Samsung Shows Off 110-inch Ultra High Definition TV at CES

Photo credit: Samsung

In the constant innovation of technology, it is the goal of electronic companies to make the devices we have grown comfortable using as obsolete. While not discrediting what they had most recently sold, technology developers simply stride to create bigger and better products. The Consumer Electronic Show (CES) in Las Vegas is regularly one of those exhibitions that make us all realize rapid the pace of advancement moves. Televisions, smartphones and most recently car-based infotainment platforms are represented at the 2013 CES as major as well as up-and-coming brands want to woo us (the consumer) to a new path of technological enlightenment that, of course, involves their solutions.

At the 2013 edition of the CES, Samsung has presented a number of captivating products and innovations focused around home entertainment. Showing off their latest explorations into LED TV, OLED TV technology, the display for Samsung was anchored by the existence of a gigantic television with the promise of bringing the big world into a perspective only our own eyes could envision.

Photo source: Samsung

Bringing to life a 110-inch television screen Samsung advertises as the largest in home entertainment, their S9 UHD TV features a super vivid picture quality making full use of the sheer brilliance of such a display size. Utilizing what is believed to be the next progression to viewing television programs and movies, the concept of UHD (Ultra High Definition) is presenting a picture two to four times more detailed than current HD sets. Featuring the Samsung Precision Black, tones of black and white are even more defined than ever. Samsung Precision Black is combined with Ultimate Dimming that uses groups of hundreds of LED blocks to achieve pinpoint accurate backlight control on the Samsung S9's 110-inch screen.

The Samsung S9 UHD TV also incorporates a quad-core computer processor allowing Smart TV functions to be handled with peak performance. Multiple apps and on-line content choices could be fed through the S9 television for full media immersion for the eyes. The 3-way, 2.2 channels of 120-watt audio will delight ears with sound quality said to be six times greater than a traditional television set.

While large quantity of UHD or Super HD content could take time moving through the consumer pipeline, Samsung has built a proprietary up-scaling engine into the S9 television unit. HD and Full-HD quality picture can be delivered in higher picture detail than perhaps ever seen before.

Politicians Trended More Than Ever on Twitter in 2012

Photo source: Twitter

Though talk has often been referred to as “cheap”, tweeting could be something of great worth. Allowing some with difficulties talking to share thoughts, finding the wealth of other people’s thoughts and even the chance to interact with someone you would have otherwise never met is a strong positive to Twitter‘s allure to over 500 million users. Of those users in 2012, an increasing number are leading public official of many nation governments.

　

2012 Ranking of World Leaders on Twitter

Tracking the impact of world leaders on Twitter and other social media networks, the Digital Policy Council (DPC) released their 2012 report how politicians are reaching out over the electronic micro-blogging service. On Twitter right now, newly-re-elected president of the United States Barack Obama dominates in the Follower count with over 24,600,000 as of this past December. Obama’s Twitter Followers dwarfs the second highest Twitter account in Followers by more than 20,000,000 users. According to a study released by the DPC, the President of Venezuela Hugo Chevez maintains a second place ranking with above 3.8 million Followers. Turkish President Abdullah Gul is third in the DPC ranking and Queen Rania Al Abdullah of Jordon is fourth. Rounding out the top five on the 2012 list of Twitter accounts is Russian President Dmitry Medvedev.

The current United States President is recorded as the earliest world leader to find Twitter on the service prior to taking office in March of 2007. In regards to early Twitter adopters, Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto, Belgium Prime Minister Elio Di Rupo and Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper followed Obama as early adopters during 2007. In 2012, Mexican President Nieto was ninth in the overall ranking while Prime Minister Harper of Canada placed 21^st. Joining Twitter in January of 2012, Prime Minister of India’s Manmohan Singh entered the ranking in 19^th spot racking up more than 390,000 Followers in less than a year.

In the recent report issued out by the Digital Policy Council, three out of four world leaders now maintain a Twitter account. Out of the 164 countries recorded in the 2012 report, 123 leaders can now be followed by an official Twitter feed. Just as intriguing as the shear number of world leaders’ taking part in the major social network is the single year growth. With only 69 political leaders on Twitter in 2011, there has been a 78 percent increase in only a 12-month period. DPC believes the proliferation of Twitter and other social media is effective for connecting with national as well as global audiences.

　

Twitter and the US Election

Presentation of random thoughts or the ability to convey serious messages has made Twitter an instant reactor to current events. In particularly with the United States election, social media network Twitter was lit up with an electric mood where everyone had the potential of sharing a meaningful opinion. To the point that Twitter was slowed down significantly at times during debates between US president Barack Obama and his Republican challenger Mitt Romney, Twitter users quickly critiqued the performances of each candidate. Allowing for such phrases like “binders full of women” to be instantaneously mocked. Through the entire US election, Digital Policy Council rates 31 million election-related Tweets were shared. Making history for being the most retweeted message on the social network included a photo of President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle with the words “Four more years”.

Entering 2013, it's safe to say that government officials greatly recognize the need to communicate through the more conventional in-person way as well as by maintaining a voice on social media.

LG to Exhibit 100-inch Class Laser TV System at CES

Photo Source: LG

As LCD, LED and plasma viewing experiences have begun to dominate the way many of us watch television or interact with computer devices, South Korean electronics company LG is set to introduce the power of lasers in a grand scale. Set to be demonstrated at the upcoming 2013 CES (Consumer Electronics Show) in Las Vegas, LG's 100-inch class HECTO Laser TV projector reveals some intense cinematic quality picture.

Comprising of specialized laser illumination, the LG television setup is a projector style entertainment setup offering Full HD 1080p resolution and a 1,000,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio. Translated, the LG 100-unit class projector set would feature outstanding picture quality with vivid lighting contrasting. A two-piece entertainment unit where a special screen receives images from a Ultra Short Throw projector, the LG HECTO Laser TV harnesses movie theater viewing even in smaller rooms. With the latest LG design, the lens can be as close as 22 inches (about 56 centimeters) from the display screen. Incorporating all of LG's Smart TV platform capacities, built-in Wi-Fi with access to Netflix and YouTube, content management over the LG Cloud and the brand's Magic Remote are all integrated in the HECTO Laser TV projection system.

The use of lasers for creating a high-end television picture quality is a new technology principle but LG will not be the first to market. In 2008, Mitsubishi began selling LaserVue television sets at a price just under $7,000. Ranging from 73 to 93 inches in size, the Mitsubishi LaserVue units have dropped to between the $3,000-$5,000 range but obviously remains a premium viewing experience when compared to other displays.

Targeted to replace existing projector-type televisions, the LG 100-inch display is focused on attracting high-end home theater buffs and even office boardrooms. Speaking on the planned CES roll-out as well as what the electronics maker has planned for 2013 and beyond, president and CEO Havis Kwon says, "In the coming year, LG will continue to introduce innovative TV products to provide an outstanding productivity and entertainment experience for our customer."

Internet Video Consumption in US Set to Balloon by 2020

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Through the surging popularity of smartphones and that equally incredible boom in the sale of tablet computers, habits interest consumption of video content has been forever morphed. According to findings collected by Alcatel-Lucent's research arm Bell Labs, the growing utilization of small, Internet enabled devices who change the amount and methods many North Americans will receive video.

Today, the average American watches 4.8 hours of video content per over various devices (most commonly is still a television set). Based on educated predictions, Bell Labs anticipates the daily consumption of video media will grow to seven hours by 2020. The forecast suggests the increased prevalence of portable electronic devices such as smartphones and tablets will be the chief reason for the growth. Bell Labs attributes video content access on the go and at home through mobile devices as a major fixture in the acquisition of information as well entertainment sources.

In addition to examining the amount of video data set to be consumed, the Bell Labs predictions also took a look at the distribution side of media. It's suggested that the use of on-demand or Internet driven video content will rocket in the next seven years. Internet video content is expected to grow by 12 times its current size by the year 2020 as social networking and clouds-based data resources will continue to become fixtures.

It was claimed in a University of California Study rated the United States consumed a total of 3.6 Zettabytes (3,600,000,000,000,000,000,000) in 2008. For 2020, Bell Labs rates on-line traffic at 1.1 Zettabytes (1,100,000,000,000,000,000,000) for video data alone. The study also points to the fact the 8 pm hour will be recognized as a high peak periods with 10.5 percent of video data being shared.

The highlights the need for high speed Internet infrastructure capable of meeting increased demands.

Online Retailers Hoping to See Colour of Money on Green Monday

Photo source: Door County Visitor Bureau/DoorCounty.com

So far during this holiday shopping season, there has been a virtual party going on through e-commerce. According to digital monitoring company comScore, 2012 has been a most opportune time to operate online businesses. comScore assessed that from November 1st to December 7th, shopping online in the United States has grown into a 26.8 billion American dollar marketplace. Up 13 percent from the same period in 2011, virtual shoppers have spent over three billion dollars extra online.

Breaking the data down for 2012, this past week resulted 6.44 billion dollars in sales. Three of those days last week accounted for over a billion dollars in transactions. Going back several weeks, Cyber Monday is not surprisingly the busiest single day so far in 2012 accounting for 1.465 billion dollars alone. While Cyber Monday has catapulted itself forward as the prime shopping day on the Internet, retailers online have also been optimistic to the prospects for December 10th on a day deemed “Green Monday“.

Not related to environmentalism, Green Monday has historically been a steady time for brisk Internet Sales. Since e-commence relies heavily on package delivery, Green Monday coincides with the latest possible time that an item ordered as a Christmas gift can arrive on December 24th or earlier. While the increased use of higher speed shipping by some retailers provides an extension into perhaps deeper periods, Green Monday is still seen as a safe zone for online ordering. In fact, Green Monday registered as the biggest shopping day online in 2005 and 2007. Consistently a top-five spending day, Green Monday exceeded the one billion dollar plateau last year.

There had been a cautionary note to the robust online consumer spending stated by comScore chairman Gian Fulgoni. Despite posting three consecutive billion-dollar spending days and five in excess of $950 million, this past week saw a noticeable softening in e-commence momentum as growth rates dipped into single-digits after beginning the season in the mid-teens,". However, that note was also countered with optimism for December 10th's Green Monday. With Black Friday sales up over 17 percent this year, expectations for Green Monday has the day mirroring the positive economic results.

Nintendo Grants Original Wii a $100 Mini Future

Photo source: Nintendo

So you were unable to snag one example of this holiday's hottest new products. The Nintendo Wii U has eluded many people as it was released earlier this month leaving some in Canada holding out until the new year before playing the new gaming console. Other electronic gaming enthusiast could simply be waiting before buying the Wii U for several reasons. The $299.99 Canadian starting price and the small library of titles created for the rather undiscovered Nintendo system could serve as causes to consider another home entertainment console for the 2012 holiday season. In time for the gift-buying season and a solution to lure a few more family gamers to Nintendo when the Wii U is still in short supply, the Wii Mini sports many attributes making it a suitable addition to living rooms.

A new version of the Nintendo Wii game console retailing for $99.99, the Wii Mini has been reduced in size for easier inclusion within the home entertainment equipment. An eye-catching presentation, the Nintendo Wii Mini console sports a matte black finish accompanied with a stylish red border. The Nintendo Wii Mini will include a Wii Remote Plus and Nunchuk controller sharing the red colour tone found on the console. Excellent for immediate gaming with the use of famous motion capture technology, over 1,400 Nintendo Wii gaming discs can be played on the Wii Mini. In many cases, six years of Nintendo Wii titles mean several popular games could be bought at a friction of the price than the new Wii U games.

The Nintendo Wii Mini is a leaner system than the regular Wii. Marketed as a more family-friendly device, Internet connectivity has been removed from the Wii Mini. NintendoWii Mini owners will also note that the system is designed to run only Wii games meaning there is no compatibility with game titles created for the Nintendo GameCube.

Available December 7th, the Nintendo Wii Mini console $99.99 price will allow the likes of Mario and Zelda to live on a little longer on the Wii.

The Samsung Galaxy Camera: A Picture Perfect Technology Marriage?

Photo source: Samsung
 

Since digital cameras have become mainstream little over a decade ago, the technology began to gradually reshape the way we took pictures. No longer limited by the constraints of film, digital photography would also migrate away from a dedicated camera.

Today, even basic cell phones and most mobile tablets would present at least one camera that have now evolved to a quality decent enough for sharing with family or friends. Though popular, photography with a mobile phone does fall short on some functionality and resolution related to a stand-alone camera. A hybrid breed between a point and shoot camera and a small tablet, the Samsung Galaxy Camera draws upon the strength of two devices in delivering an uncompromised picture-taking experience.

Appearing very much like a camera, the new Samsung device could be hastily disregarded if someone would not know the collection of technologies that lurk inside the device. Featuring a 16.3 megapixel sensor, a 4.8-inch touch screen and a 21x optical zoom lens, the Samsung Galaxy Camera immediately presents some hardware that would run circles around a smartphone's photography gear. Running off the Google Android 4.1 Jelly Bean operating system, the Samsung Galaxy Camera's quad core processor allows users to experience excellent performance when taking pictures in 15 style settings classified under Samsung's 'Smart Mode' technology. As well as taking still shots up to 16 megapixels, Samsung allows their device to video capture at Full HD format.

Photo source: Samsung

Equipped with eight gigabytes of on-board storage with micro SD card expandably, Wi-Fi capabilities allow photos taken by the Samsung Galaxy Camera to be offloaded quickly. Transfer of images to Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest as well as onto Instagram can be performed quickly. Being an Android enabled device, the Samsung Galaxy Camera can make use of various Google brand services. Google Maps, Gmail and even the Google Play app marketplace are all accessible through the digital camera.

The Samsung Galaxy Camera was introduced to the North American marketplace during the 16th of this month. Retailing for just under $499.99 through AT&T, the Samsung Galaxy Camera sells above the price of almost all point and shoot device and even above the level of most smartphones. The launch of the Galaxy Camera by AT&T is temporarily accompanied with an up to $100 credit to acquire an additional Samsung device.

Just in time for Canadians to capture some memorable holiday moments or perhaps qualified itself to become a gift to a loved one, sales for the Samsung Galaxy Camera north of the border will commence on December 7th. Available through Black's Photography locations as well as through lone example of The Samsung Store in Burnaby, British Columbia, the Samsung Galaxy Camera should sell at similar pricing those sold in the US.



Below is a promotional photo showing the Samsung Galaxy Camera in action: