smart

SHANGHAI, China -- Fancy a portable projector that you can bring anywhere in your pocket? SK Telecoms' Smart Beam projector may be just the device you are looking for.

Measuring 4.5cm (1.77 inches), the wide, cube-shaped beamer fit nicely in my palm. Weighing just 126g (4.4 ounces), it's as light as most mobile phones. The Smart Beam supports the MHL connectivity interface, and you can use any smartphone that supports this standard to connect to the pico projector.

Other key specifications include a battery life of 120 minutes, VGA native resolution, and 35 lumens of brightness … Read more

Sony's first SmartWatch didn't quite live up to expectations. It's expensive and has poor functionality; you need to install multiple apps to enable basic features such as notifications from calls or messages. And it isn't even water-resistant.

The original SmartWatch made competing products, such as the Pebble Watch, interesting choices for those hunting for smartwatches. The Pebble works with both iOS and Android, and is water-resistant.

However, with the introduction of the SmartWatch 2, Sony has made some modifications and improvements. Here’s a quick look at some of its features.

Design The SmartWatch 2 is … Read more

Sony's rumored next-generation SmartWatch is real, and it will offer some notable feature upgrades to the company's current wearable tech offering, a source has confirmed to CNET.

The news of a new SmartWatch is not surprising, given that Sony's Xperia Twitter account has all but confirmed a wristwatch-related announcement at next week's Mobile Asia Expo 2013 trade show that runs from June 26 to 28. The new model will be a successor to the Sony SmartWatch MN2SW, which is currently available for around $100.

But our source -- who has provided accurate information on unannounced Sony products in the past -- has indicated some specific features said to be available on the new watch.… Read more

In a move to gin up excitement for its current SmartWatch gadget, Sony has opened the device to software developers. With these new coding tools, enthusiasts now hopefully have what they need to craft custom firmware for the Android timepiece. … Read more

LOS ANGELES -- At first I thought I had misunderstood him, so I made sure to reply slowly. "So you're saying Kinect is going to blast IR signals at your living room, and they're going to reflect off walls and stuff and bounce back to control all of your devices?"

"That's correct," Marc Whitten said.

"Whoa," I replied.

"Kinect has a really powerful management of that energy," he explained. "It's just light," he went on, "but it just exists in a different spectrum." I … Read more

In addition to raising $5.4 million in Series A financing led by investors Voyager Capital and Crosslink Capital, Ayla Networks announced collaboration with the Chinese online media company, Sina, in creating the Wi-Fi Weather Station. The device is designed to deliver targeted weather information for wherever one of the devices is located. Sina customers will be able to access these personal weather reports through their smartphone or other device.

It's another step forward in the "Internet of Things."

Buzzwords aside, this is a real thing.

It doesn't matter what you call it, it is happening. … Read more

Let's face it: It doesn't matter how high quality the video is. Chatting over Skype or FaceTime doesn't do a lot of good if the call is between the hearing and the deaf and only the latter know sign language.

Now, following a successful release in California in April, the SmartVP videophone by Purple Communications is available free of charge to the deaf and hard-of-hearing nationwide, and it manages to solve the signing conundrum.… Read more

The smart lock space is suddenly crowded with competitors, each of which want consumers to see their offering as the best way to use a mobile phone to replace the traditional door key.

But with the unveiling of its own smart lock, and an Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign, the San Francisco startup Goji may have staked out the most desirable position in the space.

Several companies -- including Lockitron, Kwikset and August -- have all announced various approaches to home door locks that can be accessed from a mobile phone. Common features include being able to tell remotely if the door … Read more