Why Pinoy-made remote control was honored at CES

LAS VEGAS - The Filipino inventors of a remote control for the vision-impaired are among the honorees at an international consumer tech competition held in Las Vegas.

Every year, select products at international Consumer Electronics Show (CES) get awarded in a competition that honors the best in engineering and design.

Competition among manufacturers is fierce as engineers strive to conjure up fresh ideas and prototypes that top last year's products.

This year, one company from the Philippines successfully managed to do just that. They have garnered the attention of the voting body of the CES innovation awards, the Consumer Electronics Association.

"I came up with TV user interface which came out from excruciating thousands of hours in experimentation and the end product of it is an elegant design which is in every detail brings out an intuitive experience for the consumers,” said Dante Olivar.

Olivar is XCrool founder and CEO from Taguig, Philippines. He wanted to develop a remote control that not only promises to be hassle free, but also beneficial for consumers who are visually impaired.

"You can actually scroll the volume and the channel even with your eyes closed. We've been using this for quite a while and it's very useful," he said.

Olivar's invention has been patented in 100 countries but is actually manufactured in China.

"The perforated keypad has slits in between the buttons so relieving 90 percent of pressure on joints which is perfect for people with disabilities, people with arthritis and people with impaired movement, and of course, the senior market," he said.

Olivar believes that the future of innovation is staying analog in a digital world. His originality is creating a remote control that is not only user friendly but truly Pinoy-made.

Read more from Balitang America

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

This belt can help you lose weight

LAS VEGAS - Wearable tech can sometimes cut right to the chase: that's the case with "Belty," a smart belt unveiled at the Consumer Electronics Show which aims to help people lose weight.

With its embedded sensors, the belt will vibrate when it determines you have eaten too much, and also send a signal when you are sedentary for too long.

The belt also loosens when its wearer sits and tightens on standing, simply sensing body movements.

The prototype device from French-based startup Emiota has garnered considerable attention in the tech and general news media and notched one of the CES Innovation awards at this year's giant Las Vegas tech show.

"If you are sitting at your desk too long, it will vibrate and tell you to get up and take a walk," says Emiota's Carine Coulm

The belt connects to a smartphone app which acts as a fitness "coach," she added.

The belt, expected to be ready for consumers later this year, has been designed initially only for men, in part because the sensors require a thick belt that is more suited to males.

But the startup is working on a female version as well.

"If it is sleeker and thinner it may be interesting for women," said Emiota's Johan Gobba.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Sporty tech gadgets put data in users' hands

LAS VEGAS -- Olympic cycling medalist Dotsie Bausch is hooked on data, and she wants everyone to know it.

Showing up at this week's Consumer Electronics Show as a spokeswoman for the medical technology group Masimo, Bausch offered a demonstration of her cycling skills and the data she uses to train.

Getting good physiological data for training is important in a sport marred by numerous doping scandals, said the 2012 Olympic silver medalist who kicked a drug habit before her sports career.

"I don't dope because I don't want to cheat. But you want to use every fair-game device available," she said following the demonstration using Masimo's fingertip monitor for oxygen saturation and pulse rate using infrared sensors.

"The goal is to get the most out of a workout and still recover so you can do it the next day."

Masimo spokesman said the systems use "a hospital-grade device which we have brought to the consumer."

One of the big themes at this year's Las Vegas event was the marriage of technology and sports. The Consumer Electronics Association, which organizes the show, estimates Americans alone will spend $1.8 billion on fitness and activity trackers this year.

But CES exhibitors were showing off devices and services that go far beyond the simple fitness band.

Unveiled at the show, the AmpStrip by US-based Fitlinxx is a patch that sticks to the body for anywhere from three to seven days and measures heart rate, activity and stress.

"It was designed as an aid to fitness enthusiasts," said Fitlinxx's Doug McClure. "The need has to do with understanding how you are training. Overtraining leads to injury. By wearing this 24/7 we can understand how much stress your body is under."

Digital coaching

California startup Zepp Labs showed its device, the size of a bottle cap, which can be attached to a tennis racket, baseball bat or golf club to collect data to analyze one's swing, and compare it to that of professionals.

The data is fed into a smartphone app that allows the user to visualize his or her motions.

"We're not just giving you data, we want to help you get better," said Zepp's Bill Lucarelli, as he showed the product in Las Vegas.

While several similar trackers are on the market, Lucarelli said the quality depends on the expertise behind the app.

"It's all about the software and the algorithm," he said.

California-based Blast Motion offers a device for baseball, basketball and other sports, also using a tracking device.

"You can play basketball and see your metrics," said Blast's Donovan Prostrollo. "And a great feature is that when you have a good score you can tweet it to your friends."

Epson, the Japanese electronics giant, used CES to introduce its M-Tracer golf swing analyzer. The tracker, which slips onto a golf club, takes measurements of the golfer's swing speed, backswing and other characteristics to offer advice.

"The target market is someone who is passionate about the sport, who already has good gold skills, or someone who is taking lessons," said Epson's Randy Bergstedt.

The shirt's the thing

Garments, meanwhile, are also being developed with these same sensors, woven into the fabric, eliminating the need for other kinds of wearable activity trackers.

"The next hot wearable is the shirt," said Ramon Llamas, analyst with the research firm IDC. "It's a wearable that's already wearable, and it's useful for pro athletes or weekend warriors."

Several activity-monitoring garments were on display at the show including shirts and socks.

British-based development firm Cambridge Consultants showed its connected shirt with sensors woven into the fabric, virtually unseen. The prototype can be adapted for use in sports including tennis or golf.

"There is a large gap between what you can collect with a wrist band and the system that professional athletes have," said developer Martin Brock. "With this you can measure one's motion not just on your wrist but on your entire body.

The thin wire blended into the garment allows it to be "washable, waterproof and robust," he said. "It's reaching toward the idea with wearables where there is no (visible) technology, it's just the garment."

French technology firm Cityzen Sciences, meanwhile, showed its connected shirt, the technology for which will be used by Japan's Asics in future sportswear.

The garments provide data "which can be analyzed to see people's well-being, their health risks," said Cityzen's Herve Rannou.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Google domain grows as Android takes root in TVs

Google-backed Android software that leads the smartphone market is spreading to a new generation of smart televisions.

Along with unveilings of new ultra high-definition televisions at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas this week came word that Android will be the Internet-linked brains of an array of models from major manufacturers.

"All of our 2015 televisions will run on the new Android TV platform," Sony Electronics chief operating officer Mike Fasulo said while showing off coming products at CES.

"Android is such a widely accepted operating system in the mobile space; you can enjoy content on your smartphone, tablet and TV seamlessly."

Android-powered Sony televisions will allow access to games, applications and other digital content at the online Google Play shop, and viewers will be able to control TVs using the Japanese consumer electronic titan's smartwatch, according to Fasulo.

Sony, Sharp, and Philips smart televisions powered by Android will begin shipping by the middle of this year, Google vice president of engineering Hiroshi Lockheimer said in a blog post.

"When we launched Android with a single phone in 2008, we never imagined that we could connect over a billion people," Lockheimer said.

"And now, we're working closely with an entire ecosystem of TV partners -- hardware manufacturers, service providers, and chip makers -- to reimagine the living room."

Google introduced Android TV late last year. While the California-based Internet titan has taken stabs at television through boxes that connect to sets, coming TV models will have Android software built-in so only a single remote control is involved.

Android televisions boast features such as voice search and automatically synching with Google Cast that lets content from smartphones or tablets be channeled to the bigger screens.

Android TV challengers

Android has challengers in the smart TV arena, with long-time smartphone partner Samsung stepping up as a contender.

Beginning this year, Samsung will power its new smart televisions with Tizen operating software initially introduced for mobile devices in what hinted at a desire to break away from dependence on Android for smartphones and tablets.

"Samsung failed to reduce its dependence to Google's Android in the smartphone space in 2014," said Forrester analyst Thomas Husson.

"By introducing Tizen in new smart TVs and leveraging their strong brand in consumer electronics and home appliances, they could use the back door to try to dominate the new computing battleground taking place in connected objects."

To be successful, however, Samsung will need more content, partnerships, developers to create content and services that enhance the Tizen "ecosystem," the analyst maintained.

South Korea-based LG announced at CES an upgraded version of the webOS software it uses to power smart televisions, and said it plans to extend it to other smart devices.

Panasonic, meanwhile, touted an alliance with Mozilla to use Firefox operating system in its televisions.

Popular mobile devices operating systems such as those fielded by Google and Apple are seen by analysts as well positioned to serve as platforms tying together the myriad smart devices in what has come to be referred to as the Internet of Things.

"It is a challenge to make the Internet of Things work," Reticle Reseach analyst Ross Rubin told AFP.

"Apple is making a play there and Google is making a play there because one place for access is certainly in the smartphone that is always with you."

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Drones swoop into CES as interest surges

LAS VEGAS -- On a dusty stretch of Nevada desert, a quadcopter drone kicks up a small cloud as it takes off. It then trails its operator on a drive across the flat terrain, filming the motion from a short distance above.

The AirDog drone was designed to capture the intensity of extreme sports that have been difficult to access -- surfing, skiing, off-road biking and similar activities.

"We felt we could change the way video is captured in action sports," said Agris Kipurs, co-founder or AirDog, created by a group of Latvian engineers and now based in California, which is starting beta-testing on its products later this year.

AirDog, one of dozens of drones being shown at the Consumer Electronics Show this week in Las Vegas, is aiming for "an unassisted experience, so all you need is the tracking device on your wrist," Kipurs told AFP during a demonstration in the desert outside Las Vegas.

Drones are showing up in a variety of shapes and sizes at the huge electronics fair, which has for the first time a space dedicated to "unmanned systems."

More than a dozen companies are displaying the flying devices, for uses ranging from remote-controlled toys to professional filmmaking to industrial and agricultural applications.

The Hexo+ drone from Franco-American Squadrone System is another drone on display that can be pre-programmed to follow and film a person or object from any conceivable angle using a smartphone.

In a similar category, the show got a look at the Nixie drone, a flying camera which launches from one's wrist and won a competition last year sponsored by Intel for wearable technology.

"We think drones have a possibility to change out lives in positive ways," said Intel chief executive Brian Krzanich at a CES keynote speech where he demonstrated Intel-powered drones from Ascending Technologies that navigated obstacles on stage.

Fighters, micro drones

South Korean-based Byrobot is showing its "drone fighter," which enables its users to simulate aerial combat with infrared signals to fire at enemy aircraft.

When one of the drones is hit, its lights flash and hand controller vibrates, signalling it is downed, according to the company, which offers an optional camera with the device.

With US regulations on drone still uncertain, some drone developers are looking for ways to avoid being grounded.

The Zano drone, a so-called nano-drone designed for aerial photography and selfies, weighs in at just 55 grams (two ounces) to be under the current limit of 60 grams to be regulated in the United States, said Thomas Dietrich, design director for the British-based Torquino Group.

"We've squeezed a lot of technology into a very small package," Dietrich said. "It's a smart device. It's all gesture based and it has obstacle avoidance."

At $279, he said, the drone "is affordable for everyone."

A full lineup of drones is on display from the French electronics group Parrot, which has expanded its offerings over the past year in both consumer and industrial unmanned vehicles.

"The past year was very good" for drone sales, said Parrot marketing director Nicolas Halftermeyer.

Parrot recently introduced its Bebop drone for the consumer segment, which can take high-definition video and be controlled from a tablet or smartphone.

It also sells a professional mapping drone called eBee and another designed for agricultural use called eBee Ag.

"This part of the business is growing very fast," he said.

The Consumer Electronics Association, which organizes the show, said the market for these devices is hitting new heights as the technology previously used for military aircraft is adapted for consumer and industrial activities.

The show includes a panel discussion on the plans for US regulations.

According to CEA research, the global market for consumer drones will approach $130 million in revenue in 2015, up 55 percent from 2014, with unit sales of consumer drones expected to reach 400,000.

Revenue from drone sales is expected to top $1 billion in just five years, CEA said.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

'Connected life' at the heart of CES electronics show

WASHINGTON - In the air, in your car, on your back -- new technology at the upcoming Consumer Electronics Show is showcasing the growing number of ways to live the "connected life."

The so-called "Internet of Things" is leading to a wider range of wearable tech, from sports shirts to smart watches to sleep monitors to connected refrigerators.

The vast 2015 International CES, one of the world's biggest electronics fairs to be held in Las Vegas January 6-9, shows how technology is permeating virtually all sectors of life -- from entertainment to automobiles to kitchen appliances, in sectors including health, fashion and sports.

"The 'Internet of Things' is the hottest topic in tech right now," said Karen Chupka of the Consumer Electronics Association, which organizes the annual event.

"It's all about the opportunity to connect everyday items like cars, home security systems and kitchen appliances to networked devices like PCs and smartphones for greater control and management of our everyday lives."

Also on view will be the newest and biggest television displays featuring "ultra high definition" that is catching on with consumers.

So-called 4K television sets are coming down in price and becoming mainstream, and some reports suggest the show may feature newer, even more realistic "8K" displays.

Roger Kay, analyst at Endpoint Technologies Associates, said that 4K "is a really obvious play for the industry and consumers" because it can mean big-ticket purchases, and deliver a better image.

While 4K television has been around a few years, the market may be ready now, says Bob O'Donnell at the research firm Technalysis, with prices for TV sets falling below $1,000.

The 4K format "is more 3D-like than 3D," O'Donnell said. "The quality is so high it makes you feel like you're there."

Curved and bendable screens should be on display, and perhaps some folding ones as well.

In the air, CES will for the first time have a dedicated space for drones to accommodate the growing interest in unmanned flying devices. This comes with interest in drones for everything from law enforcement to crop management to search-and-rescue missions.

A separate robotics zone will be 25 percent bigger than last year, with at least 18 exhibitors. Some robots are connected to the Internet cloud, or controllable by mobile device and capable of seeing, hearing, feeling and reacting to the environment.

 Tech on your sleeve

A wider range of wearable technology will also be on display at the show, in a key segment among the 35,000 exhibitors.

While smart watches and fitness bands have been on the market, "I expect to see more smart garments, including smart shirts and smart bras," said Angela McIntyre, analyst at the research firm Gartner.

"We'll be seeing more traction with smart garments next year."

These garments are likely to replace more restrictive heart-monitoring straps and bands which are "effective but uncomfortable," McIntyre said.

More important than the wearable items themselves will be the platform behind them. Users will be looking for ways to use the data in a productive way, said IDC analyst Ramon Llamas.

"A wearable device can tell you that you have walked 10,000 steps. But we need more than that," Llamas said.

"People are looking for devices which tell us when we need to go to sleep earlier, skip dessert, or get up and take a walk around the office."

A major battle is taking place to be the software platform for wearables, with Google, Apple, Microsoft and others seeking domination.

"There is no dominant company yet," McIntyre said.

"What we will be seeing is a shift from the device and its app to having an integrated account where people can get insights about their fitness and health not just from one device but from several wearables."

Smart glasses and watches will also be out in force, even before the commercial launch of items such as Google Glass and the Apple Watch. Rivals will be looking to get into these markets, although consumers may want to wait for anticipated products, such as the Apple Watch, due sometime in 2015.

O'Donnell said the successful smart watches will pay close attention to style.

"The watch is a very personal device, it's much more personal than a phone you put in your pocket," he said. "That's going to lead to experimentation."

While smart glasses will be on display, O'Donnell said "there are a lot of privacy and creepiness issues" to be overcome.

 Home and car electronics

The "smart home" segment will be significant, with connected devices such as light bulbs, ovens, refrigerators, window systems and garage doors. But software is equally important in this market as well.

O'Donnell said consumers want an integrated system to avoid having a multitude of different apps, but that developers want an open system that is easy to access.

"On the connected home side it's all about getting these things to talk to each other," he said. "So I can have a control panel that can talk to a smart lightbulb or thermostat."

In a sign of the importance of automotive electronics, CES will have 10 car manufacturers showing their entertainment, safety and other technical advances -- from self-parking cars to systems that use Big Data to navigate or diagnose problems.

"We are seeing ways to collect data from the car, send you firmware for the vehicle, real-time traffic, Wi-Fi hotspots for the passengers," O'Donnell said.

"We could see better diagnostics, so you can tell if your spark plug is going to die and needs to be replaced."

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com