Immerse yourself
LG Display announced that it will showcase the world’s first 48-inch Bendable Cinematic Sound OLED (CSO) optimized for gaming at CES 2021. The 48-inch Bendable CSO display utilizes OLED’s advantages as its paper-thin screen bends and unfolds with a curvature radius of up to 1,000R, meaning that it can be made to bend up to a radius of 1,000mm without affecting the function of the display. It can therefore be turned into a flat screen while watching TV and used as a curved screen while gaming. The curved display offers a uniform viewing distance from the middle of the screen to its edge, maximizing the visual immersion that is popular among gamers. In addition, the company’s CSO technology enables OLED displays to vibrate and make their own sound without the use of any speakers, offering a vivid sense of reality as if the on-screen characters were talking directly to the viewer. The 48-inch Bendable CSO display’s ultra slim film exciter, which is the part that vibrates the display, has been reduced to a thickness of just 0.6mm from 9mm and therefore allows viewers to enjoy a thinner screen as well as highly impressive sound.
Who needs a desk phone?
Microsoft is overhauling its calling features inside Microsoft Teams, reports The Verge. A new calling interface will show contacts, voicemail, and calling history in a single location. It’s designed to allow Microsoft Teams to more easily replace desk phones, with built-in spam call protection, reverse number lookup, and the ability to merge calls. Microsoft Teams users will also be able to transfer calls between mobile and desktop soon, allowing people to move locations in the middle of an audio or video call. The Teams app will let people join without audio on an additional device, or transfer the call and end it automatically on other devices. Microsoft says this particular feature will be available in early 2021.
A 15-year-old laptop?!?
Dell wants to redesign its products so every one of them can be recycled or reused rather than thrown out, reports Fast Company. But that will take some doing. A typical laptop might have more than 200 components made from multiple materials that are glued and screwed together. It’s not simple to dissemble for recycling. The company is testing a design that would let someone push a pin in the side of a device to trigger the whole thing popping apart. “We want to go from something that might take an hour to disassemble to two minutes or less,” Ed Boyd, senior vice president, was quoted as saying. The company is also focusing on how to make its products last longer. Outer materials may be designed differently to resist signs of wear (or to acquire a patina over time, like vintage tools). Inside, artificial intelligence and machine learning could help the system last longer by making adjustments over time for energy efficiency. Software can continue to be upgraded over the cloud. “Imagine buying a PC and it lasts for 10 or 15 years, because it’s faster in year 10 than it was in year one!” said Boyd.
Clearer vision for those with macular degeneration
An estimated 11 million people in the U.S. have some form of age-related macular degeneration, and the number is expected to double by 2050. Pleasanton, California-based IrisVision has introduced a set of goggles that use the technology of a Samsung smartphone to enhance vision for those who are visually impaired by macular degeneration, reports Lifewire. “IrisVision helps the user’s brain use the parts of their eyes that still function properly and provides enough information to fill in the gaps and remap the scene captured by the smartphone camera into a complete picture,” IrisVision co-founder and CEO Ammad Khan was quoted as saying. The goggles aren’t cheap, costing about $3,000.
New video and audio calling feature for Echo devices
Amazon launched a new group video or audio calling feature for Echo devices, reports The Verge. Up to seven participants can join an audio or video call on supported Echo devices like the Echo, Echo Dot, and Echo Show. Echo owners will be able to create and name groups using the Alexa app, and Amazon is also planning to support group calling through its Alexa app. There are no limits on call times. Without the Alexa app supporting group calling, it’s limited to requiring hardware for now, though.
Did you hear his tweet?
Twitter says its beta test of audio chat rooms – a feature called Spaces – is now live, reports CNET. The feature would allow users to share audio clips in tweets and direct messages. Users would also be able to create their own rooms for others to join, and they would have control over who can speak in those spaces. Twitter was also reported testing live transcriptions, emoji reactions, reporting and blocking, and sharing tweets in Spaces.
AirPods to the Max
Apple recently unveiled the AirPods Max, wireless headphones that bring the magic of AirPods to an over-ear design with high-fidelity sound. AirPods Max combine a custom acoustic design, H1 chips, and advanced software to power computational audio for a breakthrough listening experience with Adaptive EQ, Active Noise Cancellation, Transparency mode, and spatial audio. AirPods Max come in five gorgeous colors, including space gray, silver, sky blue, green, and pink. From the canopy to the ear cushions, every part of AirPods Max “is carefully crafted to provide exceptional acoustic performance for each user,” Apple said. The breathable knit mesh canopy, spanning the headband, is made to distribute weight and reduce on-head pressure. The stainless steel headband frame provides strength, flexibility, and comfort for a wide variety of head shapes and sizes. Telescoping headband arms smoothly extend and stay in place to maintain the desired fit.