus on mobile support for streaming shorter content such as television shows.
Besides adding new features, Netflix may also have to solve some existing technical problems. "As people pay more money for premium content, consumers will expect more quality," says Hui Zhang, cofounder & chief scientist of Conviva, a company that optimizes & personalizes live video streams. Today's consumers are accustomed to smooth delivery of HD television content through cable networks, & Zhang says it's difficult to provide the same level of service over the Internet. Though customers may forgive occasional hiccups, the coming increase in Netflix's prices may make them less forgiving. Netflix & other streaming-video companies will have to deal with growing loads on the network & unpredictable network conditions, he says, adding, "Online video will be a very software-intensive business."
Though consumers might well enjoy such improvements to streaming service, today they are criticizing Netflix for breaking something that was working well. In the online comments on Hastings's post, customers complain particularly about being forced to maintain accounts on two different sites & about having to pay attention to how they want to watch a movie rather than simply deciding which movie they want to watch.
Experimental Man
Growing Heart Cells Just for You
George Church on the Future of Stem Cells
Earlier this year, I had breakfast with George Church, professor of genetics & director of the Center for Computational Genetics at Harvard Medical School. (Click here to read my profile of Church in the New York Times.)
A pioneer in developing DNA sequencing technologies, & in researching everything from epigenetics & microbiomics to synthetic biology, Church has co-founded or advises over 20 companies. He also has launched the Personal Genome Project with a goal of sequencing the complete genomes of 100,000 volunteers.
When I asked Church what he was most excited about right now, he answered without hesitation: "I'm thinking a lot about using regeneration as the key to treatments & keeping people healthy."
TR: You mean regeneration using stem cells?
Church: Yes, induced pluripotent stem (IPS) cells (see, "Growing Heart Cells Just for You"). This is where I'm putting almost all of my chips these days, because it combines many of my interests--genomics, sequencing, epigenetics, synthetic biology, stem cells. I don't think people have fully appreciated how quickly adult stem cells & sequencing & synthetic biology have progressed. They have progressed by orders of magnitude since we got IPS. Before that, they basically weren't working.
Is this because IPS cells are relatively easy to create & to engineer?
You can use them to reprogram genomes--not sequence them, but to reprogram them genetically & epigenetically. In other words you make the minimum changes it takes to get them where you want them to be genetically & epigenetically & then you program the cells into tissues.
What do you mean?
Let's use stem cells in bone marrow as an example. They are easy to use & to get to work when you implant them in bone marrow. You might one day have three choices. You can have bone marrow from someone else that is matched to you, or that is from you, or bone marrow that is matched to you & comes to you, but is better than you. This better bone marrow might be [engineered to be] resistant to one virus, or to all viruses. It could have a bunch of alleles that you picked out of super centenarians, alleles that you have reason to believe are at least harmless & possibly helpful. So now you have choice, a patient who can take a good bone marrow that he might reject & you'll be on immunosuppressants your whole life. Or you might use your own, or your own that might fix the cancer, or your own enhanced bone marrow. & you will be able to do that for almost every stem cell population. Some of them are a little bit harder to replace, though.
Does IPS really work to accomplish this regeneration?
We have good evidence that you can create an entire mouse from IPS cells.
Has this been done?
This has been done. They have used IPS cells to grow a mouse, & they made IPS cells from that mouse. They're totipotent [able to make an entire organism], not merely pluripotent. We haven't done this for humans for obvious ethical reasons, but we will do it. As far as I know the mice have done fine.
But haven't there been some problems with mutations occurring with IPS-generated tissue?
We have a recent paper in Nature that shows that when you make human induced pluripotent stem cells you actually do get mutations in coding regions at a slightly elevated level. But I think this is temporary. We're going to use this information as an assay to make the process work better, to correct problems. You will be able to use this to improve the quality of gene therapy because that's been the problem with gene therapy the last ten years.
How far are we from testing that in humans?
Almost everything I've described has been done in rodents, so we're talking about years, not decades. It's shorter than the Human Genome Project [which took 13 years], not less expensive, but definitely shorter.
Could this technology be used to support personalized genomics, & can it verify a personal risk factor?
That's why we do IPS. We want to establish an IPS line for every single person who gets sequenced in the PGP [Personalized Genome Project, which aims to sequence 100,000 people].
When is regeneration likely to happen in humans?
There is much to be worked out. But here's the leap. If you want to accelerate this, you have to pick an intermediate target that doesn't sound so scary. So you'll start out with bone marrow patients. & you're going to basically make a synthetic version of that patient's bone marrow using IPS, which is going to work much better than the diseased bone marrow. & once this works that's going to catch on like wildfire. & then you'll do skin, & then you'll do every other stem cell you can get.
Who is going to do this?
The only way people are going to get this is through some brave soul. It will start with a sick person, & they will end up getting well, possibly more well than before they got sick. So you didn't just correct the sickness, you actually did more. & they'll give testimonials, & someone from the New York Times will interview them, & tell this appealing anecdote.
Will people who are, say, aging but not yet sick ever be able to use this technology?
I don't consider this medicine, it's preventive. I expect somebody who is truly brave, who has nothing wrong with them other than maybe the usual aging, saying: 'I want a bone marrow transplant', or intestinal, or whatever. & it will gain momentum from there.
Won't this cost a lot?
Initially it will be wealthy people who will try this. Ironically, wealthy people are often willing to be the guinea pigs that are really in a sense the front line of new technologies. They're the foot soldiers. They're willing to put themselves at risk, & to spend money on it.
The Future Arrives Next Week
TRSF, an anthology of original science fiction stories, is in stores on October 4.
Back in May, we told you that Technology Review was planning to publish an collection of all-new near-future science fiction stories, grounded in the kinds of technological breakthroughs that we report on here every day. Now the TRSF is almost here—you can preorder a copy today, or wait till it goes on sale on newstands next Tuesday. (Digital editions will be available soon after.)
We've got an amazing selection of writers from around the world, including legends like Pat Cadigan & Joe Haldeman, current stars like Cory Doctorow & Elizabeth Bear, & emerging talents like Vandana Singh & Ma Boyong (this is Boyong's first time appearing in English).
For a full rundown of authors,visit the TRSF microsite, which also has a video describing how the cover of the TRSF was created by the iconic science fiction illustrator, Chris Foss. This is Foss's first major U.S. commission in recent years, & we've also reproduced six of his classic covers within the pages of the TRSF.
The 12 stories in the TRSF range from a light-hearted look at the (almost certainly) inevitable future of kitchen appliances talking to each other, to a more worrisome tale of a researcher fighting her company's attempts to turn therapeutic tool into a mind control technology. They all fulfill the goal of the TRSF: to showcase thought provoking science fiction that explores some of the implications of technological developments in ways that journalism cannot.
Back in May, we told you that Technology Review was planning to publish an collection of all-new near-future science fiction stories, grounded in the kinds of technological breakthroughs that we report on here every day. Now the TRSF is almost here—you can preorder a copy today, or wait till it goes on sale on newstands next Tuesday. (Digital editions will be available soon after.)
We've got an amazing selection of writers from around the world, including legends like Pat Cadigan & Joe Haldeman, current stars like Cory Doctorow & Elizabeth Bear, & emerging talents like Vandana Singh & Ma Boyong (this is Boyong's first time appearing in English).
For a full rundown of authors,visit the TRSF microsite, which also has a video describing how the cover of the TRSF was created by the iconic science fiction illustrator, Chris Foss. This is Foss's first major U.S. commission in recent years, & we've also reproduced six of his classic covers within the pages of the TRSF.
The 12 stories in the TRSF range from a light-hearted look at the (almost certainly) inevitable future of kitchen appliances talking to each other, to a more worrisome tale of a researcher fighting her company's attempts to turn therapeutic tool into a mind control technology. They all fulfill the goal of the TRSF: to showcase thought provoking science fiction that explores some of the implications of technological developments in ways that journalism cannot.
Nissan's Cars Will Read Your Mind
The Japanese automaker is teaming up with Swiss researchers to build a car that will predict its driver's intentions.
In the future--don't ask how distant--your car may be able to read your mind.
Nissan announced that it would be collaborating with the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne in Switzerland (EPFL) on a car that would be able to make an educated guess about what a driver's intentions are. The idea isn't quite to have a car be steered by the driver's mind alone--as in this German concept proposing that a car brake for you, based on brain signals. Rather, the car would read the driver's mind & prepare itself for a manually executed maneuver. Think about turning to the right, for instance, & the car will adopt the appropriate speed & road position.
How could a car know what you're thinking? For one thing, it would use brain-computer interface (BCI) technology developed at EPFL. The Swiss researchers, led by Professor José del R. Millán, are acknowledged leaders in this space, having created an interface that enables the steering of a wheelchair by thought alone, for instance.
But the car would read more than the driver's mind. The car's sensors could scan around the car itself, effectively cross-checking what the driver is thinking with what's actually out there. You may want to turn left--but if there's a Mack truck in your blind spot, your car will know better. By combining brain & environmental data, the car (and driver) makes smarter choices. "The idea is to blend driver & vehicle intelligence together in such a way that eliminates conflicts between them, leading to a safer motoring environment," José del R. Millán recently said.
EPFL isn't the first academic institution to dabble in hands-free driving. A German university-- Freie Universität Berlin--got there first.
But to the best of my knowledge, this is the first time a major car manufacturer has joined the effort, bringing the research into the realm of commercial, mass-market reality. The EPFL collaboration is part of a six-year plan Nissan calls "Power 88"; other technology projects include smart cruise control, distance control assist, & moving object detection--basically, more & more ways of automating the driving experience.
All of which raises the question: won't mind-reading cars be obsolete in an era of driverless cars?
In the future--don't ask how distant--your car may be able to read your mind.
Nissan announced that it would be collaborating with the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne in Switzerland (EPFL) on a car that would be able to make an educated guess about what a driver's intentions are. The idea isn't quite to have a car be steered by the driver's mind alone--as in this German concept proposing that a car brake for you, based on brain signals. Rather, the car would read the driver's mind & prepare itself for a manually executed maneuver. Think about turning to the right, for instance, & the car will adopt the appropriate speed & road position.
How could a car know what you're thinking? For one thing, it would use brain-computer interface (BCI) technology developed at EPFL. The Swiss researchers, led by Professor José del R. Millán, are acknowledged leaders in this space, having created an interface that enables the steering of a wheelchair by thought alone, for instance.
But the car would read more than the driver's mind. The car's sensors could scan around the car itself, effectively cross-checking what the driver is thinking with what's actually out there. You may want to turn left--but if there's a Mack truck in your blind spot, your car will know better. By combining brain & environmental data, the car (and driver) makes smarter choices. "The idea is to blend driver & vehicle intelligence together in such a way that eliminates conflicts between them, leading to a safer motoring environment," José del R. Millán recently said.
EPFL isn't the first academic institution to dabble in hands-free driving. A German university-- Freie Universität Berlin--got there first.
But to the best of my knowledge, this is the first time a major car manufacturer has joined the effort, bringing the research into the realm of commercial, mass-market reality. The EPFL collaboration is part of a six-year plan Nissan calls "Power 88"; other technology projects include smart cruise control, distance control assist, & moving object detection--basically, more & more ways of automating the driving experience.
All of which raises the question: won't mind-reading cars be obsolete in an era of driverless cars?
Carmakers Unveil New Types of Hybrids
Hybrid cars normally combine conventional engines with battery-powered electric motors. But many carmakers are developing alternative types of hybrids—some of which were on display this month at the Frankfurt Motor Show in Germany.
Hybrid systems recover kinetic energy—from the engine or from the vehicle itself—and use it to boost the efficiency of the engine. A typical hybrid car does this by charging up a battery.
Scuderi, based in West Springfield, Massachusetts, has altered the way the internal combustion engine operates to convert kinetic energy into the potential energy of high-pressure air. It splits the four parts of the internal combustion cycle across two cylinders synchronized on the same crankshaft. One cylinder handles the air intake & compression part of the cycle, pumping compressed air via a crossover passage into the second cylinder. The crossover contains the fuel-injection system, & combustion & exhaust are handled in the second cylinder.
When the vehicle does not need power—when traveling downhill, braking, or decelerating—the second cylinder is disabled & the first cylinder's air is diverted into a high-pressure air-storage tank. This air can be used to help run the engine, boosting its efficiency.
Recently, Scuderi has combined this system with a "Miller-cycle" turbocharger, which picks up energy off the exhaust & uses it to compress air into the intake cylinder. This allows the compression side to be shrunk down & reduces the amount of work done through the crankshaft. "The engine is producing much higher output at higher efficiency, we're producing less emissions, & our torque level is very high," said Scuderi group president Sal Scuderi at the Frankfurt show. "Our gasoline engine will rival the torque of any diesel engine on the market, but it does that while maintaining low pressure inside the cylinders, which reduces wear & tear."
Scuderi has now released results of a computer simulation of its engine against a European economy-class engine of comparable power. The air hybrid achieved a fuel economy figure of 65 miles per gallon, compared with 52 miles per gallon for the conventional engine. It also emitted 85 grams per kilometer of carbon dioxide, compared with 104 grams per kilometer for the conventional engine.
Across the Atlantic, a team that formerly worked for the Renault Formula 1 team has adapted its motorsport-developed flywheel system for use with conventional vehicles. The team has formed a company, Flybrid Systems, to commercialize the technology, & has teamed up with Jaguar Land Rover to trial the Flybrid technology that was originally developed as the kinetic energy recovery system (KERS) used in Formula 1 racing to provide a boost during racing. But while most KERS systems work by using a flywheel to charge an onboard battery or supercapacitor, Flybrid uses a gearbox system to transfer kinetic energy directly to & from the wheels.
Flybrid cars transfer energy via either a continuously variable transmission or a less complex three-gear system, which allows 15 different gear ratios on a standard five-gear model. "There are always efficiency losses when you convert energy," explains Flybrid's technical director, Doug Cross. "This system eliminates those losses, making it far more efficient."
The flywheel weighs five kilograms & is made from carbon fiber wrapped around a steel core. Because it is so light, it has to spin fast—at 60,000 rpm—which means that its rim is traveling at supersonic speeds. As a result, it has to operate in a vacuum, & Flybrid has developed special seals so that the wheel can be fully enclosed inside a safety container in case of a crash. At top speed, the flywheel can store 540 kilojoules of energy, which is sufficient to accelerate an average-sized automobile from a standing start to 48 kilometers per hour.
"One way you can use this technology is to boost the car during a cruise," Cross said. "We have a system installed on a Jaguar saloon, & that has shown that during a cruise, you can actually switch the engine off for 65 percent of the journey. With a V6 diesel engine, it cuts fuel use by 26 percent, but gives you the power of a V8 petrol engine."
Actors Who Are Like to Get Naked A Lot
Helen Mirren
Matthew McConaughey
Kate Winslet
Jessica Alba
Ewan McGregor
Pierce Brosnan
Will Ferrell
Kim Kardashian Gets Naked Again for a Magazine Cover, Ho Hum
Some choice tidbits from the profile feature inside, which we wonder was really just written for the sake of being able to feature Kardashian naked on the cover.
Kardashian on getting into the reality TV: “People would come over & say, ‘Where are the cameras?’ Everyone always said that it was like a sitcom at our house! We also knew that while we had the glitz & glam for an audience to vicariously live through, we are such a normal family that everyone can relate to.”
On her public perception: “I’m not a drinker, & when I’m up on the table dancing, it’s for the picture. Then I sit right back down. I play into the perception of me, but it’s not really me. & the show reveals that."
On what ‘Keeping Up With The Kardashians’ has done for her self-confidence: “I used to think, I have to be this or that or skinny, & now, because of the show, everyone is embracing just me, which has given me such a confidence. Now, I’m like, Why did I ever give that feeling the time of day? I’m so mature now. I’m a grown-up version of myself.”
On tabloid rumors: “I’ve learned to ignore everything. In the beginning I thought I was too sensitive for this. I’d Google myself & it would freak me out. Now I could care less if they say I’m pregnant with twins by my brother.”
On her wedding to music producer to Damon Thomas: “For my wedding, I wore black leather pants, a black leather top, & Prada wedges. No Flowers. & no family. It was so bizarre. I was a different person then—as I said, I always wanted to be a housewife, & I wanted to have kids at a young age. I was insecure & dependent, really the opposite of who I am today.”
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Han Ga In
Han Ga In (born Kim Hyun-joo, February 2, 1982) is a South Korean model & actress. Her birthname is the same as fellow actress Kim Hyun-ju. She made her debut in Sunshine Hunting.
She starred in Super Rookie with Eric Mun of Shinhwa (MBC 2005) after marrying fellow actor Yun Jung Hoon, who was her co-star on Yellow Handkerchief, on April 26, 2005. In March to May 2007, she played the lead actress in romantic comedy drama, Witch Amusement with Jae Hee, Kim Jeong Hoon, & Dennis Oh. She was part of 101 Entertainment until 2009.
TV series
2000: Sunshine Hunting
2003: Yellow Handkerchief
2004: Terms of endearment
2005: Super Rookie (aka New Employee)
2005: The Snow Princess
2006: Dr. Kkang
2007: Witch Yoo Hee
2010: Bad Guy(Tv series)
Movies
2004: Spirit of Jeet Kune Do: Once Upon a Time in High School
Awards
2005 MBC: Excellence Awards
2004 KBS: Excellence Awards
2004 KBS: Best Couple
2003 KBS: Best New Actress
Jun Ji-hyun
Biography
Jun was born in Seoul, South Korea, & studied in the Department of Theater & Film at Dongguk University. Jun's childhood dream was to be an airhostess, but at the age of 16, a neighbour introduced her to modelling.2 She began her career as a fashion model for Echo Magazine in 1997.
After appearing in a number of TV sitcoms, her movie debut came in White Valentine (1999). This was followed by a role in Il Mare (2000), which proved to be a success. An American remake of Il Mare, The Lake House, was released 14 June 2006. However, her biggest breakthrough was in My Sassy Girl (2001), a romantic comedy that bought her international recognition, & won her a Best Actress award at the Grand Bell Awards in 2002. It was the highest grossing Korean comedy film at the time. In 2004, she starred in the film Windstruck, a South Korean fantasy-romantic comedy which was directed by Kwak Jae-yong. The film was also another major success & was the 8th-highest grossing Korean film of 2004. In 2006, she was also in the movie Daisy. In 2008, she was also in the film A Man Who Was Superman.
Ji Hyun worked closely with CJ Entertainment, particularly with the distribution of Windstruck, The Uninvited, & A Man Who Was Superman.
In 2009, she made her English-language film debut when she starred as Saya in Blood: The Last Vampire alongside Masiela Lusha. The movie was filmed in China & Argentina in March 2007. It was during filming & before the March 2009 release that she adopted the Westernised name Gianna Jun. The film was Jun's first official action film & was a "drastic" change in her image from previous films.
As of February 2010, she began filming Snow Flower & the Secret Fan in China.
Kim Tae Hee
Ulsan, South Korea
Alma mater Seoul National University
Occupation Actress, Model
Years active 2001 – present
Relatives Lee Wan (brother)
Website: http://www.sp-kimtaehee.net/
Kim Tae-hee (Korean, born March 29, 1980) is a South Korean actress & model from Ulsan. She is best known for her roles in the TV series My Princess, Iris, Love Story in Harvard & Stairway to Heaven. She is well known for her natural beauty & has been dubbed "Korea's Most Beautiful Woman."
Career
Kim began her career in entertainment as a model & in television commercials. She rose to stardom via her portrayal of Han Yoori, the evil stepsister in the popular SBS TV series Stairway to Heaven. Her other TV projects include the supernatural KBS series Forbidden Love & the SBS campus romance Love Story in Harvard. Both series were successful. For her performance in Forbidden Love, she was honored with the Best Female Newcomer award.
Kim then turned to film, starring in The Restless with Jung Woo-sung & the romantic comedy Venus & Mars with Sol Kyung-gu.
In 2009, she returned to drama in the espionage action thriller Iris with Lee Byung-hun. It was one of the most expensive dramas ever produced & was a critical & commercial success with an average rating of 30%. It was the top rated program every week after it’s debut. She also starred in the film Grand Prix opposite Yang Dong-geun where she portrays a horse jockey who dreams of winning the Grand Prix championship.
After the success of Iris, she played the lead in the MBC romantic comedy My Princess alongside Song Seung-heon. My Princess began airing on January 5, 2011. She played Lee Seol, an ordinary college student who discovers that she is a princess.
She will also star in her first Japanese drama “Boku to Star no 99 Nichi“ with Japanese actor Nishijima Hidetoshi. It will be a light romantic comedy, with Kim Tae Hee playing the role of ‘Han Yuna‘, a big South Korean star. One day she happens to run into an ordinary, & pretty boring, 40-year-old man called ‘Namiki Kouhei‘ (Nishijima), who somehow makes her fall head over heels in love with him.
Endorsements
Kim has been a spokesperson for popular brands such as Cyon, Paris Baguette, LG, iriver,Hera, Ohui, Vivian, Daewoo Matiz, Klasse, Samsung, Beans Avenue, Olympus, My House/Root, Crencia, KT Smard Card, Calli, ZEC,BC Card, Maxwell House, S-Oil, Corn Silk Tae & Prugio.
Personal life
Kim has an older sister & a younger brother. Her brother Lee Wan is also an actor & is making himself known through a series of dramas, including Swallow the Sun. Lee Wan worked with her on the drama series Stairway to Heaven, where he played her young character's young older brother.
She graduated from Seoul National University with a major in Fashion Design. In middle school she had an average of ‘100′ for all subjects throughout her three years in middle school.
Yoon Eun Hye
Biography
1999-2005: Baby V.O.X daysYoon Eun Hye debuted as a member of Baby V.O.X at the age of 15, replacing an ex-member (Lee Gai) in 1999. Yoon was the sub-vocal in the group, known for her cuteness & child-like traits.1 Being the youngest member of the group, she received little attention & was often overshadowed by her other four members.2
Following her replacement, the group released their third album Come Come Come in 1999. This album became their first major success, with their singles “Get Up” & “Killer” reaching the number one spot on the Korean music pop charts.3 Since then, the group released many hit albums which garnered them not just a large loyal fan base in Korea, but also in China, Thailand & other Asia markets.4
Yoon was often the prey of anti-fans. One infamous incident was during her debut year, she was shot in the eye by an anti-fan who tried to make her blind with a mixture of soy sauce & vinegar using a water gun. She was rushed to the hospital where the doctors confirmed that her cornea was damaged.5
Following fellow member Shim Eun Jin, Yoon Eun Hye ended her 6 years activities as a member of Baby V.O.X in July 2005 when her contract with DR Entertainment expired.6
edit 2005: Establishing a solo career
After her departure from Baby V.O.X, Yoon was left without a management company. However, this did not stop her from establishing her career in the entertainment business. During this period, Yoon continued to appear on many TV shows, doing MC hosting & taking up small role in several sitcoms.7
Yoon Eun Hye appeared as a regular guest on the variety show X-Man on SBS, in which she was popular with audiences.8 Due to her astonishing strength in the variety shows, she was labelled as "Young Girl Warrior".9 While on X-Man, Yoon became involved in a romantic "scandal" with K-pop singer Kim Jong Kook.10 Though the show raised her public profile, she left the show a year later in order to pursue an acting career.11
Yoon made her acting debut in the movie Escaping Charisma (also known as The Legend of Seven Cutter). In this movie, Yoon plays a tom-boy high school student, Han Min Joo, who is an ace boxer. It was reported that Yoon only took 2hrs to master the basic boxing techniques which normally takes a person a week to learn. Her athleticism was such that the boxing coach suggested a career in professional boxing.12 Originally, the movie was planned to be released in November 2005, but it only hit theatres the following year.13 The success of her first drama Princess Hours aided in ticket sales for this movie.14
edit 2006: Breakthrough success
By late 2005 Yoon Eun Hye signed on with a new management company, Eight Peak, when she was offered her first major acting role in Princess Hours. Yoon played the lead role as the crown princess Shin Chae Kyung, which shot her to instant fame throughout Asia.15 Initially, fans of the Goong manhwa questioned her acting ability, & the manhwa fans sent out petitions against Yoon as the lead role, requesting her to be replaced. They even bombarded her Cyworld minihompy with harsh words.16 Yoon had thoughts of giving up the role initially but she released a statement not long after stating that she would ultimately do her best, displaying her determination to prove herself.1718
The drama debuted with average ratings, but as it progressed, viewership increased to 28.3% nationally. The popularity led to an extension of additional episodes (from 20 to 24 episodes) & a "Special 1.5" episode on MBC.19 Although Yoon & the other main casts were invited to work on a second season, only one of them officially agreed. Eventually, a spin-off series with brand new characters was filmed, known as Goong S, which was not the actual sequel planned by the original director & company.20
Following the success of her first drama, Yoon took on her next leading role in The Vineyard Man which was aired on KBS in July 2006. The Vineyard Man initially suffered low ratings due to strong competition from MBC 45th anniversary drama, Jumong. Nonetheless, the heart-warming storyline & Yoon’s convincing portrayal as “Lee Ji Hyun” gradually won the hearts of audiences, reaching a 15.6% on its finale.21 Yoon's portrayal in The Vineyard Man won her not only "Best New Actress" in the 2006 KBS Drama Awards, but also “Best Actress” at 2006 Grime Awards along with Song Il Kook as the "Best Actor".22
edit 2007: Continued success with Coffee Prince
Yoon Eun Hye’s third lead role was for MBC's Monday/Tuesday drama The 1st Shop of Coffee Prince, which started airing in July 2007. She played Go Eun-Chan, an employee at a coffee shop, who was once a master of Taekwondo. With her short haircut & tomboyish manner, the character was presumed to be a boy by the owner of the coffee shop, thus leading to romantic complications.23 The drama enjoyed high ratings, where viewership ratings hit as high as 32.1% in Seoul & 29.9% nationwide, making it the highest rated show in its timeslot.24 The huge success of Coffee Prince made Yoon the highest paid actress, MBC paying her 20 million won per episode for the drama.2526 For that matter, Yoon became the youngest actress to join South Korea's A-list of stars, the 20 million Won Club which includes Bae Yong-joon, Kwon Sang Woo, Ko Hyun Jung, & Song Il kook.27
Yoon successful performance in Coffee Prince, put her in the list of being one of the best actresses in Korean entertainment.28 From 19–27 November 2007, StarNews carried out their own 2007 Acting Awards, combining all 3 stations. StarNews surveyed a total 17 Chief Producers (5 from KBS, 7 from MBC & 5 from SBS) in nominating & selecting the winners. In this award, Yoon Eun Hye was named “Outstanding Actress” for her role in Coffee Prince. The Chief Producers evaluated Yoon’s acting & assessed her as having great potential for success.29
The success of Coffee Prince earned Yoon Eun Hye a fan base not only in Korea, but also in other countries.30 Riding the big success in her dramas, Yoon was crowned as “Drama Ratings Queen” by the media & netizens.31 Yoon’s growing popularity since Princess Hours & Coffee Prince resulted in many companies requesting her endorsement. Due to the overwhelming invitations, Yoon even had to turn down several advertisement requests. Consequently, Yoon was labelled as the "CF Queen" in South Korea.3233
During filming of Coffee Prince, Yoon suffered symptoms of severe headache & had to be hospitalised.34 Yoon was later diagnosed with pernicious anemia.35
Yoon Eun Hye received a personal invitation from Italian fashion house Blufin to attend the Blumarine Spring 2008 Ready-to-Wear Collection fashion show in Milan on 25 September.36Anna Molinari even personally presented Yoon with a piece of dress as a gift.37
edit Change in management
In July 2007 conflicts with Yoon Eun Hye’s management Eight Peaks surfaced; eventually Yoon filed a certification of contents (COC) to cancel her contractual agreement with the company.38 In August, Yoon filed a second COC; when asked to reveal the information behind the second COC, Yoon's counsel stated:
“If Eight Peaks refused to cancel the contract then they will not hesitate to file a lawsuit, suing them for their refusal.” 39
The contents of the first COC stated that in January 2007 Yoon was confirmed to star in the drama Que Sera Sera & had even completed the script reading & rehearsal for the upcoming shoot. However, the company forced Yoon to withdraw in order for Yoon to star in a company-produced drama. After her withdrawal, Yoon took a two day vacation to Gangwon-do in March. Eight Peaks claimed that they had no knowledge of this so-called incident & spread a rumour of Yoon's irresponsibility online which damaged her reputation.40 Yoon's manager, Park Geun-Soo stated:
“The second COC includes evidence to support the disagreeable actions made by Eight Peaks. These actions included the improper handling & distribution/division of earnings & proceeds as well as the unilateral (one-sided) manner of making & carrying out decisions which caused immense problems” 41
Yoon Eun Hye & Eight Peaks finally came to a mutual agreement through careful negotiations & settled their disputes peacefully. With her contract dispute resolved, Yoon Eun Hye signed on with Kraze Entertainment as her new management company in September. This placed her in a positive environment where her activities as an actress was Kraze Entertainment's focal point of attention.42
edit 2008: Recognition as an actress
In April, Yoon Eun Hye was awarded the “Best Actress Award” under the “TV Drama Category” for the role as Go Eun Chan in The 1st Shop of Coffee Prince during the 44th PaekSang Arts Awards. Yoon out beat veteran actresses, Kim Hee Ae & Park Jin Hee, making her the youngest actress ever to win "Best Actress Award" at PaekSang Arts Awards.4344 Prior to this, Yoon also set the record as being the youngest actress ever to win “Best Actress Award” at 2006 Grime Awards & “Top Excellence Actress Award” in 2007 MBC Drama Award.4546
After 3 years of absence from the K-pop scene, Yoon Eun Hye returned to her music roots in February, lending her vocals to the new hip-hop group, Mighty Mouth.47 Yoon’s collaboration, titled "Saranghae" ("사랑해", I Love You), received a lot of attention in the press & from netizens, & it topped various charts in South Korea.48
In April 2008, Premiere Elle published a list of the "Top 100 Most Powerful & Influential People in The Korean Entertainment Industry", where Yoon Eun Hye was ranked 44th. Interestingly, Yoon was one of the only 5 actors (following behind Bae Yong Joon, Rain, Jeon Do Yeon & Song Kang Ho) ranked among the top 50, which compromised mainly of film directors & writers, CEOs or presidents of media stations & entertainment companies.4950
In October, Yoon Eun Hye was invited to the Chanel Contemporary Art Project — Mobile Art in New York, where she stood shoulder-to-shoulder with many of the world’s supermodels & Hollywood stars. Yoon was the only Asia representative invited to this event.51
Yoon Eun Hye set up her own independent management company, The House Company in September 2008 after her contract with Kraze Entertainment expired. She led the founding of the company on her own, taking care of all the details from planning the company, designing of company logo to the interior of the company. Even though this is a “1-person Corporation”, Yoon has plans to groom new talents.52
edit 2009: Return to acting
In 2009, Yoon Eun Hye collaborated with Korean fashion house JOINUS to design a series of clothes named Yoon Eun-Hye for JOINUS. Yoon was involved in the designing process whenever a new season came along until the end of 2009, & the clothes were sold as part of JOINUS catalogue.53
On 30 April 2009, Yoon Eun Hye was presented with the "2009 Best Jewelry Lady" award. This award was recommended by representatives from top brands, as well as famous designers & professionals in the jewelry industry. Yoon was awarded a plaque & a set of jewelry designed & dedicated especially to her.5455
Concurrently, Swarovski took a deep interest on Yoon Eun Hye & was chosen as the actress who best suited Swarovski. Nathalie Colin, Swarovski's Creative Director, personally designed the "Swarovski Nirvanna Yoon Eun Hye Ring" & presented the ring to the actress as a gift. On 21 July, Yoon Eun Hye graced the Daniel Swarovski 20th Anniversary event where she was presented the "Yoon Eun Hye Nirvana Ring” personally by Colin. Yoon is the first Asian star to have the honour of her very own Swarovski rings.56
Yoon Eun Hye announced her comeback after 2 years of hiatus with the drama entitled My Fair Lady. Yoon played Kang Hye Na, an arrogant, strong-headed heiress of a rich business family living a "princess-like" life whose world revolved around her. The pilot episode got off a good start by topping the viewing chart among Wednesday-Thursday dramas with ratings of 17.4%.57 Yoon Eun Hye was nonetheless harshly criticized for her acting, which surfaced as a hot issue as it seemed she regressed in her skills since The 1st Shop of Coffee Prince. Yoon’s pronunciation, in particular, was the topic of netizens’ concerns, which they felt hindered Yoon from successfully portraying her character. In an interview Yoon stated:
“I thought of how upset my parents would feel to read all those articles slamming my acting, & I felt like going crazy. There were a lot of times when I endured through it & smiled as I filmed, only to end up with tears trickling out. Now, I’m afraid of making transformations. Each time, people grow familiar with the character, but if it takes a long time & hurts me every time, I don’t know what to do, & I feel afraid.”
”There are more voices joining in to encourage & praise me. I take the viewers’ criticism to mean that I shouldn’t be arrogant. I’m reaching that age where I mature as an actor & as a woman. I want to show my talents little by little, but the unfortunate thing is that a lot of people don’t give me time for failure. I like to learn more as I experience failure too. I wish people would not brand an actor as a failure through one mistake.”5859
As the drama progressed, Yoon received more favourable appraisals, where the final episode of My Fair Lady drew a rating of 19% nationwide.60 During the wrap party for the drama, the director of the KBS Drama Department spoke highly about the drama, stating that KBS was pleased with the drama & its ratings.61
To show her appreciation for everyone on the production team, Yoon Eun Hye bought 112 pairs of Puma sneakers for the entire crew as a parting gift. It was reported that in the middle of September, Yoon had secretly enquired the shoe sizes of everyone on the production team before placing orders for the shoes. After filming wrapped, Yoon personally handed the shoes one-by-one to each production staff to show her appreciation for their hard work.62
edit 2010: Charity works & Baby V.O.X reunion
In January 2010, Yoon kicked off her first charity project by working with visually impaired children to create a unique line of hand painted bags. This special project was sponsored by ELBON, a chic boutique that carries branded goods, to whom Yoon was the brand ambassador. These bags were displayed in the store on ELBON opening day, to create public awareness about the visually impaired children.63
In February 2010, Yoon Eun Hye became a goodwill ambassador for the "Pink Wings Campaign" by Vogue Girl Korea. This charity campaign was designed to help female teens that are head of their household, where profits from the sales will go towards scholarships & spending for these teens in need.64
In March, Yoon Eun Hye & Kim Hyun Joong of K-pop group SS501 collaborated in Basic House's "Never Alone Campaign" for UNICEF to help African children. Proceeds from the sale of the “Never Alone” T-shirts go to help the needy in Africa.65
Concurrently, Yoon Eun Hye was the ambassador for another charity campaign title, "Hope Angel", a fundraising program for children suffering from incurable diseases. Yoon’s goal was to raise 10 million won & get 500 signatures from netizens to encourage these children not to lose hope. This charity program powered by the Make-A-Wish Foundation which kicked off on March 2, attracted quick responses from the netizens. Yoon achieved 82% of the 500 required signatures within 2 hours, with the target reached later on the same day.66 On May 1, the goal of raising 10 million won was reached, ending this fund raising program within 2 months.67
During her charitable activities, Yoon also continued to work. In February, a 12 minutes long-form "music drama" commercial titled Temptation for Cass Beer was released. This commercial also featured Taecyeon, Junsu, Wooyoung & Nichkhun from 2PM. Yoon plays Nichkhun’s stylist who is psychotically in love with him. This music video quickly caught the publics’ attention & became a hot topic.68 Along with the commercial, a digital single was released, entitled "Tik Tok". Because of the single's success in addition to her previous guest appearance on Mighty Mouth's "Saranghae", Yoon was nicknamed the "Lucky Magician" by the media.69
Yoon Eun Hye was chosen as the representative of Cartier to film a travel log for the newest summer series of “La Besace Marcello de Cartier” along with the German fashion editor of Style Proofed Pia Sundermann, Brazilian Supermodel Fernanda Motta & French painter Ara Starck. Prior to this, Yoon modelled for Cartier’s "All About Trinity" jewelry line;70 she was then subsequently invited in April to visit Cartier’s flagship store & workshop in Paris, in which she received royal treatment.71
In May 2010, The House Company introduced its first groomed artist, Do.U. Yoon was also secretly involved in the production of the mini album entitled Do You Know Me? In this album, Yoon’s vocals could be found on the last track, entitled "AM 5:00 Do.U-reul Mandeun Saramdeul (Outro)" (AM 5:00 Do.U Production Crew (Outro)).72 She is also the backup vocal for the first track of the album. Another song on the EP, "Gomdoli" (Little Bear), was featured in the official soundtrack of Personal Taste, in which Yoon Eun Hye made a cameo appearance.73
It was announced on June 28, 2010 that Yoon would be starring in Love Song, a drama remake of the 1996 Hong Kong film Comrades: Almost a Love Story. In the drama, Yoon will portray Yu Chae-hwa, a woman who moves from China to live in Korea. Yoon explained her decision to star by stating that the script accurately portrayed the feelings in the original film & hopes that it will become a big present not only for Koreans, but for all the fans in Asia.74
According to the production team, Yoon Eun Hye’s success in her previous dramas throughout various Asian markets caused a stampede for the purchase of broadcast rights for the drama since her involvement was officially announced. Companies in 11 Asia countries negotiated for the rights to broadcast Love Song. Outside of Asia, there was also demand in the United States, Europe, & the Middle East. Warner Bros. also expressed interest in buying the US broadcast rights for Love Song.75 On 30 June, the sudden passing of late Park Yong Ha led the production to a hiatus. Despite the infinite halt in the production, Yoon maintained her loyalty towards the project even when her contract with the production company had expired. For that matter, Yoon is being praised by the Korean entertainment industry for being a “Loyal Lady”.76 It was announced on 23 February 2011 that the production of Love Song has been cancelled as production team was unable to find a replacement for the male lead.77
On 22 August, Yoon together with her former Baby V.O.X members performed on stage for the first time in 6 years since they disbanded. The five members of the original Baby V.O.X made a special appearance on SBS Kim Jung Eun's Chocolate where they belt out a medley of hit songs. Yoon got emotional during the recording, expressing her gratitude towards her fellow members for their enduring support & understanding after she goes solo as an actress.78 The emotional reunion on stage brought much attention among the music fans, being one of the most searched word on Nate.79
In November, Korea's advertisement industry published scientific methods of forecasting the ratings & deciding on which dramas to invest. It was revealed that Yoon came in first place as the most important actor for the ratings & advertisement industry.80
edit 2011: Return to big & small screen
Yoon designed the jacket cover & directed the styling concept for former Baby V.O.X teammate Kan Mi Youn’s ‘First Mini Album: Watch’ released on 17 February. Yoon was praised for her fashion sense & art directions on Kan’s drastic style makeover.81
Yoon returned to the big screen after 5 years with the movie titled My Black Mini Dress, based on the same titled chick lit novel by Kim Min Seo that was participant in the world literature competition.82 Yoon plays the main character “Yoo Min” who’s 2% lacking in appearance, financial means & men. The movie which deals with 4 'Generation 88' girls who ran into the wall of reality after graduation became a hot topic even before opening in theatres, being No.1 searched word on various internet portals. The movie which opened in theatres on 24 March starts off in 2nd place at the box office.83 It attracted over 200,000 viewers within 6 days of its opening.84
On 7 April, SBS announced Yoon return to the small screen after 2 years since KBS drama My Fair Lady. This drama entitled Lie To Me will see Yoon portraying “Gong Ah Jung” who is bubbly, most off-the-wall but determined 5th level government official of the Ministry of Culture, Sports & Tourism. The character was caught in a swirling scandal with a nobleman from an elite family after a most ridiculous lie. This drama is scheduled to be air on 9 May.1999-2005: Baby V.O.X days
Yoon Eun Hye debuted as a member of Baby V.O.X at the age of 15, replacing an ex-member (Lee Gai) in 1999. Yoon was the sub-vocal in the group, known for her cuteness & child-like traits.1 Being the youngest member of the group, she received little attention & was often overshadowed by her other four members.2
Following her replacement, the group released their third album Come Come Come in 1999. This album became their first major success, with their singles “Get Up” & “Killer” reaching the number one spot on the Korean music pop charts.3 Since then, the group released many hit albums which garnered them not just a large loyal fan base in Korea, but also in China, Thailand & other Asia markets.4
Yoon was often the prey of anti-fans. One infamous incident was during her debut year, she was shot in the eye by an anti-fan who tried to make her blind with a mixture of soy sauce & vinegar using a water gun. She was rushed to the hospital where the doctors confirmed that her cornea was damaged.5
Following fellow member Shim Eun Jin, Yoon Eun Hye ended her 6 years activities as a member of Baby V.O.X in July 2005 when her contract with DR Entertainment expired.6
edit 2005: Establishing a solo career
After her departure from Baby V.O.X, Yoon was left without a management company. However, this did not stop her from establishing her career in the entertainment business. During this period, Yoon continued to appear on many TV shows, doing MC hosting & taking up small role in several sitcoms.7
Yoon Eun Hye appeared as a regular guest on the variety show X-Man on SBS, in which she was popular with audiences.8 Due to her astonishing strength in the variety shows, she was labelled as "Young Girl Warrior".9 While on X-Man, Yoon became involved in a romantic "scandal" with K-pop singer Kim Jong Kook.10 Though the show raised her public profile, she left the show a year later in order to pursue an acting career.11
Yoon made her acting debut in the movie Escaping Charisma (also known as The Legend of Seven Cutter). In this movie, Yoon plays a tom-boy high school student, Han Min Joo, who is an ace boxer. It was reported that Yoon only took 2hrs to master the basic boxing techniques which normally takes a person a week to learn. Her athleticism was such that the boxing coach suggested a career in professional boxing.12 Originally, the movie was planned to be released in November 2005, but it only hit theatres the following year.13 The success of her first drama Princess Hours aided in ticket sales for this movie.14
edit 2006: Breakthrough success
By late 2005 Yoon Eun Hye signed on with a new management company, Eight Peak, when she was offered her first major acting role in Princess Hours. Yoon played the lead role as the crown princess Shin Chae Kyung, which shot her to instant fame throughout Asia.15 Initially, fans of the Goong manhwa questioned her acting ability, & the manhwa fans sent out petitions against Yoon as the lead role, requesting her to be replaced. They even bombarded her Cyworld minihompy with harsh words.16 Yoon had thoughts of giving up the role initially but she released a statement not long after stating that she would ultimately do her best, displaying her determination to prove herself.1718
The drama debuted with average ratings, but as it progressed, viewership increased to 28.3% nationally. The popularity led to an extension of additional episodes (from 20 to 24 episodes) & a "Special 1.5" episode on MBC.19 Although Yoon & the other main casts were invited to work on a second season, only one of them officially agreed. Eventually, a spin-off series with brand new characters was filmed, known as Goong S, which was not the actual sequel planned by the original director & company.20
Following the success of her first drama, Yoon took on her next leading role in The Vineyard Man which was aired on KBS in July 2006. The Vineyard Man initially suffered low ratings due to strong competition from MBC 45th anniversary drama, Jumong. Nonetheless, the heart-warming storyline & Yoon’s convincing portrayal as “Lee Ji Hyun” gradually won the hearts of audiences, reaching a 15.6% on its finale.21 Yoon's portrayal in The Vineyard Man won her not only "Best New Actress" in the 2006 KBS Drama Awards, but also “Best Actress” at 2006 Grime Awards along with Song Il Kook as the "Best Actor".22
edit 2007: Continued success with Coffee Prince
Yoon Eun Hye’s third lead role was for MBC's Monday/Tuesday drama The 1st Shop of Coffee Prince, which started airing in July 2007. She played Go Eun-Chan, an employee at a coffee shop, who was once a master of Taekwondo. With her short haircut & tomboyish manner, the character was presumed to be a boy by the owner of the coffee shop, thus leading to romantic complications.23 The drama enjoyed high ratings, where viewership ratings hit as high as 32.1% in Seoul & 29.9% nationwide, making it the highest rated show in its timeslot.24 The huge success of Coffee Prince made Yoon the highest paid actress, MBC paying her 20 million won per episode for the drama.2526 For that matter, Yoon became the youngest actress to join South Korea's A-list of stars, the 20 million Won Club which includes Bae Yong-joon, Kwon Sang Woo, Ko Hyun Jung, & Song Il kook.27
Yoon successful performance in Coffee Prince, put her in the list of being one of the best actresses in Korean entertainment.28 From 19–27 November 2007, StarNews carried out their own 2007 Acting Awards, combining all 3 stations. StarNews surveyed a total 17 Chief Producers (5 from KBS, 7 from MBC & 5 from SBS) in nominating & selecting the winners. In this award, Yoon Eun Hye was named “Outstanding Actress” for her role in Coffee Prince. The Chief Producers evaluated Yoon’s acting & assessed her as having great potential for success.29
The success of Coffee Prince earned Yoon Eun Hye a fan base not only in Korea, but also in other countries.30 Riding the big success in her dramas, Yoon was crowned as “Drama Ratings Queen” by the media & netizens.31 Yoon’s growing popularity since Princess Hours & Coffee Prince resulted in many companies requesting her endorsement. Due to the overwhelming invitations, Yoon even had to turn down several advertisement requests. Consequently, Yoon was labelled as the "CF Queen" in South Korea.3233
During filming of Coffee Prince, Yoon suffered symptoms of severe headache & had to be hospitalised.34 Yoon was later diagnosed with pernicious anemia.35
Yoon Eun Hye received a personal invitation from Italian fashion house Blufin to attend the Blumarine Spring 2008 Ready-to-Wear Collection fashion show in Milan on 25 September.36Anna Molinari even personally presented Yoon with a piece of dress as a gift.37
edit Change in management
In July 2007 conflicts with Yoon Eun Hye’s management Eight Peaks surfaced; eventually Yoon filed a certification of contents (COC) to cancel her contractual agreement with the company.38 In August, Yoon filed a second COC; when asked to reveal the information behind the second COC, Yoon's counsel stated:
“If Eight Peaks refused to cancel the contract then they will not hesitate to file a lawsuit, suing them for their refusal.” 39
The contents of the first COC stated that in January 2007 Yoon was confirmed to star in the drama Que Sera Sera & had even completed the script reading & rehearsal for the upcoming shoot. However, the company forced Yoon to withdraw in order for Yoon to star in a company-produced drama. After her withdrawal, Yoon took a two day vacation to Gangwon-do in March. Eight Peaks claimed that they had no knowledge of this so-called incident & spread a rumour of Yoon's irresponsibility online which damaged her reputation.40 Yoon's manager, Park Geun-Soo stated:
“The second COC includes evidence to support the disagreeable actions made by Eight Peaks. These actions included the improper handling & distribution/division of earnings & proceeds as well as the unilateral (one-sided) manner of making & carrying out decisions which caused immense problems” 41
Yoon Eun Hye & Eight Peaks finally came to a mutual agreement through careful negotiations & settled their disputes peacefully. With her contract dispute resolved, Yoon Eun Hye signed on with Kraze Entertainment as her new management company in September. This placed her in a positive environment where her activities as an actress was Kraze Entertainment's focal point of attention.42
edit 2008: Recognition as an actress
In April, Yoon Eun Hye was awarded the “Best Actress Award” under the “TV Drama Category” for the role as Go Eun Chan in The 1st Shop of Coffee Prince during the 44th PaekSang Arts Awards. Yoon out beat veteran actresses, Kim Hee Ae & Park Jin Hee, making her the youngest actress ever to win "Best Actress Award" at PaekSang Arts Awards.4344 Prior to this, Yoon also set the record as being the youngest actress ever to win “Best Actress Award” at 2006 Grime Awards & “Top Excellence Actress Award” in 2007 MBC Drama Award.4546
After 3 years of absence from the K-pop scene, Yoon Eun Hye returned to her music roots in February, lending her vocals to the new hip-hop group, Mighty Mouth.47 Yoon’s collaboration, titled "Saranghae" ("사랑해", I Love You), received a lot of attention in the press & from netizens, & it topped various charts in South Korea.48
In April 2008, Premiere Elle published a list of the "Top 100 Most Powerful & Influential People in The Korean Entertainment Industry", where Yoon Eun Hye was ranked 44th. Interestingly, Yoon was one of the only 5 actors (following behind Bae Yong Joon, Rain, Jeon Do Yeon & Song Kang Ho) ranked among the top 50, which compromised mainly of film directors & writers, CEOs or presidents of media stations & entertainment companies.4950
In October, Yoon Eun Hye was invited to the Chanel Contemporary Art Project — Mobile Art in New York, where she stood shoulder-to-shoulder with many of the world’s supermodels & Hollywood stars. Yoon was the only Asia representative invited to this event.51
Yoon Eun Hye set up her own independent management company, The House Company in September 2008 after her contract with Kraze Entertainment expired. She led the founding of the company on her own, taking care of all the details from planning the company, designing of company logo to the interior of the company. Even though this is a “1-person Corporation”, Yoon has plans to groom new talents.52
edit 2009: Return to acting
In 2009, Yoon Eun Hye collaborated with Korean fashion house JOINUS to design a series of clothes named Yoon Eun-Hye for JOINUS. Yoon was involved in the designing process whenever a new season came along until the end of 2009, & the clothes were sold as part of JOINUS catalogue.53
On 30 April 2009, Yoon Eun Hye was presented with the "2009 Best Jewelry Lady" award. This award was recommended by representatives from top brands, as well as famous designers & professionals in the jewelry industry. Yoon was awarded a plaque & a set of jewelry designed & dedicated especially to her.5455
Concurrently, Swarovski took a deep interest on Yoon Eun Hye & was chosen as the actress who best suited Swarovski. Nathalie Colin, Swarovski's Creative Director, personally designed the "Swarovski Nirvanna Yoon Eun Hye Ring" & presented the ring to the actress as a gift. On 21 July, Yoon Eun Hye graced the Daniel Swarovski 20th Anniversary event where she was presented the "Yoon Eun Hye Nirvana Ring” personally by Colin. Yoon is the first Asian star to have the honour of her very own Swarovski rings.56
Yoon Eun Hye announced her comeback after 2 years of hiatus with the drama entitled My Fair Lady. Yoon played Kang Hye Na, an arrogant, strong-headed heiress of a rich business family living a "princess-like" life whose world revolved around her. The pilot episode got off a good start by topping the viewing chart among Wednesday-Thursday dramas with ratings of 17.4%.57 Yoon Eun Hye was nonetheless harshly criticized for her acting, which surfaced as a hot issue as it seemed she regressed in her skills since The 1st Shop of Coffee Prince. Yoon’s pronunciation, in particular, was the topic of netizens’ concerns, which they felt hindered Yoon from successfully portraying her character. In an interview Yoon stated:
“I thought of how upset my parents would feel to read all those articles slamming my acting, & I felt like going crazy. There were a lot of times when I endured through it & smiled as I filmed, only to end up with tears trickling out. Now, I’m afraid of making transformations. Each time, people grow familiar with the character, but if it takes a long time & hurts me every time, I don’t know what to do, & I feel afraid.”
”There are more voices joining in to encourage & praise me. I take the viewers’ criticism to mean that I shouldn’t be arrogant. I’m reaching that age where I mature as an actor & as a woman. I want to show my talents little by little, but the unfortunate thing is that a lot of people don’t give me time for failure. I like to learn more as I experience failure too. I wish people would not brand an actor as a failure through one mistake.”5859
As the drama progressed, Yoon received more favourable appraisals, where the final episode of My Fair Lady drew a rating of 19% nationwide.60 During the wrap party for the drama, the director of the KBS Drama Department spoke highly about the drama, stating that KBS was pleased with the drama & its ratings.61
To show her appreciation for everyone on the production team, Yoon Eun Hye bought 112 pairs of Puma sneakers for the entire crew as a parting gift. It was reported that in the middle of September, Yoon had secretly enquired the shoe sizes of everyone on the production team before placing orders for the shoes. After filming wrapped, Yoon personally handed the shoes one-by-one to each production staff to show her appreciation for their hard work.62
edit 2010: Charity works & Baby V.O.X reunion
In January 2010, Yoon kicked off her first charity project by working with visually impaired children to create a unique line of hand painted bags. This special project was sponsored by ELBON, a chic boutique that carries branded goods, to whom Yoon was the brand ambassador. These bags were displayed in the store on ELBON opening day, to create public awareness about the visually impaired children.63
In February 2010, Yoon Eun Hye became a goodwill ambassador for the "Pink Wings Campaign" by Vogue Girl Korea. This charity campaign was designed to help female teens that are head of their household, where profits from the sales will go towards scholarships & spending for these teens in need.64
In March, Yoon Eun Hye & Kim Hyun Joong of K-pop group SS501 collaborated in Basic House's "Never Alone Campaign" for UNICEF to help African children. Proceeds from the sale of the “Never Alone” T-shirts go to help the needy in Africa.65
Concurrently, Yoon Eun Hye was the ambassador for another charity campaign title, "Hope Angel", a fundraising program for children suffering from incurable diseases. Yoon’s goal was to raise 10 million won & get 500 signatures from netizens to encourage these children not to lose hope. This charity program powered by the Make-A-Wish Foundation which kicked off on March 2, attracted quick responses from the netizens. Yoon achieved 82% of the 500 required signatures within 2 hours, with the target reached later on the same day.66 On May 1, the goal of raising 10 million won was reached, ending this fund raising program within 2 months.67
During her charitable activities, Yoon also continued to work. In February, a 12 minutes long-form "music drama" commercial titled Temptation for Cass Beer was released. This commercial also featured Taecyeon, Junsu, Wooyoung & Nichkhun from 2PM. Yoon plays Nichkhun’s stylist who is psychotically in love with him. This music video quickly caught the publics’ attention & became a hot topic.68 Along with the commercial, a digital single was released, entitled "Tik Tok". Because of the single's success in addition to her previous guest appearance on Mighty Mouth's "Saranghae", Yoon was nicknamed the "Lucky Magician" by the media.69
Yoon Eun Hye was chosen as the representative of Cartier to film a travel log for the newest summer series of “La Besace Marcello de Cartier” along with the German fashion editor of Style Proofed Pia Sundermann, Brazilian Supermodel Fernanda Motta & French painter Ara Starck. Prior to this, Yoon modelled for Cartier’s "All About Trinity" jewelry line;70 she was then subsequently invited in April to visit Cartier’s flagship store & workshop in Paris, in which she received royal treatment.71
In May 2010, The House Company introduced its first groomed artist, Do.U. Yoon was also secretly involved in the production of the mini album entitled Do You Know Me? In this album, Yoon’s vocals could be found on the last track, entitled "AM 5:00 Do.U-reul Mandeun Saramdeul (Outro)" (AM 5:00 Do.U Production Crew (Outro)).72 She is also the backup vocal for the first track of the album. Another song on the EP, "Gomdoli" (Little Bear), was featured in the official soundtrack of Personal Taste, in which Yoon Eun Hye made a cameo appearance.73
It was announced on June 28, 2010 that Yoon would be starring in Love Song, a drama remake of the 1996 Hong Kong film Comrades: Almost a Love Story. In the drama, Yoon will portray Yu Chae-hwa, a woman who moves from China to live in Korea. Yoon explained her decision to star by stating that the script accurately portrayed the feelings in the original film & hopes that it will become a big present not only for Koreans, but for all the fans in Asia.74
According to the production team, Yoon Eun Hye’s success in her previous dramas throughout various Asian markets caused a stampede for the purchase of broadcast rights for the drama since her involvement was officially announced. Companies in 11 Asia countries negotiated for the rights to broadcast Love Song. Outside of Asia, there was also demand in the United States, Europe, & the Middle East. Warner Bros. also expressed interest in buying the US broadcast rights for Love Song.75 On 30 June, the sudden passing of late Park Yong Ha led the production to a hiatus. Despite the infinite halt in the production, Yoon maintained her loyalty towards the project even when her contract with the production company had expired. For that matter, Yoon is being praised by the Korean entertainment industry for being a “Loyal Lady”.76 It was announced on 23 February 2011 that the production of Love Song has been cancelled as production team was unable to find a replacement for the male lead.77
On 22 August, Yoon together with her former Baby V.O.X members performed on stage for the first time in 6 years since they disbanded. The five members of the original Baby V.O.X made a special appearance on SBS Kim Jung Eun's Chocolate where they belt out a medley of hit songs. Yoon got emotional during the recording, expressing her gratitude towards her fellow members for their enduring support & understanding after she goes solo as an actress.78 The emotional reunion on stage brought much attention among the music fans, being one of the most searched word on Nate.79
In November, Korea's advertisement industry published scientific methods of forecasting the ratings & deciding on which dramas to invest. It was revealed that Yoon came in first place as the most important actor for the ratings & advertisement industry.80
edit 2011: Return to big & small screen
Yoon designed the jacket cover & directed the styling concept for former Baby V.O.X teammate Kan Mi Youn’s ‘First Mini Album: Watch’ released on 17 February. Yoon was praised for her fashion sense & art directions on Kan’s drastic style makeover.81
Yoon returned to the big screen after 5 years with the movie titled My Black Mini Dress, based on the same titled chick lit novel by Kim Min Seo that was participant in the world literature competition.82 Yoon plays the main character “Yoo Min” who’s 2% lacking in appearance, financial means & men. The movie which deals with 4 'Generation 88' girls who ran into the wall of reality after graduation became a hot topic even before opening in theatres, being No.1 searched word on various internet portals. The movie which opened in theatres on 24 March starts off in 2nd place at the box office.83 It attracted over 200,000 viewers within 6 days of its opening.84
On 7 April, SBS announced Yoon return to the small screen after 2 years since KBS drama My Fair Lady. This drama entitled Lie To Me will see Yoon portraying “Gong Ah Jung” who is bubbly, most off-the-wall but determined 5th level government official of the Ministry of Culture, Sports & Tourism. The character was caught in a swirling scandal with a nobleman from an elite family after a most ridiculous lie. This drama is scheduled to be air on 9 May.
Hottest Korean Actresses
Born: June 28, 1978
Ha Ji-won is one of Korean cinema’s top actresses.
She started her career playing supporting roles in television productions. In 2002, Ha Ji-won had her breakthrough role as the lead in the horror film Phone, earning her a best actress nomination at the Blue Dragon Film Awards. Since then she has gone on to make films like the Sex Is Zero, Reversal of Fortune, 100 Days with Mr. Arrogant & more recently Sector 7. She has also starred in the movie Haeundae.
Ha has also starred in the TV series Something Happened in Bali in early 2004, co-starring Jo In-seong & So Ji-sub. In that project, she played tour guide Lee Soo-jeong, who consequently attracted two men whom she did not like. She won a Baek-Sang Best Actress Award for her performance in this drama.
In 2011, she starred in Sector 7, South Korea's first 3D IMAX film, which has broken the year's box office records since its opening on 4 August.
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Hottest Korean Actresses
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List of Selena Gomez Interviews
Taken together, they represent perhaps the clearest depiction possible of Selena Gomez's public life. Glimpsing Selena Gomez on camera, in a relaxed interview environment, also provides an alternative look at a person that many have come to know only from afar, or based on second-hand accounts from journalists, bloggers or personal acquaintances. Hence this effort to collect only the most controversial, insightful & best interviews with Selena Gomez.
Have an idea for a discussion with Selena Gomez that isn't featured on the list? Leave a suggestion in the comments below!
Armie Hammer on Vanity Fair's International Best Dressed List for 2011
ARPAD BUSSON, financier
ALEJANDRO SANTO DOMINGO, financier
COLIN FIRTH, actor
STAVROS NIARCHOS, shipping heir
NICHOLAS FOULKES, historian, writer, & editor
MARCUS SAMUELSSON, chef, restaurant owner, & cookbook author
ARMIE HAMMER, actor
JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE, actor, producer, singer-songwriter, & designer
JENSON BUTTON, Vodafone McLaren Mercedes Formula 1 driver
The International Best Dressed List 2011
For the first time as a member of the British royal family, Kate Middleton makes her way onto the International Best-Dressed List—her inaugural appearance came in 2008, & a whirlwind of fashion successes since has earned her a nod this year. She’s captivated the world with her signature mix of high & low fashion. (For a look at Kate’s particularly fetching travel attire, see our slide show.) Michelle & Barack Obama also make their first appearance together on the Best-Dressed Couples list. Michelle has been among the best-dressed ladies for the past four years, while the president has only earned a spot once, back in 2009.
Meanwhile, from Hollywood’s royal ranks come actors Justin Timberlake, Colin Firth, & Armie Hammer—all first-time entrants—while actresses Carey Mulligan & Tilda Swinton are second-timers. (Swinton returns after a three-year hiatus.) Among the fashion originals, Lady Gaga (her second recognition) is joined by Janelle Monáe—and NBC News anchor Brian Williams enters the illustrious ranks of the list’s Hall of Fame.
INTERNATIONAL BEST-DRESSED LIST: WOMEN
The Quantified::Self Business
The genius of Facebook & one of the reasons it is worth more than $50 billion is that it effortlessly collects huge volumes of information by offering people a place to socialize. Healthrageous, a startup in Cambridge, Massachusetts, thinks it may be possible to perform a similar feat in health care.
The company, launched in 2010 by physicians associated with Harvard Medical School, offers its users digital health tracking devices including wireless pedometers, blood pressure monitors, & bathroom scales. Clients use the tools to gather data about themselves & upload it to a website where they can track progress toward goals, get wellness tips, & receive encouragement from friends, coworkers, & family members.
The startup is an offshoot of the small but growing "quantified self" movement, whose members believe that using sensors & recording gadgets to constantly collect data about themselves will lead to better choices about their health & behavior.
Companies such as Healthrageous are now testing whether self tracking for health or other reasons can be sold as a larger scale social experience to employers or the general public. & as with Facebook, says Healthrageous CEO & cofounder Rick Lee, data collected about user behavior may be "the most valuable asset in the company."
"When you start to do large data crunches with different variables & human characteristics, you get some interesting data that would be fascinating in the hands of pharmaceutical researchers looking to develop new drugs," he says.
It's not yet clear how big a business self quantification will turn out to be. Nike tapped into a large market with its wireless pedometers (which relay data from a running shoe to an iPod); many other firms are attempting to build communities through games or free apps to track health problems, although most still have relatively few users.
"Anyone who can code software can write a self quantification app; the question is who can move the world & change business with it," says Paul Wicks, head of research & development for PatientsLikeMe, a site where 115,000 patients with serious illnesses now track their symptoms & medications.
Healthrageous grew out of a 2008 study by researchers at the Center for Connected Health, a division of Partners HealthCare, that focused on people with hypertension who worked for the computing company EMC. These employees were asked to keep track of their blood pressure at home, & participants got feedback on their progress. The program proved so successful at lowering blood pressure that an independent reviewer estimated a three to one financial return, predicting that some EMC staffers would avoid heart attacks & strokes as a result of feedback they received.
On the basis of that success, the center's director, Joseph Kvedar, decided to commercialize the technology. It consists of an interactive software platform that collects data from wireless health tracking sensors such as pedometers & glucose monitors. The information is uploaded to Healthrageous's website, where it is then analyzed & returned to the user via smart phone within a few seconds.
Those data streams allow Healthrageous to give customized advice. For example, the program might ask whether a user wants to lower blood pressure through diet & exercise or with the help of medication. "We could then respond to those who say they want to do it naturally & say research has found that people who exceed 10,000 steps per day have a greater likelihood of bringing systolic blood pressure down to 120," says Lee. Users would then try to increase the amount they walk & wear pedometers to assess whether they were succeeding, with the software providing encouragement in a variety of ways.
Healthrageous is currently marketing its service to large employers & health plans & charging them per user fees. So far, Lee says, the company has seven clients including the Massachusetts Eye & Ear Infirmary & about 1,600 users who will generate approximately $500,000 in revenue this year. But Lee says that Healthrageous, which has raised $8.5 million from investors, has plans to open the service to the general public next year.
Lee believes Healthrageous's value will increase dramatically if more people begin using the service. That's already happened with companies like Google & Netflix, whose algorithms build on users' previous behavior to customize ads or movie suggestions. "We need large volumes of people moving through the system so we can hone pattern recognition technology we have been developing," he says. "If we can match up who you are with changes you focus on, then we can start to map key personal characteristics that lead to successful behavioral change."
The real life data collected by such services is already proving enticing to marketers. PatientsLikeMe makes money by selling users' health data to pharmaceutical companies. Jacqueline Thong, founder of Ubiqi, a startup that developed a free phone app migraine sufferers can use to track what sets off their headaches, says she's also been approached by organizations interested in tapping the company's database.
Other self tracking companies are making their databases available to developers for free, with the hope that they will create new apps that bring in more users. For instance, Zeo, a startup located in Newtonville, Massachusetts, currently makes its money by selling a popular sleep tracking device. But Zeo also claims to have amassed the largest at home sleep database in the world. It has opened up that database to developers & scientists so they can conduct their own research or integrate Zeo's device with other self tracking systems.
As it has with Facebook, selling personal data is certain to raise privacy concerns. Healthrageous's Lee says his company plans to market the insights it gleans from its data, rather than the raw data itself. PatientsLikeMe, however, explicitly tells users that any information they share except identifying details, such as name & e mail address may be shared with pharmaceutical companies or other partners. Given that PatientsLikeMe has more than 100,000 members, users seem confident that the tools it offers, & the hope of medical advances generated from their data, are worth the loss of privacy.