Panasonic unveils bone-conduction TV headphones

People who don't want to disturb sleeping family members could use a new product from Panasonic that doesn't need speakers or even your own ears wireless bone-conduction headphones.

The headphones connect to a TV via the Bluetooth wireless standard and attach to your head like a normal set of headphones. But instead of using your ears, the headphones work like hearing aids by transmitting sound waves through your skull.

They are one of several innovations Panasonic unveiled at the International CES show in Las Vegas. It also showed off a new user interface for its "Smart Viera" TVs, featuring a TV-mounted camera that recognizes the user and sets viewing preferences accordingly.

The Japanese electronics maker also showed off an easy way to send YouTube videos from smartphones to the TV.

Samsung unveils gesture-control TVs at CES 2013

New TVs from Samsung will recognize an expanded range of gestures so people can swipe through on-screen menus in a way that revolutionizes the old remote control.

Samsung Electronics Co., the Korean electronics maker that is successfully challenging Apple in smartphones, touts the new user interface as faster and more intuitive than before.

Samsung said Monday that the new interface will be a feature of upcoming smart TVs. In addition, certain high-end Samsung smart TVs sold since last year can be upgraded with an add-on kit - complete with the required quad-core processor - that will be sold separately for a few hundred dollars.

Samsung President Boo-Keun Yoon said the new features are designed to make TV-viewing easy as consumers face more and more choices in what they watch.

"We have developed TVs that respond to people's needs and lifestyles, TVs that know in advance what people want to watch, TVs that have the power to create the ultimate lean-back experience," Yoon said.

At the International CES gadget show, Samsung also introduced an 85-inch "ultrahigh definition" set, in line with rivals that are all rolling out screens with four times the pixels as the current HD. The higher resolution will let TV screens get larger and people to sit closer without a decline in picture quality, though initially the price tag will limit those sets to technology's early adopters.

The new lineup of smart TVs respond to more natural speech and motion, similar to the way the Kinect controller on an Xbox 360 game console allows users to swipe through menus by gesturing in the air. The camera is mounted on top of the screen and can be folded back for people concerned about privacy.

Earlier Monday, LG Electronics Inc. unveiled a new Magic Remote, which acts like a wand that is sensitive to motion and is used to navigate on-screen menus. LG said the new model responds better to natural speech and can be controlled with a single finger. It also lets you change the channels by writing numbers in the air.

Samsung's new handheld remote control comes with a touch-sensitive clickable track pad, which is another way to navigate through viewing options.

Because it is integrated with Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, the new interface accepts text input. You have a range of options for typing - through a synced smartphone, a Bluetooth-enabled wireless keyboard accessory, using hand gestures for an on-screen keyboard, or using its voice-to-type software.

Search functions also span Web video apps and live TV, meaning that searches of a show will inform viewers if and when an episode is available on live TV, or if it's available through an app such as Netflix.

Nintendo's Wii U game console does something similar by showing search results from live TV and Web video apps. But by being integrated with the TV, Samsung's universal search function doesn't require the user to change the TV's source input.

And since you can also play some games on its new smart TVs, the new sets from Samsung are acting more and more like mobile computing devices with an extra-large screen.

Sharp introduces 32-inch 4K IGZO LCD monitor

Sharp is jumping on the "ultrahigh definition" bandwagon by introducing two super-clear TVs and one ultra-HD computer monitor that will give PC users something to brag about to Apple fans in love with the high-resolution Retina display.

At the annual International CES gadget show in Las Vegas, Sharp is showing off a 32-inch monitor that uses its IGZO technology, based on a semiconductor material called indium gallium zinc oxide.

Sharp Corp. touts IGZO for its high resolution, low power, and very accurate touch response. The monitor measures 3,840-by-2,160 pixels, giving it about 8.3 million pixel. Apple's largest MacBook Pro with Retina display boasts 5.2 million pixels on a 15.4-inch screen.

The monitor, planned for launch in February, responds to 10 points of contact at once - one for each finger.

Huawei debuts 6.1-inch Ascend Mate and 5-inch Ascend D2

Chinese tech giant Huawei moved further into the high end of the smartphone market on Monday, unveiling two devices for Asian consumers aimed at rivaling the top global sellers.

At the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Huawei unveiled its new Ascend Mate claimed to have the world's biggest screen for such a device, a 6.1 inch display as well as an Intel processor and improved battery life.

The company also showed its new flagship Ascend D2, touring its power-saving and easy sharing capacity.

The devices are set to be released in China, with the D2 slated for Japan later. But Huawei is also edging into the US and other markets where the high end is dominated by Apple's iPhone and Samsung's top line smartphones.

Huawei consumer group chief Richard Yu called the Ascend Mate "an industry-leading smartphone" which "showcases our innovation as we continue to make great technology available to more people globally."

Yu said the Ascend D2 "has the style, power and all-round performance capabilities you would expect" with a "revolutionary" screen, "unsurpassed camera quality" and power saving technology.

The two Android-powered devices, offering some of the sleek lines of the top sellers, will nonetheless be competing in a crowded market with phones from Apple, Samsung, and some powered by Microsoft's Windows Phone operating system.

Huawei has been stymied in efforts to increase its presence in the US market amid concerns that it is too closely aligned with the Chinese government.

But it has been selling its Ascend P1 smartphone to US consumers, and recently announced plans to sell an unlocked version through Amazon.

Indian tablet market expected to double in 2013; Samsung leads the pack

The year 2012 was an interesting year for the tablet market. There were plenty of new Indian players that entered this market such as Micromax, Karbonn and Lava. According to India Quarterly Media Tablets Market Review for 3Q 2012, the India tablet market recorded sales to the tunes of 1.1 million units in 3Q (July-September) 2012.

This is a huge jump considering that only 98,135 tablets were sold in the same quarter last year.

Furthermore, the India's tablet market is expected to double to around six million units in 2013, led by increased enterprise adoption and availability of Windows 8-based devices, as per research firm CyberMedia.

The research also indicates that there were about 135 vendors that have launched their tablets in India till 3Q 2012. It is expected that keeping the current trends in mind a few more vendors might be tempted to join the bandwagon soon.

Another interesting facet that gets highlighted in the research report by CyberMedia is that the Average Sales Value of tablets in India during 3Q 2012 was approximately Rs. 13,200, while 63.5 percent of all tablet sold were below the Rs. 10,000-mark.

In terms of ranking, CyberMedia research pegs that Samsung is currently the market leader in the tablet market with a market share of 23.9 percent, followed by Micromax at the second position with 15.3 percent share and Datawind (manufacturer of the controversial Akash tablet) at third position with a 12.3 percent share, in terms of sales during 3Q 2012. However, sales of Aakash tablet have not been taken into consideration for the compilation of this data.

The total shipments for the tablet market are expected to close at 3 million units in 2012, as per this report

Commenting on the trends for 2013, CyberMedia says 2013 will see markets crystallise around three price points, which include Rs. 5,000-10,000; Rs. 15,000-20,000 and over Rs. 35,000. The research firm believes that some vendors might have to undertake price corrections to fit their devices within these three price segments, to serve the market aptly and participate in these high-volume price levels.

The analysts at CyberMedia also feel that will be at least a few Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) who will announce LTE / LTE-ready Tablets for the India market in 2013. According to Faisal Kawoosa, Lead Analyst, CMR Telecoms Practice, "A majority of the Tablets currently on offer have built-in Wi-Fi connectivity with 3G access enabled through a USB dongle. However, going forward, increased penetration of 3G networks, declining ASVs of 3G-enabled Media Tablets and launch of BWA (4G / WiMax / LTE) services in the country is likely to see a rise in 3G-only Tablet devices with larger screen sizes. This trend is expected to give a fillip to new types of data services and content being demanded and consumed by subscribers, which in turn will drive a further increase in adoption of Media Tablets in India."