This year 50 percent of LG’s TV lineup will be 3D TVs and smart TVs.
The company will introduce 55-, 60-, 72-, and 84-inch 3D TVs with 1mm bezels and a thickness of 28mm.
The Magic Remote, their motion sensor remote control device, will be enhanced with voice recognition capabilities.
LG is also introducing a 3D gesture interface (like the Kinect) for both display/channel control and game play.
Their immersive Cinema 3D experience technology includes in-set 3D depth control, 3D sound zoom, and improved 2D-3D conversion.
3D sound involves both physical speaker and sound field design. LG has developed products that produce an enhanced horizontal and vertical 3D sound field experience.
Additionally, LG showed off its LG Smart TV with integrated Google TV. Normally, Google TV is an external accessory.
3M Touch Systems has created sensors and related software for hardware developers to incorporate into products.
The company is demonstrating applications that other companies have built based on 3M’s technology, including multi-user solutions.
Two multi-touch monitors – 18.5- and 21.5-inch display sizes – are currently available offering 20 simultaneous touches at 6 millisecond response time and HD graphics powered by LED backlights.
The displays are Windows 7 compatible. Drivers are available for Windows XP, Linux and Mac operating systems.
3M says it will have sensors capable of monitoring 60-inch 16:9 surfaces by the end of 2012, and expects licensees to be marketing them in products at that time.
Sharp Electronics claims to be the market leader in large screen TVs at 60-inches and beyond with twenty new large screens to be released in 2012 — many featuring 3D in 120Hz or 240Hz panel options.
The company is also emphasizing its new entertainment hub, SmartCentral, which includes access to media services and apps including Hulu, Netflix and Facebook.
The flagship Aquos Quattron 3D LED TV (LC-80LE844U) is an 80-inch model with a new 240Hz LCD panel to virtually eliminate blur during fast-moving video. The unit boasts Wi-Fi, 4 HDMI inputs and the new SmartCentral user interface.
Two new Blu-ray players are launched: the BD-AMS10U and BD-AMS20U. Both models incorporate features from the new SmartCentral interface.
Additionally, a 4K display will be released later this year.
Showing in prototype on its stand is an 8K 85-inch display. This represents 32 million pixels of resolution or 16 times the resolution of HDTV.
Sharp Electronics announced two multifunction Blu-ray Disc players that incorporate features from Sharp’s new connected TV platform, SmartCentral.
The BD-AMS10U includes a USB interface for storage and playback via external hard drives. This model is wireless LAN ready for streaming content. It will be available in March for $179.
The BD-AMS20U features wireless LAN, a USB interface for external hard drive ports, and a smartphone interface via Mobile HD Link (MHL). It will ship in April for $199.
With MHL, Android users can access their mobile apps and content through their home entertainment system.
Liquipel is a Santa Ana-based company that has conducted R&D on innovative coatings for the past five years. The company provides a waterproofing service: send them the device and they will protect it.
Liquipel’s patent-pending coating permanently bonds on a molecular level to electronic devices, inside and out.
The company claims the coating protects ports and sockets without impacting their connectivity.
According to the company site: “It is not visible to the human eye, virtually undetectable and Liquipel will not compromise the look, feel, and performance of your electronics.”
Utilizing ASTEROID, an Android-based platform introduced last year at CES, Parrot is expanding its range of after-market connectivity solutions designed to integrate Internet functionality to the driving experience.
Devices range from a 3.2-inch dashboard mount model to a 6.2-inch central console replacement. All have wireless remote controls to mount to the steering wheel and are designed to access the Internet through a tethering cell phone or 3G key.
Parrot is currently developing applications to display the versatility of its devices, some of which include speed trap notifications and geolocation.
The company also stresses the open-source nature of ASTEROID and hopes it can be used to expand their app library as time passes. Along with Internet radio applications like Pandora, some of the devices are also capable of providing entertainment by capturing live TV broadcasts.
Parrot hopes to use the central console device as a base to expand to a multiple monitor entertainment system in the future.
Devices are expected to be available later this year, but no pricing has been announced yet.
Henry Ford technical fellow Jim Buchowski said his company plans to continue its pioneering role in the “smart car” space as a means of differentiating its product from those of other manufacturers by “creating new experiences for consumers.”
Ford will continue to take a somewhat platform-independent approach that sees the focus more on software and apps rather than hardware.
“Our approach will continue to be not building the technology into the vehicle, because once you’ve got a 3G modem built-on and 4G comes along, you’re stuck,” Buchowski said.
Initiatives Ford is showcasing at this year’s CES include onboard health monitoring devices that will help drivers with medical issues. Things like back-up cameras that can make it easy for one person to do things like attach a trailer hitch are also a focus.
These are extensions to technologies Ford has rolled out over the past two CES shows. SYNC, which integrates Wi-Fi hotspotting directly into the vehicles, allows the car to seamlessly interface with phones, mobile music devices and navigation systems (including voice commands) and MyFord Touch, which puts controls at the driver’s fingertips.
Ford is utilizing the Windows platform. At present there are more than 3 million vehicles equipped with SYNC.
Where to see it: North Hall, Grand Lobby, Lower Level, 2230
The Samsung SmartCam streams live footage to your smartphone, PC or Mac via a tiny camera and speaker combo.
The plug-and-play 1.3-megapixel webcam does not require any software pre-load (a very popular concept among manufacturers this year).
Features include sound- and motion-activated alerts, two-way talk, messaging, night vision and mobile apps for Android and iOS devices. Up to five viewers can access the feed at once.
Register as many units as you’d like to your personal account, authenticated through Samsung’s WPS-encrypted server.
Set to ship in March at $149 per unit.
Where to see it: Central 12004; Innovations Design and Engineering Showcase, LVCC Grand Lobby
Oregon Scientific is demonstrating its new ATCMini-S Action Video Camera, created to compete in the extreme sports space with wearable cameras such as the GoPro Hero.
The $150 camera is a mere 2.3 ounces and records 720p HD video at 30 fps.
The ATCMini-S is ruggedized with a silicone protective sleeve and waterproof to 65 feet.
The company says it tolerates temperatures 32-104 degrees.
They offer a hard shell helmet mount, handlebar mount and surf mount designed for recording action of extreme sports.
San Francisco-based Toktumi, Inc. — the company behind the Line2 app that provides second phone lines for iOS and Android smartphones — is now debuting a version that works with the iPad.
“It can make calls where AT&T’s signal is weak, like indoors. It can turn an iPod Touch into a full-blown cellphone. And it can ruin the sleep of cellphone executives everywhere,” wrote David Pogue of the original app in The New York Times.
The app uses new numbers or can port over existing local phone numbers. Users can make calls over Wi-Fi or 3G.
It is being marketed as a tool for small businesses that need a second line. It also includes a contact management organizer.
The $9.95 per month fee includes unlimited calls to the U.S. and Canada, and unlimited texting (no contract required).
The manufacturer is billing it as a more professional-looking alternative to products like Skype and Google Phone because it uses traditional phone numbers. Also touting it as a “cheap” way to add a second line.
Where to see it: Innovations Design and Engineering Showcase, LVCC Grand Lobby
Wormhole Switch from J5create is a single USB cord that enables Windows and Apple computers to exchange files. There is also a version that connects Windows machines with Android platforms.
No software is required; the cord — priced at $24 to $39 — does it all.
Data transfer rates are USB 2’s standard 4.8 gigabytes per second, “so file size is limited only by the size of the hard drive. You can drag and drop a 1 terabyte file,” a company rep explained.
The Wormhole Station accomplishes the same thing via a docking device that also enables multiple units (like tablets and iPads) to share a keyboard.
Where to see it: Innovations Design and Engineering Showcase, LVCC Grand Lobby
Tobii Technology’s eye-tracking system enables you to control your computer with just a look.
After calibrating on your eyes, the Swedish company’s “gaze interaction” technology moves the cursor to the screen location where you are looking.
However, you still have to press the touchpad or click the mouse to trigger an action.
At CES, the company is demonstrating software connected to Microsoft’s Windows 8 so that attendees can demo its capabilities with games, Word documents and more.
Tobii plans to make the system available to the professional market — CAD, artists, etc. — in a year, and to the consumer market in two years. The company also has medical applications in mind for the technology.
MasterImage 3D is previewing a glasses-free 720p resolution 3D display for a 4.3-inch smartphone, 1280x800p resolution 3D display for a 7-inch tablet, and 1080p resolution 3D display for a 10.1-inch tablet.
The demos use MasterImage 3D’s Cell-Matrix Parallax Barrier proprietary glasses-free 3D display technology with Texas Instruments’ fourth generation OMAP system on a chip and Android 4.0.
Units being shown at CES will run content from MasterImage 3D’s content portal and 3D Media Player, an embedded digital 3D mobile storefront providing MasterImage display partners with streaming 3D content and e-commerce fulfillment.
National Geographic and Red Bull will be with MasterImage to discuss 3D streaming opportunities with OEMs.
Additionally, Verizon Wireless is demoing 1080p 3D streaming over its 4G network to prototype MasterImage 3D display technology.
Samsung’s new inTouch enables wireless Internet connectivity for HDTV sets at 1080p, allowing users to view YouTube, Hulu and other online content in big screen splendor.
The tiny Android device connects to a TV via a single HDMI cable (no software required) and syncs to the home Wi-Fi network.
It features a built-in camera and microphone for multi-user 720p Skype videoconferencing on a grand scale.
Comes with mini keypad that company reps are touting as a much easier browser interface than a remote control.
Expected to ship in March, priced at $199.
SlashGear has a 1-minute video demo from CES Unveiled.
Where to see it: Central 12004; Innovations Design and Engineering Showcase, LVCC Grand Lobby
The global market for consumer electronics will hit $1 trillion in 2012, topping the $983 billion of 2011, predicts research commissioned by the Consumer Electronics Association.
While growth of consumer spending is slowing in developed markets, and actually in decline in Western Europe, the focus for the CE industry has shifted to emerging markets, notably India and China.
Figures from GfK Boutique Research (for the CEA) showed the shift from developed to emerging markets. In 2008, 63 percent or $572 billion was spent in developed regions versus 37 percent in developing markets. By 2012, the comparative figures are 54 percent ($557 billion) versus 46 percent ($482 billion).
“The trend is clearly that developed markets will slip below 50 percent of worldwide spending on CE products in the next few years,” said Steve Koenig, CEA’s director of industry analysis.
The growth of 3D TV was described as “surprising” and an opportunity for the CE industry in 2012. The research suggested that 3D TV grew 9 percent in sales worldwide in 2011, with the highest penetration in China.
This year 50 percent of LG’s TV lineup will be 3D TVs and smart TVs.
