IFA 2012: World’s Best OLED 3D TV & the battle of the 4K’s

So today is Day 2 of the great German technology adventure of mine. I slept early last night and woke up around 5 AM local time. Upon requesting for breakfast, the voice on the phone said “Weißt du nicht schlafen?!” (Don’t you sleep) to which I replied “None of your business, hol mir das Frühstück ..” (get me the breakfast). A couple of breads loaves with Dusseldorf mustard, dry muesli and lager down my stomach I got ready and took the cab to Messedamm again. Since I had known the hall route, I was back in Hall 11.2 and was greeted by the LG reps who remembered me from yesterday J And soon enough, the stage had been setup and I finally got the first glimpse of the LG OLED Cinema 3D Smart TV!

The 55” wonder’s design has a super slim bezel (literally the thickness of three credit cards stacked together) and the ribbon stand. This OLED TV is again of LG’s Cinema 3D lineage but before you get bored; it’s the display that has left me gasping…. The brightness, the colors and the clarity of this TV is above all. Even for the blackest blacks, it produces low luminescence. The panel is made up of numerous LED’s with a carbon emissive layer making it a self-illuminating screen. And it is the most power efficient till date as well. However, the technology will not come on the cheap so I expect OLED TV’s to take some time before making an imprint on the TV market. However, I do worry that the visuals on that I have seen on the OLED TV have raised my expectations a tad too much!

And if that was not enough, LG followed it up with its unveiling of the 84” Ultra Definition 3D TV. One massive Screen on this beast and with the User Interface of the Smart TV functions looking very impressive, it’s the biggest addition by LG to their under the Cinema 3D range. And even though I thought that LG’s closest competitor of the 4K TV is the Samsung ES9000 75’ Smart TV, I was in for a pleasant surprise as Hall 4.2 was jam packed with Sony for the first time displaying the 84” KD-84X9005 LCD TV which Sony plans to globally phase by this year’s end. Personally speaking, the design is not as impressive as compared to LG or Samsung and it’s an LCD! I will probably spend the remainder of the day looking at other reputed exhibitors namely Toshiba, Panasonic and Philips and return tomorrow to discover the new mobiles being unveiled at this tech fest. But the highlight of my day has surely been what LG believes is the “World’s best OLED TV!”

IFA 2012: First Day in Deutschland and the Personal Smart TV (TM2792)

Let me tell you today about my trip to Germany. It took a mere 8 hours for me to reach Berlin via Lufthansa and check in the Grand City Hotel Berlin East (Cut price deal I tell you) and a hot coffee later, I caught up on my sleep for a few hours.

My eyes opened at around 5 in the morning which started with beer. I had heard that Germany was a root land of the finest brewed beer and one sip of Beck’s confirmed that. I was bloody excited to learn that the entry to IFA 2012 would be open from 8 AM. After calling in one of my acquaintances, I reached the venue at Messedamm 22 where my company exec Pass was ready. I spent a couple of hours at the hall near entrance and went through a couple of brochures and some tradeshow magazines.

After a press alert, I found my way to LG’s designated exhibitor hall 11.2 for the first product unveiling. And although I was expecting the LG 4K UD 3D TV, LG vowed the crowd with its latest unveiling the LG Personal Smart TV TM2792. This Smart TV is the latest in line of the LG Cinema 3D range currently on offer and even though it’s the smallest TV at just 27 inches, the latest innovation for the Korean consumer electronics firm is a pint-sized dynamite. The design is familiar with the same narrow bezel IPS frame and ribbon stand which gives the impression that the TV is suspended in mid-air!

Coming to the technical specs, the TV supports full 1920×1080 resolution and is built on LG’s revolutionary flicker-free passive Cinema 3D platform with two 7W speakers for 3D sound zooming. It also has Smart TV functionality along with features like DLNA, Wi Fi and Wi Di. The only thing unknown is the price aspect and we might soon get to know about that with September being touted as its tentative launch month. Also on show was the GS 9366 Side by Side Refrigerator with Eco Door technology in smart brushed steel finish.

Next stop after that was Hall 5.1 which had Samsung Electronics showing off the 75” ES9090 and 65” ES8090 Smart TV’s with unique features like Allshare to enjoy media on the TV and Smart View feature for mobile entertainment. The outer frame consisted of a slim bezel and a very solid profile. The company will also be flaunting its flagship Galaxy S3 in the aftermath of the Samsung-Apple patent dispute with Jelly Bean OS update for it coming soon.

Even though I enjoy writing these little entries, the fact is that there is so much to experience here that I would rather write after I get back to my hotel room. Till then, let me bask in the latest gadgets in this Consumer Electronics Fair and I will get back to you guys in a bit.

IFA 2012 Berlin : Next Generation 4K 3D TV and Beer in Ze Germany

Hello folks, Nisha is back again. My pursuit of technology and 3D TV’s is at its peak at the moment and it has got a lot to do on what will transpire this weekend.

Just two days left to the IFA Tradeshow 2012 in Berlin, Germany and this post is a just a pre-cursor to what I feel I can expect there. The major draw is definitely the all-Korean grudge match between LG and Samsung when they go head to head by unveiling their latest range of 3D TV’s. On one hand, we have Samsung’s 75” Smart 3D LED TV with a bezel as thick as a third of an inch and Dual-core powered 240 Hz panel. Its opponent is the massive LG 84” UD 3D TV with Ultra Definition 3D technology and is the world’s first 4K 3D TV.

I would love to experience both these monsters first hand when I reach Berlin in a couple of days and deary me I can’t wait! Samsung’s Smart TV promises to be an enticing option with its 35 million: 1 dynamic ratio and standard Voice and Touch Recognition. The 240 Hz frame is also a big step up in its active 3D format to bring down the issues of crosstalk and allows the unit to have a better refresh rate to avoid image and color distortion. In comparison, LG’s humongous offering is the first of its kind in the 4K TV market which as per the company will provide “The most immersive viewing experience possible”. Its superlative 8 million pixels per frame is four times the standard resolution of the current full HDTV’s along with Resolution Upscaler to view high quality content through portable media.

The most striking difference between the two however, will be the active and passive 3D technology on which Samsung and LG’s TV’s are based respectively. After my love affair with LG LM6700 Smart TV, I personally feel that LG has the edge. And more so with the Smart TV Dashboard promising up to 1400 apps and 3D world features for abundance of 3D content. The finish on both the sets is top notch but await my final verdict after return!

The other two things I eagerly await to see as the LG stall is a sneak peak of the LG Optimus G Smartphone which will have a Quad Core 1.5 GHz processor with 2GB RAM and sports a neat 13 MP Camera. In other words, the most high-end Smartphone one would be able to lay his/her hands on. The second one is the unveiling of their premium IPS monitors which has enabled the LG Cinema 3D range built with LED technology to have the most vivid visuals, wide viewing angles and color wash next to zilch.

That’s all the time I have for now as the check-in process for flight boarding has already started. (Yes, I am at the airport while I write this!) Till then, stay updated and do try and catch a glimpse of IFA 2012 if possible. Hasta luego fellas !!

The Rustic feel of Wasseypur on a Rainy Monday

As a journalist, I am expected to be the overtly flamboyant soul who knows everything along the way and is generalized as an outgoing person who attends every cultural event in the Capital. I hate to break it to you but it’s a myth. I like any other working female is getting used to the sights and sounds of the Big D and dare I say that I have to spend a fortune on travelling by autos here!

 So after a long weekend, I wake on Monday morning lazing around my apartment just to get   ready for office. And I did reach office a little bit twitchy but on time when I got a pleasant surprise. Senior Editor comes up to my desk and greets me and exclaims “You 3D bug, we now have a large 3D TV in the projector room so that you can work in the late hours of night when required!” I didn’t know if I should smile or frown? Just when I had switched on my system, my senior gives a friendly pat on the back and asks “Are you sick, because your body seems to be boiling?” And then I realized that I was having fever. The kind chap told me to take the day off and go home and have some rest. Swishing through the wet Delhi Roads, I had fabulous Gol-Gappas on my way home and after having a Combiflam, tucked myself back in bed. A couple of hours later it was close to 2 PM.

Now it was lunch time and I was starving like anything. I popped open my LG Wonder Door Fridge to find an afternoon snack and thankfully, a bowl full of Hakka Noodles and my Tuborg Lite greeted me. Hey, don’t blame me as we love to do what we are not supposed to. So with the lunch over I finally decided to do something which had been on my to-do list for some time; watching “Gangs of Wasseypur”. After hearing only good things about the movie, I was eager to watch it asap and boy was it worth the wait.

One aspect that caught me by surprise was the merciless shooting, and watching it on my LG LM6700 Smart TV, I thought I might get shot myself if it didn’t stop! Even though it was just a basic PC DVDrip, my awesome TV enabled me to watch it in 3D with its excellent 2D to 3D conversion along with the required 3D Depth Control features.

All in all, an unplanned leave well spent. And after watching the trailer of the 2^nd installment, I have to catch Faisal Khan avenge the deaths of his predecessors. The magnum opus is also an eye opener for those who watch run of the mill commercialized movies. And let the words of Ramadhir Singh sum that up for you – “Jab tak India me Cinema banta rahega, logon ka………………………………..” I rest my case with that! So move over Gangs of New York, Wasseypur is here !!!

Apple has the last laugh in the Patent Lawsuit against Samsung, opens Doors for other Manufacturers to take lead

I had not planned to update the blog for a few more days but my view on this mammoth war between two of the technology giants was something I had to get off my chest. The Android market has been a boon to mass consumers since its inception in the mid of 2010. It was a viable option for technology-craving customers to have an application rich phone which is on par with iPhone and its successors. And unlike an iPhone, an Android OS based phone did not actually burn a hole in consumer pockets. Plus with the LG LTE Smartphone’s raking up millions in sales in US and due for launch here, it’s good times ahead for Android enthusiasts in India.

It has been pointed out from the preset that Apple had duly informed Samsung that the patents used in the design and OS of its flagship products was blatant copying of Apple’s own patents and therefore violation of their intellectual property. The after-effects has resulted in Apple coming out on top in the court of law with Samsung proven guilty of infringement of Apple’s innovative patents and ordered to pay Apple damages amounting to a whopping $ 1 Billion ! Senior spokesperson of Apple has welcomed the verdict highlighting that this “Patent Lawsuit” was about values and a voice against duplication of innovation while accusing Samsung of being obstreperous in heeding Apple’s warning.

I for one was bored of the ubiquity of Apple and Samsung and that is why I opted for an LG Optimus 3D P725 Smartphone. That’s because I appreciate the R&D and effort LG is putting in bringing these handsets rather than Apple iPhone replicas.

Well that must have been a bit boring to read, somewhat like a news article. But in effect, what it means is that there would be major question mark on the authenticity of Samsung and its best selling Samsung Galaxy S III and may result in a major setback for the Korean giants. On one end, you do feel hard done by what Samsung has suffered but violation of patents is never the way forward. I do agree that there were some shady claims by Apple regarding “drop down menu” and “Pinch and Zoom” features which are ubiquitous in almost all the major touch-based handsets.

Any Android lover might be thinking that “Apni to lag gayi re Mamu!” but the verdict might just be positive for us as a consumer. You may ask why? And my answer is that Samsung will have to come up with actual innovation to regain from this and it opens up an avenue for companies like LG who have been working vigorously on being the market leaders in the next generation LTE (Long Term Evolution) phones. I have already told you guys about my love for my sister’s LG Optimus LTE2 Smartphone. And with all the hustle-bustle for patents, you would not have to worry about plagiarism as far as Patents are concerned as LG holds a World Record for that.

On an ending note, I would like to quote, “Copying is an art, but the success derived from it is shortlived….” No pun intended!!!!

Seven Seas Across – A Holiday and The Evolution of Smartphone

Since all of you are well aware by now of the cringe-filled nature of mine to always prefer Aamchi Mumbai over India’s very own capital Delhi, my perspective might come across a bit less harsh now. Thought the weather is pretty decent these days but that did not stop me from taking a much needed holiday abroad. My life is already hectic and when I did get some relaxation from my work, I decided to land up at my elder sister’s place at Atlanta, Georgia to blow off some steam from my daily routine. Even my Boss didn’t object one bit on the 15 day leave I had taken so that was a plus.

The cultural amalgamation that has overseen the population in US is praiseworthy to say the very least. The locals are very welcoming and helpful at least when you have come as a tourist to the States! My sis picked me up from the Airport and within a couple of hours, I was at her place. Her apartment gave the all-too-familiar feeling you get while you see those cottage-shaped houses you see in the Hollywood movies. I was eager to meet up with my little nephew as well and boy is the kid American. Not a hint of the fact that he was actually Indian as his accent suggested otherwise.

Anyways, before she could ask anything I decided to flaunt my latest baby and popped out my new LG Optimus 3D Smartphone  to which she gave a sneaky smile. I was bit taken aback as I was expecting the jaw-drop reaction. But I had forgotten that US mobile technology is pretty advanced with all the major brands launching their handsets there. Sure enough, I ended up giving the same jaw-dropping reaction after I laid my hands on her LG Optimus LTE2.. By God are we behind as LTE (or Long Term Evolution) due to the poor show of 3G in India. I am no gadget Guru but trust me, I have used most of the high-end handsets money can buy in India and they all fell pale in comparison to this LG Smartphone with Verizon network. The looks are appealing enough but the 4G network speed is pretty much comparable to that of an office lease line. And I saw this wonderful & humorous clip on the YouTube about it.

I also loved the fact that GPS and other features of the phone were actually fully utilized because of the service provider capabilities. Before I knew, I ended up watching my favorite DDLJ on YouTube without any buffering delays. The day had ended with me draining out her cell phone’s battery and at 5 in the evening, I finally got to meet my sweet Jiju ! Mu sister’s little gadget kept me in awe all along with its navigational capabilities and excellent response time. And with the Jelly Bean update upcoming, her phone is the envy of tech-loving people like me.

After returning to India, I decided to do a little research of my own and my awe didn’t reduce one bit. With the specs provided, this would be the perfect companion to migrate and enjoy media on my LG 42” Cinema 3D TV. With over 5 million handsets already sold worldwide, the fad of this next generation Smartphone will grip India sooner rather than later. And trust me; I will be one of the first ones in the queue!

Alright guys, time to return to monotony of my daily life. Hope you enjoyed my tedious and personal account of this holiday and the revelation of LTE it introduced me to.

New York to Sao Paolo – the many faces of Max Payne

Gaming has grown in leaps and bounds in the last decade thanks to the mushrooming of the various gaming platforms. And it is a divine belief that variety is the spice of life. And the spice in here is accounted for by popular consoles like PS3, Xbox, Wii and the good ol’ PC. From an MS-Dos “Dave” to the graphic-filled Call of Duty, the advancement has been immense to say the least.

My first tryst with gaming happened during my free days in 05’ between finishing class 12^th and joining college (or the days of velapanti as we call it!) with the installation of Max Payne on my PC. I being more of a FIFA enthusiast from constant viewing at my friend’s place did not exactly endear it at first. But eventually I did start playing the noir revenge adventure of a NY cop made by Remedy Entertainment in 2001. Max Payne has not been able to come out of the traumatic killing of his wife Michelle and their little baby and vows to avenge her death by any means possible. What unfolds is a dark, morbid journey to hell and back in a tale interwoven with religion, drugs and corporate secrets. At times, you are emotionally drained by the gloomy and disturbing noir premises. The USP’s of this game was definitely its graphic novel storytelling and the Bullet Time which allowed Max to duck sideways or forward in slow motion for better shots at the thugs he was up against. The graphics are nowhere near what we are used to seeing today but the game itself holds a novelty value. Here’s a trailer for it.

Remedy did not the fans wait too long and bought the second installment of the game Max Payne 2 {A Noir Love Story} in 2003. The second game had much improved graphics and re-christened player controls, and with a show of homage with several references from the last game this game caught the fancy of gamers and critics worldwide. However, one drawback that everyone collectively found in Max Payne 2 was the relatively short story length. The film did score with its game play and art design but could never manage to scale the heights of emotional connect the first one achieved. And despite of all the good things about it, the commercial sales pointed otherwise. That is when Rockstar Games took over the mantle to replenish and revive the series with the third version.

Now don’t get me wrong as Rockstar Games are well versed with the action genre through its GTA brigade but I had this lingering sense of apprehension as I was worried that the Payne saga will lose its noir-ism and become more commercialized. But those were the PC days and by now I had become pretty well-versed with the offerings of the gaming world and expected a path-breaking improvement    with the visuals and game play. And to be honest, I have not been left disappointed on that front. In Max Payne 3, we find Max having moved from NY to Brazil and taken refuge amongst the noisy favelas. He has become a drunkard and his security gig turns into one big massacre of epic proportions as things start to go haywire. No point in me indulging too much into its storyline as I believe that might have a spoiler effect to any of you prospective gamers. The narrative is absorptive and hideously cynical to the core and the narrative even though a bit stretched at times makes for the interesting plot that unfolds. Now I am not into rating games as such, but have to say that Rockstar has done a fine job of rooting the action-fiction genre in this and make it one of the more proficient third-person shooter games of the year.

On a personal note, I have to admit that the experience of playing the previous two games on a PC and this one at my place on my LG Cinema 3D TV with my sneaky lil’ cousin (God bless the munchkin for getting his PS3 for the night out!) were worlds apart and got me thinking if it’s high time for me to invest in a game console myself!

Exploring World’s thinnest OLED TV

My last posting was about my visit to London; while today I want to talk with you regarding my earlier visit to Las Vegas. I was there to attend the CES 2012- where the biggest electronic companies of the world showcase their top of the line products before their actual market launch. Be it Tablets, Televisions, cameras, cell phones or lap tops; you name it and it was there. The products with cutting edge technology that will shape home and personal entertainment for the next few years. So with my delegate pass, I moved around the venue and looked at the various products on display to my hearts’ content. If only they were on sale or I had no limit credit card with me, I would have bought so many of them! But even among all those alluring and fascinating products, the one I that liked most was the OLED TV.

LG’s company Cinema 3D Smart TV (Model 55LM960V) was a crowd puller and went on to win the CES award 2012 and later also the European Display Achievement Award. The World’s thinnest, lightest and biggest OLED TV was the show-stopper; be it the design, looks, thinness or the sheer size of the TV – everything was awesome. The paper slim Bezel or the frame of the TV is just 4mm (0.16 inches) thick; which is like three credit cards stacked together. It gives you the uncanny feeling that the pictures are floating in the air or as if you are looking through a frameless window. No wonder that it has created a world record in its category and is among the most sought after TVs of the world. Taking of world records, LG India has also launched a World Record Campaign that focuses on its WR category products – be it TV, Wonder door Refrigerator that kills 99.99 percent bacteria and likewise. A bunch of really cute animated characters that remind you to Shin Chan and which are called WR man, introduce these products on the LG India Facebook page and reply to user queries. You will be amazed by their posts, trust me.

Coming back to the OLED TV, it has a screen Size of 55 Inches, its native resolution is 1920×1080 and aspect ratio is 16:9. This 3D TV like other TV this in this category by LG, uses passive technology with light weight designer glasses. It comes with standard features like 2D to 3D conversion, video format: 1080p, USB 2.0: 3 ports, Dual Core CPU, Smart Share Plus (MHL, DLNA, Intel Wi Di, 2nd Display) and a Magic Motion Remote that is also a World Record product as in world’s first truly motion control remote.

Other companies competing for the share in the OLED TV category with varying degree of success are Sony and Samsung; but more on them and their products later. As for LG’s OLED TV, the grapevine has it that they will be introduced later this year in India and already there is a buzz in various online forums and knowledgeable circles about its price and performance. I will keep you posted on any updated on this as and when they come. Wishing Eid Mubarak to all my readers and a long holiday weekend; I’ll be back next week with more news for the worlds of gadgets and technology.

Will Salman’s dream run continue with the movie Ek Tha Tiger?

We all know that Salman Khan  is on a roll and his last movies have done wonders at the box office. His latest release with Yash Chopra banner is the current rage amongst the youth with the film pundits predicting a 100-200 crore collection at the box office along with substantial overseas collection. With the producers already sitting pretty with music and TV rights rumored to have been sold for an astonishing 75 crores! And given the legion of fans of Mr. Khan and the current craze with the movie goers, the film can be expected to do well in the first few days of the release at least.Will Salman’s dream run continue with the movie Ek Tha Tiger?

The over bloated star system – as it currently exists in Bollywood – is skewed in the extreme; it is high time that the overpriced stars and the filmmakers realize that a famous star can only ensure a descent opening of a movie and little else. And no one better than Bollywood understands that a star is only as good as his previous release. Same is true of the marketing and promotion that is limited to creating only the viewer awareness and buzz regarding the movie. The world of mouth publicity still rules and no amount to paid reviews or glossy advertisements or promos on TV channels can ever truly replace that. One has to be cautious with over enthusiasm as the example of Ra-One shows that hype and marketing can never replace a good and engaging storyline. Whereas the movies with engaging storylines – be it Phas gaye Obama or Bheja Fry, have struck gold at the box office because the director was able to hold the interest of the viewers and surprise them.

I do not know how many of you have notice the uncanny resemblance in the storyline of Ek tha Tiger with Saif Ali Khan’s Agent Vinod that hit the silver screen some time back. So much for originality in the Bollywood! Or perhaps the brain wave of inspiration in the closely knit Bollywood writing fraternity is universal, akin to Dr. Karl Gustav Jung’s universal human consciousness! All seem to be dipping in the same river of inspiration and coming out with identical pearls – be it extra marital affair movies, Bhagat Singh movies or secret agent movies!

Another interesting bit of news item I came across is that Salman’s movie has pushed back the release of the 3D version of the epic movie Sholay to September, as the producers did not wanted a clash with the Khan movie. How many of the young would prefer to watch Sholay over Ek tha Tiger? Not many I suppose; although it does not take away anything from the charm of the Ramesh Sippy’s masterpiece. I wonder if he himself could make another Sholay; highly unlikely – such movies are made only once and the magic is never repeated. I would rather wait for the blu ray disc of the 3D Sholay to come out and watch it on my large 42 inch LG LED Cinema 3D TV with chilly garlic chicken and bacardi or kingfisher – one of my few indulgences beside my cats. And being a Salman fan I have already booked the ticket for the movie for the weekend and will have a blast of time with my friends.

How I miss Mumbai; but more on that later! For now your friend Kitty kitten Nisha babi signing off until next time.