For nearly three decades, Universal Display has provided mannequins to fashion retail stores such as Lord & Taylor, Saks and Uniqlo. In an effort to improve the brick-and-mortar shopping experience, Universal Display has developed an innovative way to use modern tech with mannequins to push information to nearby shoppers. Mannequins are tagged with beacons that push messages to customers’ mobile phones complete with photos, sizes and prices of ready to buy clothing inside the store. Continue reading Retailers Turn to Smart Mannequins to Lure In-Store Shoppers

With its Android Auto software arriving in 2015, Google is already focusing on its next project, one that would allow drivers to make use of Android in their cars without a smartphone. As of now, the use of smartphone auto tech, including Android Auto, requires the presence of a smartphone inside the vehicle. For Google, part of the challenge moving forward will be in convincing automakers to adopt software that would potentially be an integral part of a car’s brand identity. Continue reading Google Developing a Standalone Android System for Vehicles

The 2015 International CES promises to mark a significant turning point in the Internet of Things (IoT) — fully acknowledging that we know little about the final form that the concept will eventually take. However slowly the variety of sensors become tied to the things around us (and on ourselves), IoT will provide endless opportunities for both dead ends and the realization of promises that will most assuredly surprise us. Expect this conversation to be a major theme in Las Vegas next month. Continue reading CES: How Will the ‘Internet of Things’ Fit into Everyday Life?

As social media has become a ubiquitous medium for interacting with our closest confidants and broader audiences, we have become accustomed to digitizing all sorts of personal info, from contact lists to our current mood. The 2015 CES looks poised to showcase the evolution of this digitization process, with eyes firmly fixed on our personal surroundings. In addition to the cultural effects of the anticipated “sensorization” revolution, other tech is striving to make it a reality at home, on the road and everywhere in between. Continue reading CES: Digitizing Your Environment via the ‘Internet of Things’

Sony has announced a possible competitor to Google Glass, essentially a module that clips onto eyewear to make them smart. The company’s lightweight, single-lens display module attaches to glasses, sunglasses, goggles, or other eyewear to add a color OLED micro-display and connected camera. The module weighs a mere 40g and can be removed when not in use. Sony is expected to showcase a prototype at the 2015 CES in Las Vegas next month under the name “SmartEyeglass Attach.” Continue reading CES: Sony to Demo Module That Makes Any Glasses ‘Smart’

San Francisco-based startup Fyusion released a new version of its Fyuse app this week that allows users to record 3D “surround view” photospheres. Users press record and move their phone for a few seconds. Fyuse then renders the images on the device and offers the result for sharing on its platform. The app, available for iOS and Android, is designed to augment everything from selfies to fashion shows, but may also prove successful as a compelling way to bring user-generated content to mobile VR. Continue reading App Creates 3D Photospheres, New Potential for Mobile VR

Comcast is offering select television programming in Ultra HD, available for compatible 2014 Samsung 4K TVs. Comcast Xfinity customers will initially be able to stream NBC’s “Chicago Fire” and USA Network’s “Covert Affairs” and “Suits” to Samsung sets via the Internet. Comcast will expand its UHD offerings in 2015, including NBC’s “Parks and Recreation” in February. Amazon, DirecTV, M-GO, Netflix and Sony are among those that have also launched Ultra HD video services. Continue reading Comcast Launches Ultra HD VOD App for Samsung 4K TVs

Apple recently announced it has partnered with dozens of new companies interested in adopting its Apple Pay e-commerce product, which allows customers to make in-store transactions with a touch of their iPhones. Partnerships with various retail stores, startups, and financial institutions represent the early adopters of Apple’s new product. Apple Pay has already outperformed other rival smartphone e-commerce products from Google, Verizon and AT&T.  Continue reading Apple Pay Gains Momentum, Partners with More Companies

Virtual and augmented reality tools have been around for at least 40 years. In 2014 the next generation of VR and AR hardware was being energetically developed, beta tested, and discussed by the niche VR community. It was also used to create small-scale experiences as part of the marketing campaigns for other entertainment assets. Expect 2015 to be the year when hardware, software, and content companies work towards consumer adoption of VR and AR resources and experiences. Continue reading Virtual and Augmented Reality to Have Major Presence at CES

Google is encouraging more people to check out Google Cardboard, the virtual reality platform and headset that connects to a smartphone. Over 500,000 of the devices shipped this year and now VR apps have their own section on the Google Play Store, featuring apps that include musical performances and exotic locations. Now, the tech giant has released an SDK for Android and Unity, so that developers can continue making apps and crafting their own custom headsets. Continue reading Google Releases Cardboard VR App Update and Android SDK

Oculus, the virtual reality company picked up by Facebook in March, has acquired two startups that may bring hand-tracking and better mapping of 3D interiors to the Oculus Rift headset. Nimble VR (formerly 3Gear Systems) is the startup behind Nimble Sense, a camera that connects to the headset and uses Kinect-like technology to track a user’s hands and sync movements to the user’s VR experience. Oculus also bought 13th Lab, a computer vision and augmented reality firm focused on 3D reconstruction. Continue reading Oculus Acquires Nimble VR for its Hand-Tracking Technology

NBC launched a free 24-hour live broadcast feed over the Internet, which viewers can access if they have a pay TV subscription with certain providers and they live in one of 10 markets across the U.S. Currently, the live feeds can only be viewed on desktop PCs, but NBC plans to add mobile support in early 2015. Other networks, such as ABC and CBS, have launched similar live TV streaming services. NBCUniversal also launched a new campaign to drive viewers to its apps. Continue reading NBC Offers Live Streaming Online, Planning Mobile for 2015

Theater chain AMC has partnered with MoviePass, a company that charges moviegoers a subscription fee to attend movie screenings at participating theaters (up to one film per day for a monthly fee). Subscribers will have the option to pay $35 for standard screenings or a $45 premium fee for access to IMAX and 3D features. AMC announced the partnership with MoviePass shortly after reports from Nielsen showed that attendance for young moviegoers continued to drop this year.  Continue reading AMC Teams with MoviePass to Get Millennials Back in Theaters

CES 2014 introduced a compelling array of new concepts and prototypes for next generation electronics, technology and consumer entertainment devices. This year, as the ETC@USC gears up for the January 6-9 confab in Las Vegas, our reporters anticipate delivery on many of the promises made last winter and expect to see a collection of innovative products and services — from UHD and VR to the Internet of Everything — on display across the show’s more than 2 million square feet of exhibit space. Continue reading 2015 International CES: ETC Anticipates ‘Year of the Product’

Fox Searchlight has produced a virtual reality experience to promote the film “Wild” starring Reese Witherspoon. The three-minute, 360-degree sequence features Witherspoon as her character in the film as she takes a break from a hike in the woods. Fox Searchlight is planning on showing “Wild – The Experience” at the Consumer Electronics Show and the Sundance Film Festival next month. The immersive experience is compatible with Samsung’s Gear VR. Continue reading Reese Witherspoon Stars in ‘Wild’ Experience for the Gear VR