glass

A few weeks ago at CES, Corning announced that its next generation of glass surfaces will deliver thinner, stronger touch screens.

Since Gorilla Glass covers some of the most premium smartphones--including the HTC Evo 4G, Samsung Galaxy S II, and Motorola Droid Razr--I wanted to take a closer look at what the material can offer phone owners.

First of all, there's the glass itself. Gorilla Glass is a special type of chemically strengthened material (an aluminosilicate for you material science geeks out there) that's processed in such a way as to resist scratches and other surface dings. It also withstands greater compression than standard glass, which means you have to press it (or drop it) harder to damage it.… Read more

While it's common knowledge that Apple is a product trendsetter via the iPod, iPhone, iPad, and MacBook Air, its status as a standard setter is not as widely known.

Ever heard of Thunderbolt? If you have (many CNET readers undoubtedly have) it's almost entirely owing to Apple, which has been the exclusive adopter of that interface technology, developed by Intel, on its Macs. While it's unclear whether Thunderbolt will catch on in a big way, the fact that Apple has first-adopter status is one reason other device makers are taking a serious look at the technology. And … Read more

LAS VEGAS--Although Toshiba's glasses-free 3D TV is coming to the U.S. in the next couple of months, and at a price we expect to be north of $10,000, it still has some issues.

Fellow CNET TV reviewer Ty Pendlebury and I both got the chance to check out the set here at CES 2012, and while the head-tracking technology is impressive, and the fact that you can actually see 3D effects without glasses is kind of mind-blowing, the TV we saw definitely felt more like a prototype than a product ready for prime time--especially for that price.… Read more

LAS VEGAS--Active 3D glasses that come free with the TV, don't cost too much for extra pairs, and work with other brands might help win a few more 3D TV naysayers.

Ami Dror, Chief Strategy Officer for 3D glasses maker XpanD, told CNET that he expects active 3D glasses to cost as little as $20 each before the end of the year. That's $10 less than the current least-expensive such glasses from Samsung, which retail for $30 per pair. Active glasses from Sony and Panasonic currently cost more.

But current active 3D glasses don't work across … Read more

LAS VEGAS--Are you interested in 3D, but hate the glasses? For a second year in a row, Sony is showing off glasses-free 3D TVs at CES.

There are two displays here: a 24-inch LCD capable of 1080p and a 46-inch LCD with up to 4K resolution. Adjacent literature was at least truthful in admitting that the autostereoscopic 3D setup is showing at a "HD equivalent" quality. This is because the parallax barrier, which causes the 3D effect, effectively halves the resolution to ensure each eye is receiving separate images.

My observations of the 24-inch glasses-free 3D TV … Read more

LAS VEGAS--Tucked away toward the rear of Sony's CES booth sit a pair of refreshed 3D active-shutter glasses for the new year.

The updated model, TDG-BR750, represents a new design philosophy in the company for 3D specs. Essentially, less is more. In fact, Sony's new frames look eerily similar to Samsung's ultra-light SSG-3500CR 3D glasses.

Gone is the bulky, plastic design of previous generations: the new Sony glasses look vastly better and are much more comfortable. The BR750 weighs only 1.2 ounces, and is made mostly of titanium. That is a noticeable difference in comparison to last year's model, the TDG-BR250, which is mostly made of plastic and weighs 2.1 ounces.

I can personally vouch that the BR750 should also fit people with larger heads much better than previous models. With the diminished weight, the glasses also feel like they will be much better suited for extended 3D viewing sessions. … Read more

Gorilla Glass, which I wish covered my cracked Samsung Galaxy Nexus screen, is heading to market in a stronger 2.0 version.

Corning introduced the new material at CES yesterday, saying that newfound strength lets screens be made 20 percent thinner. That, in turn, can improve brightness, touch response, and of course device thickness.

I also hope the thinner glass will effectively bring text and graphics closer to the surface of smartphones, something I find makes them much easier to use since my eye isn't as distracted by multiple layers of visual information.

"Product qualification and design implementation … Read more

LAS VEGAS--As a rule, no company divulges pricing at CES anymore, but we still have reason to suspect that when its price actually does get announced, the Sony HX750 series might represent a good picture-quality-for-the-buck proposition.

This set is the least expensive in Sony's admittedly small 2012 CES announcement lineup to offer the edge-lit local dimming we liked so much on the NX720 from last year.

Sony has slowly begin competing in price in some TV categories over the last couple of years, and the HX750's feature mix eschews the MotionFlow 960 of the step-up HX850, settling for … Read more

LAS VEGAS--Much like Samsung this year, the best LCD-based TV Sony announced at CES is a non-full-array model, relying on edge-lit LEDs to produce its picture.

That's the bad news for videophiles expecting a full-array follow-up to the excellent XBR-HX929. The good news for said videophiles? Judging from the picture quality of the NX720 from 2011, Sony knows how to eke great black levels and minimal blooming from an edge-lit configuration.

It's curious that Sony didn't name the HX850, a TV its press release identifies as a "flagship," with the traditional "XBR" moniker. … Read more