Qualcomm’s CEO-elect Steve Mollenkopf shared his vision for 2014 during a CES press event, a vision that includes more robust and feature-rich operating systems enhancing the tablet market (providing opportunities for Qualcomm’s mobile Snapdragon chips), a growing trend in smart wearables (including Qualcomm’s Toq), and a new era of connected cars (aided by the new Snapdragon 602A). The AEC-Q100 compliant 602A is designed to meet auto industry standards for temperature, quality and longevity. Continue reading CES: Qualcomm Outlines Plans for Tablets and Connected Cars

Panel discussions at the 2014 CES about 3D TV made one thing clear: adoption will rely on getting rid of 3D glasses. 3D TV was a big hit at last year’s CES, but was much less prevalent among the 4K madness at this year’s show. Industry execs who are hopeful that the technology will prevail insist glasses-free 3D TVs will get consumers excited about 3D again. James Cameron and his team are in research and development to improve the 3D experience for the Avatar sequels. Continue reading CES: 3D TV Must Go Glasses-Free to Take Off in the Home

As official partner to the Consumer Electronics Association, senior editors from Engadget selected finalists for this year’s Best of CES awards. At the end of the week, they had selected winners across 13 categories, in addition to a ‘Best of the Best’ winner — the Oculus Rift ‘Crystal Cove’ prototype. Engadget also announced that the People’s Choice Award went to Razer for its first wearable device, the Nabu, which registered nearly 50 percent of the more than 54,000 reader votes. Continue reading Engadget Announces the Best of CES 2014 Awards Winners

The focal point of the virtual reality renaissance, the Oculus Rift, is edging closer to its consumer release. The company was at the 2014 CES showing off the latest update to its ever-improving 3D head-mounted display with a prototype codenamed Crystal Cove. The new device improves the frame rate and image persistence of its two screens to reduce motion blur. ETC was on-hand to test out the latest VR experience and talk to the company’s young founder, Palmer Luckey. Continue reading Changing the Way We Game: Virtual Reality with Oculus Rift

As expected, Ultra HD was a hot topic at the 2014 International CES, with plenty of support as well as debate. While some have asserted that UHD is inevitable at this point, others have suggested that success will be reliant upon the right combination of multiple factors including 4K set penetration, an efficient delivery infrastructure and the availability of content. Industry leaders addressed these topics and more during compelling panel discussions in Las Vegas. Continue reading UHD: Execs Debate Production, Distribution, Adoption at CES

Bendable video screens offer the best of both worlds: an immersive cinema experience by pushing forward into the screen for an increased peripheral experience — or a flat panel for viewing basic content such as a news show from across the room. New flexible substrates are making this possible, and two manufacturers showed prototypes at CES. Samsung and LG both unveiled widescreen TVs that can mechanically bend at the press of a remote control button. Continue reading Bendable Screens Provide the Option of Going Flat or Curved

Technicolor demonstrated a high dynamic range (HDR) imaging technology at CES this week that intends to improve the consumer viewing experience. The company has plans to propose its imaging tech to the Moving Picture Experts Group in hopes of including it in the HEVC compression scheme for streaming 4K content. Technicolor is also demonstrating developments targeting the Internet of Things, in addition to connected cars and Ultra HD delivery. Continue reading Technicolor Demos New High Dynamic Range Imaging System

While much of the fanfare surrounding Ultra HD at CES this week was related to 4K technology and related products, its sibling 8K (at 16 times the resolution of 1080p) also had a presence. Samsung showcased its first 8K screen, a 98-inch QUHD or Quad Ultra HD, while Sharp demonstrated an 85-inch 8K display, in addition to a prototype combined with Dolby 3D glasses-free technology (that delivered nearly 4K resolution per eye, but with a rather narrow viewing angle). Continue reading Ultra HD TV: Samsung and Sharp Demonstrate 8K Tech at CES

Curved screens, 4K displays and other impressive television technologies have been making a splash at this year’s CES, but some experts claim they’re not fooled by the latest developments, saying TV innovation is “stuck in a rut.” Last year, 3D was all the rage, but that has all but disappeared from the mainstream, and some say these advancements are mere distractions from the fact that watching our favorite channels and shows can be a hassle. Continue reading Are TV Trends Distractions from Content Delivery Problems?

At CES this week, Sony announced the development of a 4K Ultra Short Throw Projector that has the ability to cast a 4K Ultra HD image up to 147-inches diagonally. Housed in an attractive credenza with built-in speakers, no special wiring is required. The unit is simply placed against a bare wall and the image is then “thrown” directly above it, as opposed to across the room. Expected to launch in the U.S. by summer of 2014, a prototype was demonstrated at the Sony booth. Continue reading Home Entertainment: Sony Demos 4K Ultra Short Throw Projector

The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) announced Tuesday that CE revenues for 2014 are projected to reach a new record of $208 billion in the U.S., an increase of 2.4 percent over 2013. According to the latest “Consumer Electronics Sales and Forecast” report, smartphones are expected to continue leading the charge shipping 152 million units, up from 138 million in 2013. The report, published twice a year, also predicts increased sales of UHD displays and tablet PCs. Continue reading CEA Projects Record Year in Consumer Electronics Spending

Industry leaders speaking at two CES panels this week addressed new directions in entertainment media. During the panel “What are the Entertainment Trends at CES 2014?”, wearables were discussed, smartwatches in particular, and what it will take to spark consumer adoption. During “The State of the New TV Business: What Comes Next?” panel, speakers examined how networks are tackling distribution and monetization of content in an era of streaming media. Continue reading CES Panelists Discuss Entertainment Trends and Future of TV

Google Glass moved Augmented Reality from the science fiction depicted in “Minority Report” to the real world. But the technology — which allows the superimposition of data, 3D CGI or video over a real environment, in real time — still has a long way to go. More importantly, the work has barely begun to make AR a revenue-generating business. “We’re not just putting content on top of the world but using context to decide what to display and how to display it, to expand the story and the experience,” said DAQRI CEO Brian Mullins. Continue reading Augmented Reality Needs Powerful Storytelling and Interaction

Qualcomm is upping the ante in the automotive space with Snapdragon Automotive Solutions in the QNX CAR Platform for Infotainment, which supports high-performance video and graphics capabilities for connected infotainment systems. The solutions are designed for a more interactive in-car experience, and allow things such as streaming movies and music directly to the vehicle with multiple tasks executed in different locations within the car. Continue reading Qualcomm: Pursuing Next-Gen Connected Car with Snapdragon

Intel showed off some ideas for what it calls better computer commands at CES this week, as demonstrated by SVP Mooly Eden. The exec said that touch commands are not the end-all be-all and that gesture and voice commands are more natural ways of accomplishing tasks. Eden introduced a couple of Intel’s newest efforts toward “perceptual computing,” including camera modules for gesture recognition as well as similar software for speech recognition. Continue reading Intel Exec Says Gestures and Voice Commands are the Future