Bend over, here comes the LG G Flex

The smartphone  with "self healing" healing ability

You may longer have to worry about your smartphone getting scratches at the back no matter how rough the surface you place it. LG says the G Flex, a curved screen smartphone, uses "self-healing" technology that the press is increasingly comparing to Wolverine from X-Men: a special protective film on the back cover is designed to get rid of scratches on the phone within minutes.

That's the kind of feature that is hard to vouch for without seeing the phone in person, but those outside South Korea will have to wait — although the G Flex is coming to all three major carriers in LG's home nation next month, the company only teases an expansion into additional countries at some point in the undefined future.

The phone, which uses flexible OLED screen technology to allow for a dramatic curve on the horizontal axis, is between 7.9 and 8.7mm thick at various points, weighs 177g, and has a 6-inch 720p display. Inside there's a 2.26GHz quad-core Snapdragon 800 processor, 2GB of RAM, a 13-megapixel camera, and a 3,500 mAh battery.

Although Samsung touted certain software features designed for its Galaxy Round Smartphone, which has a display that curves on a different axis, LG hasn't done much to exploit the potential UI benefits of its own screen technology; instead, the company calls the G Flex the "world's first 'real' curved smartphone," claiming better ergonomics when making phone calls, a more immersive video experience, and a brighter and more precise display thanks to its "Real RGB" pixel configuration.

What the G Flex shows however is a glimpse into the future around human-centric smartphone design – in particular, the shape of the human body. In terms of form, the vertically curved LG G Flex reduces the distance between one’s mouth to the microphone when the device is held against the ear.

In addition the same curvature arc is optimized for the average face, to deliver improved voice and sound quality. The curved design also offers a more reassuring grip and fits more comfortably in one’s back pocket.

The G Flex does include a "swing lock screen" feature, which moves the wallpaper in response to tilting motion and produces different unlocking effects when the user touches different areas of the screen. Another feature lets users pinch from the lock screen to open certain multimedia apps directly.

LG to factor in the needs of the impaired

Many of the world’s most pressing societal issues can be improved greatly through the application of technology. Improving education, breaking down barriers of language and providing human beings with greater connectivity and communicative capabilities are three key areas which have seen rapid growth through innovation in recent times.

Voice-command interfaces are now almost pervasive in most electronic devices, from mobile phones, TVs, even automobiles. The concept of holding a conversation with a computer seemed pure science fiction until recently.

But things are changing, and quickly. A growing number of people now talk to their mobile smart phones, asking them to send e-mail and text messages, search for directions, or find information on the Web. The very definition of an enabling technology is an invention or innovation that can be applied to drive radical change in the capabilities of a user or culture.

LG’s latest technologies such as the new LG G2 flagship smartphone and G Pad tablet are able to be personalized to make it easier for anyone to see, hear and use a to meet their own needs and preferences. For many people with impairments, accessible options are what makes the use of devices possible.

In addition the new wave of interconnected smart appliances such as the Smart Refrigerator and HOM-BOT also have built-in smart technology which are able to be operated via voice commands or programmed remotely allowing users who cannot physically operate these devices to effectively engage with the technology.

Voice-command interfaces are now almost pervasive in most electronic devices, from mobile phones, TVs, even automobiles. The concept of holding a conversation with a computer seemed pure science fiction until recently.

But things are changing, and quickly. A growing number of people now talk to their mobile smart phones, asking them to send e-mail and text messages, search for directions, or find information on the Web. Smart phones also have high-bandwidth data connections to the cloud, where servers can do the heavy lifting involved with both voice recognition and understanding spoken queries.

"The blend of more data and extra computing power has put at our disposal infinite possibilities,” says Mr Josep Kim, the Managing Director LG East Africa. Speech has increasingly proven supremely suited for mobile computing partly because users have their hands and eyes occupied; but also because a single spoken command can accomplish tasks that would normally require a multitude of swipes and presses.

The last few years have seen hype around voice commands reached the peak of inflated expectations with the buzz around Apple's Siri, only to recede straight after. The new wave of voice-enabled devices showcased at IFA 2013 earlier in September offers a glimpse of how voice commands may make consumer's lives easier.

Siri, the voice-activated personal assistant built into the iPhone, was at one time the most prominent example of a mobile voice interface. But voice functionality is built into Android, the Windows Phone platform, and most other mobile systems, as well as many apps. While these interfaces still have considerable limitations, we are inching closer to machine interfaces we can actually talk to.

However the jury is still out, with consumer adoption the bellwether for technological success. “The development of the Werniche Project has seen LG make quick progress in incorporating voice commands. Known as VoiceMate, LG's voice recognition technology has only recently entered the international stage,” says Mr Kim.

he basis of LG's voice recognition software is intended to work in tandem with Google's own Android OS language-based systems, the latter being embedded within LG's own proprietary "Werniche" engine.

The technology works across two strands: Natural Language Understanding, which allows for intelligible processing of sentences, and Dialogue Management, which uses a vast database of available information to extract meaning. The project has developed as technology has evolved to enable a greater ability to grasp the complexity of human language, with notable LG products providing milestones leading up to the advanced voice command products available today.

VoiceMate represents LG's primary voice command platform and rivals other competitive voice recognition platforms in both function and in technological prowess also incorporating latest features like opening apps via command. Other functions include the ability to have texts sent, calls made, alarms set and web searches performed all by having a natural conversation with VoiceMate.

Functionally, VoiceMate uses "reasoning with a probabilistic model to find the best answer". This means that the context of the question is taken into consideration instead of just using a database to relay answers.

Grab your GOtv decoder before doomsday

MultiChoice Kenya has today assured Nairobi residents of it readiness for the analogue switch-off date that is only 12 days away on Friday 13^th December 2013.

GOtv is currently the most innovative pay television service on the latest Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) technology worldwide and Nairobi is adequately covered by its signal.

Launched in September 2011, Nairobi residents have been benefiting from easy access to an increased number of channels, with enhanced picture and sound quality synonymous with digital television at a price they can afford. 

According to the GOtv Kenya General Manager, Felix Kengo, the Nairobi Switch-Off coincides with the Government’s target of migrating from analogue to digital TV transmission by mid 2014.

“Kenya committed to a mutually agreed East African deadline of 2012 to fully migrate television broadcasting to the digital platform. This move is expected to free up much-needed spectrum, which the government plans to re-use for other purposes,” said Mr Kyengo.

He also added that since its launch, GOtv has been playing a pivotal role towards contributing to this technological transformation and in the process helping the country to achieve its set target towards the migration to digital TV transmission.

“GOtv is uniquely placed as the home of African television. We firmly believe that there is enough rich content created here on the continent to make a case for packaging great African entertainment and we have committed ourselves to making this a reality thus, offering channels made in Africa for Africa,” said Kyengo.

GOtv provides television lovers with a digital quality picture and sound and an exciting range of local and international channels.  Subscribers will have access to an exciting selection of channels containing news, children’s programming, documentaries, series and movies.

Kyengo concluded by saying that, GOtv channels are carefully selected to cater for a variety of different tastes and family viewing needs at a very affordable price.

Some of the channels that will be available to GOtv subscribers include the ongoing GOtv East & Central Africa Senior Challenge Cup [CECAFA] football tournament, M-net Movies Zone, Select Sport 1 & 2 Africa Magic World, Africa Magic Swahili, One Gospel, E! Entertainment, Channel O, eTV Africa,  and local channels such as KBC, NTV, KTN, Citizen TV to mention but a few.  

The GOtv decoder is currently available at a special price of KSH 3,399 inclusive of 2 months free GOtv subscription and is available from the MultiChoice Agents countrywide.

Progressive thinking prevails in KICC billboard saga

Samsung Electronics East Africa, through its outdoor advertising partner, Alliance Media, has today announced its support for the upcoming Kenya@50 celebrations. This comes on the back drop of a halfhearted campaign by a guest columnist in the Business Daily, Marvin Sissey to have the LED billboard brought down.

The global electronics giant’s support will include provision of strategic billboards across the country, as well as the country’s first panoramic digital advertising screen; that is undergoing test runs at the Kenyatta International Conference Centre, to promote the monumental building as the regional premier meeting centre.

Speaking during the ceremony, the Sports, Culture and Arts Cabinet Secretary, Dr. Hassan Wario said, “Every sector in Kenya has a unique story to tell, and that fits into the country’s 50^th anniversary. This is a great opportunity for citizens, private sector, investors, the tourism industry among others, to come together to make an indelible mark in the Kenyan story.”

Samsung Electronics East Africa Chief Operating Officer, Mr. Robert Ngeru, said that the new age screens which are a first in the region are based on Samsung’s Digital Signage Display technology.

Globally, Ngeru confirmed that Samsung is the now market leader in display technology providing LED-backlit panels that are renowned for their sharp text, rich colour and reliable performance.

The launch of the Digital billboards for Kenya@50 celebrations comes at a time when the country is gearing up for the digital migration switch set for mid-December, which will see Kenyan embracing the digital broadcasting technology for the Televisions sets.

“We're extremely excited about the launch because as a brand, all our television sets are digitally complaint thus our customers will not miss the action during the celebrations. We believe that this partnership will go a long way in ensuring that the milestones of this great nation are beamed to the whole country.” Explained Mr. Ngeru.

Apart from celebrating 50 years as a nation, the Kenya @50 steering committee has lined up a series of initiatives, which will involve social and economic activities across the country with long-term positive impact.