INNOVATION
march 2013
Delegates from around the world defied their Vegas-sized hangovers to throng to the CES show floor
and fitness apps. The scales are able to manage 16 different profiles, so multiple dieters can keep track of their progress.
Time for a change One fascinating new trend to emerge from this year’s CES was ‘Smartwatches’. Bluetooth accessories or futuristic timepieces? No one seemed quite sure, but everyone seemed convinced that the form factor had become ‘A Thing’. There were smartwatch entrants from I’m Watch and Martian, but the wrist everyone was looking at belonged to newbie Pebble. Already famous for being the most successful start-up on Kickstarter, the crowdfunded timepiece features a monochrome e-ink display which can be changed at whim to one of hundreds of clock face designs. It can also load custom apps (the SDK has just been released to third party developers) and pairs with a smartphone via Bluetooth for notifications, text, and music
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playback. The Pebble begins shipping Stateside this month, initially to project backers. The US retail price is a highly competitive $150. In truth, CES didn’t see too many new tablets breaking cover, not least because most major manufacturers appear to have played their hands before Christmas, although that didn’t prevent smaller marques unveiling multiple lookalike slates. Coby, Zeki, Naxa, E-FUN, and Polaroid all entered the fray with 7-, 8- and 10-inch models. Sorting one from the other is something of a thankless task, but all will doubtless help fuel the burgeoning app ecosystem.
story jumped to another level as NFC (Near Field Communication) technology crept into the frame. Both Sony and LG confirmed NFC-enabled TVs for later this year, heralding ever closer integration between mobile devices and traditional CE products. Just tapping a compatible smartphone onto an NFC TV tag enables instant device pairing and content sharing between television and phone. “We aim to make content sharing seamless and easy,” said George Mead, head of consumer marketing for LG. Other partnering technologies are also gaining ground. Miracast, the peer-topeer wireless standard created by the Wi-fi Alliance, also seems on course to become a feature staple if CES is anything to go by, having secured support from several top tier TV brands. Miracast enables a mobile phone screen to literally be mirrored on a connected TV screen. WiDi, wi-fi direct and other wireless connection permutations were also prevalent.
Big-screen personalisation The pixel wars that have been driving mobile screen development over the past year or so finally impacted on the world of television at CES, as every major manufacturer scrambled onboard the 4K Ultra HD bandwagon. There may be no native 4K content available, but that didn’t quell the enthusiasm of TV makers for 3,840 x 2,160 resolution panels. However, while Ultra HD was deemed to be a luxury
NFC gains ground The development of mobile devices as second screens in the living room has been a reccurring theme over the past 18 months. At CES, the
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As consumer enthusiasm for 3D TV wanes, manufacturers have started pushing Ultra HD