Crave

Japanese scientists create 'Smell-O-Vision' screen

People have never been satisfied with just watching the action on a screen, they want to be immersed in it. What better way than with our powerful sense of smell? Japanese researchers from the Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology have developed a smelling screen that puts the nose into play.

While early versions of "Smell-O-Vision" in movie theaters worked by floating odors into the air, the new screen is a bit more sophisticated. The scents can be located on specific parts of the screen. That means a person onscreen could be waving a piece of bacon around in the upper corner, and the smell would emanate from the same spot.… Read more

A 4K Apple TV: Does anyone still care?

Normally, you'd think a rumor that never comes true, despite being circulated continuously for years, would shrivel up and die. Such is not the case with the legend of a fabled Apple TV set, which later became an Apple HDTV set, and now apparently is an Apple 4K screen, according to the latest iteration of the gossip.

But after all this time, the more pertinent question becomes not "will there be an Apple TV?" but "do we still care about an Apple TV?"… Read more

Epson Moverio BT-100 head-mounted display: In-depth hands-on

The Epson Moverios are heavier than my regular glasses. I'm not sure I mind. Since I first got glasses in the fourth grade, I dreamed about them having some sort of built-in head-up display, feeding me real-time data about the world around me. Two seconds into the Google Glass launch video, and I said, out loud, "SHUT UP AND TAKE MY MONEY."

Turns out, Epson has been working on similar "iGlasses." Like Google Glass, these are an early entry into the technology. So if you're hoping for a snarky review about early tech, you'll be disappointed.

If you want to know what it's like having something like this, what it can and will be, and a shocking lack of jokes about me wanting Geordi La Forge's barrette thing, read on.… Read more

Samsung 4K TV? It'll cost you $40K

NEW YORK--Want a Samsung 4K TV? Well, it will cost you. $40,000, to be exact.

The Korean electronics giant today talked up new features of its 2013 lineup during an event in New York. We also now have information about pricing and availability for Samsung's other TVs, including its LED 8000-series and its plasma 8500-series TV sets. (Check out the handy chart for LED and plasma TVs below). Many of those products are already popping up at online and brick-and-mortar retailers.

Samsung also said it has added three new apps to its smart TV portfolio -- Fox, Spotify, … Read more

SunBriteTVs: Outdoor speakers for your eyes

Everyone has heard of outdoor speakers -- they come shaped like lamps, rocks, or even tree stumps -- but have you ever heard of an outdoor TV? California's SunBriteTV says it wants to make 2013 "the year of the outdoor TV."… Read more

TP Vision breaks new ground in TV design

TP Vision (a joint venture between Philips and TP Technology) has just announced its latest DesignLine TVs. In terms of aesthetics, the Philips PDL8908 is truly in a class of its own with a unibody glass chassis that stretches all the way to the floor.

This design eliminates the need for a separate stand, while the progressively translucent glass surface is another special touch. Adding to the series' overall good looks is an alluring halo that mirrors the onscreen colors and is created by the onboard Ambilight function. … Read more

Fry an egg with a solar-powered backyard death ray

The idea of focusing the sun's rays into a concentrated beam of heat using a magnifying glass is so well known that all you have to do is say "ants under a magnifying glass" to conjure the image of a torturing bully.

Backyard tinkerer Grant Thompson isn't a bully, but he does have a giant magnifying glass. More specifically, he has a Fresnel lens -- that is, a giant lens made of corrugated concentric circles adapted from an old rear-projection TV. … Read more

What is the blockiness in my TV's picture?

A common complaint I get via e-mail or in comments on other articles involves a picture that breaks up into what look like little blocks.

Often, people incorrectly refer to these as "pixels," or blame their TV settings.

In fact, this artifact is in the source, and unfortunately, there's not much you can do about it.… Read more

LED LCD backlights explained

All so-called LED TVs are really just LCD TVs that use LEDs for their backlight. This backlight creates the light that allows the LCD to create an image. However, there are multiple ways these LED backlights can be arranged, and that arrangement can have a dramatic effect on picture quality.

So here's your guide to all the different versions, with some funky illustrations, too.… Read more