4:55PM:Ok guys, we’re inside and seated and the show should start in the next few minutes. The room is absolutely packed — and when we say packed, we mean there are probably 1,000 people in a room that holds 600.
4:57PM:According to an announcement that just came over the PA, we’ll be starting on time in about 4 minutes. We’re not buying it.
5:01PM:Wow, looks like we’re starting on time! Light are down, music is loud… Here we go.
5:02PM:“Pushing Boundaries” is the name of the event, and samsung’s Boo-Keun Yoon is on stage.
5:03PM:Samsung is the world’s No.1 TV brand for the sixth consecutive year. It sold 2 TVs per second last year. Samsung also sold more than 300 million mobile phones last year.
5:04PM:For the third straight year, Samsung was also the world’s top refrigerator brand. “That was our past, but were here to see the future of electronics products.”
5:04PM:“We must break down the walls that exist between devices.” Just like we all could have guessed, Samsung is all about connected devices this year.
5:05PM:Samsung wants users to enjoy and share content across multiple devices any time, anywhere. TVs, tablets, phones and so on.
5:06PM:Samsung is updating its TV lineup and Smart TVs are the focus. Samsung’s smart TVs can “listen, see, and do what it wants” and you never have to touch a control.
5:07PM:Sharing from TVs to other personal devices is also a huge focus for Samsung’s new lineup. And, of course, 3D is still a big focus. There will be a lot of new 3D content as well.
5:08PM:Samsung also wants to make sure that its new TVs are smart enough to keep evolving and “getting smarter every year.”
5:10PM:“We’re now watching a demo video. Samsung’s new TVs can be controlled by voice or using tons of different gestures. Not quite Minority Report, but very cool none the less. Users can drag menu items around and make selections just by waving and poking.
5:11PM:Tim Baxter, president of Samsung Electronics in the U.S. is on stage now. Samsung’s new lineup is all about content, services and technology. Connectivity to other devices and to the cloud are obviously a big deal as well.
5:12PM:Samsung’s ES8000 LED TV is the company’s flagship model for 2012.
5:13PM:It is absolutely gorgeous. “You won’t find a more powerful TV.” It packs a dual-core processor and it supports multitasking.
5:13PM:Users can jump from app to app just like they can on a tablet, and the app’s state will be saved.
5:14PM:The bezel around the screen is very, very thin, and it’s available in sizes up to 75 inches. Yes, 75 inches.
5:14PM:The ES8000 also features an integrated camera for web conferencing and more.
5:16PM:25,000 companies are now building apps for Samsung’s smart TVs.
5:17PM:Samsung will be putting Media Hub on its TVs this year as well. Buy content on one device, watch on all devices.
5:18PM:Since 2010, Samsung has sold more than 12 million 3D TVs. In 2012, half of Samsung’s TV lineup will be 3D.
5:18PM:
5:19PM:This year, Samsung is focusing on bringing much more 3D content to its TVs. One example is NBCUniversal’s Battlestar Galactica, which will be coming to Samsung’s TVs in 3D this year.
5:20PM:Angry Birds just invaded the press conference. They’re hoping around the screen and, obviously, the app will be coming to Samsung’s TVs this year.
5:21PM:Samsung is even adding a channel dedicated to animated Angry Birds content. Seriously.
5:23PM:Joe Stinziano, Samsung’s SVP, is on stage now. Samsung held a competition recently for developers to bring apps that provide interaction between TVs and smartphones. The winner, a dev who build an app called Party Shots (drink with friends, snap pics, share on a social network) just won 0,000!
5:24PM:Samsung is introducing new signature services for 2012. The first one, Family Story, allows users to upload images and more from a Samsung device and add it to a stream on a TV. Another service provides enhanced parental controls.
5:25PM:Smart Interaction allows users to interact with Samsung’s smart TVs using their voices, gestures and even their face.
5:26PM:Users can say things like “channel 2″ or “play Black Eyed Peas” and the TV obeys. The TVs will also recognize users by their faces, and display each user’s home page and apps automatically.
5:27PM:A new “Smart Evolution” feature in Samsung’s 2012 TVB lineup will include open slots in the back of the unit that will allow users to install “kits” in the future to add new features.
5:28PM:And now, another new TV. The Samsung 55-inch “Super OLED” TV. It. Is. Gorgeous.
5:29PM:The TV is out on stage right now and even from the back of the room, we can see how gorgeous the display is. The colors are absolutely remarkable. And since it’s OLED, there’s no need for color filters. It also eliminates blur, is nearly borderless and is remarkably slim.
5:30PM:And despite being ridiculously thin, it doesn’t skimp on features at all. A dual-core process and 3D are packed within this gorgeous set, and it also includes an integrated webcam.
5:33PM:Samsung is introducing a new feature called AllShare Play this year as well. It allows users to wirelessly share content between devices on the same network or over the internet.
5:33PM:Wireless sharing is also built into Samsung’s smart cameras and camcorders this year.
5:34PM:In 2012, Samsung will deliver a full line of connected cameras and camcorders, from entry-level on up, that feature integrated Wi-Fi and sharing features.
5:35PM:Samsung will also use Wi-Fi for more than just sharing. An app on a Samsung phone can be used to control a camera remotely, for example.
5:36PM:Samsung’s cameras will also be able to email photos right from the device — no need for a PC or even a phone.
5:36PM:Next up… A connected washing machine. Really.
5:37PM:The machine will use AllShare Play to do things like sending alerts when a load is done.
5:38PM:Now we’re on to telecommunications. The Galaxy Note is the first device being shown. As announced this morning, the Note will feature LTE and will launch soon from AT&T.
5:39PM:The phone features a 5.3-inch Super AMOLED HD display, and of course, Samsung’s new stylus technology “S Pen.”
5:40PM:One cool feature of the S Pen: it reads pressure, so the harder you press on the screen, the thicker the line it will draw.
5:41PM:Next up, the Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 LTE for Verizon Wireless, which includes 4G LTE support, of course.
5:42PM:In short, it’s a Tab 7.7 with LTE.
5:43PM:Samsung’s Series 9 notebook PC is up next. It’s very sleek, and very familiar.
5:45PM:The series 9 weighs just 2.5 lbs and it’s 0.5 inches thick. It’s the result of over 30,000 hours of development and design, Samsung says. It features a single-shell aluminum body and fingerprint resistance. It also sports a backlit keyboard.
5:45PM:It boots in 9.8 seconds and the battery lasts up to 10 hours on a single charge. Wow.
5:47PM:Samsung also has two new ultrabooks to unveil that fall into its Series 5 category, and a new line of monitors that fall under the Series 9 class.
5:48PM:Tim Baxter is coming back on stage now to wrap things up. Content, services and connectivity are the keys to SAmsung’s strategy this year.
5:49PM:That’s it guys, thanks for tuning in!