Samsung has launched its Freestyle+ projector in the United States, a compact portable device priced at $1,199.99 that leans heavily on artificial intelligence to eliminate much of the setup hassle traditionally associated with portable projectors, including manually correcting distorted images on uneven walls or surfaces.

The Freestyle+ is now available directly through Samsung’s website and select retail partners, positioning it as a premium upgrade to the company’s existing second-generation Freestyle projector, which remains available for roughly $800 through Samsung and for $798 on Amazon. The roughly $400 price premium reflects the addition of a suite of new AI-driven features Samsung first demonstrated at CES 2026 earlier this year.

The centerpiece of the new model is a feature called 3D Auto Keystone, an upgraded version of the standard keystone correction found on many projectors. According to Samsung, the technology can instantly calculate depth and perspective, allowing the device to flatten and correct image distortion even when projecting onto irregular surfaces such as room corners, wrinkled curtains, angled walls or ceilings, without requiring users to manually adjust the projection through dials or menus. That capability extends the projector’s usefulness beyond a traditional flat wall or screen, enabling users to project onto surfaces such as tent walls while camping or outdoor spaces where a flat white backdrop isn’t available.

Working alongside 3D Auto Keystone is a companion feature Samsung calls Wall Calibration, which uses sensors to detect the color and pattern of whatever surface the projector is aimed at, then automatically adjusts the projected image’s color and brightness to compensate. Samsung says the feature is designed to ensure clear viewing even when projecting onto patterned wallpaper or colored walls, conditions that would otherwise significantly distort the accuracy of colors in the projected content. The company has also added two additional automated features, called Screen Fit and Obstacle Avoidance, which allow the projector to automatically resize its image to match a defined space on a wall and reposition the projection if it detects an object blocking part of the viewing area. An ultrasonic motor built into the device continuously maintains focus in real time as the projector is moved or as its distance from the viewing surface changes.

On the hardware side, the Freestyle+ offers a Full HD 1080p resolution with brightness rated at up to 430 ISO lumens, nearly double the brightness of the second-generation Freestyle, a change Samsung has described as a direct response to feedback and reviews of its earlier portable projector models. The device supports PurColor and HDR10+ for improved color accuracy and contrast, and can project images up to 100 inches diagonally. Audio comes from a built-in 360-degree speaker system featuring dual passive woofers, and the projector supports Samsung’s Q-Symphony technology, allowing it to sync audio output with compatible Samsung soundbars and WiFi speakers for a more immersive sound experience.

The Freestyle+ also builds in a range of smart software features on top of its projection hardware. The device runs Samsung’s Smart Hub interface, giving users access to built-in streaming apps, cloud gaming through Samsung’s Gaming Hub, and content from Samsung TV Plus, the company’s free ad-supported streaming service. Content can also be projected directly from Galaxy smartphones and tablets, or from Apple devices via AirPlay, giving the device broad compatibility regardless of which smartphone ecosystem a user relies on. Samsung has additionally integrated a Vision AI Companion feature into the projector, allowing users to interact with both Google’s Gemini and Samsung’s own Bixby voice assistant directly through the device.

Portability remains a core focus of the Freestyle+’s design, continuing the emphasis on flexible, on-the-go use that has defined the broader Freestyle lineup since its debut. While the projector still requires a power connection during normal use, it supports external USB-C battery packs, along with Samsung’s own optional Battery Base accessory, making it usable in outdoor settings such as campsites or other locations without convenient access to a wall outlet.

Industry reviewers have offered a mixed but generally positive assessment of the new model, with much of the conversation centering on whether the added AI-driven setup features justify the substantial price increase over the standard second-generation Freestyle. One review from Gadget Review framed the Freestyle+’s value proposition around a single bet: that AI-powered surface intelligence can permanently eliminate the setup friction that has historically made portable projectors frustrating to use in imperfect spaces such as rental apartments or hotel rooms. The same review noted that despite the improved brightness and correction features, the Freestyle+ remains a 1080p device in a market where some competing portable projectors now offer 4K resolution, and cautioned that its 430-lumen brightness rating, while a significant improvement over its predecessor, still performs best in darker viewing environments and can wash out under strong ambient light.

The Freestyle+ enters a competitive and increasingly crowded portable projector market. Rival manufacturer Xgimi has continued expanding its own Elfin projector lineup, including a new Elfin Flip Laser model priced at $799 that offers a substantially brighter 1,600 ISO lumens using a triple laser light source, a notably higher brightness figure than Samsung’s new flagship portable model despite its lower price point.

Samsung’s launch of the Freestyle+ comes as the company continues expanding its broader ecosystem of AI-integrated home entertainment products, following earlier debuts of the technology showcased at CES 2026. For consumers weighing whether the added convenience of automated surface correction and calibration justifies the roughly $400 premium over the standard Freestyle model, the calculation is likely to come down to how often they expect to project onto imperfect or constantly changing surfaces, such as rental walls, outdoor spaces or oddly shaped rooms, versus a single, consistent flat viewing area where the second-generation Freestyle’s simpler and less expensive feature set may prove entirely sufficient.

LeBron James signaled this week that his decision on where he will play for the 2026-27 NBA season is close at hand, telling reporters he does not intend to keep the league waiting much longer as free agency stretches into its third week.

“I won’t hold you guys up too much longer,” James said Thursday, offering the clearest public hint yet that a resolution to one of the most closely watched storylines of the NBA offseason could arrive within days. James informed the Los Angeles Lakers earlier this month that he intends to leave the franchise after eight seasons, ending his second stint with the team and setting off a wave of recruiting efforts from franchises across the league.

Five teams have emerged as the clear finalists in the pursuit: the Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat, Golden State Warriors, Philadelphia 76ers and Minnesota Timberwolves. ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that the formal pitching process from all interested teams has now wrapped, with franchises submitting their proposals to James’s agent, Rich Paul, for the 41-year-old star to make his final call. “The voice notes have all been listened to, the rosters are set, the decks are all laid out,” Charania said. “We’ll see when he’s ready to make his decision.”

The pitching process itself has offered clues about how seriously different organizations are treating the pursuit. According to Charania, several teams had their owner, team president or general manager personally record voice memos for Paul to relay to James, rather than leaving the recruiting to coaches or players alone. The Philadelphia 76ers appeared to lean into that approach visibly, with Bob Myers, president of Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment, the ownership group behind the Sixers, appearing directly on Paul’s “Game Over” podcast, which he co-hosts with Max Kellerman.

Not every recruiting pitch has gone smoothly. Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton revealed this week that he made his own attempt to lure James to Indiana before James had even informed the Lakers of his departure, only for the effort to fall flat almost immediately. According to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin, Haliburton said James responded to his recruiting pitch with nothing more than a laughing emoji, effectively ending any serious consideration of the Pacers as a landing spot.

James has continued to offer glimpses into his decision-making process through informal public interactions. Responding to a question from an 11-year-old fan about his free agency, James gave one of his longer public answers on the subject to date. “This is the third time in my career I’ve been a free agent,” James said. “It’s a big decision, not only for myself, but my family as well. This is the last part of my career and where I want to spend the last few years, or last year, or last two years of my NBA career.” He added that he intends to bring the full breadth of his experience to whichever franchise he ultimately joins, saying, “I’m a natural-born leader. I’m going to try to fit into whatever team I go to but also give them all the tools and knowledge I’ve been able to grasp over the last 23 years.”

Speculation surrounding the Warriors in particular has generated its share of unconfirmed signals in recent days. Golden State head coach Steve Kerr playfully told fans stopped at a red light, “We got him,” when asked about the team’s chances of signing James, a remark widely regarded as lighthearted rather than a genuine confirmation. Around the same time, a “Pardon the Interruption” podcast episode was briefly and mistakenly published under the title “Steph Curry Behind LeBron’s Stunning Decision?” before being pulled, fueling further speculation online even though neither Kerr nor the ESPN program is believed to have advance knowledge of James’s actual decision.

James’s unusually long free agency has been shaped in part by his changed financial leverage compared with previous offseasons. Unlike his prior free agency decisions, when James commanded a maximum contract that forced teams to plan their entire roster construction around his signing, James is now expected to sign for a portion of the midlevel exception or possibly even a minimum contract, giving him more flexibility to take his time without holding up other teams’ offseason plans as significantly as in years past. Rather than anchoring a long-term rebuild, James is instead selecting a roster he believes gives him the best chance at a deep playoff run in what could be his final one or two NBA seasons.

James’s decision carries significant ripple effects across the rest of the league. NBA reporter Evan Sidery noted that several top remaining free agents have delayed their own decisions until after James makes his choice, given how his signing could reshape the remaining cap space and roster needs of the teams still in the running. Players including Draymond Green and James Harden have already opted out of their existing contracts in recent weeks, moves that have granted their respective teams additional financial flexibility as they continue pursuing James alongside other offseason priorities.

Historically, James has favored made-for-television announcements when revealing major career decisions, from his 2010 televised special declaring he would join the Miami Heat, to a first-person essay in Sports Illustrated announcing his return to Cleveland in 2014, to a more understated social media post in 2018 confirming his move to the Lakers. With James scheduled to host a live episode of his “Mind the Game” podcast at Fanatics Fest in New York alongside special co-host Tyrese Haliburton, some NBA insiders have speculated that the podcast setting could once again serve as the venue for James to reveal his decision directly to fans, continuing his pattern of controlling the narrative around his own career moves rather than allowing the news to break through a reporter’s social media post.

For now, the five finalist franchises remain in a holding pattern, having completed their formal pitches and left the final decision in James’s hands. With his own comments suggesting an announcement could come soon, the NBA world appears to be entering the final stretch of what has become one of the longest and most closely tracked free agency sagas of James’s storied 23-year career.

This article was written by

Thursday got ugly for tech stocks, especially for chip makers, and Friday could be about as bad based on Nasdaq futures, which are off again. Investors are finding refuge in dowdier sectors such as consumer staples. An ETF tracking those stocks rose Thursday and is pointing up again premarket.

​📈 Follow our live markets data and coverage.

Copyright ©2026 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 87990cbe856818d5eddac44c7b1cdeb8

Most investors feel safest when they move with the crowd. They buy stocks after prices have surged because everyone else is buying, and panic-sell when markets tumble because everyone else is rushing for the exit. But according to renowned investor and psychologist Fred C. Kelly, this instinct is precisely why the majority of investors fail.

In his classic book, “Why You Win or Lose: The Psychology of Speculation”, Kelly argued that successful investing isn’t about predicting the future better than everyone else—it’s about understanding crowd psychology and resisting the emotional impulses that lead to poor decisions.

Why contrarian investing works

Kelly believed markets are driven as much by human behaviour as by business fundamentals. Investors who simply follow popular opinion often end up buying near market tops and selling close to bottoms.

“If everybody tried to buy when prices are low, then bargains would never exist,” Kelly observed, explaining that opportunities arise only because most people fail to recognise them. According to him, the majority loses because it behaves in the most natural—and emotionally driven—way.

Human psychology matters more than economics

One of Kelly’s central ideas was that investors lose money less because of economic conditions and more because of psychological biases.

He believed investors often sell their best-performing stocks too early while stubbornly holding on to losing investments, hoping they’ll recover. Pride, fear and wishful thinking frequently overpower rational analysis, leading to costly mistakes.

The typical investor’s cycle

Kelly described a familiar pattern of investor behaviour:

• Investors buy cautiously at the beginning of a rally.
• As prices keep rising, confidence turns into overconfidence.
• Greed encourages them to hold on even as valuations become excessive.
• Every decline is dismissed as a buying opportunity.
• Only after widespread pessimism sets in do they finally sell—often near the market bottom.

The four enemies of investment success

Kelly identified four psychological traits that repeatedly derail investors.
Vanity: Investors hate admitting mistakes. Rather than booking losses, they continue holding losing stocks while quickly selling profitable ones to protect their ego.Greed: Greed destroys patience. Investors chase expensive stocks during euphoric markets instead of waiting for attractive valuations.

The will to believe: Hope often pushes investors into speculative bets, convincing them that risky stocks will somehow deliver extraordinary returns despite weak fundamentals.

Blind logic: Kelly argued that what feels logical in markets is often wrong. Buying after strong rallies and selling after prolonged declines may appear sensible because recent trends seem likely to continue, but history shows that such behaviour frequently results in buying high and selling low.

Why patience beats excitement

Kelly advised investors to avoid buying stocks simply because they’ve fallen sharply. Instead, he recommended waiting until a stock demonstrates that selling pressure has truly exhausted itself.

He also warned against assuming that a stock is cheap merely because it trades below its previous highs. A lower price alone doesn’t necessarily make a stock a bargain.

Not everyone is suited for the stock market

Kelly believed successful investing requires emotional flexibility and discipline. Investors who become emotionally attached to their opinions or refuse to adapt to changing market conditions often struggle.

He also cautioned against expecting quick riches without preparation, arguing that the stock market rewards patience, study and temperament far more than luck.

The bottom line

Fred Kelly’s investing philosophy remains remarkably relevant even decades later. In an era dominated by social media trends, momentum investing and fear of missing out, his advice serves as a reminder that the biggest edge in investing often comes not from superior information, but from superior behaviour.

His message was to understand the crowd, learn from its mistakes and avoid following it blindly. Long-term investment success belongs not to those who react emotionally, but to those who remain patient, disciplined and willing to think independently.

(Disclaimer: Recommendations, suggestions, views and opinions given by the experts are their own. These do not represent the views of The Economic Times)

This article was written by

Analyst’s Disclosure: I/we have no stock, option or similar derivative position in any of the companies mentioned, and no plans to initiate any such positions within the next 72 hours. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.

Seeking Alpha’s Disclosure: Past performance is no guarantee of future results. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. Any views or opinions expressed above may not reflect those of Seeking Alpha as a whole. Seeking Alpha is not a licensed securities dealer, broker or US investment adviser or investment bank. Our analysts are third party authors that include both professional investors and individual investors who may not be licensed or certified by any institute or regulatory body.