During Samsung’s Galaxy Unpacked event in San Francisco, the company introduced its $1,200 Galaxy S23 Ultra smartphone, featuring a 200-megapixel camera sensor, an updated form factor, a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor, and major jump in storage. Samsung also announced updated Galaxy S23 and S23 Plus models with the same floating camera design of the S23 Ultra and pricing that matches last year’s offerings. The company’s new Galaxy Book3 Ultra laptop touts a 16-inch, 120Hz OLED screen and offers an Intel H-Series Core i7 or Core i9 processor and an Nvidia RTX 4050 or 4070 GPU. The Book3 line features Samsung’s Dynamic AMOLED 2X display and an Nvidia RTX 3070 GPU. Continue reading Samsung Unveils Smartphones, Laptops at Unpacked Event

Disney Advertising has struck a deal with measurement firm EDO to examine audience engagement across multiple platforms, starting with Hulu. EDO will also provide outcome data, quantifying the effectiveness of streaming campaigns. The agreement allows Disney to provide brands with information detailing the impact of streaming ad exposure “on cross-screen digital behavior like search and site visits,” said Disney Advertising SVP of data enablement and category strategy Danielle Brown from the company’s annual Tech & Data Showcase last week. The company has also expanded its relationship with Samba TV, another vendor in the new currency space. Continue reading Disney Expands Its Ad Measurement with EDO and Samba TV

TikTok is taking a proactive stance to quash U.S. government concerns that user data might be collected and exploited by China, where the viral video platform’s parent, ByteDance, is based. TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew made the rounds in Washington last week, sharing with think tanks and public interest groups his plan to prevent data on Americans from being transmitted out of the country. The strategy marks a shift for TikTok, which kept a low profile during attacks by the Trump administration and continuing pressure under President Biden. Chew is now scheduled to testify before the House Energy and Commerce Committee about security and privacy. Continue reading TikTok On the Offense in Battle to Protect Its U.S. Operations

Quantum computing promises future benefits, but also poses present-day cybersecurity risks that the federal government is urging commercial businesses to prepare for now. In fact, a law passed in December, the Quantum Computing Cybersecurity Preparedness Act, requires federal agencies to develop security plans addressing the vulnerability posed by the so-called “Y2Q” moment. Quantum computers are so quick and efficient as to be able to crack virtually any encryption. Although quantum computing is still in the development stage, the machines are expected to reach practical operability by 2030. Continue reading Feds Say Time to Prep for Y2Q Quantum Computer Hacking

Microsoft is expanding its relationship with OpenAI, entering what it calls “the third phase of our long-term partnership” with a multiyear, multibillion dollar investment to accelerate AI breakthroughs to ensure these benefits are broadly shared with the world.” Although the companies did not disclose financial terms, Microsoft’s investment was previously reported as $10 billion. The New York Times reports OpenAI is also in talks to complete a tender offer for as much as $300 million (contingent on the number of employees selling stock), “which would value the company at around $29 billion.” Continue reading Microsoft Invests $10 Billion in OpenAI, Valued at About $29B

The new joint industry committee, or JIC, formed by major TV networks and media firms has begun actively pursuing major advertising agency members, offering the buy side to pull up a seat at the table. The goal: “to enable multiple currencies with the primary focus of creating a measurement certification process to establish the suitability of emerging cross-platform measurement solutions in advance of the 2024 upfronts,” the JIC says. Founding members include FOX, NBCUniversal, Paramount Global, TelevisaUnivision, Warner Bros. Discovery, analytics-driven ad firm OpenAP and the Video Advertising Bureau (VAB). Continue reading New Ad Certification Group Seeks Support of Major Agencies

Apple has announced new 14- and 16-inch iterations of its MacBook Pro laptops, featuring Apple’s next-generation silicon. The M2 Pro and M2 Max chips turn the MacBook Pro into a portable workstation, able to tackle demanding tasks like effects rendering and color grading. Apple is promising up to 22 hours of battery life, the most ever in a Mac. The smaller model starts at $1,999, while entry level for the 16-inch is $2,499. Pre-orders began last week and delivery starts tomorrow. Apple is also releasing an updated Mac mini with M2 ($599) or M2 Pro ($1,299) chips. Continue reading Apple Debuts MacBook Pros with M2 Pro and M2 Max Chips

The short film “Fathead,” produced by the Entertainment Technology Center@USC and shot at the new Amazon Stage in Culver City as an experiment in virtual production and collaborative, cloud-based workflows, has been nominated for a 54th NAACP Image Award in the Outstanding Short Film (Live Action) category. The Image Awards celebrate outstanding achievements and performances in the arts from an African American point of view, and recognize those who promote social justice through their creative pursuits. This year’s awards will air live on February 25 at 8:00 p.m. on BET and various ViacomCBS networks. “Fathead” was directed by c. Craig Patterson and produced by Erik Weaver, ETC’s director of adaptive production. Continue reading ETC Short Film ‘Fathead’ Is Nominee for NAACP Image Award

Apple is gearing up to make a big play for the smart home market, according to reports that put it on a trajectory to challenge Google and Amazon. This week, the company released a new HomePod smart speaker with superior audio, enhanced Siri capabilities, and better security. But a report surfaced of Apple preparing a dedicated smart home control device to rival the displays for Amazon’s Echo Show and Google’s Nest Hub. Although the iPad currently offers some smart home features, standalone devices are growing in popularity, kickstanding on countertops or mounted on walls. Continue reading New Apple HomePod Signals Big Push in Smart Home Space

Smart TVs were among the hottest products of CES. One set that seemed to generate raves all-around was TCL’s 98-inch 4K QLED with Dolby Vision HDR and Google TV. The unit features a built-in subwoofer, powerful Mini-LED backlight system and more than 2,300 dimming zones. During the show, TCL announced it was readying its first QD-OLED TV and committing to Samsung Display panels. However, the company later explained that a line in the “press release confirming plans to launch the brand’s first QD-OLED television this year was incorrectly included.” TCL, which said it will be “focused” on Mini-LED this year, showed a range of compelling TV tech. Continue reading CES: TCL Expands TV Lines, 98-Inch 4K QLED Model Is a Hit

Connection, collaboration, and cooperation are three words that underscore almost everything we saw during four days at CES 2023. We anticipated this would not be a show of breakthrough innovations. Instead, we expected innovative ways to use recent advances. In broad categories, AR, haptics, and AI were much in evidence. Interesting light field displays and curved screens caught our eye. There were fewer cars but way more commercial vehicles and components driving “software-defined mobility.” TVs were secondary to connected ecosystems in Samsung and LG’s displays, while creators took center stage for Sony, Canon, and Nikon. Clear across the show, innovation may come from startups but to scale it takes giants. Continue reading CES: Show Floor Reveals the Ups and Downs of Tech Trends

While smart home technologies have often made a strong showing at CES, adoption has been hampered by issues of interoperability. This year at CES saw the widespread reveal of Matter (originally known as Project CHIP), a new smart home standard designed to support interoperability. Matter was originally announced in 2019 as a partnership between Apple, Google and Amazon to create an open-source smart home standard. Today, if CES 2023 is any indication, the standard is becoming more prevalent across a wide variety of connected devices and different product sectors. Continue reading CES: Matter Smart Home Protocol Marks Major Trend in 2023

Designed for hybrid workers, Lenovo’s new dual-screen Yoga Book 9i received several best of show awards at CES 2023. With two 13.3-inch, 2.8K OLED PureSight displays, Lenovo is calling this 9i refresh “the first full-sized OLED dual screen laptop.” One hundred percent DCI-P3 color accuracy and Dolby Vision HDR offers users ultra-vivid images, sharper contrast, and richer detail, according to Lenovo. The Yoga Book 9i responds to hand-gestures for moving between screens and resizing windows, the setup has a haptic touchpad and keyboard, as well as a detachable keyboard that turns off when not in use. Continue reading CES: Lenovo Offers Dual Screens with Its New Yoga Book 9i

Lumus introduced its second-generation AR eyewear technology, the Z-Lens 2D waveguide, at CES 2023. The Israeli-based supplier for OEMs making AR glasses says the new architecture accommodates AR projector modules that are 50 percent smaller, with outdoor compatible brightness and seamless prescription integration, setting the stage for a new class of AR glasses that are sleeker and more efficient. “In order for AR glasses to penetrate the consumer market in a meaningful way, they need to be impressive both functionally and aesthetically,” said Lumus CEO Ari Grobman. Continue reading CES: Lumus Z-Lens Waveguide Shows Future of AR Glasses

Samsung is adding new features to its small Freestyle projector for 2023, with support for the Samsung Gaming Hub and image expansion using Smart Edge Blending, which lets viewers combine two of the devices to watch content in a 21:9 configuration with no manual lining up or adjusting. The Gaming Hub provides streaming apps from Xbox, Amazon Luna, Nvidia GeForce NOW and more. Subscribers to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate or other high-performance cloud gaming services can stream directly on the Freestyle so long as the Internet connection is robust enough. Continue reading CES: Samsung Freestyle Projector Adds Game Hub, Features