HDR (High Dynamic Range) — which enables a greater range of luminosity that results in enhanced color and contrast — was a feature demonstrated on numerous TV displays at the 2015 CES in Las Vegas. A panel looking at “HDR: Hollywood’s New Creative Tool” brought together studio execs, technologists and display manufacturers to talk about HDR’s advantages and the obstacles in achieving wide adoption. Panelists discussed the new Ultra HD Alliance, the need for standards, and much more. Continue reading CES Panel Discusses HDR as Hollywood’s New Creative Tool

The Consumer Electronics Association’s Director of Business Intelligence Jack Cutts is the organization’s lead analyst on smart eyewear, watches, glasses and phones. He released his forecast figures for the category of wearables — here defined as fitness trackers, smartwatches and smart eyewear (plus any device worn in, on or around the eyes). When will wearables go mainstream? This is one of the issues that Cutts’ data revealed, starting with the current market and out to 2018 and beyond. Continue reading CEA Exec on the History and Direction of Wearables (Part 1)

In History and Direction of Wearables Part 1, we looked at the Consumer Electronics Association’s numbers for wearables, from 2014 through the end of 2015. CEA’s Director of Business Intelligence Jack Cutts released his forecast figures for the wearables category, specifically in terms of fitness trackers, smartwatches and smart eyewear. In Part 2 of our report, we look at CEA’s projected numbers regarding wearables from 2016 through 2018 and beyond. “This time next year will be the beginning of the wearables mania,” said Cutts. Continue reading CEA Exec on the History and Direction of Wearables (Part 2)

Japanese startup FOVE has developed a virtual reality head-mounted display with built-in eye tracking. The eye tracking enables the software to render the areas where the viewer is not looking with less precision than the area where the viewer is staring, allowing for more efficient CPU/GPU resource utilization. The rendered image was very clear, and the eye tracking worked well. When the headset goes to market, a FOVE rep expects the HMD with headtracking to sell for $400-$450. Continue reading Startup Demos New Eye Tracking Virtual Reality HMD at CES

It was a big year for television at the 2015 CES, with buzzwords such as 4K, HDR, OLED, contrast, color space and curved screens filling the air in Las Vegas. Another hot topic was quantum dots — tiny crystals designed to enhance color and efficiency. Manufacturers including Samsung, LG and TCL are following Sony’s lead in introducing the technology.“Quantum dots promise to solve a very fundamental problem with modern LCD TVs, which is that the range of colors on LED-backlit sets are simply not as good as the ones on plasma and OLED TVs,” reports The Verge. “The allure of quantum dots is that they can be added as a layer on top of an LCD TV’s LED backlight to fine tune the light that makes it through. That can dramatically improve the color gamut, and do it at about a third of the cost of producing OLED displays.”

Gaming tech company Razer unveiled the Android-based gaming console it first announced during Google I/O last year. The $100 Razer Forge TV, due out in Q1, is a 4×4-inch micro-console designed to serve “as a platform for hardcore PC gaming, for Android gaming, and for Android-based entertainment services via Google Play,” according to TechCrunch. “The Forge TV will run on Razer’s Cortex: Stream (out in spring 2015) and focuses on low-latency and HD resolution, which the company says will help the device cut down on some of the lags and other hiccups that have plagued other streaming services.” The console features quad-core processing, a high-end graphics engine, wireless and network connectivity, and 16GB of internal storage.

CES week has yet to wrap up, but the “Best of” lists are already starting to appear online. We’ll provide some highlights from CNET and others to accompany our upcoming reports. In the meanwhile, you may be interested in a few from Engadget: AmpStrip (best startup), Sling TV (home theater), Energous WattUp (best innovation), Dell Venue 8 7000 tablet (mobile device), LG Art Slim 4K OLED (TV), Razer Forge TV (gaming), Lenovo LaVie HZ550 (PC), AirDog (drone). And from Digital Trends: Dish Sling TV app (best of show), LG EF9500 Flat 4K OLED TV (home video), LG G Flex 2 (mobile), Jins Meme smart glasses (wearable), Dell XPS 13 notebook (computing), Panasonic HC-WX970 prosumer camcorder (photography), Audi Tablet (automotive).

Consumer Electronics Association president and CEO Gary Shapiro projects that the CE industry is on course to generate an all-time high of $223.2 billion in sales in the U.S. this year. Shapiro told CES attendees that emerging technologies including 3D printers, Ultra HD televisions, connected appliances, drones, robots, cameras and wearables are likely to grow 108 percent in revenue in 2015. Other areas projected to experience more modest growth include smartphones, tablets and automotive technology. Continue reading CEA Predicts Record Year for Consumer Electronics Revenue

Polaroid has unveiled its portable Zip device, a 6.6-ounce photo printer, less than one-inch thick, that creates 2×3-inch prints using the company’s ZINK zero-ink technology and adhesive-backed ZINK paper. The pocket-sized device enables users to print photos from Bluetooth-enabled smartphones and tablets. The Zip includes a free mobile app available for iOS and Android, and an array of editing options such as adding filters, frames, stamps and stickers. Users can even make business cards. The Zip is expected to ship this spring for about $130. Continue reading CES: Polaroid Demos New Pocket-Sized Mobile Photo Printer

GoPro’s anticipated drone may be a no-show at CES, but the company did announce some compelling new features for its Hero4 Black and Silver action cams. CNET reports that an upcoming firmware update will include “a time-lapse video mode that will snap photos continuously and then turn them into a video in camera,” two new video capture settings — “720p resolution at 240 frames per second for HD-quality super-slow-motion video and 2.7K resolution at 60 fps,” a new “HiLight Tag feature that lets you mark the video you’re shooting” (helpful for editing), and for photos — “a slower burst mode of 30 frames in 6 seconds.” Also, a new app for the GoPro Channel will be available on LG Smart TVs this year.

Microsoft began offering a preview of its Office apps for Android tablets this week. Beta versions of Word, Excel and PowerPoint apps are now available (no invitation required) via the Google Play store. According to Microsoft’s 365 Team, users need ARM-based Android tablets with KitKat or Lollipop (and 7- to 10-inch screens) to install and run the preview apps. “As expected, the apps are freemium versions, meaning you can create documents and perform basic editing. But you’ll need that Office 365 subscription to do more,” reports CNET. “The finished version of Office for Android tablets will be available in the first half of 2015.”

The Internet of Things is only meaningful when it really encompasses everything. This was the key refrain throughout the CES keynote panel “Fast Innovation: Disrupt or be Disrupted” featuring John Chambers, Cisco chairman and CEO, Neil Smit, president and CEO of Comcast Cable and Werner Struth, member, board of management, Robert Bosch GmbH. David Kirkpatrick, founder, host and CEO of Techonomy moderated the discussion on the evolution of the connections between people, data, business and innovation. Continue reading CES Panel: The Internet of Everything and Full Participation

Mozilla is planning to take on industry leaders Apple and Google by developing a version of its Firefox operating system specifically for wearables. Firefox OS, which is starting to appear in smartphones and select TVs, will be adapted for use in smart glasses, smartwatches, and other wearable devices as an alternative to Google’s Android Wear or Apple’s iOS. Mozilla’s ultimate goal is to provide Firefox OS as a system to easily connect appliances, mobile devices, television sets and wearables, regardless of their OS. Continue reading Firefox OS for Wearables as Alternative to Android and iOS

A group of movers and shakers in the MEMS/sensors industry gathered during a day-long conference at the 2015 CES in Las Vegas yesterday to discuss how their technologies need to evolve in order to enable a smart Internet of Things. Panelists addressed the need for improved sensing technologies, smaller form factors and better integration. Companies represented during the early afternoon session included SunEdison Semiconductor, IBM, Evernote, ARM and virtual reality startup Virtuix. Continue reading Tech Session: Developing MEMS and Sensors for a Smart IoT

Developers of health and fitness wearables — currently the industry’s biggest segment — are challenged with providing accurate and reliable biometric information. If the consumer cannot be convinced that calories burned, steps taken, and blood pressure numbers do not reflect reality, then health and fitness wearables will never gain the traction they need to become mass market. Enter Valencell, a core technology provider for biometric information to silicon providers and OEMs. Continue reading Sensors/MEMS Session: Biometric Information for Wearables