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

Good news for the home entertainment industry. The 2013 figures are in and the Digital Entertainment Group has announced a second annual year of growth for electronic sell-through and video-on-demand. EST (now referred to as Digital HD) was up 50 percent for the year, topping $1 billion for the first time. VOD rose 5 percent over 2012 to $2.1 billion. Spending on digital copies of television and movie titles was up 1 percent to $18.2 billion in total revenue. Continue reading DEG Announces VOD and Digital HD Spending Growth in 2013

Toshiba’s 2014 offerings include a 4K Ultra HD mobile workstation, expected to hit the market this summer at an estimated $2,000. The Tecra was shown at CES with the TUM-32PRO1 4K professional monitor, a 31.5-inch UHD panel (3840×2169 pixels) that offers multiple color modes, including the popular Abobe Super Wide Color Gamut, “which in layman’s terms means up to 99 percent color accuracy with the source material onscreen,” said Toshiba’s Joseph D’Avanzo. Continue reading Toshiba Demos Ultra HD 4K Mobile Workstation in Las Vegas

At CES this week, Sony announced a new streaming cloud TV service that will include both live TV and recorded programs from streaming services like Netflix. CEO Kaz Hirai insists the yet-to-be-named cloud TV won’t compete with cable, but will enable and make watching live TV and streaming content on different devices easier. It’s no small feat considering Intel recently scrapped a similar effort. Sony’s service will be tested in the U.S. later in 2014. Continue reading Sony’s Cloud TV Service Not Intended to Compete with Cable

Sony announced at CES this week details on its cloud gaming service, which will be coming this summer. Along with the cloud TV service it will also be offering up, Sony intends to connect all its devices and technology to allow them to be more portable, interchangeable and social. Its newest video game console PS4 is selling strong, but its move toward cloud-based services may mean dedicated consoles will one day no longer be necessary. Continue reading Will Sony’s Cloud-Based Gaming Have an Impact on Consoles?

Sharp, which became the first to bring IGZO display technology to the mass market in 2013, is showcasing a number of eye-popping display prototypes that may find their way into devices in the next 12 months. Among them, a MEMS display and “narrow border” screens that will further slim down phones, notebooks and tablets. For example, the Ultra High Resolution “Quad Full HD,” or QFHD LCD screen, offers a 15.6-inch 3840×2160 pixel display, four times that of normal HD. Continue reading Sharp Takes Display Technology to New Levels with Prototypes

Samsung has updated its mobile computing line with two new models, the Galaxy NotePRO and the Galaxy TabPRO. Both are offered with 12.2-inch screens (the TabPRO also comes in 10.1-inch and 8.4-inch configurations) and are touted as the first mobile devices to offer 16:10 screen ratios. Each features sharp WQXGA displays at 2560×1600 resolution (more than 4 million pixels) for full HD viewing. The tablets run Android 4.4 KitKat. Continue reading Samsung Introduces New Jumbo Screen Galaxy Tablets at CES

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

Duracell demonstrated its Powermat technology at CES this week by installing wireless charging stations at Starbucks in the North Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center. Although most attendees don’t have the necessary Powermat case to charge their smartphone without a wire, Duracell loaned out charging receivers to people in need of power. These charging receivers fit into a Micro-USB port, Apple 30-pin, and Lightning, and work easily by placing the charging receiver on the Powermat. Continue reading Recharge Yourself and Your Phone at Duracell Charging Station

In a world of multiple platforms, anyone starting a studio today needs to think beyond the 100+ year old model. “A key part of these [traditional] studios is that they are very siloed,” explained Evan Bregman of digital studio Electus. “Consumers want to consume wherever and whenever, so whether you’re a distributor or a content creator, you have to understand the nuances of the platforms. It’s not a TV show or a Web show… it’s a business.” Continue reading Lines Blur Between Traditional and New Media Across Platforms

Cisco’s Videoscape TV platform has been selected by NBC Olympics, a division of the NBC Sports Group, to provide multi-screen delivery services for the streaming of live and cloud-enabled on-demand content for the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi, Russia, February 6-23. Videoscape will support transcoding and content management using Cisco hardware and cloud-based software solutions. This marks the eighth time NBC has collaborated with Cisco on Olympics coverage. Continue reading NBC Joins Forces with Cisco for Winter Olympics Streaming

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

In a keynote address to the Annual Fitness Tech Summit, Reebok VP of Advanced Concepts Paul Litchfield showed off the company’s first consumer electronics wearable: the Reebok CheckLight. The result of more than four years of R&D, the CheckLight acts as a head impact indicator, in the form of a wearable skullcap with flexible electronics. “There’s been so much talk about head trauma and brain injury,” said Litchfield. “We identified a gap and, with MC10 as our electronics partner, created the CheckLight.” Continue reading Fitness Tech Summit: Reebok Carves Out a Space in Wearables

TV commerce firm Delivery Agent will team with H&M to boost sales via the retailer’s upcoming Super Bowl commercial. H&M’s 30-second spot will feature the spring collection of David Beckham Bodywear. Delivery Agent’s tech will allow viewers to purchase products in the commercial through a special app. However, only a fraction of viewers will actually be able to use it, since the purchasing app only works with 2012 and 2013 Samsung Smart TVs connected to the Internet.  Continue reading ShopTV App: Beckham Bodywear to Sell During Super Bowl Spot