Hasta La Gadget!

Samsung is hoping buyers see right through its intentions with its latest display, a transparent screen designed for advertising as well as creating huge multi-panel installations with minimal bezel gap. The Samsung UD22B measures in at 21.6-inches, but unlike most current screens uses a square 1:1 aspect ratio rather than traditional 4:3 or widescreen 16:9. That, along with a mere 5.5mm gap between screens when lined up, means a display wall you can simply tile into place.

However, the UD22B isn’t only a simple way to retile your bathroom; it also has a transparent sibling. Samsung plans to release a second version, the NL22B, which keeps the square aspect ratio and size but allows viewers to see through the panel to whatever is behind it.

That opens up the possibility for interactive display cases, such as the demo model Samsung knocked up for the Galaxy Note above, where details about the device being shown off can be overlaid onto the glass. The screen itself relies on the same transparent tech Samsung demonstrated back at CES, with “industry-leading” light transmittance.

Samsung will seemingly be offering the display case as a whole product, complete with a metal frame, regular glass side panels, and an LED-illuminated back panel. It will hook up to a PC via a regular display connection, and has integrated speakers. No word on pricing for either it or the UD22B, the latter of which will go on sale in September.

Samsung transparent and tiling screens go square is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

A report from China today suggests that suppliers behind the production of the new iPhone – or iPhone 5, if you prefer, are finding manufacturing numbers to be a bit lower than planned due to shortage of materials. This report comes from DigiTimes, a publication that has a mixed record for accuracy, but has produced early Asia-based supply news well in advance of official Apple sources in the past. Numbers of iPhone 5 shipments are said to be hitting below 15 million this season where Apple had requested that they be in excess of 20 million for the holiday months.

This first batch of iPhones will be limited in supply but will ramp up in the first several months of 2013, fully prepared for the inevitable rush of post-Christmas shoppers. Shipment numbers are said to be tied directly to the manufacturing of in-cell technology for integrated LCD and touchscreen hardware as detailed earlier today by LG. While the report by LG does not mention specifically that supplies are low (or will be low,) they do speak on how it has been difficult to get to the point they’re at now where production can move forward at full speed.

An in-cell technology patent was passed just weeks ago for Apple for their future devices, the iPhone and quite possibly future iPad models as well. Apple originally set the patent application in motion in 2007 before the manufacturing of said technology was possible, with manufacturers just catching up with the futuristic method for parts integration here in 2012.

Supply numbers come from Foxconn International Holdings (FIH) and also have been tied to low numbers of parts available for the production of a new mini dock connector at the bottom of the new iPhone. This mini dock connector is said – and has been shown – to have two identical sides with a total of 16 pins rather than the 30 of past iPod, iPad, and iPhone models. Have a peek at our iPhone 5 portal for more information on this future generation of Apple products, and hit the timeline below for key iPhone 5 points as well!

iPhone 5 dock and display production cuts early supply is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Chinese web titan Tencent and TCL Multimedia have torn the wraps off the Ice Screen, a jointly developed 26-inch smart TV with a 1,366 x 768 display that allows users to browse the web, access videos, music and games through QQ services. Under the hood, the Android-powered television houses a dual-core Cortex A9 1GHz processor, a Mali 400 GPU, 4GB of RAM and support for a memory card of up to 32GB in size. An IR remote and an app for devices sporting version 2.2 or higher of Google’s OS can be used to control the tube, which can sit horizontally or vertically in its stand. On the connectivity front, the panel packs Wi-Fi, a pair of USB ports, HDMI and a 3.5mm headphone jack. You can plunk down ¥1,999 (roughly $315) for an online pre-order before its September 3rd launch. More details await in the press release after the jump.

Continue reading Tencent and TCL unveil Ice Screen: a 26-inch Android-based smart TV

Filed under: Home Entertainment

Tencent and TCL unveil Ice Screen: a 26-inch Android-based smart TV originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 23 Aug 2012 10:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Never wasting an opportunity to get a leg up on the competition, LG has launched a brand new ultra-definition television. The massive 4K HDTV comes it at at 84-inches, which means it isn’t the biggest television we’ve seen, but it is the biggest set capable of 4k technology. LG says that this television offers a whopping 8 million pixels per frame, which delivers “four times the resolution (3840×2160) of existing Full HD TV panels.”

That’s quite a boost to resolution, but if you want one, you better be ready to hand over some serious cash, because this ultra-definition television comes in at $22,000. At that price, LG is going to have a difficult time netting a significant number of buyers. The television has already launched in South Korea, and it’s scheduled to release in other regions next month.

Obviously, the idea behind this launch isn’t to get one in every living room around the world, but rather for LG to get a foot in early on. While 4K HDTVs are ridiculously expensive at the moment, as their price comes down throughout the next decade or so, the market will begin to adopt 4K HDTVs as the new standard. Analyst Daniel Simmons from IHS Screen Digest tells BBC that this is another “evolutionary step” in televisions, and that 4K HDTVs, as expensive as they are, offer users “cinema-quality resolution in the home.”

It may not be the inclusion of 4K that moves televisions like this one however, as Simmons suggests that it’s may actually be a bigger screen that gets consumers to upgrade. This television certainly has a big screen, but it isn’t the first 4K HDTV we’ve seen. Other companies like Toshiba and Panasonic offer 4K HDTVs (although their televisions are quite a bit smaller than LG’s), and some others like Samsung are working on bringing one to market. LG will be bringing this new ultra-definition TV with it to IFA at the end of the month, so we’ll probably be hearing more about it then. Stay tuned.

[via LG Newsroom]

LG launches ridiculously big ultra-definition television is written by Eric Abent & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Stream TV has been touting its Ultra-D glasses-free 3D tech for quite some time now, but we’ve still yet to see anything resembling a marketable product. The company’s already snagged one manufacturing deal, but in the latest announcement of a partnership with Hisense it’s revealed the specs of an actual device — a 42-inch 1080p display. If you think the details end there… well, you’d be right, although the numbers do suggest something tangible is indeed in the pipeline. We might find out more at IFA 2012 where Stream TV will be showing off its latest gear, so here’s to hoping. And, if you’d like more info on the Stream TV / Hisense agreement, the full PR is available after the break.

Continue reading Stream TV strikes deal with Hisense, outlines plans for real glasses-free 3D display

Filed under: Displays

Stream TV strikes deal with Hisense, outlines plans for real glasses-free 3D display originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 16 Aug 2012 10:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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