The interest in 3D entertainment and augmented reality has inspired numerous new head-mounted displays and wearable technology. Using Bluetooth technology and wireless connections to offload processing, these displays come in a variety of shapes and sizes, but all have similar aims: to create an immersive entertainment experience or overlay relevant information onto our surroundings. We expect to see some compelling new products at CES. Continue reading CES 2013: Head-Mounted Displays and Wearable Tech

Ultra HD television sets will be featured at next week’s 2013 International CES. And while the technology promises four times the resolution of current TVs, pricing for these higher-resolution models are expected to range from $8,700 to $25,000. Additionally, there is little available in terms of UHD content, other than upscaled versions of existing content. Will consumers be excited about the prospect of Ultra HD? Continue reading CES 2013: Are Consumers Ready for the Cost of Ultra HD TVs?

The ETCentric team is excited to kick off 2013 with a fresh redesign of its website (now part of the new ETC site) and a more streamlined Daily Bullet email alert for delivering the latest media tech news and opinion each morning.

We’ll be previewing the new functionality and design with our reporting this week and look forward to our annual live coverage of the 2013 International Consumer Electronics Show beginning next week. To get everyone in CES mode, we’ll continue publishing pre-show reports over the next several days.

We welcome you back from the holidays and hope you enjoy our new site and email alert. As always, we thank all in our community for your continued support and participation. If you have any questions, concerns, suggestions — or want to provide a tip regarding a story to be covered — please contact us at tip@etcusc.org.

In the meantime, check out the new ETCentric and let us know how we can can help meet your news and information needs.

In addition to the highly anticipated array of UHD TVs, new smartphones, Android devices, cloud developments and Internet-connected everything, next week’s CES promises interesting new products and services related to a number of sectors not yet drawing the same amount of press attention. Watch for news involving small flexible displays, green technology, home automation, home projections systems, 3D printing and more. Continue reading CES 2013: Trends Flying Somewhat Under the Radar

In the roll-up to CES it is clear that “the cloud” has become a replacement marketing buzzword for “Internet-based” or “online.” Of the 40+ exhibitors on the CES site who use the keyword “cloud” in their business description, 21 of them are either actually making use of cloud technology or, more likely, are misusing the term but are still of potential interest to ETC member companies.  These exhibitors cluster in LVCC South Hall 2 and 4, the Venetian, and off-site hospitality suites. Continue reading CES 2013: What We Expect to See in the Cloud

Advances in the production of audiovisual content — on both the consumer and professional levels — are expected to be incremental rather than revolutionary, with the general trends of technology being more powerful, less expensive, and more mobile continuing. Our coverage in this area will be focused around three main trends: new products for content capture, new tools for production and post-production workflows, and new technologies for the storage and management of digital assets. Continue reading CES 2013: On the Lookout for A/V Production Technologies

In a five-minute video report on the Wall Street Journal, Walt Mossberg discusses four personal technology topics that he believes may prove to be significant trends in the coming year, including a new era of smart TVs, more affordable smartphones and mobile plans, a new wave of more expensive music players and new health and fitness gadgets and accompanying apps. Additionally we should expect to see more tablets and more use of the cloud. Continue reading Walt Mossberg Looks Ahead to Personal Tech in 2013

Digital may be a less lucrative proposition for traditional media companies than originally anticipated, according to 2012 figures that indicate legacy avenues remain primary ad revenue drivers. For the first nine months of 2012, digital advertising only accounted for about 15 percent of total newspaper ad sales, despite an increase in online readership. Additionally, radio posted digital ad revenues of $561 million for the same period, a mere 4.6 percent of the $12 billion the industry generated in total ad dollars. Continue reading Digital Ad Revenues Smaller Than Expected for Media Firms

CEA predicts that Ultra High Definition (UHD) will be “prominently displayed” at the International CES. The surge in interest followed an International Telecommunication Union-led agreement on two UHDTV standards (effectively 4K and 8K). That occurred in August and since then the focus in the U.S. and the majority of countries looking at UHDTV has been on the 4K flavor (the main exception being NHK, which is developing its 8K Super Hi-Vision system). Continue reading CES 2013: Ultra High Definition TVs Coming to Las Vegas

Although E3 has become the premier launching pad for all things video games, Microsoft spent a significant amount of its final keynote address at last year’s CES touting the place of Xbox in the home entertainment landscape. Gaming consoles could very well be the ultimate smart TV upgrade by providing Internet access and a pipeline for media through an ever-expanding app selection. Continue reading CES 2013: Expect Connected Game Devices and Cameras

The ETC will be at CES 2013 where more than 215 exhibitors will showcase the latest digital health and fitness technologies, a 25 percent increase from 2012. With innovative devices and more than 44 million apps expected for download in 2013, the health and wellness category is a serious player in the digital arena. ETC will explore the role and opportunities for entertainment as fitness moves from grind to games and health and wellness shifts from routine to ritual. Continue reading CES 2013: Innovation in Digital Health and Fitness Technologies

LG has confirmed it will launch new Google TV offerings at CES next week, including 42-, 57-, 50-, 55- and 60-inch models from the upcoming GA6400 series, and 47- and 55-inch Cinema Screen panels from the new GA7900 series. Features include: Magic Qwerty Remote, natural language recognition via a built-in microphone, and built-in Google search functions. An updated Home Dashboard offers convenient access to content from HBO Go, YouTube and other apps. Continue reading CES 2013: LG to Unveil Seven Google TV Models

Christopher Chute, research director with IDC, offers his take on emerging digital camera trends and what we should expect to see play out in 2013. Chute expects that full-frame DSLRs and mirrorless cameras will continue to come down in price, while models with Android and Wi-Fi will become more prevalent. He also suggests that entry-level point-and-shoot cameras will eventually be abandoned. Continue reading Forecast: More Cameras with Wi-Fi, Mirrorless Tech and Android

According to Chinese gadget news source Tech.163, Apple could be developing a new smart watch that will connect to iOS devices via Bluetooth. The report suggests the device could be outfitted with a 1.5-inch AMOLED display manufactured by RiTDisplay with ITO-coated glass. Although little is known about the purported watch’s specs, Intel is rumored to be working with Apple on the project. Continue reading Is Apple Quietly Developing Smart Watch for 2013?

From Kim Dotcom and the rise of patent troll lawsuits to Apple v. Samsung and the public outcry against SOPA/PIPA, 2012 was a dramatic year in terms of copyright law, tech-related legislation and Internet policy. Response to the SOPA/PIPA bills in January helped set the tone as the debate in Washington raged, and consumers and companies took to the Internet in protest. At one point, politicians were flooded with a record eight million e-mails from regular Internet users in just a few days. So what were the top tech policy stories for 2012 — and how will they impact us moving forward? Continue reading Year in Review: Top Tech Policy Stories of 2012