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LG's latest 4K TVs deliver better color through 'nano cells'
If your TV line already has 4K, HDR and all the other buzzwords that promise top-tier image quality, what do you do next? For LG, the answer is simple: make sure everyone sees those colors. It just unveiled its Super UHD TV line for 2017, and all three models (the SJ8000, SJ8500 and SJ9500) revolve around Nano Cell LCDs whose uniformly-sized particles promise more accurate and consistent colors, even when you're watching from an off-center position. The technology absorbs excess light wavelengths, preventing unwanted color bleeding (such as from green to blue or yellow), fading and other effects that reduce the vibrancy of the picture.
LG's Full HD laser projector is bright enough for daytime use
LG has unveiled a compact laser projector that, depending on the price, could appeal to a lot of folks. The LG ProBeam features 1080p (Full HD) resolution and 2,000 lumens of brightness, making it a viable home theater option. The laser system (LG didn't say which kind, exactly) should provide a sharp, accurate picture, and nearly maintenance-free light source. At the same time, it weighs just 4.6 pounds and has a table-friendly form factor, making it portable and easy to use in small rooms.
Tablo gives your Apple TV a DVR for live video
By itself, the new Apple TV's full-fledged app support only partly fulfills cord-cutting dreams. You can subscribe to loads of streaming services, but you can't quite recreate the experience of watching live broadcasts. However, the makers of the Tablo DVR have an answer to that dilemma. They've unveiled a version of their streaming app for the Apple TV, giving you a way to both watch live over-the-air TV and record it for posterity. This solution isn't cheap -- you're looking at a minimum $200 for the box, and that's before the subscription ($5 per month, $50 per year or $150 lifetime) you'll need if you want programming guide data. Nonetheless, the app will probably be your best bet at unifying internet and OTA TV when it shows up this spring.
LG's 2016 TVs include its first production 8K set
Forget all the hype about 4K at CES last year -- this year's trend is 8K. LG has revealed some of the first details about its 2016 TV lineup, and the highlight is its first production-grade 8K model, the UH9800. The Korean tech giant isn't saying much about what this 98-inch monster will offer or when it ships, but it's safe to say that this won't be an impulse purchase when Sharp's 8K screen costs about $130,000.
LG wants to make using smart TVs easier with webOS 3.0
LG debuted its webOS-powered HDTVs back in 2014, bringing HP's mobile technology to the living room and making for a smart TV that mostly succeeded in being simpler and faster. Last year the second edition focused on speed, and for 2016 -- in world where dongles, set-top boxes and videogame systems are all competing to manage your streaming TV apps -- LG says it's working on usability and control. There are three new "Magic" features this year, with Mobile Connection that lets users toss apps up from their phone to the big screen, a new remote that's supposed to control more set-top boxes, and Zoom that can blow up parts of the picture without ruining the quality.
LG's smart TVs will stream Google Play movies this month
Who said that TVs with Google Play Movies & TV had to be running Android? Certainly not LG. It just announced that many of its recent smart TVs (including both webOS- and NetCast-based models) will offer Google Play streaming this month. While it's not as if you've been hurting for viewing options on any of these sets, this could be extremely useful if you prefer to buy or rent movies and want to sync your viewing between your smartphone and a big screen. TV shows will only be available on launch in Australia, Canada, the UK and the US, but you'll find movies in a whopping 104 countries.
LG will upgrade your old webOS TV with some fresh features
If you're still rocking a first-generation webOS TV and regret that you didn't hold out for a webOS 2.0 set, don't worry -- you'll soon catch up in some respects. LG is promising a Value Pack Upgrade that gives your webOS 1.0 TV four core features from 2.0, including favorite channels in the launcher, improved search, instant input detection and quick settings. You should also see overall boosts to ease of use and performance. The pack isn't the same as a full-on webOS 2.0 upgrade, but it might alleviate your early adopter's remorse when it starts rolling out on September 21st.
Killing time with LG's Watch Urbane and Watch Urbane LTE
LG's been none too secretive about its latest pair of wearables -- hell, the Watch Urbane and the Watch Urbane LTE were revealed before MWC even really started. Both of them aspire to be what LG calls "smartpieces," proper luxury watches that also pull double-duty as digital companions, but do they actually live up to those high-minded aspirations? I strapped both of them onto my wrists for a little test drive ahead of their launch in a few months, so let's find out together.
Audi's smartwatch collaboration with LG isn't running Android Wear
Audi briefly, ever so briefly, brandished a not-before-seen smartwatch at its CES event, showcasing some wearable-car connectivity that it's working on. And while that's pretty cool in itself, the watch used to show it off looked pretty darn classy, with stainless steel construction, a substantial crown and another pair of buttons flanking it. While a collaboration between LG and the carmaker, it's not like any smartwatch you've seen from LG so far: This one runs webOS. Now, even though it's not running Android, Android Central managed to track down the watch and tour through the currently lightweight interface. We've confirmed from our own sources that yes, the watch is indeed running webOS, although more details are scarce. Is it too early to direct you to wait for MWC in Barcelona, come February? Perhaps, but we're going to do that anyhow. What do those extra buttons do?
Yes, LG will have new 4K TVs at CES next week
Ending a long period of speculation, LG revealed that it will have new TVs of the extra-large, super duper high-res variety to show off during CES next week. While that's not really a surprise, one thing we should note is that all of them are flat -- no anti-curved glasses necessary here. Spanning eight different product lines (UC9, UB9800, UF9500, UF9400, UF8500, UF7700, UF6800 and UF6700), LG's Ultra HD TVs have more than just the quantum dot and webOS 2.0 Smart TV updates we've heard about. They're also thinner than ever (of course), with promised upgrades for the color balance and black levels. The embedded 4K video decoder can handle 30fps or 60fps inputs and is "future-proof" for future standards, but we haven't heard specific details about things like expanded color depth.
With webOS and wearables, LG's moving beyond just displays at CES
Samsung and Sony may grab a larger share of the CES fanfare, but don't count LG out. It has quite the annual presence in Las Vegas, too. The Korean company uses the tech industry's January soiree as the backdrop for a wide selection of product reveals -- everything from wearables to smartphones to 4K TVs -- and it has a sizable booth to house it all. It's almost a given that LG will offer up improvements to more of the same at this CES. But before we try to gauge what the company may have in store for 2015, let's first take a look at how far LG's come.
webOS 2.0 will make LG's smart TVs much faster next year
The usual pre-CES flood of information is under way, and LG is announcing details of the webOS 2.0 package its smart TVs will ship with in 2015. Improving on the menus we already dug at last year's show, LG says that the new versions will improve mainly in speed, with power-on boot time reduced by 60 percent, and a 70 percent improvement when switching from the home screen to YouTube. Sluggish, unresponsive apps have been a major pain point for "smart" TVs since their introduction, so it's good to see that addressed. One thing that will remain an issue however, is that the 2.0 upgrades will require a new display, as we haven't heard about an upgrade for existing sets (or other platforms like smartwatches, or even phones). According to LG, the first webOS sets were quite popular, with over five million sold through eight months.
HP calls time, will shut down webOS support on January 15th, 2015
Still hauling that Palm Pre around without a care in the world? Sorry to say but there's a nasty surprise coming your way just after the holidays. HP has quietly announced that it'll pull the plug on the catalog and cloud services that support webOS devices from January 15th of next year. That doesn't mean that your hardware will shut down, but living with the gear is going to get considerably harder. Firstly, you won't be able to purchase, download and restore apps, and you won't be able to restore your phone from a backup either. Setting up a new device has also gone the way of all things, and if you lose your password, you won't be getting it back. This is probably the excuse you need to buy a new phone, but don't worry, because as long as we remember webOS in our hearts, it'll never truly die, okay?
From beginning to breakup: a history of HP's highs and lows
HP's recent decision to split into two companies is undoubtedly a big deal. It's a cornerstone of Silicon Valley, and it has been synonymous with PCs for much of its lifetime. However, this is really just the latest chapter for a technology legend that has witnessed plenty of triumphs and disasters throughout its 75-year history. We've rounded up some of its greatest and lowest moments in a gallery, ranging from its humble beginnings in a garage to the webOS era and a series of scandals -- check them out if you want to know how HP reached yet another turning point. [Image credit: Kimihiro Hoshino/AFP/Getty Images]
LG is bringing webOS to smartwatches
We can't think of anything that's had more comebacks than webOS, except for maybe The Eagles. Palm, HP and LG have all tried to turn the promising software into a rival for iOS and Android, but so far you'll only find webOS in the Korean company's line of smart TVs. Still, LG appears to be planning to extend the reach of the little operating system that could by baking it into a future line of smartwatches. The Verge has found an LG-sponsored website, since pulled, that promises a development kit for a webOS smartwatch is coming. Ironically, the reveal comes only a few months after LG lost two webOS designers to wearable rival Pebble. Given that the company was quick to make the page disappear (although we've got some more images after the break), and that local rival Samsung keeps Tizen around as a bargaining tool with Google, it's certainly plausible that we'll see a webOS smartwatch in the future. The only question is if, after all this time, anyone will consider buying one.
webOS granted a second life on mobile as LuneOS
It's been some time since we heard from the Open webOS project, but work is still ongoing. The port has changed names in the last year to go by LuneOS, and the first release under the new name is now available. This particular version is called "Affogato," and while it supports the HP TouchPad, Nexus 4, Galaxy Nexus and Nexus 7 (2012 with WiFi), the team says that going forward it's focusing just on the Nexus 4 and TouchPad. Owners of other devices don't have to give up their card-flicking dreams though, as it hopes others will step up to work on ports for other hardware (the OnePlus One above is just showing a screenshot as an example). If you're expecting the features of Android or iOS it's still a long way from that, but the team promises a focus on the community and monthly updates. If you're willing to give it a shot, install instructions are here.
Pebble nabs the former interface designers for webOS and First Else
Here's some rather unusual news from Pebble: Former webOS designers Itai Vonshak and Liron Damir have left LG to join the wearable startup, which is a pretty big deal given their unique spin on UI design -- you'll want to check out what they did to LG's smart TVs before they left. In fact, if you recall the ill-fated First Else phone from late 2009, its Splay interface -- now available as a standalone launcher (pictured above) on Google Play -- was also the work of the Israeli duo. Vonshak is now in charge of Pebble's Product and UX team, whereas Damir is joining as the Head of Design; and for those who are interested, they're hiring!
LG's $3,500 OLED TV is the first one you might be able to afford
Now that plasma TVs are really on their way out, it's the perfect time for a true alternative to LCD, and LG is ready with its cheapest OLED TV yet. The 55EC9300 is the third generation of curved 1080p OLED TVs to roll out and with a price tag of $3,500, the price has dropped 75 percent since the first one debuted a year ago for $15,000. It's still pricey for its size, but you won't have to choose between tuition and a TV this time around. Inside is the webOS Smart TV platform we loved at CES, and of course, the new display technology that is supposed to bring better colors and deeper blacks than have ever been possible before.
John Lewis' own-brand smart TVs with webOS launching today from £1,399
The TV section of John Lewis stores, where customers and voyeurs alike come to gawk at the latest sets, will be joined by three new models today that also happen to bear the retailer's name. Its first own-brand TVs, known as the JL9000 series, have been made by LG especially, and thus run the manufacturer's webOS smart TV platform. Self-branded products tend to be at the lower-end of their category, but trust John Lewis to deck out its TVs with 1080p LED IPS panels, integrated 2.2-channel soundbars with extra subwoofers, passive 3D and 8-megapixel webcams. Those bells and whistles come at a cost, of course, so the 49-, 55- and 60-inch models will set you back £1,399, £1,699 and £2,199, respectively (still, a little cheaper than when the range was first teased). In typical John Lewis style, each one comes with a five-year guarantee, meaning you can chase the store directly if something goes wrong -- not that you'd be happy about it when laying down that kind of dosh.
LG is making a webOS TV range just for John Lewis stores
John Lewis is a big fan of cornering retail exclusives on gadgets, and it now appears that this love is extending to smart TVs. Pocket-lint has noticed that the department store chain is teasing the JL9000 series, a line of self-branded, LG-designed webOS TVs that should be more than just a rehashes of the sets we saw at CES this year. The 49-, 55- and 60-inch models will all include stands with built-in 2.1-channel soundbars, giving you decent (if likely unremarkable) audio out of the box. There's also promises of support for local streaming services such as BBC iPlayer and Now TV, although we'd frankly be surprised if these didn't appear on a UK-specific set.
