Samsung stirred up the Consumer Electronics Show with many innovative products, but its smart window was undoubtedly the best exhibit in the South Korean tech giant’s booth and really in the entire trade show.
The ones who were lucky enough to attend CES probably know this product already, given that Samsung was among the most important participants at the show. The smart window exhibited by Samsung features a touchscreen, but this is surely one of the most mundane characteristics of the product.
The window comes with some widgets that look a terribly lot like the ones made by Yahoo! for Windows and Mac. Presumably they can be moved around according to the wish of each user, but their current layout offers better visibility to the other side of the window. Speaking of which, this product acts as a one sided window, fact that means that only people found on the side with the touchscreen can see through it. The widgets seen in the above picture and the below video include:
- Calendar
- Clock
- News
- Weather forecast
More than likely, other widgets can be added and the present ones can be removed, according to the taste and needs of every user.
One of the buttons found at the bottom of the screen is labeled Blinds. When touched, the virtual blinds appear on the display can be closed or opened by moving the slider found on the right side of the window. Another button, labeled Media, provides quick access to TV, music and pictures, so calling this smart window an entertainment heaven wouldn’t be too far-fetched… I think. Not at last, recipes (and presumably other types of content) can be displayed, making this a perfect replacement for your boring kitchen window. Really now… Can you count how many things this product is able to replace?
Now… There are several videos on YouTube of people who manage to break their LED/LCD/Plasma TVs while playing games on the Wii (or even on XBox’s Kinect, for that matter). The last thing we would want to see is someone breaking these hi-tech windows. If Samsung’s smart window ever gets mainstream, make sure to keep an eye on the kids (and on the clumsier adults) when they approach this technological marvel.
As mentioned in the video, Samsung’s Smart Window makes the user feel like in Minority Report. Philip K. Dick (and maybe Tom Cruise, too) would be proud to hear this, but provided that the window is one-side only, I think it would be more adequate for… ehm… interrogation rooms.
If you liked this post, please check Samsung Proxima and the folding AMOLED display.
