Day three of 2013 International Consumer Electronic Show reimagines current trends

Levi Castle

As the 2013 International Consumer Electronic Show comes to an end, Thursday’s products on display were among the last of the show to get a spotlight. Much like the other days, however, the items revealed were once again reimagining current trends while attempting to introduce entirely new ones.

A smartphone unlike any other at the show was revealed that could merge together e-readers and phones/tablets of the future. Called the YotaPhone, this Android 4.1 phone from Yota Device features an HD display on one side and an E-ink screen on the other side of the phone. E-ink displays are what made readers like the Kindle so popular; they conserve battery power and look more naturally like a book. Now, with two displays, the YotaPhone can have the battery saving of E-ink when wanted and still supply the full-color HD display that comes standard on most smartphones of today.

Among the 4K TVs shown at the Consumer Electronic Show, none gained quite a reaction as much as Samsung’s 110-inch model. Taking on the same style of the other Samsung TVs of the show, this display is mounted in a way that no other company has done. Looking like they mounted a screen on a modern art easel, Samsung said that this design allows the TV to tilt easier than past models. Additionally, it lets the screen itself be thinner than ever while still allowing it to be manageable. Making even 85-inch TVs look small, this model will not be available for some time, according to tech site CNET.

An aesthetically appealing keyboard was shown by company Luminae that is unique because of how it is presented; this keyboard is all glass. Using sensors and LED lighting to supply a full-size keyboard, this curved piece of glass will never harbor crumbs and should prove easier to clean than today’s keys, especially since there are no actual keys. Luminae creator Jason Giddings said in an interview with CNET that he calls the concept “eye candy,” and that he got the idea from watching sci-fi shows and movies that always have interactive displays look transparent. Many software advantages, like user-created custom key overlays or layouts, make this keyboard even more unique from the standard of today’s hardware.

Also shown was a Pebble smart watch, which has an E-ink LCD display. With the ability to connect to other devices and the cloud, this $150 watch can show notifications from phones, Facebook, and many other services. It also displays time in a variety of ways, from standard digital time to even a binary code.

Samsung announced that they will not be releasing its upcoming Windows RT device in the United States because of the lacking support seen from retail partners and their customers for the operating system. The company also said that the public doesn’t exactly know what the goals or ambitions of Windows RT are exactly, further alienating them from the system and possibly having them just wait for a full mobile version of Windows 8 and Windows 8 Pro.

CNET announced their top products of the show in this video with yesterday’s Razer Edge winning both the Best of Show and People’s Voice Awards.

That’s all for Thursday’s biggest products. Friday will wrap up the show; look for one more summary afterwards.