Lilliputian Systems introduced Nectar at its CES pre-show event, a solid-state fuel cell system that sets a new standard for portable power for mobile devices. Roughly twice as large as a smartphone, Nectar will recharge an iPhone 14 times on a roll of quarters-sized cartridge that can be brought with you on a plane. Intel is supplying the oxide-based chips that enable the technology. Continue reading CES 2013: Lilliputian Debuts Fuel Cell in Your Pocket

LG is going big with its new 100-inch class “Hecto” Laser TV, equipped with both smart TV and digital TV capabilities. Launching at CES this week, the 1080p projection system offers an in-home theater-like experience, easily controlled via the company’s Magic Remote, which utilizes voice, gesture, point and wheel control modes. LG’s Laser TV allows users to place the lens just 22-inches from the screen, while providing full HD resolution and 1,000,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio. Continue reading CES 2013: LG Unveils Theater-Like 100-inch Hecto Laser TV

In the first big news at CES 2013, NVIDIA announced Project Shield, a portable open platform gaming device designed for serious gamers that will run both Android and PC games. During a pre-show press event at the Palms Hotel on Sunday, January 6th, the company also unveiled its new powerhouse Tegra 4, which it claims is “the world’s fastest mobile processor.” Continue reading CES 2013: NVIDIA Announces Project Shield and Tegra 4

The international viewpoint of CES was presented by CEA Director of Industry Analysis Steve Koenig during the State of the Global CE Industry pre-show event staged at the Mandalay Bay on Sunday, January 6th. While most major international markets suffered a 1 percent drop in GDP last year, it is expected that as developing economies improve we will still only see single digit growth during a modest recovery. Continue reading CES 2013: CEA Presents State of the Global CE Industry

In the first press conference of the 2013 International CES, CEA’s Chief Economist and Senior Director of Research Shawn DuBravac outlined trends anticipated for this year’s confab, including mobile devices moving away from their primary role as a communication tool, and mobiles transitioning from serving as a second screen to potentially a primary screen. He also estimated that 50 Ultra HDTV models could be unveiled this week. Continue reading CES 2013: CEA Chief Economist Presents Trends to Watch

Smart TV Alliance announced on Sunday that five new members have joined to help develop and launch smart TV applications and services. The new members include manufacturers Panasonic, ABOX42 and TechniSat, and solution providers IBM and Specific Media. Additionally, the organization announced a new software development kit designed to optimize the smart TV experience with 3D video, high quality video and audio, updated DRM and more. Continue reading CES 2013: Smart TV Alliance Announces 5 New Members and SDK

Digital Entertainment Content Ecosystem’s UltraViolet launched in October 2011 and at the 2013 International CES, attendees can expect to hear news and updates from consortium members about the rollout, support and its Common File Format. A booth located in the Grand Lobby of the Las Vegas Convention Center will offer live demonstrations and an opportunity for CES attendees to register for UltraViolet accounts. Continue reading CES 2013: DECE Counts 9 Million UltraViolet Account Holders

With entertainment spending growing to $18.7 billion according to IHS Screen Digest, the entertainment industry is reaping the rewards of offering consumers more choice and options in how they consume content. TV Everywhere’s multi-channel, multi-device approach is finally complementing rather than cannibalizing. The year saw strong growth in Blu-ray discs. UltraViolet’s 7 million households and 8,500 titles now position the format to grow significantly in 2013. Video streaming or SVOD tripled in the first three quarters of the year to an estimated $1.7 billion. And studios continue to experiment with their windowing strategies for electronic sell-through. In this environment, the CE industry continues to respond and innovate. Continue reading CES 2013: Entertainment Trends Drive New Technologies

In addition to the highly anticipated array of UHD TVs, new smartphones, Android devices, cloud developments and Internet-connected everything, next week’s CES promises interesting new products and services related to a number of sectors not yet drawing the same amount of press attention. Watch for news involving small flexible displays, green technology, home automation, home projections systems, 3D printing and more. Continue reading CES 2013: Trends Flying Somewhat Under the Radar

In the roll-up to CES it is clear that “the cloud” has become a replacement marketing buzzword for “Internet-based” or “online.” Of the 40+ exhibitors on the CES site who use the keyword “cloud” in their business description, 21 of them are either actually making use of cloud technology or, more likely, are misusing the term but are still of potential interest to ETC member companies.  These exhibitors cluster in LVCC South Hall 2 and 4, the Venetian, and off-site hospitality suites. Continue reading CES 2013: What We Expect to See in the Cloud

Advances in the production of audiovisual content — on both the consumer and professional levels — are expected to be incremental rather than revolutionary, with the general trends of technology being more powerful, less expensive, and more mobile continuing. Our coverage in this area will be focused around three main trends: new products for content capture, new tools for production and post-production workflows, and new technologies for the storage and management of digital assets. Continue reading CES 2013: On the Lookout for A/V Production Technologies

CEA predicts that Ultra High Definition (UHD) will be “prominently displayed” at the International CES. The surge in interest followed an International Telecommunication Union-led agreement on two UHDTV standards (effectively 4K and 8K). That occurred in August and since then the focus in the U.S. and the majority of countries looking at UHDTV has been on the 4K flavor (the main exception being NHK, which is developing its 8K Super Hi-Vision system). Continue reading CES 2013: Ultra High Definition TVs Coming to Las Vegas

Although E3 has become the premier launching pad for all things video games, Microsoft spent a significant amount of its final keynote address at last year’s CES touting the place of Xbox in the home entertainment landscape. Gaming consoles could very well be the ultimate smart TV upgrade by providing Internet access and a pipeline for media through an ever-expanding app selection. Continue reading CES 2013: Expect Connected Game Devices and Cameras

The ETC will be at CES 2013 where more than 215 exhibitors will showcase the latest digital health and fitness technologies, a 25 percent increase from 2012. With innovative devices and more than 44 million apps expected for download in 2013, the health and wellness category is a serious player in the digital arena. ETC will explore the role and opportunities for entertainment as fitness moves from grind to games and health and wellness shifts from routine to ritual. Continue reading CES 2013: Innovation in Digital Health and Fitness Technologies

In a five-minute video interview with Beet.TV, Matthew Durgin, director of Smart TV Partnerships at LG, discusses the LG Cloud designed for interaction with LG Smart TVs, the emergence of second screen apps and new content partnerships for the company’s two-screen API. The API allows users to manage and interact with programming on their televisions using an app on their tablet or smartphone. LG has been making the two-screen solution available to some of its content partners who have been implementing it to enable surfing content on a smaller screen and then pushing the content to the main screen. Continue reading CES 2013: LG to Push Cloud and Second Screens in Las Vegas