Curved TVs launch in U.S.
Flat screens have been a selling point for TVs for more than a decade. Now, LG and Samsung are making a selling point of screens that are not flat.
The two Korean electronics companies are launching TVs in the U.S. that have concave screens, where the middle bends away from the viewer. That’s the opposite of the convex bulge of the old cathode-ray tube TVs. The idea, the companies say, is to have the viewer see the screen straight on, even at the edges.
The sets have a suggested price of $15,000. LG’s set will be sold in some Best Buy Stores. Samsung’s will be sold by specialty stores.
The curved sets are made possible by a technological breakthrough — the picture is formed by a thin, bendable layer of organic light-emitting diodes. OLED screens are common in high-end smartphones, but larger sizes are difficult to make, accounting for the high price of the new sets.
UF urges students to text exercise
GAINESVILLE — University of Florida officials are challenging students to get fit through a new social media challenge.
The Department of Recreational Sports is trying to imprint the comprehensive benefits of exercise on students by encouraging them to post photos and messages on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook on exercise-based themes that change daily this month. The Gainesville Sun reports themes include Water, Break a Sweat and Rain or Shine.
UF Rec Sports Director David Bowles says exercise reduces anxiety and depression, two of the biggest problems on campus.
Officials said the campaign dispels myths that social media is a distraction from exercise and can instead empower people to think about how they engage.
The Boston Gator Club has joined, and UF students and alumni around the country are also participating.
Rdio launches Vdio for TV, movies
LOS ANGELES — Rdio, the music streaming service started by a co-founder of Skype, is getting into video. New and current subscribers of a $10-a-month unlimited music plan from Rdio (AR-dee-oh) will get $25 to spend in the new digital store for video, called Vdio (VEE-dee-oh).
The content will work on personal computers and Apple’s iPad for now. It’s opening at first to users in the U.S. and Britain.
The latest TV episodes from shows such as The Walking Dead will sell for about $3 each and will be in high definition, while movies such as Zero Dark Thirty will cost from $3 to rent to $20 to buy.
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