CES 2014: First look at LG's webOS-powered SmartTV

Kudos to LG for taking the discarded carcass of the once-promising webOS platform and shaping it into something new and exciting with their webOS-powered SmartTV.  CES and webOS have a strange connection, the OS was introduced by Palm, together with the first Pre smartphone at CES 2009. Years later, webOS makes a stunning comeback as the most innovative take on SmartTV. It's good to see that webOS has a lot more to offer even if it isn't in a mobile device.

Nokia dabbles with Android in their leaked Normandy device

I always wondered what a Nokia Android device would be like and based on some recent leaks of the Normandy inteface, we get a clearer idea and look at the alternate reality where Android runs on Nokia hardware.

Looking very much like a simplified Lumia device, these Normandy renders show what looks to be a visual mashup of Windows Phone and Android but with a heavy Nokia flavour (that's a good thing). Now that Microsoft owns Nokia, it is unlikely that we'll ever know what this device would have been like or where it would fit in the hierarchy of Android devices. Still, it's always fun to think of what could have been.

Source: @evleaks via Phandroid

SwiftKey sets its eyes and keys on car entertainment and navigation

SwiftKey changed the way many of us interact with their smartphones by making tapping and typing a thing of the past. The company has smartly decided to broaden its horizon by applying all it learned in mobile to car entertainment and navigation systems. SwiftKey has partnered with in-car entertainment manufacturer Clarion for their AX1 Android-powered touchscreen car stereo system coming to market in Asia this year. This makes it possible for passengers and parked driver to quickly enter navigation information, run searches and manage entertainment. Since The AX1 also includes a web browser for surfing, email and apps access, having a smart input method makes a whole lot of sense. Can the carputer be far behind?

Source: TechCrunch

Panasonic's LUMIX ZS40 is a 30X Super Zoom with WiFi, NFC and GPS

Remember when super-zoom cameras were large and bulky? Panasonic's new Lumix ZS40 is the complete opposite of that. Featuring a Leica 30X Super Zoom (24-720mm) stabilized for still & HD Video, this 16-megapixel camera also features WiFi, NFC and GPS, it is extremely slim and compact. The 3.0-inch large 460K-dot monitor tilts up to 180-degrees making it extremely easy to take a self-portrait. A variety of special effects that add fun to the shooting experience are integrated into the DMC- ZS35 including Creative Control, Creative Retouch and Creative Panorama. The 1250mAh large capacity of battery enables the camera to shoot approximately 350 pictures.  This could be the ultimate travel camera.