Ultra smart TVs set to ‘bring back the wow’
Based on the initial response, the company did not disappoint, showcasing everything from a “smart TV” to a refrigerator that gives you more freezer space when you need it.
“The TV is almost human,” Tim Baxter, president of Samsung America, told the capacity audience. The F8000 LED is expected to become Samsung’s signature mainstream television offering.
“It demonstrates our commitment to bring back the wow,” said Baxter.
Like a beefed-up version of the iPhone’s Siri functionality, the F8000’s S-Recommendation system can understand questions from viewers and offers responses to their inquiries. For example, Baxter asked the television, “anything good on today?” and was greeted with a sampling of programming choices that evolve based on not only the type of programming he normally views but also the actual time he views it.
Similar to the Xbox’s Kinect camera system, the F8000 also makes use of hand-gesture functionality; instead of using a remote control, users move their hands to change channels or record a movie.
“It’s the most powerful, personal TV experience ever created,” Baxter said. “It will change the way you discover content.”
Samsung America senior vice-president Joe Stinziano said the company would soon offer viewing glasses that will allow two users to view different channels, full-screen, from the same television at the same time. The high-resolution images will be transmitted directly into the lenses while the sound will be piped in through earbuds built into the glasses. Analysts jokingly referred to the glasses as “hate vision”, saying they were the “ultimate antisocial tool” for viewing audiences.
Stinziano explained how the S-Recommendation works. When viewers turn their televisions on, they are greeted by five panels, including current shows and movies, upcoming titles, and access to different social media platforms.
Last summer, Samsung released similar technology for its Galaxy smartphones, but this is the first time a version of interactive voice technology has been produced for televisions.
Samsung unveiled offerings for outside the living room, as well, including an oven that can cook two meals simultaneously and a refrigerator that can convert fridge space to freezer space and back again.
The T9000 fridge comes with an LCD screen and can be connected to a smartphone, which could be used as a baby monitor for parents who want to keep an eye on children while preparing a meal.
*LEGO: Lego bricks are getting cozy with the iPhone and other Apple devices in the latest incarnation of the Mindstorms Robotics kit.
Lego announced a new, $350 (€267) Mindstorms EV3 kit will have the ability to talk to iPhones, iPads, and iPod Touches through Bluetooth wireless connections. That means Lego builders can use the devices as remote controls for their robots, or create simple programs that are then sent to the robots to control their actions.
*BONEHEAD: People who don’t want to disturb sleeping family members could use a new product from Panasonic that doesn’t need speakers or even your own ears: Wireless bone-conduction headphones.
The headphones connect to a TV via Bluetooth and attach to your head like a normal set of headphones. But instead of using your ears, the headphones work like hearing aids by transmitting sound waves through your skull.
*BIGGING IT: Huawei took the wraps off its colossal Ascend Mate and Ascend D2 smartphones. The Ascend Mate is the larger of the two and is equipped with a 6.1in 720p display and a massive 4,050 mAh battery. The Ascend D2 features a 5in 1080p display with a class-leading pixel density of 443 pixels-per-inch.
The Ascend Mate also includes a “Magic Touch” feature, which provides enhanced screen responsiveness even when wearing gloves, and the Ascend D2 is dust and water resistant.
*NOW YOU SEE IT: Cameras that can record in 3D are usually complicated, sporting two lenses instead of one, to mimic human binocular vision. Samsung’s is a single lens that can go from 2D to 3D mode with the flip of a switch.
The lens is an optional accessory for Samsung’s new NX300 camera. The camera will record video, including in 3D, on its 20Mp sensor. Any 3D TV can play back the 3D movies.
*SOMEWHERE OVER THE RAINBOW: Walt Disney toys are sold around the world. Now, children can find them in the cloud as well.
The media giant is teaming up with toy company Jakks Pacific and Patrick Soon-Shiong, Los Angeles’ wealthiest person, on a new line of toys — with a technological twist designed to link the goodies that kids lug home from the store with Disney’s stable of animated characters.
DreamPlay works via an app that can be downloaded on iPad, smartphones, and tablets running Android software. When a device’s camera is trained on any toy specifically designed to work with DreamPlay, it triggers one of thousands of preset animations that appear on the device’s screen and seem to be unfolding in the real world.
With viewers’ eyes locked on the tablet or smartphone screen, fairies appear to glide in and out of buildings, animated critters start playing musical instruments, and mythical characters prance on a toy piano’s keyboard.
*LONG LIFE: In a world of battery-hungry phones, the SpareOne Plus sticks out — its makers claim it lasts for 15 years.
The affordable mobile runs on a single, AA battery and is built as a ‘spare’ phone for emergencies — it can even call emergency services without a SIM card.
Designed as a back-up phone you can carry without worrying if it’s charged or not, the SpareOne is built to leave in the car for emergencies, or to pack in travel luggage.
The new version, SpareOne Plus, has a GPS tracker which allows the user to be tracked by emergency services — and can display its location on a paired iPhone app.
