During his CES keynote, Samsung Electronics CEO BK Yoon addressed his vision for improving consumers’ lives via the Internet of Things. “In 2015, the company will invest more than $100 million in the development community working on connected devices,” reports USA Today. “And it will appeal to developers and competitors to assist in open standards so that devices from different manufacturers work together.” According to the CEO in an interview prior to the keynote: “A lot of the smart TVs and smartphones out there already can communicate. By 2017, our plan is to IoT-enable 90 percent of Samsung hardware, and within five years our plan is to IoT-enable all Samsung products 100 percent.”

Envision Peripherals Inc. (EPI), a North American subsidiary of TPV that brings Philips displays to market, unveiled a 34-inch curved IPS display at CES today. The new Philips Brilliance Curved UltraWide LCD Display offers a “gentle curve” with “subtle immersion effect,” featuring a 21:9 panoramic aspect ratio with over one billion color depth and UltraWide QHD 3,440 x 1,440 resolution. The display also features an ultra-narrow bezel and a built-in pair of 7W DTS stereo speakers. Continue reading EPI Announces New Philips 34-Inch Curved UltraWide Display

Dolby arrived at the 2015 CES with a Warner Bros. partnership that includes a slate of 4K titles mastered in the high dynamic range-supported Dolby Vision format. “Edge of Tomorrow,” “Into the Storm” and “The Lego Movie” are among the titles to be released in Dolby Vision in early 2015 in preparation for the launch of Dolby Vision-enabled TVs. “There’s a lot of HDR interest coming out of Hollywood,” writes Carolyn Giardina for The Hollywood Reporter. “Dolby Vision is intended to be a complete system, through which Hollywood would produce content in the format, and a delivery system would get that content to Dolby Vision supported TV.”

The Consumer Electronics Association raised the curtain on the 2015 International CES Sunday afternoon with media-only presentations on Trends to Watch this year and a comprehensive briefing on the State of the Consumer Tech Industry. Shawn Dubravac, CEA’s chief economist, shared business trends, market forces and consumer dynamics behind the technology on display at the 2015 CES. Steve Koenig, CEA’s director of industry analysis, said consumer tech spending for 2014 is estimated at $1.024 trillion. Continue reading CES Kick-Off: The Magnificent Seven and a Trillion Dollar Year

At CES Unveiled, the wearable manufacturers from the 2104 International CES were back… and they were joined by a dizzying number of new products. The majority of wearables are again focused on fitness and aimed at a demographic that exercises and is digitally plugged-in. At last year’s CES, wearables were a major hit; this year, the rush to innovate has produced more products and solutions than the space can ever support. Today wearables galore; tomorrow, the shake-out. Continue reading 2015 International CES Unveils Wearables Galore in Las Vegas

Wearables with fitness and health applications dominated last year’s CES. This year, manufacturers looking for new market segments have targeted new parents, a digitally savvy demographic likely to be open to wearable solutions. At this week’s CES in Las Vegas, we expect to see an array of compelling new wearables for babies that track temperature, breathing, sleep positions, activity levels, and more. Early product announcements point to wearable patches and sensors, clip-on devices and smart clothing. Continue reading New Market: Baby Wearables Take Their First Steps at CES

In an effort to expand the company’s software capabilities, Samsung announced that its Tizen operating system would be widely adopted in its smart TVs beginning this year. According to the company, the Tizen operating system will allow Samsung’s Internet-connected TVs to sync with other CE devices, including smartphones, via a Wi-Fi connection that enables content sharing. While availability has yet to be announced, the Tizen-based televisions will be showcased at the 2015 International CES next week. Continue reading Samsung Plans to Demo Tizen-Powered Smart TVs at 2015 CES

LG Electronics announced that it will introduce a 21:9 “UltraWide” monitor designed specifically for gamers. The 34-inch curved-screen monitor, model 34UM67, is the company’s first 21:9 monitor created especially for graphics-intensive gaming with Advanced Micro Devices’ FreeSync technology. The AMD tech reportedly eliminates screen-tearing, an image problem that can result when the monitor and graphics card are not in sync. We expect to see LG’s new monitor on display at CES next week. Continue reading CES: LG to Unveil 34-Inch Curved Ultra-Wide Screen for Gamers

We may see monitors join the curved bandwagon next month at the 2015 CES. Samsung, for example, is expected to unveil its SE790C — a 34-inch, 21:9 curved display with a 3,440 x 1,440 resolution known as “Ultra-WQHD.” The display touts about 110 pixels per inch, a maximum contrast ratio of 3000:1 and maximum brightness of 300 cd/m2. Samsung claims the wider field of view offers “a more immersive visual experience” and “creates a high 3D-like effect ratio that makes the screen seem larger.” Continue reading CES: Samsung Expected to Showcase 34-Inch Curved Display

A new iOS shopping app and social network offers a compelling way to make money from selfies. Stylinity encourages its users to record “Shoppable Selfies,” tag the fashionable items featured in the image — such as clothing, beauty products, and furniture, and then upload it to a marketplace where others can browse and make purchases. When shoppers purchase a brand’s product from one of your selfies, you earn points redeemable for cash, clothing, “exclusive experiences,” or “fun products.” Continue reading Shoppable Selfies: Earn Cash and Rewards with Your Images

Wearables made a surprisingly robust showing at the 2014 International CES. At the next Consumer Electronics Show in January, a Wearables Marketplace (Sands, Level 2) will gather companies providing products from “high-tech fashion and smart jewelry to wearables that track your mood, activity and even your pets, as well as the newest augmented reality devices.” Other wearable providers will be found in the Smart Watches, Health & Wellness and Sports Tech Marketplaces, all located in the Sands Expo. Continue reading 2015 CES: Wearables to Take Many Forms at the Sands Expo

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

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

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

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’