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Audi's Skysphere concept EV roadster can transform into a grand tourer
Audi has just come out with one of the wildest EV concept ideas yet: A convertible roadster that extends its wheelbase to transform into a grand tourer.
Electrical fault at power plant turned New York’s skyline blue
Last night, people across New York City spotted an eerie light show when the night sky was lit up by a bright, pulsing blue light. Images and videos of the event quickly flooded social media, leaving many in and outside of New York wondering just what was going on. The culprit was identified shortly thereafter -- a Con Edison power plant in Astoria, Queens. And while the bright blue light was initially believed to be the result of an explosion at the plant, the company said this morning that it was caused by an "electrical fault" that caused an arc flash.
ASUS' latest Transformers take heavy cues from Microsoft's Surface
ASUS has just unveiled a line of new Transformer 2-in-1 PCs that look suspiciously like a certain product from Microsoft. With their touchscreens, kickstands and portable keyboards, they do remind us a lot of, you guessed it, the Surface tablets. Of the new announcements, the Transformer 3 Pro is the most advanced of the lot, the Transformer 3 sits somewhere in the middle, and the Mini is the lightest (not to mention cutest).
Here's a transforming robotic video projector
Cerevo unveiled its newest -- some would argue, wackiest -- invention to date at CES Unveiled. Dubbed the Tipron, this machine is equal parts autobot and long-throw projector. It stands just a foot and a half tall when completely folded (handy for when it's recharging or not in use) but then doubles in height as it unfurls to cast 80 inches of 720p video at your wall. The device can also wheel itself from room to room at your command via an Android app, so users aren't limited to watching content in a single space.
ASUS's affordable 2-in-1 with reversible USB 3.1 is now on sale
If you're looking for a cheap laptop that converts into a tablet, now's a good time to buy. Following models from Toshiba and Lenovo, ASUS's convertible Transformer Book T100HA and reversible Transformer Book Flip TP200SA are now on sale. The 10.1-inch, 1,280 x 800 touchscreen T100HA model has one neat trick: Type-C USB 3.1, thanks to the Intel Cherry Trail CPU. It also has 12 hours of battery life, 4GB of RAM, 64GB expandable eMMC storage, 5-megapixel rear/2-megapixel front cameras and 1.28 pounds (pad-only) and 2.32 pounds (combined) weight. That makes it similar to the Toshiba model, but for a bit less cash ($299 instead of $349).
Peugeot's transforming food truck is a mobile French bistro for 30
The French know a thing or two about good food, so it makes sense that they'd weigh in on the mobile culinary trend, too. Peugeot's Design Lab created the "Le Bistrot du Lion:" a transforming vehicle that offers cafe-style seating for up to 30 people. The van's entire side panel opens to reveal a fully-equipped kitchen/prep area, with a raised roof to offer the extra head room. That side panel also houses a 46-inch display where hungry observers can watch the chef's routine. Continuing with the modular construction, a counter slides out the back and the rear door handles storage. There's a trailer too, and it packs in a n espresso machine for a fresh brewed cup and a DJ booth provides tunes while folks dine. Such a luxurious workspace needs talent to make it worth the trouble, so Peugeot enlisted Paris-based chef Sven Chartier for the vehicle's stops at Milan Design Week and the World's Fair Expo Milano. If you can't travel to Italy for a closer look, peruse the gallery below for some detail shots.
ASUS Transformer Pad refreshed with front speakers, lighter keyboard
It's been a while since we last heard about ASUS' Transformer Pad series, so today's announcement of two new 10.1-inch models was a nice surprise. Starting from the higher end, we have the TF303CL, which not only features Intel's 64-bit, 1.86GHz quad-core Atom chip (Z3745), but also supports LTE for Europe and Asia-Pacific. Otherwise, the plastic tablet packs the usual set of goodies for a decent Android tablet: a 1,920 x 1,200 IPS display, 2GB of RAM, 16 or 32GB of storage with microSD expansion, 5MP/1.2MP cameras (a downgrade from the old 8MP main imager) and a 25Wh battery. The TF303CL is also enhanced with stereo front-facing speakers, as opposed to the old single-channel speaker (but with two drivers) on the back.
An autonomous octo-copter transport truck is as amazing as you'd expect
Advanced Tactics' (AT) autonomous Black Knight Transformer may not be small enough to get eaten by an aircraft's engine, but it still falls under the purview of the FAA after completing its first flight. The large and unwieldy-looking beast is lifted by eight motors that swing out from the frame for flight -- though sadly, we don't get a glimpse of the transformation. Designed as a transport system for modular payloads, AT dreams of someday seeing its creation floating a boat by attaching to an amphibious hull, or hauling cargo without the need for a human pilot. In the video after the break, the Transformer slowly putters about and then demonstrates a low altitude hover. Future iterations could see the Black Knight hovering on station for up to 19 hours carrying 150lb (68kg) of ISR gear or delivering up goods with up to 1.75-ton weight limits.
Toshiba's 5-in-1 laptop concept debuts at CES with a detachable keyboard
Sure, notebook makers crow about their 2-in-1 hybrids, but Toshiba's brought something to CES that'll humble its competition: a 5-in-1 laptop. The transforming device comes with a slick magnesium alloy case reminiscent of a MacBook, and a 13.3-inch touchscreen. So, just what can this laptop transform into? On the tamer side of things are a run-of-the-mill notebook configuration and tablet mode, the latter of which is achieved by pushing the display all the way back, much like with Lenovo's Yoga line of devices. The next three forms are where things get interesting, and they're made possible by a detachable keyboard and a bit of metal left attached to the screen's hinge, which acts as a stand and houses stereo Harman Kardon speakers. In "canvas" mode, the laptop is lifted from the table at an angle helpful for drawing, particularly handy since the hardware's display packs a digitizer and its top half holds its own stylus. "Presentation/TV" mode is the fifth and final form, which props the display upright. When it comes to connectivity, the laptop sports two USB ports, a microSD slot and a spot to jack in a mini-HDMI cable. Since the hardware's still in concept phase, there's no word on detailed specs, price or when it'll see the fluorescent lights of your local electronics store. For now, you can see it in all of its forms in the accompanying galleries.
Daily Roundup: HP Haswell Chromebook hands-on, Dell going private, Samsung's 64-bit CPUs, and more!
You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours -- all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
ASUS reveals Transformer Book T100 with Windows 8.1 for $349, we go hands-on
ASUS already added new members to its Transformer family back at Computex, and now at IDF 2013, the company's added yet another, called the Transformer Book T100. It's got a 10.1 inch 1366 x 768 IPS display, 31Wh battery, quad-core Bay Trail-T Atom CPU and runs Windows 8.1. There are 32 ($349) and 64GB ($399) storage options augmented by one free year of ASUS's WebStorage service and a micro-SD reader, plus 2GB of RAM to keep things running smoothly. Connectivity includes micro-USB, micro-HDMI, and a single USB 3.0 port in the detachable dock. The T100 arrives in stores on October 18. Company CEO Johnny Shih, calls the T100 a transformation of the ASUS's venerable EeePC line. You see, with the EeePC, compromises were made to hit its $399 price point. Naturally, the T100 makes no such compromises, according to Shih, and in fact, he calls it a "game changer for mobile devices designed to achieve ultimate mobility." Do we agree with his glowing assessment? Read on for our hands-on impressions.
ASUS Transformer Book Trio: a hybrid laptop running Windows and Android (hands-on)
If you thought ASUS was done announcing new products here at Computex, get ready for at least one more surprise. The company just unveiled the Transformer Book Trio, a dockable tablet that can run Windows and Android. At first glance, it's visually quite similar to the Transformer Book we just reviewed, except this time it has 11.6-inch, 1080p screen. And, you know, twice as many operating systems. If you're wondering how that works, there's a physical hotkey allowing you to switch OSs, similar to the setup on the Transformer AiO, which was announced last year at this same show. It's important to note, though, that that hotkey will only work if you have the tablet latched into the keyboard dock; once you unplug the tablet it will only run Android Jelly Bean. Spec-wise, dual operating systems amounts to dual processors, with a fourth-generation Core i7-4500U processor powering the Windows 8 experience, and a 2GHz Intel Atom Z2580 chip handling Android Jelly Bean. In fact, Intel EVP Tom Kilroy made an appearance at ASUS' press event in Taipei to help formally introduce the product. Continuing on, dual OSs also means multiple batteries: the package includes a 33Wh cell as well as a 19Wh one. As for storage, you've got a 1TB HDD inside the dock, and 64GB of flash storage inside the tablet proper. If you're looking for a price, ASUS isn't planning on announcing that today, but a company rep did confirm the Trio is slated for a Q3 launch. For now, you'll find a hands-on video and few first impressions after the break. %Gallery-190087%
ASUS Transformer Pad Infinity launches: 2,560 x 1,600 display, capable of 4K output (hands-on)
Promising to transform our devices and our lives, Jonny Shih revealed the Transformer Pad Infinity to a packed press room here at Computex 2013. Its 10.1-inch screen packs a potent 2,560 x 1,600 resolution, alongside a quad-core Tegra 4 chip clocked at 1.9GHz, USB 3.0 port, Bluetooth 3.0 and, whoa, 4K output via HDMI. There's 32GB of internal storage, residing inside a spun metallic-finished that's very similar to the current Zenbook series and last-generation Infinity tablets, while you'll get an SD slot through its companion dock too. We're waiting on more specifics (namely something closer to a date and pricing) and we'll let you know here when we hear 'em. For now, a quick hands-on video and some impressions are right after the break. %Gallery-190092%
ASUS Transformer Book review: meet ASUS' first detachable Ultrabook
More Info ASUS announces line of Transformer Books ASUS Transformer Book shows sudden sign of life: 13-inch Core i5 model coming to Japan this week ASUS Transformer Book hybrid PC gets May 21st release date For a while, it looked like ASUS' Transformer Book would turn out to be vaporware: after debuting to much fanfare a year ago, it encountered numerous delays, and even missed the crucial holiday shopping season. Now it's finally here, priced at $1,499 with a Core i7 processor, a 13.3-inch (1080p) screen and a detachable keyboard dock housing both a spare battery and a 500GB hard drive. The problem is the timing: Intel is about to launch its new Haswell chips, and here's the Transformer Book, arriving on the scene with a lofty price and a year-old CPU. It'd be easy enough to tell you just wait for a refresh, which is how we've been ending all of our PC reviews in the weeks leading up to this year's Computex. But it's still worth investigating whether the Transformer Book (aka the TX300) is a compelling idea. Though we've seen many tablet hybrids (the Surface Pro, etc.), they've mostly had smaller 11-inch screens. So what happens when you take that form factor and stretch it to accommodate a bigger screen -- and a more spacious keyboard? And how does it compare to all those convertible options out there, like the Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 13 or the Dell XPS 12? Let's have a look.
Transforming RC robot reaches production form packing heat and a WiFi camera (video)
If you're like us, seeing that transforming RC robot in the spring was a mild form of torture without any clues as to when (and if) we could try it for ourselves. Kenji Ishida has clearly been busy assuaging our fears since then, as he just took the wraps from what should be the finished version of his brainchild. The now Brave Robotics-branded machine is more polished, with a 3D-printed shell, but it's the technical upgrades that will have more of us scrambling for the product page: the production model is toting a missile launcher in each arm as well as a WiFi camera to follow its exploits in both car and robot modes. Anyone who wants the robot as quickly as possible will have to contact Ishida-san, if it's not too late; there are just 10 units in the initial batch, and pricing is only available on request. A one-month wait for shipping will scuttle any hopes of getting one as a timely gift, too. That said, we can only imagine that any robotics fan would be ecstatic to get an IOU under the tree for Brave Robotics' project.
ASUS Transformer Prime TF201 gets Android 4.1.1 Jelly Bean update
The folks from ASUS gave North American Transformer Pad Prime and Infinity owners a tease yesterday, telling them that the TF201 and TF700 models would receive an update to Android 4.1 within the next three days. Today, the Taiwanese firm's made good on half its promise, delivering Jelly Bean to the Prime OTA. We confirmed that the update is rolling out, as our in-house TF201 has, indeed, been upgraded to version 4.1.1. Alas, Infinity owners are still sans their software goodies, but ASUS still has plenty of time left in that 72 hour window. [Thanks, Anthony]
ASUS teases Jelly Bean update coming to Transformer Pad Prime and Infinity within 72 hours
Oh, ASUS. While it was so forthcoming with an update to Jelly Bean for the Transformer Pad TF300, it has been shy about upgrading the tablet's higher-end cousins. The company must be coming out of its shell: it just posted a teaser for Jelly Bean updates coming to the Transformer Pad Prime TF201 (formerly the Eee Pad Transformer Prime) and the flagship Transformer Pad Infinity TF700. ASUS was initially hesitant to say more than that it would come "soon," but Technical Marketing Manager Gary Key has stepped in to confirm that North America will get the update within a surprisingly quick 72 hours. The only glaring omission is a matching refresh for the original Eee Pad Transformer to give veteran owners a little TLC.
Samsung teasing Series 5 Hybrid PC announcement at IFA
While we fritter away our hours sharing cat pictures on Facebook, Samsung prefers to issue forth teasers for its forthcoming products. The latest is the above snap, raising hopes that its Series 5 Hybrid PC will be formally announced a teutonic trade show IFA this week. The 11-inch Transformer-esque device features a tablet that's magnetically-attached to a keyboard dock, running "full" Windows 8 on Intel's Clover Trail x86 architecture. In addition to Redmond's newest OS, it'll use native versions of the S-Pen apps we've used on the Galaxy Note 10.1, although it's probably too much to hope that it'll be able to make calls like its cousin.
IRL: ASUS Transformer Prime, Verbatim Dual USB Power Pack and V-Moda's Crossfade LP headphones
Welcome to IRL, an ongoing feature where we talk about the gadgets, apps and toys we're using in real life and take a second look at products that already got the formal review treatment. You love your gadgets because they're awesome. Or maybe you love them because you spent $500 and decided you'd better learn to like them. Whatever the case, chances are you've learned to forgive their flaws and enjoy them enough as they are, force-quits and all. That about describes this week's IRL, in which three Engadget editors make peace with their imperfect gadgets: an occasionally crash-prone Transformer Prime, the easily scratched V-Moda Crossfade LP headphones and Verbatim's Dual USB Power Pack, with its short little charging cables.
ASUS TF500T shows up at the FCC, has WiFi, is tablet shaped
ASUS' TF201, yeah we liked that. What about the TF300 and TF700. Pretty neat. We don't have all that many thoughts on the TF500 yet though, mainly as we'd never heard of it until it popped up at the FCC. Sadly there is precious little else we can tell you about it other than it has WiFi in b, g and n flavors (shocker), HDMI and a microphone. Based on the number scheme alone, we could possibly surmise that it'll be a new middle of the firm's tablet line, but we guess we'll just have to wait and see. Place your bets now.
