Samsung unveils curved UHD TVs

Las Vegas: Korean electronics giant Samsung today launched its most talked-about product, the curved ultra high definition (UHD) TV, and a range of products including tablets at the 2014 International Consumer Electronics Show.

The company unveiled a 105-inch screen UHD TV, which it claims is the world's largest curved UHD TV. The U9000 series includes 65-inch and 55-inch curved TVs. Besides, the 12.2-inch Galaxy NotePRO and TabPRO tablets present mobile users with a display that offers a resolution of more than 4 million pixels.

The Galaxy NotePRO and TabPRO line is completed by the Galaxy TabPRO 10.1-inch and 8.4-inch as well. The New Year also marks the debut of Samsung's Chef Collection, a range of premium kitchen appliances. It includes refrigerators, stoves, ovens, over-the-range microwaves and dishwashers that can clean without missing corners. Samsung also showcased a new washing machine and washer dryer with a maximum laundry capacity of about 25 kg.

The company did not reveal prices and global launch dates of these products. "Four trends are shaping the technology demands of consumers: connectivity, urbanisation, aging and new environmental and societal risks," Samsung Electronics co-CEO Boo-keun Yoon said. The home of the future has to protect, be flexible and be responsive and needs technology that will connect all the digital dots in the lives of consumers, he added.

"Samsung is in a better position to deliver solutions for the 'Home of the Future' than anybody else - helped by our broad product range, integrated development and manufacturing and our large global network of partners," Yoon said.

Samsung's Smart Home service puts consumers in control of devices and appliances in their homes with a single application. With a single application on a smart TV, digital camera, smartphone or wearable device like the Galaxy Gear, consumers can control home devices – ranging from washing machines to lights to air-conditioners – both at home and on the road.

The controlling device also responds to voice commands. Smart Home will initially offer three main services: Device Control to manage devices at home; Home View, to monitor homes in real-time through built-in cameras on appliances or a digital camera from their smartphone; and Smart Customer Service, which provides service alerts and assistance in servicing.

MSD rules out retirement until 2015 Cup

New Delhi: A “fitter” and “healthier” M.S. Dhoni on Monday put rest to all speculations about retiring from any of the formats, saying that it would be unfair to put the burden of captaincy on a new player as the 2015 World Cup was just a year away.

“Now, it’s a point of no return. The World Cup is literally one year away and it won’t give a new guy the ideal time to play, at least, 70-80-90 games beginning to the World Cup. It will be tough for him,” Dhoni said on the sidelines of an event here.

Dhoni keen to continue as skipper in all three formats

Last year during the Australia tour, Dhoni had said that he would take a call on whether he would play all formats of the game in order to lead India’s title defence in 2015.

“I understand the pressure, it’s not always that you turn up and at the same time, you get the kind of things which give you more experience than the others. So, we have to go through it,” he added.

The back-to-back series against West Indies and South Africa had left the Indian team tired and Dhoni too was no different. However, the skipper asserted that he is in good shape physically, at least for the time being.

“As of now, it’s looking good. The body is closely knit together. How it will be (in future), I don’t know but so far so good.”

Evaluating India’s disastrous tour of South Africa where his boys lost both the ODI and Test series, Dhoni blamed one bad session in Durban for the embarrassment.

“I agree, we had some tough times. We had one really bad session because of which we were on the losing side,” he said.

“It’s a process where we have to improve and also the fact that now we will be continuously playing out of India, so it will give more exposure to the players.

“Most of the players, who are part of the side barring a few, they have not played, may be, more than five Test matches outside India. I know they will take some time but the overall performance was good.”

In the recent times, Indian bowlers’ ability to take 20 wickets on foreign soil was doubted and the 31-year-old admitted it’s one area where the team need to improve.