Sony Semiconductor Solutions of America created a lip-reading technology designed to take voice recognition in vehicles “to the next level,” said Mark Hanson, vice president-technology and business innovation, at a CES 2021 media virtual briefing Tuesday. “Voice recognition continues to be one of the most reported complaints of new vehicle owners,” said Hanson. “Cars are dynamic and noisy” in conditions where audio voice recognition “is challenged,” he said. “The goal we gave the engineering team was to make voice recognition work in a convertible, figuring it they could make it work there, they could make it work in any environment.” Sony’s “current focus” is to support the company’s Vision-S electric car initiative, which could “help people with hearing impairment,” said Hanson. The technology supports more than 200 “command words” in English, he said. “We plan to expand both the word count and language support, prioritized on the needs of our customers.”

Silicon Labs is working with global smart bulb maker Yeelight on a bulb that supports Seamless Setup in the Google Home app, it said Tuesday. Yeelight is one of the first brands to deliver a smart lighting integration with Google Seamless, which allows users to quickly set up smart home devices in the Google Home app “in just a few steps,” said the chipmaker. Users can ask Google to turn on/off, dim or change colors by voice, pairing directly with Google Assistant. They can also set up Google Assistant routines in the app to automatically control lighting using voice commands. Yeelight is demonstrating the bulb at CES.

China-based Konka, which bowed a TV line in the U.S. last summer (see 2008120049), launched a trio of 75-inch and larger 4K TVs during CES, including its first 82-inch model, with availability in April and May. The Q7 Pro Series Android TVs, using quantum dot technology, are the flagship of the portfolio, with 4K game mode, video calibration menu, Chromecast built-in, four HDMI inputs, a voice remote control and a color gamut that renders over 100% of the DCI-P3 color space, said the company Monday. The Q7 Pro Series, also scheduled for April-May availability, will include 55-, 65- and 75-inch models. The U5 series -- in 50-, 55-, 65-, 75- and 82-inch sizes -- use Konka’s HiBright Pro LED backlighting. The entry-level H3 value series 32- and 43-inch TVs will have a voice control remote, game mode, personal audio, three HDMI inputs and built-in Google Assistant and Chromecast, the company said. Also at CES, Konka announced it expanded into the U.S. smart home market with its Android TVs acting as hubs. The smart home lineup is controlled by Konka’s OneApp with the If This Then That service that allows users to create scenes. Konka’s CameraView app works with its smart home devices and TVs, said Scott Ramirez, senior vice president-sales and marketing, Konka North America. The product line includes video doorbells, webcams, smart plugs, LED lighting strips and smart bulbs. Konka's Floodlight Cam combines an Anywhere Cam with a mic, speaker, siren and dual floodlights that are adjustable to match coverage needed, the company said. Prices weren’t given. Other categories, including smart switches, will follow, said the company.

CTA quietly listed Microsoft President Brad Smith as a CES 2021 keynoter on the virtual event’s schedule, but his appearance is “not part of our larger contractual agreement” with Microsoft, emailed an association spokesperson Monday. CTA previously resisted saying whether Microsoft’s “cloud platform provider” contract terms to run CES 2021 as a virtual event included an agreement for Microsoft to keynote the show (see 2010190043). Smith’s prerecorded keynote on “The Promise and Peril of the Digital Age” is scheduled to begin streaming Jan. 13 at 9 a.m. EST. Smith will examine “the dual use of technology” as an “extraordinary tool that powers economies” but also a “formidable weapon that can undermine democracy and fundamental human rights,” says a conference description.

LG Display will showcase new transparent OLED applications at virtual CES, including a 55-inch display that rises from a frame at the foot of a bed, presenting information or TV programming in various screen ratios, it said Thursday. LG’s Cinematic Sound is embedded in the frame, which is designed to be portable for transferring between rooms. For commercial applications, LG will demonstrate a 55-inch transparent OLED display in a restaurant zone, where guests waiting for their order can view a movie or TV program while watching the chef prepare their order on the other side of the display. A transit application will show a transparent display as a replacement window on a subway train, providing subway line maps and news, while allowing passengers to view passing scenery, said the company. Other applications are smart homes, smart buildings, autonomous vehicles and aircraft.

CES 2021 will be the global launchpad for CareClever’s Cutii, a companion robot for seniors that’s designed to overcome social isolation and cognitive decline. Users speak to the robot, which responds and moves in response, said the company. Cutii supports telehealth consultations and will soon be enabled for autonomous patrol to detect potentially dangerous situations for seniors, CareClever said.

LG Electronics will debut 10 QNED Mini LED TVs based on quantum dot and NanoCell technologies at CES 2021, it said Monday. The 4K and 8K TVs will top out at 86 inches. The company continues to position OLED as the “pinnacle” of its TV lineup, calling Mini LED “a compelling option” that gives consumers an immersive experience in the LCD space. Mini LED backlighting uses nearly 30,000 tiny LEDs that produce a contrast ratio of 1,000,000:1 when paired with up to 2,500 dimming zones and advanced local dimming technology, said the company. Refresh rates are up to 120 Hz for smooth motion rendering.

China-based Konka, after making its U.S. TV debut in August (see 2008120049), will launch a line of smart home products at the virtual CES 2021 with availability in the spring, said the vendor. Joining the company’s smart TVs will be video doorbells and smart cameras, plugs, switches and lights. The smart products, controllable by the KonkaSmart OneApp, operate over Wi-Fi so no hub is needed, said the company. They work with Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa and the If This Then That service.

Biotechnology startup iMediSync will showcase an electroencephalogram (EEG) brain-mapping and LED-therapeutic device at virtual CES 2021, it said Wednesday. The iSyncWave, a gel-free, portable EEG brain-mapping device with LED photo-biomodulators, is designed for early detection of neuropsychiatric disorders such as dementia, Parkinson’s disease, traumatic brain injury, post-traumatic stress disorder and depression, said the company. The device will help patients treat their illnesses at clinics and homes and facilitate checkups "to prevent degenerative neurological disorders," the company said. ISyncWave works with the iSyncMe mobile app, which connects to the company's artificial intelligence-driven cloud platform.

Iogear plans an array of PC peripheral introductions at virtual CES 2021, including a pocket-sized livestreaming capture adapter designed for streaming 4K content from smartphones and PCs, said the company. Another streaming device launch is an adapter that allows users to capture 4K video content from two sources and create effects including picture-in-picture, split-screen and green-screen backgrounds. For gaming, it will introduce an adapter for mobile gamers who want to use a keyboard and mouse on content played on an iPhone, iPad or Apple TV. It will also bow a 4K and HDMI switch that allows users to connect three HDMI sources on one display, ensuring 4096 x 2160 resolution @60Hz for the three.