Samsung Electronics has introduced products and services that it says will ‘push the boundaries of innovation’.

Introducing its latest products at the IFA 2012 consumer electronics show, the company revealed the new Galaxy Note II, a Galaxy Camera and a Windows 8 phone as well as televisions, refrigerators and washing machines.

Mark Bridge writes:

It was a week of dramatic contrasts in the mobile phone industry. We started with Everything Everywhere’s news that 4G service was coming to the UK this year – possibly with a new brand that’ll work alongside Orange and T-Mobile. Meanwhile Three UK seems to have its own plans that involve acquiring some excess 4G spectrum from Everything Everywhere. There was much muttering from Vodafone and O2, although whether this’ll manifest itself as legal action remains to be seen.

Long-established camera manufacturer Nikon has announced a new compact camera that uses the Android operating system.

The COOLPIX S800c includes WiFi connectivity and access to the Google Play application store alongside a 10x optical zoom lens and 16-megapixel sensor. It’s also equipped with a 3.5-inch touchscreen, built-in GPS and high-definition video recording.

Touchnote, which offers an app that enables consumers to take a photo and send it as a physical postcard, has been forced to update its Olympic-themed promotion due to unprecedented demand.

As a special offer for the Olympics, it partnered with Samsung to run a special offer via the web and for customers with Android smartphones. Postcards could be sent completely free until 31st August 2012 with Samsung’s Olympic sponsorship message on the card.

A new forecast from ABI Research expects almost 20% of annual smartphone shipments to include facial recognition capabilities by the end of this year.

The technology is already part of the Ice Cream Sandwich and Jelly Bean versions of Android, with Samsung’s Galaxy SIII being one of the most high-profile smartphones to feature face recognition technology at the moment.