Samsung plans to launch 65-, 55-inch 4K TVs in June
Posted by Richard Lawler | Filed under Techie Stuff
When Samsung unveiled its first 4K Ultra HD TV at CES this year, it said other sizes would follow, both larger and smaller than the initial 85-inch version. Now it's apparently ready to fulfill part of that promise, announcing in Korea that 65- and 55-inch models will launch next month. Of course our next question is how these smaller models will compare to the $39,999 MSRP 85S9 UHD TV in price. Hopefully they'll follow the path blazed by Sony, which recently introduced models at that size with pricing well below the $10,000 benchmark, although we expect Seiki's 50-incher will still hold the crown for value pricing. The press release mentions they will feature Samsung's upgradeable Smart TV platform and the "micro dimming ultimate" LED lighting of their larger cousin, but the odd "Timeless Gallery" frame / stand (pictured above on the 85-incher) was not listed.
Filed under: Displays, Home Entertainment, HD, Samsung
Source: Korea Newswire
Tags: Displays, HD, Home Entertainment, Samsung
TCL announces MoVo UD 4K television with Google TV coming later this year
Posted by Richard Lawler | Filed under Techie Stuff
Google just announced it will be upgrading Google TV units to Android 4.2 Jelly Bean, and China's TCL has announced it will have the first 4K TV built on the platform. We got a look at TCL's custom-skinned MoVo Google TV platform and 4K TVs separately at CES (pictured above, and in the gallery) so it only makes sense they'll be combining the two. Part of TCL's MoVo customizations include a motion sensor to recognize each user and personalize offerings based on their habits. Called Personal Box Office (PBO) or "Lazy TV" searches the available content and makes a recommendation without the need for a remote or even voice command. The press release indicates it will be available "later this year" although whether that includes a US release like Seiki's 50-inch Ultra HD set remains to be seen. According to the company it's being demonstrated at Google I/O this week, we'll see if we can get some hands-on time tomorrow.
Filed under: Displays, Home Entertainment, HD, Google
Tags: Displays, Google, HD, Home Entertainment
Visualized: Google I/O’s colorful circle of ChromeBook Pixels
Posted by Brad Molen | Filed under Techie Stuff
Google loves to use I/O as a platform for sharing its creativity with the world. This year, one of the masterpieces is a circular edifice consisting of two lines of Chromebook Pixels, with each keyboard on the outside. Ultimately, the artistic monument appears to highlight the Pixel's touchscreen and high-def display, as it flashes a wide variety of colorful imagery and music as you interact with each monitor. We have a gallery of images and a brief video below, showing off some of what this clever spheroid of Chrome OS can do.
Filed under: Displays, Laptops, Google
Tags: Displays, Google, Laptops
Slickdeals’ best in tech for May 15th: Dell UltraSharp display and HTC 8X
Posted by Billy Steele | Filed under Techie Stuff
Looking to save some coin on your tech purchases? Of course you are! In this roundup, we'll run down a list of the freshest frugal buys, hand-picked with the help of the folks at Slickdeals. You'll want to act fast, though, as many of these offerings won't stick around long.
If a new display for your office or living room is what you're after, today's roundup may just fill that void. A 40-inch Samsung LED HDTV and 42-inch Panasonic Viera Plasma HDTV hit our list alongside a 27-inch Dell desktop display. Details on all three, and two other tempting options, reside on the other side of the break.
Filed under: Cellphones, Displays, Home Entertainment
Source: Slickdeals
Tags: Cellphones, Displays, Home Entertainment
APX Labs mods Epson Moverio headset, adds camera, mic and motion sensors for improved AR
Posted by Michael Gorman | Filed under Techie Stuff
Epson's 3D display glasses, the Moverio BT-100 have been floating around as a development platform for a couple years, and APX Labs is the latest to hack the headset. APX Labs is a software firm best known for creating Terminator Vision augmented reality tech for the US military, and it decided to use the BT-100 as a vehicle to develop and showcase a smart glasses platform it's built to work for both business and consumer applications. In order to get the functionality it needed, APX grafted a 5 megapixel camera, mic and a full suite of motion sensors to provide nine-axis head tracking onto a Moverio headset.
All that gear is shoved into a 3D-printed module and attached to the BT-100 to turn it into a pair of smart glasses. In addition to the cameras and sensors, APX also hacked an Epson daughter board onto the Moverio's controller to allow an HDMI video feed from a smartphone to be shown on the displays. This result? A system that understands where you are, what you're seeing and hearing and a UI that allows users to glean information from the world around them using voice commands and head gestures. That should sound familiar to fans of Google Glass, but by using Epson's binocular displays, these smart glasses can convey depth in a way Mountain View's monocle cannot. (Not to mention that Glass doesn't even do AR apps... yet). The hardware we got to see was a crude prototype built for demo purposes only, but the software platform shows promise and Epson's got a version two Moverio headset in the works -- so perhaps you can see a bit of the future of smart glasses in the video after the break.
Filed under: Displays, Wearables
Google Glass to support GPS navigation, text messages without companion app
Posted by Zach Honig | Filed under Techie Stuff
Google Glass Explorers looking for turn-by-turn directions and text messages to be displayed from the device must pair the wearable with an Android smartphone, and a companion app. But that could soon change, according to a TechCrunch report. When writer Frederic Lardinois went to pick up his Glass yesterday afternoon, a Google rep explained that the headset will soon be able to display directions and text messages within the device -- in other words, you won't need a smartphone to act as the middleman. You will, of course, still need to source your web connection through another device, unless there's a WiFi hotspot around, but this new method will at very least enable a bit more functionality for iPhone users. It's unclear whether Glass will also still need to pull GPS data from a synced handset, so don't make any plans to ditch your smartphone just yet.
Filed under: Displays, GPS, Wearables, Wireless, Google
Source: TechCrunch
Tags: Displays, Google, GPS, Wearables, Wireless
Slickdeals’ best in tech for May 1st: Lenovo IdeaPad Y500 and Western Digital My Passport
Posted by Billy Steele | Filed under Techie Stuff
Looking to save some coin on your tech purchases? Of course you are! In this roundup, we'll run down a list of the freshest frugal buys, hand-picked with the help of the folks at Slickdeals. You'll want to act fast, though, as many of these offerings won't stick around long.
Thinking about taking a workstation on the road? Well, today's collection of discounted links touts a Lenovo IdeaPad Y500 and 2TB Western Digital My Passport portable hard drive for working in a spot of your choosing. As always, the fine details reside on the other side of the jump, but be mindful of those coupon codes -- each deal today requires 'em.
Filed under: Desktops, Cameras, Displays, Laptops, Storage
Source: Slickdeals
Tags: Cameras, Desktops, Displays, Laptops, Storage
Google helps you get acquainted with Glass UI in how-to video
Posted by Zach Honig | Filed under Techie Stuff
Explorers have the device in hand, early reviews have begun to flow in, and heck, you might have even seen Glass in person by now. Unless you've had a chance to slide the product on your head, however, a comprehensive tour of the near-final user interface has likely remained out of reach. Until now. The team at Project Glass has uploaded a brief (60-second) how-to video, giving you an opportunity to step behind the tiny display for a point-of-view preview. If you have a minute to spare, you can view the clip just after the break. Then, set aside some time for our comprehensive Explorer Edition review, complete with sample pictures, videos and plenty of first-hand impressions.
Filed under: Displays, Wearables, Wireless, Google
Source: Google (YouTube)
Tags: Displays, Google, Wearables, Wireless
LG will launch the world’s first 55-inch curved OLED HDTV (update)
Posted by Richard Lawler | Filed under Techie Stuff
We heard that the curved OLED HDTV prototypes LG showed at CES would be coming soon, and now it's official. A Korean press release indicates we can expect the 55EA9800 to launch in the next month, with shipments starting in June. According to the specs, its 4.3mm depth results in a weight of just 17kg, probably thanks to a carbon-fiber reinforced frame. Like an IMAX theater screen, the edges are curved towards the viewer to provide a more immersive feeling. Given the fact that we're still waiting for LG's flat OLED TVs to see a wider release we doubt it will arrive on US shelves any time soon, but until then you can check out our in-person pics from CES below, and a video after the break.
Update: LG sent over the English press release, which confirms pre-orders start today at more than 1,400 retail locations with a price of 15 million Korean won ($13,500), a healthy bump over the standard version's $10K MSRP. Release dates and pricing for non-Korean markets are coming "in the months ahead," check after the break to read all the details first hand.
Filed under: Displays, Home Entertainment, HD, LG
Source: LG Korea
Tags: Displays, HD, Home Entertainment, LG
