During its CineEurope press conference in Barcelona yesterday, Sony described 4K technology as achieving “mainstream” status. The company screened a 4K trailer of “Elysium” in addition to a range of 2K and 3D clips (the company reports 15,000 installed 4K projectors), and detailed its plans to test 4K sports coverage at this year’s Wimbledon Championships. Sony also launched Theatre Management System Lite, its workflow management software for cinemas. Continue reading CineEurope 2013: Sony Details Progress of 4K Technology

Bell Labs is developing a new class of imaging device that does not require a lens, but instead uses a light sensitive sensor to create a high resolution image. A new technique known as compressive sensing minimizes redundancy to acquire data with carefully chosen measurements. The camera, which merely features an aperture assembly and a sensor, records images that are never out of focus. Additionally, when using two pixels instead of one, it can create two different images of the scene. Continue reading Bell Labs: Lensless Camera Records Multiple View Images

According to a new study from social video tech firm Unruly Media, six-second Vine videos have experienced a massive popularity spike. The study indicates that nine videos are being posted to Twitter every second, up from five per second in April. The new numbers arrive shortly after Facebook’s Instagram announced the launch of its own short video service. Some have speculated that the move could impact Vine, which is owned by Twitter. Continue reading Vine Videos Shared via Twitter Nearly Double in Two Months

Yesterday, we reported on news published by The Korea Times claiming that Samsung would phase out its unprofitable desktop PC business to focus on connected and portable devices including tablets and all-in-one laptops. Engadget reached out to Samsung for clarification and learned that the report is not accurate. “The rumor that Samsung is withdrawing from the PC desktop business is groundless,” the company said in a statement. Continue reading Update: Samsung Says it is Not Shuttering Desktop PC Biz

RealD is launching a new large format brand, LUXE: A RealD Experience, with hopes of becoming the standard for premium 2D and 3D cinemas across Europe. The cinema technology company presented its LUXE initiative to exhibitors at CineEurope in Barcelona on Monday. The new packaging of LUXE technology standards for screen size, brightness, sound and seating could become a competitor to large format exhibitor IMAX. Continue reading CineEurope 2013: RealD Rolls Out LUXE Large Format Plans

In an effort to help curb frivolous lawsuits initiated by patent assertion entities (also called “trolls”), the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) says it will require some companies to prove they have a significant domestic presence. As part of the commission’s new pilot program, six administrative judges will determine within 100 days whether or not companies that file infringement suits do in fact have the necessary U.S. production, research or licensing credentials. Continue reading Trade Commission Pilot Program Aims to Curb Patent Trolls

Sony is turning to this year’s Wimbledon Championship to launch a unique, first-ever ad campaign that uses “microtising” (a hybrid of microscopic and advertising), intended to promote the capabilities of 4K. Tennis player Anne Keothavong will be sporting micro-sized advertisements on her fingernails, the hem of her skirt, her shoelaces and various sporting equipment. Sony will be capturing Wimbledon action with its F55 35mm 4K camera and an NEX-FS700. Continue reading Sony Tests Micro-Sized Ads to Promote 4K During Wimbledon

The combined shipments of PCs, tablets and mobile phones are projected to reach 2.35 billion worldwide this year. The new Gartner numbers mark a 5.9 percent increase from 2012. Sales of tablets, smartphones and ultramobiles are on the rise, while traditional desktop and notebook PCs are expected to decline by 10.6 percent. Anytime-anywhere computing is driving consumer behavior. Additionally, the growing acceptance of bring your own device will lead to an emphasis on designing for consumers inside the enterprise. Continue reading Tablet Shipments Increase as Traditional PC Sales Decline

Samsung Electronics announced on Monday that it will phase out its unprofitable desktop PC business and allocate its resources to connected and portable devices including tablet computers and all-in-one laptops. “Tablets, all-in-one and hybrid PCs are Samsung’s current focus. Samsung is speeding up its restructuring of its PC business via product realignment toward profitable variants,” explained a Samsung official. Continue reading Samsung Announces Plans to Shutter Desktop PC Business

SoftBank Corp. is expected to take over Sprint Nextel in a $21.6 billion deal, while separately, Sprint raised its Clearwire offer to $5 a share, beating a rival bid from Dish Network. Masayoshi Son — chairman and chief executive officer of SoftBank, who founded the company in 1981 — told shareholders at an annual meeting in Tokyo on Friday that he plans on SoftBank becoming “the world’s biggest company.” Sprint shareholders are scheduled to vote on the takeover tomorrow. Continue reading SoftBank to Acquire Sprint Nextel, CEO Boasts Big Plans

Facebook has been quietly working on a service called Reader that could essentially become a newspaper for mobile devices, according to inside sources. The service, which has reportedly been in development for more than a year, displays content from the social network’s users and publishers in a new visual format designed specifically for smartphones and tablets. Recent versions have been similar to mobile news aggregator Flipboard. Continue reading Facebook Targets News Aggregation in Latest Mobile Effort

According to a new GfK study released last week, 19.3 percent of U.S. television households access their TV from free over-the-air (OTA) broadcasts. This represents 22.4 million households (59.7 million consumers) who currently get their TV exclusively via broadcast-only reception. New data from GfK’s Media and Entertainment team suggests that 60 percent cited cutting costs, while far fewer mentioned that cord-cutting was the result of increased online viewing options. Continue reading Study Shows Increase in Cord-Cutting and OTA Households

A new report published by IHS researcher Screen Digest indicates that the conversion of theaters worldwide to digital projection is “approaching the end game,” with 90 percent of global screens expected to be digital by the end of 2013. By the close of 2012, 68.7 percent of all screens had been converted, with North America at 84 percent. The news comes one day before this week’s four-day CineEurope exhibitor conference in Barcelona, Spain. Continue reading Digital Cinema Conversion to Reach 90 Percent This Year

Hollywood studios are experimenting with a new business model in South Korea that offers movies through video on demand while they are still screening in theaters. “Django Unchained” was made available to rent online or via cable weeks after premiering in Korean theaters. A similar approach was taken with animated features “Wreck-it Ralph” and “Brave.” If the “super premium VOD” tests prove successful, they could impact how the studios view exhibition. Continue reading Studios Test Super Premium VOD During Theatrical Runs

Earlier this week we reported that Facebook had scheduled a press event for Thursday, and if rumors were true, the company was expected to unveil a video service similar to Twitter’s Vine for its photo-sharing app Instagram. It’s now official. The popular Facebook-owned app features a new video-sharing tool that allows users to shoot and share 15-second clips (possibly ideal for advertising), choose from 13 video filters and create a cover photo. Continue reading Facebook Confirms Rumors, Unveils Instagram Video Tool