Hasta La Gadget!

[CEATEC 2013] Want some retina burning adventures? You will definitely have your fair share with different manufacturers rolling out 4K TVs over here at CEATEC 2013. Of course, not all of these are ready to roll off the production lines since some of them are still concepts and prototypes, just like what Sony has with their 56” 4K OLED TV prototype. Granted, Mitsubishi too, has one of those 4K prototypes, except that their model comes with a laser backlight and is larger too, at 65” across diagonally.

So, what does Sony’s 4K OLED TV prototype have to offer? It basically realizes 4K resolution by using the latest oxide semiconductor TFTs, which is accompanied by Sony’s proprietary ‘Super Top Emission’ technologies. This particular prototype is said to be more than capable of delivering the entire gamut of features that one would normally expect from OLED TVs, including high contrast, brightness, rapid response and wide viewing angles. To see all of those appear on a large-size 4K resolution panel is the dream of many a geek, and right now even if it is released in the market, chances are it will be priced too far out of reach for the average consumer. Just how high do you think the sweet spot is for large screen TVs? Is Full HD good enough for you, or do you think that 4K TVs are the bomb?

Sony 56-inch 4K OLED Prototype original content from Ubergizmo.

[CEATEC 2013] Mitsubishi has paraded their 4K LaserVue LCD TV on the CEATEC showfloor, and while there was a “No photography allowed” sign shown, it seemed that nobody bothered to enforce this particular request, so here we are with a photo of Mitsubishi’s very first attempt at a 4K LCD TV. Of course, this remains as a prototype at this point in time, where it has a release date that has yet to be decided. In order to stand out from the rest of the competition, Mitsubishi’s effort will feature a high-color, laser backlight technology in its first 4K LCD TV effort.

This 65-inch 4K LCD TV will come with a red laser light source in the backlight, while there are blue and green LEDs which will work together in order to reproduce vivid textures and colors. So far, there has been a couple of LCD TVs that comes with laser as a light source released by Mitsubishi before – a 50-inch and 39-inch Real LaserVue models, but those are not 4K capable.

Kazuhiro Kurisaki, a Deputy Director of AV Display Manufacturing Division at Mitsubishi Electric’s Kyoto Works, mentioned, “Many companies have already put 4K-compatible LCD televisions onto the market, however we have made an effort to differentiate ourselves from other companies by developing a 4K television with high-color reproducibility achieved through a laser light source plus LED light sources as its backlighting. Although we have not set down a release date, I believe we can appeal to the high level of customer satisfaction that this 4K television will offer.” Simply put, this is one of those things where you need to see for yourself to believe it, and hopefully it will be priced competitively when it is finally released.

Mitsubishi 4K LaserVue LCD TV original content from Ubergizmo.

[CEATEC 2013] Fashion stores as well as corporations who wish to impress clients and visitors alike might want to check out this Sharp Mirror Display which works just as the name describes it. It is basically a display that does not look like it in the first place – considering how when turned off, it resembles an ordinary mirror. Send in some electricity and you will see what looks like a miracle.

Needless to say, when turned off, it resembles a mirror-like display. The best way to describe this frameless concept display from Sharp would be the rear view mirror in vehicles that have a built-in monitor, where engaging the reverse gear would let you see what the wide angle cameras on the bumper depict on the rear view mirror itself. That is more or less the same experience with these frameless concept displays from Sharp, and the would definitely work well in commercial situations. As for homes, well, those who value form and function might want to pick it up as their next “TV” device, assuming Sharp is actually going to turn this from concept into reality.

I do wonder how long will it be when that happens, and will the entry price be welcoming enough for the masses to part with their hard earned money?

Sharp Mirror Display original content from Ubergizmo.

[CEATEC 2013] All right, I do know that the Kyocera Torque was released earlier this year, and for folks in the US, this is one handset from Sprint that has gained a reputation to be a tough device, so much so that even TV personality Bear Grylls has endorsed it in an ad campaign. Just to refresh our memories, the Kyocera Torque is a 4G LTE Android powered smartphone that will cost you $99.99 a pop from Sprint, where that is how much you will pay after sending in a $50 mail-in rebate alongside agreeing to a new 2-year contract, of course.

Back then, Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich was revealed to be the operating system of choice. The Kyocera Torque is one tough cookie, where it was specially built according to Military Standard 810G (MilSpec), which means that this is one smartphone that can withstand the elements, including dust, shock, vibration, solar radiation, humidity, blowing rain, low pressure, salt fog and extreme temperatures, in addition to carrying IP67 standards for dust, sprayed water and boasts of the ability to remain fully immersed in up to one meter deep for up to 30 minutes. Looks like it has gained enough “torque” to make it all the way to being the finalist in the Mobile Tech category under CEATEC 2013 Innovation Awards.

Kyocera Torque original content from Ubergizmo.

[CEATEC 2013] The world has gotten a whole lot more social these days, what with social networks such as Facebook and services like Twitter which allow the dissemination of information in a viral and speedy manner without having to wait for obstacles such as press time or the TV program time. Sony knows this, and they want to leverage on the momentum of social media with the introduction of their Sony Info Eye service, where it is capable of snapping a photo (preferably using a Sony device, of course), before making an analysis of that captured photo to deliver various types of information.

Take the Eiffel Tower for instance – snap a memento of it, and you will be on the receiving end of various “views”, where the first might show off related photos to the iconic building, whether from the top or the bottom, while a different view would depict the Parisian map. Changing views to the next one might show what your friends are saying about the Eiffel Tower, so on and so forth.

Will it be able to catch on? Perhaps, and considering how nearly everyone has something to say about everything, it could very well turn into a popular way of sharing stuff and being interactive about it. The thing is, if folks remain reserved and do not want to take part in this “experiment”, you might not get all that many different views to begin with.

Sony Info Eye Social Camera original content from Ubergizmo.