LG Electronics USA (LG) today announced pricing and availability of its 2024 premium lineup of laptops - the LG gram Pro and LG gram Pro 2-in-1. The 16- and 17-inch LG gram Pro models retail for $2399 (16Z90SP-A.ADB9U1) and $2499 (17Z90SP-E.ADB9U1) respectively while the CES 2024 Innovation Award-winning 16-inch gram Pro 2-in-1 (16T90SP-K.ADB9U1) retails for $2099. For a limited time, customers shopping on LG.com can pre-order the 16- and 17-inch LG gram Pro and 16-inch LG gram Pro 2-in-1.

Throughout the duration of the pre-order period from February 21, 2024, to March 10, 2024, customers will be able to purchase the 32 GB-RAM/2 TB-SSD LG gram Pro laptop for the price of a 16 GB-RAM/1 TB-SSD model of the same screen size. They'll also receive an LG gram +view IPS portable monitor (16MR70.ASDU) and expedited shipping at no additional cost. All standard terms of purchase apply.

Game streaming and content creation is continuously expanding with new tools. Gamers desire products that push the boundaries of play and allow for more customization options than ever. Customizable lighting has been one of the most effective ways to add a unique personality to devices and experiences. It's also a powerful force for immersion, creativity and learning, and sets your game stream apart from the others. LIGHTSYNC RGB empowers users with endless lighting customization. Now, with the addition of Dynamic Windows, LIGHTSYNC just got bigger, better, and brighter. Shine on!"

Dynamic Lighting empowers users to get the most out of their RGB devices with one consistent experience across all compatible devices. This new standard provides a new way for Logitech G users to configure their LIGHTSYNC capable devices by leveraging Windows 11 to directly send lighting to their devices. Dynamic Lighting allows for third party applications on Windows to directly address RGB-enabled LEDs on connected devices. Any compatible device can receive lighting events, and any developer can build applications using this standard to control their lighting environment.

Chinese consumer electronics giant Hisense showcased its latest audio-visual innovations at the 2024 CES show in Las Vegas this week. The company unveiled massive, ultra-high-end televisions as well as advances in its Laser TV lineup. Headlining Hisense's CES showcase was the 110UX, a 110-inch television with 40,000 backlighting zones and a searing 10,000 nits peak brightness. With unmatched contrast and brightness, Hisense calls it one of the most impressive 100+ inch TVs ever made. Also on display was the 98UX, a 98-inch set capable of 144 Hz refresh rates alongside over 10,000 local dimming zones. Beyond these flagship models, Hisense also introduced its thinnest Mini LED TV to date - the 75UX. At just 14 millimeters thin, Hisense claims it sets a new industry benchmark for slim design without compromising picture quality.

TrendForce's "2024 New Mini LED BLU Display Trend Analysis" report reveals that due to declining demand in consumer electronics, shipments of Mini LED products are expected to decrease to 13.337 million units in 2023. However, the market is projected to rebound in 2024, with shipments estimated at 13.792 million units, and the growth trend is expected to continue through 2027. This decline is part of a larger trend of decreasing prices for Mini LED products, setting the stage for sustained growth in shipments. The report predicts that by 2027, shipments could reach as high as 31.453 million units, with a CAGR of approximately 23.9% from 2023 to 2027.

In the television sector, despite the robust increase in LCD panel prices and the continued high depreciation costs of OLED products, Mini LED component prices are on a downward trend. Now, apart from the relatively small-scale and still early-stage glass-based Mini LEDs, the costs of various other Mini LED TV panels are lower than those of White OLED and QD OLED. Thus, TrendForce maintains that Mini LEDs remain the most effective and optimal solution for enhancing contrast. Against this backdrop, the forecast for Mini LED TVs is positive, with an expected continuous growth in shipment volumes. Shipments are projected to reach 6.21 million units by 2024, marking a 53.5% YoY increase. Moving forward to 2027, shipment volumes are projected to hit 24.4 million units, capturing roughly 12.1% of the overall TV market. The CAGR for this segment from 2023 to 2027 is projected to be around 56.7%.

Samsung Electronics today reported financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2023. Total consolidated revenue was KRW 67.40 trillion, a 12% increase from the previous quarter, mainly due to new smartphone releases and higher sales of premium display products. Operating profit rose sequentially to KRW 2.43 trillion based on strong sales of flagship models in mobile and strong demand for displays, as losses at the Device Solutions (DS) Division narrowed.

The Memory Business reduced losses sequentially as sales of high valued-added products and average selling prices somewhat increased. Earnings in system semiconductors were impacted by a delay in demand recovery for major applications, but the Foundry Business posted a new quarterly high for new backlog from design wins. The mobile panel business reported a significant increase in earnings on the back of new flagship model releases by major customers, while the large panel business narrowed losses in the quarter. The Device eXperience (DX) Division achieved solid results due to robust sales of premium smartphones and TVs. Revenue at the Networks Business declined in major overseas markets as mobile operators scaled back investments.

Drop, the leading community-driven e-commerce brand, today unveiled the CSTM80, its inaugural keyboard in its CSTM series of highly customizable mechanical keyboards. On the heels of launching its Battlestations shopping experience earlier this year, Drop continues to push the boundaries of personal expression for its enthusiast community with design-forward innovations.

The CSTM80 is a tenkeyless mechanical keyboard featuring a magnetic top case that users can switch out and pair with a matching cable and keycaps to reflect their personal style and preferences. At launch, users can choose from several different color cases, as well as two designed cases, to match their preferred aesthetic. Unlike other "customizable" keyboards on the market that only allow the top cover to be swapped out, the magnetic case on the CSTM80 encapsulates nearly the entire keyboard, allowing for greater customization among users and expanding the canvas for designers to craft more intricate designs.

MSI, a world-leading brand for gaming and creation, proudly introduces the VIGOR GK41 series, a revolutionary duo of gaming keyboards designed to elevate your gaming experience. The VIGOR GK41 and its advanced counterpart, the VIGOR GK41 DUSK, are crafted with precision and a next-level to cater to the diverse needs of gamers.

VIGOR GK41: Armed for Game On
The VIGOR GK41, the first product in the series, stands out with its Kailh Linear Red switches, offering outstanding responsiveness for gamers seeking the perfect keystroke. Boasting 6 fixed color LEDs in 10 different lighting zones, the GK41 creates a visually immersive gaming environment. Supporting MSI Center software enables gamers to customize macro key settings and lighting effects. It also offers the flexibility to configure combination keys for adjustable lighting effects and seamless control over media settings. The adjustable stand with three angles (0°, 3°, or 7°) ensures ergonomic comfort. It is complemented by 100% anti-ghosting keys, making the VIGOR GK41 the go-to choice for gamers who demand outstanding performance at an affordable price.

Avicena, a privately held company headquartered in Sunnyvale, CA, is demonstrating its LightBundle multi-Tbps chip-to-chip interconnect technology at the European Conference for Optical Communications (ECOC) 2023 in Glasgow, Scotland (https://www.ecocexhibition.com/). Avicena's microLED-based LightBundle architecture breaks new ground by unlocking the performance of processors, memory and sensors, removing key bandwidth and proximity constraints while simultaneously offering class leading energy efficiency.

"As generative AI continues to evolve, the role of high bandwidth-density, low-power and low latency interconnects between xPUs and HBM modules cannot be overstated", says Chris Pfistner, VP Sales & Marketing of Avicena. "Avicena's innovative LightBundle interconnects have the potential to fundamentally change the way processors connect to each other and to memory because their inherent parallelism is well-matched to the internal wide and slow bus architecture within ICs. With a roadmap to multi-terabit per second capacity and sub-pJ/bit efficiency these interconnects are poised to enable the next era of AI innovation, paving the way for even more capable models and a wide range of AI applications that will shape the future."

BenQ, the global leading DLP 4K projector brand and innovator of digital lifestyle devices, today unveiled three all-new 4K HDR smart projectors. Designed specifically for AAA console gaming, each projector offers players unparalleled audiovisual experiences tailored to various rooms within the home.

Following closely after the success of the BenQ X3000i, 2022's best 4K LED gaming projector, the new models X3100i, X500i, and X300G showcase BenQ's revolutionary detail enhancement engine. They set new standards by integrating the projector-tailored HDR-PRO, CinematicColor, and CinematicSound technologies, offering a richer and more immersive gaming experience than ever before.

Drop, the leading community-driven e-commerce company, today introduced enhanced versions of its CTRL, ALT, and SHIFT keyboards. First launched in 2018 and designed from feedback from the Drop community, these keyboards have since become best-sellers, offering a compelling combination of customization and quality. The new V2 variants of the Drop CTRL, ALT and SHIFT combine iconic, fully aluminium design with stand-out RGB lighting performance, improved features and enhanced performance, delivering an unparalleled typing experience for those seeking to elevate their desk setups.

"The new and improved CTRL, ALT, and SHIFT V2 keyboards represent a leap forward in design, performance, and functionality while preserving the cherished qualities that made their predecessors beloved by our community," said Jef Holove, CEO, Drop. "With the addition of highly requested features such as stabilizer upgrades, new switch options, and enhanced RGB LED capabilities, we offer the community an upgraded and unparalleled typing experience that will make them fall in love with these reinvented, classic keyboards all over again."

Audio-Technica, a leading innovator in transducer technology for over 60 years, announces the launch of the AT2020USB-XP cardioid condenser USB microphone - the latest addition to A-T's comprehensive lineup of 20 Series content creation products. Competitive features and studio-quality sound have become the calling card of the 20 Series, and the AT2020USB-XP is no exception, delivering ideal performance for streamers, podcasters and other content creators.

Building on A-T's most recent USB condenser model, the AT2020USB-X, the AT2020USB-XP includes the same silent touch-sensitive mute switch, built-in headphone jack with volume control and personal mix control to allow for monitoring of the microphone, as well as plug-and-play USB-Type C operation. Additions and improvements for the AT2020USB-XP include a 24-bit 192 kHz sampling rate, three levels of noise reduction (via selector switch with LED indicator), automatic gain control (with LED indicator), and the inclusion of a clip-on pop filter.

The newly established Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) in the UK has recently released the UK's National Semiconductor Strategy. Dr. Shih-Chieh Chang, General Director of Electronic and Optoelectronic System Research Laboratories at the Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) of Taiwan had an initial exchange with DSIT. During the exchange, Dr. Chang suggested that Taiwan can become a trustable partner for the UK and that the partnership can leverage collective strengths to create mutually beneficial developments. According to the Strategy, the British government plans to invest 1 billion pounds over the next decade to support the semiconductor industry. This funding will improve access to infrastructure, power more research and development and facilitate greater international cooperation.

Dr. Chang stressed that ITRI looks forward to more collaboration with the UK on semiconductors to enhance the resilience of the supply chain. While the UK possesses cutting-edge capabilities in semiconductor IP design and compound semiconductor technology, ITRI has extensive expertise in semiconductor technology R&D and trial production. As a result, ITRI is well-positioned to offer consultation services for advanced packaging pilot lines, facilitate pre-production evaluation, and link British semiconductor IP design companies with Taiwan's semiconductor industry chain. "The expansion of British manufacturers' service capacity in Taiwan would create a mutually beneficial outcome for both Taiwan and the UK," said Dr. Chang.

TrendForce reports that in the first quarter of 2023, global shipments of LCD monitors fell 7.4% QoQ to 28.8 million units, marking a YoY decline of 20.5%. Major brands, including Dell, HP, and Lenovo, experienced significant drops in shipment levels, falling by 15.6%, 22.8%, and 19.2% respectively.

On the other hand, several consumer brands saw quarterly growth in their shipments in the first quarter, primarily due to channels replenishing their inventories in March. Among these brands, AOC/Philips stood out, benefiting greatly from demand in the Chinese consumer market. Their shipments not only grew 10.9% QoQ but also increased 3.3% compared to the first quarter of 2022.

Lian Li also presented a new portfolio of liquid cooling all-in-one (AIO) solutions and new fans. Called the GALAHAD II TRINITY series, it includes three models: the GALAHAD II TRINITY, GALAHAD II TRINITY SL INF, and GALAHAD II TRINITY PERFORMANCE. The TRINITY series features three interchangeable caps for pump block personalization and 45-degree rotating fittings at the radiator for convenient tube positioning. The GALAHAD II TRINITY model is available in 240 and 360 sizes and comes equipped with pre-installed RGB fans with flawless cable connectivity. The GALAHAD II TRINITY SL-INF model, also available in 240 and 360 sizes, comes with pre-fitted UNI FAN SL INFINITY fans and a controller. Lastly, the GALAHAD PERFORMANCE model, available in a 360 size, features pre-installed 28 mm thick high-performance LCP fans with seamless cable integration, a 32 mm thick radiator with a unique double wave fin design, and a 4200RPM pump. It is set to launch in June.

In addition, there is a GALAHAD II LCD AIO. This 280/360 AIO features a 2.88" LCD screen at the top of the pump, with a display resolution of 480x480. Two aluminium caps, complete with edge-diffused LED lighting, adorn the pump's sides. The LCD supports MP4 files, customizable layers, and screen capturing, with the added capability of a split-screen function. With 2 GB of flash memory, it allows for MP4 uploading of up to three minutes in length.

A new series of ENDORFY Arx 700 Air and Arx 700 ARGB PC cases has just been released, developed for gamers, creators, and technology enthusiasts who are looking for maximum cooling potential and convenient access to all internal components. These are the largest cases to date in ENDORFY's portfolio, able to accommodate, among other things, a tall cooling system, 8 fans, and virtually any graphics card currently available on the market.

The ENDORFY Arx 700 is designed to provide the best possible airflow, while ensuring easy and convenient installation and the maximum possible compatibility with air- and water-cooling systems or the latest, large-sized graphics cards. Arx 700 provides maximum cooling potential, wide possibilities of computer configuration, and freedom in the choice of components used.

2023. There are three cases that Lian Li is presenting: O11D EVO XL, O11D EVO RGB, O11 Vision, and SUP 01. Starting off with the O11D EVO XL, it is a versatile e-ATX case designed to house cutting-edge hardware, with the added flexibility of being set up in a reverse configuration. This case allows for placing a GPU next to the motherboard, either upright or flipped, in either standard or reverse setups. It is also equipped with an adaptable I/O module that can be mounted at various points for optimal user-friendliness. Furthermore, the O11D XL comes with a detachable support column on the front left, providing unimpeded visual access to the case's interior. It also boasts a motherboard tray that can be adjusted in height for three different cooling arrangements, even accommodating up to three 420 radiators simultaneously.

CL CSOT, a company focused on developing new technologies and innovations in the display industry, today unveiled over 30 of its latest products and advanced technologies, including more than ten firsts in the world, at Display Week 2023 organized by the Society for Information Display (SID), held from May 21 to 26 in Los Angeles, California.

Guided by the vision of "Display A Better Future For All", TCL CSOT showcases its expertise and capacity in providing complete display technology solutions across a range of sizes, categories, and forms - spanning IJP OLED, Mini LED, Micro LED, medical displays, vehicle-mounted displays, light field displays, as well as consumer electronics displays. Among them, six core exhibits include:

CORSAIR (NASDAQ: CRSR), a world leader in enthusiast components for gamers, creators, and PC builders, today announced the launch and immediate availability of the new CORSAIR XENEON 27QHD240 OLED gaming monitor. Boasting a cutting edge 3rd generation OLED panel from LG Display, the XENEON 27 OLED brings the amazing image quality, black level and response time benefits of OLED to the popular 27 in monitor size, combining stunning image quality and 240 Hz refresh rate to display everything your PC has to offer at its best.

Developed as part of an ongoing close relationship between CORSAIR and LG Display, the XENEON 27 OLED uses LG Micro Lens Array (MLA) technology placing 5,117 micro lenses per pixel to boost brightness, improve viewing angle, and display stunningly bright colors. Up to 1,000 nits brightness and 98.5% DCI-P3 color gamut reveal an amazing level of detail in every image, from the brightest highlights to the gloomiest shadows, with HDR and a 1,500,000:1 contrast ratio.

Porotech, a global leader in microLED and Gallium Nitride (GaN) semiconductor technology, announces the world's first single-panel, full-color microdisplay suitable for augmented reality (AR) applications. The microdisplay is based on Porotech's groundbreaking Dynamic Pixel Tuning (DPT) technology, where DPT microLED pixels can emit any visible color when driven with a specific current density. Porotech will be unveiling the 0.26-inch monolithic full-color microdisplay, along with an AR development platform, during the SID Display Week in Los Angeles from 21-26 May 2023.

Having already demonstrated how a DPT pixel can create a full range of visible colors, Porotech is now unveiling the new innovative active-matrix 0.26-inch microLED display offering 1280x720 resolution, which utilizes a proprietary driving method developed by Porotech that rapidly displays red, green and blue light to enable a full-color RGB display and richly saturated colors.

Corsair Gaming, Inc. (Nasdaq: CRSR), a leading global provider and innovator of high-performance gear for gamers, streamers, content-creators, and gaming PC builders, today announced financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2023.

Andy Paul, Chief Executive Officer of Corsair, stated, "We are off to a strong start to 2023 with a 33% improvement in adjusted EBITDA compared to the year ago period. We are thrilled to see that enthusiast-level consumers continue to build new gaming PCs at a rate significantly above pre-pandemic levels. Recent third party data shows that Corsair continues to gain and hold leading market share positions in most of our categories of components used in those builds. The broader market for gaming peripherals is also holding up at a level significantly above pre-pandemic levels, although slightly behind 2022 levels, most notably in Europe. During 2023 we started to ship many new innovative products, including our FLEX OLED bendable monitor, engineered in partnership with LG. With lower priced GPUs coming to market and exciting new game titles being released this year, we are confident that the gaming market will continue to grow off the higher recent levels and we believe that Corsair can continue to gain market share in many of the new categories we are entering."

BenQ, the leading DLP 4K projector brand, today introduced four all-new home cinema projectors, each optimized to deliver unprecedented levels of cinematic quality in different at-home settings.

The HT4550i, HT3560, TK860i, and V5000i centrally feature pioneering BenQ HDR-PRO projector-optimized high dynamic range techniques, including Local Contrast Enhancement, to reveal fine details in difficult bright or dark scenes. They also deliver ideally balanced brightness in situations ranging from dedicated AV rooms to daytime living rooms, for professional-standard color gamut performance up to future-generation BT. 2020.

Samsung and LG are among an number of tech companies reportedly pushing for radical changes in the cinema viewing experience. In a piece published by the Hollywood Reporter last week, new behind-the-scenes information has come to light about an effort to replace the (some will say tried and true) traditional cinema theater projection system with LED walls. The vast majority of international theater chains rely on a front projection method (via a back of the booth), and very few locations have a more state-of-the-art LED display-based system in place. The Culver Theater (naturally located in Culver City, CA) is one of a hundred cinemas worldwide to possess a Samsung Onyx LED display - although the tech on show is said to be of an older standard. Industry insiders have been invited to attend demonstrations of a newer generation LED wall technology destined for cinemas in the future, and early impressions are purported to be mixed.

A cinema-based LED wall display functions in a similar way to how a modern LED-based flat screen TV works - although on a much greater massive scale - with particular benefits of the technology resulting in fantastic performance in terms of high dynamic range and peak brightness. The main downside of having a tightly packed array of large LED panels is the resultant heat output - critics of the technology state that it will be difficult to implement an adequate cooling system (through air conditioning) to tame the wall's temperature increasing properties. The power required to operate the LED panel array (plus required cooling solution) is said to be much higher than that of an old-fashioned projector's relatively modest draw from the electricity supply. An LED wall will also completely negate the traditional placement of loudspeakers behind a cinema's front-placed screen - and sound engineers will need to explore a different method of front audio channel output within the context of a next generation LED theater room.

TrendForce's latest research revealed that shipments of gaming monitors have seen their first decline since 2016 due to high inflation, resulting in only 19.8 million units being shipped in 2022 for a 13% YoY decline. TrendForce predicts that demand should recover in 2023 however, jumping back up to 20.8 million units—an increase of 5% YoY. This recovery will mostly be driven by three factors: First, a number of brands are replacing their 75 Hz models with 100 Hz models. Second, the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games is scheduled to take place in the third quarter, where Esports is set to be one of the competing categories. This will help drive up demand for gaming products. Lastly, China has finally begun lifting COVID restrictions, which means demand for Internet cafes should gradually recover.

TrendForce reveals that vertical alignment (VA) LCD monitors took the lion's share of the market in 2022 at 51%. This was followed by in-plane switching (IPS) LCD monitors at 43.4%, and finally twisted nematic (TN) LCD monitors accounted for 5%. However, it's worth noting that OLED gaming monitors have grown in popularity, taking 0.6% of the market share in 2022. Thanks to the diversification of OLED products, that market share is expected to grow to 1.6% in 2023. Furthermore, TrendForce predicts that IPS monitors may begin competing with VA monitors given that not only are IPS products increasing their market share but many IPS gaming monitors are seeing a continuous price reduction.

The new NV7 marks the beginning of a brand-new series of Phanteks chassis. The NV Series envisions a chassis that supports the system components aesthetically and with excellent cooling performance. The new NV series brings beauty and usability together, creating a perfect balance of form and function. Alongside the release of the NV7, Phanteks also introduces the new D30 DRGB fans. Combining premium D-RGB lighting with the 30 mm thick and aerodynamic fan blades inspired by the ultimate T30 fan, the D30-120 makes for a true premium D-RGB fan for modern systems.

The Phanteks NV7, with its unmistakable purpose design, highlights the system components with the motherboard at its center. One defining design element of the NV7 is its strong and defining outer frame that captures and accentuates the hardware components. With a clean design from all sides, the NV7 allows you to place your system freely without the traditionally messy rear side. The glass panels offer a near-seamless view of the inside to further focus on the system components.[Editor's note: Our in-depth review of the NV7 case is now live]

Netac on Wednesday launched the Hurricane Z RGB line of premium DDR5 memory kits. These are characterized by their chunky aluminium heatspreaders that have a clear chrome finish (claimed to be silver-plated), and crowned by silicone addressable-RGB LED diffusers. The company released dual-channel (two module) kits with densities of 32 GB (2x 16 GB), across six speed-based variants.

At the very top is a DDR5-8000 variant with 38-48-48-128 timings and 1.5 V module voltage; followed by a DDR5-7600 variant that offers 36-46-46-122 timings at 1.4 V. A notch below is the DDR5-7200 variant with 34-45-45-115 timings and 1.4 V; followed by a DDR5-6600 variant with slightly tighter 34-40-40-105 timings at the same 1.4 V. The DDR5-6200 variant offers a tighter 32-38-38-96 timings at 1.35 V, while the series begins with a DDR5-6000 variant with 36-36-36-96 timings at 1.35 V. All six variants rely on XMP 3.0 profiles to enable their advertised speeds and timings. Under the hood, these modules are using SK hynix-sourced DRAM chips. Netac released the Hurricane Z RGB series in China first, where its prices range between the equivalent of $203 and $335, depending on the model.