▲ Examples of Home-to-Car and Car-to Home services to be developed

Samsung Electronics today announced a collaboration with Hyundai Motor Group to expand its SmartThings platform to support connected cars, including electric vehicles (EVs). The announcement came after the companies signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on January 3 to develop solutions for future lifestyles that fully integrate the smart home and connected cars.

The two companies will work together for the next-generation smart home to connect Samsung’s SmartThings with Hyundai and Kia’s connected cars, including EVs, to develop the “Home-to-Car” and “Car-to-Home” services as well as an integrated home energy management service.

The Home-to-Car and Car-to-Home services connect the smart home with in-vehicle infotainment systems, allowing for remote control in both directions. Through the SmartThings platform, users will be able to perform a variety of actions pertaining to their cars while at home — starting them, controlling smart air conditioning, opening and closing windows and checking their charging status. And from cars, the control of home appliances such as TVs, air conditioners and EV chargers will also be possible.

“This collaboration will enable communication from Home-to-Car and integrated home energy management services that are optimized for future lifestyles,” said Chanwoo Park, Executive Vice President at Samsung Electronics. “By connecting the SmartThings platform with vehicles, we’ll be able to significantly enhance the customer experience in both the home and the car.”

Users will be able to adjust their environments with SmartThings by simultaneously operating multiple devices — including vehicles — through routines such as “good morning routine” and “arriving home routine.” For example, when a Galaxy smartphone’s morning alarm goes off, the curtains will automatically open, and the lights and television will turn on. When users are ready to go out for work, the user’s car will adjust itself to an ideal temperature. Also, the smartphone and TV screens will display information such as the EV’s remaining battery and driving range.

“This is an opportunity to make the connected car’s Car-to-Home and Home-to-Car services more convenient in various fields,” said Haeyoung Kwon, Vice President of Hyundai and Kia’s Infotainment Development Center. “We plan to accelerate our technology development to continuously make global Hyundai and Kia customers’ journeys meaningful.”

The integrated home energy management service will allow users to monitor how much energy is consumed by the connected devices in their homes. Energy information of their EVs and chargers will also be available, enabling users to adjust the optimal time for charging their vehicles. EVs connected to the integrated home energy management service offer the possibility of automatically setting the optimal time for charging by factoring in different pricing by time of day, [1] the power demand response (DR) program, [2] photovoltaic (PV) and energy storage system (ESS) data, [3] and time-specific carbon emissions. [4]

▲ Examples of Home-to-Car and Car-to Home services to be developed

To further strengthen Car-to-Home services, Samsung is working closely with HARMAN, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Samsung Electronics. HARMAN’s “Ready Upgrade” is a digital cockpit package product that allows hardware and software upgrades. With Ready Upgrade, users will be able to install SmartThings functions to utilize various Car-to-Home services.

[1] Higher rates are applied depending on the season and time of day.

[2] Incentives are provided to participating households to reduce energy consumption in response to the DR signal during peak hours, when power usage is concentrated.

[3] Monitoring of electrical energy production/consumption/storage through PV/ESS.

[4] Carbon emissions and reductions are monitored through information regarding the amount of carbon emitted when consuming 1KWh of electricity.

Samsung Newsroom spoke with Dr. Sean Olive, Acoustic Research Senior Fellow for HARMAN International, where he has worked since 1993. He directs the Corporate HARMAN X Sound Quality Group, whose research has mainly focused on the perception and measurement of sound reproduction including loudspeakers, room acoustics, automotive audio, headphones, and smart speakers.

Dr. Sean E. Olive, Senior Fellow, Acoustic Research HARMAN INTERNATIONAL

Q. What are the current music listening trends especially amongst a young generation and how does the context of listening to music influence our experience?

Music today is heard under many different contexts and environments often serving as an accompaniment to daily activities such as exercise, commuting, work, and shopping.

Among Millennials, digital streaming of music has become the preferred means to listen to music. They listen to 75% more music on a daily basis than Baby boomers.¹ A 2016 study from Northwestern University found that when it comes to music discovery, young people value convenience the most, favoring music services that are available across many platforms for easy access.

Moreover, new channels of digital music distribution such as music apps have made it easier for consumers to access a deeper catalogue of music from different artists and genres than ever before. Millennials in particular like to select their own tracks and tend to jump across platforms to hear the songs they like, and will skip songs they don’t like after hearing a few bars. We’ve moved from listening to entire albums from the same artist to listening to individual tracks from multiple artists across different genres, which has not only significantly affected our experience, it impacts how music is created, recorded and distributed.

Q. Does the equipment matter when we’re listening to music or does a great song suffice?

Good equipment can’t fix a bad song or performance but it can make it sound wonderful. Good equipment allows us to hear all the notes of the music from the lowest pipe organ note to the highest overtones of the piccolo accurately reproduced with correct spectral balance and dynamic nuances. There is nothing more exciting than to experience a Beethoven Symphony reproduced through your audio system at home at concert levels without strain or compromise.

Q. What are some practical tips on how we can improve the quality of the music we listen to on a regular basis, including improving our listening experience?

For headphone listening, the fit and seal of the cup or ear-tip is critical to hearing good bass. If sound leaks out of your ear you are less isolated from background noise and will hear less bass.

For loudspeaker listening, proper placement is critical to achieving balanced sound and stereo imaging. The stereo speakers should be equidistant from the listener at an angle of ± 30 degrees in order to hear instruments properly distributed between the speakers. Moving them 1-2 meter away from the walls can reduce excess bass or muddiness. The speakers should be angled towards the listening spot with the tweeter at the same height as the ears of a seated listener.

Q. What does a listener need to pay attention to when they choose the device on which they listen to music?

Many speaker systems, particularly portable Bluetooth systems have limitations in how much bass they can reproduce particularly at higher volume levels. To hide this fact they will sometimes add extra upper bass, or for active speakers, they will reduce the bass as you turn up the volume making it sound thin and anemic. Apart from that, listen to tracks with instruments that cover the entire spectrum and listen for how smooth and even-balanced the sound is. The spectral balance should be smooth and even and sound neither bright/dull, or too full/thin. When you turn up the volume, the balance shouldn’t change significantly or get harsh and fuzzy (an indication of distortion).

Lexicon SL-1

Q. HARMAN launched Lexicon SL-1 recently. What are HARMAN’s expectations for the launch?

Musicians are probably familiar with the Lexicon brand, which invented digital reverberation. This is truly a unique loudspeaker in that the sounds radiated from it range from a narrow focus for an intimate sound to a very broad omnidirectional pattern without a significant change to the timbre of the sound. This gives you the option of hearing a very focused sound or a very spacious sound depending on the choice of music, room acoustics or personal taste. The so-called stereo sweet spot can also be beamed to wherever the listener chooses to sit.

Q. With technological innovations in audio technology, can more people become audiophiles and learn to appreciate high quality audio production and subtle differences that elevate the music to another level?

It is clear from HARMAN’s sound quality research over the past 25+ years that most naive listeners can hear and appreciate better sound quality when given the opportunity to compare different products side by side whether it’s loudspeakers, headphones or lossless versus low-bit MP3 music. With the decline of brick-and-mortar audio stores replaced by internet sales there are fewer opportunities to test products side by side. So, we have to figure out how to educate and reach more consumers on what is good sound, better communicate the benefits, and make it easier for them to find and achieve critical listening. The opportunities are huge since audio is consumed everywhere (car, home, cinema, work, gym and on-the-go). For example, we are working on a consumer-focused version of our listener training software called “How to Listen” that we hope to make available soon.

Q. How can you meet the balance between professional level sound quality and popularization?

HARMAN makes audio products for both professional and consumers. The sound quality targets are essentially the same. Any film, television, or music track mixed on a JBL professional monitor or AKG headphone should sound much the same on our higher quality consumer products. The differences mainly lie in the industrial design, features and user experience.

HARMAN Luxury Audio Studio in Munich, Germany

Q. HARMAN recently opened a luxury studio in Munich, Germany. Could you tell us a little bit about the studio and the features of the studio that you want people to know about?

Dedicated to the Art of Listening, the new Luxury Studio celebrates and showcases HARMAN’s award-winning luxury audio brands through a uniquely immersive approach.

HARMAN’s Luxury Audio Group boasts five prestigious brands—JBL Synthesis, Mark Levinson, Revel, Lexicon and ARCAM—which together deliver the most advanced high-performance audio systems available anywhere in the world. The HARMAN Luxury Audio Studio was designed to serve not only as a billboard for these remarkable, award-winning brands, but to offer HARMAN’s customers and partners the opportunity to interact with them in a wholly original way.

Resembling a musician’s loft, the studio contains a stereo lounge with a vinyl record wall and a conference room. Everything in the studio was designed using materials chosen for their acoustic properties, with vintage layers and textures throughout the space. Completing the studio is a state-of-the-art JBL Synthesis 7.4.4 home theater with Dolby Atmos® to be used as a testing ground for HARMAN’s latest products while providing a luxury in-home experience certain to impress audiophiles and audio professionals alike.

Q. Is there any HARMAN technology applied to Samsung products?

Yes, one example is the new AKG Headphones like the N5005 and N700, and Samsung Galaxy Buds. These new products are designed to conform to the HARMAN Target Curves, which is based on HARMAN X’s research into listener sound quality preferences. The sound profile is very precise and refined, and preferred by the majority of listeners we’ve tested.

In addition, there are already ongoing collaborations between Harman and Samsung in Lifestyle, Professional and Automotive spaces. HARMAN’s expertise, technologies and markets are a natural compliment to Samsung’s so it only makes sense that such collaborations continue.

Q. What will the future look like in the way we listen to music?

We listen to music today more than ever, and this will continue. Autonomous driving is one example where humans will have more free time to actively listen to music with full attention. As we better understand the science of how music and our mode of listening affect our health and wellbeing, we will become more aware and motivated to become active listeners.

¹ Digital Music News : Millennials Listen to 75% More Music Than Baby Boomers, Study Finds (June 2, 2016)

Gone are the days when your earphones were attached to the end of an electric cord. Losing the cables and mounted with Bluetooth technology, they have evolved into wireless earbuds. Users no longer have to worry about the cables getting tangled into a knot in their pockets. What’s more, wireless earbuds are now available in various designs that add a fashionable value.

Samsung Electronics’ all new ‘Galaxy Buds’ offers the best performance of all the advantages of wireless earphones. It is smaller and lighter than the previous generation, which makes for longer and more comfortable wear. With the enhanced battery efficiency, it offers longer usage time with a single charge. Perhaps most importantly, its sound quality has been improved with the technology of AKG, the premium audio brand of Harman.

The upgrade from the previous generation is clear in terms of specs. Samsung Newsroom has tried the product to experience just how much better it is when used.

Galaxy Buds is very lightweight that it is barely detectable in the palm of the hand. The size is also smaller than Samsung’s existing wireless earphones, ‘Gear IconX.’ Instead of hanging on the ears, Galaxy Buds ensures the best possible fit with its wing tips, and do not fall out easily. Even the largest wing tips do not press on the earflaps, making the earbuds comfortable and stable to wear.

The earbuds are a compact size that fits snugly inside the ears and the exterior that shows outside it is fashioned to a nicely rounded shape. The gloss of the surface material is quite natural and soft in color that it goes well with various kinds of styles. Users need not worry about whether the earbuds look good with their outfits.

Well-Balanced and Solid Sound Quality

‘Sound by AKG’ is etched on to the packaging of the product, showing the company’s confidence in the Galaxy Buds’ solid sound quality, which proved to be quite well balanced and consistent. It offers a deep, consistent base and a flat treble. For those who have their own taste for a certain sound field¹, use the ‘Galaxy Wearable’ app to choose one from the five EQ presets and customize the sound profile.

I tried listening to various genres of music for each EQ preset to figure out the difference. For emotional music such as ballads or jazz, the ‘dynamic’ setting was the best fit. For band or dance music, the ‘clear’ setting was a solid choice since it highlighted the differences in mixed sounds. According to the styles and ranges of vocals or instruments used, selecting the ‘bass boost’ or ‘treble boost’ was a nice pick. When I was enjoying music while concentrating on another task, the ‘soft’ preset was comfortable to listen to as it balanced different tones.

The sound quality during phone calls was outstanding in clarity, which makes for a pleasant experience to switch over to answering a phone call from listening to music. A good set of earphones maintains its sound quality not only when the music is playing but also during phone calls. Galaxy Buds showed consistent, solid performance on the subway or inside elevators and blocked out the noise well.

The two embedded microphones also controlled the volume of my voice according to the surrounding environment. During the several phone calls I made when I was using Galaxy Buds, I seldom heard complaints from the other person for not being able to hear me over the surrounding noise.

A useful tip for when making a phone call in a noisy environment is to choose ear tips that are a perfect, snug fit in the ears. This helps make a difference in blocking out the noise from the surroundings so that the microphone embedded in the interior nozzle of the earbud can pick up the user’s voice more easily.

Useful Features Including Seamless Connection and ‘Find My Earbuds’

Galaxy Buds automatically connects to the user’s smartphone when the case is open and disconnects when placed back in the case. With a simple touch on the surface of an earbud, users can play or pause the current song, or move onto the previous or next song. Users can even give orders or turn on and off certain features using voice command.

When the earbuds are misplaced, users can activate the ‘Find My Earbuds’ feature on the Galaxy Wearables app. The earbuds will start making a beeping sound which will help relocate them.

By turning on ‘notifications’, users can receive a voice notification in between the music when they receive a message or email. This feature is useful for those that always need to be available at work or when expecting an important message. Users can also manage notifications and turn them on or off for specific apps.

‘Ambient sound mode’ let noise from the surroundings flow into the earbuds without taking them off. It balances between the sound from the earbuds and from the surroundings. Using this mode, I was able to check work related videos while listening to what my colleagues were saying and listen to some music without missing any announcements in the subway.

Longer Battery Life and Easy Battery Charging

Galaxy Buds lasts up to six hours when used for listening to music, and five hours for making phone calls. Galaxy Buds lasted a whole day with just a single charge when I listened to some music and made a few phone calls during my commute and working hours. Of course, as the Galaxy Buds case act as a charger, the earbuds can last longer. It comes in handy while on a trip or on a long flight.

The newly mounted wireless charging feature also adds convenience. I just put the earbuds back inside the case and place it on a wireless charger or a Galaxy S10². It is completely wireless, in a sense that it doesn’t require a cable when being charged either. Thanks to this feature, users can be relieved from the stress of constantly checking the remaining battery life.

All in all, users are in good hands with the Galaxy Buds, in various aspects including sound quality and battery life – not to mention the sleek, cute design and a comfortable fit. Galaxy Buds handle quite nicely some inconveniences users might have experienced with other wireless earphones. For those who are looking for the ‘ultimate’ wireless earphones, Galaxy Buds will make a good choice.

¹ Sound Field is a virtual space created by sound to provide the most realistic listening experience. Sound fields are usually controlled through the residual sounds and equalizer.

² According to tests conducted by Samsung Electronics, the battery lasts 100 minutes after a 15-minute charge. The exact time may vary according to individual user’s tendencies. ‘Wireless PowerShare’ is limited to Galaxy S10 series and will stop sharing battery power once the smartphone’s battery falls below 30 percent.

Samsung Newsroom sat down with the Digital Cockpit Lab from Samsung’s Automotive Electronics Business Team to learn how they brought the car of the future into a reality.

The Digital Cockpit Connects Our Lives

The cockpit is the dashboard of the car in front of the driver and the passenger seat. A ‘Digital Cockpit’ is a platform that comes with the latest digital technology which takes the overall in-vehicle system to the next level. With Samsung’s latest Digital Cockpit 2019, the new platform provides full vehicle control for drivers and a variety of tailored content to the passengers as well.

In today’s world, the car is more than just a mode of transportation — it is a space that connects different parts of our lives together. Surprisingly, you will be able to use all of these features in the near future.

At home, you start the car and adjust the temperature in your car from your living room via Galaxy Home.

Once everyone gets in, your car starts to play tailored content for each passenger with face recognition technology.

The car also informs you of possible danger by scanning moving objects and tries to prevent dangerous situations from happening like when the driver dozes off while driving.

On the move, you can even check what’s inside your home refrigerator via the car system, in order to prepare for the evening’s dinner.

“If your destination is a soccer field, the car transforms itself into the soccer field by playing soccer game content while you are on the go,” said JH Yun, digital circuit designer from the Samsung Digital Cockpit Lab. “The volume of content that you can enjoy in your car will expand naturally. What we need to do is to create an optimal environment for you to enjoy that content in your car.”

A feature called ‘Home to Car’ is an example of the leading-edge innovation featured in the Digital Cockpit. The function allows customers to control their cars at home through the SmartThings app. “One of the biggest advantages the connected vehicle offers is that there are no spatial constraints,” said Junhong Kim, software developer. “You can start the car, check the gas level and more, regardless of your distance from the vehicle. We are ready for the next generation of mobility.”

When your hands are on the wheel to control your driving safely, a voice command can be the best alternative when you are interacting with your car. Bixby, Samsung’s AI platform, has been integrated into the Digital Cockpit undergoing a transformation in order to fit into the vehicle environment.

“We conducted voice command tuning and adjusted it to the vehicle environment by enhancing the icon and font size so that a driver can see them well while they are driving,” said Jonghee Choi, user interface developer. “And an increased interoperability with third-party services offers a wide range of information like weather forecast and flight schedule from your seat.”

No Matter Where You Sit, the Car Provides You with the Best Experience

While the previous Digital Cockpit had three displays, the 2019 version has a total of six displays delivering tailored infotainment to all passengers. For instance, passengers in the back seat will also be able to enjoy tailored content from their own screens.

“All of the displays will enable you to enjoy high resolution videos in your car without hassle,” said Wonhee Jo, hardware circuit designer. “Not only that, the back-seat screens can be folded conveniently into the seats when they are not in use.”

The screens can also recognize your face wherever you sit and suggest content based on the preferences of pre-registered passengers in which they can activate or deactivate the feature.

“It’s amazing because you can enjoy your in-vehicle experience seamlessly even if you sit in a different seat,” said Seungwoo Shin, user experience designer. “Each passenger can enjoy different content, or they can just sync all of the screens to enjoy the same content, as if they were watching it from the living room of their homes.”

“The experience of each passenger can be managed for each seat,” said Daesoo Choi, human interface developer. “The passengers can make detailed adjustments such as the height, angle and temperature of each seat or the screen’s brightness.”

When a vehicle is equipped with various sophisticated technologies, the challenges increase. One of the challenges had to do with the number of buttons. Not only were the least used buttons taking up space, they were also ineffective. So, the team solved the problem with a knob. “We got a hint from a knob on the Samsung Galaxy Watch when we were thinking about ways to fuse analog nostalgia with the digital world. And we solved the problem with a single knob that can serve as the functions of various buttons,” said JH Yun, digital circuit designer. “This year’s Digital Cockpit will also have knobs in the back seat that can be activated according to the user’s preference.”

Nine Cameras Cover Every Direction, Ensuring Safety on the Road

A car must assure the safety of its driver and passengers. In order to support safe driving, the Digital Cockpit 2019 is equipped with a total of nine cameras.

The Digital Cockpit features a ‘Mirror Replacement Vision System (MRVS)’ that replaces side-view mirrors in conventional cars. The system consists of two displays on both sides and it helps safer driving by detecting moving objects in the rear when the driver checks behind them. By utilizing the camera technology, Digital Cockpit 2019 ensures safer driving with a wider viewing angle.

The Digital Cockpit also monitors the driver’s condition through a system that tracks the driver’s pupils to detect drowsy eyes or careless driving. “The Driver Monitoring System is an essential technology for autonomous driving in the near future,” said Seungwon Oh, camera system developer.

Drivers can sometimes miss the system alert while they are looking ahead when they are on the road. To prevent this from happening, the Digital Cockpit 2019 provides additional alerts. “We’ve added a vibration alert by using the Samsung Galaxy Watch on your wrist,” said Oh.

In the next installment in this series, we will go behind-the-scene stories on the team’s close collaboration and its continuous efforts to connect our lives will be disclosed. Stay tuned.

Following Episode 1

The Digital Cockpit has become available through the fusion of cutting-edge technologies. A technological breakthrough is certainly the key to this achievement, but more importantly, a collaboration among team members still remains to be one of the significant factors. The Digital Cockpit lab consists of knowledgeable experts from various fields within Samsung Electronics – all of whom are fascinated by the unexplored field of connected vehicles. Let’s find out more about the team and how they work together in the front line of technology.

No Boundaries At Work: Cutting-Edge Technologies Enhance Productivity

The team’s keen interest and excitement in the unchartered realm of connected vehicles led them to gather and eventually build the Digital Cockpit. Not only that, the team streamlined the work process by sharing brilliant ideas flexibly and testing them immediately.

“In many cases, we promptly carried out ideas that came up during meetings. It is possible to make swift decisions since the members are committed to this new field of business,” said Wooseok Hwang, user experience designer. “With engineers not restricting themselves from sharing opinions vis a vis design, there are no boundaries in our project.”

A built-in car audio under the front glass

A full spectrum of core Samsung Electronics technologies ranging from components to end-products and HARMAN’s know-how on automotive electronics, were fully mobilized in the Digital Cockpit 2019.

“Samsung Electronics and HARMAN have accumulated cross-field technologies and experiences that led to a variety of connected services,” said Wonhee Jo, hardware circuit designer.

For a car audio system, built in the Digital Cockpit 2019, Samsung and HARMAN worked closely together throughout the process from initial design to tuning. “Entertainment experiences can vary by the location of speakers. So, adding woofers under each seat and surround sound speakers in the back seat produces an immersive effect,” said JH Youn, digital circuit designer. “Engineers at HARMAN traveled back and forth between Korea and the United states and carefully conducted the tuning until the last moment to build the best sound quality.”

Optimization of a Car Platform: Enabling All Necessary Technologies to Drive on the Road

A driving experience involves a series of activities from starting the car and arriving to your destination. All of these procedures are operated under one platform: the car itself. The Digital Cockpit 2019 is carefully designed to enable a convenient in-vehicle experience with forefront technologies from various fields that have been optimized to match with a driving experience.

Observing passengers’ behavior is another key task of the Digital Cockpit Lab. People have different patterns on using their cars based on their lifestyles. Some people drive alone, or they drive with their family and children. Or some might need to read documents while they are on the road, to keep up with their work.

For example, the feature that allows drivers to adjust the temperature from the back seats was inspired by parents that look over to see their sleeping child from the driver’s seat. The feature that seamlessly presents documents from your smartphone on larger screens in the car via ‘Samsung DeX’ was an idea that came from another observation.

“My ideas came from paying close attention to other people when I was traveling with a friend or driving with other people,” said Wooseok Hwang, user experience designer.

“We Put People First for Enjoyable In-Vehicle Experience.”

“Awesome!”

Many visitors at CES 2019 that was held last January were captivated by the new automotive experience of the Digital Cockpit 2019. Several visitors approached the team who were at the site asking, “Where can I get this car?”

“The Digital Cockpit is not the concept of a finished car. It is more about technologies that enables the car,” said Wonhee Jo, hardware circuit designer. “The purpose of the Digital Cockpit is to unleash the potential to the world that Samsung has in the automotive electronics industry”.

The ultimate goal of the Digital Cockpit Lab is to reach out to people with future technologies. During the development process, the team took into consideration what drivers and passengers can experience when they are inside the car. “Our job is done when people have an enjoyable and pleasant automotive experience through the Digital Cockpit,” said the team.

“There is no set direction. As industries evolve, perspectives on cars tend to change as well. Our work is to take one step ahead of such trends and stay committed to integrate both Samsung and HARMAN’s infrastructure and technologies to keep the engine running to lead the ever-changing industry.”

Building on the standard set by last year’s Digital Cockpit, the 2019 version addresses the needs of drivers and passengers alike, providing a seamless link between devices, vehicle and home, with simple controls for ease of use.

An Experience Tailored for Every Passenger

For 2019, the Digital Cockpit has increased the number of displays from three to six, delivering tailored infotainment options to more of the car’s passenger. In addition to a new, independent Passenger Display, two Rear Seat Displays also have been added, allowing passengers in both the front and rear to enjoy personalized contents that will keep them entertained during their travels. The Driver Monitoring System (DMS) and Occupant Monitoring System (OMS) are able to recognize registered drivers and passengers, adjusting the environment – such as screen settings and seat position – to provide an experience personalized to their tastes.

Three screens in the front of the Digital Cockpit show the driver important information and settings. The Cluster Display, situated in front of the driver, is a screen that highlights crucial driving information, such as the speed and oil gauge, with a layout that changes according to the driver’s preference. Between the driver and the front passenger is the Center Information Display, which shows Bixby and SmartThings services for cars, as well as basic apps, like navigation and music. Below that is the Control Display, a screen that oversees a host of functions, including air conditioning and sound volume, and can also be used to set the functions on the knobs of the Digital Cockpit.

By connecting their smartphone to the appropriate display via In-vehicle Samsung DeX, passengers can enjoy a smartphone experience optimized for their display and give their full attention to documents and emails, even while on the move.

Equipped with two knobs positioned in the front of the car and two in the back, the Digital Cockpit offers intuitive setting controls. The knobs have a circular UX, similar to the Galaxy Watch’s hallmark display, and can be customized to configure settings most frequently used by the driver and passengers, such as temperature and speaker volume.

Connectivity throughout the Car

With new Bixby, the in-car experience is even more convenient. The intuitive, conversational AI platform allows drivers and passengers to control their third-party apps – as well as automotive-optimized functions – hands-free inside the car.

As our world becomes increasingly more connected, the Digital Cockpit is strengthening the bond between car and home. Last year’s features supported car-to-home interactions, allowing you to check what’s inside your fridge or start up the washing machine at home, all from the driver’s seat. In addition to adding more devices that can be controlled from the car, the Digital Cockpit now also facilitates home-to-car interactions. With the help of SmartThings and Galaxy Home, users can access vehicle status and controls from the comfort of their own home. This means that you can check fuel levels, start up the engine, and cool down or warm up the inside temperature by turning on the AC before jumping into your car.

Smarter Safety

New features have been implemented to further enhance car safety. Incorporating Samsung Electronics’ Exynos semiconductor, the Mirror Replacement Vision System, Front Facing Camera and Driver Monitoring System assist safe driving in a variety of potential scenarios.

Since last year, the Mirror Replacement Vision System has moved to the front left and right sides of the vehicle to reflect where users habitually look when changing lanes. The system can identify moving objects and gives the driver a wider field of view in the direction of the lane they wish to change into.

The Front Facing Camera detects the environment on the roads ahead. This is particularly useful if the driver wants to make a sudden left turn on an intersection or change lanes, for example. The camera identifies vehicles, pedestrians, lanes and traffic signs while driving and warns the driver of any hazards before they act. Data is shown on the Cluster Display, helping the driver make informed decisions on the road.

The Driver Monitoring System will also transmit a warning sound if it detects dangerous behavior, such as driving while drowsy or sending text messages behind the wheel.

As car design embraces new trends in mobility lifestyle, the Digital Cockpit 2019 represents the next stage in vehicle comfort, connectivity and safety. As the development of 5G technologies continues apace, Samsung’s IoT platform will drive the future of automotive innovation and broaden the horizons of connected living.

Kuala Lumpur, 7 June 2018 – In its efforts to continue creating enriching cinema experiences for customers, Golden Screen Cinemas (GSC) today unveiled the country’s first cinema LED screen, Onyx. Powered by the innovation at Samsung Electronics, Onyx is designed to transform the traditional cinema-going experience with a futuristic LED theatre display that delivers ultra-sharp high definition visuals and superior sound.

Located at Hall 11 of GSC’s flagship Mid Valley Megamall cinema, the 33.8 feet wide and 16.4 feet high Onyx Cinema LED screen enlivens content by showcasing greater detail and colour vibrancy in cutting-edge 4K. It is the world’s first Digital Cinema Initiatives (DCI)-compliant High Dynamic Range (HDR) LED theatre display, which can achieve peak brightness levels of 146fL (foot-lambert), enabling the screen to capture even the most pristine whites and deepest blacks with a nearly infinite contrast ratio.

Supplementing the next-generation viewing experience is world-class audio technology from Samsung’s Audio Lab and JBL by HARMAN Professional Solutions. By integrating powerful speakers on the edge of the screen, Onyx is able to establish an expanded audio “sweet spot” throughout the theatre’s seating area, so audiences can enjoy a more impactful and immersive aural experience. Additionally, the hall also features plush eco-leather seats that makes watching a movie a luxuriously comfortable treat from start to finish.

“Innovation is the lifeblood of Golden Screen Cinemas and we are committed to pioneering new technology and advancements that reinvent the way our customers enjoy the magic of the movies. The arrival of Onyx in Malaysia is a momentous milestone for the cinema industry, as it is poised to reshape the way we look at the cinema in the future,” said Ms. Koh Mei Lee, Chief Executive Officer of Golden Screen Cinemas.

She added: “As a leading cinema exhibitor, we are constantly seeking ways to provide our customers great value through our range of value promotions, F&B offerings, and the latest cinema tech. We believe that Onyx complements the variety of high-quality alternative content that we offer at our cinema like e-sports, live musical performances and more, giving our customers unforgettable movie experiences that they can only enjoy with us at Golden Screen Cinemas.”

Customers will be able to enjoy GSC’s Onyx hall at only an additional RM1.50 surcharge on top of the regular ticket price. Tickets to catch Jurassic World Fallen Kingdom on the Onyx Cinema LED screen are now available for purchase.

For more information, please visit GSC’s website at www.gsc.com.my, check out GSC’s Mobile App, or GSC’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/GSCinemas.

For more information about Onyx, please visit https://displaysolutions.samsung.com/led-signage/onyx

About GSC

Golden Screen Cinemas Sdn Bhd (GSC), Malaysia’s largest cinema exhibitor, is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the PPB Group (a member of the Kuok Group). GSC operates a total of 433 screens in 50 locations across Malaysia and Vietnam, with 344 screens in 36 locations in Malaysia, and 89 screens in 14 locations in Vietnam through a partnership with Galaxy Studio. Aspiring to be a regional cinema and content operator that is recognized for providing total quality movie entertainment, GSC offers THX-certified halls and the multi-dimensional Dolby Atmos® audio surround technology across Malaysia. The 21-screen GSC Mid Valley Megamall holds the record of being the largest multiplex in Southeast Asia, while GSC Paradigm JB houses the largest GSC Maxx screen in Malaysia. GSC Signature offers exclusive cinema experience with its luxurious Gold Class and Premiere Class halls, while GSC Lite brings urban-class cinema entertainment into smaller towns. For more information, log-on to www.gsc.com.my.

As more people enjoy music and video through their smartphones, even greater importance is placed on the multimedia capabilities of our mobile devices. In the design of the Galaxy S9, Samsung set out to reimagine the smartphone’s speakers, joining with globally renowned audio specialists to achieve a premium stereo sound.

Sitting down with three of the flagship smartphone’s designers in the Mobile Communications Business – Dongsoo Kim from the Global Product Planning Group and Jaehyun Kim and Seongkwan Yang from the Audio Group – we took a closer look on how the speakers of the Galaxy S9 and S9+ were optimized for multimedia content.

More Speakers, More Sound

Dongsoo Kim reflected on what drove the team to bring the stereo speaker experience to the Galaxy S9: “As more and more people access content through their smartphones, greater emphasis was placed on the screen and creating bigger, higher-quality displays to view content with. Since display technology has already reached this point, we set out to design a high-performing speaker to equal the screen.”

The first step in Samsung’s journey towards stereo sound was equipping the device with two speakers. Whereas previous generations of the smartphone have placed a single speaker at the bottom of the phone, the Galaxy S9 has speakers at both the bottom and the top of the phone, creating a more immersive experience.

“The key was to develop speakers and amplifiers that serve the dual purpose of making phone calls and consuming media,” said Jaehyun Kim. “We poured our efforts into enhancing the quality of the sound and creating greater volume.”

The speaker holes were redesigned to be larger, producing higher quality audio, and the team was also able to increase the device’s volume, making it 1.4 times (3-4 dB) louder than the Galaxy S8.

Over 80 Designs Tested

There are strict procedures to ensure the reliability of Samsung products and multiple stages of testing were involved in designing the speakers of the Galaxy S9.

To achieve greater sound accuracy and precision, the audio designers paid close attention to enhancing the speakers’ dynamic range – the ratio of the quietest to the loudest sounds that the speakers can reproduce – and their frequency range, which controls the pitch.

“Our primary focus was to develop a speaker that is both high performing and stable,” Seongkwan Yang explained. “We carefully examined the quality of the components, testing more than 80 versions of the diaphragm before we were finally satisfied that we had a speaker that functioned seamlessly at both high and low pitches.”

Jaehyun Kim added: “We encountered unexpected challenges as we converted the mono speaker into stereo speakers, so we strived to optimize the device for viewing multimedia content.”

Partnering with Audio Experts

As part of their commitment to create a high-quality sound experience for the Galaxy S9, Samsung joined forces with two global experts in audio technology: premium Harman’s brand AKG, and Dolby.

The developers aimed to achieve high-fidelity sound quality and precision at any volume by leveraging the expertise of Harman’s AKG. Coordinating closely, it took half a year to fine- tune the speakers to meet AKG’s high standards.

“Users with a good ear for sound can immediately appreciate the difference. Samsung’s long dedication in search of enhanced audio, coupled with Harman’s expertise, resulted in the speakers satisfying both sound quality and volume,” commented Jaehyun Kim.

The Galaxy S9 also integrates Dolby Atmos® immersive sound technology, which brings entertainment to life with moving audio that flows all around you, be it over a device’s built-in speakers or through regular stereo headphones. Leveraging Dolby’s deep understanding of what listeners prefer in an audio experience, Dolby Atmos® on the Galaxy S9 makes you feel as if you are inside the action as the sounds of people, places, things, and music come alive with richness and depth and seem to move in three-dimensional space. This feature benefits other types of content in addition to Dolby Atmos® enabled content, through enhancements to sound quality and consistent playback volume across all content.

“During our testing, our results showed that immersive sound could bring a whole new experience to smartphone users,” Dongsoo Kim elaborated. “Since so many people now view premium content on their smartphones, it felt like the right moment to implement Dolby Atmos on our devices.”

Making the Most of an Optimized Audio Experience

The audio developers had plenty of tips about how to enjoy the stereo sounds of the Galaxy S9.

Jaehyun Kim recommended listening to classical music to gain a fuller understanding of the difference: “You can distinguish the individual sounds and characteristics of each instrument. It’s an amazing feeling to hear the audio how it was originally intended, picking out every interaction between soft and loud.”

“Head to the sounds and vibration settings on your phone,” advised Dongsoo Kim. “Take a look at sound quality and effects under the advanced features and turn on Dolby Atmos to enable immersive audio. Users can also enhance their headphone audio experience by turning on the UHQ upscaler and the Adapt Sound feature, taking their listening to a new level.”

Now, one month on from the launch of the Galaxy S9, the team is already carefully considering its next steps in audio design. Dongsoo Kim elaborated: “Our aim will be to create a mobile multimedia experience that is just like holding a cinema in your own hands.”

Samsung Electronics has been showcasing its portfolio of innovative display solutions at the Digital Signage Expo in Las Vegas in March. The company’s collection of cutting-edge solutions includes the latest digital signage products, industry-leading displays including the Samsung Flip and exciting new video conferencing solutions with HARMAN and Cisco.

Samsung’s workplace solutions are designed to foster a creative, collaborative and productive business environment. The Samsung Flip is a perfect example of Samsung taking digital connectivity and collaboration to a new level by transforming the paper white board into a digital solution for businesses designing mobile workspaces.

The Samsung Flip display promotes more collaborative digital engagement by addressing some of the leading challenges businesses face when coordinating, facilitating and recapping meetings. The Samsung Flip gives users the familiar feel of writing, while also providing a noticeable upgrade on both analog boards and standard flip charts. Additional capabilities include the display’s ability to easily share and search content, allowing for multiple users to contribute at once and quickly transform any location into a huddle room with its wheel-based, portable stand.

By leveraging Samsung’s industry-leading professional displays and collaboration products from HARMAN, the Samsung-HARMAN Huddle Room Solutions take a modern twist on a huddle space. From reducing setup time and offering support for sharing materials with the advanced display technology, these meeting systems can address all needs for small and medium-sized collaboration sizes. Suitable for modern office style, it provides the best solution for BYOD meetings and comes with easy to use features including one-click Skype for Business. The huddle rooms are available in four different options, providing a range of functionality for any huddle room application, including: Huddle Standard Solution, Huddle Premium Solution, Huddle Enterprise Solution and Huddle Enterprise Plus Solution.

Samsung and Cisco have completed the HDMI-CEC compatibility test between Samsung’s QMH and QBH displays, and Cisco Spark Room Kit and Kit Plus. Now, Samsung UHD SMART Signage, QMH Series displays and the last firmware release of Tizen 3.0 can be seamlessly integrated with the Cisco Room Kit Series featuring non-touch and play synchronization for smooth user experience.

Combining Samsung’s dynamic displays with Cisco’s innovative video conferencing creates the ultimate Cisco meeting experience. It includes automatic recognition of devices, optimal Spark display configuration for video conferencing and automatic HDMI switching for incoming calls. Powered by stat of the art technology, it provides more advanced features including analytics and cloud service. The compatibility of Samsung displays and Cisco solutions create smart rooms for smart meetings with crisp images and clear connections.

Further, business managers can elevate the customer experience at their commercial locations by installing Samsung’s fine pixel pitch IF-H LED screens for an ideal combination of superior picture quality and intuitive usability. The IF Series combines Samsung’s leading video processing technologies with High Dynamic Range (HDR) picture refinement to add clarity and sophistication to featured content – all within a compact, easy-to-maintain design. In turn, indoor users can deliver more realistic and memorable content without incurring additional costs or added burden.

Back in February, Samsung unveiled its state-of the art display technologies including ‘The Wall’ and ‘3D Cinema LED’ at the ISE 2018. The company has shown continued commitment to setting new standards in the display market and will continue to make meaningful contributions as an industry leader.

With today’s introduction of the world’s first 3D Cinema LED screen at Arena Cinemas’ Sihlcity theater in Switzerland, Samsung Electronics continues its efforts to make traditional, projection-based cinema technology a thing of the past.

Designed and installed with the help of Imaculix AG, the 3D-ready variation of Samsung’s Cinema LED screen maintains consistent brightness for immaculate delivery of subtitle text, images and minor visual details for viewers wearing 3D glasses. Unlike standard 3D cinemas, the Samsung Cinema LED screen provides consistent picture quality across an entire theater, ensuring a uniform, immersive viewing experience for viewers in every seat.

“Samsung is thrilled to be able to debut the world’s first 3D Cinema LED screen in Switzerland,” said Seog-gi Kim, Executive Vice President of Visual Display Business at Samsung Electronics. “We hope that more movie-goers can experience the Cinema LED screen firsthand as we look to partner with more theaters around the world.”

As the industry’s first Digital Cinema Initiatives (DCI)-certified High Dynamic Range theater display, the Samsung Cinema LED screen invites Swiss consumers into a next-generation viewing experience. Stretching nearly 10.3m (33.8ft) wide and 5.4m (17.7ft) in height, and featuring nearly 9 million pixels, Samsung’s Cinema LED screen delivers exceptional visual quality, technical performance and reliability.

The Samsung Cinema LED display amplifies on-screen content through HDR picture quality. All visuals shine through ultra-sharp 4K resolution (4,096 x 2,160) and peak brightness levels nearly 10 times greater (146fL) than the common cinema standard (14fL). The resulting high contrast showcases bright colors, pristine whites and deep blacks, making it perfect for both 2D and 3D movies. Paired with state-of-the-art audio technologies from HARMAN International’s JBL Professional brand, it is a truly immersive experience.

“Zurich is one of Europe’s burgeoning hubs for the film industry, and an optimal location to introduce a pioneering technology like the Cinema LED screen to the region,” said Eduard Stöckli, owner of Arena Cinemas. “The display’s streamlined design also allows our Sihlcity theater to remove its projector closet, making room for additional seats and allowing us to deliver a more complete, comfortable and innovative setting for our guests.”

First introduced in July 2017, Samsung’s Cinema LED screen has been successfully installed in theaters in Seoul and Busan, Korea and Shanghai, China. The Arena Cinemas partnership marks the first implementation of Samsung’s Cinema LED display in Europe and is the world’s first 3D Cinema LED screen.