IBM Research figured out how to store 1 bit of data on a single magnetic atom

Why it matters to you

IBM has taken a step forward in progressing magnetic storage technology to the next level with its new method of storing data on hard drives and other solutions.

IBM said on Wednesday that it has created the world’s smallest magnet by using a single atom. While many may ask what would be the point, consider that hard drives rely on magnetism to store data on their spinning discs. These drives are capable of using around 100,000 atoms to store a single bit of data. But with IBM’s new magnetic atom, one bit of data can be stored per atom, opening the door to new data storage possibilities.

What’s hard to imagine is that everything we use and access on a PC is nothing more than ones and zeroes. The smallest form of data is a bit, which either has the value of “1” (on) or “0” (off). A group of bits is called bytes, and from there you move up in size to kilobits, kilobytes, megabits, megabytes, gigabits, gigabytes, terabytes, and so on. Thus, despite what users see and hear on their devices, it’s all still a bunch of ones and zeros.

More: IBM plans to build the first commercially available universal quantum computer

The atom used in the world’s smallest magnet is from the chemical element olmium (Ho). As shown below, this atom is attached to a magnesium oxide surface so that the magnetic north and south poles of the atom stay in one position. This prevents the magnet from changing its position when other magnets are nearby. One magnetic pole defines the “1” value and the other defines the “0” value.

In the data writing process, IBM’s custom scanning tunneling microscope (pictured at the top) packs a sharp metal needle that zaps the atom to flip its magnetic poles, changing it between “1” and “0.” The data reading process uses the same instrument to determine the atom’s digital value by measuring the magnetic current passing through the atom. However, IBM’s microscope requires liquid nitrogen cooling so the atoms can be written and read, and an extreme vacuum environment to block out air molecules and other “contaminants.”

IBM Research scientists demonstrated that two magnetic atoms divided by 1 nanometer of space could be written separately. That distance equals to a millionth the width of a pin head, and indicates that magnetic storage solutions could be 1,000 times denser than today’s hard drives and NAND-based solid state drives. That could lead to storing the entire iTunes library of 35 million songs on a credit card-sized device.

Christopher Lutz, a nanoscience researcher at IBM Research, indicated that the new discovery may be ideal for data centers that rely on magnetic storage devices (hard drives, tape drives) to house incredible amounts of information. Generally available devices like smartphones, tablets, and most super-slim notebooks rely on NAND-based memory that doesn’t depend on magnetism or moving parts. That said, there’s a general shift away from magnetic storage devices due to the speed and reliability of flash-based storage.

But the discovery could lead to a new type of magnetic storage device. IBM Research talks more about its discovery in the latest publication of Nature, the international weekly journal of science.

IBM Research figured out how to store 1 bit of data on a single magnetic atom

Why it matters to you

IBM has taken a step forward in progressing magnetic storage technology to the next level with its new method of storing data on hard drives and other solutions.

IBM said on Wednesday that it has created the world’s smallest magnet by using a single atom. While many may ask what would be the point, consider that hard drives rely on magnetism to store data on their spinning discs. These drives are capable of using around 100,000 atoms to store a single bit of data. But with IBM’s new magnetic atom, one bit of data can be stored per atom, opening the door to new data storage possibilities.

What’s hard to imagine is that everything we use and access on a PC is nothing more than ones and zeroes. The smallest form of data is a bit, which either has the value of “1” (on) or “0” (off). A group of bits is called bytes, and from there you move up in size to kilobits, kilobytes, megabits, megabytes, gigabits, gigabytes, terabytes, and so on. Thus, despite what users see and hear on their devices, it’s all still a bunch of ones and zeros.

More: IBM plans to build the first commercially available universal quantum computer

The atom used in the world’s smallest magnet is from the chemical element olmium (Ho). As shown below, this atom is attached to a magnesium oxide surface so that the magnetic north and south poles of the atom stay in one position. This prevents the magnet from changing its position when other magnets are nearby. One magnetic pole defines the “1” value and the other defines the “0” value.

In the data writing process, IBM’s custom scanning tunneling microscope (pictured at the top) packs a sharp metal needle that zaps the atom to flip its magnetic poles, changing it between “1” and “0.” The data reading process uses the same instrument to determine the atom’s digital value by measuring the magnetic current passing through the atom. However, IBM’s microscope requires liquid nitrogen cooling so the atoms can be written and read, and an extreme vacuum environment to block out air molecules and other “contaminants.”

IBM Research scientists demonstrated that two magnetic atoms divided by 1 nanometer of space could be written separately. That distance equals to a millionth the width of a pin head, and indicates that magnetic storage solutions could be 1,000 times denser than today’s hard drives and NAND-based solid state drives. That could lead to storing the entire iTunes library of 35 million songs on a credit card-sized device.

Christopher Lutz, a nanoscience researcher at IBM Research, indicated that the new discovery may be ideal for data centers that rely on magnetic storage devices (hard drives, tape drives) to house incredible amounts of information. Generally available devices like smartphones, tablets, and most super-slim notebooks rely on NAND-based memory that doesn’t depend on magnetism or moving parts. That said, there’s a general shift away from magnetic storage devices due to the speed and reliability of flash-based storage.

But the discovery could lead to a new type of magnetic storage device. IBM Research talks more about its discovery in the latest publication of Nature, the international weekly journal of science.

Hey now, here’s an ‘All Star’ remix of Smash Mouth with sounds from Windows XP

Why it matters to you

The fact that XP is still creating joy more than a decade and a half from its release is good enough for us.

Although both Smash Mouth and Windows XP no longer have much official support out there, it doesn’t mean both can’t be remembered fondly. Indeed they’ve both inspired Youtuber James Nielssen to create an homage to the late 1990s standouts in a mashup video of the 1999 hit, All Star.

The wave of recent reboots, remasterings and recreations in all media shows how powerful a tool nostalgia can be and Nielsson has tapped right into that with his video. Windows XP is the operating system that for many people, defined their early years of PC usage, or at least transformed it and Smash Mouth had that song everyone loves.

Using error bongs and bings, the warm tones of the startup sound and the pings of booting programs, this take on All Star is an impressive re-creation. Many important parts of its melody are there and though we aren’t treated to a cameo from Bonzi Buddy singing, we are left with the haunting image of the Office paperclip, which still continues to stare at us with those dead eyes, two decades after its introduction.

This isn’t the only time that Nielsson has dredged up sounds of operating systems past to generate music. More recently, he managed to recreate Ludwig van Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony using Windows XP sounds.

Once again we’re treated to the paperclip leading the way and he’s joined by all of his error and launch sounds as before. Who would have thought the sounds of unresponsive programs and task failures could turn out to be so musically capable.

More: Someone set this The Walking Dead chase scene to Benny Hill music, and it’s hilarious

If neither of these beautiful renditions of music strikes your fancy, Nielsson’s other videos ask you all sorts of important questions, such as whether you like jazz — more than a million times.

Google algorithm can detect cancer more consistently than a human pathologist

Why it matters to you

This advance in the predictive power of Google’s relevant algorithm could mean increased accuracy in cancer diagnosis.

When it comes to diagnosing a disease as complicated as cancer, it’s natural to assume that machines just aren’t up to the task. No matter how good the algorithm or accurate the hardware, many folks naturally assume that human doctors will always spot symptoms more consistently than their mechanized counterparts. But robots, it turns out, have a major advantage: Objectivity.

In a study of breast biopsies, diagnostic agreement — the percentage of doctors who settled on a single diagnosis — was as low as 48 percent. And a 1968 study found that physicians, when given a copy of a stomach ulcer screening they’d already diagnosed, tended to disagree with themselves, rendering entirely different diagnoses.

More: Pebble publishes fitness-tracking data, launches “Happiness” app

It’s no real wonder, then, that algorithms are discovering insights that human doctors can’t. A recent Google project focused on analyzing breast biopsies used data from Camelyon16 project, which challenged participants to create cancer-detection algorithms. With the accumulated data, Google has developed a model that can match or exceed the performance of a pathologist taking an unlimited amount of time to examine images.

In preliminary tests, Google’s algorithm not only performed better than a human pathologist, but did just as well in a generalized scenario with images acquired from a different hospital. And in at least two instances, it did so faster than its human competition.

That’s not entirely surprising. As Google researchers point out in a recent blog post, pathologists are responsible for reviewing all biological tissue on a slide, and there are typically many slides per patient. Making matters worse, each slide is 10+ gigapixels when digitized at 40X magnification — a veritable mountain of information to sift through in a few hours. “Imagine having to go through a thousand 10-megapixel (MP) photos, and having to be responsible for every pixel,” Google’s Martin Stumpe, and Lily Peng wrote.

More: Could holograms help bring the end of Malaria? Experts build new tool

Google’s research is good news for cancer patients, for whom the diagnostic stakes are especially high. Diagnoses that are missed, incorrect, or delayed are believed to affect 10 to 20 percent of cases, and a 2009 report funded by the federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality found that 28 percent of 583 diagnostic mistakes were life-threatening or resulted in death or permanent disability.

Google notes that the algorithm isn’t a silver bullet — it can’t account for an experienced pathologist’s breadth of knowledge, for example. That’s why the search giant envisions them incorporated “in a way that complements the pathologist’s workflow,” rather than replacing the human element altogether. “We envision that algorithms such as ours could improve the efficiency and consistency of pathologists,” Stumpe wrote. “For example, pathologists could reduce their false negative rates (percentage of undetected tumors) by reviewing the top ranked predictive tumor regions including up to 8 false positive regions per slide.”

Movado will unveil five Android Wear smartwatches at Baselworld 2017

Why it matters to you

2017 is bringing a lot of options for Android Wear enthusiasts. Movado is the latest watchmaker to partner with Google, after Swarovski.

While we already know Swarovski will announce an Android Wear smartwatch “for her” at Baselworld 2017, Movado just announced it will unveil a slew of devices at the annual watch and jewelry trade show. These devices won’t launch until the fall of 2017.

Qualcomm hinted early this year that more and more Android Wear smartwatches are on the way, and what better place for them to be unveiled than at one of the largest watch trade shows in the world? Movado’s Android Wear lineup has been designed for version 2.0 of Google’s smartwatch operating system, which launched on the LG Watch Sport and Watch Style in February. The new version is expected to roll out to a handful of current smartwatches over the coming months.

More: LG Watch Sport (Android Wear 2.0) review

Movado Connect is the name of the watchmaker’s Android Wear 2.0 lineup of smartwatches, and there will be five men’s styles “with a starting price of $495.” These smartwatches will be available in the United States, the Caribbean, Canada, and the United Kingdom.

The company said smartwatches under the Movado Connect brand will feature “five unique customizable dials” that will each also have three to four customizable elements — such as backgrounds, watch hands, and complications. Complications are like widgets that sit on the watch face, offering a shortcut and a brief glance into specific apps, such as your calendar or your fitness activity. It seems as though Movado will offer further customization of these dials than what’s currently possible on other Android Wear 2.0 smartwatches.

More: Swarovski partnering with Qualcomm, Google on an Android Wear smartwatch

They will all likely feature NFC, as Movado specifically mentions Android Pay compatiblity. Google Assistant, which was introduced in Wear 2.0, will also be present. The watchmaker said the devices will have an always-on display, round screens, improved fitness tracking (which is likely the Google Fit improvements introduced in Wear 2.0), and iOS and Android compatibility.

Tommy Hilfiger and Hugo Boss are also two brands in the Movado Group that are also partnering will Google to introduce new devices in the fall of 2017, though nothing specific was mentioned.

Google celebrates International Women’s Day with a Doodle and much more

Why it matters to you

Women throughout history have contributed to the progress of the world and Google celebrates their achievements in a fun way.

Wednesday is International Women’s Day and Google wants to make sure you know it. Wednesday’s Google Doodles celebrates the phenomenal individuals who have contributed to the progress of the world. Google says that it’s also “supporting efforts to close the gender gap in tech and other fields” as it pays homage to women in the month of March (Women’s History Month).

The Doodle in honor of International Women’s Day is a unique interactive slideshow, which follows a young girl who embarks upon an imaginary journey that brings her to 13 remarkable women from women across the world throughout history. “From a pilot in Egypt to a dancer in India, these women may not all be household names, but they’ve all made a unique mark on the world,” Google noted. “In fact, all of them have been celebrated in a Doodle in the past, but often only in their countries of origin. Today, we’re sharing their stories worldwide.”

More: Tinder celebrates International Women’s Day by donating up to $250,000

In addition to the Doodle, Google is also highlighting the achievements of these women by way of a new Spotlight Story in Google Arts & Culture. And that is not the only 360-degree experience you can have. Thanks to Expeditions, you will be able to check out 40 new virtual field trips that explore the careers, adventures, and contributions of women.

Google-owned YouTube is also curating playlists, like “Super Women of Our Past,” “Celebrate Women’s History Month,” and “Celebrate International Women’s Day” to draw further attention to this day and this month. Google has also partnered with the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media and the University of Southern California Viterbi School of Engineering to create a machine learning-based tool that examines how often women are seen and heard on screen. They found that in Oscar-winning films, women comprise just 32 percent of screen time and 27 percent of speaking time. “Over time, we hope this project can help raise awareness of the “missing women” in media, encourage filmmakers to include a broader range of characters, and introduce young people to more diverse role models,” Google said.

LG G6 vs. Pixel XL camera comparison: The top choices today

The LG G6 is here to challenge the champ in Android smartphone cameras.

With its dual camera setup and big photography claims, the LG G6 is looking like a very good choice for mobile photographers. It of course doesn’t live in a vacuum, though, and there are fantastic cameras out there, like the Google Pixel XL. After comparing their sizes and specs, the next thing to do with these two phones is to see how their cameras work and what the photos look like side by side.

Both the LG G6 and Pixel XL are doing things a bit differently from the status quo. The LG G6, for its part, is using a 13-megapixel camera sensor with surprisingly small 1.12-micron pixels but a traditional combination of a wide f/1.8 aperture and optical image stabilization — and then, of course, there’s the wide-angle camera next to it. The Pixel XL eschews image stabilization altogether for a 12MP sensor that has really big 1.55-micron pixels and relies on intense software processing.

To see how the LG G6 and Pixel XL cameras stack up, I took them around for a few days, shooting in full auto mode — including auto HDR — just as most people do, to see how they stack up. Check out the results below.

Performance and interface

LG G6 (left) / Pixel XL (right) — click to view larger

Let’s start with the first thing you see when you launch the camera: the viewfinder interface. The Pixel XL’s camera is a well-known quantity by this point … in part because it’s so simple. Other than a couple toggles and some shooting modes, there isn’t much to do here but press the shutter key or start a video. On the other hand, the LG G6 takes advantage of its 18:9 screen to give you full controls, toggles, and camera roll previews, while preserving a complete 4:3 viewfinder. It still baffles me that there’s no quick toggle for HDR, but the interface gives you tons of options — including a full-fledged manual shooting mode — while also preserving the point-and-shoot simplicity most of us want.

The Pixel XL is all about simplicity, while the G6 gives you tons of shooting options.

Performance-wise, both phones get the job done as you’d expect. Even though I have experienced a couple hiccups on the LG G6, I have to take into consideration that what I’m evaluating here isn’t final software. At the same time, the Pixel XL has thrown me a few camera crashes over the past 4 months of use. But neither phone offers any sort of inconsistency or unpredictability that makes me lose confidence about popping open the camera — with two presses of power (Pixel XL) or volume down (LG G6) — and quickly taking a shot without issue.

This is as good a time as any to mention the LG G6’s secondary wide-angle camera. While it doesn’t fit into this particular comparison directly because the Pixel only has one camera, it’s worth noting the extra utility (and fun!) the super wide lens on the G6 provides. Not only does it give you more options for a wider range of zooming in photos and video, but it also provides you with a super unique look that you just don’t get anywhere else. Now with the same 13MP sensor behind the wide-angle lens as the standard lens, it’s even more valuable.

Camera quality

Well-lit daylight situations are much easier to handle for cameras with small sensors — like those in smartphones — but in 2017 we have high standards for these expensive devices. We still want to see fine detail, punchy colors and good dynamic range.

Low-light shots are considerably tougher to handle with small sensors. This is where the LG G6 runs up against issues with its small pixels, which each take in less light and require more processing — OIS can help, though. The Pixel XL, despite not having OIS, has proven to be exceptional in low light thanks to its HDR+ processing.

See the side-by-side comparisons below to compare how these phones handle each set of situations.

Daylight

LG G6 (left) / Pixel XL (right) — click to view larger

Knowing how consistently great the Pixel XL is in daylight conditions, I was very happy to see the LG G6 go toe-to-toe with Google’s phone. Both phones took crisp, pleasing images time after time and used HDR to tastefully enhance photos that needed it rather than blowing them out with over-the-top colors.

It’s close, but I have to give the nod to the G6 here.

In general, the new LG G6 tended to take brighter images that were slightly more saturated, as well as better white balanced to be true to life. The Pixel XL by comparison takes dimmer images that are truer to the real life scene and in these comparisons took warmer photos overall. Though you can’t notice it at full resolution, when you zoom in on the photos you’ll often find the Pixel XL has captured more fine detail and has sharper edges — but again, it really isn’t perceptible when viewed at normal sizes.

When looking at the output of each phone independently, you’d be happy with the reproduction of scenes from either one. If I had to give one the nod right now, it’d have to be the LG G6 for outright brightness and color reproduction. It’s close, though, as the Pixel XL with its HDR+ processing can handle scenes of mixed light better than any phone I’ve used and offers incredibly consistent performance from photo to photo no matter what.

Low light

LG G6 (left) / Pixel XL (right) — click to view larger

Going into this comparison I was worried that the LG G6’s relatively small 1.12-micron pixels would be a deal-breaker in low light — oh my, was I wrong. Going up against the true champ of low light in the Pixel XL, the LG G6 compared very favorably.

In conditions of consistent dim lighting, strong side lighting, and partial lighting, the LG G6 was as good or better than the Pixel XL with its fine definition and sharp edges. In most instances, the Pixel XL had more blotchy chroma noise and rough edges than the G6, particularly in shots when HDR+ didn’t trigger — the LG G6, for what it’s worth, never chose to use HDR in dark scenes.

I was shocked to see the LG G6 come out so strongly in low light.

The Pixel XL wins out in shots where there is no direct light source — aka a completely dark room or an unlit street — as HDR+ can basically pick out light from seemingly nowhere and make things look good. The LG G6, by comparison, will just reproduce the darkness similarly to what your eyes see. The only downside to the Pixel XL’s approach is that it can sometimes over-brighten dark shots, again creating blotches or soft edges … but the upside is you actually get something rather than just darkness.

Again, I was shocked to see the LG G6 perform as well as it did — in some cases besting the Pixel XL in sharp line definition in these low-light scenes. I think the Pixel XL still takes it when it comes to getting a bright, usable photo in just about every challenging lighting situation, but the LG G6 on average offers just as good of an experience in dimly lit scenes.

Bottom line: The two kings

Well would you look at that, we have two fantastic camera choices here. The LG G6, coming in months after the Pixel XL with what some would consider an inferior overall camera setup, manages to take some fantastic photos that push what the Pixel XL can do and even beat it in some situations.

In daylight, the LG G6 takes bright, well-balanced, and colorful photos that make the Pixel XL’s more true-to-life shots seem a bit dull by comparison — even though the Pixel XL, for its efforts, offers consistency and better sharpness when you inspect closely. At night, the low light champ Pixel XL now has another phone to sit alongside it at the top of the heap — the LG G6 dramatically outperformed my expectations and overall matched the Pixel XL’s performance.

The Pixel XL still takes fantastic photos in just about every situation, and its HDR+ processing (that continues to evolve) is its silver bullet that can, in some scenes, blow your mind with what it captures. The LG G6 on average offers the same image quality, though, along with extensive manual controls for the photography buffs out there and a truly unique wide-angle secondary camera that LG claims nearly half of users prefer.

It’s a photographer’s dream: Pick either one for its minute strength differences, and you’ll be happy.

LG G6

• LG G6 review!
• LG G6 specs
• These LG G6 features are exclusive to some countries
• LG forums
• Latest LG G6 news

Google Pixel + Pixel XL

• Google Pixel and Pixel XL review
• Google Pixel XL review: A U.S. perspective
• Google Pixel FAQ: Should you upgrade?
• Pixel + Pixel XL specs
• Understanding Android 7.1 Nougat
• Join the discussion in the forums!

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Movado getting into the Android Wear game, bringing along Tommy Hilfiger and Hugo Boss

2017’s Android Wear lineup is getting altogether new faces.

Movado Group, a well-recognized fashion brand in watches, is joining the Android Wear family this month with the launch of a “smartwatch collection” that will be branded as Movado Connect. The watches, which will start with five men’s styles, will hit the market this fall starting at $495.

Unfortunately, Movado is holding off on specific details — and even pictures — of the watch to unveil it all at Baselworld 2017, a trade show for watches and jewelry, on March 23. But what can we expect? Well, probably the same type of internals we’ve seen on the LG Watch Sport — Movado specifically calls out Android Pay, too. This is all about the design (including custom watch faces) and brand name, which Movado can definitely deliver.

Efraim Grinberg, Chairman & CEO, Movado Group, put it succinctly:

The launch of Movado Connect marks another new milestone in Movado’s longstanding history
of creativity and innovation in watch design. We are very proud of our collaboration with Google and for the opportunity to provide our customers with an incredibly designed timepiece, powered by the latest, cutting-edge technology platform.

Perhaps bigger than this single watch collection — which, of course, we have no photos of yet — is that Movado Group also owns the brands Tommy Hilfiger and Hugo Boss. Android Wear watches from these two brands will also come later in the year to further expand Android Wear’s offerings in the “fashion” realm rather than coming from traditional smartphone companies.

Android Wear

• Everything you need to know about Android Wear 2.0
• LG Watch Sport review
• LG Watch Style review
• These watches will get Android Wear 2.0
• Discuss Android Wear in the forums!

Press release:

MOVADO PARTNERS WITH GOOGLE TO LAUNCH A NEW SMARTWATCH COLLECTION

NEW YORK, NY, MARCH 8, 2017, MOVADO GROUP, INC. (NYSE:MOV) – Movado announces a partnership with Google to launch Movado Connect, a smartwatch collection powered by Android Wear 2.0, Google’s newly redesigned platform. Movado Connect is one of the first watches designed specifically for Android Wear 2.0 and will launch fall of 2017 introducing five men’s styles with a starting price of $495 available in the US, the Caribbean,Canada and the UK. The collection will be unveiled at Baselworld 2017.

“The launch of Movado Connect marks another new milestone in Movado’s longstanding history of creativity and innovation in watch design,” stated Efraim Grinberg, Chairman & CEO, MovadoGroup. “We are very proud of our collaboration with Google and for the opportunity to provide our customers with an incredibly designed timepiece, powered by the latest, cutting-edge technology platform. Movado Connect, with our proprietary edge-to-edge crystal design, is iconically Movado.”

This collaboration showcases each company’s respective expertise in building brand-relevant hardware and software capabilities in the connected category. Movado Connect features five unique customizable dials designed and inspired by Movado’s iconic museum dial that empower the wearer to tailor their experience through multiple expressions of Movado’s innovative approach to design. Each dial design also includes 3-4 customizable elements including features such as a wide array of complications, backgrounds, and watch hands creating a multitude of possibilities for consumers to create the look they desire. With access to thousands of apps, including Android Pay, these new watches meet the demands of today’s digital age with an updated user interface optimized for round screens, an ‘always-on’ display, improved fitness tracking, iOS and Android compatibility and the powerful Google Assistant for per forming tasks and getting answers, directions, and timely reminders.

“We are thrilled to partner with Movado, a longtime leader and one of the most iconic brands in the watch industry,” said David Singleton, Vice President of Android Engineering at Google.”With our combined expertise in watchmaking, design and software, we are able to create a beautiful yet functional timepiece that helps people live their everyday lives.”

Tommy Hilfiger and Hugo Boss, two brands in the Movado Group portfolio, are also partnering with Google. Collections will launch fall of 2017.

China bans new South Korean games over a political crisis

China is rather irate that South Korea is starting to install the US’ THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defense) missile defense system to protect against North Korean threats. To that end, it’s punishing the South with retaliatory policies… including one that targets video games. Chinese officials have frozen new licenses for games made in South Korea, preventing any more titles from launching in the country.

That’s not a huge issue in the short term, but it could be damaging in the long run for developers with games that are likely to rake in a lot of cash in China. Netmarble’s Korean blockbuster Lineage 2: Revolution, for example, is being adapted for the Chinese market. If it’s denied, that leaves a lot of money on the table — the title has already made the equivalent of about $100 million since launch.

And unfortunately, it doesn’t look like there’s a resolution in sight. It’s doubtful that South Korea will withdraw THAAD any time soon, and China hasn’t given any indication that it’s going to reconsider the ban. Korean game studios may have to either be content with catering to the home crowd or shift their international plans to other countries.

Via: PocketGamer.biz

Source: Nikkei Asian Review

In the muddle of HDR and Quantum Dots, it’s Samsung’s ‘Invisible Connection’ that’s got our geek juices flowing

We’ve spent the day taking a closer look at the Samsung QLED TV range. Announced at CES 2017 and due to launch sometime in March or April, these TVs look to be a quantum leap in the LED vs OLED war. 

There’s a huge amount of technology being piled into the latest 4K HDR televisions, a complete shift in design language and loads of features to make these new premium TVs even better than Samsung’s 2016 models – which we rated highly. 

Much of what’s happening you won’t see at work and that includes the ‘Invisible Connection’. This was shown off when the TV was announced at the beginning of 2017, but when you’ve got something called the Invisible Connection, it’s not seeing that’s believing and this is why we’re excited.

The new Invisible Connection comes with Samsung’s QLED TVs and connects the display to the off-board One Connect box which is the brains of the TV.

• What is QLED? Samsung’s new TV tech explained

For those who haven’t been following the story of Samsung’s TVs over the past few years, rather than house all the connections on the rear of the TV like most other manufacturers, there’s a separate connection box called One Connect. This houses the tuners, USB, HDMI, optical – basically everything you’d expect to plug into your TV.

The advantage it offers is that you can wall-mount your TV and change the devices connected to it without having to scrabble around the back. That means thinner TVs, tidier installation and easy device switching for geeks like us who are always testing different devices. Additionally, you don’t need five cables running to your TV, as you can hide the One Connect box out of sight. 

Previously, this One Connect box was connected to the TV via a single cable, about the thickness of a typical HDMI cable. It was rather elegant a solution for 2016, but in 2017, it has been replaced with this optical cable that’s practically invisible. 

That means you only need this tiny cable running to your TV, and from across the room, you’ll barely spot it snaking up the wall to your mounted TV. Before you ask, no, it’s not stupidly short either. We suspect the standard 5 metre cable will be long enough for most installations. 

Of course, you’ll need the power cable running to your TV too, but you got your electrician to wire up a socket before you wall-mounted it, right?

• Samsung QLED TV preview: Is this Samsung’s best ever television range?