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

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

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’

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

According to insiders at LG, the company’s new 8K display has been airlifted to Las Vegas for next month’s 2015 International Consumer Electronics Show. LG Display engineers will accompany the prototype to its CES booth. Codenamed “Mabinogion,” the 55-inch display features a resolution of 33.2 million pixels, more than 20 display driver integrated circuits, and a brightness of 500 nits. LG Electronics (LG Display’s largest client) is rumored to be adding an 8K TV to its UHD lineup next year. Continue reading CES 2015: LG Expected to Unveil its New 55-Inch 8K Display

StoryTech Managing Partner Lori Schwartz moderated a CES 2015 webcast “Know Before You Go” on December 3rd. Industry experts discussed key trends they expect to see at January’s International CES in Las Vegas — from emerging areas such as immersive gaming, virtual reality and wearables to the infrastructure, platforms, and applications of a variety of compelling new products. Topics of the webcast centered on digital disruption, personalization, Big Data, the Internet of Things, and much more. Continue reading Know Before You Go: StoryTech Offers Preview of CES 2015

Tel Aviv-based StoreDot claims it has developed a battery technology that can charge a mobile phone in 30 seconds and an electric car in mere minutes. The prototype can reportedly store a higher charge more quickly by using nanotechnology to synthesize artificial molecules. Bio-organic peptide molecules known as “nanodots” enable the rapid absorption and retention of power. StoreDot is aiming to have a slimmer version of the current prototype available for the smartphone market by 2016. Continue reading Battery Using Nanodots Charges Mobile Phone in 30 Seconds

ETC@USC begins its coverage of the 2015 International CES with a special Entertainment Technology Roundtable featuring Dr. Shawn DuBravac, chief economist and senior director of research for the Consumer Electronics Association, on December 4 at the ETC quarterly meeting at Paramount Pictures Studios. DuBravac is expected to highlight leading CE trends and innovations and preview indicators from his State of the Industry Report, the traditional kick-off of CES media briefings. Continue reading CES 2015: CEA’s Shawn DuBravac to Brief ETC December 4