Samsung's New Smart TVs Will Have 'Finger Gestures' That Let You Change The Channel By Swiping Through The Air

SamsungThe Samsung Smart TV interface.

Ahead of the Consumer Electronics Show next month, Samsung announced a few of the new features it will add to its line of Internet-connected Smart TVs.

Samsung won't formally show off the new Smart TVs until its big CES press conference on January 6, but here's a brief teaser of what you can expect:

• Improved voice control: The TVs will now understand more natural language. For example, instead of starting with the command "change channel," you can just say the channel number.
• News pop-up windows: You can use voice control to check stuff like weather, stocks, and news while watching TV. Those items now pop up in a window on top of whatever you're watching. You can then decide if you want to expand the window to full screen.
• New finger gestures: Samsung Smart TVs have built-in cameras that can detect certain gestures for controlling basic functions. The new update adds some "finger gestures" that will let you swipe between screens and change the channel.

Samsung hasn't shown how all these new features will work yet, but we'll have hands-on photos and videos for you from CES in a few weeks.