Samsung has come a long way from its earlier models of Smart TVs. Back in 2009, Samsung TVs were based on its home-grown operating system, which allowed users to download widgets and apps. These TVs were capable of streaming videos from Netflix, Amazon and Hulu without any internet connectivity. However, Samsung’s latest TVs are truly smart with advanced voice recognition feature, which is capable of recognizing about 30 languages.

Talking about its new smart TV, Kim Hyun-Suk, head of Samsung’s television unit, said, “This TV contains all technologies and features we have.” The new TV, ES8000 is likely to hit the store shelves by the end of the month of March. Samsung is also expecting the masses to warm up to the concept of Smart TVs. Samsung’s Kim said, “The sales so far this year have been even better than the same period last year.” Market experts are also expecting the smart TV segment to show growth this year.

Samsung Bets Big on Smart TVs: Targets 25 Million Units Sale in 2012 is a post from: UK Gadget and Tech News, Reviews and Shopping Site - Gaj-It.com

BBC, on its part, is excited about the new deal. It said, “A core BBC value is to reach all audiences on a universal basis, so Sky’s plan to make Anytime+ available to customers regardless of their Internet provider is an important development in helping to bring BBC iPlayer to around 5 million new homes in 2012 – at no extra charge.”

Sky is also modifying its terms and conditions. Now, its satellite TV package subscribers are eligible to access Sky Anytime+. The new feature is also ISP neutral, which means that if you subscribe to Sky’s satellite TV packages you will be able to use its Video on Demand service, irrespective of the ISP used by you. earlier, Sky was offering its Sky Anytime+ service to only those subscribers who also opt for Sky Broadband service.

iPlayer Coming to Sky Anytime+: Sky Collaborates with BBC is a post from: UK Gadget and Tech News, Reviews and Shopping Site - Gaj-It.com

Acer dropped a ‘one more thing moment’ at the end of their CES keynote and it came in the form of their Iconia Tab A700 their new flagship tablet, which has Ice Cream Sandwich and a whopping quad-core processor.

It hasn’t been officially unveiled, so details about its final specs remain scant, but it was on the show floor for consumers and journalists to have a quick play.

The first thing we noticed is the amazing new screen, it boasts an impressive resolution of 1925×1200, which is just a shade above 1080p. It’s bright and pin sharp, and surely means that plenty of other tablets will make the jump to retina-esque displays in 2012….ahem Apple.

Not only does this mean 1080p playback, it also gives things like text and magazines a little more zing, and makes them look more like printed paper than digital text.

The tablet isn’t going to win a beauty contests, it’s the typical glum Acer design. It’s 9.8mm and a lot lighter than many had expected considering its power capabilities. But, if it’s not inconceivable that it could get a facelift when it finally makes it to market.

The A700 comes with Ice Cream Sandwich, 1.3Ghz quad-core tegra processor, 9,800 mAh battery, 5 megapixel camera, micro USB and microHDMI – there’s no word on price, but we’d imagine it’s going to be towards the higher end of the market.

LG may have stole the show with their amazing OLED technology, but, Sony were on hand at CES to try and steal a bit of their thunder.

They announced a new prototype screen technology called Crystal LED, which they hope will prove to the new defacto screen technology. But can it really compete with OLED ?

Sony showed off a new 55-inch panel which is made up of millions of tiny LED’s that act as pixels and offers a Full HD self-emitting display.

The method they’re using ‘dramatically improved the light and efficiency’ and offers higher contrast ratios, wider colour gamut and incredibly hight refresh rates, when compared to LCD and Plasma’s

Intriguingly, Sony added this new technology was “parallel to its continued development and commercialization of OLED displays, and Sony will work conscientiously to bring the “Crystal LED Display” to market.”

We’ve yet to find out the juicy information such as when we’ll see the technology in use or whether it will cost the earth, but Sony better get a wriggle on before Samsung and LG’s OLED TVs start to gain traction in the market.

Not only did Sony show off the new Xperia S which his the Arc HD in all but name, but they also had another handset on show the Xperia Ion.

It’s the first phone to come out of the new Sony buyout and on paper this handset is an impressive beast. Specs-wise it’s a great phone: a dual-core 1.5Ghz processor, 16 BG of internal storage and a 12 megapixel rear camera.

There’s a front-facing camera on the front capable of recording in 720p. In other exciting news the new phone comes with a massive 4.6-inch screen with an impressive resolution of 1280×720, which Sony is calling HD Reality – the handset also comes with Music unlimited and Video unlimited too.

The main selling point for the Ion is that it’s Playstation certified, meaning gaming on the go will have never looked so good on a mobile. The specs bragging doesn’t stop there though, they’ve also managed to cram in Sony’s Exmor camera technology which mean it will be up and running in 1.5 seconds and can go from pic to pic in two seconds.

The only downside we can see with the phone it’s the decision to release it with Android Gingerbread, which is a little old-hat when Ice Cream should be the only OS on sale for all future Android phone – when will Blackberry learn.

Onlive has made quite a splash with its cloud gaming apps and service, but their not content with that, they want to do the same for the desktop apps.

Much to many people’s surprise they were on hand at CES to show of their latest service, Onlive Desktop, for iPad, which will put the power of your desktop in the cloud.

The service allows iPad users (for the time being) to use Microsoft Office suite on their tablets with full touch screen capabilities all through the cloud without having to worry about whether your iPad can handle it or is compatible.

The way it works is simple: harness the power of Onlive’s goliath server farm to do all the heavy lifting at their end whilst you get the benefits of the full version of office on a tablet.

It might seem like a strange thing for Onlive to be doing, but, in theory it’s likely to be a smoother experience for the end-user because you won’t be playing triple-A games and merely doing spreadsheet work or presentations, where a tiny bit of lag wouldn’t ruin the experience.

In fact: it’s the next logical step. The servers and technology are already there and the tasks it will have to perform will be more than manageable.

Better still they’re are planning a premium version, if you signup to the top package with 50GB of server space, you can also surf the web and use their amazing bandwidth speeds and, better still, it also allows for full flash support on an iPad. Amazing.

In Onlive’s short history they’ve never had any downtime, so it’s more than plausible that businesses could actually rely on the service.

The Onlive desktop app works by downloading the app, signing up and boom – you’re away.

When the service is released on iOS this week, Onlive Desktop will be free. With this you get 2GB of storage and access to Microsoft Office. If you aren’t an iPad user, then an Android version of the service is coming soon.

CES Round-up: The Best of The Rest is a post from: UK Gadget and Tech News, Reviews and Shopping Site - Gaj-It.com

CES is underway and we’ve collated the best of the best of what’s has been shown off in the first day of the technology marathon. We’ll be giving you first hand details on what Sony, Microsoft and LG has to offer in 2012 and beyond.

Sony

Everyone, including us, thought that Sony would take to the stage at CES 2012 to unveil the new Sony Xperia Arc HD. Well, Sony did take to the stage, but unveiled the Xperia S.

Now, those of you will notice that Sony has dropped the Ericsson tagline. The phone is impossibly pretty with sleek design lines and even comes with a whopping 12-megapixel camera.

Sony have managed to cram in its Exmore R technology, which boasts a fast capture speeds of just 1.5 seconds meaning you’ll never miss the picture you want to take.

Specs-wise the phone is very impressive, with a 4.3-inch Retina Display that’s offers amazing colours, brightness and clarity thanks to the 1280×720 resolution.

Sony has given the phone a dual-core 1.5Ghz processor meaning it will be substantially faster than the current Xperia Arc, which has a single processor.

Other features of note include a HDMI port, NFC and there’s also Bravia Sync on board and the phone is PlayStation certified. The only downside for this handset is that it comes with Android 2.3 Gingerbread, but, Sony said that Ice Cream Sandwich will be on its way in the second half of 2012.

The Sony Xperia S UK release date has been set for March 2012, pricing is currently unavailable.

Microsoft

Microsoft took to the stage for the last time at CES to talk about their Windows eco-system, the rather dull keynote did not include anything about the new Xbox, but did confirm when Kinect would be coming to Windows.

From next month, Windows users will be able to control their PC’s and laptops by the motion controller Kinect.

We weren’t show anything with regards to applications, UI, or anything like that. But, we did get a list of companies that have already begun to design apps for business solutions.

2012 is the last time Microsoft that will make Keynote speeches at CES, some thought they’d go out with a bang, where in actual fact they went out with a bit of damp squib.

CEO Steve Ballmer took to the stage to reiterate the company’s focus on Windows and the Metro design for the next year, which pours water on the rumours that the new Xbox will land at E3 2012.

On Metro, Frank X. Shaw, head of corporate communications at Microsoft said: ”As you can see across our devices (and through our booth for those here at the show), Metro delivers a beautiful, natural visual experience. People already love it on Windows Phone and Xbox, and soon Metro will come to Windows 8 PCs and tablets, too.”

And on Windows 8, Microsoft had a clear message – buying a PC now won’t cause you a problem with the new OS. “Every Windows 7 PC ever made will be ready for Windows 8 on day one,” promised Ballmer. More than 500 million Windows 7 licenses have been sold – one every 7 seconds.

There was also a demonstration of the Windows Store which, like the Mac App Store, will bring downloadable apps to Windows. Microsoft announced it will launch at the end of February.

Ballmer also talked up the recent purchase of Skype. “Skype’s amazing. 200 million people who used over 300 billion minutes last year. 50 per cent were video calls”

Ballmer, did have some surprises up his sleeve and showed off the new Windows Phone from HTC, the Titan 2. It’s coming to AT&T and is sporting some incredible specs.

First of all, the Titan comes with a eye-watering 16-megapixel camera, with a wide angel lens and LED flash. Other than the camera the phone comes with 4.7-inch Super LCD screen, single core processor and 720p video recording.

LG

LG has made quite a splash at CES and we’re only on day one. Their new flagship, all be it, prototype OLED has stolen the show so far. According to LG the EM9600 is the world’s largest OLED ever made, with a minimal bezel and fantastic picture.

The first thing you’ll notice is it’s mind-blowingly thin: 4mm thick. It’s also a 3D enabled, LG reckons it will be on sale in the second half of 2012.

There’s no details on price, but, if you start saving now you’ll probably still be a fair way off being able to afford this stunning TV.

Size matters, according LG, and this true of some the other panels LG showed off. They unveiled of the world’s largest Ultra Definition 3D TV, which has a 4K resolution of 3840×2160, a whopping 4-times as many pixels as you’d get in a normal 1080p screen. It’s also 81-inches. Wow.

You can also tinker about with the 3D depth as you watch and play on the set, while 3D Sound Zooming takes care of the tri-dimensional audio layout – the UD TV is heading to market in the second half of 2012 as well.

CES 2012 Round-up: Sony, Microsoft and LG is a post from: UK Gadget and Tech News, Reviews and Shopping Site - Gaj-It.com

LG has announced that it will bringing the world’s largest OLED TV to the show this year. The TV, with 55 inch screen, is capable of providing infinite contrast ratio and color refiner. The South Korean company also said that the TV comes with a minimal bezel. In fact, the bezel measures only 4- millimeters wide. So, this is one gorgeous 55-inch TV with a wispy 4-millimeter plastic border.

The TV uses OLED technology, which LG claims is capable of providing LCD quality at lower price. Havis Kwon, CEO of LG Electronics Home Entertainment Company, said, “OLED is clearly the future of home TV entertainment and LG is very focused on making this exciting technology as easy as possible for consumers to embrace.” The company also added that OLED technology is capable of providing better picture quality than LCD or LED due its fast processing capabilities.

Consumer Electronics Show is set to begin in Las Vegas this month.

LG to Debut 55 Inch HDTV with Minimal Bezel is a post from: UK Gadget and Tech News, Reviews and Shopping Site - Gaj-It.com

Internet search engine giant Google is also in the field. Since Google TV has so far failed to make any mark in the market, the company is in the dire need to have some blockbuster content for attracting viewers. Google is also said to be planning for the launch of its TV services in the UK.

A Daily Mail reports suggested, “The involvement of Apple – and their great multimedia rivals Google are also expected to make similar soundings – would give the PL a hugely competitive market at a time when the price of other TV sports rights are in decline.” These tech companies would be directly competing with major broadcasting companies such as ESPN and Sky.

It won’t be the first time for Apple to dabble in sports tournament broadcast. In the United States, it is already involved with NBA, MLB and NHL. However, it should be ready to pay big bucks. In 2009, Sky paid £1.6 billion for broadcast rights.

Google and Apple Competing for Premier League Football Coverage Rights is a post from: UK Gadget and Tech News, Reviews and Shopping Site - Gaj-It.com

Apple has stringed a number of prominent companies for manufacturing TV parts. Sharp is reported to be responsible for manufacturing 32 and 37 inch LCD panels for the TV. Samsung, on the other hand, is expected to develop chips for Apple TV. Industry reports have indicated that Samsung may have started chips manufacturing way back in November this year.

The Wall Street Journal had also earlier speculated that the company may be working on a voice-controlled TV. Apple is likely to use its new SIRI technology for this purpose. However, it is yet to be seen whether Apple would continue its set top box production along with the TV. According to some unofficial reports, several retail outlets have lowered the price for the existing set-top box, which suggests that something new and exciting is certainly cooking up at Apple HQ.

Apple HDTV May be Launched in Second Quarter of 2012 is a post from: UK Gadget and Tech News, Reviews and Shopping Site - Gaj-It.com

Microsoft has also released a number of other updates. Your Xbox 60 would now be able to stream new on demand content from EPIX, Hulu Plus and Netflix. These programs are already available for your consumption, while later this month, about 30 new sources will be included. These sources include Vudu and Verizon FiOS TV.  Don Mattrick, president of the Interactive Entertainment Business with Microsoft, said, “A new era in entertainment begins where all your entertainment is together in one place — your games, movies, TV shows, music and sports.”

Microsoft also added that now Kinect voice controls are integrated with Bing search. So, now you can use voice search for finding the content. Initially, the search function would be available only in English in the US, Canada and UK. However, if you do not have Kinect, then you can use text search in Xbox LIVE market.

Microsoft to Challenge Apple with Xbox Voice Commands for TV is a post from: UK Gadget and Tech News, Reviews and Shopping Site - Gaj-It.com

Apple seems to be serious about this project as it has not released any update for Apple TV box, which it had introduced in 2010. It is also being reported that Apple is collaborating with a major Japanese company for manufacturing the TV hardware. The TV is also expected to make extensive use of SIRI technology, which had recently been introduced on iPhone 4S. Siri is widely held to be the main USP for iPhone 4S, so a television equipped with this technology is bound to be a big hit.

While the project has not been confirmed by Apple, but there are plenty of rumors around about the possible arrival date. Some speculations point to mid-2012 release, while others are leaning towards late 2012 or early 2013 release. The TV is likely to come with a faster and more powerful A6 processor.

Apple to Offer Its TV in Three Different Sizes is a post from: UK Gadget and Tech News, Reviews and Shopping Site - Gaj-It.com

Ticonderoga speculations may be tenuous, but definitely are very enticing. Apple HDTV is likely to incorporate everything good and sweet about Apple. It is expected to be tightly integrated with iOS, Facetime and Apple’s latest blockbuster feature SIRI. Apart from these, the TV will also App Store and iAds.

However, all these features won’t come cheap, as it is being speculated that Apple may charge twice or even thrice to the current market price of LCD TVs. But then, Apple products have always been known for their premium pricing. It is also believed that the Cupertino company may expand the scope of the TV by including gaming. If these assumptions turn out to be true, then Apple HDTV certainly has the potential of being a game changer in the TV segment. The new venture is likely to result in $100 billion annual revenue stream. The HDTV is likely to be launched some time in 2012.

Apple may be Working on HDTV, Complete with SIRI and iOS is a post from: UK Gadget and Tech News, Reviews and Shopping Site - Gaj-It.com