Dutch telecommunications provider KPN has teamed with Accenture for a proof-of-concept demo that uses Google Glass for numerous interactive TV applications. Although Glass is not yet available commercially, the companies are looking at ways that consumers could control their televisions with voice-activated commands via the wearable tech. The companies are showing three TV applications this week at Mobile World Congress: remote control, second screen, and TV Everywhere. Continue reading Imagining Ways That Google Glass Could Interact with Your TV

During a keynote at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona this week, WhatsApp CEO Jan Koum announced that the mobile messaging service would start to offer voice calls. The move could help justify the massive $19 billion price tag of the recent Facebook deal. While the marketplace for Internet phone services is already crowded, WhatsApp could become competitive since it is now backed by social giant Facebook. The voice service is planned to launch in April. Continue reading WhatsApp Announces New Voice Service After Facebook Deal

Rovi announced that it is purchasing video discovery and voice search startup Veveo and the company’s IP for $62 million in cash and up to an additional $7 million based on performance milestones. The acquisition of Veveo’s technology is expected to bring new voice search capability to Rovi’s video discovery platform. Veveo uses natural language processing combined with semantic tech to integrate intuitive search and recommendation features into video discovery applications. Continue reading Rovi Pays $69 Million to Acquire Voice Search Startup Veveo

Even a cursory look at the news coming out of CES makes it clear that wearables have garnered a lot of the buzz. Smartwatches, augmented reality headsets, digital health solutions and fitness tracking monitors are all the rage here. What’s not clear is if wearables will ever intersect with the entertainment industry. Although the question itself may seem risible, it’s worth remembering that most people dismissed the mobile phone as an entertainment device only a few years ago. Continue reading Will Wearable Tech Have a Future in Entertainment Media?

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

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

The Audi of the future is more than mere transportation. In a CES keynote presentation, Professor Rupert Stadler, chairman of the board of management of Audi AG, demonstrated how the “connected car” is redefining today’s automobile with an array of innovations that include piloted driving and “a new dimension of in-car entertainment.” Audi cleverly cast Kunal Nayyar of “The Big Bang Theory” to introduce and host the tech-heavy presentation. Continue reading Audi Connects with Future of Mobility in CES Keynote Address

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

Intel is embracing the Internet of Things, making a big push into the smart products space, including wearables, tablets and cameras, showcasing at CES a host of new devices that will be branded Intel RealSense, many of which will leverage its new RealSense 3D camera tech. Intel CEO Brian Krzanich wowed the crowd when he sent a giant whale swimming over the head of the audience at his keynote address at the Venetian Hotel Monday night, a glasses-free 3D effect that looked amazingly lifelike. Continue reading Intel Brings Immersive Tech to Wearables, Tablets and More

It’s been nearly a year since LG purchased HP’s webOS to power its future televisions. At a recent semiconductor event held in Seoul, Korea, LG researcher Hong Sung-pyo announced that the company has plans to debut a new TV running its version of the defunct smartphone OS at the Consumer Electronics Show in January. The webOS-powered TV will reportedly run a 2.2GHz dual-core processor with 1.5GB of RAM, enabling multitasking features. Continue reading LG Plans to Debut its New webOS TV During CES in January

Google has released a Glass software update that includes some substantial new features. Update XE12 provides users with the ability to snap a photo with a discreet wink, adds a lock screen function for improved security, offers options for uploading Glass-shot videos directly to YouTube, and intros Hangouts integration for messaging and chatting with friends. Additionally, the Google Play Music app is available and the long-awaited MyGlass app for iOS is being rolled out. Continue reading Google Glass Software Update Delivers Compelling Features

Apple has reportedly acquired social media analytics firm Topsy Labs for more than $200 million. Topsy is one of four Twitter partners with access to the social network’s full stream of tweets, currently averaging about 500 million messages per day. The firm then analyzes the information and resells it to customers. Topsy markets itself as a global trendspotter and has helped Hollywood studios predict box office demand for movies based on social chatter. Continue reading Apple Goes Social with $200 Million Purchase of Topsy Labs

New technology allows computers to be programmed to recognize facial expressions — even the most subtle, fleeting expressions. Using frame-by-frame video analysis, computer software can read the muscular changes within people’s faces that indicate a range of emotions. Many predict such software will be used via computer webcams to rate how users respond to certain content — like games or videos — and cater to those users’ perceived needs or desires accordingly. Continue reading Myriad Applications Envisioned for Facial Recognition Tech

The traffic app Waze is partnering with Universal Pictures in order to produce a celebrity voice navigation feature. The first celebrity to give directions is comedian and actor Kevin Hart. Waze essentially crowdsources traffic and navigation data, and friends and fellow travelers are able to post updates that provide a real time picture of road conditions. The app gained popularity after it was acquired by Google earlier this year for $1.3 billion. Continue reading Celebrities Now Give Driving Directions via Traffic App Waze

We recently reported that Sony’s PlayStation 4 sold more than one million units in its first 24 hours of availability. Now, Microsoft has made the same claim with the launch of its Xbox One console on November 22. While the sales figures set a new record for Microsoft, easily defeating first day sales of its Xbox 360, the Xbox One launched in 11 more countries than the PS4. Both companies are expected to sell 3 million units by the end of the year. Continue reading Microsoft Sells One Million Xbox One Consoles on First Day