Image: Displace
One of the drawbacks to most AI implementations is that much of the processing is performed in the cloud, which usually means uploading your personal information to servers you have no control over. That raises a host of privacy concerns for many, including yours truly. Is it worse than using the typical online search engine? No, but then again….
Displace TV intends to minimize your exposure to the online powers-that-be by endowing the company’s new Displace Pro TV 2 with local AI. It’s said to often keep your personal information on the TV rather than broadcasting it to mega-corporation that might–but probably won’t–have the proper ethics or your best interests in mind.
Onboard processing
The “Pro TV 2 features dedicated native Neural Processing Units (NPUs) and Tensor Processing Units (TPUs) that allow for secure, on-device AI processing,” the company says.
Quoting the company further, “Displace’s commitment to privacy sets it apart in an industry where many products depend on cloud-based data storage. The Pro TV 2 has a browser-based OS 2.0 that ensures sensitive information remains secure on the device, delivering a personalized experience without compromising user trust. The local processing capabilities provide peace of mind, characteristic of Displace’s effort to stay at the forefront of consumer technology.”
Some of the features that use local AI are pause-to-shop, where products from a scene are presented for you to purchase; a personalized video news agent; live conversational search (for better voice control); and gesture control, where you can wave and make gestures at your TV to control it instead of grabbing a remote.
From all that you’d think that Displace aims to be the Duck Duck Go of the TV industry. Sounds good, but there’s still info to track going in and out, even if it doesn’t identify you personally. Your IP address might still be exposed.
The Displace Hub promises to make any TV totally wireless
Displace TV will also show its new Displace Hub at CES in January. This device promises to bring the whiz-bang features of its Displace TVs–battery power, suction-powered wall mounting that doesn’t require drilling holes in the wall, and more–to almost any TV.
Well, any TV with a screen size between 55- and 100 inches and weighing up to 150 pounds. The magic? An Intel N-150 quad-core CPU, 16GB of RAM, 128GB of internal storage, and of course, a 15,000 mAh battery system that should power most TVs without an AC cord for five to 10 hours, according the company.
Who is Displace TV?
Displace TV is famous (in TV circles at least) for its wireless HDMI connectivity, battery power, and suction-based wall-mounting. You can read more about these fascinating departures from the norm here and here.
If Displace TV truly does keep your personal info local, then we like it. We wish more vendors would hop on board the true privacy train. Sadly, it’s left the station–and most of them–behind.
Author: Jon L. Jacobi, Contributor, PCWorld
Jon Jacobi is a musician, former x86/6800 programmer, and long-time computer enthusiast. He writes reviews on TVs, SSDs, dash cams, remote access software, Bluetooth speakers, and sundry other consumer-tech hardware and software.
