European outfit Loewe is known for its industrial design chops, but the company is hoping that the Euro-sleek beauty of its 37-inch Spheros and 40-inch Individual LCD TVs will be more than just skin deep. To this end, it has chosen to incorporate NXP's top-of-the-line PNX5100 video processor into select models. The processor promises all manner of video optimization, but emphasizes tech to maximize motion resolution in both native HD and upconverted signals, a problematic performance area for many LCD TVs. Sounds good, but we really wish Loewe would carry some of that sleek, minimalist design to its product naming -- the models that are set to get the NXP brains are the Spheros R37 Full HD+ 100, the Individual 40 Selection Full HD+ 100 and the Individual 40 Compose Full HD+ 100 (pictured).

Utilizing RFID technology to defuse the threat of theft isn't a fresh idea, but NXP Semiconductors and Kestrel Wireless are looking to make good on the premise by cranking out an anti-theft solution that just might appear on the next DVD you buy. By combining NXP's RFID technology with Kestral's RFA (radio frequency activation), manufacturers could install a minuscule chip on the optical media at the beginning of the supply chain which would render it unplayable, but having it scanned at a checkout counter would enable a series of authentication checks to occur and eventually unlock the media for playback. While the scenario may sound convoluted, it could allow manufacturers to skimp on bulky, restrictive packaging, and moreover, it could be applied to other items in the consumer electronics universe in order to deter thieves from trying to swipe expensive handheld gizmos. Of course, we can already envision the complaints that are sure to arise from legitimate buyers bringing home a coaster if the activation process happens to fail, but apparently, both companies are already hard at work persuading studios to write 'em a check and get these things into stores.

[Via Physorg]