SEIKI Reveals New 39-Inch Ultra Affordable 4K Ultra HDTV

Photo Credit: SEIKI Digital, Inc.

It took roughly a decade for North America to fully embrace high definition picture from television and other displays. Thanks to the fact that costs became approachable for the general electronics consumer, HD video is now the accepted standard. However, technology has never an entity providing people with comfort in the sense of sameness for an extended period of time. The recent breakthrough in home entertainment has been 4k Ultra HD resolution.

Delivering a picture several times greater than regular HD, 4k resolution comprises of 3840 pixels × 2160 lines. 4k resolution video is receiving an increasing amount of focus by entertainment media. The Will Smith movie "After Earth" has been an early exhibitor of 4k technology. Also, the 2013 NCCA Final Four basketball championship featured a demonstration of 4k video provided by CBS and LG Electronics. Still a new way of capturing all kinds of video, adaptation to the enhanced resolution standard has been hindered by the consumer cost of Ultra HD television sets.

The first set was introduced into the United States by LE Electronics in November of 2012. Their 84-inch Ultra HD television screen sold for an astronomical $19,999. Since an HD television of a similar size could be purchased for a fraction of that amount, early adoption of Ultra HD has been a niche market.

As many companies are trying to optimize the size of the 4k televisions to showcase the brilliance of this enhanced picture, one company could be quickly exploring products to introduce the general consumer to the concept of 4K viewing. SEIKI Digital Inc. brought a 50-inch 4K Ultra HD television screen to the United States market in April at a retail price of around $1,500. Next for the electronics supplier is a 39-inch model that could become a major game-changer for the evolution of 4K Ultra HD picture.

Premiering at the 2013 CE Week Line Shows and Exhibits in New York City, new 39-inch SEIKI 4K Ultra HD television will be first shown on June 26th. An unveiling taking place at the Metropolitan Pavilion, SEIKI's latest 4K Ultra HD television will feature all the appropriate technology for viewing videos and photos in Full HD or resolution greater than 1080p HD. A USB port allows users to plug in through flash drives to view images in up to 4K quality. An HDMI 1.4 cable will be included with the SEIKI 39-inch 4K Ultra HD television set to unleash the full potential of the display.

Besides the high performance picture created with 4K technology, the SEIKI 39-inch 4K Ultra HD television's most exceptional attribute is a low price. Priced at $699, the SEIKI 39-inch set may be more expensive than HD televisions but comes packed with the 3,840 pixels x 2,160 lines picture.

With pre-orders for the 39-inch SEIKI 4K Ultra HD television starting on June 27th, the new display will be available in online retailers as well as Sears. Sears will be SEIKI only national retailer for the 4K product.

Amazon Igniting Kindle Fire Tablet Sales in Canada

Photo Credit: Amazon.ca

Launching into the computer tablet market in 2011, Amazon announced the Kindle Fire as a top-end offering to their e-book reading device family.

Previous Amazon Kindle products prior to the Kindle Fire were focused generally on the distribution of electronic books (with some additional features supplied on newer ereaders). Utilizing an Android operating system to perform tasks, the Kindle Fire same relative capacity as a Samsung Galaxy tablet or Blackberry Playbook. Originally priced at a starting price of $199, Amazon Kindle Fire was also a competitive fighter against the popular but more expensive Apple iPad. Selling over a million devices in just its first week of release in the United States, the Kindle Fire distribution was initially limited to that one country. Attracting discontent from potential buyers in other parts of the world for lack of availability, the Kindle Fire was made available in parts of Europe by Amazon before the end of 2012. On June 13^th, Canada will finally be able to buy a Kindle Fire tablet directly from Amazon.

Pre-orders for the Kindle Fire HD 7-inch and Kindle Fire HD 8.9-inch computer tablets are now being taken on the Amazon.ca website ahead of its release date. The price for the 7-inch Kindle Fire HD starts at $214 while the version with an 8.9-inch screen will feature a starting price of $284. The two models of the tablet can be equipped with a 16-gigabyte or a slightly more pricy 32-gigabyte.

While the Kindle Fire devices could operate in other countries, Amazon chose up until not to ship the computer tablet to non-American customers. However, it was possible for people in Canada to acquire the affordable Kindle Fire through third-party means. For Canadian buyers pre-ordering, the price for Kindle Fire devices will be a little higher than those sold in the United States. Both Kindle Fire HD 7-inch and the 8.9-inch tablet will cost $15 more through Amazon.ca compared to the Amazon.com price given for American customers.

Google Not the Only Eyes on High-Tech Glasses: Meet the Vuzix M100 Smart Glasses

Photo Credit: Vuzix

In the last several years, users of technology no longer accept mobility limitations to high-power computerized devices. With multi-function smartphones and tablets allowing us to engage in full-scale electronic interaction far away from home, we are continuing to embrace the miniaturization of technology. Proceeding into the next generation of portable electronic devices, forecasts for the upcoming decade show an advent for full-scale wearable computers.

Wristwatch-like and headset computing devices are being courted as the next state of evolution in personal electronics. Smartwatch devices have already been created by several companies. A rumoured watch through Apple has been a lingering source of techno-gossip. For immediate engagement with software and communications, headset smart devices is another popular area of consumer electronic research. Google Glass is undergoing trials by numerous members of media and technology developers. As Google has confirmed plans for market the technology, another company in Rochester, New York could beat the best-known technological innovator to market with a high-tech smart headset. Since 2012, Vuzix Corporation has been proceeding with the development of their M100 Smart Glasses.

Having produced wearable glasses or visors as a private, interactive alternative to high-tech televisions and computer displays, the next step for Vuzix Corporation is a unique hands-free connection with smartphones. Supporting an Android operating system itself, the Vuzix M100 is being developed as a smart device peripheral with an array of far-reaching features. A device powered by four gigabytes of memory and permitting up to eight hours of battery life, the Vuzix M100 smart glasses provide a discrete, portable profile. Three mounting options are available for comfortably wearing the M100 smart glasses for either left or right eye viewing.

User interfacing with the Vuzix M100 smart glasses is accomplished visibly through a 16:9 aspect ratio screen and a noise cancelling microphone. Communications through voice and text, Internet browsing as well as image capturing capabilities are all possible with the Vuzix M100 smart glasses. It's believed even mobile gaming could be performed with the M100 smart glasses. Operating with augmented reality thanks to a GPS and head tracking abilities, the Vuzix M100 hands-free positioning delivers an immersive portable computing experience. Configured for the usage with Android or Apple iOS devices, the Vuzix M100 incorporates Bluetooth and WiFi connectivity options. Said to be linked to cloud virtual storage, the M100 also includes a Micro SD card slot allowing up to 16 gigabytes of data storage.





Photo Credit: Vuzix

In addition to accessing the smartphone or other smart device through the headset, the Vuzix M100 is opening the door to an all-new app development realm. The M100 devices have already been distributed to innovative app developers. Applications and programs exploiting the hardware of the Vuzix M100 has the potential of yielding some ground-breaking ways of experiencing technology in everyday settings.

Even without public sales, the Vuzix M100 smart glasses have already been gathering acclaim. At the 2013 CES Show, the M100 was recognized as a Best of Innovations recipient in the Wireless Handset Accessories category. With consumer availability of the Vuzix M100 announced for mid-summer of this year, pricing for the device is yet to be announced.


60 Years Ago: Casino Royale Introduced Bond, James Bond to the World

A man defined by ‘007’ has been the recipients of some milestone numbers as of late. In 2012, the release of the movie Skyfall was the centerpiece of a 50^th year anniversary for the first James Bond movie. Starring Daniel Craig as at the famous British secret agent, Skyfall was the 23^rd movie in the series started with the big screen release of Dr. No. The latest movie would be the highest-grossing 007 film in the franchise as it crossed the one-billion dollar mark becoming the first James Bond movie to accomplish the feat.

With all the excitement and notoriety created through the 23 films, James Bond started his adventures on paper. Operating from his Jamaica retreat identified as “Goldeneye”, writer Ian Fleming brought James Bond to life using his skilled pen and expertise derived from action in World War Two. Fleming worked closely with many covert operations of the allied forces through the course of the Second World War providing him a substantial wealth of inspiration for theme, character and setting. Casino Royale served as the first novel that formally introduced the world to the spy codenamed “007”.

James Bond was created as a composite of several real-life figures as well as Ian Fleming’s image of the super-spy. Drawing on several secret agents he personally met during his war service, Ian Fleming’s brother Peter and Canadian/British spy Sir William Stephenson were among those used as building blocks for Bond. Fleming also transferred many of his own traits to the character’s personality through his novels. As for the name, an American ornithologist provided the writer with the identity to the fictional British spy. An avid bird watcher, Fleming was presented the name from the book authored by Bond called Birds of the West Indies. Fleming admired the name James Bond as dull-sounding yet masculine. Interesting note in the film “Die another Day”, Bond grabbed a bird guide from an associate in Cuba as part of a surveillance cover.

Ian Fleming’s first use of his fiction spy in Casino Royale was officially released on April 13^th of 1953. "The scent and smoke and sweat of a casino are nauseating at three in the morning. Then the soul erosion produced by high gambling — a compost of greed and fear and nervous tension — becomes unbearable and the senses awake and revolt from it." Were the opening lines to the Fleming spy novel. In the Casino Royale, British Secret Service agent James Bond infatuates a baccarat game acting as a financial front for Soviet spy organization SMERSH. That novel established not only James Bond’s character but also supporting roles such as M and American CIA agent Felix Leiter. Becoming an acclaimed debut in the literary world, sales of the book Casino Royale were hot in the United Kingdom. The United States, on the other hand, initially were reluctant to accept the British spy with sales of Casino Royale totalling just 4,000 in the first run.

Despite slow sales in bookstores on the left side of the Atlantic Ocean, James Bond and Casino Royale were quickly selected for screen adaptation in the United States. The Ian Fleming novel was selected as one of the first stories to be acted out on a CBS program called Climax! in October 1954. Almost eight years to the date before Dr. No was released by Eon Productions, the performance of Casino Royale was the first time an actor played the role of James Bond. The 1954 television performance would be one of two instances where a screen adaptation of Casino Royale would dramatically differ from the novel. In the CBS Climax! series version, James Bond was American and Felix Leiter was British.

The first novel to incorporate the super-spy, first serious Casino Royale would not transfer to the big screen until 2006. Shortly after Casino Royale was adapted for television, Fleming sold the film rights to a producer named Gregory Ratoff. In 1967, the name did crossover to theatres though it was largely obscured by the fact it was an all-out comedy. Starring David Niven as James Bond and featuring the likes of Orson Welles as well as Woody Allen, the 1967 Casino Royale was a satire used to cash-in on the spy culture of the mid-1960s. Distributed by Columbia Pictures, the Casino Royale comedy was largely panned by critics including Roger Ebert.

The debut film featuring Daniel Craig as James Bond, the 2006 version of Casino Royale served as a reboot of the movie franchise some believed was going stale. Whereas some follow-up books and short stories of Fleming would have titles and some characters lifted, the 007 movie franchise frequently took creative liberties on his novels. Readers of the Ian Fleming novel would note 2006 Casino Royale film was perhaps the most faithful screen adaptation of the original source material from the author.

Though gadgets, fancy Bond vehicles and other visuals have translated best to movie screens, the vision of the man behind 007 created the arguments among millions of James Bond fans. Who is the best James Bond actor? Would you want an Aston Martin DB5 or a Lotus Esprit? Which Bond Girl is the most memorable? With the exploits of James Bond available to readers for 60 years, only Ian Fleming’s mind could truly answer those provocative questions on the imagination that created Casino Royale.

NCAA Final Four Contributes First US Sport Event Footage Shown in 4K Ultra HD Technology

Photo Source: LG Electronics

Averaging almost 16 million television viewers, the 2013 NCAA Basketball tournament's 'Final Four' match-ups proved to be the most popular since 2005. While standard definition television were the predominant means for viewing the 2005 college basketball games, the 2013 broadcasts would have been watched on a considerably higher number of high-definition sets.

Much less expensive than 8 years ago, the HD television sets have been regularly feeding sharp pictures of movies, television series and, of course, sporting events. While many United States sport fans believed they were enjoying the game with the second-best view to actually being in attendance, LG Electronics has been testing what is touted as the next-generation of television technology.

Fed to several private viewing location in Atlanta's Georgia Dome, a first-of-its-kind demonstration of 4K resolution recording was successfully attempted at the 2013 NCAA Final Four basketball games. In cooperation with the NCAA, CBS and Turner Sports, game highlights of college basketball action was shown on LG's newest televisions in ultra high resolution. LG Electronics USA senior vice president of marketing James Fishler says, "The Final Four is the perfect place to demonstrate this next frontier in picture quality as LG continues to drive the Ultra HD market. LG touts itself as the first company to bring Ultra HD TV technology to the marketplace."

Delivering motion picture more than three times more defined than 1080p resolution, LG supplied their 84-inch class Ultra HD TV sets for the inaugural broadcast of a United States sporting event. Capturing dunks and three-point shots in 3,840 X 2,160 resolution, the LG 84-inch class Ultra HD TV's 4K picture consisting of eight million pixels gave images detailing determination of players with vivid realness. Senior vice president and general manager of sports operations of Turner Sports Matt Hong looked at the 4K broadcasting experiment as a wave of the future. "We continue to embrace innovation and look at this test of next-generation television technology as a way to potentially share fans for decades to come", said Hong.

As for when typical households can expect to see a majority of college and professional level sports through 4K technology, it might several more Final Four matches before we see in super high resolution. The $20,000 a piece price tag in the United States for LG's current 84-inch class Ultra HD TV will be the first obstacle for the new picture technology. The upcoming release of a 55-inch and 65-inch LG Ultra HD TVs should be the first step to making the screens more accessible to well-off, early adopters. The next hurdle will be to have television program providers such as CBS and Turner Sports make the move to higher-resolution video capture equipment. It may be so time before ultra high definition viewing will be ready for the pros.

NASA's Kennedy Space Center Invaded by Angry Birds

Photo Credit: PRNewsFoto/Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex

Started as a humble app-based video game, the Angry Birds franchise has slowly consumed the spare time of millions. From the first game created by Roxio Entertainment, the Angry Birds game concept has toured Rio, related with seasonal events and has even traveled to space. As a matter of fact, Angry Birds have taken two trips towards interstellar destinations. Angry Birds Space and later Angry Birds Star Wars (the first game of the franchise to featured licensed property) took ill-tempered birds on voyages to battle their pig nemesis.

Building an impressive virtual brand, Roxio Entertainment expanded quickly on their popularity placing their gaming characters on a wide array of merchandise. Candy, Halloween costumes and stuffed toys were a few items featuring the Angry Birds likeness over the last few years. The last avenue for expanding the Angry Birds franchise is by involving themselves with attractions. Launching out from the capacitive displays of our smartphones and tablets, Angry Birds land at NASA's Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex as an all-new 4,485 square-foot play zone.

Called the Angry Birds Space Encounter, the themed attraction opened on March 22nd as a entertainment venue targeting children. Intended to provide guests with a fun yet educational experience, the Angry Birds Space Encounter does a lot to earn a three-star rating.

Classifying their games in stations, the Angry Birds Space Encounter delivers various action-based activities that exercises the body and mind. Eggsteroids Slingshot, Cold Cuts Tile Puzzle, Danger Zone and Red Planet Lazer Challenge are areas geared to delight children. For those looking to experience the birds and pigs back in their original habitant, the Angry Birds Game Zone allows guests to play a tournament-oriented Angry Birds Space game. Guests can battle other guests in the ultimate goal of destroying the evil pigs.

Guests can also engage in creating their own Angry Bird getting a printed copy of their creation to take home. Photo opportunities and merchandise sales will also be part of the Angry Birds Space Encounter.     

Open now, the Angry Birds Space Encounter attraction opens months ahead of a 100 million-dollar Visitor Complex at the Cape Canaveral location. A pair of IMAX theaters, Rocket Garden and other fascinating space-related activities will delight for an admission price of $50 for an adult or $40 per child. The Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex site will also house the retired NASA Space Shuttle Atlantis.   

The Sound of Music: 30 Years of Compact Disc Sales in North America

Photo Credit: Philips Commications All rights reserved by Philips Communications

Since developing the ability to record sounds and voices, efforts of improving the quality of the playback has fueled the the search for better media formats. From vinyl LP discs, the music industry briefly embraced 8-Track tapes during the 1960s and 1970s. Popular in the 1980s, the audio cassette miniaturized an entire artist's album into a package to the size of a small cigarette box. As cassettes reigned popular with LPs still enjoying a respectable market presence, a technology developed in Japan between Sony and Philips would revolutionize the way music would be received. First sold in Japan during October of 1982, the wider global marketplaces of North America and Europe would begin obtaining the the magically advanced Compact Disc (CD) in the early days of March of the following year. Therefore, it is acceptable to say that March the 2nd of 1983 was the starting point where the CD would be heard around the world.

When introduced, the compact disc represented a monumental step forward for audiophiles. In the early 1980s, the concept of a 4.7-inch flat disc delivering superior sound quality was cutting-edge thinking. The thought that the CD was being read by a laser beam was another outrageous notion. Priced at around $800 to $1,000 when first sold in the United States, CD players were first rolled out by Sony and Magnavox who immediately championed the new audio format.

Photo credit: Ford Motor Company

CBS Records and Sony distributed were initially involved in supplying the United States market with compact discs. Music CDs first available (originally 16 albums priced between $17 to $25 per disc) consisted largely of classical performances for the purpose to highlight the fidelity of the new equipment. Contemporary artists of the time including Journey and Pink Floyd were added to CD format later in 1983. Canadian artist Bryan Adams also saw his album "Cuts Like a Knife" converted to CD within the first year of the format's sales in North America. One of the earliest popular music groups to have an album released on CD outside of Japan was Swedish band ABBA. ABBA's 1981 album titled "The Visitors" was brought to market in 1982 ahead of the European commercial release of the CD player units.

As can be expected from new technology, the adaptation to the new player was not immediate. To promote the format in its infancy, Sony supplied 28 radio stations with free CD players and a year's supply of CDs. As the 1980s rolled, CD players slowly found its way into high-end stereo cabinets. Smaller, less expensive players of the laser-scanned discs eventually led to mainstream acceptance of the media format eventually usurping the audio cassette. The CD also existed as an external data storage solution of choice in the booming home computer market of the 1990s. Becoming a common sight around the world by the 2000s, CDs two decade superiority has been eroded by on-line music in recent years.

As we are entering full-fledged into the market where obtaining information such as music and stereo will be performed entirely on-line, the notion of purchasing a physical piece of media will become a remnant of past culture.