Distracted driving: It’s not what you think [Infographic]

2020-01-14T09:01:00

(BPT) – Think cell phones are the only distraction on the road? Think again. Eighty-seven percent of fatal distraction-affected crashes did not involve cell phones. MetLife Auto & Home’s recent survey reveals the most common misperceptions of distracted driving and provides an inside look into drivers’ attitudes and behaviors behind the wheel.


6 simple steps to take control of your finances

2020-01-06T16:15:00

(BPT) – As we say goodbye to the holidays and hello to a new decade, it comes as no surprise that money is the No. 1 driver of stress for many of us in the Midwest. That’s according to the inaugural Midwest Money Mindset Survey conducted by Huntington.

The survey found that 50% of participants cited money and finances as the top driver of stress, ahead of family and personal relationships, employment and health. The survey also dug into the reasons for that stress and found a silver lining: many people are taking steps to take control of their financial well-being. Take a look at these stats:

  • Compared to a year ago, 68% of participants are either saving more money or the same amount.
  • More than half of participants (56%) have a retirement account.
  • Almost two-thirds of survey participants (64%) have established a “rainy day fund.”

Andy Harmening, senior executive vice president, Consumer and Business Banking director for Huntington, says personal finances don’t need to be overwhelming. He offers the simple ways to better understand and manage your personal finances in 2020 and beyond:

Look at the complete picture: Find out who you owe, interest rates, late fees and timing. Then determine how much is coming in and out each month and understand your investment opportunities and tax picture. Talk to your partner, dependents or other family members and get on the same page.

Track your behaviors: Cashless and one-click spending can make it hard to see where your money is going, especially those small purchases that compound quickly. Sophisticated online banking solutions, such as Huntington’s new Spend Analysis tool, can give you an eye-opening look into how your spending adds up so you can make smart adjustments.

Automate as much as possible: Direct deposits and automatic bill payments ensure nothing gets overlooked or falls through the cracks in spending and saving. Not to mention, paying bills on time every time helps you maintain a good credit history and boosts your credit score.

Make a plan for debt: From basic control of your budget to plans for consolidating debt and negotiating with creditors, there are many ways to handle debt. Decide which works best for you and take steps to bring debt down. Then, make changes to avoid additional debt. A tool like Huntington Heads Up helps you do this by alerting you about areas where you’ve over spent and might want to pull back.

Set goals: It’s never too early to begin your long-term planning for retirement, which should be top of the list for most Americans. Near-term goal planning is essential as well, so keeping your attention on a down payment for a home or reducing credit card debt can help to keep you motivated — as long as you’re balancing your short- and long-term goals.

Stay focused: Money can be complicated, and it’s easy to slip up here and there. If you make a mistake, don’t throw in the towel on the progress you’ve made. Regain your focus and stay on track. Your momentum will benefit you in countless ways, from reduced stress and improved confidence to a bigger bank account and more.

“With our Midwest Money Mindset survey, we not only know that managing personal finances is a top concern of Americans today, but we’re pleased to see people taking action to help manage this incredibly important part of their lives,” Harmening said. “We’re glad Huntington can be part of the solution people are looking for as they improve their financial health.”


Smart tips to manage high-deductible health plan costs

2020-01-06T23:01:00

(BPT) – It’s the same issue every year: Jan. 1 arrives and you need to meet an annual deductible again before your health care coverage takes full effect. For people with high-deductible plans, this can be a big expense at the start of the year.

High-deductible plans are increasing in popularity as a way to curb rising health care premiums. Typically, people are offered a plan at a lower monthly cost in exchange for a higher deductible. The IRS defines a high-deductible health plan as any plan with a deductible of at least $1,400 for an individual or $2,800 for a family. For many people, their deductibles are even higher.

Whether you have a traditional plan or a high-deductible plan, out-of-pocket costs often hit people the hardest at the start of the year when coverage is minimal due to reset deductibles. Unmet deductibles typically mean you pay for the full cost of prescriptions, clinic visits, treatments and more.

Fortunately, there are a few simple ways to manage the influx of health care costs at the start of the year so you can save money and stay healthy:

Budget

Health care deductibles reset annually, so plan ahead and budget for expected costs. If you or your family members see a health care provider regularly, you can anticipate these expenses and create a budget.

If you have access to pretax savings plans through an employer, such as a health care savings account, opt in to save by paying with untaxed dollars. Additionally, consider setting some money aside for a rainy-day medical fund. There are always unexpected expenses and having this cushion can help curb costs.

Inside Rx

If you need a prescription but currently have to pay out-of-pocket costs until meeting your deductible, consider using a free Inside Rx card to access medication savings. Inside Rx helps people who need to pay out of pocket for their medication by offering discounts that average 70% on brand and generic medications.

Download the free Inside Rx card at insiderx.com. Remember, not all pharmacies charge the same price for medications. While on the website, use the cost-comparison tool to learn which local pharmacy offers the best price for your prescription so you can save the most.

Use in-network providers

Every plan is unique in which providers it considers in network and out of network. In-network providers are typically covered at a higher amount by the health care plan, which means you will be charged less for services.

Before visiting a doctor or clinic, call your insurance provider and verify that it’s in network so you aren’t surprised by a bill that’s higher than expected. If your provider isn’t in network, you can ask about comparable providers who are, so you can access savings.

Payment plans

If you do end up with medical expenses and can’t pay the balance all at once, call the clinic’s billing office to work out a payment plan. Many health care organizations want to be proactive about finding a reasonable way for you to pay, even if that means specified monthly payments until you’re caught up.

Health care costs at the start of the year can be financially crippling, but with a few smart steps, you can manage these expenses with ease while keeping yourself and your family healthy.


2 simple questions may lower your pet’s medication costs considerably

2020-01-07T23:01:00

(BPT) – If you own a pet, you’re in good company. In fact, 67% of U.S. households own a pet, according to the 2019-2020 National Pet Owners Survey by the American Pet Products Association. Pets provide unconditional love and countless memories, and in return they look to their humans to care for them as best as possible.

While regular exercise, a balanced diet and annual wellness exams are essential for keeping pets healthy, sometimes they require more care. This includes when an animal needs a medication, which can be costly, especially if it’s for a chronic condition.

Fortunately, if you discover your pet needs a medication, you have options for managing the expense. Few people are aware that by asking your veterinarian two simple questions, you could lower your costs considerably:

  1. Is this medication available at my pharmacy?
  2. Will you write me a prescription that I can fill at my pharmacy?

Using your local pharmacy for pet prescriptions

Many pet parents don’t know that most of the medications their pets use are the same ones people use, potentially at the same or a different dosage. That means that many of the pharmacies you visit for your needs can also be used for your pets’ prescriptions. The top five conditions pets share with people are diabetes, asthma, infections, anxiety and depression.

What’s more, filling your pets’ prescriptions at a retail pharmacy is often less expensive than getting it filled through the vet, plus it saves time because you can get all your family’s prescriptions at once, including your furry family members.

How to get pet prescription discounts

To save even more on your pets’ prescriptions, consider using a pharmacy savings card, like the Inside Rx Pets savings card offered by Inside Rx. This free prescription savings card helps reduce costs up to 75% on pet medications when purchased at a local pharmacy or when ordered for home delivery.

The card can be downloaded and presented at one of the 50,000 participating pharmacies located across the U.S. and Puerto Rico. These include national chains such as Kroger Family of Pharmacies, CVS and Walgreens. Learn more at insiderx.com/pets.
Always follow prescription directions

Remember, it’s important to follow your veterinarian’s recommendations for the prescription and dosage and not try to manage your pet’s condition on your own. Do not use over-the-counter (OTC) pain relievers you buy for yourself with your pet as experts note this can be dangerous.

“Although these products are approved for use in people, many of them are not safe for pets. For example, acetaminophen can cause severe illness, and even death, in pets. Talk to your veterinarian before you give any medication to your pet,” the American Veterinary Medical Association states.

To keep prescription drug costs manageable for pets, ask these two simple questions and explore savings options at your local pharmacy. Laws vary by state, but over 40 states require veterinarians to write a prescription if asked, so it’s worthwhile to inquire. You’ll help your pets feel their best while helping ease your budget as well.

Sixty-seven percent of U.S. households, or about 85 million families, own a pet, according to the 2019-2020 National Pet Owners Survey conducted by the American Pet Products Association (APPA).


How to protect yourself from fraud this year

2020-01-08T10:17:31

(BPT) – With a new decade upon us, it is natural to look to the past on lessons learned. When looking at cybercrime, criminals have advanced their techniques over the past 10 years and have become adept at stealing personal information and scamming innocent people. While we can’t control what they do, we can continue being smart and vigilant in protecting sensitive information like account numbers, expiration dates and three-digit security codes on the back of payment cards.

As shoppers increasingly buy everything from clothes to gadgets and groceries through a combination of in-store and online merchants with payment cards, there’s more urgency than ever to make sure everyone is aware of ways they can reduce the likelihood or prevent altogether, falling victim to fraud.

“Fraudsters love to prey on distracted and unsuspecting consumers,” said Michael Jabbara, senior director, Global Risk, Visa. “Making smart choices and being vigilant whether shopping online or in stores will make a world of difference.”

Below, we’ve outlined several simple steps people can take to protect themselves from fraud when making purchases — no matter where they are or what they’re buying.

Keep Your Data Safe

Shoppers can greatly reduce their chances of becoming a victim of a major data breach by making smart choices in how they are paying for purchases. Shoppers should use a payment card with a chip or contactless symbol on it to protect their payment card data from being stolen in case of a data breach, and chip-enabled checkout is proven to help reduce fraud by as much as 81%.

Check Out Securely Online

Online shopping remains an excellent option for convenient purchases, with many consumers increasingly heading to their favorite websites to get their shopping done.

To stay safe when checking out online, it is critical to always check the URL and make sure it begins with “https://”. The “s” at the end confirms a secure connection.

Also, companies are adding ways to make it faster, easier and more importantly, safer to pay with a card. For example, Visa recently introduced a click to pay button for sites such as Cinemark, Movember, Rakuten, Saks Fifth Avenue, SHOP.com, BassPro, JoAnn Fabrics, Papa John’s, Staples and Tickets.com. This button not only speeds up the check-out process, but also adds an extra layer of protection.

Stay Up-to-Date

Fraudsters are always trying new tactics and approaches to access information, and shoppers need to stay vigilant.

To stay safe, shoppers should make sure the device they are using, whether it’s a phone, tablet or laptop, has the latest software installed and the latest version of apps loaded to reduce the likelihood of a known vulnerability being present.

Shoppers also need to regularly update passwords with strong combinations that are unique to each account. Better yet, switch to biometrics if it’s an option. Using fingerprint or facial recognition for account login and/or payments when available makes it harder for fraudsters to gain unauthorized access to devices, apps and information, but easier and safer for shoppers.

Watch Out for Phishing Scams

With online shopping continuing to be popular, phishing scams are out in full force to take advantage. Shoppers need to be careful of unsolicited and suspicious emails or phone calls. Also, they should be wary of “one day only” deals or fake delivery tracking emails that direct them to unknown URLs used to steal information like username and password.

Keep Your Data to Yourself

It’s been said many times over that the best defense is a good offense, and that certainly holds true as fraudsters become more adept and technologically savvy. Over the next 10 years, cybercriminals will likely become more motivated to steal your payment information. It’s crucial for people to know and stay up to date on the best ways to protect themselves, so your data remains yours — and yours only.


5 easy ways to help your local animal shelter

2020-01-13T17:10:02

(BPT) – The winter months are often considered some of the busiest for animal shelters. According to the ASPCA, approximately 6.5 million companion animals enter shelters every year. Adding a shelter pet to your family can be fulfilling, but what if you’re not ready or able to adopt?

Hartz Loving Paws supports companion animals in shelters through product donations and volunteer events. The company offers the following tips from the Humane Society of the New Braunfels Area in Texas for you to give back to pets in need even if you’re not ready or able to adopt.

1. Donate money or product.

Many animal shelters and rescue organizations have direct donation links on their websites. Monetary donations go toward pet food, medical attention and vaccines for the animals. Animal shelters and rescue organizations also often create wish lists with desired products. Shelters typically ask for pet treats, toys and grooming supplies.

Hartz Loving Paws has given more than $2 million worth of product to shelters and organizations since its inception in 2016.

2. Provide a temporary home.

An increased number of animals placed in shelters need foster care before they are ready to find their forever homes. Foster needs range from post-op surgical care to puppy growth care and medical support.

Food, medication and other supplies are typically provided when fostering, and the length of time a foster pet may stay in your home varies depending on the animal’s needs. Contact your local shelter to fill out an application. Once approved, your local shelter will work closely with you to find the right foster pet for your household.

3. Volunteer at your local shelter or rescue organization.

Animal shelters and rescue organizations offer numerous volunteer roles, such as dog walkers, adoption support and training support. Many positions don’t require prior experience and can be applied for on your local shelter or rescue organization’s website. Volunteer positions vary in expectations and demand, so there is a position for everyone.

You can also volunteer to participate in a shelter rebuild project. Hartz Loving Paws renovates shelters twice a year in partnership with GreaterGood.org’s Rescue Rebuild program. These teams work with shelters to create playful and welcoming environments for animals.

4. Take photos of adoptable pets.

Help animals find homes sooner by taking adoption photos for local shelters. Many people search for adoptable pets online, and with a great profile picture, animals have a greater chance at being adopted. If you’re new to photography, there are free training videos available on the One Picture Saves a Life website that show how to take better photos of shelter pets.

5. Become an advocate.

Follow animal shelters and rescue organizations on social media and reshare their content. Talk to your family and friends about the importance of caring for shelter pets while they await their forever homes and share how they can help.


Get your glow on: 6 tips to make your skin and hair shine

2020-01-14T10:01:00

(BPT) – Face it, winter is brutal for your skin and hair. Between the harsh, cold wind outside and the dry, overheated air inside, it’s hard to look your best all winter long. On top of that, everyone tends to overindulge in unhealthy food and drinks during the winter months. Fortunately, there are strategies you can use to enhance your looks while boosting your body’s natural ability to fight off the ill effects of winter.

Here are some tips to look your best — even when the weather does its worst.

Treat your skin with TLC

Gently cleanse, exfoliate and moisturize your skin every day. Find products best suited for your skin type and be consistent about using them.

Thoroughly remove makeup before bed and use extra moisturizer overnight so you’ll wake up with a brighter, clearer complexion each morning.

Deep condition your hair

Just as you use a good moisturizer to help replenish and protect your skin every day, find hair conditioners or deep conditioning oils that can prevent your hair from drying out, frizzing or turning brittle. Look for products using natural ingredients, and that are designed for your hair type.

Hydrate well — from the inside out

If you want hair and skin that aren’t overly dried out, it’s not enough to just condition or moisturize them from the outside.

Staying well hydrated, by drinking at least eight glasses of water each day, will help your body maintain healthier, more beautiful skin and hair. You’ll also feel better, inside and out.

Lastly, avoid drinking too many beverages that are dehydrating — like tea and coffee, soda and alcoholic drinks.

Detox with a Green Smoothie Cleanse and Apple Cider Vinegar Cleanse

Both cleanses developed by JJ Smith help to remove toxins from your system, resulting in brighter eyes, lusher hair and glowing, beautiful skin.

The Green Smoothie Cleanse is a 10-day detox made up of green leafy veggies, fruit and water. Green smoothies are filling and healthy, aiding the body to lose weight, increase energy, reduce cravings and improve digestion.

Raw ingredients are more nutritious and loaded with beneficial vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, fiber, anti-inflammatory compounds and phytonutrients.

The Apple Cider Vinegar Cleanse involves consuming a six-day meal plan day alongside a daily dose of apple cider vinegar. Apple cider vinegar can contain strains of good bacteria and enzymes essential for breaking down foods and acetic acid for various health benefits.

The Cleanse can help rid your body of toxins, jump-start your weight loss and improve gut health and skin health.

For even better results, supplement the cleanses with Liver Focus, which contains scientifically validated ingredients to accelerate your results. You can mix the supplement directly into water or take it alongside the cleanses. This powerful supplement helps to accelerate fat burning in the body, gives you brighter eyes and glowing skin and has a significant impact on liver health and weight loss.

Visit JJSmithonline.com for your next steps.

Boost your vitamin intake

Many vitamins help keep your skin, hair and nails healthy and beautiful: Vitamins A, B, Biotin (B7), C and K, plus fish oil. These vitamins are found in a variety of foods such as fruits and veggies (especially dark leafy greens), fish, nuts and seeds. To be sure you’re getting enough of all these vitamins, you can also take vitamin supplements.

Protect your skin and hair from the elements

If you spend time outdoors, especially doing winter sports, keep your skin and hair covered. Exposing them to harsh wind, cold temps and winter glare can be damaging. Wear sunscreen to protect your skin from UV damage — yes, even in the winter! Snow and ice reflect UV rays, making them even more damaging than being at the beach in the summer.

Taking care of your health and your beauty are really one and the same. Steps like these will make you feel good and look good, too.


Shaping our future with AI

2020-01-07T12:57:00

(BPT) – Artificial intelligence (AI) is impacting everyone’s lives more and more. The latest technology increasingly helps daily tasks and routines become simpler, leaving consumers with more time to spend on other priorities.

What do you want from the AI-powered devices and systems in your life?

A core set of elements drives AI, enabling products to be smarter and more responsive, with one goal: improving consumers’ overall quality of life.

Here are a few recent innovations that showcase AI in action today:

Proactive — AI anticipates problems

LG Electronics has developed an advanced AI customer service solution called Proactive Customer Care to provide personalized customer support for smart appliances. Designed to help users get the most out of their appliances, LG Proactive Customer Care can immediately alert owners of select LG smart appliance models to potential problems before they occur, expedite repairs when they are needed, and offer useful maintenance tips to keep appliances performing their best.

Proactive Customer Care will run an installation report to give owners the confidence that their home appliances are operating at their best, right from the start. It also will send timely maintenance notifications based on customers’ specific usage.

With Proactive Customer Care, owners can also potentially avoid inconvenient service appointments by following simple instructions from LG’s advanced care team. As the service expands, it will be able to expedite repairs with the ability for LG to call customers to schedule the right technician as soon as an issue is identified.

Adaptive — AI uses deep learning to predict preferences and adapt to circumstances

With AI, smart products can learn consumer preferences and respond to surroundings to provide superior performance.

The new 2020 LG OLED TVs use AI to combine deep learning with an extensive database of visual information, allowing its advanced α (Alpha) 9 Gen 3 AI processor to optimize images. These TVs can recognize the source quality and implement the best algorithm to display a stunningly realistic image. AI helps analyze the room’s lighting conditions, selecting the best screen brightness level and contrast. Users can even let the TV set the perfect sound levels based on its positioning in the room.

These LG Smart TVs use a webOS link to deliver a world of premium content, from news and sports to any kind of entertainment you’re looking for, including streaming services and web content.

Connected to LG’s ThinQ, the newest TVs also include Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa, allowing users to activate and manage their compatible smart home devices and ask questions with voice commands. ThinQ uses AI to give consumers recommendations on TV programs, channels and apps based on customer usage patterns.

LG’s new premium sound bars will feature AI Room Calibration, which optimizes sound by automatically tailoring output to the specific characteristics of the room. These advanced models are self-calibrating, able to recognize and analyze tones to accurately assess the dimensions of a given space and adjust accordingly.

Reactive — AI can quickly change and adjust to conditions and user requirements

AI can work within parameters set by the user of the product, reacting to last-minute (or last-second) adjustments and offering alternatives to solve problems or respond to consumer requirements.

This reactive quality is on full display with the newest LG G8X ThinQ and LG Dual Screen, complete with its 32MP front-facing camera. The AI Action Shot feature in the camera recognizes and compensates for movement with a shutter speed of 1/480 of a second, to keep subjects in focus even while in action. The camera uses its database of scenes and situations to optimize whatever photo you’re taking. It has the ability to recognize when you’re taking a photo in low light, or what your photo’s subject is. The camera will even take two photos to provide an alternative option, offering a cropped photo zooming in on the primary subject of your picture.

For the immersive dual screen experience on the phone, the ambient light sensor automatically adjusts the contrast to maximize image details and reduce eye strain.

While artificial intelligence may seem mysterious, even to those who use its products and services daily, AI is helping companies achieve one primary goal: providing solutions that make life easier for consumers. The best AI products are almost invisible to users — but those users certainly reap the benefits.

To learn more about how AI enhances and helps manage your LG appliances, electronics and smartphones, visit LG.com.


3 ways to add wellness to your vacation

2020-01-09T15:57:31

(BPT) – Why not focus on your health this year by planning a trip that will help you relax, recharge and refocus on your top wellness goals?

The following are a few ways to focus on your health while on vacation.

Here are just a few ways you can make the most of your vacation while getting your health goals off to a great start.

1. Stay active

What’s better than a great workout in the great outdoors? In Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, you can stroll along the shoreline, bike the Waccamaw Neck Bikeway, hike a trail or take an outdoor yoga class. You can also enjoy golf courses, like the Dunes Golf and Beach Club.

Kayak tours at Black River Outdoors, fishing from the 2nd Avenue Pier and jet skiing with Action Water Sportz are other active outdoor options.

2. Relax and unwind

If your wellness resolution is to unwind more in 2020, consider a Himalayan Salt Stone massage at the Cinzia Spa in Myrtle Beach, where hand-carved warm salt stones gently soothe away the accumulation of stress and tension, while bringing the body and spirit into balance. Or you can plan an entire day of spa treatments at Awakening Spa, including facials, wraps and aromatherapy, on your own or with a partner or friend.

You can just relax and soak up the sun on one of many beautiful beaches, or while enjoying a sailboat charter or riverboat tour of the Intracoastal waterway.

Your idea of relaxation might include bathing in beauty. If so, spend a day at Brookgreen Gardens to enjoy both the natural outdoor beauty as well as the sculptures. The area is home to dozens of art galleries for your perusal, as well as The Burroughs and Chapin Art Museum, which features southern artists in a range of media. For those who find creative pursuits relaxing, the museum offers art classes.

3. Eat healthy

While eating healthy on vacation can be challenging at times, focusing on fresh, ocean-to-table seafood offerings can be easy. In Myrtle Beach, visit Hook & Barrel restaurant to enjoy a fresh take on dining with distinctive seafood dishes and local produce in its ethereal, eco-friendly environment. You can’t get any fresher than the wide selection of seafood at Wicked Tuna in Murrells Inlet, or try the inventive take on elevated Southern fare at the Rivertown Bistro in Conway.

Destinations like Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, make it easy to stick to your wellness goals while on vacation, providing plenty of water sports activities along 60 miles of pristine coastline, with plenty of places to walk, bike and relax, plus endless, fresh seafood offerings available.

For more information, check out visitmyrtlebeach.com.


How living with AI can improve your daily life

2020-01-10T15:01:00

(BPT) – These days, AI — artificial intelligence — has become a household name, mostly because so many household gadgets and appliances use it.

What’s the impact of AI becoming part of your everyday life? Ultimately, it’s about convenience. Many tasks are getting easier, products are more efficient and AI is enhancing daily lives in unexpected ways.

Here are some recent AI advances that may be improving your life.

Appliances that can think and learn

You may not have expected laundry machines to be among the major appliances to use AI, but it’s true — the latest innovations in washers and dryers allow consumers more freedom in controlling their machines, and help those machines apply more precision in how they handle different types of clothing.

For example, LG Electronics introduced an AI-powered TurboWash 360 Front-Load Washer/Dryer Pair. The Ultra Large-Capacity washer assesses fabric type, weight and softness to choose the best washing motions for a superb clean. The advanced spinning algorithm measures load size to minimize vibrations, noise and spin time. LG’s user-friendly ezDispense feature takes the guesswork out of detergent dosage by automatically adding the exact amount of detergent and fabric softener needed for each load.

Because the washer and dryer both utilize AI to learn from usage patterns over time, settings continually optimize for the best results. The machines are also Wi-Fi connected, so you can control the units or monitor cycle times remotely using ThinQ-enabled smartphones or voice commands via Amazon Alexa. When the washer is synced with your Amazon account, it can reorder detergent before you run out.

Enhanced entertainment platforms

Just a few years ago, TVs couldn’t perform half the functions they can today. Using ThinQ AI and powered by the α (Alpha) 9 Gen 3 AI processor, the latest LG OLED TVs bring picture and sound quality to a whole new level — and are used for much more than watching shows.

These TVs apply a deep learning algorithm to recognize content source quality, then determine the best method for optimal picture quality among four genres: movie, sports, standard and animation. The new processor finely adjusts the picture, taking into account the room’s ambient conditions to offer the best levels of screen brightness and contrast, using its understanding of how the human eye perceives images. What’s more, the processor’s AI Picture Pro is capable of recognizing faces and text on screen, fine-tuning and sharpening each to produce more natural skin tones, well-defined facial features and clearer, more readable characters.

Even sound is enhanced by the intelligent algorithm, which can mix two-channel audio to deliver convincing surround sound. Thanks to LG’s AI Sound Pro, LG OLED TVs analyze and classify the audio of content among five categories — music, movies, sports, drama or news — for clearer voices and richer, more textured background sound.

The latest lineup of TVs also matches perfectly with LG’s stylish 2020 sound bars, which are future-proofed to help you create seamless visual harmony in any room. These advanced models are self-calibrating, able to recognize and analyze tones to accurately assess the dimensions of a given space and adjust accordingly.

With ThinQ and a built-in connection to Google Assistant and Alexa Amazon, you can use your TV to control other compatible devices and appliances, search the web — and even order pizza without pausing the movie you’re watching!

Advanced mobile communication

What could be better than experiencing LG OLED TV technology in your home? How about holding it in your hand?

Using LG’s latest LG V50 ThinQ 5G smartphone, you can enjoy LG OLED quality display on demand, with striking clarity and vibrant color.

The ability to communicate, record and enjoy pictures and videos, plus livestreaming shows and movies on-the-go has reached new levels of speed and quality, especially with the revolutionary new 5G connectivity.

You can also use its five cameras to create and share high-quality content. With three rear cameras and two front cameras, you can capture truly original selfies, pictures and videos with rich detail.

Artificial intelligence may still sound like science fiction, but the truth is, everyone is using it more and more each day. AI technology is helping people perform tasks and enhancing everyday life in so many ways — and there’s no telling what the future may bring.

[1] Customers can add this new feature by accessing the LG support and updating their compatible TV’s firmware with the latest version posted on that support site. TV models and release dates may vary by region.