New Paradigm for New Era: Smart Watches

By: YEON CHOUL-WOONG, Less than a decade ago, few expected that smart phones would someday become indispensable to our daily lives. However, today, smart phones have entrenched themselves as the paradigm of this smart technology era by inextricably interweaving with our daily lives in tandem with the transitions from fixed-line phones to cordless telephones and from mobile phones to smart phones. Then, what kinds of new technologies will head up both smart phones and new paradigms for a new era? Advances in smart device technologies, best represented by wearable devices, probably flash across many people’s minds. Making a departure from control technologies dependent on a mouse or a keyboard, the world will see new control technologies, which have been often seen in science fiction films (e.g. controlling objects through human senses, thoughts or eye movements), taking root as a new paradigm for the smart technology era. The front-runner that leads the smart device pack in line with new market expectations is definitely smart watches. Competition in the smart watch market has been heating up faster than any other market as early comers, such as Samsung Electronics, Apple, Sony and Motorola, have been vying against one another to expand market share and as latecomers, like Google and LG Electronics, have also jumped into the smart watch fray. Against this backdrop, it would be nice to take a closer look at what kinds of smart watches are put on the market and their distinguishable features. The LG G Watch:  On March 18, LG Electronics and Google took the wraps off their jointly-developed smart watch, the LG G

Watch, powered by Android Wear (a software platform for building new Android wearables). Thus, the LG G Watch can work with all the smartphones running the Android operating system.  The G Watch’s key features are divided largely into two: convenience-oriented functions (e.g. Google Maps and Google Hangouts) and informative functions (e.g. Google Now, which delivers information in the form of “cards” to the user, which it predicts the user will want, based on its analysis of the user’s search queries and repeated actions, such as common locations and repeated calendar appointments, etc.) For instance, when you are headed for the bus stop you frequent, Google Now’s traffic and transit card will automatically inform you of bus arrival times. In addition, it will automatically offer you updated information related to your areas of interest and hobbies. It also supports the Ok Google voice command. Hence the user can simply say “Ok Google” to ask questions or get things done. Motorola’s the Moto 360: Not to be outdone by LG Electronics, Motorola timed the unveiling of the Moto 360 to coincide with that of the LG G Watch. The Moto 360, also powered by Google’s Android Wear, shows off e-mail, text messages, automatic alarm

settings and voice command functions. The thing that sets the Moto 360 apart from other smart watches is its classic design. As shown above, the Moto 360 looks like a round-shaped analog wristwatch, somewhat unique for a smart watch. “The wristwatch has been through several evolutions since it first became a popular fashion accessory more than 100 years ago. From mechanical to electronic movements, analog to digital faces, the wristwatch has been reinvented several times over, but the basic design has endured for a century because of its elegance and usefulness ‘at a glance.’ Our vision for Moto 360 was to celebrate that history as we reimagined the wristwatch for the future,” Motorola explained in its official blog. The Samsung Galaxy Gear: The Galaxy Gear is the first wearable device developed by Samsung Electronics. This Android-based smart watch features nearly 70 Galaxy Gear-only apps and a 1.9-megapixel camera built into its strap. What’s more, its Smart Relay function enables the Galaxy Gear to sync with the Galaxy

Note 3.The Galaxy Gear, equipped with a 320 x 320-pixel AMOLED touchscreen, is available in six color variations. The battery pack within the the Galaxy Gear supports 25 hours of continued use, which means the Galaxy Gear needs to be charged on a daily basis, a weakness pointed out by many. The Sony SmartWatch 2: The SmartWatch 2, an Android-based smart watch produced by Sony, also furnishes

several SmartWatch2-only apps, just like the Samsung Galaxy Gear. The Sony SmartWatch 2, the third iteration of Sony’s smart watch, boasts its excellent water-resistant capability: it can remain watertight at up to 1m deep for about 30 minutes. Its interoperability is also deserving of attention. It is compatible with any Android-based smartphones running Android 4.0 and above and it will run for over three days on a single charge. However, there is a caveat: it does not come with a camera. The Pebble: The Pebble, a

smart watch developed by Pebble Technology and released in 2013, is somewhat old-fashioned compared to the recently-unveiled smart watches. For those who look for a built-in camera, phone functions, a touch screen and voice-activated commands, the Pebble is not the answer. Instead, just like traditional wrist watches, the user can control the Pebble’s varied functions via the buttons placed on the left and right sides of its face. It comes in five different colors - black, white, red, gray and orange. The Pebble has been well received by consumers, who prefer easy-to-control smart watches with simple designs. The Adidas miCoach Smart Run: The Adidas miCoach Smart Run, Adidas’s first entry into the smart watch market,
is packed with GPS, Wi-Fi connection and an accelerometer. It works more like a personal fitness coach on the wrist: it tracks the user’s heart rate and offers various customized fitness programs. The miCoach Smart Run also acts as a music player. The user can listen to music on the miCoach via Bluetooth, wearing wireless headphones. Its Adidas-specific simple but chic black design and battery life of up to one week on a single charge greatly appeal to young people enjoying workouts and sports. Source: Koreas Times

Read More........ → May 13, 2014

3D Factory Succeeds in Commercializing 65-inch UHD Non-Glasses 3D Display

SEOUL, KOREA - Throughout the entire part of the media ranging from films to photos and games, the contents using 3D technology are gaining more popularity today. 3D products, however, have a critical weakness. To fully enjoy them, users need to have dedicated glasses. Designed to overcome the weakness, non-glasses 3D display is drawing ever-rising attention. The demand for non-glasses 3D display is expected to continue to grow since it can be used in a wide variety of areas.Against this backdrop, a local company “3D Factory” succeeded in commercializing 65-inch non-glasses 3D display, garnering attention from the related industries. The 65-inch non-glasses 3D display, developed by 3D Factory, boasts high-quality resolution that is about four times higher than that of existing FHD. Prior to the 65-inch display, 3D Factory has already developed 24-, 39- and 50-inch displays. In the world’s largest home electronics exhibition CES 2014, 3D Factory displayed a 55-inch UHD non-glasses display. Source: Korea-Times

Read More........ → April 25, 2014

Kia Guns for BMW with New Cross GT Concept at Chicago Auto Show

Whereas Germany's premium carmakers are looking to expand their reach in smaller segments, Korea's Hyundai and Kia are actively flirting with the idea of enhancing their range with more premium and larger-size vehicles. At this week's Chicago Auto Show, Kia pulled the covers off the new Cross GT concept, which it describes as "blurring the line" between GT sedan study and a luxury crossover vehicle. The reference to the rear-wheel drive GT sedan also has to do with the fact that the Cross GT is based on the same chassis. The Koreans state that, while purely conceptual,the Cross GT reveals the brand's "intentions to potentially offer a larger premium SUV than the current Sorento in certain markets". Kia may not say it directly, but with this concept, it is aiming towards the likes of the BMW X5 and X6. At 122.0 inches (3,099mm), the Cross GT’s wheelbase is longer than Sorento’s by 15.7 inches (399mm), and its overall length of 192.8 inches (4,897mm) is 8.4 inches (213mm) greater than Kia's CUV. Also, with a width of 79.1-inch (2,009mm), it's 4.9 inches (124mm) wider than Sorento, but its overall height of 65.3 inches (1659mm) is 1.6 inches (41mm) shorter for a more aggressive stance. Penned at the Kia Design Center America (KDCA) in Irvine, California, the four-seater model sports dual rear-hinged doors (more commonly referred to as “suicide” doors) and a clam-shell design for the traditional glass hatch and tailgate. For its motivation, the concept utilizes a parallel hybrid system linking a 3.8-liter V6 engine to an 8-speed automatic transmission and torque-vectoring all-wheel-drive. The electric motor is positioned between the V6 and the transmission, offering an emissions-free driving range of 20 miles (32km). Combined, the V6 and the electric motor produce 400hp and 500 lb-ft of peak torque. Commenting on the Cross GT, Kia's newly appointed president and global design chief, Peter Schreyer, said: “The debut of the GT in 2011 heralded a new frontier for Kia, both from a design and a business perspective. It beautifully illustrated to the world that the brand was ready to explore the possibility of perhaps one day offering a full-size rear-wheel-drive luxury saloon. The Cross GT, with its raised stance and large cargo area, allows us to envision the GT in the form of a full-size luxury crossover.”Source:n Carscoops

Read More........ → February 27, 2013