Metaverse gets touch of reality at CES

LAS VEGAS, United States— A jacket equipped with sensors that let wearers feel hugs or even punches in virtual reality was among the innovations giving the metaverse a more realistic edge at the Consumer Electronics Show.

"What is the metaverse if you can't feel it?" asked Jose Fuertes, founder of the Spain-based startup Owo, which made the jacket. "It's just avatars."

The "metaverse"— a parallel universe where human, augmented and virtual realities are supposed to merge— was a hot theme at the annual gadget extravaganza in Las Vegas, with startups showing off computers, headsets and other gear promising to enhance time spent in virtual worlds.

Owo touts its jacket as able to immerse wearers, whether in video games or in the metaverse, letting them feel "a gunshot, the wind, someone grabbing your arm and even a hug from a loved one."

The tight-fitting jacket features bands that stick to the skin, with sensors that sync to a mobile application. Before donning a virtual reality (VR) headset, the wearer can choose the intensity of each sensation.

"Our mission is to turn the virtual into reality with a second skin; to add the sense of touch in the metaverse or video games," Fuertes said as AFP tried out the jacket.

The Owo garb— to be priced less than $450 when it hits the market late this year— brings to mind the sci-fi novel-turned-film "Ready Player One," in which people in a dystopian world live alternate lives in a virtual universe.

The science fiction future seems distant given a lack of full body suits and comfortable headsets for simulated experiences, or ubiquitous high-speed internet service to handle such rich data streams.

Nonetheless, the metaverse has become a popular topic since being endorsed by Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg so enthusiastically that the technology company was renamed "Meta."

Sound of inevitability? 

Virtual reality has mostly been used for video games, despite its potential for experiences such as letting people visit museums, landmarks or far-off cities while sitting at home, and even for providing seats literally in the middle of feature films.

While companies such as Meta and HTC have invested heavily in virtual reality headsets, the equipment is still not light and comfortable enough to wear for long periods of time.

"I'm the biggest sort of augmented and virtual reality nerd, but I don't think we are anywhere close to anything exciting happening in the metaverse," said Paddy Cosgrave, head of Web Summit in Europe.

He expects it to take more than a decade for the metaverse to become real.

"Nothing can stop it," Touchcast chief and founder Edo Segal said of the metaverse.

Touchcast showed off a platform for collaboration between companies in virtual reality, complete with ".metaverse" addresses akin to .com web addresses. But the domains will be registered on a blockchain database, instead of on servers.

"In 1999, it was hard to believe people would buy things online," Segal said.

"Look where we are today. Humanity is moving in this direction."

Industry trackers report that sales of virtual reality gear were boosted by the pandemic as people relied on the internet for games, work, learning and socializing.

'Like a cyborg' 

Since the pandemic began restricting people's movements, Takuma Iwasa has taken to spending weekends on a VR platform where people chat and party in a virtual world with avatars as their proxies.

As the year 2020 neared its end, the young Japanese entrepreneur focused on ways someone's leg or torso movements can be mirrored by avatars and other ways of making visits to virtual worlds more realistic.

His startup Shiftall, a subsidiary of Panasonic, unveiled lightweight, high-resolution VR glasses at CES.

"In the future, some of the special suits like in 'Ready Player One' will contain every system," Takuma said.

"Currently, metaverse users need to use different products, like a cyborg."

Israeli start-up Wearable Devices is working on a bracelet that detects the electrical signals sent by the brain to the hand. The wearer can control synced objects with a mere snap of their fingers— a function that could prove useful if people use augmented reality glasses and need to select items displayed on the lenses.

But as the metaverse evolves, society will also need to be wary of dangers from online ills such as misinformation, harassment and losing touch with the real world, some experts warned.

"Counterfeit goods are going to exist in the metaverse, as well. Counterfeit identities are going to exist in the metaverse, as well," said Dan Guenther, an extended reality specialist at Accenture.

"And we've seen in many other evolutions of the internet that many times... (there) are the portions of the internet that we're uncomfortable with."

Agence France-Presse

Microsoft buys Canadian AI startup Maluuba

SAN FRANCISCO, California — Microsoft announced Friday a deal to buy Maluuba, a Montreal startup focused on making machines able to think the way people do.

Bringing on board Maluuba co-founders Kaheer Suleman and Sam Pasupalak, along with their team from the startup, was intended to accelerate Microsoft’s “ability to develop software so computers can read, write and converse naturally,” the company said.

Microsoft did not disclose financial terms of the acquisition.

“Maluuba’s vision is to advance toward a more general artificial intelligence by creating literate machines that can think, reason and communicate like humans — a vision exactly in line with ours,” Microsoft artificial intelligence and research group executive vice president Harry Shum said in a blog post.

“I’m incredibly excited about the scenarios that this acquisition could make possible in conversational AI.”

Tech giants Apple, Samsung, Google and Microsoft are all vying to develop the most sophisticated connected assistant — working to give software the ability to understand what people say and even anticipate desires or needs.

Amazon virtual assistant Alexa was a star at the Consumer Electronics Show gadget gala last week in Las Vegas.

Amazon and Alexa face fierce competition.

At CES, computer chipmaker Nvidia said it would use Google Assistant for its interactive streaming devices. Microsoft’s Cortana will power a voice-assistant speaker for kids and families being introduced by Mattel, and will also be in Renault-Nissan’s connected car hub.

Samsung’s smart refrigerator, which acts as a connected hub — with a voice activation system unveiled at CES — uses the South Korean giant’s Tizen operating system.

Many smart devices for the home also integrate with Apple Home Kit, which uses the iPhone maker’s artificial intelligence and voice assistant Siri.

At CES, Chinese giant Baidu showcased its own virtual assistant “Little Fish” which will debut in China this year.

source: interaksyon.com

CES 2017 | Razer unveils concept laptop for multi-monitor immersive gaming

LAS VEGAS, Nevada – Razer revealed a multi-monitor laptop computer concept that sets a new standard for immersive entertainment and multipurpose portable computing at the ongoing Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

Dubbed “Project Valerie,” the system is the world’s first portable laptop with three built-in monitors. Each 17.3-inch 4K IGZO display is equipped with Nvidia G-Sync technology that is capable of producing the smoothest possible framerates and expansive 180 degree Nvidia Surround View gaming. Creative professionals can look forward to 100 percent Adobe RGB color accuracy and the greatest amount of screen real estate ever assembled in a single computer.

Project Valerie uses an automatic deployment mechanism designed by Razer. Each display mechanically slides out of the side of the main screen and adjusts into place, making it easy for users to deploy. With integrated multi-monitor support, users will no longer have to deal with the cable clutter from traditional desktop setups. The result is a clean gaming and working environment that’s just as easy to maintain.

“The complexities of a traditional multi-monitor setup are a thing of the past with Project Valerie,” says Razer co-founder and CEO Min-Liang Tan. “Equally important, the power of a desktop computer and graphics capabilities of three top-end monitors are included in the system. There is no shortcoming in the way of performance in the face of its amazing portability and features.”

Project Valerie adds to the professional capabilities of the new 17-inch Razer Blade Pro. The system was conceived with enthusiasts and power users in mind who want multitasking capabilities and desktop performance on the go. Packed with more screens than previously possible in a notebook, Razer’s Project Valerie is capable of handling virtually any PC task, anytime, anywhere.

The proposed system retains the iconic Razer design, while at the same time accommodating triple-monitors. A unibody CNC aluminum chassis measures just 1.5-inches thick and weighs less than 12 pounds. An included compact AC adapter is much smaller than similarly powered systems, furthering complementing Project Valerie’s mobility.

Project Valerie retains the remarkable thermal management system for which Razer’s line of laptops is known. A custom-designed fan and dynamic heat exchangers pair with a vapor chamber to maximize heat dissipation.

Project Valerie is the second Razer notebook to utilize Razer’s Ultra-Low-Profile Mechanical switches. Each switch features a true actuation and reset point. Key presses are registered with 65 grams of force, mimicking the feel of full-size mechanical keyboards. The keyboard, trackpad, extended monitors are also Powered by Razer Chroma, which unlocks a virtually endless array of dazzling lighting effects that can be customized by the user or synced to in-game events.

Similar to Razer’s newest systems, Project Valerie equipped with Nvida GeForce GTX 1080 exceeds the minimum hardware requirements of HTC Vive and Oculus Rift, making it one of the most immersive, mobile VR-ready devices for enthusiasts and developers.

“Multi-monitor desktop set-ups are becoming more necessary for professionals, creators, and gamers,” says Tan. “For the first time, we’ve engineered a solution that users can take with them. Project Valerie promises all of the functionality of three screens and none of the hassle.”

source: interaksyon.com

CES 2017 | Tech show looks beyond ‘smart,’ to new ‘realities’

SAN FRANCISCO — The mega-extravaganza of the tech world in Las Vegas is showcasing an array of new devices that get smarts from computer chips, sensors and artificial intelligence, but go further by opening doors to augmented or virtual realities.

The Consumer Electronics Show, which begins with a series of media events Tuesday will offer trade professionals a look at new robotics, connected cars and a dizzying assortment of gizmos from connected sneakers to drones.

This year’s show will see results of a boost in computing power from artificial intelligence, which can help power things like autonomous cars, and deliver new experiences such as augmented or virtual reality.

“Virtual reality is changing the game for a variety of industries including health care, agriculture, manufacturing and business,” said Gary Shapiro, president of the Consumer Technology Association that organizes the annual show, in a Reddit chat.

“Doctors are using VR to enhance traditional therapies, architects use VR to design stronger buildings and travel agencies are using it to simplify vacation planning.”

CES will celebrate its 50th anniversary at the gathering, and organizers promised it would have the largest showcase of VR technology ever.

One CES panel discussion will examine how virtual reality is transforming television, movies and even news with immersive forms of video.

A host of virtual reality experiences will entice attendees at the trade-only show.

Cars will feature virtual reality displays to provide a better sense of the environment around them, while similar technologies will be showcased for smart glasses, medicine and beauty makeovers.

Enhancing reality

Robin Raskin, who heads the Living in Digital Times center of the show, said augmented reality is catching on with try-and-see beauty apps, in-store virtual mirrors and toys.

Augmented reality, she said, “lets us look at the real world and add valuable, entertaining and immersive information to it.”

Analyst Jack Gold at J. Gold Associates said that despite the potential benefits of virtual and augmented reality in business or industry, “gaming is where it is going to take off first,” because that’s where people are spending money.

“The issue is not whether it has the potential to transform things, but whether you can put it into a space where consumers can afford it and give enough additional information so people are able to use it,” Gold said.

CES is among the world’s biggest trade shows, and last year drew 177,000 attendees over exhibit space of 2.47 million square feet (230,000 square meters). This year, 150 countries will be represented.

It will include big industry names such as Sony, LG and Samsung in electronics, with the perennial battle to have the sleekest most gorgeous television screen.

Meanwhile, in attendance will be more than 600 startups from 33 countries, including first-time participants — the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, New Zealand and Ukraine.

Auto-industry titans including Ford and BMW are increasingly using CES to show off technology packed into vehicles for efficiency, safety, entertainment and navigation.

Race for autonomy

The show will feature demonstrations of autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicles, including one from Japan’s Honda said to be equipped with an artificial intelligence “emotion engine” that aims to better understand its occupants.

Electric car startup Faraday Future, one of several manufacturers taking on Tesla, is expected to unveil its first production car a year after showing a prototype.

Renault-Nissan chief Carlos Ghosn has promised to discuss “a major technological breakthrough in the realization of a zero-emission, zero-fatality world for everyone,” according to a statement from CES organizers.

Humanoid robots

The show is also expected to feature advances in robotics, with more human-like robots and the public debut of “Professor Einstein” from Hanson Robotics.

Getting a boost from artificial intelligence, some new robots at the show will keep an eye on the kids, play chess or help with homework.

Gold said he expects to see a large number of drones looking for a slice of a surging market.

“This is really the year of the drone, and everybody is trying to get into this market,” he said.

But he added that the strongest potential for drones may be with businesses, with uses including aerial photography.

On the smartphone front, South Korea’s LG will show a range of new “mid-range” handsets and China’s Huawei has a smartphone event scheduled. TCL, the Chinese firm which owns the Alcatel brand, will unveil new BlackBerry handsets following its deal for the troubled Canadian brand.

The show floor will see a host of new and improved connected home technologies that manage everything from light bulbs to refrigerators.

“We’re pretty close on things like the smart home, where we’re going to get up one day and everybody is going to speak to their refrigerators,” said NPD analyst Stephen Baker.

Carolina Milanesi of the consultancy Creative Strategies said 2016 “has seen material progress” in some new technologies that will result in products hitting the marketplace, even though not all will be hits.

“In some cases, it’s because the consumers weren’t really asking for it,” she said.

source: interaksyon.com

CES 2016 | Huawei targets premium segment with new phone, watch

LAS VEGAS, Nevada — Chinese electronics giant Huawei took aim Tuesday at the premium segment dominated by Apple, unveiling a new large-screen smartphone along with a tablet and luxury smartwatch.

As it unveiled its latest flagship smartphone called the Mate 8 at the Consumer Electronics Show, Huawei said it sees a path to becoming the number two global vendor in the sector — a spot now held by US-based Apple.

“Every year, every month, we are increasing our market share,” said Huawei consumer devices chief Richard Yu.

“Within a few years we believe we can be number two.”

At CES, Huawei announced the launch of its premium flagship phone claiming better performance and battery life than rivals made by Apple and Samsung.

With a six-inch display, it still has a smaller overall footprint than similar smartphones, said Kevin Ho, who heads Huawei’s handset operations.

The Mate 8 will launch in 30 countries — but not the United States — starting at 599 euros ($650), in line with flagship models from Apple and Samsung.

The first wave of markets where the Mate 8 will be launched are in Europe, Latin America, the Middle East and Asia.

Ho said the new device has a battery life of more than two days. It has a fingerprint identification system for payments, improved camera audio and microphone technology.

Huawei designed its own chipset for the device, ensuring it stays cool despite high performance, Ho said.

“High performance does not always mean hot,” he said.

Huawei boosted its global smartphone market share to 7.7 percent in the third quarter behind Samsung and Apple, according to research firm Gartner.

It has taken a leading position in China ahead of Samsung, but its US offerings have been limited until its recent agreement to produce a Nexus phone for Google.

Yu said Huawei’s total consumer device revenues grew 70 precent in 2015 to more than $20 billion as it shipped 108 million handsets.

He added that Huawei has in the past few years boosted its global brand awareness and trust from consumers. Huawei’s image was tarnished several years ago amid concerns over its ties to the Chinese government.

“We regained trust from consumers,” Yu said.

Huawei also unveiled a 10-inch tablet which appears to be designed as a rival to the iPad.

The MediaPad M210 will be sold in the US and more than two dozen other markets starting at $349.

The company also unveiled two new versions of its smartwatch — called Jewel and Elegant — which appear aimed at the luxury segment occupied by Apple Watch.

Aimed at women, the two new models start at $499 and $599. The Jewel is made in collaboration with Swarovski and features the European company’s diamond-emulating glass stones known as Zirconia circling the face.

source: interaksyon.com

IFA 2015 | Samsung to make new smartwatch available to competition

BERLIN — Samsung Electronics said on Thursday it would make its next smartwatch technology available to its competitors who also use Google Inc’s mobile platform Android, hoping to increase its share of the market, which is now dominated by Apple Inc.

The watch will be available as of October, it said at an event in Berlin tied to the IFA, Europe’s largest consumer electronics trade show.

Making the new smartwatches compatible with smartphones made by competitors could help sales for Samsung, which saw its market share shrink sharply following the launch of arch rival Apple’s Apple Watch.

Worldwide smartwatch shipments grew to 5 million in the second quarter of this year from 1 million in the same period last year, according to data of research firm Strategy Analytics.

“We are leading the way in this segment,” said Younghee Lee, Samsung’s global marketing head for mobile. “But we realise we can’t do it alone.”

Apple Watch captured a 75 percent global smartwatch market share, followed by Samsung with an 8 percent share.

Samsung launched its new watch on Monday. The Gear S2 comes with mobile payment technology just like Apple’s Watch.

Samsung did not give a price tag for the watch.

source: interaksyon.com

Wearable gadgets not ready for prime time, tech watchers say

LAS VEGAS — Despite the hoopla, wearable gadgets like wristwatches for checking your text messages or eyeglasses that capture video are unlikely to make a splash with consumers anytime soon, given the clumsy designs, high prices and technological constraints of many of the current offerings.

That is the conclusion drawn by many industry executives and analysts who trolled the vast exhibition halls of the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas this week.

Most of the wearable products on display at the industry’s premier showcase looked like awkward attempts to shoehorn technology into new forms without an original or compelling benefit for the wearer, skeptics say.

Stacy Rasgon, a semiconductor analyst at Bernstein, spent a day at CES busily snapping photos of every fitness band, watch and other wearable device he came across.

“I have 20 different photos, but if I look at the pictures I couldn’t tell you which product is from which vendor. They all look the same,” Rasgon said. “Wearables sound like a great idea and there’s going to be a lot of experimentation. People are throwing spaghetti against the wall to see what sticks.”

Sony Corp, Samsung Electronics Co Ltd and Qualcomm Inc showed off new or recently launched smartwatches, most of which act as extensions to cellphones, letting users check messages and appointments. Wristbands – like the popular Fitbit that tracks physical activity – also accounted for a big chunk of the devices on display at CES.

“For wearables to finally match up with the hype, (they have) to be a true solution, where it isn’t about the technology – it’s about what the technology enables you to do, something you couldn’t do before,” said Mike Bell, the senior executive leading Intel Corp’s wearables push.

“The function, form and experience have to be as important as the parts you slap inside,” he said.

Intel this week unveiled its take on wearables that Bell believes serve a clear purpose and could catch on, including prototype earbuds with a built-in heart rate monitor that changes the music on a smartphone to keep pace with a workout. It also announced a collaboration with luxury department store Barneys New York to develop smart bracelets intended to look like they were dreamed up by a fashion designer – not an engineer.

The wearables mania gripping the industry is in part a response to slowing smartphone and tablet markets. After growing 39 percent in 2013, global smartphone shipments are forecast to expand by just 18 percent annually through 2017, with prices steadily falling, according to market research firm IDC. Tablet shipments are seen up 22 percent this year, compared with 54 percent in 2013.

Tech executives say many consumers are intrigued by the potential for wearable gadgets, but they are also cautious. A survey by research company Yankee Group in December found less than 10 percent of respondents planned to pay $200 or more for a fitness wellness device.

A survey by Wakefield Research, commissioned by U.S. cloud-services company Citrix Systems, last November found 91 percent of respondents were excited about wearables, but 61 percent said they had no plans to purchase one.

Simon Randall, whose British-based OMG Life Plc makes a wearable camera called Autographer, is not surprised. He recalls the lukewarm reception when Nokia, his employer at the time, introduced camera-phones more than a decade ago.

“New things take time to be broadly adopted but if there’s an intrinsic benefit at the heart of them they’ll prosper,” Randall said.

Haute couture

Samsung’s $300 Galaxy Gear may have had the biggest launch of any wearable so far – but it was panned by reviewers. It shipped an estimated 800,000 of the watches in the two months since it was introduced in September, a figure that pales in comparison to the millions its smartphones manage.

Some experts said Apple may have the best chance of developing a gadget that will propel the wearable category into prime time, given its track record in consumer devices.

“2014 will be more a year of attempts than of successful products. And for a lot of manufacturers it will be a matter of waiting to see what Apple does,” said Carolina Milanesi, a consumer tech analyst at Kantar Worldpanel.

While the electronics show lacked sure-fire winners, some offers were definitely intriguing and drew crowds.

Epson unveiled a $700 pair of eyeglasses that allow the user to simultaneously view data about objects they are looking at. Sony’s prototype glasses can display captions and information about programs a viewer is watching on TV.

Another offer was a bracelet made by Netatmo embedded with a sensor that looks like a jewel and which measures exposure to sunlight, helping the wearer decide when to put on sunscreen.

Even Qualcomm, one of the largest companies now touting the impending wearable device revolution and purveyor of the “Toq” smartwatch, acknowledges the hurdles ahead.

Raj Talluri, who oversees the design of its Snapdragon smartphone processors, wants to add the same chips to watches and apparel to let them handle much more sophisticated functions. But more work needs to be done on power consumption.

“The power consumption of processors really needs to get an order of magnitude less,” Talluri said. “People’s expectation in wearables is not that they have to charge them every day. They want to wear things for weeks.”

source: interaksyon.com

Fiber optic dress changes color on a whim

LAS VEGAS - The techno-chic with a few thousand dollars to spare can sport outfits that can change color on a whim.

London-based designer Amy Rainbow Winters showed just how in a FashionWare area at the Consumer Electronics Show here on Wednesday.

On display was a dress she made of fabric with fiber optics woven in and sensors in the sleeves. Light traveled through the cloth, which glowed blue. With a touch of a sleeve, Winters changed the color.

"If you feel like having a purple, the dress will be purple," Winters said. "If you later feel like having red, you have red. You just look at the sleeve and decide what color you want."

Winters designs fabric and clothes, then collaborates with technologists to made the materials needed. She works with many techno-fabrics, including some that react to sound, sun or water.

Nearby she had on display a dress with motion sensors in the cloth that changed colors if the wearer jumped.

Fabric she creates can be made into just about any garment.

"The fabric can be anything; pants, shirts, dresses, hats...," Winters said. "If someone is going to wear Google Glass they might as well wear fiber-optic pants."

Her creations are custom, and have been used in entertainment productions such as music videos or to catch eyes in ads. She is not in the ready-to-wear market.

"I've had some retailers as me about stocking, but you have to be really careful because they are so expensive to make," Winters said.

"They are showpieces; but if people have a couple of thousand dollars to spare here it is."

Fiber-optic dresses cost about $3,000 to make, but the price can rise depending on the design, according to Winters, whose creations are on display online at rainbowwinters.com.

source: interaksyon.com

RIM shares jump ahead of BlackBerry 10 launch

TORONTO — Shares of Research In Motion Ltd surged as much as 11 percent on Monday as the countdown toward the January 30 launch of its long-awaited BlackBerry 10 smartphones winds down and carrier support for the new line builds.

RIM stock rose as high C$15.08 in early Nasdaq trading. Some analysts said a dearth of any major smartphone news at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas last week boded well for RIM as it inches closer toward unveiling the make-or-break new line.

“The lack of new smartphone buzz could be seen as positive given it clears the road for the BlackBerry 10 device announcement January 30,” TD Securities analyst Scott Penner said in a note to clients.

The lack of news was expected. Even so, Penner wrote, it reassured investors that the BlackBerry 10 would be competitive with the best that Apple Inc, Samsung Electronics, Nokia and other rivals have on offer.

The stock also got a boost from media reports on Monday that Aircel and Vodafone Group Plc are gearing up to market the new BlackBerry in India. RIM has long counted India for strong growth, especially as its current lineup has lost ground in North America and Europe.

The Indian news comes just days after three of the top U.S. mobile carriers – Verizon Communications, AT&T Inc and T-Mobile USA – signaled that they would support RIM’s BlackBerry 10 products.

Shares of RIM were up 9.6 percent at $14.86 at 1100 EST (1600 GMT) on the Nasdaq, while its Toronto-listed shares were up 9.7 percent at C$14.62.

source: interaksyon.com

Smartphone touted as 'remote control for life'

LAS VEGAS, Nevada - It can talk to your car, your refrigerator, water your plants and help you stay fit and healthy: the smartphone has become the consumer's remote control for life.

That was the message delivered by dozens of firms at the International Consumer Electronics Show, where terms like "appification" were tossed around freely.

The hundreds of thousands of "apps" developed for mobile platforms such as Apple's iOS, Google's Android and Microsoft's Windows Phone and showcased at the Las Vegas tech gathering are quickly taking a lot of functions that people or different devices used to do.

Nowhere was this more evident in the "connected home" zone of the world's biggest technology show.

Samsung, the South Korean tech giant, showed a connected refrigerator which can stream music from a smartphone, while US appliance maker Dacor unveiled what it called the "first Android oven," with a panel to check emails and the Web.

US appliance maker Whirlpool showed its lineup of smart appliances which can send a user a text message when the laundry is done. Whirlpool's refrigerator can also stream music through an app, enabling a host to set a playlist for each course of a dinner party, for example.

"You don't need to be friend on Facebook with your fridge, but it makes its use easier," quipped Warwick Stirling, Whirlpool's senior director of energy and sustainability.

South Korea's LG offered an integrated solution: one smartphone app which can remotely turn on a robotic vacuum or washing machine, or monitor something cooking in the oven.

An LG refrigerator, equipped with a touchscreen panel, can deliver a shopping list to your smartphone wirelessly, provided that the database is created in the appliance.

"You can control your life with a smartphone," said LG's Lisa Hutchenson.

French-based firm Parrot and Korea's Moneual each showed off an app to allow smartphone users to keep their home plants watered, using a sensor which transmits information on temperature, light and humidity and alerts people when the plants are thirsty.

The home thermostat, locks and lighting can be controlled with an app developed by Ingersoll Rand.

"The phone can be your remote control for your house," said Matt McGovren, marketing manager for the maker of home equipment.

"Everything will be connected, even things not generally associated with smartphones, like locks."

In the car, drivers can mimic their key fob functions to control their car, track, locate and monitor their vehicles with an app from Delphi Automotive, shown at CES.

And Ford and General Motors announced at CES that they will be launching efforts to help app developers create programs which be used in vehicles, some of which already can play streaming movies or music from mobile devices.

"Up to now, radio was the only entertainment in the car," said Thomas Sonnenrein, of the German equipment maker Bosch.

"Today we have a system shared with the Internet, the smartphone and the car" which "creates a lot of value."

The health segment is exploding with apps which can monitor heart rate, blood sugar, distance traveled by runners and many other things seen in the CES fitness tech zone.

The integration of the television and smartphone was a major focus at CES, with numerous smart TVs sharing with mobile phones and tablets. Not to mention the simple use of the device as a remote TV control.

Shawn DuBravac, chief economist at the Consumer Electronics Association, told the CES opening session that 65 percent of time spend on smartphones now is "non communication activities" such as apps for health, entertainment or other activities.

"We have moved away not only from telephony but from communications being the primary part of these devices," he said.

"So it is not just a communications devices, it is a hardware hub around which people build services... the smartphone is becoming the viewfinder for your digital life."

source: interaksyon.com

Cars, homes smarten up at CES 2013

SAN FRANCISCO/NEW YORK — At the world’s largest technology conference that kicks off on Monday, the most intriguing innovations showcased may be gadgets and technology that turn everyday items into connected, smarter machines.

This year’s Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas promises a new generation of “smart” gadgets, some controlled by voice and gestures, and technology advancements in cars, some of which already let you dictate emails or check real-time gas prices.

Pundits have long predicted that home appliances like refrigerators and stoves will be networked, creating an “Internet of things.” With advancements in chips and the ubiquity of smartphones and tablets, it’s now happening.

“We’ve been talking about this convergence of consumer electronics and computers and content for 20 years. It will actually be somewhat of a reality here, in that your phone, your tablet, your PC, your TV, your car, have a capability to all be connected,” said Patrick Moorhead, principal analyst at Moor Insights & Strategy.

Despite the absence of tech heavyweights Apple Inc and Microsoft Corp, CES still draws thousands of exhibitors, from giants like Intel Corp and Samsung Electronics Co Ltd to startups hungry for funding.

Wireless chip maker Qualcomm Inc’s CEO, Paul Jacobs, opens the festivities with a keynote speech on Monday, taking a spot traditionally reserved for Microsoft, which decided last year to sever ties with the show.

Jacobs said in a recent interview on PBS that he will show how wireless technology will be pushed way beyond smartphones into homes, cars and healthcare.

SMARTER SMARTPHONES

With venues spanning over 32 football fields across Las Vegas — more than 1.9 million sq. ft. (176,516 sq. meters) — CES is an annual rite for those keen to glimpse the newest gadgets before they hit store shelves. The show, which started in 1967 in New York, was the launch pad for the VCR, camcorder, DVD and HDTV.

While retailers prowl for products to fill their shelves, Wall Street investors look for products that are the next hit.

Intel and Qualcomm are expected to highlight improvements in “perceptual computing,” which involves using cameras, GPS, sensors and microphones to make devices detect and respond to user activity.

“The idea is that if your devices are so smart, they should be able to know you better and anticipate and react to your requirements,” said IDC analyst John Jackson.

This year, snazzier TVs will again dominate show space, with “ultra high-definition” screens that have resolutions some four times sharper than that of current displays. The best smartphones will likely be reserved for launch at Mobile World Congress in February.

There will also be a record number of auto makers showing the latest in-vehicle navigation, entertainment and safety systems, from Toyota’s Audi to Ford, General Motors and Hyundai. The Consumer Electronics Association has forecast the market for factory-installed tech features in cars growing 11 percent this year to $8.7 billion.

BMW, for one, already provides speech recognition that is processed instantly through datacenters, converted into text and emailed without drivers taking their hands off the wheel. The luxury carmaker also offers data about weather, fuel prices and other items.

“Automotive has been this backwater of technology for a long time. Suddenly, we’re seeing a lot of real innovation in automotive technology,” Scott McGregor, CEO of chipmaker Broadcom, told Reuters ahead of the show.

source: interaksyon.com