AP Technology NewsBrief at 5:53 p.m. EST

(Associated Press Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Gadget Watch: Samsung lens flips from 2-D to 3-DLAS VEGAS (AP) _ Cameras that can record in 3-D are usually pretty complicated, sporting two lenses instead of one, to mimic human binocular vision. Samsung says it has a more elegant solution: a single lens that can go from 2-D to 3-D mode with the flip of a switch. Samsung Electronics Co. is showing off the new lens at the International CES show in Las Vegas, where gadget makers showcase their latest smartphones, tablet computers and other consumer-electronic devices.

CES unveils big TVs with 'ultrahigh definition'LAS VEGAS (AP) _ The race to make TVs larger and larger has created a colossal problem for manufacturers: As screens grow, picture quality worsens _ unless the viewer moves farther away from the screen. The issue is playing out in cozy dens and family rooms around the world. To get the full benefit of a large high-definition screen, viewers must move back from their sets. Because the ideal viewing distance is no closer than three times the height of your screen, or about one and a half times the diagonal length, big TVs have literally forced many families' backs against the wall.

Samsung unveils gesture-control TVs at gadget showLAS VEGAS (AP) _ New TVs from Samsung will recognize an expanded range of gestures so people can swipe through on-screen menus in a way that revolutionizes the old remote control. Samsung Electronics Co., the Korean electronics maker that is successfully challenging Apple in smartphones, touts the new user interface as faster and more intuitive than before.

LG kicks off CES with 55-inch 'ultra-HD' TVLAS VEGAS (AP) _ LG unveiled a 55-inch TV that sports "ultrahigh-definition" resolution with four times the sharpness of regular HD television sets, kicking off what is likely to be a mini-obsession with the latest super-clear format at the annual International CES gadget show. The model announced Monday is the smallest in a 2013 lineup that includes 65-inch and 84-inch versions. But the smaller size _ and smaller price tag _ begins the parade of TV makers that are seeking to bring ultrahigh definition to the masses.

Google executive chairman arrives in North KoreaPYONGYANG, North Korea (AP) _ Google's chairman wants a firsthand look at North Korea's economy and social media landscape during his private visit Monday to the communist nation, his delegation said, despite misgivings in Washington over the timing of the trip. Eric Schmidt, executive chairman of one of the world's biggest Internet companies, is the highest-profile U.S. executive to visit North Korea _ a country with notoriously restrictive online policies _ since young leader Kim Jong Un took power a year ago. His visit has drawn criticism from the U.S. State Department because it comes only weeks after a controversial North Korean rocket launch; it has also prompted speculation about what the businessman hopes to accomplish.

New Lego robotics kit talks to iPhonesLAS VEGAS (AP) _ Lego bricks are getting cozy with the iPhone and other Apple devices in the latest incarnation of the Mindstorms robotics kit. Lego is set to announce Monday that a new, $350 Mindstorms EV3 kit will have the ability to talk to iPhones, iPads and iPod Touches through Bluetooth wireless connections. That means Lego builders can use the devices as remote controls for their robots, or create simple programs that are then sent to the robots to control their actions.

Qualcomm promises faster routers with gaming techLAS VEGAS (AP) _ When data traffic snarls in your Wi-Fi router, Qualcomm has an answer for you: a "Killer" traffic cop to sort things out. Qualcomm Inc., a maker of processor chips for mobile phones and other devices, says it's building an advanced form of data traffic management into its chips for Wi-Fi routers. The company says the feature should help routers intelligently shunt data from today's busy homes. For instance, data packets that communicate moves in an online-shoot-em-up game will get priority over a movie download.

Mom goes viral with son's phone code of conductNEW YORK (AP) _ Janell Burley Hofmann honored her 13-year-old son's "maturity and growth" at Christmas with his first iPhone, but it came with strings attached. Eighteen strings, to be exact, in a written code of conduct that placed the mommy blogger at the center of the debate over how parents should handle technology in the hands of their teens, especially younger ones just entering the frenetic world of social networks and smartphones.

Panasonic unveils bone-conduction TV headphonesLAS VEGAS (AP) _ People who don't want to disturb sleeping family members could use a new product from Panasonic that doesn't need speakers or even your own ears: wireless bone-conduction headphones. The headphones connect to a TV via the Bluetooth wireless standard and attach to your head like a normal set of headphones. But instead of using your ears, the headphones work like hearing aids by transmitting sound waves through your skull.

Sharp gets tactile with ultra-HD 32-inch monitorLAS VEGAS (AP) _ Sharp is jumping on the "ultrahigh definition" bandwagon by introducing two super-clear TVs and one ultra-HD computer monitor that will give PC users something to brag about to Apple fans in love with the high-resolution Retina display. At the annual International CES gadget show in Las Vegas, Sharp is showing off a 32-inch monitor that uses its IGZO technology, based on a semiconductor material called indium gallium zinc oxide.

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