The IT Nerd

LG Electronics (LG) is partnering with Jeff Staple, the famed New York-based designer known for his streetwear brand – STAPLE, his creative agency Reed Art Department – and numerous, high-profile collaborations with sneaker and fashion brands, to present the Creator’s Room at CES 2023. Designed in conjunction with Staple and bearing his distinctive sensibilities, the Creator’s Room is a curated ‘living space’ fitted with stylish objects, artwork and LG’s latest lifestyle solutions.

Located inside LG’s booth at CES, the Creator’s Room perfectly illustrates how the company’s premium home appliances can blend in with and enhance any lifestyle. The space also shows off the unique aesthetic that has made Staple a favourite of streetwear fans and ‘sneakerheads’ around the world and includes some of his most-cherished items, such as limited-edition sneakers, figurines and art books.

Supporting Staple’s passion for shoes and adding to the hip, young vibe of the exhibit is a double row (2 x 5) of the LG Styler™ ShoeCase, a space-friendly solution for storing, displaying and caring for limited-edition footwear. Also seamlessly slotting into the space is the LG Styler ShoeCare, which leverages LG’s hygiene-enhancing TrueSteam™ technology to keep shoes fresh and looking their best. Additionally, both creative, cutting-edge products reflect the company’s commitment to good ESG management as their gloss exteriors are made entirely from recycled plastics.

All of the advanced appliances on show in the Creator’s Room are compatible with the LG ThinQ™ app, which offers access to a range of features and personalized services that help create a more convenient and customized user experience. For example, the app can be used to change the colour of the refrigerator with MoodUP™, whose LED door panels present users with more than 190,000 possible colour combinations to experiment with. The app also makes it possible to choose and change the image displayed on the ARTCOOL™ Gallery air conditioner’s integrated LCD screen, select from the different lighting colours and effects available for the ShoeCase, or remotely control the ShoeCare.

Visitors to LG’s booth (#15501, Las Vegas Convention Centre, Las Vegas) at CES 2023 from January 5-8 will have the opportunity to experience the exclusive Creator’s Room collaboration with Jeff Staple as well as all of the company’s latest lifestyle innovations.  

LG Electronics (LG) announced a technical collaboration with Magna, a global mobility technology company and one of the largest suppliers in the automotive space. The two companies have signed an agreement to develop a proof of concept for an automated driving-infotainment solution, aimed at providing differentiated customer experiences and enabling readiness for the future of mobility.

Under the agreement, LG and Magna will explore the technical feasibility of integrating LG’s infotainment capabilities with Magna’s Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) and automated driving technologies.

LG Vehicle component Solutions (VS) Company is recognized as a leader of In-Vehicle Infotainment (IVI) capabilities in the automobile industry. In anticipation for the car of the future, LG VS Company has been proactively exploring its portfolio of future products and technologies.

This concept will focus on creating executable IVI-ADAS solutions to better meet carmakers’ vehicle programs. Both LG and Magna plan to introduce this concept to global automakers during CES 2023.

This collaboration follows a successful joint venture LG and Magna announced in July 2021 called LG Magna e-Powertrain Co., Ltd, to manufacture e-motor, inverters and on-board chargers as well as related e-drive systems to support the growing global shift towards autonomous vehicles for certain automakers.

LG Electronics (LG) has announced the global launch of its LG ThinQ™ UP upgradeable home appliances, including refrigerators, washers, dryers, oven ranges, and dishwashers. Able to adapt to the unique needs and changing lifestyles of each customer, LG’s appliances enable users to enjoy new features and functions without having to make any additional purchases. Launched in South Korea in January 2022, LG ThinQ™ UP will begin rolling out internationally starting in March 2023 in the U.S., with availability in other key markets to follow.

Built around the customer-centric concept of Evolving with You, LG ThinQ UP appliances can incorporate new features throughout their life, providing more value to users over time. LG will continuously develop easy-to-install software updates and hardware add-ons, delivering specialized options and new conveniences based on the usage patterns and suggestions of ThinQ UP appliance owners. 

One of the custom features available to download in 2023 is Laundry Saver Mode, which can be applied to dryer models with ThinQ UP. Extremely useful for those times when you can’t unload the dryer right away, Laundry Saver keeps the drum tumbling after the cycle has finished (and until the dryer door is opened) to help prevent wrinkles and odours. Another feature on offer is Improved Nighttime Brightness Control for refrigerators with ThinQ UP, which makes the fridges’ interior lighting softer at nighttime so as not to overwhelm users when they open the door. All new software features are optional, and can be easily downloaded from the LG ThinQ app.

Visitors can experience all of LG’s latest innovations, including the new ThinQ UP appliances, at the company’s booth (#15501, Las Vegas Convention Center) at CES 2023 in Las Vegas from January 5-8. 

LG Electronics (LG) will be putting the spotlight on its continuing commitment to sustainability at CES 2023, showcasing its ESG vision and latest, impactful innovations in an exclusive exhibit dubbed the Better Life for All zone.

Providing a comprehensive overview of LG’s sustainability efforts, including its major ESG milestones, current initiatives and long-term goals, the Better Life for All zone consists of three, unique sections: For the Planet, For People and Our Commitment. The exhibit will also introduce the four finalist entries of LG’s inaugural LIFE’S GOOD AWARD, an innovation challenge created to spread the company’s Life’s Good message and empower innovators seeking to make a positive difference for people and the planet.

Key focuses of LG’s ESG agenda have been built into every aspect of the Better Life for All zone. Informational materials provided in the zone will offer braille for those with visual impairments and be placed at a height that enables easy reading for people using wheelchairs. Guides proficient in sign language will be on site, as will an LG CLOi GuideBot programmed to deliver digital-human sign language services. The zone itself will be constructed with the use of eco-friendly materials.

Better Life for All: Innovations for a Sustainable Future and the Better Life Plan 2030

The For the Planet section of the zone presents LG’s diverse environmental initiatives, which include the establishment of Sustainable Cycles which prioritize ‘green’ considerations at every step of the product lifecycle, such as the collection, disposal and re-purposing of e-waste in the post-usage stage. Visitors to For the Planet can see how materials extracted from discarded e-waste at the company’s Chilseo Recycling Center (CRC) are being used to manufacture parts for new LG products. Also highlighted in For the Planet is the LG Smart Park (Changwon, South Korea), the company’s energy-efficient factory and a new Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) foam recycling technology developed by LG to make product packaging more eco-friendly.

The second section of the exhibit, For People, showcases LG’s efforts and achievements in product and service accessibility. These include the development of product manuals incorporating voice and sign language guides and the implementation of accessibility features – such as voice recognition, voice instruction and motion-detecting sensors – in a wide range of LG products. For Peoplewill also give visitors the opportunity to explore the accessibility options available on LG TVs; from audio-to-text captions to a sign language screen that can be easily moved and resized.

Our Commitment, the third and final section of the Better Life for All zone, reflects LG’s dedication to ensuring a sustainable future – the ultimate goal of the company’s Better Life Plan 2030. LG aims to have cut greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from product manufacturing by 50 percent (compared to 2017 levels), and GHG emission from the use of seven key products by 20 percent per unit sold by 2030 from a 2020 base year. Furthermore, the company plans to offer accessibility features for all of its product lines by 2025 and provide a voice instruction manual and sign language video manual for every LG product by 2030.

LG Electronics is exhibiting its latest lineup of premium UltraGear™ OLED gaming monitors (models 27GR95QE and 45GR95QE) at CES 2023. The new UltraGear monitors demonstrate LG’s leadership in the fast-growing OLED category and its continuing strength in the global gaming display market.

Equipped with the world’s first 240Hz OLED panel, which is exclusively manufactured by LG, the new 27- and 45-inch models deliver a record-breaking response time of less than 0.03 milliseconds Gray-to-Gray (GTG), not to mention superior self-lit picture quality complete with accurate, lifelike colours and infinite contrast. Courtesy of these cutting-edge display technologies, the latest models tick every box when it comes to what consumers want in a gaming monitor. 

27-inch OLED Gaming Monitor with Unprecedented Speed

LG UltraGear OLED Gaming Monitor (model 27GR95QE) offers the level of performance needed to get the most of the latest game titles; its QHD (2,560 x 1,440) resolution OLED display providing a 240Hz refresh rate and a staggering 0.03ms (GTG) response time for delightfully smooth, low-latency gaming. It also covers 98.5 per cent of the DCI-P3 colour gamut, ensuring vibrant graphics that fully capture the vision of the game designers and digital artists who created them. Additionally, the monitor’s Anti-glare & Low Reflection (AGLR) panel makes it easier to see what is on screen so that users can enjoy a distraction-free gaming experience regardless of ambient light conditions.

Featuring support for variable refresh rate (VRR), NVIDIA G-SYNC Compatible, FreeSync Premium and VESA Adaptive Sync, LG’s 27-inch UltraGear provides seamless visuals with minimal tearing or stuttering. It also supports HDMI 2.1 specifications and DisplayPort 1.4 connectivity, and incorporates a 4-pole headphone jack that allows users to relish the realistic, spatial sound of DTS Headphone:X. Meanwhile, the included remote control provides quick and easy display management plus the added convenience of programmable hotkeys. 

Next-level Immersion with 45-inch Curved OLED Display

A CES 2023 Innovation Award honouree, model 45GR95QE is LG’s first-ever 45-inch curved OLED gaming monitor with a 21:9 aspect ratio, WQHD (3,440 x 1,440) resolution screen. It is also the very first 45-inch display with an 800R curvature: an exciting, new form factor designed to deliver next-level gaming experiences. Certified as a low blue light product by leading global testing organizations TÜV Rheinland and UL Solutions, the matt Anti-glare & Low Reflection OLED panel of the curved UltraGear monitor is easier on the eyes than a conventional LED panel, meaning users can play for longer with less eye discomfort.

The 45GR95QE’s remarkable, curved OLED panel offers a 1,500,000:1 contrast ratio and 98.5 per cent coverage of DCI-P3, producing the bright colours, deep blacks and crisp images that not only make the onscreen action come alive, but also heighten the player’s focus. Like its 27-inch sibling, the 45-inch model has a response time of less than 0.03ms GTG and a 240Hz refresh rate. Harnessing the immense potential of OLED, the 45GR95QE provides total gaming immersion.

Visitors to CES 2023 from January 5-8 are encouraged to stop by booth #15501 in the Las Vegas Convention Centre to experience the latest UltraGear OLED gaming monitors. Available to pre-order in the U.S. and Canada starting December 12, LG’s latest OLED gaming monitors will be launching in key markets throughout North America and Asia in January, in Europe from February, and in the Middle East and Latin America in the following months.

LG Electronics today announced its intention to shut down its smartphone division. For its devices still in the hands of customers around the world, LG says it will continue to provide user support and will sell its phones until the current stock runs out. This comes after not really being able to make a dent against competitors like Samsung, OnePlus and Apple. And it’s been rumored for a while that LG’s smartphone business was on the chopping block, so this isn’t a surprise.

LG says it expects its mobile division to completely cease by July 31. RIP.

An Air Canada flight that was preparing to depart Pearson Airport in Toronto to fly to Vancouver got delayed for two hours because an LG phone caught fire in the passenger cabin. CBC News confirms that the phone in question was an LG phone. One passenger was taken to hospital with burns on a hand.

I can’t find any evidence that LG has commented on this. But I would be very interested in what they have to say. Stay tuned.