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

The European Commission fines Asus, Denon & Marantz, Philips and Pioneer for breaking EU antitrust rules, leading to higher prices for "kitchen appliances, hair dryers, notebook computers, headphones and many other products."

The announcement follows the recent €4.3 billion antitrust fine put on Google, the result of "illegal practices regarding Android mobile devices to strengthen dominance of Google's search engine." As for the 4 above mentioned vendors, the EC points out all engaged in "fixed or minimum resale price maintenance (RPM)," or not allowing retailers to set own product prices.

The Savant smart home ecosystem gets another voice control option-- Google Home Assistant, allowing customers to activate Savant Scenes to control any smart home feature through a single voice command.

Google Assistant support was initially available on the Savant Pro Remote. The integration allows users to adjust entertainment, lighting, climate controls, TVs, shading and more through the power of voice. The company adds setup is as intuitive as possible, allowing users to create a Savant Scene, enable the Savant Action with the Google Assistant or Google Home app and link their account.

Customers wanting a smartphone with the biggest possible screen-- something better described as a phablet-- get a Xiaomi option with the Mi Max 3, a handset with a 6.9-inch 18:9 aspect ratio display.

The big IPS LCD display handles 2160 x 1080 resolution and has slim bezels, making for a fairly slim device considering the size. Being a mid-range smartphone, the Mi Max 3 runs on a Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 CPU, with 4/6GB RAM, 64/128GB storage (expandable via microSD card) and a hefty 5500mAh battery complete with QuickCharge 3.0 allowing it to charge from empty to 71% in an hour.

CES 2018 saw Samsung present The Wall, a 146-inch concept TV built out of microLED technology. Now the S. Korean company says the TV is set to become an actual product, with mass production starting on September 2018.

According to the Korea Herald, the TV will find use in both commercial and consumer markets, with applications including luxury mansions, hotels, shops, stadiums, museums and convention centres. Interestingly, Samsung insists the Wall is a "display" or "screen," not a TV, since the technology allows for a custom set based on the number of display pieces customers want to attach to a, well, wall.

“We wouldn’t need to use the word TV for upcoming products,” Samsung tells the Korea Herald. “Consumers will be able to do anything they want with displays or screens that they feel comfortable with, just like mobile displays.”