Nazar Bilous, CEO and Founder of http://lametric.com presents their prototype for their next generation LaMetric smart clock/dashboard, their current version is a very nice looking Smart Clock, notification dashboard with a very readable and colorful LED display, hackable with APIs, IFFT behaviors, to receive and to act on notifications, tasks, workout timers, business metrics, emails, news and more. You can have your LaMetric clock always on in the back of your room and it can activate, make a sound, each time for example that your YouTube channel gets a new subscriber, each time that you pass a certain YouTube views amount, each time Donald Trump tweets, or any other notification that you would like to be always aware of in your home or in your office.
Category: Tradeshows
Thule Covert DSLR, Laptop Accent Backpack, Subterra Carry-On and more
I’ve been using my Thule Covert DSLR Backpack ($199 at Amazon.com) for the past few months as my main video-blogging backpack. Here’s a tour of all the latest Thule Backpacks including the Thule Covert DSLR Backpack, the Thule Accent Backpack, the Thule Travel Backpack and the Thule Subterra Carry-on and Check-in bags that Thule of Sweden currently has on the market. Thule claims to provide a high quality testing and materials guarantee on their bags, something that is not easy to do. Thule claims to provide the best high quality/value bags also compared with brands like Samsonite in the carry-on and check-in luggage market. You can see all the Thule bags at http://thule.com
Smart Mike wireless Microphone for iPhone (BT+Wi-Fi sync)
Smartwave Tech presents the Smart Mike, a compact microphone that records wirelessly perfectly and then automatically synchronizes the audio into the video using the smartphone app. As smartphones are getting amazing 4K video recording capabilities, even perhaps some with their dual-cameras soon enabling smooth video-bokeh in 4K (perhaps with the upcoming iPhone8), yet all Smartphones record bad sound quality on board. The Smart Mike is currently only working on any iPhone from iOS9 upward, later hopefully soon with Android support (once they get the Bluetooth-trigger incompatibilities and the sound synchronization video editing app acceleration in Android sorted out in software), it’s got an omni-directional but distance limited lapel microphone type sound recording that cancels all surrounding noise, they say they will later be able to support up to 7 microphones, currently only supporting one and also enabling the user to choose the volume for the internal iPhone microphone compared with the Smart Mike volume as the user merges the audio with the video in the app. Since it records on board the microphone’s 8GB of storage, it can currently record up to 2 hours before needing to be synchronized to the iPhone with the video (of which then the audio storage is each time cleared from the Smart Mike). Film making experts often do post-production sound synchronization from wireless audio recorders in software, the Smart Mike automates that procedure automatically. While they are also tweaking the sound sync to hopefully remove any type of echo when synchronizing the Smart Mike audio with the built-in Smartphone microphone audio. They say they might also release a version of the Smart Mike that has a mini-jack audio input so any microphone can be used with their system. You can read more about it at http://smartwave-tech.com
Distributors and industry insiders can contact Smart Wave Tech here:
Jeff Liu, VP
Jeff@smartwave-tech.com
+8613923787020 / +886 932369210
Tianma 8K 10.4″ Tablet, 5.5″ Flexible AMOLED, full Booth tour
Tianma shows their latest displays and technologies, including their 5.49″ FHD Flexible AMOLED display for the Flexible Smartphones of the future, 8K Tablet display, in-cell retina tablet display, in-cell force touch display, 27″ Transparent display, industrial display, bezel-less displays for Smartphones, new outdoor viewable transflective displays, high-end displays with wide viewing angle technology “Super Fine TFT(SFT)”, prototype of new 3D demo system with high density auto-stereoscopic technology “HxDP”, PCAP wet & glove displays, and new LCD modules designed and optimized for a variety of industrial applications. Tianma (also known as NLT Technologies) is also showing Professional 10bit displays for medical use, Ultra-high luminance displays, 11.3-inch super wide display with high color gamut, thin and narrow frame and more.
UICO DuraTouch all-weather touch solutions at SID Display Week 2017
UICO is a touch screen technology company that makes all-weather touch screens and touch surfaces for wearables, durables, and IoT smart devices. This video highlights many of their innovative touch screen and touch surface solutions that they demonstrated at SID’s DisplayWeek 2017. They show some of the great retail and B2B products that feature their touch screens including an off-the-shelf retail boat GPS fishfinder with a 7″ touch screen that they put under a running shower to show touch working with water pouring on the screen and without false touching. They show another device with a 10.1″ touchscreen that works with super thick winter gloves. They show that their touch screens work with regular gloves and require no special capacitive tips. UICO shows an array of fitness bands and smart watches in production like Garmin HR+ that use their touch screens so you can swim, shower, and use the device with sweaty fingers. They explain that their patented IP is a combination of software, firmware, algorithms and other aspects of touch screen technology making it possible for touch to work with tons of water, thick gloves, sweat and saline, and through very thick cover lens materials for “industrial-grade” applications. When showing their wearable device solutions including AMOLED and PMOLED on-cell solutions, they boast achieving the lowest power consumption industry-wide.
Binay Bajaj, UICO’s Vice President of Marketing, demonstrats a highly-unique implementation of their touch technology in a joystick. The joystick is able to sense the user’s hand around it and thus preventing mistakes if the user is not properly engaged. They explain that duraTOUCH surface provides a new level of safety and control. Their touch surfaces work with leather, wood, fabric, plastic and other dielectric materials, and many automobile companies are looking at this solution for touch on car interiors, car doors and trunks, touch on steering wheels and more. Some of UICO’s customers are implementing touch on fabric to enable touch controls in various types of clothing worn outdoors for both consumers and the commercial safety and security markets. UICO’s touch surfaces, like their touch screens, work with thick gloves, water, sweat, and solve other problems inherent to capacitive touch.
UICO is a full-service, technology and manufacturing company and offers customers complete touch screen solutions and broad customization options. They also showed a 15.6″ screen and discussed other larger screens sizes being launched in 2017 and 2018 along with new PMOLED and on-cell solutions. They are located in Silicon Valley and Chicago.
AGC Asahi Glass, foldable Glass, AR virtual concierge, talking Glass and AR mirror
Asahi Glass, more commonly known as AGC, one of the core Mitsubishi companies, is the largest glass company in the world, headquartered in Tokyo Japan, here showing their future glass performance at SID Display Week 2017 promoted under the key words “Glass-as-a-platform” showing their advanced glass solutions that they think will help shape the future for the displays industry. AGC Asahi Glass shows the talking window for a future self-driving car with artificial intelligence, coordinating the total experience during travel, they show flexible cover glass, foldable Smartphones, Rollable PC, Seamless design PC, Cover glass for fingerprint authentication, together with the Shoichi Hasegawa Lab, AGC Asahi Glass presents the Optical performance of their Glascene in which high transparency and a good screen gainstand side by side will suitably provide a projected image based on augmented reality. Where the AGC Virtual concierge is effectively put into practice as a projected image on Glascene. Shoko Asahina, an animated character personifying AGC, is the virtual concierge aiming to have a social presence, waves her hand to attract your attention naturally. Together with Yasuaki Kakehi, AGC Asahi Glass presents also the Mirrorge which is a revolutionary display system on mirror for augmented reality. A highresolution display image and a good reflectivity just like an ordinary mirror stand sideby side in Mirrorge system. Mirroge proposes a creative space design and a brand new application in an architectural interior, enabling a new interactive AR (Augmented Reality) installation using high definition images displayed on the surface of the mirror.
€4999 Sony 4K SXRD Projector VPL-VW260ES
Sony VPL-VW260ES is a 4K SXRD Projector currently being sold at €4999 in Europe. It uses Sony’s native 4K (4096 x 2160) SXRD panel technology, with 1,500 lumen brightness, HDR support. This video also features the €20’000 ultra short throw 4K Laser projector Sony VPL-VZ1000ES with 2500lumen and the €15’000 Sony VPL-VW760ES 4K SXRD Home Cinema Projector with laser light source, 2,000 lumen brightness, ∞:1 contrast and HDR compatibility.
Sony Xperia XZ1, Sony Xperia XZ1 Compact
Sony has launched the same functionality as in the 5.5 Sony Xperia XZ Premium (which I filmed here) but in a more compact 5.2″ form factor in the Sony Xperia XZ1 and in a 4.6″ form factor in the Sony Xperia XZ1 Compact. One new feature is the 3D Creator which uses Sony’s stacked image sensor to create a 3D scan of any object or person in front of the camera. The Sony Xperia XZ1 has a 19 MP Motion Eye camera with Super slow motion, 5.2” Full-HD HDR display, IP65/68 water resistant2 design and runs on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 Mobile Platform.
WD My Cloud Home, Personal Cloud Storage Solution
Western Digital launches their new WD My Cloud Home Personal Cloud Storage Solution, Smart NAS and easy home backup system designed to be used and controlled easily from the smartphone or laptop at home and while you are on the go synchronizing and backing up your data remotely to your Home Cloud. The device has a USB 3 port to plug in and transfer files from local storage, smartphones to backup. Pricing starts at $159 for 2TB single drive to $899 for 20TB dual drive and its available now at Best Buy in the USA.
70″ Sharp 8K TV launched for €8000, Sharp is back.
Sharp is back. Sharp had a press conference at IFA 2018 announcing that they are back, together with their new investor Foxconn Group, Sharp has so many awesome technologies that they are planning to bring in a strong way to the European market in the months to come. The 8K display is 70″ and will be available in October in China, Japan, Taiwan and in Europe it will be available in March 2018. Sharp will also introduce 8K cameras providing end-to-end solutions for 8K. Also providing solutions for 8K video editing. By Tokyo 2020 Olympics, Sharp expects that by 2020 more than 50% of people buying larger than 60″ TVs will buy 8K. They are considering if maybe they might release Sharp Robohon pocket robot phone in Europe, they would need to implement Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa.
Firmware 2.0 on Panasonic GH5 at IFA 2017
The new upcoming firmware update 2.0 for the Panasonic GH5 to be released at the end of September 2017 will hopefully fix and much improve auto-focus speed/performance/reliability on the camera, it adds also a 72mbit/s H265 HEVC 4K30p mode with 4:2:0 10bit Hybrid Log Gamma HDR recording mode that is said to be totally compatible with direct YouTube upload! (I’m hoping that since this new HEVC is 10bit 4:2:0, and not 4:2:2, then it would be nice if that would support 60p recording also, but I guess that it probably won’t ever support HDR (HLG) at 4K60p) The new firmware also adds 400mbit/s all-i 4K30/60p recording on new V-90 SD cards (possibly support from some V-60 rated SD cards for sustained guaranteed bandwidth support). This new firmware might also add new Dual image stabilization tracking improvements when locking onto a subject and moving around it. A function to remote control the device over Bluetooth and over USB Type-C host with an application for Windows and Mac that lets users remote control and preview photography onto the computer in real-time, maybe it can also be used for real-time video previewing perhaps even real-time video recording over the USB Type-C port to a computer (I’m hoping even directly to an external USB Type-C hard drive), to be confirmed. The firmware is not yet ready to let me put my SD card in the camera to test out the actual new auto-focus performance and HLG HDR H265 mode. Some other Panasonic approved YouTube users have posted some samples though already.
65″ and 55″ TCL Xess X2 QLED Android TV
TCL is the third largest TV manufacturer in the world, aiming to be third most popular TV brand in Europe/USA by 2020. At IFA 2017, TCL presents the U65X9026 (65″) and U55X9026 (55″) Xess X2 65″ and 55″ TCL QLED Android TV, the only Android QLED TV in the world with JBL sound. With very small bezels, Quantum Dot technology, TCL QLED enables their TVs to display richer colours, contrast optimised with Ultra Micro Dimming, 10bit, HDR Pro, 3-channel acoustics on the front from JBL provide high quality sound immersion, with Android TV voice control voice command support. With Android 6.0 support currently, with Android 7.0 support to be added through a firmware update.
In the first quarter of 2017, TCL ranked in top three for global TV shipments, with a market share of 7.3%, according to IHS. In the first half of 2017, TCL LCD TV total sales volume rose by 12.2% year-on-year to 9,603,392 sets (excluding commercial display). LCD TV overseas sales volume reached 5.74 million units, up 34.1% year-on-year, while sales value rose 51.0% year-on-year. TCL ranked the third in France and the Philippines, fourth in Thailand and fifth in Vietnam, Australia and the USA.
Shezhen Jinghua Displays shows active bi-stable Kent Displays CH-LCD and more
Shezhen Jinghua Displays shows lots of new technology and products at SID Display Week 2017 including bright high contrast Automotive displays, medical, industry, home appliances, they also show servo control mirror display, Kent University CH-LCD bi-stable displays using a dot matrix and segmented controls to trigger the CH-LCD display, they partner with many companies also including Sony, Toshiba, Sharp, Seiko, Omron, ABB, Casio, Siemens, for these companies they manufacture displays and touch panels in Shenzhen China.
IGZO inventor, Dr. Shunpei Yamazaki, President of Semiconductor Energy Laboratory (SEL)
Dr. Shunpei Yamazaki discovered the Indium–gallium–zinc oxide (IGZO) crystalline structure material for transistors to have a higher mobility than amorphous silicon transistors, and an extremely low off-state current. C-axis aligned crystalline (CAAC) IGZO enables aggressive down-scaling, high reliability, and process simplification of transistors in displays and LSI devices. Listed on over 4,000 US utility patents, Dr. Yamazaki was named in the Guinness Book of World Records as holding the most patents in the world; hailed the most prolific inventor in history by USA Today. His most notable work is on the thin-film transistor — a significant discovery being a crystalline structure in Indium gallium zinc oxide (IGZO) material, which he discovered “by chance” in 2009. Today Dr. Yamazaki is President of the Semiconductor Energy Laboratory (SEL), where he and his team pioneered the unique development of ultra-low-power devices using CAAC-IGZO technology. A joint venture with the Sharp Corporation manufacturing smartphones using crystalline oxide semiconductors (IGZO) is a global first. In 2015 Dr. Yamazaki received the SID (Society for Information Display) Special Recognition Award for “discovering CAAC-IGZO semiconductors, leading its practical application, and paving the way to next-generation displays.” His paper on CAAC-IGZO ranked in the top 15 most downloaded papers of Wiley Electrical Engineering and Communications Technology journals, 2014. Dr. Yamazaki is also an IEEE Life Fellow.
3M at SID Display Week 2017, AR/VR, Automotive, Brightness, Safety
3M is a leader in making displays brighter and more energy efficient, thinner and more durable here at the Society of Information Display’s Display Week tradeshow showing their AR/VR ‘Screen Door Effect’ filter, to provide the AR/VR user with an immersive experience without the cost of creating a visual artifact where you can see individual pixels, like looking through a screen door. 3M has developed a new film that is designed to vastly improve this issue. The Screen Door Effect is muted while the overall viewing experience is improved. 3M’s Automotive Displays to prevent driver distraction and improve safety in automobiles, with solutions including a new louver-less film that shows content exclusively to the driver or just to the passenger. Also featured is a new solution for a head-up display that can be seen even in bright sunshine and with polarized sunglasses.
Premium HDMI Cable Certification Program
The Premium HDMI Cable Certification Program is the new program from the creators of HDMI technology that encompasses additional and enhanced cable testing as well as an authentication and verification program. Cables are tested to ensure they support the full 18Gbps bandwidth from the HDMI 2.0b specification plus an EMI test to ensure cables minimize interference with wireless signals. The program is designed to give end users confidence when purchasing new HDMI cables for their 4K/UltraHD products that may include features such as 4K@60Hz, BT.2020 and HDR. Participating HDMI Adopters can promote their ATC-tested High Speed HDMI Cables as Premium High Speed HDMI Cables or Premium High Speed HDMI Cables with Ethernet using a unique anti-counterfeiting authentication label on their products which can be checked and authenticated using the app on any smartphone. Also watch my video about the new HDMI 2.1 spec and my video about HDMI Alt Mode for USB Type-C.
$20/month Laptop Subscription service by INSYS
INSYS is a Portuguese company that offers electronics as a monthly service. You can rent a small ulraportable laptop for 20 Euros a month. This 12.5″ display laptop has aluminum body and Ultrabook form factor. The devices can be locked remotely using anti theft technology. The device will lock down if subscription is not paid.
Yixie Cat and Dog Tracker
Xixie dog tracker is a collar with a tracking device, GPS and WCDMA INTERNET connection. The device can prevent you from losing your dog ever again. The collar can be for different sizes of dogs such as small or large dogs. The device offers 4 days of battery life. The tracking device can also be used for cats.
LCD Headlights by Stuttgart University (Best of I-Zone at SID Display Week 2017 Winner)
Winner of the Prize for Best exhibitor at the I-Zone startups and New Tech Demos area at the SID Display Week 2017, Hella together with students from the Institute for Large Area Microelectronics at the University of Stuttgart demonstrate their project to Develop an Active Matrix LCD for Use in High Resolution Adaptive Headlights also presented in detail in this paper.
Conventional adaptive driving beam headlamps are limited in achieving still higher quantities of switchable pixels by the number of LEDs and movable elements needed. In this paper, it is shown that by integrating an active matrix liquid crystal display module, it is possible to realize fully adaptive high-resolution headlights without mechanical elements and a finite number of LED with 30 k switchable pixels.
As adaptive driving beam headlamps (ADBs) are now established and already available in mass-production vehicles, the market is requesting headlight systems with increasing resolution.
State of the art are LED matrix modules such as the HD84 from Hella KGaA Hueck & Co. that realize low beam, ADB, and additional functionalities by using 84 switchable LEDs. But the number of pixels that can be realized using this approach is limited by the number of LEDs that can be integrated in the tight installation space of a headlamp.
Higher resolution is needed to be able to implement new lighting functions to further improve traffic safety when driving at night or dusk. To realize a significant increase in traffic safety, the ADB must be able to simultaneously fade out several drivers of traffic oncoming of the vehicle to avoid glaring and to highlight important areas like road markings and traffic signs. To accomplish this, the headlamp must be able to divide the illuminated area in front of the vehicle into a grid of small areas with individually controlled light intensity. The higher the resolution of the grid, the better are the realizable lighting functions.
Filmed at the I-Zone startups and New Tech Demos area at the SID Display Week.
