Samsung has developed a new universal remote control for its televisions and home theater accessories that ditches dozens of buttons in favor of Siri-like voice command support and a touch pad. As Apple reportedly readies an assault on the TV industry, established vendors such as Sony, LG and Samsung looked to cut the Cupertino-based firm off at the pass during this year’s Consumer Electronics Show. All the big names at this year’s show added voice controls and gesture support to their flagship HDTVs, and now Samsung has taken the wraps off its new voice-controlled universal remote, Nikkei’s Tech-On blog reports. The device allows users to speak commands in many cases rather than typing on a keyboard or pressing buttons, and it uses a combination of Bluetooth and infrared connectivity to improve reliability. While Samsung hasn’t yet stated exactly which devices will be compatible with its new remote, it did say TVs, set-top boxes, Blu-ray players and other accessories will be supported.

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Prototypes of Apple’s upcoming HDTV are already being tested by multiple potential carrier partners Apple is trying to woo, The Globe and Mail reports. The Canadian paper calls the iTV “a product that has the potential to revolutionize TV viewing by turning conventional televisions into gigantic iPads,” and claims at least two Canadian carriers are currently testing the Apple television in their labs. Apple’s forthcoming iTV can be controlled using voice commands or by making gestures in the air, and it supports Web browsing as well according to the report. Apple is said to be in talks with Canadian carriers Rogers and BCE regarding potential broadcast partnerships in Canada, though the content and terms Apple is seeking are unclear. Apple is expected to launch an iOS-powered HDTV later this year that will replace the conventional remote control with voice commands interpreted by Siri. The iTV may also offer a customized channel subscription model and iOS app support according to earlier rumors.

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Apple will launch its own HDTV called the “iTV,” analyst Peter Misek of Jefferies & Company said on Monday. We’ve written dozens of reports on Apple’s alleged upcoming HDTV, and most speculate that the device will run a version of iOS along with the company’s Siri voice engine that will remove the need for a traditional remote control. Misek also said that Apple is in talks to partner with carriers such as Verizon Wireless and AT&T for access to exclusive and non-exclusive content, Bloomberg reported on Monday. Best Buy recently leaked possible details on the iTV and the retailer’s survey suggested the device will have a 42-inch display and a $1,499 price tag. The TV could launch near the middle of this year, although a recent report suggested that the television’s launch might be pushed back due to limited display availability.

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Best Buy has reportedly been testing the waters for a possible “iTV” offering from Apple. According to The Verge, the retail giant has been circulating a customer survey that provides some very specific details about an Apple HDTV to gauge consumer interest. Here are the details:

• 42-inch 1080 LED display
• Runs iOS
• App Store functionality
• iCloud for access to all your music, TV shows, movies, photos, and videos
• iPhone and iPad as a remote control with AirPlay to push content from your devices to the TV
• Built-in FaceTime camera and microphone (we’d imagine Siri, as well)
• Netflix, YouTube, Flickr support
• $1,499 price

This list, while detailed, could be easily have been put together by anyone familiar with Apple’s current Apple TV product, though the 42-inch display size and price of $1,499 could be solid indications of what we can expect from Apple. The Cupertino-based company is rumored to be preparing to launch its first HDTV featuring iOS and Siri later this year.

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Apple has been widely rumored to be readying a Siri-enabled television for release this year, but a new report claims component availability issues will prevent the highly anticipated “iTV” from launching in the first half. Citing unnamed sources within Apple’s supply chain, DigiTimes on Friday reports that Sharp, rumored to have been contracted to supply display panels for Apple’s debut HDTV, is not yet ready to ship the indium gallium zinc oxide (IGZO) panels Apple will use in its iTV. According to the site’s sources, upcoming HDTV models from Samsung and LG will occupy much of the OLED panel capacity during the first half, so Apple has chosen to instead utilize IGZO panels. Sharp is reportedly not yet ready to mass produce its latest IGZO panels, however, and Apple’s iTV launch may have been pushed to the second half as a result. Apple’s iOS-powered iTV will reportedly support apps and feature voice controls powered by Siri as well as access to on-demand content through iTunes.

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This year’s Consumer Electronics Show had record attendance and a number of terrific products unveiled during various CES press conferences should make waves when they hit the market later this year. A dark cloud loomed over the show, however, and the staggering number of ultra-slim notebook PCs and voice-controlled HDTVs on display in Las Vegas last week made it clear that companies are gearing up to do battle with one competitor in particular. Read on for more.

In a note to investors sent Tuesday, Canaccord Genuity analyst Mike Walkley notes that despite the company’s absence from the CES 2012 show floor, Apple’s presence was absolutely felt.

“While Apple did not attend CES, its leading market position was evident as competitors introduced new Ultrabook and LTE smartphone products targeted to compete with Apple’s strong product portfolio,” Walkley wrote. “Despite increasing competition, we believe Apple is well positioned for a very strong C2012 driven by new products, including the pending refresh of MacBook Air (featuring a new 15-inch model), the iPad 3 launching this spring, the LTE iPhone 5 likely mid-year, and potentially Apple TV exiting C2012.”

Apple is widely expected to launch an iOS-powered HDTV product later this year that replaces the standard remote control with voice commands courtesy of Siri, Apple’s digital personal assistant. Earlier reports suggested that Apple will launch its new “iTV” this summer, but Walkley claims the Cupertino, California-based company will release its first television toward the end of 2012.

Walkley also sees Apple launching an “iPhone 5″ with embedded 4G LTE connectivity toward the middle of 2012, though we have been told that a redesigned next-generation iPhone won’t hit the market until this coming fall.

Regarding ultrabooks, the analyst sees PC vendors struggling while new MacBook Air laptops from Apple, including a 15-inch model, help Apple gain PC share in 2012. “While Ultrabooks grabbed many of the headlines at CES, we view Ultrabooks as a Windows alternative to MacBook Air,” Walkley wrote in his research note on Tuesday. “We believe Apple will continue to gain PC market share by launching a refreshed MacBook Air line in the coming weeks, including a new 15-inch version. Further, we believe Ultrabooks at proposed $700-$900 prices will struggle to sell versus competitively priced new MacBook products, as we believe Apple will continue to benefit from its supply chain advantages such as dominant share of the global NAND flash market given growing volumes for iPhones and iPads.”

Walkley reiterated his Buy rating on Apple stock with a price target of $560.

The Consumer Electronics Show is one of the biggest technology trade shows in the world, and this year’s CES was as big as it has ever been. It was estimated that between 140,000 and 150,000 people attended the show in Las Vegas this week — CES’s record stands at 149,529, achieved last year — and the show was as busy as we’ve ever seen it. Hundreds of companies touted thousands of gadgets and all of the big names were there showing off their upcoming wares. As is always the case, however, a few products managed to outshine the rest. Here, we provide a quick rundown of our favorite tech from CES 2012.

As is common here at CES, TVs took center stage. Big-name brands come to the show in full force every year, each trying to push boundaries and innovate in one of the most crowded spaces in consumer electronics. This year was bigger than ever for ultra-thin HDTVs that were slimmer and brighter than ever before, and we saw a renewed vigor surrounding “smart TVs,” which provide integrated connectivity and app support. While it was a great show all around for TVs, two companies in particular really wowed us this year.

Samsung came to the show packing plenty of new TV tech, but the gorgeous panels on its Super OLED HDTVs blew us away. The South Korea-based vendor’s new displays are remarkably bright, the colors are incredibly vivid and designs are beautiful. Samsung has helped make HDTVs something of an art, and anyone would be proud to display one of the company’s new Super OLED TVs at the center of his or her living room.

The other company that came out swinging this year was LG. Its 55-inch OLED TV was the only unit we came across that could possibly give Samsung’s new models a run for their money, offering a slender borderless design and an infinite contrast ratio. It also uses LG’s Color Refiner technology to produce a picture that is beyond stunning. In an effort to get the jump on a potential new competitor, Samsung, LG and others also showed off voice controls, face recognition and other new features. It was interesting to see how these companies plan to cut Apple off at the pass, especially considering its Siri-fueled HDTV is nothing more than a rumor at this point, but we’re looking forward to seeing motion and voice-based controls become commonplace in the living room.

While the most exciting smartphone-related announcements of the year typically happen at Mobile World Congress and the CTIA Wireless show, there were a handful announcements made at CES 2012. HTC, outed the Windows Phone-powered Titan II, Motorola had two new smartphones on hand — the DROID 4 and DROID RAZR MAXX for Verizon Wireless — and Sony Ericsson unveiled the Xperia ion and Xperia S, among others. When all the dust settled however, the smartphone we found ourselves most excited about at this year’s show was Nokia’s Lumia 900 for AT&T.

Nokia’s first flagship Windows Phone for the U.S. market is a stunner, offering the same unique design as the Lumia 800 but on a larger scale. The sleek smartphone will hit AT&T in March featuring a 4.3-inch ClearBlack display, a 1.4GHz Snapdragon processor, 4G LTE and Microsoft’s Windows Phone operating system. We took a hands-on look at the Lumia 900 and suffice it to say we can’t wait for Nokia to begin shipping review units.

The ultrabook was also a hot item this year, with a number of vendors looking at the high-margin slim notebook as a far more appealing alternative to netbooks of old. But it wasn’t just netbooks being replaced by these slender Wintel laptops, tablets took a huge hit this year as well.

At last year’s Consumer Electronics Show, more than 100 new tablet models were unveiled as vendors from around the world looked to capitalize on a new market created by Apple’s iPad. Only, that didn’t happen. Android was the king of the slate during CES 2011 but at this year’s show, Android tablets felt like a distant memory. Only a handful of new Google-powered tablets were unveiled by companies like Toshiba and ViewSonic, and Samsung had a new version of its 7-inch Galaxy Tab for Verizon Wireless on display.

Despite Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich now being available to vendors, many look to be focused on Windows 8 as the more promising tablet platform. Microsoft has made it quite clear that tablets and convertible, touchscreen-equipped notebooks are a huge part of the strategy with its next-generation operating system. With big chip makers like Intel and Qualcomm confirming that Windows 8 will be a major focus, a number of tablet makers appear to be looking forward to Windows 8 as opposed to backward at Android when it comes to future tablet efforts.

In the end, CES 2012 got us excited about the tech we’ll see rolled out over the next six months, and even more excited about what we’ll see emerge further down the line. Always on, always connected, ultra-thin, ultra-portable, slim, sleek and stylish… this is the future of consumer electronics. Thanks to all of our great readers for tuning in this past week, and thanks to Verizon Wireless and Novatel for creating the only 4G LTE Mi-Fi portable hotspots that could manage to keep us connected reliably, the CEA for putting together another amazing show, Sprint, Nokia and others for hosting great events, and LensRentals.com for providing BGR with the cameras and gear that made our coverage possible.

Samsung and Sony each brought their A-game to the Consumer Electronics Show this year when it comes to high-end HDTVs. If there was one other brand that could easily give these tech giants a run for their money though, it was LG. The South Korea-based company had a handfull of other devices to show off at CES 2012, but televisions took center stage in the firm’s booth and sets on display ranged from entry-level offerings to high-end stunners that were absolutely beautiful. Of all the TVs LG had on display at CES, our clear favorite — it’s not even close, really — was the company’s new 55-inch OLED model. The gorgeous panel on this HDTV gives Samsung’s Super OLED displays a run for their money, and we would be hard pressed to say which screen produces deeper blacks and more vivid colors. No pricing has been announced and we’re sure this set will cost a pretty penny, but it could very well find its way to BGR headquarters once it hits the market. Pictures can hardly do LG’s new OLED HDTV justice, but several photos can be found in our LG booth tour, which follows below.

There is no clear cut winner or loser at the Consumer Electronics Show but if there was, Samsung would easily be a top contender for the crown. The South Korea-based consumer electronics giant came to CES 2012 with guns blazing, showing off everything from new televisions, ultrabooks and smartphones to a revolutionary new washing machine. Yes, a washing machine. Samsung had a gigantic booth packed to the brim with cutting-edge tech, but the stars of this year’s show in our eyes were Samsung’s new Super OLED HDTVs. The only word that can possibly describe them is gorgeous. They’re unbelievably slim, incredibly bright, and they produce colors unlike anything we’ve seen on a TV before… but we’ll let the pictures do the talking. Our CES 2012 booth tour featuring Samsung follows below.

The Consumer Electronics show is always a massive event for the home entertainment industry, and 2012 is shaping up to be the biggest year yet. Hundreds of companies will showcase thousands of products, but among the companies that managed to generate some real buzz ahead of the show, LG really looks like it has some gems on its hands this year. The company previewed its new nearly borderless 55-inch OLED HDTV last week and it has a few Cinema Screen 3D models with just a 1-millimeter bezel surrounding its gorgeous display panels. LG surely has plenty more gear in store for us — including at least one smartphone and next-generation Google TV devices — so hit the break to watch all the action unfold in our live coverage.

11:05AM:Alright we're here and seated, huge line lots of people. President of LG Electronics USA is on the stage going over the year and LG's ability to increase its revenues by nearly 8% during a difficult economy.

11:05AM:LG had record breaking US sales last year, especially in LG TV with its LG Cinema 3G line.

11:07AM:In mobile phones, US says it is continuing to grow its U.S. business, including the first dual-core smartphone, a glasse-free smartphone and a trueHD device with an IPS display. "We advanced our US brand to an all time high and led the industry in consumer satisfaction."

11:07AM:LG increased sales of energy star rated products by 30%

11:08AM:"Despite the challenging business environment in 2011, life is still good at LG and the best is yet to come." LG will focus on its core product categories. "Today we invite you to experience the latest LG innovations.. As we have said before, LG is committed to building a future with innovative products."

11:10AM:Master of Innovation Dr. Scott Ahn is taking the stage to give us a taste of LG's newest products. "I have a lot to talk about today, and I hope we agree that it has been worthwhile getting up so early." He will go over smart TVs, smartphones and smart appliances and how the tech is tied together across each product category.

11:13AM:"We have been able to create thinner panels, unlike some of our competitors," with unique LED technology. The Cinema Screen Design allowed LG to create thinner TVs without sacrificing picture quality. It has just a 1.0mm bezel and 28mm thickness. Last year LG introduced a new way to interact with TVs with the Magic Remote. This year LG will use voice recognition for text input.

11:14AM:In addition to voice recognition, we are introducing a 3D gesture interface using a 3D camera. Sounds a lot like what the Microsoft Kinect offers.

11:15AM:LG's smart TV will be the first in the industry to feature Intel WiDi technology.

11:16AM:"We now support more than 80 countries and offer more than 1,200 applications. Since the start of the smart TV revolution, we have felt that industry chipsets have held us back from providing high performance and powerful solutions on our TVs. After a few years of development we are announcing our own chipset, the L-Line, it features a dual-core ARM architecture. This will be applied to our premium line this year."

11:18AM:2D to 3D conversion has also been improved. 3D depth control and 3D zooming will also be added as new features to LG's TVs this year. For single user viewing, we've created 3D monitors and laptops. Before we move on to the next product category, I'd like to introduce another new product.

11:18AM:So, this year at CES we will be showcasing our own series of Google TVs with the latest Google TV software. Our technology coupled with the Google TV platform will form the basis of future relationships with Google. Now, let's move on to the smartphones.

11:19AM:As you've probably heard, we've invested heavily in LTE during the past few years. We believe this gives us a form foundation for future growth in today's competitive mobile industry. We have launched the Optimus LTE smartphone (Nitro HD on AT&T), this smartphone is currently our flagship model and it's the first to integrate the true HD IPS display.

11:21AM:We are introducing the first enterprise smartphone with VMWare Verizon mobile manager. It will be discussed more during Mobile World Congress next month.

11:23AM:Last year, we introduced smart diagnosis and another of appliance-related technology. Now we're giving it a new name, smart manager. Users can record food items stored in the refrigerator with voice recognition or by scanning receipts with a smartphones. The fridge can download the full inventory.

11:24AM:LG is introducing blast chiller which allows you to quickly chill soda or any other warm can of soda in less than 5 minutes. Sounds awesome.

11:26AM:I'd like to unveil one final product.

11:26AM:Well, your enthusiasm has not gone unnoticed. This year we have a much larger version for you. This is our 55-inch OLED TV. At just 4mm thin and weighing only 7.5 kilograms it's the world's thinnest, largest and lightest OLED TV.

11:27AM:The picture quality is super. It is really capable and 100% compatible with other LG 3D glasses.

11:28AM:Now three speakers are taking the stage to discuss a detailed US product launch schedule. Tim Elessi from Home Entertainment in the U.S. is on stage.

11:29AM:Good morning everyone. It's hard to believe another year has passed since we introduced Cinema 3D technology. We were a lone voice in discussing passive technology but we were armed with consumer research that showed a strong preference when compared to active shutter glass. We had the confidence to create a marketing campaign about passive technology.

11:29AM:95% of the market is using active shutter glasses (3D) and more consumers are adopting the technology.

11:33AM:LG is going over design and sound technology that currently exists in its models and is encouraging CES attendees visiting the booth to check it out first-hand which, of course, we will be doing.

11:34AM:"For the second year in a row at CES, LG is showcasing its home appliance technology. This year we have Ellis Mass, LG's director of home appliances."

11:38AM:LG is discussing custom wash cycles for washing machines and an awesome technology that allows users to use their fridge to follow a diet, follow its inventory and more all from a touchscreen or from their smartphones. Another homebot device can roam the house with a build-in camera. "We're quite excited to expand our line of super capacity of french door refrigerators." A four-door version will be available this year. Each model will have the blast chiller, which we discussed earlier, which chills a can in 5 minutes or a bottle of wine in 8 minutes.

11:39AM:Today LG is unveiling a turbo wash ultracycle feature for its washing machines. It cleans clothes faster so you can get more out the door quickly. In 2012 LG will add its largest capacity washer available. It anticipates that all will meet the DOE Energy Star standard.

11:40AM:Tim O'Brien the vice president of marketing for mobile phones is taking the stage.

11:42AM:We feel really good about what we accomplished in 2011. Globally we introduced the world's first dual-core processor in a smartphone. The first glasses-free 3D smartphone and now the first HD IPS display on a smartphone. Looking ahead we will focus on the high-end LTE market. The first device is the LG Spectrum exclusively for Verizon. 1.5GHz dual-core processor, Android 2.3 Gingerbread upgradeable to ICS. It has an 8-megapixel camera, 1.3MP front-facing and can record video in 1080P HD Video.

11:45AM:The Spectrum has a 4.5-inch display with a 1280 x 720-pixel resolution. It will launch exclusively on Verizon Wireless by the end of this month, although pricing was not discussed.

11:48AM:ESPN will exclusively provide HD video for the LG Spectrum in partnership with Verizon. Stuart Scott is on a video talking about the phone. Kind of cheesy.

11:49AM:HD video will be included in ESPN's Score Center application on the Spectrum.

11:50AM:"We think this device is the ultimate mobile trifecta. Incredible hardware, LG LTE and the most coveted HD content." The spectrum will launch on January 19th for $199.99 with a two-year contract.

11:51AM:We just saw a brief commercial LG will be airing in partnership with ESPN and Verizon Wireless. We're winding down now and hope to get hands-on with the device as soon as possible. Thanks for joining us!

12:26PM:AT&T now has more than 3.6 million U-verse subscribers, and the U-verse APIs AT&T offers allow devs to build apps that will interact with U-verse services and stream media, control accounts and more on iOS, Android or on other platforms.

12:29PM:PacketVideo is an example of a company making use of the U-verse API. The firm's CEO is now on stage demoing its app, Twonky Video, which allows users to stream and share YouTube content and now, thanks to AT&T's APIs, it can stream videos from U-verse as well.

12:31PM:AT&T is working with a number of partner companies during the development of its APIs, including Microsoft, Heroku, StackMob and others.

12:36PM:As AT&T continues to roll our its LTE network, maintaining fast and reliable service across both HSPA+ and LTE is a huge priority.

12:38PM:AT&T also offers differentiated cloud solutions to consumers and businesses alike. AT&T is dedicated to working with businesses to create custom cloud-based enterprise solutions, but the company understands that developers have different needs than enterprise and AT&T announced "AT&T platform as a service" to address developer needs.

12:42PM:AT&T is also announcing that it is formally joining the OpenStack community. The carrier has already dedicated thousands of hours to OpenStack projects, and it is excited to continue its work more formally.

12:43PM:AT&T is the first carrier to join the OpenStack initiative.

12:45PM:AT&T is now going to walk us through its API roadmap.

12:49PM:AT&T is planning on adding new network APIs for speech-to-text this year, along with advertising, contacts, "storage as a service," about a dozen more.

12:50PM:AT&T's goal is to address the global market, and it intends to ensure that its tools are interoperable across a as many international networks as possible.

12:55PM:And the winner is... People Power.

12:59PM:People Power's winning app was an open source solution that helps users manage their power consumption, and it lets companies offer branded versions to their customers.

1:05PM:Execs from Pandora and Zynga are now on stage to discuss AT&T's testing and optimization tool, ARO.

1:11PM:AT&T is also announcing a new HTML5-based app distribution platform that will be included in its next-gen AppCenter.

1:15PM:The first app is a social app that let's users share images and notes about their sports injuries via various social networks. No, seriously.

1:18PM:The third and final app is Sleepbot, a mobile and web app that helps people improve their sleep habits.

Apple recently filed for a patent called “Dynamic Backlight Adaptation for Black Bars with Subtitles” that may be used to provide improved picture quality in its rumored HDTV. Apple explained in the patent application that the black bars above and below video on widescreen televisions can make it tough for a television panel to display blacks properly. ”These non-picture portions complicate the analysis of the brightness of the video images, and therefore can create problems when determining the trade-off between the brightness of the video signals and the intensity setting of the light source,” Apple said in the patent. “Moreover, these non-picture portions can also produce visual artifacts, which can degrade the overall user experience.” Apple’s solution would be to dynamically change the backlighting. Read on for more.

“The system determines the intensity setting of the light source on an image-by-image basis for the sequence of video images, where the intensity of the given video image is based on the brightness setting and/or brightness information contained in the video signals associated with the given image,” Apple explained. ”Then, the system synchronizes the intensity of the setting of the light source with the current video image to be displayed.”

Apple’s Siri-powered TV is rumored to be launching later this year. While earlier rumors suggested that Sharp will supply 32-inch and 37-inch panels for the device, the latest reports suggest 42-inch and 50-inch models are in the works.

[Via AppleInsider]

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Apple’s design boss Jonathan Ive is reportedly hard at work on two models of Apple’s upcoming “iTV,” a new report claimed on Wednesday. Earlier rumors suggested that Apple is preparing to launch 32 and 37-inch HDTVs this summer, but USA Today cites an anonymous former Apple employee in stating Apple is prepping a 42-inch model and a 50-inch model. The report also reaffirms a number of previously reported iTV features such as Siri-powered controls, iOS app support, AirPlay, iCloud support and deep iTunes integration. USA Today also notes that stalled negotiations with content providers within the TV industry are a “major roadblock” for Apple. A la carte availability of top-tier TV shows is said to be a key to the success of Apple’s HDTV, but Apple has reportedly been unable to secure the licensing agreements it would need to offer content using its desired distribution model. ”I do expect Apple to make an attempt, since I expect the living room to remain a center for family entertainment, and that touches on all areas of consumer products that Apple is already making,” Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak told USA Today.

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Apple will further extend its lead in the technology sector this year as it launches a number of new products that will leave its competition scrambling, a new report suggested on Tuesday. Ticonderoga Securities analyst Brian White made Apple his top pick in 2011 and the stock was his top performer, having grown 26% during his coverage. In 2012, Apple remains White’s top stock pick as a trio of new products is set to extend Apple’s lead in the new year. Read on for more.

“We believe Apple’s portfolio in 2012 has the opportunity to create more excitement around the story with our expectation for the unveiling of iTV, [an] ‘iPad mini’ and a major upgrade with the iPhone 5, while we expect the company to finally come to grips with its surging cash balance and issue its first cash dividend,” White wrote in a research note on Tuesday.

The analyst first reported in October that Apple would launch an “iPad mini” in 2012. While a number of reports suggested the new slate would in fact be a smaller iPad positioned between Apple’s high-end iPad and the iPod touch, White used the term “mini” to describe the upcoming tablet’s price point rather than its size. He sees Apple launching a new high-end iPad in 2012, and a less expensive mini model priced in the high to mid-$200 range will accompany it, White believes. More recent reports suggest that Apple will continue to sell the iPad 2 at a lower price once it launches the iPad 3.

Beyond a new iPad that will attack the market at a lower price point, the analyst sees two other Apple products as being huge for the Cupertino, California-based company this year.”We believe 2012 will be the year that Apple unveils iTV in pursuit of a new $100 billion plus LCD TV market opportunity, reinventing a product category with a Smart TV that delivers a clean, crisp and simple experience that connects seamlessly with the Apple digital ecosystem,” White wrote. “Last April, we were the first on the Street to uncover concrete evidence that a full blown Apple TV was already flowing through factories in China for prototype production and we believe it’s about time for the company to unveil its latest innovation.”

Finally, Ticonderoga believes Apple’s next-generation iPhone will feature a cosmetic redesign and a huge feature upgrade. “The iPhone 4S has been a big hit but we expect iPhone 5 to be even bigger with our expectations of a new unibody form factor, larger screen, NFC and 4G,” White wrote. BGR exclusively reported last month that Apple will launch a new iPhone this fall with a redesigned aluminum case.

New record-breaking televisions are compulsory at the Consumer Electronics Show each year, and LG will be among the companies this year staking claim to HDTV sets that go where no TV has gone before. The South Korea-based electronics giant announced over the weekend that it will be showing off the world’s largest OLED TV at CES 2012 next week. With a panel that measures 55 inches diagonally, LG’s new HDTV features an infinite contrast ratio, 4-Color Pixels, Color Refiner and a nearly borderless design with a bezel that is only 4-millimeters wide. ”Working closely with LG Display, we have a product which not only delivers on all the advantages of OLED over LCD but at a significantly lower cost than what could be achieved using existing OLED manufacturing technologies,” LG Electronics Home Entertainment Company CEO Havis Kwon said in a statement. “OLED is clearly the future of home TV entertainment and LG is very focused on making this exciting technology as easy as possible for consumers to embrace.” LG’s full press release follows below, along with another image of LG’s new HDTV.

WORLD’S LARGEST OLED TV FROM LG OFFERS MORE REALISTIC COLORS, BRIGHTER PICTURE, FASTER SPEED

LG Unveils Much Anticipated 55-inch OLED TV for First Time at CES 2012

SEOUL, Jan. 2, 2012 – LG Electronics (LG) will present the future of TV technology at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas with the unveiling of the world’s largest OLED TV with a display size of 55 inches. By incorporating the company’s 4-Color Pixels and Color Refiner features with LG Display’s advanced OLED (organic light-emitting diode) panels, LG OLED TV generates the most natural colors of any TV set at a much lower price point than could have been achieved using the standard manufacturing process.

“Working closely with LG Display, we have a product which not only delivers on all the advantages of OLED over LCD but at a significantly lower cost than what could be achieved using existing OLED manufacturing technologies,” said Havis Kwon, President and CEO of LG Electronics Home Entertainment Company. “OLED is clearly the future of home TV entertainment and LG is very focused on making this exciting technology as easy as possible for consumers to embrace.”

What sets LG’s TV picture apart from other OLED TVs is 4-Color Pixels and Color Refiner which work together to generate natural and accurate colors that are sharp and consistent. The 4-Color Pixels feature allows for more accurate color depiction by using a set of four colors (red, green blue and white) in comparison to the RGB setup used by other OLED TV manufacturers. Color Refiner ensures consistency in colors from a wider viewing angle via an LG algorithm which improves and refines hues and tones. This is in contrast to other OLED TVs which often exhibit drastic changes in hues from different viewing angles and abnormal color gamut.

Boasting an infinite contrast ratio, LG’s OLED TV exhibits vivid colors and the smallest details regardless of the overall luminance of the on-screen image. In turn, colors and details throughout an entire image are preserved with utmost clarity and sharpness, even when displaying scenes with dark lighting. Such color capabilities are technically impossible with LED and LCD display panels. And at 1,000 times faster than LED/LCD displays, LG’s OLED TV shows crystal clear motion without any blurring or bleeding.

And LG’s OLED TV is as aesthetically pleasing as it is technologically sophisticated. LG’s Slim and Narrow Bezel design gives the TV a sleek, minimal look and at only 4 mm thin and a mere 7.5 kg, LG’s OLED TV practically blends into the wall.

As each year draws to a close, we can always count on a flurry of predictions for the tech industry over the coming 12 months. Our favorite soothsaying for 2012 came on Friday from Investor’s Business Daily, and it included a number of gems such as the fall of Apple. So why, exactly, is Apple set to falter in 2012? According to IBD, it’s because “the iPhone is boxy, flat and feeling stale,” while Samsung’s Galaxy line of smartphones “seems cooler.” The site also says Apple’s software advantage with iOS will diminish because “Google’s Android platform [is] now the fastest-growing mobile OS.” IDB’s Brian Deagon continues, “Smartphones and tablets will become commodity items and Apple will be eaten by the collective Android gang.” And while Apple is preparing to launch its first HDTV offering, IBD notes that Samsung is king of the television market as well. Apple will eventually be supplanted as the biggest tech company in the world, of course, but IBD probably would have been better off making this prediction in a year when Apple wasn’t preparing to launch a completely redesigned iPhone and a Siri-fueled HDTV. Even still, I’m sure we had as much fun reading the site’s predictions as the author had writing them. Other IBD forecasts for 2012: “Twitter will totter,” Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer will be fired, ultrabooks will be huge and “BlackBerry will go the way of Palm.”

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