Samsung unveils its Bendable TV

6 January 2014 Last updated at 20:49 ET By Leo Kelion Technology reporter

Samsung has shown off the Bendable TV - an 85in (216cm) prototype that allows the curvature of its screen to be adjusted by remote control.

The LED (light-emitting diode) set was unveiled at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

LG has also announced a smaller 77in (196cm) flexible TV of its own that is based on OLED (organic light-emitting diode) technology.

The firms suggest that a curved screen can enhance the viewing experience.

The tech would allow the sets' owners to determine how bent the screens should be taking into account how many people were watching them and how far away they were sitting. The screens would have the added benefit of being able to be left flat against the wall when not in use.

LG's model has also gone on show at the firm's CES booth.

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LG shows the BBC's Richard Taylor its flexible television

However, industry watchers are unconvinced there is a market for such innovation.

"The challenge for the firms is to demonstrate that the world really needs this," said Martin Garner, a TV tech consultant from CCS Insight who is attending CES.

"They are, however, a nice attempt at differentiation."

Will Findlater, global online editor for Stuff Magazine, added: "The jury is still very much out on whether curved displays make much difference to image quality and the experience you have when watching a TV. At this stage it does feel like a bit of a gimmick."

Lost for words

Neither of the two South Korean manufacturers have given a projected price or release date for the user-bendable TVs.

They both, however, offer versions with a fixed curvature.

The two companies are showing off new giant-sized 105in (267cm) concave-screened versions in the extra-wide 21:9 aspect ratio.

Samsung said such a design delivered the "most immersive viewing experience" possible.

However, a demonstration of the equipment went awry when it invited Michael Bay, director of the Transformers movies, on stage at its press conference.

The Hollywood millionaire complained his autocue had malfunctioned and initially said "I will just wing this."

But when asked what he thought about the new set he found himself speechless, apologised and walked off stage leaving a stunned audience.

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Michael Bay initially said he would "wing it" after his autocue malfunctioned

Joe Stinziano, senior vice president of Samsung Electronics, told the crowd: "Welcome to Vegas, it's a live show folks."

Mr Bay later wrote a blog giving his take on the mishap.

"Wow! I just embarrassed myself at CES," he wrote.

"I got so excited to talk, that I skipped over the Exec VP's intro line and then the teleprompter got lost.

"Then the prompter went up and down - then I walked off. I guess live shows aren't my thing."

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Yahoo unveils news summary app

7 January 2014 Last updated at 20:03 ET By Leo Kelion Technology reporter

Yahoo has launched a news summary app that aims to deliver two daily briefings of eight to nine stories most likely to interest its users.

The News Digest app claims to present readers with "all the stories you need to know about" and brings up a graphic saying "Done" when they have been read.

It is based on Summly, an app created by British teenager Nick D'Aloisio, who now works for Yahoo.

Media analysts are split over the need for such a product.

Mark Mulligan, editor of the Media Industry Blog said the facility could address the needs of busy consumers.

"There's a huge amount of information of varying quality being created, and people require a way to steer through all the news - it's a tyranny of choice," he told the BBC.

"The idea of cutting through the clutter and being a trusted curator that can offer quality bite-sized chunks of information definitely addresses a need."

But consultant Bob Eggington, who helped launch BBC News Online, was more sceptical.

"If people are being told they have read enough news they are being misled," he said.

"What Yahoo is saying is: 'We will try to tell you the things we know about that we think are of interest to you' - and both of those statements are highly imperfect."

News of the app's release was revealed by Mr D'Aloisio during a presentation hosted by Yahoo chief executive Marissa Mayer at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

Atomised news

Yahoo News Digest uses software algorithms to scour a variety of online publications including Reuters, Associated Press, Business Insider and Sky News.

It then assembles the information gathered into what it terms "atoms", which are selected chunks of text, infographics, maps and Wikipedia extracts about each topic alongside photos, videos and links to the news sources.

"We found that people were willing to consume more content when it was boiled down to the most important bits," said Mr D'Aloisio on the company's blog.

At present the app is only available on the US iPhone App Store and does not allow users to customise the type of stories most likely to interest them.

Android app acquired

Yahoo's news ambitions extend beyond the app.

Ms Mayer's Keynote Address revealed that Yahoo Tech, a advertising-supported technology news site overseen by ex-New York Times writer David Pogue, was now online.

The chief executive also introduced a new digital magazine called Yahoo Food.

In addition, Ms Mayer revealed her firm had taken over Aviate.

The Android app analyses a phone's wi-fi signal, GPS location data and accelerometer sensor to study a user's habits in order to anticipate their needs.

For instance it can then bring up a selection of installed workout apps when it believes the handset owner is at the gym or display bus arrival information when it thinks they are waiting for transport.

Advertising overhaul

Investors will probably be more interested in news that Yahoo has unified its suite of digital advertising products.

Facebook recently overtook Yahoo to become the US' second biggest digital ad seller, according to research firm eMarketer. Google remains the market leader.

It adds that the Yahoo's share of worldwide digital ad revenues dropped from 3.4% in 2012 to 2.9% in 2013.

To help address this the web portal has launched three new products and platforms:

• Yahoo Audience Ads - a service that aims to ensure each advert is delivered to the right audience
• Yahoo Ad Manager - a new platform to help advertisers select and manage Yahoo's products
• Yahoo Ad Exchange - a way for "premium publishers" to control how advertising appears on their sites

In addition the firm announced that sponsored posts on Tumblr - the blogging platform it acquired in May - would now be powered by the firm's Yahoo Advertising products.

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Smartphone glass combats bacteria

6 January 2014 Last updated at 15:43 ET By Leo Kelion Technology reporter

A new type of touchscreen glass that combats bacteria and fungi has been unveiled

US firm Corning said its Antimicrobial Gorilla Glass contains ionic silver, a substance that has been used to fight germs for more than 100 years.

The speciality glass-maker said the protection against germs would last for the lifetime of devices that used it.

One components expert said he believed there was a gap in the market for such a product.

"This gives Corning an edge, even if it's a bit of an odd edge," said Bob O'Donnell from the Technalysis Research consultancy.

"There are clearly folks in the world who are very concerned about germs and carry antibacterial hand gel in their pockets.

"If vendors opt to pay extra for this glass I'm sure they will talk about its abilities. But it's likely to be only a small niche of people for whom this would be the deciding factor when choosing between products."

Companies including CaseCrown and S-View already sell anti-bacterial films that can be fitted to tablets and smartphones as an alternative.

Anti-fungal glass

Apple, Amazon, LG, HTC and Samsung are among the many smart device manufacturers to use Corning's products.

Gorilla Glass has become a publicly recognised brand - a rarity for the glass industry - and has generated more than $1bn (£610m) of annual sales for the company.

However, some investors have been concerned that its competitor GT Advanced Technologies might tempt clients away to its sapphire glass, which promises greater scratch resistance.

Corning believes its new product - which it says inhibits the growth of algae, mould, mildew, fungi, and bacteria - gives its customers an extra reason to stay loyal.

"This innovation combines best-in-class antimicrobial function without compromising Gorilla Glass properties," said the firm's senior vice president James Steiner.

Marketing materials for the glass state that: "Thousands of bacteria live on the average mobile device."

However, one microbiologist previously told the BBC that this would not pose a threat to most users.

"Touchscreens are a source of a wide range of microbes, but not much of an issue if you do not share it among other people - since, if you are the only one using it, it's only your germs," said Prof Charles Gerba, a microbiologist at the University of Arizona.

Corning said its new glass was ready to go into high-volume production and that several unnamed tech manufacturers were already testing it.

The firm added that it also intended to market the material to the healthcare, hospitality and transportation industries.

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Laptops to get 3D depth cameras

6 January 2014 Last updated at 18:44 ET

Intel has said that laptops featuring 3D-camera technology developed by the chipmaker will go on sale this year.

It said seven firms would release products that contained its software and hardware, which would be indentified by the RealSense brand.

At a press conference in Las Vegas, Intel showed how one of its depth sensors could be used to interpret gesture controls and to separate foreground objects from the background.

The idea itself is not new.

Microsoft's Kinect and SoftKinectic's Depthsense cameras already offer such functions. Apple recently bought another firm, PrimeSense, that also makes depth sensing hardware.

But one expert said Intel's intervention could help the innovation go mainstream as a built-in component.

"This tech has been knocking around for a while, but Intel's move will give it fresh momentum," said Tony Crabtree, from the consultancy Juniper Research, who is attending the Consumer Electronics Show where the announcement was made.

"It needed a big player to help the market take off. Having said that, I don't see it as a transformative technology in the same way wearables or ultra-high definition screens will be."

Fake background

Intel named Acer, Asus, Dell, Fujitsu, HP, Lenovo and NEC as the first manufacturers to release RealSense branded kit.

At CES it gave a demonstration of the tech using a version of Skype in which the camera was used to isolate the user's video image, extract it and superimpose it over a different background in real-time.

This mimicked an effect that would normally require a green screen and special compositing software.

It also showed how the software could turn the majority of a video feed black-and-white while leaving one of the objects in colour.

In another demo a member of Intel's team played a pinball video game by moving a real paddle in front of the computer's camera.

The company said that it believed that the use of other possible gestures could help educate children by making software more immersive.

Several "edutainment" titles for Nintendo's Wii consoles are based on the same principle.

Intel added that it had formed a partnership with 3D Systems - one of the leading 3D printer makers - to let its kit be used to create real-world objects by shaping them in the air.

3D Systems had previously worked with another firm, GeoMagic, to offer this facility for its printers using the Kinect-to-3D-Scan app and Microsoft's sensor.

Wearable tech

Intel's chief executive Brian Krzanich also unveiled several new concept wearable technologies that the firm is developing, during a separate Keynote Address.

These included:

• Smart earbuds, which act as an activity tracker as well as playing music, drawing their power from the attached machine's audio jack
• A smart headset, nicknamed Jarvis, which hooks behind the user's ear. It is controlled by speech and is meant to allow the user to set up diary appointments, book restaurant tables and other such tasks
• A smartwatch that can connect to the net without needing to be linked to a phone

Mr Krzanich also unveiled a computer called Edison, which is the size of an SD card but can run Linux-based operating systems and connect to wi-fi networks.

The company also confirmed it had developed a technology to allow a Windows computer powered by one of its chips to run certain Android apps under software emulation.

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Sony shows off life logging kit

6 January 2014 Last updated at 23:40 ET By Leo Kelion Technology reporter

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Kunimasa Suzuki shows off a Sony SmartBand and Core

Sony has unveiled a "life logging" software that charts a person's activities on an interactive timeline.

It records when a user speaks to friends, receives emails, watches a movie and other smartphone actions.

In addition the Android app receives data from a new, small piece of wearable hardware called the Core that acts as an activity tracker.

The software then uses this information to try and determine if the user was walking, resting or in a vehicle.

It is likely to raise privacy issues coming so soon after revelations about how spy agencies have forced tech companies to hand over information stored about their users.

However, the Japanese firm attempted to play down the issue.

"Sony treats the security and privacy of our users' personal data with the utmost stringency and integrity, adhering to legalities and ensuring it remains protected under appropriate technological procedures," it told the BBC.

"Upon first sign-in to Lifelog app, we make it clear absolutely clear what data users are submitting, how it is being used and provide them with option of opting in or out before proceeding."

Sony did, however, acknowledge that younger users were more likely to be willing to let their activities be logged with the service than older ones.

The announcement was made at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

'Smarter decisions'

Lifelog is Sony's take on what is termed "the quantified self" - the ability to better understand and change behaviours by gathering data about ourselves.

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The BBC's Richard Taylor gets a demonstration of the new Sony SmartBand at CES 2014

"Today's alternatives can log your sleep and steps," Jun Makino, a senior product manager at Sony told the BBC.

"But there's more to life. We want to help you rediscover the best memories from the past as well as make smarter decisions for the future."

The kinds of data collected by the app from Android phones include information about when and where:

• Music and videos were listened to and watched
• Photos were taken
• Web browsing activity was carried out
• Video games were played
• Messages were received and sent
• Social network notifications were received from Twitter and Facebook

Sony is also releasing an application programming interface (API) to allow other apps to share information.

The Core is a plastic device containing an accelerometer that is supposed to be worn around the clock. It will provide data about the user's movements, which can then be used to try to work out what they were doing and how many calories were burned.

Sony said its algorithms would be able to distinguish between whether the user was on a train, using a bicycle or resting.

The device also features LED lights and a vibration motor to alert the owner to notifications sent to their phone. A "life bookmark" button can also be pressed to highlight special moments on the timeline.

It will initially be sold with a waterproof wristband.

But in time Sony aims to release accessories letting it to be worn around the neck, in shoes or even attached to a tennis racket among other options.

The firm added it also envisaged information being gathered from its other products, including Smart TVs and PlayStation 4 games consoles, to build up a more detailed record.

Actionable advice

Those who sign up to the app will be able to get information telling them how much time they spent carrying out different activities to help inform their choices.

"If you have not reached your daily goal perhaps you should take a walk rather than a taxi," Mr Makino gave as an example.

This is a similar to the idea behind other wearable activity trackers made by companies including Jawbone, Fitbit and Nike.

However, one wearable tech expert attending CES suggested that what was needed were more insights rather than just more information.

"The end goal for these companies is to provide actionable advice and not just data logging," said Daniel Matte from the tech consultancy Canalys.

"I don't think the average user frankly cares if, for example, they slept eight or nine hours. What they want to know is whether that was adequate and what they can do to sleep better, eat better etc.

"Creating change should be the primary goal these technologies are striving for."

Sony said it might also make use of the data gathered by the app to help it better understand how people used their phones and to spot bugs.

However, it said that it would make users' identifies anonymous before carrying out this analysis to protect their privacy.

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CES 2014: Director loses direction

7 January 2014 Last updated at 00:36 ET

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Michael Bay initially said he would "wing it" after his autocue malfunctioned

As there was just so much happening on press day at the Las Vegas Consumer Electronics Show 2014, we thought we'd bring you a selection of highlights - and some of the lowlights - as they happened.

Audi brings Press Day to a close with the last of the day's Keynotes.

The German automaker's chief executive Rupert Stadle headed a presentation that featured self-driving cars, dancers who looked liked they had escaped from the movie Tron, and a vehicle fitted with laser lamps.

The madness continues tomorrow.

There were lots of wearable tech prototypes, a fancy mini-computer and more at Brian Krzanich's Keynote address.

The Intel chief executive has been in charge of the firm for less than a year, making this his first CES as CEO.

One part of his presentation, however, marked the end rather than the start of an era - the decision to rename the firm's security products division.

It is ditching the McAfee brand and replacing it with Intel Security.

The controversial founder of the security business, John McAfee, told the BBC he was overjoyed by the news.

"I am now everlastingly grateful to Intel for freeing me from this terrible association with the worst software on the planet. These are not my words, but the words of millions of irate users.

"My elation at Intel's decision is beyond words."

The reaction should come as no surprise. Last year Mr McAfee released a video showing how to "uninstall" the firm's anti-virus software by blasting a laptop with a bullet.

Video games developer Valve has confirmed 14 companies will manufacture the first generation Steam Machines - "PCs consoles" designed to run its new Linux-based gaming platform.

In alphabetical order, they are Alienware, Alternate, CyberPowerPC, Digital Storm, Falcon NW, GigaByte, iBuyPower, Maingear, Material.net, Next Spa, Origin PC, Scan, Webhallen and Zotac.

They range in price from $499 to $6,000.

It's a respectable line-up - Alienware's involvement means Valve has the backing of its parent company Dell.

But one senses that neither the Xbox team nor their PlayStation counterparts are likely to be quaking in their boots - at least at this point.

Sony, along with all the other TV makers it seems, has been plugging its UHD - ultra high definition - 4K TVs for all its worth at CES.

Screens are set to get bigger and bigger, with Sony's flagship 4K beast boasting an 85in (216cm) screen - not quite as big as Samsung's 105in (267cm) monster - but pretty chunky nonetheless. No doubt it will come with a similarly gargantuan price tag attached.

But surprisingly, Sony did not unveil a new OLED - organic light-emitting diode - TV.

Earlier, MakerBot, the 3D printer specialist, announced three new machines, including a mini one-touch version priced at $1,375 (£838).

At the other end of the scale, MakerBot's new Replicator Z18 printer, stands nearly 46cm (18in) tall on a 30.5cm (12in) square base.

It costs $6,499 (£3,963) and is aimed at inventors wanting to make large industrial prototypes, primarily from polylactic acid (PLA), a biodegradeable polymer.

BBC Technology Editor Rory Cellan-Jones has been checking out Epson's rival to Google Glass. If you thought Epson only made printers, think again.

"The Epson Moverio 2 is a clunky name for what is really quite a clever product," Rory reports.

"These smart glasses do a number of jobs: They allow you to watch movies in panoramic 3D; give you access to all sorts of Android apps and content; and they provide an augmented reality experience.

"In other words, this is a rival product to Google Glass, with the difference that it actually has a price tag and will soon be on sale to consumers."

But Rory thinks Moverio 2 is "clunkier and more geeky looking" than Google's product, especially as it needs a separate controller tethered to it.

"This looks like clever technology, but somehow you can't see many consumers walking down the road in Epson glasses," he concludes.

If you don't want to fork out for one of the latest smart, internet-enabled TVs, there are a number of products than can help your flatscreen punch above its weight.

FreeCast's Rabbit TV Select, for example, a small $99 (£60) quad-core powered set-top box, connects to any TV with an HDMI input and turns it into a brainy networked device capable of handling internet TV, emails, and video calls, its makers claim.

The device can also communicate with tablets and mobiles and even manage your home security system.

FreeCast's Rabbit TV Network offers videos-on-demand and thousands of online games.

When our roving technology reporters aren't poring over the latest gadgets or listening to the latest keynote speeches, there are other quirky sights to behold at CES, as this picture from Dave Lee shows.

And pretty soon we'll be able to share our pics in 3D, if Intel is to be believed.

Launching the "world's first and smallest" integrated 3D depth and 2D camera module, Intel said its RealSense technology will help devices, including smartphones, cameras, tablets and laptops, "see" depth much like a human eye.

The company demonstrated the camera using products from Dell, Lenovo and Asus.

It said the new camera would feature in gadgets from Acer, Fujitsu, HP, and NEC, as well as the three companies already mentioned, in the second half of 2014.

Meanwhile, Samsung flaunted its curves, unveiling its first commercial curved-screen ultra high definition (UHD) TVs, the biggest of which is a gargantuan 105in (267cm).

A flat-screen TV can be transformed into a curved-screen TV at the touch of a button.

It's all about offering "mesmerising immersion", the company said.

Unfortunately for Samsung, teleprompter gremlins forced Michael Bay, director of the Transformers film - and the technology company's guest speaker - to quit the stage in embarrassment.

"When the autocue wouldn't work he seemed at a loss to know what to say," said BBC technology reporter, Carolyn Rice who witnessed the incident.

"After a few false starts he just apologised and walked off the stage. There was an awkward silence as everyone waited to see if this was a dramatic interpretation of a new device.

"But no, this really was a director who had lost his direction."

When it comes to pixels, you can never have enough it seems.

Just when we've got our heads around ultra high definition 4K screens offering picture resolution four times greater than our current high definition TVs, along comes Sharp, Phillips and Dolby showcasing 8K technology.

Sharp says its 7,680 x 4,320 screens are the equivalent of 16 times the pixel resolution of current HDTV.

It says the picture is so sharp - no pun intended - it gives a "3D experience" without the need for those annoying glasses.

Sharp first showed off its prototype 8K technology at CES 2012, but this year is doing so on a whopping 85in (216cm) screen, while also showcasing its more commercially viable 4K-ready Aquos large screen TVs.

Demand for power is outstripping supply in the press centre.

Our technology correspondent Mark Ward sent in this photo:

So it's press day at CES and the announcements are coming thick and fast.

We've already covered LG showing off its jazzy new graphical user interface for smart TVs; Nvidia promising better mobile graphics; and Parrot's leaping and flying toys.

Now Panasonic has unveiled its latest "ruggedised" 7in (17.8cm) tablet, the Toughpad FZ-M1, targeted at business and government users who need reliability from their gadgets while out in the field.

Running Windows 8.1 Pro operating system and powered by a Intel Core i5 processor, Panasonic claims it is the "thinnest and lightest rugged fanless tablet" on the market.

It features a replaceable battery - the optional high capacity battery can give up to 16 hours of power - plus the ability to switch batteries without having to switch off the device.

But it won't come cheap. Panasonic says it will retail at $2,099 (£1,279) when it is released in the spring.

The company also announced a high-performance 20in (50.8cm) version of the Toughpad featuring an ultra high definition 4K screen. The cost? A mere $6,999.

Fed up of not being able to record two programmes simultaneously while watching something else? Then Dish's SuperJoey product, that allows viewers to record eight shows at the same time, could be of interest.

Dish, a US digital video recording (DVR) specialist, unleashed a number of enhancements to its Hopper Whole-Home HD DVR platform.

But it's not just established names exhibiting at CES - newer companies and start-ups have a valuable opportunity to get their products seen by the tech community.

Chris Elsworthy from UK 3D printing firm Robox is a first-timer at CES.

"This is huge for us," he told the BBC's Rory Cellan-Jones. "It's a first show ground. It's important for us to be here and showcase our product."

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Intel chips will be 'conflict free'

7 January 2014 Last updated at 06:27 ET By Joe Miller BBC News

Intel will no longer use minerals mined in conflict zones to build its microprocessors, the company has said.

Speaking at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, Intel's chief executive Brian Krzanich urged the "entire industry" to follow suit.

Gold, tungsten and other minerals used in electronics manufacturing are mined in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and surrounding countries.

Production and trade of the materials are often controlled by armed groups.

Intel's policy comes after increased international pressure for technology firms to investigate the sources of their raw minerals.

Tracing origins

The company, which is the world's largest chipmaker and has factories around the world, says all the microprocessors it ships in 2014 will be "conflict free".

Most electronic devices contain either gold, tantalum, tin, or tungsten, much of which originates from sub-Saharan Africa and is mined in conditions of armed conflict and human rights abuses.

In 2010, US President Barack Obama introduced a law requiring public companies to report whether their products contained minerals from these areas.

Mr Krzanich, who took over as the head of Intel last year, told the audience at CES that the company had been trying to determine the sources of the metals used in its chips for some years.

"We felt an obligation to implement changes in our supply chain to ensure that our business and our products were not inadvertently funding human atrocities," he said.

'Important issue'

The company is already a member of the Conflict-Free Sourcing Initiative run by the Electronic Industry Citizenship Coalition, which encourages environmental and ethical responsibility.

"This is not an issue we would normally be talking about at CES. But it's an issue that is important to me," Mr Krzanich said.

"You begin to think about the impact of the supply chain and the potential issues you can be causing."

At the same keynote session, Intel also announced it would be scrapping the McAfee anti-virus brand name and replacing it with Intel Security.

Software rebrand

The move is intended to sever the connection to the software's eponymous founder, John McAfee, who has been mired in legal troubles, and has confessed to extensive drug use.

But Mr McAfee told the BBC he was was elated by Intel's decision.

"I am now everlastingly grateful to Intel for freeing me from this terrible association with the worst software on the planet," he said.

"These are not my words, but the words of millions of irate users."

Last year Mr McAfee released a video showing how to "uninstall" the firm's anti-virus software by blasting a laptop with a bullet.

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PlayStation games go console-free

7 January 2014 Last updated at 16:28 ET By Leo Kelion Technology reporter

Sony has announced plans to roll out its cloud gaming service.

PlayStation Now will allow subscribers to play some of the platform's greatest hits without the need to own a console.

It works by streaming data from the company's servers. The firm's latest smart TVs will be among the first devices to support it, but Sony also intends to offer the facility to other third-party products.

One expert said the firm had a rich back catalogue to draw on.

"It's a pretty big asset," said Brian Blau from the tech consultancy Gartner.

"You can imagine the hundreds of years of manpower that went into building it up, and now they can get value from it for a long time into the future."

Sony said it would launch a restricted test of the service in the US later this month before a wider launch in the summer.

It has not provided details of plans for other markets yet or information of which smartphone and table platforms will be the first to get apps to run the facility.

The announcement was made at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

Tackling lag

The new facility is based on technology developed by Gaikai, a cloud gaming start-up that the Japanese firm acquired for $380m (£232m) in 2012.

Its rival Samsung had previously announced plans to partner with the firm to let its TVs offer games.

Sony said the service would also allow its new PlayStation 4 console to run titles from the PS3's library.

Since the two machines use different types of processors, the PS4 cannot currently run the previous generation's titles.

It also said that its handheld, the PS Vita, would use PlayStation Now to gain access to a wider catalogue.

Sony added that another benefit of hosting titles in the cloud was that subscribers would always be playing the most up-to-date versions.

Demo titles on show at CES include The Last of Us, Beyond: Two Souls, and God of War: Ascension.

Tech bloggers who tested the kit have noted that it does have some limitations.

"There's a slightly perceptible lag between button presses and the corresponding action onscreen," wrote Chris Welch for The Verge.

Others noted that the visuals were not as crisp as would be the case if they were running natively on a PS3. But they said the games were still playable.

Sony is not alone in offering such a service. OnLive has offered a cloud-based gaming platform since 2010, and is already available in the UK.

However, it lacks many of the big-name titles that Sony will be able to offer.

Mr Blau said that he expected that PlayStation Now would suit some titles better than others.

"I imagine that for the games that don't require a very fast frame rate that lag won't make any difference at all," he said.

"But for those that run at 50 to 60 frames per second it could be an issue if you're not close to a Sony server.

"However, I imagine the firm has the capability to ensure that most of the connected PlayStations and TV will be close to at least one of its data centres.

"And as the years go on that will become less of a problem as the internet's infrastructure matures."

PS4 v Xbox One

Sony also announced that it had sold 4.2 million PlayStation 4 consoles as of December 28.

Its rival Microsoft had previously said that three million Xbox One machines had been sold by the end of 2013.

Jason Kingsley, chief executive of developer Rebellion, suggested the numbers reflected the firm's different strategies.

"Microsoft seemed to have a US focused launch with an emphasis on TV and US sports," he said.

"Sony played the hardcore gamer card well in the UK.

"All sales are good for the development scene though and it is still early days. They are both excellent machines."

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3D food printers debut at CES

8 January 2014 Last updated at 00:47 ET By Leo Kelion Technology reporter

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BBC's Rory Cellan-Jones tests some of the 3D printers on show at CES

Two food-creating 3D printers that will launch later this year have been unveiled in Las Vegas.

The machines make chocolate and sugar-based confectionery shaped in ways that would be difficult to produce using traditional methods.

The smaller one, Chefjet, is limited to monochrome creations, but the larger Chefjet Pro can create multicoloured objects.

However, experts said their prices would be likely to limit sales.

The basic version will cost about $5,000 (£3,000) and the more advanced one double that price.

US firm 3D Systems is showing off the machines at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas.

It also has a new $10,000 model that prints ceramics and another $5,000 one that creates multi-coloured plastic objects.

Until now one of the most common uses for 3D printers within these price ranges has been rapid prototyping - the creation of models used to envisage the look of a design rather than to make products that could be put on sale themselves.

Sugar photographs

3D Systems developed its new "food-safe" models after taking over a Los Angeles-based start-up in September, which had customised one of its machines.

Both models can print using chocolate, or sugar infused with vanilla, mint, sour apple, cherry and watermelon flavours.

The larger one has the advantage of being able to create "photographic-quality" pictures by mixing together different ingredients that can then then be wrapped around cakes and other surfaces.

The designs are built using a layer-by-layer printing process.

Sweets are created by spreading a fine layer of the flavoured sugar, and then painting water on top using a jet print head to turn the substance into hardened crystals.

The process is then repeated to make the resulting edible objects, which can even have moving parts.

The firm is also releasing Digital Cookbook, an app to help customers - who might not be experts in computer-aided design - make such treats .

3D Systems is not the only company expanding into this area.

Natural Machines, a Spanish start-up, recently unveiled a prototype called the Foodini that can create chocolates and ravioli pasta among other choices.

Nasa has given funding to the founder of a Texas-headquartered engineering firm to build a food printer that could be used by its astronauts.

And British start-up Choc Edge is already selling a printer that can create chocolate printed patterns.

However, 3D Systems' machines would be the most advanced of their kind to become commercially available.

Printing rivals

The South Carolina-based company is a pioneer in its field.

Its founder, Chuck Hall, was granted the first patent for the Stereolithography additive manufacturing process on which the 3D printing industry was built in 1986.

Until recently it and Stratasys - a US firm that owns the Makerbot brand - had little competition since many of the technologies they used were patent protected.

However, several of these patents have now expired, letting others enter the industry.

This year there are about 30 firms exhibiting 3D-printing tech at CES, putting pressure on the more established players to innovate.

"A lot of the start-ups are producing variations on the themes already out there: variations in accuracy, in speed, and the types of plastic that can be used," said Duncan Wood, publisher of 3D printing-themed TCT Magazine.

"But there's no doubt that 3D Systems remains the dominant player in the market thanks to the range of the machine categories it offers and the size of its R&D team. And with the new products over here at CES they've really stolen the show in many ways."

While some of the smaller players may be happy for now to focus on less advanced but cheaper models, one expert at the tech show was not convinced their products would find mass appeal at this stage.

"At the moment where we are at is comparable to the early 1980s when the odd person had a dot matrix paper printer but most people went to a shop to print their documents," said Stuff Magazine's deputy online editor Stephen Graves.

"And that what's happening with 3D printing.

"At the moment all you can really do is rapid prototyping with the plastic-using low resolution ones available on the high street. They're more of a curio more than anything else."

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BMW demos 'drifting' self-drive car

8 January 2014 Last updated at 07:56 ET

BMW has shown off self-driving cars that can "drift" around bends and slalom between cones.

The modified 2-Series Coupe and 6-Series Gran Coupe are able to hurtle round a racetrack and control a power slide without any driver intervention.

Using 360-degree radar, ultrasonic sensors and cameras, the cars sense and adapt to their surroundings.

BMW demonstrated its latest autonomous driving technology at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas.

It is just one of several car manufacturers experimenting with the technology - Japan's Toyota has also been demonstrating its autonomous car at CES.

And Bosch, better known for its white goods and power tools, showed off its smartphone-controlled self-parking technology at the show.

Accident-prone

With about 50,000 road fatalities in the US each year, carmakers are hoping sensor- and software-controlled cars could prove less accident-prone than cars driven by humans.

One 2013 study by the Eno Center for Transportation suggested that if 10% of cars on US roads were autonomous this could reduce fatalities by about 1,000.

A number of driver assistance technologies are already being incorporated into the latest cars, from lane-drifting warnings to self-parking.

Currently California, Florida and Nevada have licensed autonomous vehicles to be tested on their public roads, and Google's fleet of 24 robot Lexus SUVs (sports utility vehicles) have clocked up about 500,000 miles of unassisted driving so far without any reported mishaps.

Autonomous vehicles are not yet allowed on European roads and we are still a long way from seeing driverless cars frequenting our streets and motorways.

But as the number of successful demonstrations grows, the cultural hurdles are probably greater than the technological ones.

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