On CE - For Dealers, Distributors and OEMs of Consumer Electronics throughout EMEA

LG takes to South by Southwest (SXSW) for the first time with an "Inspiration Gallery"-- a showcase of technologies ranging from AI robots to smart lighting solutions and even a first connected ice cream maker.

Imaginatively dubbed "Snow White," the ice cream maker features a capsule-based concept. Making ice cream involves a pair of pods, one for flavour and one for base texture. The capsule has a QR code telling the machine what to make, and LG says it allows users to produce anything from traditional ice cream to sorbets to gelato and even frozen yogurt. However the machine is still in prototype form, and LG is still tell whether it will hit the market, never mind when.

The smartphone market remains challenged in 2019, IDC reports-- so much so the market will experience a 3rd consecutive drop in annual shipments, as volumes fall by -0.8% in 2019 to reach 1.39 billion.

However the analyst does expect the market to pick up momentum in the year, with H2 2019 showing 2.3% Y-o-Y shipment growth. Over the long term, smartphone shipments are forecast to reach 1.54bn in 2023.

"The biggest question that remains unanswered is what will bring the smartphone industry back to growth," the analyst says. "There is no question industry growth has been down for reasons that have already been identified-- longer replacement cycles, a challenged China market, and geopolitical headwinds-- but it is shortsighted to overlook the possibilities of some important technology advancements that are within reach with 5G probably being the most significant."

A recently uncovered patent might reveal more details on Google experiments in Chromecast-powered game streaming-- specifically what the controller used for such a service could look like.

Google revealed plans for a game streaming service back in October 2018. Dubbed "Project Stream," it was presented in the shape of an invite-only beta allowing users to play Assassin's Creed Odyssey using the Chrome browser. As such, it is Google take on services such as PlayStation Now and GeForce Now, with games streaming from Google servers (as opposed to something like Xbox Game Pass, which allows customers to download games from a pre-selected list for a monthly fee). #

Fitbit looks to bring fitness wearables to more customers as it launches no less than 4 different products-- the Versa Lite, Inspire, Inspire HR and Ace 2, together with the announcement of a "major" redesign of the companion Fitbit app.

“With our newest products, we’re delivering high-quality, easy-to-use wearables that are more affordable, so getting healthy can be accessible to people of all ages and activity levels-- even those who have never tried a wearable,” the company says. “Bringing more users to the wearables category and growing our community of active users is a critical part of our strategy. We will continue to build on the Fitbit platform to provide a more personalized and valuable experience for our users through a paid premium service expected to launch later this year.”