Six months after being named as winners of the Spark 5G Starter Fund, four innovative Kiwi businesses are launching their game-changing technology prototypes, offering a first look at the positive outcomes 5G can bring to communities across New Zealand.

Robotics company Rocos, VR gaming creator Beyond and health businesses Objective Acuity and oDocs Eye Care were the successful recipients of a share of $625,000 of funding and technology support from Spark in October 2020.

Since then, each business has been tirelessly developing, testing and refining its 5G solution tapping into expert 5G technical support and business mentoring by Spark and its partners.

This involved an exclusive opportunity to test and co-create each 5G-powered solution inside Spark’s new Innovation Studio that launched to the public in March 2021.

Entry criteria for Spark’s initiative required the technology concepts to demonstrate how 5G could bring positive outcomes to communities across New Zealand.

Spark’s Technology Director, Mark Beder says that the Spark 5G Starter Fund uncovered some of New Zealand’s most innovative 5G pioneers.

“Each winner is set to make history by being amongst the first in the country to embrace the powerful potential of our 5G network to revolutionise their respective industries. From democratising eyecare, developing a world-first immersive gaming experiences and taking the manufacturing industry to new, robotic heights, Spark is proud to support these four Kiwi businesses to deliver transformative solutions for New Zealand and New Zealanders.”

oDocsis on a mission to make eyecare globally accessible, equitable and affordable. Using the power of 5G, oDocs has developed a secure and encrypted live consultation portal that serves to connect healthcare professionals to patients in remote regions. 5G technology makes it possible for clinicians, expert and non-expert, to conduct an instantaneous live-stream consultation using a 5G enabled device attached to a handheld ophthalmoscope. The portal will empower and enable all clinicians for appropriate triaging and referrals to ophthalmologists, reducing waiting lists for screening and follow-up, thus improving the management of the healthcare workforce.

Objective Acuityis breaking away from the traditional and often unreliable letter chart vision test by using 5G technology to develop a suite of software-based vision screening and acuity tests that are more accessible and accurate for detecting vision problems in younger children. Spark 5G enables Objective Acuity to further improve accuracy and make testing up to 7 times more efficient through a real-time result. It will soon use AI to optimise the test automatically as data is collected – helping Objective Acuity towards its ultimate goal of democratising vision screening.

Beyond is a Wellington-based virtual reality game studio, has developed a world-first for the e-sport market – the ability for multiple gamers to join free-roam, virtual reality game Oddball via their 5G mobile phone, opening the location-based VR gaming world to those without a VR headset. The application is made possible through 5G, which in the future will ensure no players experience any lag and enables both physical VR and mobile players to interact seamlessly and safely together. 5G enables Beyond to bring immersive VR to the masses like never before. High speed enables 4k streaming of our content on mobile phones and players will be able to join in on the fun in real-time.

Rocos is demonstrating the power of 5G by showcasing how remote teleoperation and robotic automation can be used to revolutionise industries. The mass connectivity and low latency that 5G will provide in the future, will make it possible to automate physical tasks at scale, improving the capability of autonomous missions undertaken by robots, such as scanning and monitoring a construction site or power grid, thereby reducing health and safety risks.

The 5G Starter Fund winners showcased their 5G technology solutions during a Media Demo Day on May 6th, 2021 at Spark City in Auckland, New Zealand.

To find out more about the Spark 5G Starter Fund visit spark.co.nz/5g/home/starter-fund/.

The post Spark NZ Showcases 5G-powered Robotics, Gaming & Eye Care Prototypes appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

It was the shining star of the 46th annual Tokyo Motor Show held last October at the Tokyo Big Sight in Japan’s trendy Odaiba district. Named the LF-30 Electrified Concept, Lexus’ newest design study marvelled the gathered masses of international media and public visitors alike with its radical looks and avantgarde technologies.

Although controversial in its space-age lines and far fetching features, the spectacular mobility concept drew substantial global attention. In fact, the LF-30 Electrified Concept was among the show’s most mentioned and photographed vehicles on social media platforms. As a design study, such attention on the show floor and virtual space was its intention: The LF-30 Electrified Concept represents a design statement, one that embodies the brand’s future vision of electrification, foreshadowing vehicles comprising the Lexus Electrified mobility portfolio of 2030.

Toyota Europe Design Development, known also as ED², created LF-30 Electrified. Headed by Ian Cartabiano and nestled in the hills near Nice, France, ED² represents one of four main global Toyota/Lexus design studios, playing the lead role in designing the most recent Toyota Yaris and C- HR. The LF-30 Electrified Concept marked the first time the Europe-based studio was tasked with developing a concept vehicle for the Tokyo Motor Show.

“The pressure was on,” Cartabiano said. “It was a great honour to be asked to undertake such an important project because never before has the European design team been asked to produce a show car for the Tokyo Motor Show, but at the same time, it was a huge responsibility.”

According to Cartabiano, his team at ED² did not put pencil to paper until after two months of intense discussions that defined the characterizing philosophies of their ground-breaking vehicle. It was of great importance to do so, as their concept would signify Lexus’ vision of EVs to come.

“We talked about the philosophy of Lexus’ future, the philosophy of the Lexus lifestyle and what an EV means for Lexus. Only when we had a clear philosophical view of what we needed to create did we start our sketching phase,” Cartabiano said.

The ED² team decided it was vital to start with the principles of L-Finesse, Lexus’ design philosophy built upon three thematic pillars: Seamless Anticipation, Incisive Simplicity, and Intriguing Elegance. Through its foundation, L-Finesse, which has served as the mantra for the brand’s design language since its official introduction in 2003, identifies Lexus as a global brand with Japanese roots. From there, the ED² implemented what it calls “Yet” philosophy into the soul of the LF-30 Electrified Concept.

What is Yet philosophy? According to Cartabiano, Yet philosophy describes how seemingly contradictory characteristics can combine to form a symbiotically balanced outcome. And the LF- 30 Electrified Concept is filled with examples of this, such as “comfortable yet sporty,” “handcrafted yet high tech,” “smooth yet powerful”, and “flowing yet stable.” The vehicle also possesses Lexus’ core design philosophies of “Omotenashi” and “Experience Amazing”. But Cartabiano says LF-30 Electrified has something new, something he calls “Seamless Emotion.”

“Seamless Emotion is the brand’s vision on the way it will implement ‘electrified’ design language for the future.” he explained. “It’s all about seamlessly bringing in the elements that can make EVs cool. Not just in styling terms, but also performance, comfort, and tech, bringing them all together in a seamless manner.”

The LF-30 offers a dramatised glimpse of the electrified future for Lexus. It is, in fact, a dream car; therefore, the design team used these key words – Brave, Artistic, Futuristic – to define every one of its facets, from the exterior and interior to the materials and finish.

“Our goal was to look to the future for inspiration and find the next authentic luxury performance image. What was absolutely crucial was that Lexus Design in Japan asked us to ‘go for it,’ giving us the freedom to dream the entire project from start to finish, with no restrictions whatsoever, so we did what they asked. We went for it,” Cartabiano said.

While the LF-30 Electrified’s exterior adheres to the basic discipline of automotive design, Cartabiano wanted the LF-30 Electrified to be, above all, provocative – make it turn heads and create a visual impact on everyone who laid eyes on it.

“It is a polarising, provocative design. Not everybody is going to love it, but that’s okay because that’s our brand identity. We wanted to keep this level of provocativeness, but move it to a smoother contrast,” he said. “For the starting concept, we focused on the symbiotic combination of these key phrases: ‘Active Driver-Focused Control’ and ‘Active Luxury Lounge Environment,’ and this resulted in a totally new exterior shape that you see here.”

Thanks to the flexibility provided by the EV platform, chief exterior designer, Hideaki Lida, was able to incorporate totally new design ideas into the vehicle.

“We have a new powertrain that allowed me to create a new category and profile. I wanted to use the EV platform to create something that would break the tradition of a conventional luxury sedan, one that conveyed power, agility, and luxury,” he said.

The proportions of LF-30 Electrified are characterised by a profile that designers call the Speed/Lounge Profile. Intended to maximise the layout provided by the EV drivetrain, it breaks convention with today’s sedans to allow the vehicle to achieve the best of both worlds: sport and luxury.

“The front of the vehicle expresses speed, while the rear suggests a comfortable lounge. The middle of the LF-30 is lifted, but the roofline remains sleek and the tyres planted firmly to the ground. And we wanted to ensure there was plenty of space for passengers: the LF-30 is the length of the LS flagship sedan and possesses the couple distance of the LM luxury minivan,” Lida explained.

While the LF-30 lacks a grille, the brand’s signature spindle theme is represented in the vehicle’s overall architecture. A keen eye will spot the subtle shape of a spindle in the headlight wings and front fenders flares at the front of the vehicle. Also, when the vehicle is in autonomous mode, a soft light highlights the spindle shape integrated into the front fascia.

“The power of the LF-30’s stance doesn’t come from a long hood, like in a traditional conventional gasoline-powered car. Being an EV, this vehicle doesn’t require a long hood, so we chose to express the LF-30’s power from the wheels, because it gets its power from the four in-wheel motors,” Lida said.

Much attention was paid to the details, according to Lida, which includes the integrated wheel/tyre system – the first of its kind – the turbine fins that cool the battery, and the motors that are visible through the wheel spokes. It features a large “glider” door, which gets its name from the forward- mounted pivots that allows the door to open and close like the wings of a glider. But Lida’s favourite detail is the charger, located at the rear of the vehicle.

“It’s a cordless system and, when charging, a series of lights mimic water drops going up from the ground into the vehicle,” he said. “We also used water in the wheel design, in the way the spokes seamlessly assimilate with the tyre. Water has an eco-friendly, sustainable image, so we thought it was appropriate to use it as theme for this vehicle,” he said.

The cabin’s thematic direction aligns near perfectly with that of the exterior, emphasising the LF-30 Electrified’s sportiness and agility through the front interior space in what designers labelled “Active Performance.” It simultaneously accentuates comfort for rear-seat passengers in a style they call “Active Zen.”

“We wanted to offer a direct connection experience for the driver. We call this the ‘Tazuna Cockpit,’” Alex Gommier, the chief interior designer of the vehicle, explained. “Tazuna refers to how a single rein can be used to achieve mutual understanding between horse and rider, as he or she melds with the outside environment. We also included steering controller- mounted switches, a gesture-control system and a head-up display to create a cockpit that enables drivers to focus on driving, even while operating different controls inside the car,” he said.

The highest calibre of first-class airline seats inspired the LF-30’s front passenger space. Gommier and his team researched the newest and finest air cabins and incorporated the best of what they found. All switches and controls are placed within easy reach and a gesture-control large-screen display for the passenger adds extra convenience.

Rear seats use artificial muscle technology to mould to their occupant’s physique, and feature modes such as reclining, relaxation, and alert functions. Those occupying the rear cabin are treated to the unique Sky Gate, a gesture-controlled display window that uses AR (Augmented Reality) to display information such as a realistic star-filled sky or favourite videos and even navigation.

“We wanted to bring the augmented navigation experience to the rear passengers. We borrowed from the ancient sailor’s ability to navigate the sea by using the stars in the sky. When you look up at the Sky Gate, you can see the star map, but it can also transform into a modern-day navigation map, the same as one displayed on the driver’s monitor,” Gommier explained.

The interior boasts sustainable materials to illustrate LF-30 Electrified’s eco-friendly presence. Yakisugi (charred cedar), a traditional Japanese material, covers the floor and steering controller while recycled metal was processed into fibres to create the pleated door trim.

“The cabin of the LF-30 exudes a ‘warm yet dark co-ordination’ – another example of Yet philosophy where we blended Japanese tradition with European design. The subtle co-ordination of these two styles resulted in what we call ‘bespoke luxury’ that charts the future course of our signature Takumi craftsmanship,” Gommier explained.

Like Lida and the cordless charger, Gommier has a favourite component in the cabin: the “phygital control”. The round knob toggle is located between the rear seats and operates the Sky Gate. It’s composed of a variety of upscale materials, including gold for the casing and a coal (carbon) insert that features a unique Kintsugi (gold lacquer) effect.

The LF-30 Electrified is ripe with features and details may be seen in future Lexus vehicles. Perhaps the most popular – and fantastical – of these will be the Lexus Airporter, an autonomous drone that can assist transporting bags from your doorstep to the vehicle’s luggage area ala George Jetson.

“The LF-30 Electrified truly represents a leap forward for Lexus design as we prepare for the coming steep evolution of the automobile. With ultramodern features like Lexus Airporter and Sky Gate, we have created a vehicle that provides a highly imagined and fun glimpse into what the future may hold”.

The post Lexus Electrified appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Laptops are pretty boring.

The ideal type of a laptop was, I believe, set way back at the introduction of the Apple Titanium Powerbook, back in 2004. Since then, it’s been a slow process of refinement, with a major shakeup in design inspired by 2008’s introduction of the MacBook Air and the rise of ultrabooks.

Sure, the introduction of the Microsoft Surface line shook up the industry, but that design sensibility has remained a nice in the broader PC and laptop landscape.

But with the ASUS Zenbook Duo, we may be seeing a re-imagining of fundamental concepts of laptop design. With touchscreens dominating so much of our lives as both consumption and input devices, it makes sense that our laptops would start to integrate them in meaningful ways. It’s easy to put a touch-sensitive layer on a standard display, but that won’t fundamentally change how you interact with a computer. Instead, by putting a screen next to the keyboard, you can open up new opportunities for consuming and working with content.

With this first stab, ASUS have shown that the idea has promise, and, unsurprisingly, having two monitors on the go is undeniably better than one. But there are a variety of implementation details that need work before the true potential of this sort of set up can be realised, and there are tradeoffs that you’ll need to carefully consider before you buy a Zenbook Duo for yourself.

But before we get to that second screen, what about the rest of the laptop? From the outside the Zenbook Duo is a sleek, thin laptop not crazily different from others on the market. It has a decent if not mind-blowing array of connectivity options for an ultrabook-style computer.

The main screen is a 1080p 15” IPS display, with strong colour reproduction if a little saturated. I’m a bit disappointed at the relatively low resolution of this screen. For a laptop that’s focused on work, business use and productivity rather than gaming, a 1080p screen unfortunately doesn’t get you to a “retina” grade dots per inch. With such high resolution phones and tablets, this seems like a missed opportunity, particularly for video editors, who I believe would otherwise love this laptop, and I would have liked to see at least a 1440p display.

The secondary screen, above the keyboard, is half the size but actually a higher resolution on a dots per inch basis, which is welcome but creates a strange disconnect between the screens.

On one your window or cursor will be bigger on the other. It’s also touch-enabled, and my model of the Zenbook Duo comes with a stylus that doesn’t quite match the responsiveness of an Apple Pencil, but does quite well at tracking your motion and has a couple of buttons on it to boot. Being touch-enabled, there’s some special software to place not only normal Windows, well, windows, but also a small range of specially-built apps, such as a handwriting surface or a number pad / calculator.

Of course you could also drag down any other app that you have open on your main screen. I found it useful when I wanted to keep an eye on a progress bar, or to keep a Windows Explorer window open at all times, or even to monitor my email inbox without that taking up a significant portion of my normal screen real estate.

But there’s signs that while the hardware is sound, more attention needs to be given to the polish of the user experience as a whole. Whether these are limitations of the Operating System, Windows 10, or a sign that ASUS needs to pay a bit more attention is unknown, but the result is an experience that’s exciting but also jarring, where the promise of solid design doesn’t quite hold true with extended use.

Those issues, combined with the strange (but surprisingly good) trackpad and keyboard placement, make this laptop a very niche purchase.

I think it’s okay with that – it’s never going to be a massive seller, and with ASUS’ vast range of laptops it’s not like the company isn’t providing other options. But I do recommend going out and trying this laptop for yourself before committing. Some will love its forward-looking design and commitment to a two-screen experience, while for others a more traditional laptop form factor will be their preference.

The ASUS Zenbook Duo really is a product to behold.

And while it will not be for everyone, I can see certain segments embracing this new form factor, finding productive uses for the second screen while still enjoying the bright (if disappointingly low resolution) main screen that doesn’t seem to impact the quite good battery life. It will be interesting to see whether this is a trend that the industry gets behind, as future refinements of this premise could make a second screen seem natural, and eventually, expected.

The post ASUS Zenbook Duo Review appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Sony seeks to deliver products, content, and services that resonate with people and affect a positive impact on society, based on its Purpose to “fill the world with emotion, through the power of creativity and technology.”

Sony Corporation President & CEO Kenichiro Yoshida spoke at the Sony press conference held ahead of the exhibition’s public opening, stating that “Creativity is a powerful driving force that moves Sony forward. When it is combined with our technology, it is unstoppable.” He then proceeded to introduce Sony’s latest offerings and new developments from our electronics and entertainment businesses.

Sony Corporation President & CEO Kenichiro Yoshida

Next to take the stage was Jim Ryan (President and CEO, Sony Interactive Entertainment), who announced that PlayStation 4 has now cumulatively sold through more than 106 million units worldwide, and that PlayStation Network had reached 103 million monthly active users. He then discussed the cutting-edge technology and features of PlayStation 5, slated to launch this holiday season, and unveiled the new logo design for the first time ever. “Our promise to the 100 million strong PlayStation community is to offer the biggest and best in content, and to deliver unique experiences to gamers with unprecedented speed.”

In live sports production, Sony presented the recent achievement of a joint proof of concept trial with NBC Sports and Verizon at an American football game. David Mazza (CTO, NBC Sports Group), took the stage and noted the expectations for Sony’s technologies on media production for the broadcasts and wireless communication technology, which brings new possibilities to the live sports production workflow.

Jim Ryan (President and CEO, Sony Interactive Entertainment)

Furthermore, Yoshida stated that, “It’s not an exaggeration to say that Mobile has been the mega-trend of the last decade. I believe the next mega-trend will be mobility,” as he unveiled a prototype vehicle incorporating imaging and sensing technologies that contribute to safer and more reliable autonomous driving, and an array of highly-advanced electronics technologies that together deliver an unprecedented in-car entertainment experience. He concluded his presentation by stating that in addition to striving to contribute to society, “Sony will continue to evolve as a creative entertainment company with a solid foundation of technology.”

The Sony booth at CES 2020 introduces a range of initiatives which harness the power of creativity and technology, under the theme of sustainable value creation that all of Sony’s diverse businesses strive to achieve as part of its corporate direction of “getting closer to people.” Exhibits range from technologies Sony is pursuing in order to get closer to creators and users by enabling them to deliver ‘reality,’ such as high resolution video and sound in three dimensional space, in addition to ‘real-time’ technologies that support every stage of the production process through to the viewing experience, as well as various combinations of these technologies.

Sony will demonstrate the contribution it intends to make to realising a highly advanced autonomous driving society, and the new emotional experiences it aims to deliver in the world of mobility.

Xperia 5G mmWave

Sony is bringing about a technological revolution at every stage of the creative process, from production to when content reaches audiences, in order to further inspire creators and help them deliver their work to viewers and listeners.

Advances in 5G and AI technologies are bringing new artistic and video production workflow possibilities to creators.

Sony conducted a proof of concept trial in December 2019, by capturing video of a live American football game with a 5G-connected camera, showing how 5G can allow for more creative and untethered camerawork while also reducing set-up time and costs. Visitors to the Sony booth will be able to see a video introducing this initiative, and also the equipment used during the trial including Sony’s PXW-Z450 shoulder camcorder, Xperia 5G mmWave device that enables high-speed data uplink, and a prototype transmitter box that encodes and transmits high-quality video in real-time.

Sony’s HDC-P50 POV

Sony is also proposing new video experiences that further enhance the excitement of sports through our AI-based real-time video analytics technology. The booth will feature a table tennis demonstration by athletes, and the game will be captured on multiple devices including Sony’s HDC-P50 POV system camera and the cameras with Sony’s unique high-speed vision sensors. From the image, the athletes’ postures and the flight path of the ball are instantly analyzed, and CG characters will mimic the movements based on estimations of the athletes’ postures by deep learning technology. The booth will also exhibit a demo video showing the number of times the ball rotated by analysing super-slow-motion video.

Sony’s unique Eye-sensing Light Field Display uses high-speed vision sensors and face recognition algorithms to enable super high precision spatial reality experience not found in conventional naked-eye 3D displays. It can be easily applied to VR (virtual reality) and AR (augmented reality) content, providing a versatile volumetric content creation environment to creators in various fields such as entertainment and product design.

The Sony booth also features a virtual production set which transforms the way motion pictures and TV shows are made. The set has been captured from the Sony Pictures studio lot as photo-realistic volumetric data and is shown as a background image on a Crystal LED display. The background changes in real time with the movement of the camera, ensuring the final image has the proper perspective and depth. Virtual production empowers the creator’s imagination by allowing directors, cinematographers, and actors to experience the scene as if they are really there, and provides creative flexibility where film production can take place at any time.

Additionally, Sony announced the expansion of devices compatible with 360 Reality Audio, the immersive audio experience that became initially available in North America and Europe in fall 2019. At the Sony booth, visitors can experience 360 Reality Audio by combining headphones and smartphones with participating streaming services, while a reference exhibit demonstrates how 360 Reality Audio can be enjoyed through a sound bar and a wireless speaker for an experience that feels just like being in a space with artists.

The post Sony highlights its evolution @ CES 2020 appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Dell Technologies has unveiled new products and software across its premium Latitude, XPS and displays portfolios to help people innovate, collaborate and accomplish more in the next decade.

Featuring artificial intelligence (AI), 5G and innovative design, the latest Dell Technologies’ PCs and displays make work and play more seamless, intelligent and enjoyable.

“The PC industry has never been more vibrant with built-in AI, 5G and the best design we’ve ever seen, all to help make our lives easier and more fulfilled,” said Sam Burd, president of Dell Client Solutions Group. “What’s exciting to me is that, with all of the cool news we’ll see come out of CES next week, the PC plays a central role in helping people innovate, influence and achieve more.”

“PC users have become increasingly savvy about the devices they choose for work and play, gravitating toward more premium products that emphasize good design, strong performance and intuitive technologies,” said Tom Mainelli, group vice president, Devices and Consumer, IDC. “Our research shows an increasing percentage of new employees are choosing jobs based on the devices employers offer, and both IT buyers and consumers are interested in PCs with next-generation display, connectivity and battery technologies.”

Dell introduced the Latitude 9000 series, designed with the finest details in mind to be smaller and thinner than ever before, with a larger display and a superior experience. The new Latitude 9510 delivers what business users seek: the longest battery life of any 15-inch business PC with a target of up to 30 hours, 5G-ready design, powerful audio features and intelligent solutions that increase productivity.

The Latitude 9510 is the world’s smallest and lightest commercial 15-inch PC, easily fitting into a small work bag. Starting at only 3.2 pounds, professionals can travel light without carrying the extra weight of battery chargers, adapters or speakerphone pucks needed for a work day. The large screen size, along with Intel Wi-Fi 6 (Gig+) and 5G mobile broadband capabilities, allow executives to be more productive wherever they need. The design incorporates 5G antennas into the speakers to retain the InfinityEdge display, while carbon blade fans and dual heat pipes offer a quiet and cool-to-the-touch experience. Launching with up to the latest 10th Gen Intel Core i7 processors, the vPro ready Latitude 9510 features a machined-aluminum finish with diamond cut edges for professionals that want performance with style.

As the world’s most intelligent 15-inch business PC with built-in AI, the Latitude 9510 leads the commercial PC industry with the first built-in and automated AI-based optimization technology. The new Dell Optimizer software works behind the scenes to help reduce lags, delays and frustration:

• Get to work faster with ExpressResponse: Based on user preferences and machine learning with Intel Adaptix Technology, it launches frequently used applications faster, switches quickly between applications and improves overall application performance to boost productivity.
• Improve battery life utilization with ExpressCharge: AI and machine learning improves battery life utilization based on an employee’s battery charge patterns and typical power usage. When critically low on battery, the Latitude 9510 will subtly adjust settings to preserve resources, like dimming the screen. It will also choose the best charging policy, like ExpressCharge Boost, which provides up to a 35% charge in 20 minutes to get running in a crunch.
• Log in simply and securely with ExpressSign-in: This senses a user’s presence, enabling faster log-in and enhanced security with Dell’s PC proximity sensor enabled by Intel Context Sensing Technology and Windows Hello.
• Ditch the speakerphone with Intelligent Audio: The top-firing speakers, powerful amp and four noise-cancelling microphones provide life-like immersive collaboration, while Intelligent Audio allows users to hear and be heard better on conference calls, helping eliminate echoes and background noise, wherever they are.

Of all the new PC announcements, one that we are most excited about is the  new XPS 13, redesigned to achieve the most premium and superior computing experience with the finest materials, smaller and thinner profile and a larger display.

Elegantly crafted with machined aluminum, carbon fiber, woven glass fiber and hardened corning Gorilla Glass, the XPS 13 has a flawless finish in a durable, lightweight design.

For users that want maximum screen space, Dell is delivering its latest engineering feat — narrow bezels on every side, reducing the XPS 13’s InfinityEdge borders and creating a smaller and thinner form factor than all other XPS predecessors. With a larger 16:10 display that spans from all four edges, the new 25% brighter XPS InfinityEdge display offers more screen space to multitask throughout the day and catch all the details of the latest binge-worthy show. And holding true to what XPS fans love most, this new design delivers a 13.4-inch display in an 11-inch form factor – fitting neatly on an airplane tray.

The XPS 13 offers 10th Gen Intel Core processors and long battery life for the travelers, small business owners and creatives that need power and performance on the go. A larger display and touchpad, edge-to-edge keyboard, and one-handed opening strike the perfect balance between aesthetics and functionality. The new XPS packaging includes more sustainable materials and eliminates foam, making it easier for customers to recycle. Available options include the traditional XPS 13 with Windows 10 or the Developer Edition featuring Ubuntu 18.04LTS.

For binge-watchers, Dell Technologies today launched Dell Cinema Guide, a one-stop-shop for searching streaming entertainment. Windows users can download the app; quickly and easily find television shows and movies across more than 200 streaming services within one simple content guide; and enjoy it all with the amazing color, sound and streaming of Dell Cinema.

Since its 2018 launch, Dell Mobile Connect has helped more than one million users avoid splitting attention between their PC and smartphone. This spring Dell Mobile Connect will expand its wireless transfer and app mirroring capabilities beyond Android phones and bring these functions to iOS phone users. XPS, Inspiron, Vostro, Alienware and G Series users with iOS phones will be able to directly access their favorite mobile apps, from rideshare to social media, and take advantage of drag-and-drop file transfer and content mirroring straight from their Dell PC.

Dell monitors have been No. 1 worldwide for the past six years meeting the varying needs of business users to gaming enthusiasts. Users can collaborate effectively with the new Dell 86 4K Interactive Touch Monitor that is digitizing yesterday’s whiteboard. The UltraSharp 43 4K USB-C Monitor allows users to view content from up to four connected PCs simultaneously to maximize productivity.

The new UltraSharp 27 4K USB-C Monitor with VESA DisplayHDR 400 offers wide color coverage for accurate color reproduction. Built for speed with incredible 99% sRGB color coverage, the new Alienware 25 Gaming Monitor features fast IPS technology that offers rich colors, a 240Hz refresh rate and a blazingly fast 1 millisecond gray-to-gray response time, all in native FHD resolution. It also features AMD Radeon FreeSync technology and is NVIDIA G-SYNC Compatible.

CES badge holders are invited to visit the #DellExperience at SUGARCANE restaurant at The Venetian to see Dell’s latest products and speak with product representatives.

If you are not at CES 2020 you can tune into the Dell Experience LIVE webstream on Tuesday January the 7th, 2020 at 10 a.m. PT.

The post New Year, New PCs & Displays w. Dell appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Samsung have been the pioneers of smart technology since forever.

The first to bring us wearables in 2012 with the first Galaxy smartwatch and now they are first across the line with foldable screens.

Earlier this year (2019) Samsung wowed at their Unpacked event by previewing the then upcoming Galaxy Fold smartphone.

With a few hit and misses with the first batch, releasing in the U.S. Samsung took stock to the issues and reworked the first version of the Galaxy Foldable and have now re-released it to the tech hungry consumers.

Essentially the Galaxy Foldable is an Android smartphone and tablet in one.

The device folds and unfolds easily enough with a satisfying click when opened to tablet mode and when closed to single phone screen.

The front screen comes in at 4.6 inches (when folded) which I liken to a preview screen.

It is fully functional and you can do everything generally without the need to open the Galaxy Fold – but there is a missed opportunity here whereby the front facing ‘closed’ screen does not go full width of the front.

While you can operate it okay, typing on the Samsung keyboard on this smaller front screen can be a bit challenging as the keys are so small and if you’re all thumbs, like me, you’ll be likely to open the device up to reply to  messages or for any serious typing.

The same can be said for using the camera – you are best to open it up to it’s glorious 7.3 inch inner screen.

If you do begin working on the front screen there is continuation when you unfold the screen in to tablet mode.

There are two lenses in the front camera, a 10MP ‘selfie’ camera and a depth sensor.

The rear cameras weigh in at 40MP when the triple array of the 16MP Ultra Wide Camera, 12MP Wide-angle Camera and the 12MP Telephoto Camera are added up.

Using Android PIE (9.0) the inner specs are just as equally impressive as the Note10+ and S10+ with 12GB RAM and a 512GB storage.

Oddly there is no option for storage expansion by way of micro-SD. The Galaxy Fold is dual SIM however.

Using the Galaxy Fold in open view certainly gives you a breath taking experience with the FHD Infinity Flex Display (the front facing screen is not FHD).

Whatever you use your smartphone for, having that extra screen width becomes something that you didn’t know you needed until you have it.

Split screen and you can have two Apps going on either side. Reading eBooks was that of an almost real book experience with either page on either side.

Netflix, YouTube and gaming strangely required me to hold the Galaxy Fold on it’s side (landscape) to go to full screen when in tablet view. The center fold is almost invisible and can only be seen on certain angles.

But media watching, gameplaying or just boring work stuff is heightened by the fact you have a flexible tablet that you can put in your pocket.

When folded though – the Galaxy Fold is bulky. Similar to two smartphones sandwiched together with a taco-like hinge. As the center fold is not flush this is most definitely something you need to cautious of if you decide to own one of these. While strong enough, one wrong sit while the phone is in your back pocket is likely to break that hinge.

Still this IS the first version of the Galaxy Fold and if we think back to the other Samsung innovations when they first debuted we can expect the technology to advance in to a slimmer streamlined device as time goes on.

The Galaxy Fold is not a novelty or a gimmick. Not at all. It’s a high spec Samsung Galaxy smartphone that gives you the best of both worlds while you’re on the go.

With all nations either about to or already rolled out 5G networks there is a 5G model available.

The Samsung Galaxy Fold is not water or dust proof unfortunately so as a device that comes with a super high price tag, it is something of a trophy smartphone that you’ll need to take care of.

Battery life is astounding. The dual capacity 4380mAh battery will see you right for around a day and a half with moderate use – this is impressive when you consider that it is a phone with all of the high spec trappings and a flexible tablet all in one.

While the Samsung Galaxy Fold may be out of most smartphone user’s budgets it is a purely innovative and unique concept that we will see more of in the near future.

If you are an early adopter of tech and love innovation at it’s best, the Samsung Galaxy Fold is a sure bet.

If, on the other hand, you are waiting for the technology to become a bit less pricey, which it will, watch this space.

The post Samsung Fold Review appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Today, OPPO has unveiled a new prototype device featuring an innovate “Waterfall Screen” design. The new design has an almost 88° curved body, providing users with a stronger visual impact due to its almost completely borderless design.

Kevin Cho, managing director at OPPO New Zealand, believes the new innovation represents OPPO’s intent to explore new technologies that offer users the best visual experience, whilst continuing to pursue the ultimate aesthetics in smartphone design.

“More and more, we are streaming, gaming and consuming content on the go through our smartphones. At OPPO, we want to further improve the smartphone experience for Kiwis, challenging norms and creating the ultimate smartphone entertainment experience, whether it be to catch the latest game or watch the latest show on Netflix.”

“This is why we have focused a lot of attention on the screen and how we further improve the overall viewing experience. We were the first brand to introduce a true full-screen display, on the Find X with its pop-up camera. We continued this trend with the Reno Series and look forward to placing this technology directly into the hands of Kiwis, as we continue to push the boundaries of what is possible in a smartphone,” said Cho.

Investment in new form factors and materials is one of the five major fields of R&D design at OPPO, as it is the perfect complement to its photography capabilities. This is not the first time OPPO has innovated in curved display design, with the Find X featuring a Panoramic Arc Screen design that achieves a screen-to-body ratio of 93.8 per cent.

The latest “Waterfall Screen” takes this a step further, providing a unique aesthetic design that challenges what is possible in smartphone design.

“We’re excited about the possibilities of the Waterfall Screen and how it can further enhance our viewing experience, particularly when it comes to live xsport, movies and other entertainment. We will continue to explore and optimise what’s possible with the new display design, challenging the traditional form factor of a smartphone and create an experience that meets the needs of Kiwis.”

The “Waterfall Screen” design is still in its proof of concept stage, with no dates as to when it will be commercially available. However, it is yet another display of OPPO’s innovation and how the company intends to challenge the norm. The “Waterfall Screen” joins a long list of company firsts, which includes Super VOOC, 10x Zoom, pop-up camera, waterdrop screen design and its under-screen camera technology.

The post OPPO showcases “Waterfall Screen” technology appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

A team of New Zealand students reached the semi-finals of the Microsoft Imagine Cup this week, among some of the best and brightest young tech innovators in the world vying for more than US$725,000 in cash and prizes and an opportunity for a mentoring session with Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella.

Winning ANZ Imagine Cup team, Sentinel, three students from the University of Canterbury and University of Auckland, were among the six finalists in the Big Data category for their rainwater management system. A device monitors tank water levels and automatically reorders water from local tank-refilling companies to ensure that rural homes, farms and holiday homes never run dry. Team members Sam Yoon, Zac Lochhead and Zach Preston hope to encourage people to practice more sustainable water habits.

“I couldn’t be prouder of our Kiwi finalists, who are not only punching above their weight on the world stage but have created some game-changing solutions that will solve real-world problems,” says Chris Dick, Head of Marketing for Microsoft New Zealand. “I’m sure we haven’t seen the last of these talented young developers.”

New Zealand’s Team Sentinel

The Microsoft Imagine Cup sees tens of thousands of aspiring student developers from across the globe teaming up to create imaginative real-world applications. Now in its 16^th year, the competition has run annually since 2003. This year’s top inventions included a smart baby-cry translator and software to help people with hearing difficulties focus on a specific speaker in a noisy room.

A record-breaking three Kiwi teams made the global finals this year, with Team Sentinel and Auckland teams Hypebeat and UniRide defeating contenders from across New Zealand and Australia to reach the final tournament in Seattle. They competed against 49 teams from 33 countries including ultimate winners smartARM from Canada, who won US$85,000, a mentoring session and a US$50,000 Azure grant for their robotic hand that learns to recognise objects and use the appropriate grip to pick them up.

Hypebeat, an Auckland-based team consisting of Matt Bastion, Benjamin Sweney and Rivindu Weerasekera. placed second at the ANZ finals with its platform that helps emerging musicians get discovered by acting like a virtual manager. Musicians and their managers can analyse the key drivers behind different artists’ success with an app that uses machine learning to generate a personalised playbook of recommended actions and advice for each musician.

UniRide trio Andrew Hu, Sukhans Asrani and Winston Zhao created a carpooling app for university students that pairs students with compatible schedules.

Go HERE for more information about Imagine Cup, please visit .

The post Kiwi Team Reaches Semi-Finals @ Microsoft Imagine Cup appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

2018 marks the 100th anniversary of Panasonic’s founding.

As well as expressing thanks for the company’s success over the past 100 years, this year’s booth at CES was focusing on visual content to introduce the company’s future vision that will pave the way to the next 100 years. The booth was divided into four zones – Immersive Entertainment, Connected World, Sustainable Energy, and Integrated Supply Chain – to highlight how Panasonic’s proprietary technologies are helping make daily life a better experience and reflect solution categories within the repositioning of the Panasonic brand in the North American region.

Panasonic also hosted Panasonic Live @ CES 2018, where six specialist social influencers from the entertainment, mobility, energy, and supply chain fields led panel discussions via live video broadcast directly from the show floor. Archive videos of the January 8 press conference, in addition to Technics products and smart devices on display at the Tech West venue, a vast array of Panasonic innovations were featured and showcased via Panasonic DNA.

Concept Exhibit

Living Space Autonomous Cabin – A future space proposing new value on how to spend time in the car in the age of autonomous driving where by 2030, when fully autonomous vehicles are expected to be common, there will be a significant change in how we spend time in the car. This exhibit introduced concepts for comfortable car interiors in the future that can be adjusted to suit four settings – Living Room, Business, Relax, and Entertainment.

Home X

Taking advantage of its portfolio in a wide variety of lifestyle-related products, Panasonic has developed the Home X Project, which aims to create new value in the home experience through user-experience and user-interface design ideally suited to different living spaces. Video presentations will introduce the concept behind Home X and introduce activities of Panasonic β, a new team set up in Silicon Valley to do research into what a home should be.

Panasonic Environment Vision 2050

Georamas and projection mapping demonstrate Panasonic’s long-term vision for life in 2050 – one in which society further utilizes clean energy and one where the amount of energy created exceeds the amount of energy used. Using AV solutions and sports analyses solutions anticipated for 2025-2030, Immersive Entertainment offers a completely new entertainment experience.Panasonic’s entertainment-related business provides a full suite of wide ranging solutions that maximize their value. This exhibit introduced the technologies behind it through visual content and demonstrations.

3D Projection Mapping

The system detects the locations of the objects which will be projected on. Based on the positional information, the system automatically generates images from 3D content from the viewpoint of the projector. This eliminates the need for precise mapping, making projection mapping easier than ever before.

LinkRay-AR

This technology uses the flickering of LED light to send information to your smartphone. You can receive the signals using your smartphone’s camera and a dedicated app. This Cloud service displays related information as augmented reality (AR) on top of the image seen through the camera, to improve fan engagement.

Advanced AV Solutions

Panasonic proposes a new form of entertainment that allows for sharing the excitement of live performances with people in remote places. For example, by using a variety of Panasonic’s technologies such as 3D scanning, data compression and transfer, and spatial design, a whole town can be turned into a huge stage for a live Augmented Reality performance. Here, visitors can experience an immersive, whole new world of entertainment created with videos, lights and sounds developed in cooperation with Japan’s leading entertainment company Avex.

Smart Venue Solutions

Anticipating a time when AR devices will resemble a pair of smart-glasses, this exhibit demonstrates a simulated experience in a future stadium. The ability to project a variety of information into any device and in any situation will enhance the stadium experience.

Connected World

Panasonic proved that they truly believe in a connected World by way of introducing the activities of two mobility businesses, automotive and avionics.

+Automotive

On display were two cockpit system prototypes that are intended for practical implementation in accordance with the progress of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS): one for 2020-2023, when so-called “level 2” driver assistance is expected to be widely available; and the other for 2023-2025, when “level 3” will be prevailing. Also on display was a new Range Rover Velar SUV, complete with a Touch Pro Duo dual touch screen system and a windshield head-up-display.

+Scalable ePowertrain Platform

Panasonic introduced a compact electric powertrain platform it has developed for small electric vehicles. This energy-efficient and safe powertrain concept features integrated compactness, high efficiency, and flexible scalability. This is designed with a scalable combination of power and motor units in mind to contribute to the advancement of both two- and four-wheeled electric vehicles.

+Avionics

Through VR and exhibits of actual airplane seats (business class and economy), their display explained the concept of “travel thread” that integrates all aspects of the passenger experience from pre-flight – while you are still at home – flight to post flight.

Panasonic wowed attendees at CES 2018 with their simple yet complex innovations that are about to release to the consumer market throughout 2018 amd beyond.

The post Panasonic Highlights 100th Anniversary & Future Vision at CES 2018 appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Veteran video games publisher and developer Atari (who are the also the Godfathers of modern gaming) are on the road to make a comeback, literally in style.

Having recently announced the Atari Box, their next home console with a sketchy release date, Atari have notified us here at STG of their next product which, well, we are just not too sure what to make of it…

The Atari Speakerhat is a baseball-style cap with high-fidelity stereo speakers and microphone that can connect instantly to any Bluetooth-enabled device.

Fashionistas can connect to any smartphone, tablet, personal computer to play any music or other media content, initiate or accept phone calls, receive voice commands, etc.

Atari have stated that their Speakerhat feels natural and normal to wear for long periods of time, and achieves a balance of weight vs. sound quality and functionality. The intent is to continuously improve on design and engineering, until the technology is completely invisible.

Designed to be ultra-thin and lightweight. The technology inside consists of proprietary high-fidelity stereo speakers and microphone, V 4.1 CSR/Qualcomm cVc audio technology, 5-band EQ, Advanced Audio Distribution Profile (A2DP), Audio/Video Remote Control Profile (AVRCP v1.4) and Headset Profile (HSP v1.2), rechargeable lithium Ion battery, universal control button, and LED indicator light.

Powered by Audiowear, the patented Speakerhat technology is a new listening experience, combined with Social Synchronous Broadcast technology, will allow multiple Speakerhat users to simultaneously listen to a single audio stream in perfect synchronization.

There is no official release date yet, other than Atari are aiming to launch coinciding with the film Blade Runner 2049.

The real question is, would you wear one?

The post What is a Speakerhat? appeared first on Shane the Gamer.