Panasonic to Introduce 32 New TV Models in 2013

Panasonic just announced that it will introduce a total of 32 new HDTVs this year, including 16 plasma TVs and 16 LED TVs. The plasma TVs will range from 42-inches to 65-inches in size, and the LED TVs will be available in 32-inches to 65-inches in size. The flagship of the LED line is the Smart Viera WT Series television, which features LG’s brand new personalization options. The Plasma flagship is a new Viera VT series device, with similar features.

All of the TVs reduce power consumption by 15% from earlier models and will meet new Energy Star 6.0 certification.

[Source: TechnoBuffalo]

ASUS gets into the Google TV game with the Qube

ASUS today at CES in Las Vegas officially announced the ASUS Qube -- a Google TV device that's been strongly suggested for the past few weeks, both from the FCC as well as Google. ASUS is promising more info today, but so far all we've got is this single picture, the fact that it's a Google TV device and it has access to Android apps and movies and TV and whatnot, can be controlled via a smartphone or tablet app -- and has some sort of "rotating on-screen cube shape," which immediately makes us think of failed Windows Mobile UIs. (Chances are ASUS has done better here, but seeing is believing.)

And that's it for now. More on the Qube as we get it. We've got the whole of the announcement after the break.

Qube with Google TV - Bring the world of entertainment to your TV

Instantly add Google TV to your HDTV with the ASUS Qube.  Qube with Google TV offers both motion control and voice search that integrates Google Play, Chrome™, YouTube™in one compact device. With access to over 100,000 movies and TV shows* from Netflix and Amazon Instant Video, plus numerous apps, videos and games from Google Play, ASUS Qube with Google TV is the perfect media content device.

[Source: Android Central - Click here to read the full story]

HP's Envy 27-inch IPS monitor with Beats Audio features high-quality sound, extremely long name

LAS VEGAS--A monitor's picture quality is its most important attribute, and sound quality (if it actually does sport speakers) rarely factors into the overall rating. That however may change once I get my hands on the HP Envy 27-inch IPS monitor with Beats Audio.

With the Envy 27-inch IPS monitor with Beats Audio, HP not only breaks the record for longest monitor name ever (to be honest, I didn't confirm that), but according to HP, it also marks the first time a standalone monitor has used Beats Audio.

The monitor's built-in speakers are angled upward and according to HP, deliver high-quality midrange and high frequencies as well as rich bass. Monitors with built-in sound don't usually deliver the highest quality sound, so I'm curious as to how this monitor's sound will be any different.

[Source: CNET - Click here to read the full story]

CES 2013 : New Harman Products

Alongside recently launched products from Harman International’s three brands AKG, Harman Kardon and JBL, visitors to the world’s largest consumer electronics show will get an exclusive preview of the latest Lightning Connector dock, wireless loudspeaker, on-the-go portable speaker and AVR range at the Harman booth; all of which will launch in the coming months.

JBL Charge

Music fans seeking great sound and a long battery life from a portable music player will love the JBL^® Charge, a loud and powerful go-anywhere wireless speaker that fits easily into a backpack, beach bag or briefcase. The JBL Charge connects to smartphones, portable music players and tablets via Bluetooth wireless streaming. It also includes a USB port to charge a smartphone or tablet.

JBL OnBeat Mini

JBL was first to market with its Lightning Connector speaker docks, introducing the JBL OnBeat Micro and JBL OnBeat Venue LT in November 2012. CES 2013 sees JBL introduce the third addition to its innovative Lightning Connector range, the OnBeat Mini.

The acoustically sophisticated JBL OnBeat™ Mini fits into a backpack or travel bag, providing a portable charging dock for the office, business trip or bedroom. The JBL OnBeat Mini includes two full-range transducers and built-in digital signal processing to deliver crisp, room-filling sound. It is compatible with the iPad mini, iPad 4th generation, iPhone 5 and the new iPod models.

JBL OnBeat Rumble

The JBL OnBeat Rumble wireless loudspeaker, for the iPhone 5, iPad mini, fourth-generation iPad and other Lightning-equipped Apple Inc. mobile devices, will thrill music fans who love to live loud. It includes HARMAN’s exclusive TrueStream^™ technology to guarantee the highest-quality sound when streaming audio from an Apple product or another smartphone or tablet via Bluetooth^® connection. The forceful speaker dock combines a 4-1/2-inch (114-milllimeter) subwoofer with proprietary Slipstream port technology to deliver pounding bass with low distortion, so there is no unwanted boominess to the sound whether the music source is docked or streamed. The loudspeaker also charges Apple Lightning products when they are docked.

Harman Kardon AVR 270 and AVR 370

Designed to delight music and film lovers with breathtaking sound and video reproduction, the Harman Kardon AVR 270 and AVR 370 (right), have multizone features so users can simultaneously play two different audio sources in two different zones.

The two Harman Kardon AVRs include multiple wireless features, including AirPlay playback from any Apple iOS® device and vTuner™ Internet radio to connect with thousands of terrestrial and Web-based stations and podcasts from around the globe as well as DLNA 1.5

Certified® connectivity to stream from compatible devices on a home network. The Harman Kardon AVR 370 also includes Wi-Fi® connectivity. There is also a free, downloadable HK remote control app that controls the AVRs from Apple and Android™ smartphones or tablets.

All of the above products are on display, alongside key products from the AKG, Harman Kardon and JBL brands, during CES^® at the HARMAN booth – Central Hall, booth number 10431 - from January 8^th through to January 11^th.

CORNING TO SHOWCASE LATEST GLASS TECHNOLOGIES FOR CONSUMER ELECTRONICS AT CES 201

Corning Incorporated (NYSE: GLW) today announced its plans for the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas next week. The Corning booth, #14813 Central Hall, will highlight the company’s newest specialty glass solutions and their benefits for today’s consumer electronics device trends. 

Corning plans to introduce two new products at CES 2013: Corning^® Gorilla^® Glass 3, a new glass composition with durability enhancements; and Optical Cables by Corning, fiber-based, device-to-device connectivity solutions that significantly extend the data transmission range past the limits of copper-based cables. Full product details will be included in announcements planned for Monday, Jan. 7.

“This year at CES, Corning will demonstrate its industry leadership in specialty glass and fiber optic technologies with the introduction of two products designed to enhance and extend the capabilities of consumers’ favorite devices,” said Wendell P. Weeks, chairman, chief executive officer, and president. “These new innovations build on the increasingly important and continually evolving role of highly engineered glass technologies in delivering improved product performance and functionality through touch capabilities, protective cover glass, and device connectivity.” 

In the Corning booth, experts will be on hand to discuss and present hourly demonstrations of the toughness of Gorilla Glass 3 as well as the connectivity and flexibility of Optical Cables by Corning. The booth will also showcase the benefits of Corning Gorilla Glass in larger format, multi-touch displays for education, entertainment and other applications.

[Source: Corning Gorilla Glass - Click here to read the full story]

Wind tunnel PC case pushes the air cooling envelope, does its thing for cancer research

Pushing air cooling to its limits might mean buying a bigger fan to the mortal PC builder, but for Mike at Total Geekdom, it meant constructing a wind tunnel case. Built from a box fan, medium-density fiberboard, lexan and aluminum, the tunnel increases airspeed by about 240 percent and cools its contents with a brisk 9 mph breeze. At full bore, however, the fan churns out air speeds between 26 and 30 mph inside the case's sweet spot. As for computer hardware, the rig packs an Ivy Bridge 3770K processor, a pair of Radeon 7970 (Sapphire Dual-X) GPUs, 8GB of RAM and a 40GB SSD. There's still room to overclock the beast, but it currently keeps its CPU humming at 4.5GHz with temperatures between 64 and 65 degrees Celsius, and can run its GPUs at 1225MHz with core temperatures at 46 and 56 degrees Celsius. So, what does one do with a wind tunnel-cooled PC? Why donate time and computing processes for cancer research through the World Community Grid project, of course. For photos, performance specs and a full break down of the construction process, hit the bordering source link.

[Source: Engadget]

Google and Kia partnership will bring Google Maps and Places to new cars this year

Korean car-maker Kia is set to give its UVO eServices telematics a huge shot in the arm, teaming up with Google to offer its next-generation navigation system. The new setup will debut in this year's Sorento CUV, which is scheduled to arrive in Q1. Kia's updated (once Microsoft-assisted) UVO system will allow users to send directions and locales from their smartphone (or the web) to your new ride. Baked-in Google Places will also inform you of your nearest dealership (even when you're already in that new Kia) while existing music management, hands-free features and improved voice recognition will all be wrapped into the same interface. Kia explains it all in the full press release after the break.

[Source: Engadget]

New York City Mayor Bloomberg blames iPhones & iPads for increase in crime

In September, we noted some statistics from the NYPD that claimed Apple-related crimes were increasing 10 times the 4 percent increase other crime in the city was experiencing. Today, New York City Michael Bloomberg is once again pointing to thefts of iPhones and iPads as the cause of the increase in the city’s annual crime index (via The New York Times):

Crime in New York City inched up this year, and Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg on Friday fingered the culprit: too many iPhones and iPads were being swiped.

As of Monday, the Police Department recorded 3,484 more crimes than for the same period last year. A full breakdown of the year’s crime statistics was not immediately available, but city officials were quick to focus on the Apple figure. The increase in Apple product thefts: 3,890.

“If you just took away the jump in Apple, we’d be down for the year,” said Marc La Vorgna, the mayor’s press secretary.

[Source: 9to5Mac]

Geekanoids … 2013 and Beyond

As you may be aware, we have been bringing you videos since 1996 and it has been a fun ride. However, whilst we are on our video rollercoaster we do not sit still. For example, 2012 saw the introduction of some new test shows, a new AV Editing Suite Series, a new editor to this very website (hello Dale) and becoming part of the awesome Base79 network.

You might think that is enough… well rest assured 2013 sees the channel going from strength-to-strength with a new kind of video footage, something that I personally have not seen a lot of online. This news update is going to start to sound like a right teaser, so I will not give away any spoilers here, other than to say that you will thoroughly enjoy the forthcoming videos and reviews. They will give you an insight into each product that will certainly show you how much effort the manufacturer has put into the design & build quality stage… enough said, all will be revealed toward the middle of January.

As the Geekanoids Channel continues to grow, I would like to thank all our viewers, new and old and also reach out to ask you to tell everyone you know about the channel. The more the merrier. Have an awesome New Year everyone.

Microsoft Research head Craig Mundie to retire in 2014

Microsoft Research boss Craig Mundie will step down in 2014, after working over 20 years in both Microsoft's security and R&D departments. The research arm has been run by Mundie since 2008, where he's been responsible for some pretty interesting projects, from early glimpses of Redmond's future to real-time multilingual translation. The day-to-day running of the department will be transferred to former chief technical strategy officer Eric Rudder, while Mundie will continue to advise CEO Steve Ballmer. According to the Seattle Times, the move is line with Microsoft's plans to focus on mobile and web-based developments, while the new role might give the veteran Mundie a little more time to work on his Japanese.

[Source: Engadget]

FCC streamlines rules for aircraft broadband, promotes widespread in-flight WiFi

The Federal Communications Commission adopted a Report and Order today that updated regulatory requirements needed to provide broadband services on aircraft. In short, the commission has designated Earth Stations Aboard Aircraft -- the broadband modules placed on the exterior of aircraft -- as a licensed application and established a set regulatory process for future providers. What this means is that airlines will be able to select FCC-approved systems, verify that systems don't interfere with aircraft instruments, and obtain FAA approval in about half the time it takes now. The new FCC guidelines should make it easier for smaller airlines to install WiFi on their jets, allowing them to catch up to legacy carriers with nearly fleetwide internet access. This news might also be a mixed blessing for frequent flyers, some of whom see flying as the last bastion of peace in an otherwise connected world.

[Source: Engadget]

Samsung doubles down on its web-based messaging app with ChatON 2.0

If you like to let your fingers do the talking but basic text and smileys alone don't cut it, Samsung has just released version 2.0 of its ChatON internet-based messaging app. It works on Android, iOS, Blackberry, Bada and even web browsersto let you send missives to your besties -- alone or in groups -- with video, audio or images. The updated app / website works in over 200 countries and 60 languages, and now includes a multiscreen feature to let you chat with over five separate accounts at once along with the ability to conscript new chat-ees via Facebook or Twitter. You'll still be able to post messages to the "trunk" for friends to see before they hit social networks or create a personal profile with status updates -- so, hit the source for more info, social butterflies.

[Source: Engadget]