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  • Samsung introduces latest innovations at Consumer Electronics Show 2021

    Samsung introduces latest innovations at Consumer Electronics Show 2021

    NEW DELHI: Samsung opened the Consumer Electronics Show 2021 with a crisp, 30-minute keynote, sharing its vision for the future and introducing a slew of new products at the virtual press conference. Among fresh launches is its new range of bespoke refrigerators that you can mix, match and combine into different configurations. Samsung has also launched its first MicroLED TV, which will be commercially available in a couple of months in a whopping, 110-inch avatar. 

    The South Korean electronics conglomerate also detailed its AI ecosystem and smart home software, as well as its sustainability efforts. Alongside the catchy demos of its smart home gizmos, two of Samsung's sustainability efforts caught the eye. The first is its shift to its DRAMs and SSDs in its data centres and servers, which can apparently make a 7TWh (Tera-Watt-hour) difference in energy consumption. The second is its proposed software updates to older Galaxy range of smartphones, which can turn them into specific use-case devices such as baby monitors or long-range remotes for appliances.

    Samsung Electronics president and head of Samsung Research Sebastian Seung said, “Our world looks different, and many of you have been faced with a new reality–one where, among other things, your home has taken on a greater significance. Our innovations are designed to provide more personal and more intuitive experiences that express your personality. We’re hard at work to bring you next-generation innovation, with AI as the core enabler, for your better tomorrow.”

    Here are a few highlights and launches at the Samsung event:

        Samsung Bespoke 4-Door Flex: The latest version of the Bespoke refrigerator features changeable panels that come with a choice of colours and materials that made the original a success, allowing consumers to adjust their fridge for form and function. The new four-door model will be available in North America this spring.

        110-inch MicroLED: This new screen features self-lit inorganic LED with a slim and nearly bezel-less Infinity Screen design that seamlessly blends into the living space. The result is a spectacularly immersive viewing experience with astounding picture quality. The 110-inch MicroLED also adds “4Vue” (Quad View), a four-way viewing option—so you can keep up with multiple sports at once, or stream a tutorial while playing a video game. Also, for US consumers, more than 160 free channels1 are available through Samsung TV Plus. MICRO LED will be rolled out globally beginning this spring.

        Lifestyle TV: Samsung’s cutting-edge lifestyle TV lineup includes The Serif, The Frame, The Sero and The Terrace—a recently launched 4K QLED outdoor TV—as well as Samsung The Premiere, a cinema-like quality 4K laser projector.

        SmartThings Cooking: A new service from Samsung SmartThings is designed to make your culinary journey seamless. An automatic Meal Planner powered by Whisk’s Food AI recommends meals for the whole week, makes shopping lists with the ingredients you need, and connects to grocery retailers for one-stop shopping straight from the Family Hub refrigerator or your mobile screen. Recipe instructions can be sent directly to synced Samsung cooking devices to minimize hassles and mistakes.

        Samsung Health Smart Trainer on Samsung 2021 TVs: Samsung Health seamlessly transforms the home into a personal gym, and the new Smart Trainer4 feature tracks and analyses posture in real time, just like a personal trainer. During and post-workout, Smart Trainer provides feedback on form, helps you count your reps, and estimates calories burned. Also includes video and interactive training via Bixby-enabled voice control.

         JetBot 90 AI+: Coming to the US 1H 2021, this new vacuum cleaner uses object recognition technology to identify and classify objects to decide the best cleaning path. LiDAR and 3D sensors allow JetBot 90 AI+ to avoid cables and small objects, while still cleaning hard-to-reach corners in your home. Also outfitted with a camera, JetBot 90 AI+ is integrated with the SmartThings app to assist you with home monitoring.

        Samsung Bot Care: Designed to use AI to recognise and respond to your behaviour. It will be able to act as both a robotic assistant and companion, helping to take care of the details in your life. It will also learn your schedule and habits and send you reminders to help guide you throughout your busy day.

        Samsung Bot Handy: Will rely on advanced AI to recognize and pick up objects of varying sizes, shapes and weights, becoming an extension of you and helping you with work around the house. Samsung Bot Handy will be able to tell the difference between the material composition of various objects, utilising the appropriate amount of force to grab and move around household items and objects, working as your trusted partner to help with house chores like cleaning up messy rooms or sorting out the dishes after a meal.

    Samsung is continuing to build on its Samsung Bot Retail, which would guide users outside the home in retail environments, and GEMS, its health-focused exoskeleton as mobility aide. These innovations allow robots and robotic devices to co-exist with humans, enhancing their lives and catering to a variety of lifestyles and different environments.

  • Meet the World’s First Blockchain-Powered Smartphone, BOB, at CES 2020

    Meet the World’s First Blockchain-Powered Smartphone, BOB, at CES 2020

    As the world teeters around cyber threats in this digital age, more and more users online, across all demographics and generations, feel more vulnerable or have experienced data breaches and attacks on their privacy. According to a study, 8 out of 10 Internet users globally don’t even feel they have control over the data which they have shared online.

    While several steps have been taken to help users worldwide feel more secure online, from tighter regulation imposed onto Internet companies to the implementation of more cutting edge encryption and cybersecurity software, there doesn’t seem to be a solution that can help online users to regain data ownership or feel as secure as they were before the dawn of the Internet, until now.

    On the first CES (Consumer Electronics Show) event that is taking place in this new decade, the world is set to witness the unveiling of the world’s first blockchain-powered smartphone: Blok On Blok. It has been recognized as a CES 2020 Innovation Award Honoree in the CES 2020 Innovation Awards.

    Blok On Blok, or BOB, is Singapore-based blockchain startup Pundi X’s flagship smartphone product which was first introduced as the XPhone at the now historic Bali Blockchain Summit back in October 2018. During this summit, Pundi X demoed the world’s first ever phone call made over the blockchain.

    To ensure the utmost privacy of its users, Pundi X created a special operating system for BOB, called f(x) or Function X OS. This OS empowers BOB users to access the Function X ecosystem, thus every call, text, or action made online, either through a browser or an app is decentralized. Each BOB functions as a node and any action that takes place within the blockchain mode of f(x) OS does not require a centralized service provider or carrier. Hence, the more BOBs that have been deployed in the world would mean a stronger decentralized Function X ecosystem.

    “If there’s anything the last decade has proven, it’s that users now need to become extra careful on what they share online and try to secure all that’s left of their privacy and their lives. But they wouldn’t have to be afraid anymore with BOB as it allows users to reclaim their privacy,” Pundi X CEO & Co-founder, Zac Cheah said.

    “We believe, the data you have should be yours, and yours alone,” added David Ben Kay, President of Function X Foundation and Chief Legal Officer of Pundi X. “To push for this initiative, we’ve set up the Function X Foundation, a nonprofit, independent organization that supports the growth of the Function X Ecosystem and facilitates the usage of blockchain technology for good.”

    F(X) to Android 9 Pie to F(X)

    Since not everyone is ready to go off the grid completely just yet, BOB is developed with a function that allows users to switch between blockchain mode and traditional mode, the latter of which is made possible by Android 9 Pie OS. In the blockchain mode, users are assured that all calls, text messages and actions made are secure and private as they don’t go through any centralized service provider. And all these are made possible by Function X.

    “We are empowering the user and bringing back the control they once owned over their data.” Cheah said.

    Bringing Retro Back

    Aside from its homage to the very first promise of the Internet—data ownership and decentralized data transmission online— BOB has also taken inspiration from iconic 80s and 90s sci-fi films and incorporate into its design to create a retro-futuristic look. Each BOB package comes with a MOD assembly kit that includes the following core components: motherboards, display screens, cameras, audio speakers, buttons, and other related accessories. Once fully assembled, the BOB looks like every tech junkie’s phone in the next decade—functionally designed with a futuristic sci-fi feel. Think of BOB as the phone that perhaps would have been fitting for the Blade Runner 2049 or Back to the Future movies. BOB owners can choose to customize the look by 3D printing the different parts of the BOB phone.

    As part of the upcoming plans, Function X Foundation will invite designers worldwide to submit their own iterations of the BOB phone, which could then be integrated into the official MOD packages. By the end of this process, there could be around 5 to 10 official MOD designs for BOB. What we envision is a phone that empowers the individual and the user from data privacy to how it looks like.

    Pre-order on Indiegogo on January 7

    BOB is set to be up for pre-order on Indiegogo on January 7 at 9am PST with early bird discounts. Its retail price is at USD 599. The latest BOB prototype will be exhibited at the CES 2020 at Sands, Hall G – 52501 in Eureka Park in Las Vegas, Nevada.

    About Function X Foundation

    Function X Foundation is a nonprofit, independent organization that supports the growth of the Function X Ecosystem, a next-generation internet service framework, built entirely on and for the blockchain. It is a completely new ecosystem providing a novel service framework by improving the existing internet and blockchain architectures, combining the benefits of both and using the most commonly used technical solutions.

    The foundation is in the process of being set up to manage the usage of the Ecosystem Genesis Fund, which aims to motivate, encourage and facilitate service providers to join and get rooted into the f(x) ecosystem.

    For more information about Function X, visit https://www.functionx.io/#/.

    About Pundi X

    Pundi X is a leading developer of blockchain-powered devices, including the world’s first blockchain-based point-of-sale solution, the XPOS, which enables merchants and consumers to do transactions on the blockchain in physical stores.

    The XPOS has been shipped to over 25 countries including Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Colombia, Canada, Korea, South Africa, Switzerland, Taiwan, Uganda, the USA, the United Kingdom, Venezuela, and more; 100,000 devices are being targeted for rollout to the global retail market by 2021. The XWallet app from Pundi X has crossed the 700,000 registered user mark as of today.

    Pundi X is also the creator of the world’s first fully-functional blockchain phone, Blok On Blok (BOB for short) powered by the Function X decentralized protocol that is designed to empower users to reclaim their data privacy.

    The company is headquartered in Singapore. Its international presence includes offices in Cyprus, Jakarta, São Paulo, Seoul, Shenzhen, Taipei, and Tokyo.

    Listed as one of the top 50 innovative fintech startups in 2018 by KPMG and H2 ventures and recognized as a Cool Blockchain Vendors by Gartner, the company is also a member of the Singapore Fintech Association, Fintech Association of Hong Kong, and ACCESS. It is also a founding member of Asosiasi Blockchain Indonesia.

    For more information, please visit https://www.pundix.com.

  • Samsung launches ‘Age of Experiences’

    Samsung launches ‘Age of Experiences’

    Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. announced the “Age of Experience” at the opening keynote at CES. As the featured keynote speaker, Samsung Consumer Electronics President and CEO H.S. Kim heralded a decade of human-centric innovation that seamlessly combines hardware and software to create personalized experiences that make life more convenient, more enjoyable, and more meaningful.

    The Age of Experience will transform how we care for ourselves and our family, how we can customize our homes to meet our individual needs, and how we can build safer, more sustainable intelligent cities. By showcasing its latest advances in intelligent robotics, AI, 5G and edge computing, Samsung offered a glimpse into the not-so-distant future in which these technologies will come together to offer richer, more adaptive experiences for consumers.

    “In the Age of Experience, we need to re-think the space we have to accommodate our diverse and evolving lifestyles,” said H.S. Kim, President and CEO of Consumer Electronics Division, Samsung Electronics. “What makes Samsung’s approach unique is the fact that we have a very clear philosophy built around human-centered innovation. We build and create to solve problems and enhance people’s lives.”

    Events

    CES 2020See the News

    The Next Level of Personal Care

    At the core of Samsung’s human-centered vision is personalized care, enhancing the health and well-being of consumers by satisfying their individual needs. During his opening remarks, H.S. Kim unveiled Samsung’s vision of robots as ‘life companions,’ and introduced Ballie, a small, rolling robot that understands you, supports you, and reacts to your needs to be actively helpful around the house.

    Sebastian Seung, Executive Vice President and Chief Research Scientist at Samsung Electronics elaborated on Ballie, explaining that its On-Device AI capabilities enable it to be a fitness assistant and a mobile interface that seeks solutions for people’s changing needs. It does all this while maintaining stringent data protection and privacy standards.

    “We believe AI is the future of personalized care,” stated Dr. Seung. “We see on-device AI as central to truly personalized experiences. On-device AI puts you in control of your information and protects your privacy, while still delivering the power of personalization.”

    Dr. Tadashi Ted Funahashi, Chief Innovations and Transformation Officer for Kaiser Permanente, introduces HeartWise at CES 2020 in Las Vegas on Jan. 6th, 2020. The virtual cardiac rehab program was created through a collaboration between Samsung and Kaiser Permanente. 

    Samsung is also showcasing advanced and personalized health solutions. For example, the company has collaborated with Kaiser Permanente to develop a home-based, virtual cardiac rehabilitation solution that pairs a Samsung smartwatch with a smartphone via Bluetooth. Samsung’s HeartWise application sends reminders to the patient to exercise, collects activity data, and continuously displays the patient’s heart rate during workouts. This data is automatically uploaded via the smartphone to the patient’s chart so that clinicians, case managers and physical therapists can track the patient’s progress and engage with them accordingly.

    The program enables users to partake in cardiac rehabilitation at home without taking time out of their everyday lives to travel to a hospital or medical clinic. The positive results of the home-based cardiac rehabilitation program were published in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) Catalyst last year. Going forward, Samsung will continue to develop human-centric healthcare solutions that cater to the unique needs of the individuals who rely on them.

    A Home Tailored to You

    Samsung also offered a peek into the future home. Federico Casalegno, Chief Design Innovation Officer of Samsung Design Innovation Center, stated that the home will offer unique, immersive experiences with cutting-edge innovations like AI, sensors and data analysis: “As a living organism, the intelligent home will be a deeply personal space, tailoring experiences for each of us, according to our personal needs.”

    Dr. Casalegno highlighted how spatial boundaries of the physical and digital worlds are dissolving, transforming living spaces into bespoke experience-spaces, like an art gallery, yoga studio or other forms of imaginable space. Such blurring of the two realms, according to Dr. Casalegno, is what will transform the home in the next decade.

    He led the first-ever immersive demonstration involving Samsung’s GEMS (Gait Enhancing & Motivating System) technology. The demonstration showed how consumers can use AR glasses to work out with a virtual personal trainer, climb a mountain or walk underwater, from the comfort of their living room, while GEMS aggregated and analyzed results to give personalized action recommendations.

    Samsung also showed how a room can be transformed with a screen like its MicroLED display, a convergence of software, AI, IoT and hardware. “A screen is not a product – it’s your window to the world, allowing you to instantly connect to your loved ones and friends as if they are in the same room,” said Dr. Casalegno, emphasizing that smart rooms can provide boundless experiences. “People can see and experience almost everything in the world and even the unknown world through the screen.”

    Samsung also discussed the evolution of the modern culinary journey where appliances become cooking partners – a personal chef, nutritionist, and shopping assistant rolled into one. Intelligent and innovative technology can customize the entire food experience for consumers—from thoughtful recipe suggestions and meal planning tailored to personal preferences and what’s on-hand, to seamless grocery shopping, delivery and cooking. The company also highlighted a growing station for garden produce at home, and Bot Chef, a robotic food preparation assistant.

    Safer and More Sustainable Urban Life in Smart Cities 

    Pointing to increasing global urbanization, Samsung outlined its smart cities vision, where intelligent systems enabled by smart devices, platforms and data, will make city life much safer and easier. Emily Becher, Senior Vice President and Head of Samsung NEXT Global, said, “We have the tools and the knowledge to create intelligent systems that make living in the city more engaging, safe, and efficient – so that our children, and their children after that can love living in their cities as much as so many of us do today.” She added, “Smart cities that utilize AI, IoT and 5G will transform how we interact with the surrounding environment in ways that maximize convenience and enjoyment”.

    With IoT technology expanding its reach beyond the home to all types of buildings, Samsung’s core vision lies in saving energy, cutting down emissions and helping to achieve sustainability as populations grow.

    Speaking at the Samsung Keynote for CES 2020, Emily Becher, SVP and Head of Samsung NEXT Global, discusses how new innovation is transforming buildings, transportation systems and communities to be connected to infrastructure of a smart city. 

    Smart buildings will also make life more connected and convenient. For example, smart building residents will be able to call elevators, turn lights off, manage deliveries or check for parking spots with a simple swipe or voice command. Intelligent appliances installed in smart buildings will request repairs and address problems before residents even notice the issue.

    In realizing the goal of creating a smart city with smart buildings, Samsung emphasized the importance of open collaboration. The company is working towards building partnerships with builders and property managers like Greystar Real Estate Partners, a leading U.S.-based global real estate developer, with which it will devise smart building solutions. “With smart buildings, the residents’ experience will get smarter, more efficient, more effective, so they utilize less energy,” said Bob Faith, Chairman and CEO of Greystar. “Samsung has the ability to bring all the technologies together and that convergence of the technologies in one place is really critical.”

    Samsung also demonstrated how the combination of 5G, edge computing and AI will transform the urban transportation experience. Becher shared the company’s vision to lead the new era of vehicles, with 5G technology enabling Vehicle-to-Everything communication, which will seamlessly connect cars to the rest of the city.
    Becher added that smart cities combined with 5G will be able to provide experiences unimaginable a few years ago to communities. She noted, “Faster and easier digital connection with each other will strengthen our sense of community and create entirely new forms of interaction.”

    Building A Better Place for All

    Concluding his 2020 CES keynote address, H.S. Kim stressed that the company is focused on using technology to create a better place for all. He highlighted three key areas of importance for the company going forward: security and privacy, technology for good, and citizenship.

    Kim made clear that as an industry leader, the company’s commitment to data security and personal privacy will not waver, and that the protection of security and privacy will be a top priority as technology advances. He stated that the most important thing is putting people in control over their information, “Samsung will never share your data with third parties without prior and direct consent from you.”

    He further emphasized that Samsung Knox, the company’s defense-grade security platform, will continue to expand to protect a growing array of Samsung’s devices—from mobile and TVs to home appliances and more. “We will further ensure transparent data management and transfer by advancing our data protection efforts with on-device AI, edge computing, and blockchain technology.”

    Samsung also showcased how it is innovating for good, with technologies like Relumino, which can help the visually-impaired see; IGNIS, a tool that helps firefighters make their jobs safer; and GEMS that helps the elderly and disabled to move.

    Samsung also underscored a key pillar of its CSR vision, “Together for Tomorrow! Enabling People,” by announcing the expansion of the Samsung Innovation Campus program in 2020. Leveraging the success of the many educational programs from the last decade, Samsung Innovation Campus provides the next generation with training on the latest AI, IoT, and cloud technologies. Samsung said the campus has educated more than 20,000 students from 13 countries since its launch in 2019 and will double in size this year.

    By providing education for future generations, Samsung is furthering its philosophy that technology’s purpose is to solve social problems and empower people to achieve more to make a better world.

    For more information about the details disclosed at CES 2020, including photos and videos, please visit https://news.samsung.com/us/ces2020/. Samsung’s CES booth #15006 is on Level 1 of Central Hall in the Las Vegas Convention Center and will be open from January 7 10:00 a,m. till January 10 4:00 p.m, 2020.

  • Technicolor to showcase comprehensive range of technologies at CES

    Technicolor to showcase comprehensive range of technologies at CES

    MUMBAI: Technicolor Connected Home to demonstrate a comprehensive range of technologies — including DOCSIS 3.1,Android TV and Reference Design Kit (RDK), Wi-Fi 6, 6Ghz Wi-Fi, 5G, and Fiber Interoperability solutions at CES conference in Las Vegas January 7-10, 2020.

    “Over the course of 2020, the network service provider (NSP) community will continue to invest in open platform-based solutions thereby maximizing the number of revenue-generating services that can be delivered to consumers. This is true for access technologies that bring broadband performance over cable, fibre and wireless to consumers, as well as the set-top box (STB) and Wi-Fi infrastructures that
    ensure ubiquitous, intelligent and high-quality connectivity within their homes,” says  Technicolor Connected Home Deputy CEO and President Luis Martinez Amago.

    To support this trend, Technicolor is showcasing an extensive portfolio of offerings that integrate open technologies — like Android TV and RDK middleware – into customer premises equipment (CPE) that can be rapidly deployed by NSPs around the world.

    Specific solutions to be featured during CES 2020 include Technicolor Connected Home’s:

    ● JADE — a 4K Ultra HD STB that contains next generation 16nm silicon debuting the latest technology standards — such as Wi-Fi 6 and AV1 decoding in a small customizable design. This receiver, running on both Android TV and RDK, benefits from a powerful quad-core processor, Bluetooth 5.0 technology and an innovative stackable module enabling flexibility in the introduction of value-added services such as Digital Video Recording (DVR), far field voice control and Internet of Things (IoT).

    ● RUBY — an affordable yet fully equipped STB featuring Android P, Wi-Fi 5 as well as Bluetooth and Zwave technologies that support IoT use cases. The STB has integrated a range of proven technologies in a cost-effective manner to ensure high-quality connected experiences — from audio streaming with Bluetooth headphones to Wi-Fi babycam displays and IoT Zwave lighting systems. It is designed to support video services managed by operators as well as OTT offerings from providers like Google, Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and others.

    ● Wi-Fi XL — a comprehensive wireless network solution that improves the coverage and quality of connectivity throughout the home while managing the complexity associated with the rapid rise of devices connecting to the Wi-Fi network. Wi-Fi XL (whole home coverage solution) demonstrates how gateways and extenders featuring Wi-Fi 6, EasyMesh and AirTies work together seamlessly. Wi-Fi 6 latency and throughput improvements are also being demonstrated in highly demanding situations such as when playing resource-intensive games like Fortnite while watching high-quality video programming.

    ● EasyMesh Roaming and Onboarding via NAVIGate — a demonstration of Technicolor Connected Home’s commitment to improving in-home wireless performance throughout the home in an intuitive manner. This will illustrate how a more user-friendly Wi-Fi environment lays the foundation for NSPs to deploy new services.

    ● Open Services Platform – a showcase the flexibility and power of containers and third-party applications (from key technology partners like CujoAI, Alexa, SmartThings) can enhance the relationship that NSPs have with their subscribers. In order to have a scalable model for delivering new application-based services, NSPs must decouple any dedicated dependencies between hardware and software. Technicolor has developed a broad set of offerings based on HOMEWARE and RDK-B to mix and match services involving different software developer-based communities.

    ● 5G Gateway — an exhibit of the role that this new fixed wireless access (FWA) technology can play in delivering broadband services to consumers.

    ● Technicolor Fiber Labs — an initiative that is being used by NSP customers and key technology partners to continuously test the latest developments in optical line termination (OLT) technology to ensure maximum compliance of all fiber products with widely deployed interoperability standards.

    ● Low Latency Demo with Google/3SS — a joint initiative that showcases a dual hardware decode and software decode function on top of Android TV to achieve a multi-screen presentation. The demonstration will compare the delay between live broadcast and live OTT.

    ● STB-based Targeted Advertising – a demonstration featuring the strategic relationship with Hoppr. This illustrates how NSPs can tap into new, important and sustainable streams of advertising revenue through dedicated STB-embedded software and dedicated backend components. The STB interacts with auction servers to support targeted advertisement insertion based on end-user consumption and behavior.

    These demonstrations will be featured at the company’s exhibit suites (30-315 and 30-317) located on the 30 th floor of The Venetian Hotel. Experts and executives will be on hand to discuss leading-edge developments on these connected home technologies and their impact on the industry.

  • TCL Electronics to showcase next-gen mini-LED technology at CES 2020

    TCL Electronics to showcase next-gen mini-LED technology at CES 2020

    MUMBAI: TCL Electronics, a dominant player in the global TV industry and leading consumer electronics company, will showcase the next generation of mini-LED technology among a full suite of flagship innovations at CES 2020 in Las Vegas, 7-10 January.

    Already one of the fastest-growing consumer electronics brands thanks to its advanced TV solutions, including bringing the world's first television utilizing high-performance mini-LED back-lights to North America and Europe earlier this year, TCL continues to improve and drive the penetration of mini-LEDs.

    With Quantum Contrast technology, a new standard for TV picture quality has been established with tens of thousands of individual Mini-LEDs powering TCL's most premium models for a display that delivers unrivaled contrast and brilliant clarity. The company will raise the bar once again and unveil the next generation of mini-LED performance at its CES press conference on January 6, 2020 where top media outlets from around the world will gather.

    "TCL is thrilled to be at tech's biggest show and stand on tech's grandest stage to share our latest mini-LED developments alongside our vision for the industry in the AI and IoT age," said TCL Industrial Holdings and TCL Electronics CEO Kevin Wang. "TCL is committed to offering a wider range of products to satisfy the needs of consumers and provide them with better, more personalized experiences. Like all of our products, I hope this new line of TVs improves their lives by bringing joy into homes worldwide."

    TCL's CES announcements will also be streamed through the company's social media platforms:Facebook – @tclelectronicsglobal; Twitter – @TCL_TV_Global and @TCL_USA and YouTube – @TCL Electronics and @TCL USA

    TCL Press Conference:
    January 6, 2020
    12:00pm PST
    Ballroom D, Oceanside, Mandalay Bay Convention Center

    TCL Booth:
    January 7–10, 2020
    Booth #12930, Central Hall, Las Vegas Convention Center

  • P&G rolls out innovative, connected products at CES 2019

    P&G rolls out innovative, connected products at CES 2019

    LAS VEGAS: Can an FMCG company go the connected product route too?

    Well the Cincinnati-based Procter & Gamble obviously believes that's the way to go. At a press conference today, the global major unveiled six products at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas during CES 2019. The purpose according to a press release it issued is to share “how the company is leveraging cutting edge technologies to develop new products and enhance everyday experiences for consumers around the world” at the world’s preeminent showcase for global innovation.

    Among the six products it featured include:
    SK-II’s Future X Smart Store, transforming beauty retail shopping with facial recognition and gesture-driven “phygital” experiences, augmented by SK-II’s proprietary skin science and diagnostics. 
    Team SK II marketing director global operations Sandeep Seth spoke at length about SKII’s smart bottle which recommends and rewards users for successful applications of the serum. He, however, revealed that the focus of the brand will be China and Japan, the place where the SKII has some seven to eight per cent marketshare. “India is sometime away,” he said.

    Olay’s Skin Advisor platform, which uses artificial intelligence to provide personalised skincare analysis and recommendations by analyzing selfies and a short questionnaire.

    The Oral-B Genius X toothbrush, which uses artificial intelligence to recognise how users are brushing and provides personalised feedback that leads to better brushing, and superior oral health. Company officials say that product pricing has not been fixed as yet, it is expected to be in the $200-250 range.

    The new Heated Razor by GilletteLabs, which features a warming bar that heats up in less than one second and elevates the shave experience, delivering the pleasure of a hot towel shave with every stroke.  The focus, according to company executives, is to make the shaving experience a comfortable one for users. “Other innovations can follow,” said they.

    Opté Precision Skincare System combines camera optics, proprietary algorithms, printing technology and skincare in one device that scans the skin, detects hyperpigmentation and applies corrective serum with precision application to reveal the natural beauty of skin. The corrective serum is available in  light, medium and dark shades and one fill of the serum in the applicator lasts for about 60 applications. 

    AIRIA, a smart home fragrance system that uses patented, capillary action and heating technology to establish scent-enhancing ambiance with the touch of a button.

    DS3 range of  personal care products which feature compressed serves of detergent, handwash, detergent. “The products will be great for travellers as they and their packaging is fully dissolvable with water on use,” said a company official. “And they are very compact just a few inches in size.”

    “We’re living in a time of mass disruption, where the exponential power of technology combined with shifting societal and environmental forces are transforming consumer experiences every day,” says P&G chief brand officer Marc Pritchard. “P&G is integrating cutting-edge technologies into everyday products and services to improve people’s lives. We’re combining what’s needed with what’s possible. By answering the question, ‘what if,’ we’re delivering irresistibly superior consumer experiences.”

    “We’re innovating faster than ever, combining more than 180 years of capability with the entrepreneurial spirit of a lean startup,” said P&G chief research, development & innovation officer, Kathy Fish. “As consumers are changing, so are we. What remains the same is our focus on deeply understanding how consumers live, work and play so we know precisely what they want. When we combine breakthrough science and technologies with this deep consumer understanding, we’re able to deliver transformative innovations that improve life every day.”

    The company is scheduled to unveil additional products on Tuesday in P&G’s LifeLab exhibit when CES opens to the public. P&G promises an immersive experience that highlights how the company’s approach to innovation and partnership-building is creating the products consumers want, often before they even know they want them, says the company press release.  

  • Consumer Electronics Show 2019: A ringside view

    Consumer Electronics Show 2019: A ringside view

    LAS VEGAS: CES. Billed as the world’s largest consumer electronics show which brings in about 180,000 visitors who queue up and walk miles visiting 4,000 plus exhibitors who are showing  off the latest in tech over 2.5 million square metres of exhibition space.

    Yes, you heard it right, 2.75 million feet and it is spread over three zones Tech east, Tech South and Tech West. But the three zones cover the masssive Las Vegas Convention Centre (LVCC) and several other glitzy gambling marquee properties such as MGM Grand, The Venetian, Sands Expo, Palazzo, Aria, Rennaisance, Westgate, Mandalay Bay, and what have you where exhibitors will be flogging their wares in order to strike deals for the new tech they are show casing. Organised by the Consumer Technology Association, it will be held from 8-11 January.

    Of course, a stellar line up of conferences has been drawn with several global leaders lining up to speak. Among those who will be delivering official keynote:

    •     LG Electronics president & chief technology officer  I.P. Park
    •     CTA president &  CEO Gary Shapiro and CES executive vice president Karen Chupka
    •     IBM chairman, president &  CEO Ginni Rometty
    •     Verizon CEO Hans Vestberg
    •     AMD president & CEO Lisa Su
    •     U.S. secretary of transportation Elaine L. Chao
    •     AT&T Communications CEO John Donovan and MediaLink chairman & CEO Michael Kassan

    Now one may ask why is indiantelevision.com going to town about CES by attending and sending out reports on it?

    Well for one tech, telecom and media are converging – the lines between traditional television, streaming media, IoT are increasingly becoming finer with players crambling to get a centre spot in the consumers mind and a big share of his  or her wallet. Telcos, media companies, broadband service providers, entertainment, news and sports, broadcasters, OTT providers, cable TV operators, DTH providers, are forging alliances or acquiring or merging with each other – even in tech slowlane driving India.

    Then CES has a special zone for media, entertainment, advertising and brands in the Aria area where one can bump into leading brands and CMOs on the Story Tellers stage,  including IBM’s Michele Peluso, Unilever’s Keith Weed and Proctor and Gamble’s Marc Pritchard, MasterCard chief markerting and communications officer Raja Rajamannar, and Cadillac CMO Deborah Wahl. Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey, senior executives from broadcast, pay TV and OTT tech solutions providers will be discussing the future of video. Immersive media has a string of conferences and keynotes lined up giving us an update on the progress in this segment.

    There is a glaring focus on esports where Twitch global content development and emerging markets general manager Kendra Johnson,  Razer global esports director David Wan Tat Tse and Immortals exec chairman Noah Whinston will be talking about the role that technology has to offer this exciting exploding segment.

    Clearly, giving our readers a ringside view of technology for media and entertainment from an Indian perspective is what we are setting out to do at CES in the harsh and punishing town of Las Vegas,  Last night when we landed in Vegas it was chilly and raining cats and dogs. This morning as this report is being filed, the skies are mostly clear with a few clouds, and the sun is shining bright.

    Yet CES can be rewarding for many. Ask the many hopefuls who keep inserting coins into the slot machines at the various casinos for hours on end. And yes some do hit minor rewards if not the jackpot. We are hopeful that you will too. 

  • Synamedia makes CES debut, offering pay-TV providers frictionless cloud migration strategies, new revenue opportunities

    Synamedia makes CES debut, offering pay-TV providers frictionless cloud migration strategies, new revenue opportunities

    LONDON : Synamedia, the largest independent video software provider, will bring its newest solutions to CES® 2019, illustrating how pay-TV providers can migrate to the cloud at their own pace, and seamlessly.  The company also unveiled new security software that combats the rapid rise in account sharing between friends and families, turning it instead into a new revenue-generating opportunity for operators.

    Synamedia is bringing to market effective solutions built to support customers wherever they are on their journey to deliver a blended broadcast and OTT multi-screen experience. Now an independent business, the company is committed to providing the world’s most complete, secure and advanced end-to-end open video delivery solutions.  Synamedia was formerly Cisco’s (NASDAQ: CSCO) Service Provider Video Software Solutions business. Its enviable portfolio of over 200 pay-TV and media customers includes Astro, Bharti Airtel, China DTH, Foxtel, Oi and Tata Sky.

    At the core of the Synamedia offerings is Foundation (formerly known as Evo), the pay-TV industry’s most widely deployed platform across cable, satellite and IPTV. Additionally, Infinite allows blended broadcast-OTT services to be delivered from a cloud-based infrastructure. With a clearly defined migration roadmap, pay-TV customers using the Foundation hybrid broadcast platform can now deploy Infinite to embark on a smooth and measured transition to the cloud.

    At CES 2019, Synamedia will showcase its leading technologies and latest offerings, including:

    •        Credentials Sharing Insight is a new offering within the video security portfolio. It uses AI, machine learning and behavioral analytics to identify, monitor and analyze credentials sharing activity across consumer accounts. It allows operators to turn casual sharing into incremental revenue, as well as detect and apply enforcement procedures on fraudulent, for-profit credentials sharing accounts.

    •        Video Processing features Synamedia’s patented low-latency ABR and Smart Rate Control that optimize IP video processing to match traditional broadcast quality, reliability and cost – currently major challenges for IP video streaming. Synamedia’s ABR solution uses patented technology to optimize the perceived quality of live streams. It includes machine learning techniques to further adapt the encoding quality target to match content characteristics.   

    •        Foundation which manages and monetizes in-home experiences on a broad range of broadcast and hybrid-IP set top boxes (STBs) and media gateways including Android TV. Deployed by 40+ pay-TV operators, it offers a smooth migration path to Infinite and the cloud.  A prime example of the power of Foundation is a first-of-a-kind integration of the Netflix application on the OSN Network. This integration enables:

    o   Consumers to gain convenient access to OTT content via a single application;
    o   The OTT provider obtains access to the pay-TV service provider market and the existing billing/payment relationship between the customer and pay-TV provider;
    o   The pay-TV operator continues to bring value to consumers via a familiar application, and can generate additional revenues when new subscribers sign up for OTT via their platform.

    •    Infinite is a fully integrated cloud service platform for pay-TV operators to process, secure, distribute and monetize premium video experiences on all devices including those available via Foundation.  Infinite enables operators to take advantage of the cloud economy and re-capture subscriber share of wallet by offering products, such as Cloud DVR, that leverage new business models and OTT partnerships. It is designed to help operators attract new customers, reconnect cord cutters, and increase the life-time value of a subscriber base.  At CES, Synamedia will showcase a joint demo with Amazon Web Services (NASDAQ: AMZN), using Alexa technology integrated into Infinite in order to provide consumers with voice activated recommendations and content information.

    “More and more of the consumer’s share of the video wallet expands beyond traditional pay-TV, pointing operators to the enormous OTT opportunity. To protect and grow new revenue streams and boost their brand value, operators need to broaden and deepen existing subscriber engagement, and entice new audiences. To do so, the sometimes difficult first steps for many are to add integrated OTT services and avail offerings across all consumer devices, which can seem overwhelming. Our roadmap takes a step-by-step approach that makes it easy to extend operators’ existing offerings and avoid any disruption to subscribers,” said Yves Padrines, CEO of Synamedia.

    Synamedia will be in Chambertin 1 on the ground floor of the Wynn hotel.

    Synamedia’s voice recommendation technology will also be shown in the Amazon booth, Venetian Ballrooms C-D.  

  • Adapt My Web: making the web accessible to all

    Adapt My Web: making the web accessible to all

    MUMBAI: There are currently more than 600 million active websites in France.

    Digital transformation has become an integral part of our daily lives and will become more important in the years to come.

    However, in this digital age, more than 2.5 million people with visual or reading disabilities are excluded and therefore don’t have access to information. According to the European Parliament, in 2020, 120 million people in the European Union and more than 20% of the US population (115 million people) will suffer from a disability and will have difficulty accessing the internet.

    In  a  world  where  the  smallest administrative procedure,  source  of  information or  a  simple communication takes place on the Internet, these millions of people suffer and they’re disadvantaged when using digital tools.

    An immediate and instant solution exists. This resource can reduce the inequalities and promote inclusion during the digital evolution : Adapt My Web : The Accessibility Solution.

  • Jenax presents revolutionized ways to connect human body to iot powered by the first true flexible battery at CES 2019

    Jenax presents revolutionized ways to connect human body to iot powered by the first true flexible battery at CES 2019

    MUMBAI: Jenax, an inventor and a manufacturer of flexible and fast-charging lithium-ion rechargeable batteries, today announced that the company will present how its award-winning J.Flex will help disrupt portable power supply of today with the world’s first completely flexible battery solution for medical devices, smart and wearable technologies and more at the Digital Health Summit on January 9, a part of the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

    “The J.Flex, flexible lithium-ion battery is a groundbreaking innovation that offers high performance and flexibility in design to enable healthcare providers and patients to always be connected through devices that focus on monitoring and healing,” said Lee-Hyun Shin, Jenax CEO.  “The thin, customizable design is unobtrusive and can fit into tight spaces while maintaining superior battery performance. By ultimately eliminating design constraints, companies can focus more on the benefits and comfortability of devices than on where to fit the large bulky battery.” Some of those benefits include monitoring personal health, administering medication, diagnosing chronic diseases and enabling true connected patient care.

    At the Digital Health Summit, Jenax will be speaking alongside other innovative companies revolutionizing the medical industry, such as Johnson & Johnson, Philips and Abbott to name a few. Jenax will transform how medical devices are designed by providing needed battery capacity with flexibility, stability with bending and resistance to overheating. The presentation will be held at Venetian level 4, Lando 4305.