Samsung rolls out first curved, super-thin OLED television for $13,000

Samsung Electronics Co Ltd slapped a $13,000 price tag on its first curved, super-thin OLED television to go on sale, the same price as rival LG Electronics Inc and one that underscores the high costs of the technology.
Samsung is hoping that its success with OLED screens in smartphones such as its Galaxy S4 will also pay off in TVs, but consumers interested its 55-inch screen television must be willing to pay some five times more than popular flat-screen equivalents.
At the moment, OLED televisions are still very much a niche market and Samsung warned that industry forecasts for sales growth were a bit too optimistic.
"We have just introduced our first OLED TV and have to see consumer response to gauge overall market demand," Kim Hyunsuk, a Samsung executive vice president, told reporters.
Research firm DisplaySearch has forecast global industry-wide sales of OLED televisions at 50,000 this year, at 600,000 next year and rapid growth thereafter to reach 7 million in 2016.
LG, which currently offers both curved and non-curved 55-inch screens, is estimated to have only sold a few hundred screens so far after starting sales earlier this year.
Samsung said it will begin selling its curved OLED television outside South Korea from July but did not specify which countries. It has no plans to offer a non-curved one this year.
Organic light-emitting diode technology has long been touted as the future of consumer electronics displays, offering crisper picture resolution, a faster response time and high contrast images. It also allows for curved televisions, which manufacturers say offer a more immersive TV experience.
Both Samsung and rival LG Display, a unit of LG Electronics, have invested heavily in OLED, seeking to emulate the success they had with LCDs, which helped them squash Japanese rivals such as Sony Corp and allowed them to capture coveted roles as suppliers for Apple Inc.
Samsung is now the world's biggest TV manufacturer, and the South Korean duo now sell almost half of all TVs worldwide.
Not one to put all its eggs in one basket, Samsung also unveiled on Thursday 55-inch and 65-inch ultra-high definition (UHD) TV sets, which offer crisper LCD picture resolution.
Ultra HD TV sales are likely to grow 930,100 this year from 9,600 last year and may jump to 3.9 million sets next year, according to DisplaySearch.
© Thomson Reuters 2013

LG to start mass-production of flexible displays this year

Flexible OLED displays may come to a screen near you sooner than imagined.
According to a report by The Korea Times, LG Display will be manufacturing flexible display panels for major smartphone producers starting fourth quarter of this year.
LG's Frank Lee told the publication that LG had completed the development of its first flexible displays and would be mass-manufacturing them from the fourth quarter.
The displays will be based on organic light-emitting diode (OLED) panels and would offer an ultra-high definition (UHD) resolution also known as 4K. Apparently, the company's E2 line at its display complex in Paju will be used for the production of these displays.
Flexible displays are thinner, lighter and more durable when compared to the presently popular glass displays. These also happen to be much more impact resistant.
According to the report, LG Electronics plans to release the first flexible display smartphone later this year.
Samsung had showcased its flexible display technology at CES 2013 with its OLED Youm Display. The company had also shown a functional prototype of a flexible display smartphone. So clearly, flexible displays happen to be underway from Samsung as well. But the question is whether LG will beat Samsung to it. Based on the reports so far, LG does seem a plausible candidate to bring the first flexible display to the mass consumer market.
LG and Samsung are already offering curved OLED televisions. The technology offers better viewing angles and a better overall experience. Company officials told The Korea Times that LG would expand this OLED portfolio to 65-inch and 77-inch panels as well.

Review: Sennheiser HD598

Famous for it's quality headphones, Sennheiser offers a range of products that suit a variety of pockets. Prices range from affordable to insane - like the HD 800 (read review here). But this review is about the HD 598 which claims to offer high caliber sound at a lower price. Just how high caliber is what we intend to find out here.


Build and Design
The HD 598 is of Sennheiser's usual high quality. Unlike most headphones in the market, the HD 598 is offered in beige, which makes it stand out in comparison to its peers. Cool quotient apart, critics will carp about the colour's tendency to show dirt.

On the whole, the construction of the HD 598 reminds us of a D-segment vehicle - those beige plastics, leather upholstery and faux wood bits! It's like Sennheiser got Toyota on board to help choose the colour palette.

The headband of the headphone offers cushioning, which is covered with a faux leather layer.

All these elements give the HD 598 a love it or hate it quality. While we loved it many people in our office were not that impressed.

Generally, looks are pretty subjective and the same holds true for the Sennheiser HD 598. Looks apart, the general build of the headphones feels pretty solid.

As impressive as the build quality is the fact that the headphones are extremely light and weigh only 9.5 ounces. We could hardly feel them on.

The ear cups were large and cozy. They were made up of micro-fiber like material with a decidedly velvet-like feel.

Besides this, Sennheiser also provides a 10-foot long cable which is user replaceable. The 6.3mm jack is gold plated but Sennheiser provides a neat 6.3mm to 3.5mm adaptor, which fits perfectly unlike the cheap Chinese adaptors that are available in the grey market.

Sound Quality
The Sennheiser HD 800, which we tested for a week or so, is certainly the gold standard of headphones but unaffordable to most at a hefty price tag of Rs 78,000. In comparison, the HD 598 aims to provide quality sound to the masses at Rs 12,500. It may not sound as epic as the HD 800 but, for the most part, it is good value for money producing lush, warm and balanced sound.

How to does it achieve this? Quite simply, by borrowing a lot of technology from the exalted HD 800.

Like it's big brother, the HD 598 gives a sense of immense space and the feeling that the sound is coming from the front, rather than the back. This happens thanks to Sennheiser's Ergonomic Acoustic refinement technology, which made its debut on the HD 800.

To add to rich mid-range we also get neodymium magnets, Duofol drivers and ultra lightweight aluminum coils.

Sound quality-wise, the HD 598 holds its own against the competition. In comparison to the Dr. Dre Monster Beats, the HD 598 provides a more soothing aural experience. While the Beats offers a gargantuan low-end thump, the Sennheiser HD 598 provides a more balanced sonic quality as it focuses on the whole sonic spectrum equally. It is also very impressive in comparison to the Skull Candy Aviators as it provides a richer sound.

Another impressive feature is the 50 ohms impedance, which is more than adequate to power the speakers via an iPod, though for a true sound test its always advisable to check the headphones through high quality amplification.

For our tests we plugged the headphones into our M-Audio Pro-fire 610, which provided an incredible boost to the sound output.

Our usual starting block is Sweet Child O' Mine which is well known for its sweet harmonic mid range response. Slash's searing lead riff is the signature sound of the song but often most headphones struggle to replicate the intended harmonic overtones. The HD 598 reproduces this particular facet of the sound with a great deal of panache. The vocals were crisp and the bass was pretty substantial. On the whole, it was a pretty satisfying experience.

Next up on our test list was power ballad Breathe Again by Alter Bridge. This song sounded absolutely beautiful on the HD 598. From the baritone vocals of Myles Kennedy to the shimmering chords of Mark Tremotti, everything sounded balanced. We must admit the sound was a tad shriller than on the Bowers and Wilkins P5, but on the whole it was very impressive. We must also note that the Bowers and Wilkins P5 headphones are a good 6K more expensive.

Now we decided to test some progressive metal in the form of Tool's Sober. Normally, the harsh sound of metal induces clipping and the HD 598 was no different as on maximum volume levels clipping was very evident. Having said this, we must also point out that the moment we rolled the volume down the song sounded fantastic. The chugging riffage of Adam Jones was heavy yet detailed, the oddly timed drum rolls of Danny Carey were crisp and Maynard Kennan's vocals were haunting. Overall, the song maintained immense clarity once the volume was rolled off.

From the word go, the Sennheiser HD 598 sounded very sweet and on the whole the headphones performed very well. While we missed the audiophile grade flat response, the colored sound for the most part delivered a thoroughly enjoyable listening experience.

Verdict
With its balanced sound and comfortable fit the HD 598 is one of the better headphone offerings currently available in the market.

While the sound is definitely colored, it is also more balanced than its competitors. These headphones are not aimed at audiophiles demanding sonic perfection but at those who just want high quality audio. They are worth every penny of the Rs 12,990 price tag.

Pros
Balanced Sound Quality
Comfortable design
Long cable

Cons
Clips at high volumes
Beige color may not suite everyone
Slightly expensive

Ratings:
Price: 3
Ergonomics: 4
Performance: 4
Wow Factor: 4

Nvidia unveils GeForce GTX 760 GPU

Nvidia has announced the launch of GeForce GTX 760 GPU with the Nvidia Kepler architecture, joining company's lineup of gaming GPUs including the recently unveiled GTX 780 and GTX 770.
The GeForce GTX 760 GPU supports Nvidia's gaming technologies, including the PhysX physics engine, Nvidia TXAA anti-aliasing and GeForce Experience software. The GPU also includes Nvidia SLI technology, the multi-GPU solution that scales to deliver even higher levels of performance, with new adaptive temperature controllers designed to operate silently.
"For gamers seeking insanely fast performance and smooth frame rates for their favourite games, the choice is clear: NVIDIA GeForce GTX GPUs," said Scott Herkelman, general manager of the GeForce GPU business at Nvidia. "At a starting price of only INR 19,499, the GeForce GTX 760 ushers in a new level of performance, features and affordability, so gamers can experience today's most graphically demanding titles with all the eye candy turned high. It's a great time to be a PC gamer!"
In addition to the new features, the GeForce GTX 760 represents a performance upgrade over prior GeForce GPUs. It is three-times faster than the GeForce GTX 275 GPU and twice as fast as the GeForce GTX 560 GPU, according to Nvidia's own benchmarks.
Nvidia GeForce GTX 760 GPU is available now from leading add-in card suppliers, including Asus, Galaxy, Zotac. Pricing is expected to start at Rs. 19,499 for reference clock designs

Microsoft Xbox One: Will gamers want it?

After four years of development, Microsoft unveiled the Xbox One entertainment console and touted it as an all-in-one solution for playing games, watching TV and doing everything in between. Microsoft wants the Xbox One to be central to your living room and packed the new Xbox with such features as the ability to change TV channels through voice commands.
Although the device won't go on sale until later this year, at a price that hasn't been disclosed yet, Microsoft invited attendees of Tuesday's announcement event to take a closer look at the system.

Based on limited time with the device, the Xbox One feels like an improvement over its predecessor. But it fails to include features some fans have demanded, including the ability to play games bought for the existing Xbox 360 system.

Of course, many particulars about the Xbox One could change between now and when it's released. The specific date hasn't been revealed. More details are expected at the E3 video game conference in Los Angeles next month.

For now, the system looks to be a thoughtful piece of technology, but there's still a lot that isn't known.

Design: With contrasting matte and gloss finishes, the Xbox One is the slickest video game console so far, although we don't yet know what Sony's upcoming PlayStation 4 will look like. (Nintendo's Wii U came out in November and is the only one of the three new consoles already available for purchase, though sales have fallen short of the company's forecasts.) The Xbox's outer shell, which Microsoft calls "liquid black," features vented flourishes and all the inputs and outputs one might need, including multiple USB ports and HDMI pass-through.
Kinect: The new version of the Xbox's camera-based Kinect system comes with better motion and voice detection, including the ability to recognize faces, tell if you're smiling or talking and gauge your heart rate. It appears as sexy as the Xbox console, but has been overhauled under the hood. It's three times more sensitive and has a larger, 60-degree field of view. In a demo, the doodad's high-definition camera easily displayed crystal-clear 1080p video and could detect up to seven people, though it lagged as more folks stood in front of it. The basic motion detection appears vastly improved, but the voice detection feature wasn't made available to try out, adding to the list of unknowns.

Performance: The system seems to work harmoniously together. For example, by combining the Kinect's face detection ability with the machine's wireless controllers, it recognized - almost magically - when users swapped controllers.

Controller: The new controller's layout is mostly unchanged, but the bulky battery bump is gone from the back. The smoother Xbox One controller boasts a new directional pad and vibrating trigger buttons. The triggers pulsated in tandem with such imagery as a character's heart beating and a car revving up during a demo with a prototype controller.

Requirements: Luckily, the Xbox One won't require a constant connection to the Internet, but there's a possibility that some of the key features wouldn't work as well or at all. The Kinect system is required and will come with the machine, rather than sold separately as has been the case with the Xbox 360. The Xbox One also will feature privacy settings so it doesn't feel like the Kinect's camera is always watching you.

Limitations: Xbox 360 games won't work on the Xbox One because the underlying technology is different, according to Microsoft. Microsoft was vague about how the Xbox One will handle previously played games bought from other gamers, though it confirmed used games will work somehow. There had been talk that Microsoft might restrict used games on the new machine.

Games: What games? Despite the fact that such titles as "Call of Duty: Ghosts," "FIFA 14" and "Forza Motorsport 5" were teased during Tuesday's flashy presentation, actual games weren't available to try out afterward. Microsoft said it plans to focus on Xbox One titles in three weeks at the Electronic Entertainment Expo, the gaming industry's annual convention in Los Angeles.

The Xbox One shows promise with a sleek shell and a new Kinect detector that seems to perform fine - at least if you don't try to confuse it with too many people at once. But with a lack of games and lingering questions about what it can do without an Internet connection, there are too many questions about the Xbox One, even after experiencing - not just hearing - what Microsoft has planned. At this point, it's too early to say whether Microsoft or Sony is leading in the latest round of the console wars. They'll have to duke it out at E3.

Razer's Surround Software Could Turn Regular Headphones Into 7.1 Cans

We'd all love to be able to blast sound to the high heavens, but sadly, most of us lack the space and/or patient neighbors willing to put up with it. Well today, gaming gear giant Razer is announcing new software that it claims will be able to turn your ordinary headphones into a professional-grade set that emulates 7.1 channel sound. And from now until the end of the year, the software is free, so why not give it a shot?

Razer's new Surround software uses what's called ""virtual surround sound"" to create the effect of being actually physically bounded by a seven-channel array of speakers. It accomplishes this magic using processing algorithms that tweak the audio signal coming out of your computer before your headphones drivers actually reproduce the sound.

Razer claims that the software will work with any set of headphones, but you'll have to run a calibration program before the effect will work properly. In theory, this could work, but as with any tech that claims to turn one thing into something else it is not, we'll believe it when we hear it.