The LG 105UB9 announcement shot first, and Samsung's counterstrike is so far known only as the "105-inch Curved UHD TV". It doesn't have a model number and, shockingly, it doesn't even have an extra inch over its mortal adversary.
Apparently desperate to differentiate its huge TV from LG's equally huge TV, Samsung's press release only manages the descriptor "most curved."
_610x379.jpg) |
| curved 105-inch TV |
The titanic Samsung has a screen with a 21:9 aspect ratio, a closer match to ultra-wide-screen movies than to standard 16:9 HDTV shows. The 58-inch Vizio XVT3D580CM from 2012 is the only other 21:9 TV to hit the U.S. market.
As a result of its wider shape, the screen also has a higher native resolution than most 4K/UHD TVs: 5,120x2,160. That's 11 million pixels and change.
Like LG, Samsung hasn't revealed a price. Pipsqueak 84- and 85-inch 4K sets range from $16K to $40K, so I'm guessing the monumental Samsung will cost at least $80,000.
Samsung will debut its elephantine TV at the Consumer Electronics Show, which begins January 7.
Source : CNET
 |
| UHD TV |
Shortly after LG issued a press release that it would unveil the world’s first 105-inch UHD LEDTV at CES 2014, Samsung announced that it would have the largest and most curved UHD TV at the expo.
Both TVs boast a resolution of 5120×2160 and a 21:9 aspect ratio, and neither TV has an expected retail price.
According to Samsung, its 105-inch Curved UHD TV has adopted a new proprietary picture quality algorithm that delivers optimised colour and a greater feeling of depth.
LG on the other hand, is talking up its collaboration with its display division in refining its thin film transistor pixel circuit technology which let it use an LED-backlit panel as opposed to one that is OLED-backlit.
Samsung also said that its 105-inch UHD TV uses “Quadmatic Picture Engine” technology, which delivers all content in UHD-level picture quality regardless of the resolution of the source.
 |
| LG Chromebase all-in-one desktop to run Chrome OS |
While ideal for laptops (like Chromebooks), Google's Chrome OS has occasionally found itself on desktop PCs, usually in small-form-factor systems like the Samsung Chromebox. But LG is going a different route with its forthcoming Chromebase machine.
The Chromebase is an all-in-one (AIO) PC that combines Chrome with a 21.5-inch display with 1,920x1,080 full HD resolution. Given the lightweight footprint that Chrome requires, it should come as no surprise that the Chromebase's other specs aren't awe-inspiring: Intel Celeron Haswell processor, 2GB of RAM, and 16GB of solid-state storage.
LG hasn't announced pricing on the Chromebase, though don't expect a big sticker price considering the pricing strategy for most Chrome systems (Google's Chromebook Pixel aside). In addition to Windows AIOs, it will be competing against a handful of Android-based all-in-onesfrom Acer and HP. LG announced the Chromebase to get a jump on the deluge of tech news coming soon from next month's CES trade show, but more information will probably emerge when the company shows off the new PC in Las Vegas in January.
Via: Engadget
It's not too often we get to review a product with a completely new form factor, but we relish the opportunity when we do. This time, we're taking a closer look at the LG G Flex, one of two curved smartphones that have come out of Korea over the last two months. The idea of a curved device is enough to pique anyone's interest, but there's one thing holding it back from mainstream acceptance: the price. Retailing for the US equivalent of $940, this unique handset isn't for the budget-conscious, and it isn't going to make your every dream come true either. To most potential buyers, the return on investment is pretty low; it's high-end, sure, but is it worth paying a $200 or $300 premium just for the shape? We believe you already know the answer to that, but keep on reading to find out if we agree with you.
HARDWARE
Even though there are only two curved smartphones right now, LG predicts the market for curved displays will grow to as much as $2.5 billion by 2018. If that's the case, we're witnessing the beginning of something big. Perhaps it's appropriate, then, that LG's inaugural device is... well, big? At 160.5 x 81.6 x 8.7mm, the G Flex, which features a 6-inch display, could be considered large even compared to theLG G2 or the Samsung Galaxy Note 3. Still, it's actually a tad smaller than most other 6-inch handsets. The Lumia 1520 is just as thick as the Flex, but quite a bit taller and wider; even the 5.9-inch HTC One Max is taller and wider (and a great deal thicker). Both devices are also more than an ounce heavier than the 6.24-ounce Flex, making LG's handset feel comfortable by comparison. The sides are flat near the top, providing a place to rest your fingertips. Of course, they do curve inward toward the bottom.
That said, curves can bring a phone's ergonomics to another level. The Samsung Galaxy Round, which arcs from left to right, was much more comfortable than the Note 3 because its curves allow the phone to rest naturally in the hand. Since the G Flex arcs from top to bottom, however, it feels a little more awkward than it would if the phone were simply flat; my index finger frequently slips off the edge because the phone curves up and makes the sides harder to reach.
The glossy back cover comes with a brushed-metal look and is a little slippery, but as odd as it sounds, we don't mind it so much on the G Flex (more on that in a moment). It's also a huge dust magnet: It was nearly impossible to completely clean the phone, no matter how hard we tried. The G Flex uses the same rear buttons as we've seen on the G2 near the top, but this time the power button doubles as an LED notification light. Just above that, you'll find the 13-megapixel camera with flash on one side and infrared on the other. The buttons and camera rest on a small hump that rises just above the rest of the chassis.
The G Flex is currently available in Korea, but will soon be on sale in Hong Kong, Singapore and Europe. We're still awaiting word on whether it will get picked up by a US carrier, but for now, LG's keeping quiet about its plans. The company provided us with a Korean review unit, which comes with quad-band GSM/EDGE, CDMA (800/1900), tri-band HSPA+ 42 Mbps (850/1900/2100) and dual-band LTE-Advanced (850/1800). We weren't able to test the phone on LTE, but we had no problem connecting to AT&T's HSPA+ network. You'll also get dual-band WiFi with 802.11ac support, USB On-The-Go, DLNA and Bluetooth 4.0+LE.
In real-life use, we were satisfied with LG's claims. We did plenty of pushing and pulling on the device to test its physical limits, and none of our efforts resulted in cracking or any kind of damage to the chassis. Pushing down on the back immediately made us think of a large spring that offers only a little bit of give under enough pressure. Unless you've been doing a lot of finger push-ups lately, we don't think the flex feature is something you can take advantage of unless you go out of your way to do so; if you want to really flatten the device, you'll need to apply pressure with the palm of your hand, or pull on the edges of the phone like you're tearing a piece of stale bread.
Before we discuss how the display looks, let's address another common question: Does the G Flex actually have a flexible display, or is it just curved? We're happy to report that it's not only flexible, but it's also much more so than we would've expected. Of course, this isn't so obvious when it's bonded to the G Flex's chassis, but we had the opportunity to handle one of the phone's displays when it wasn't attached to the rest of the body, and it's surprisingly similar to a plastic playing card. It's bendable in both directions and can even bend around my thumb -- LG said that it could tolerate up to a radius of 400mm
The lower resolution is clearly noticeable on the G Flex; text, graphics and videos just don't have the same kind of clarity that we've grown used to. However, there are quite a few positives that help make up for this shortcoming. The best part of the curved screen is its superb viewing angles, but in all fairness, we were highly impressed by the panel's viewing angles even when it was lying flat, so the curves simply enhance it. On top of that, the G Flex's screen is bright enough to read outdoors.
| LG G FLEX | SAMSUNG GALAXY ROUND | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | $940 | $1,000 |
| Dimensions | 160.5 x 81.6 x 8.7mm (6.32 x 3.21 x 0.34 in.) | 151.1 x 79.6 x 7.9mm (5.95 x 3.13 x 0.31 in.) |
| Weight | 177g (6.24 oz) | 154g (5.43 oz) |
| Screen size | 6.0 inches | 5.7 inches |
| Screen resolution | 1,280 x 720 pixels (245ppi) | 1,920 x 1,080 pixels (386ppi) |
| Screen type | Plastic OLED | Super Flexible AMOLED |
| Battery | 3,500mAh | 2,800mAh |
| Internal storage | 32GB | 32GB |
| External storage | None | MicroSDXC (up to 64GB) |
| Rear camera | 13MP, f/2.4, AF, LED flash, HDR (No OIS) | 13MP, AF, LED |
| Front-facing cam | 2.1MP | 2.0MP |
| Video capture | 1080p @30fps or 60fps | 4K (3,840 x 2,160) |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Bluetooth | v4.0+LE | v4.0+LE, EDR |
| SoC | 2.26GHz quad-core Snapdragon 800 | 2.3GHz quad-core Snapdragon 800 |
| RAM | 2GB | 3GB |
| WiFi | dual-band 802.11a/b/g/n/ac | dual-band 802.11a/b/g/n/ac |
| Operating system | Android 4.2.2, LG UI | Android 4.3, TouchWiz |
SOFTWARE
If you've been following LG over the last few years, it may not surprise you to hear that the G Flex is not running the most up-to-date Android firmware (nor the preceding version). Instead, you'll need to survive on Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean for now. We asked LG when we might expect to see KitKat, the latest version of Android, but so far the company has declined to comment. In other words, if you're going to buy the G Flex, make sure you love it for what it currently is, and not what you hope it will become.
Image & Source : Engadget
.png)
While the representative failed to mention US and UK networks it seems reasonable that we could expect the update around the same time, if not a little sooner.
Currently the highly-rated G2 remains on Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean, so fans of the uniquely designed handset will be hoping for a finger or two of KitKat as soon as possible.
Opinion splitter
The handset arrived in the UK last month, following its launch in August, packing a full HD 1080p 5.2-inch display with a pixel resolution of 424ppi.
It's also got plenty of power, thanks to a with a 2.26GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 CPU and 2GB of RAM.
Source : TechRadar
It admits that yes, it was collecting stuff like “channel, TV platform broadcast source, etc.” from its customers with certain LG Smart TVs, but that “that is not personal but viewing information.” Which, okay, if I’m watching 13 episodes of Snapped! in a row, I consider that personal, but whatever.
LG said that it collected that information for advertisers and also to offer viewers recommendations, but that it should be a setting that can be turned off.
“We have verified that even when this function is turned off by the viewers, it continues to transmit viewing information although the data is not retained by the server. A firmware update is being prepared for immediate rollout that will correct this problem on all affected LG Smart TVs so when this feature is disabled, no data will be transmitted.”
Imagine that! A setting that can be turned on or off. Although it might be nice if the TVs came with the default set to “off,” but that’s just something customers should now be aware of before buying LG sets.
As for the TV’s propensity to collect the file names of any media connected via an external drive, LG reiterated that the files names weren’t really going anywhere at the moment, but it’ll fix that, too.
“While the file names are not stored, the transmission of such file names was part of a new feature being readied to search for data from the internet (metadata) related to the program being watched in order to deliver a better viewing experience. This feature, however, was never fully implemented and no personal data was ever collected or retained. This feature will also be removed from affected LG Smart TVs with the firmware update.”
Great. And are you sorry, LG? Yes.
“LG regrets any concerns these reports may have caused and will continue to strive to meet the expectations of all our customers and the public. We hope this update clears up any confusion.”
Source : Consumerist
Google-owned Motorola has jumped to the head of the non-Nexus Android pack, pushing out 4.4 KitKat in the US this week, as HTC confirms US HTC One owners will get the update at the same time as UK owners.
Sony made a recently splash by announcing KitKat would arrive on five Xperia devices - however, it looks like US-owners of the Moto X will be the first to get KitKat, with T-Mobile starting the roll out on Thursday, according to Motorola. Verizon should also start the rollout to Moto X devices soon, Motorola said, although it made no mention of when AT&T will start.
Release notes for the update list a number of improvements to the phone dialler, Gallery photo editing, support for Square's credit card reader and wider NFC support.
According to Motorola's support pages, Verizon plans to deliver KitKat to the Moto X, Droid Ultra, Droid Maxx, Droid Mini, though it hasn't given a timeframe for when it will arrive.
Similarly, Sony hasn't provided any updates on when it will roll out KitKat to its Android devices, but has previously confirmed 4.4 will come to Xperia Z, Xperia ZL, Xperia Tablet Z, Xperia Z Ultra, and Xperia Z1 handsets. The company notes that the phased rollout may vary by market and carrier and has advised Xperia owners to keep an eye out on its @SonyMobileNews Twitter account for the specific timing of the release.
However, most of those devices will get Jelly Bean first: Sony said it will also begin rolling out Android 4.3 over the next month to the Xperia Z, Xperia ZL, Xperia ZR, Xperia Tablet Z, Xperia SP, Xperia Z Ultra and Xperia Z1. Again, that may vary by market or carrier.
HTC has just begun rolling out Android 4.3 with Sense 5.5 to HTC One handsets in the UK, and is eyeing an early 2014 timeline for bringing KitKat. "Across EMEA, HTC will work with local carriers to begin the roll-out of Android 4.4 with Sense 5.5 for the HTC One from end of January.
"The Google Play edition will start to receive the update earlier, starting from the end of November," a spokesperson told ZDNet. HTC has handed off its KitKat build for the the Google Play edition of the HTC One, so now it's up to Google to release it through Google Play.
HTC hasn't provided an update on the timing and version of Android for the HTC One max and the HTC One mini, but details will follow. Meanwhile, HTC US this week confirmed it will push KitKat to HTC One owners in the same timeframe as the UK.
There's still no word from Samsung about its KitKat schedule for the Galaxy S4 and Note 3. However, Google has already confirmed that the Galaxy S4 Google Play Edition with 4.4 should be coming soon. "Samsung UK will announce rollout plans for Android 4.4 in due course," a spokesperson told ZDNet. However, anyone with a Samsung Galaxy Nexus won't be getting KitKat at all — Google has said the handset is too old to get the OS.
Not so for the Nexus 7 and Nexus 10 tablets, however — the Android team said on Twitter earlier this month that it has started pushing out 4.4 to the devices. The 2012 and 2013 wi-fi versions of the Nexus 7 will be among the first to get the update, the team said.
The Nexus 4 is also reportedly now eligible for KitKat, with some users seeing the update arriving this week.
While LG is behind Google's fast-selling Nexus 5, the South Korean company hasn't released a schedule for when its own Android devices, such as the G2 smartphone, G Pad tablet, and Optimus range, will get KitKat.
Huawei this week posted on Weibo it will release KitKat for the domestic version of its super slim Ascend P6 by the end of January, though it's not clear whether that extends to international customers. ZDNet is waiting for a response from Huawei UK to answer that question.
Dell has of yet provided no details about whether KitKat or Jelly Bean will reach its Android Venue 7 and Venue 8 slates, which both run Android 4.2. "Dell continually assesses its product portfolio in each country where it does business and not all products are available in all countries. At present Dell doesn't have a timeline on whether the Android-based tablets will be made available in Western Europe, but continues to assess the opportunity in that region," a spokesperson told ZDNet. Acer has no official timeline for the release of KitKat, a spokesman for the company said.
Via: ZDNet
LG is investigating
allegations that some of its TVs send details about their owners'
viewing habits back to the manufacturer even if the users have activated
a privacy setting.
It follows a blog by a UK-based IT consultant who detailed how his Smart TV was sending data about which channels were being watched.His investigation also indicated that the TVs uploaded information about the contents of devices attached to the TV.
It could mean LG has broken the law.
The Information Commissioner's Office told the BBC it was looking into the issue.
"We have recently been made aware of a possible data breach which may involve LG Smart TVs," said a spokesman.When the consultant - Hull-based Jason Huntley - contacted the South Korean company he was told that by using the TV he had accepted LG's terms and conditions, and that any remaining concerns should be directed to the retailer who had sold him the screen.
"We will be making enquiries into the circumstances of the alleged breach of the Data Protection Act before deciding what action, if any, needs to be taken."
But when the BBC contacted LG, it indicated it was looking into the complaint.
"Customer privacy is a top priority at LG Electronics and as such, we take this issue very seriously," said a spokesman.
"We are looking into reports that certain viewing information on LG Smart TVs was shared without consent.Security fears Mr Huntley said he had first come across the issue in October when he had begun researching how his Smart TV had been able to show his family tailored adverts on its user interface.
"LG offers many unique Smart TV models which differ in features and functions from one market to another, so we ask for your patience and understanding as we look into this matter."
Digging into the TV's menu system, he had noticed that an option called "collection of watching info" had been switched on by default, he said.
After switching it off, he had been surprised to find evidence that unencrypted details about each channel change had still been transmitted to LG's computer servers, but this time a flag in the data had been changed from "1" to "0" to indicate the user had opted out.
"That's a terrible implementation of the idea," Mr Huntley told the BBC.
"It still sends the traffic but labels it saying I didn't want it to be sent.
""It's actually worse, I think, than if they'd not offered the optout in the first place since it allows the user to believe nothing is being sent."
He had then attached an external hard drive to the TV's USB slot, expecting that the screen might simply report that he had been watching material from an external device, he said.
Source : BBC News
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Recent Comments