Product of the day
Samsung 55in Super OLED TV
We were absolutely blown away by this latest HDTV from Samsung. Immediately noticeable was the super vibrant display; colours jumped off the screen and it made all other TVs we’ve tested look pale in comparison.
Secondly, the TV was very, very thin - each TV is created from a single pane of glass and while looking at the TV side-on, it become lost in the background. The screen bezel was also really thin and was barely noticeable when looking at the TV directly. Samsung’s Super OLED TV will be launched in the later half of 2012.
Take a look at some of the other Things to watch in 2012 from Day 1.
Video: CES Conference 2012
We head to Las Vegas to check out some of the innovative products shaping consumer technology.
We head to Las Vegas to check out some of the innovative products shaping consumer technology.
Take a look at our photo gallery to see what took Ryan's eye on the first day. Click the information icon for captions.
Things to watch in 2012
Intel smartphone
Intel has branched out into another market, smartphones. Powered by an Intel Atom Z2460 processor, the smartphone on display was just a reference design and it is not officially available yet. Intel has confirmed that Lenovo and Motorola (Motorola’s collaboration also includes tablets) are the first manufacturers to partner with Intel on this design and we can expect to see these released in the second half of 2012.
Ultrabooks
Ultrabooks are super fast, thin, lightweight laptops that are meant to compete with the Macbook Air. To be considered an Ultrabook, Intel has outlined specific criteria:
- Laptops with 13 inch displays can be no thicker than 18mm. Laptops with larger displays can be no thicker than 2.1cm.
- Battery life must be at least five hours. This increases to a goal of 10 hours by 2013, with 10 days of standby time.
- WiFi connectivity must be standard.
- Intel Rapid Start must be used. This is a proprietary Intel technology that uses flash memory embedded in an Intel chipset to improve boot times.
- Introductory prices should be near $999 or less, although this more of a goal than a requirement.
Ultrabooks are not a new laptop category but in 2012, there will be plenty of companies vying for consumer dollars. We can expect to see approximately 75 plus models in the coming year and some extra features to set them apart from last year’s models.
- Multi touch interface - A feature more commonly found on tablets and smartphones, Intel displayed some concept Ultrabooks with touch screen control, in addition to the usual input methods.
- Near Field Communications - Intel has partnered with Mastercard to create an online payment solution. Users tap their credit card on the touchpad and all the card details will be filled in automatically. Worried about about having those details stolen? Intel’s AntiTheft and Identity Theft protection is included with all Ultrabooks as standard.
Voice recognition
Partly due to the success of Apple’s iPhone and Siri, speech-based controls had a huge presence at this year’s CES. LG and Samsung both launched TVs with speech and gesture based controls.
Imagine waving your hand in front of the screen to increase/decrease volume or change the channel, instead of searching for the ever-elusive remote control.