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Distro's CES Special Edition Part II is ready for download
The tips of our fingers are numb from typing, we're seeing 55-inch OLEDs in our sleep (when we can get it) and we haven't eaten a green vegetable in over a week, all in the interest of bringing you the biggest news from the 2012 Consumer Electronics Show. If you haven't been glued here since Sunday afternoon, we've put a Distro-flavored bow on our coverage for you. Following up on our first CES special edition, issue 23 collects the biggest breakouts from days four and five, and pulls together a collection of our favorite photos of the robots, autos and crapgadgets we peeped on the floor. Also in this issue, Box Brown brings you a cautionary comic, Ross Rubin talks app stores and Don Melanson recaps the week's best writing from around the web. We're going to submerge ourselves in an isolation tank now, but we'd recommend you download this very special edition, published live from a parking lot at the LVCC.Distro Issue 23 PDFDistro on the iTunes App StoreDistro in the Android MarketDistro APK (for sideloading)Like Distro on FacebookFollow Distro on TwitterUpdate: And... we're back up and running after some technical difficulties. Enjoy!
Live from the Engadget CES Stage: an interview with MakerBot (update: video embedded)
MakerBot has sparked a mini industrial revolution, giving us the DIY tools to fabricate our dreams. MakerBot founder Bre Pettis joins us live at 7:30PM ET.Update: Interview video now embedded.
Haier Brain Wave TV mind-on
We'd all love to be able to control stuff with our minds and seeing as Haier's 58-inch Brain Wave TV was at CES we had to try. To use the mind control, you have to snap a controller on your head which attaches to your earlobe and with a small metal pad on your forehead. Unfortunately, this time around, we couldn't interface with the set to change channels and adjust volume and such but there was a game where you try to fly a bird through a maze. How'd we do? Well, we made the bird float up and down but that's about all. So, for those of you with dreams of never again having to relinquish the remote control because you're wearing it, keep dreaming. Video and pics below the break.
Live from the Engadget CES Stage: an interview with CEA's Gary Shapiro (update: video embedded)
CEA's Gary Shapiro takes time out of his busy schedule to talk about all this CES business that we've geeking out on all week. Join us live at 6:45PM ET.Update: Interview video now embedded.
Ultrabook or tablet? Compal shows off hybrid reference design (video)
We knew CES would bring a slew of Ultrabooks, but who could have predicted 2012 would be the year of the franken-gadget? So far this week, we've seen Lenovo's IdeaPad Yoga, two hybrids from Gigabyte and a pair of 13- and 5.5-inch tablet prototypes from Toshiba. And that's saying nothing of Intel's Nikiski prototype and its promise of accelerometer-based gaming on Ultrabooks. With that as our backdrop, we have the Compal QAV20, a reference design sitting in Intel's booth, alongside all the plain, months-old laptops we've already reviewed. From afar, it looks like the Samsung Series 7 Slate, but up close you'll see it has a larger, 13.3-inch, 1366 x 768 display, along with a keyboard dock. On the inside, meanwhile, it packs a Core i5 ULV CPU -- the same guts you'll find inside other Ultrabooks.In our brief hands-on, we were stunned by how light the fiber glass device feels -- certainly, it's much less dense than the similarly sized Yoga. The dock itself is home to various ports, including Ethernet, dual USB 2.0 sockets, HDMI and a headphone jack. And though it's no Transformer Prime dock, it's still light enough that you shouldn't have problem stuffing it in your bag. No word on what, if any, OEMs will re-badge this, but no matter -- we've gotten video and photos for you to peruse even if this thing never makes it to market. And no, we didn't film this in the Batcave; Intel just loves it some blue mood lighting.
CES 2012 sets all-time records for attendance, exhibitors and claimed floor space
CES 2013 has already been scheduled (it's January 8 - 11, for those curious), and it'll have new records to break once things get going again. A source close to the CEA informed us today that CES 2012 has broken a trifecta of records already, and the final tallies aren't even in yet. For starters, more people attended CES this year than ever before. That's people who actually showed up and claimed a badge -- not just those who registered and flaked -- with the final figure already confirmed to be upward of 153,000. That trumps the 152,203 that arrived in Las Vegas back in 2006, as well as the 149,529 that hit the ground here last year.Furthermore, a record amount of exhibition space was claimed, with 1.86 million net square feet used this year; the prior record was set in 2008 when 1.857 million net square feet were claimed. Finally, a new record was set when looking at the total number of exhibitors, with over 3,100 outfits checking in this go 'round. The prior record? 3,072, which was set in 2008. There's no question that CES felt busier than ever for us this year, and now we've got the numbers to prove our suspicions -- naturally, we're already mentally gearing up for CES 2013. We'll be here, and hopefully so will you.Update: The official PR is out! It's embedded after the break.P.S. - You can relive our CES 2012 coverage right here in our hub!
Live from the Engadget CES Stage: an interview with Blue (update: video embedded)
Blue's been making some noise, crystal clear noise that is, here at CES with its mobile trio of mics, following up on the fan favorite Yeti line. Blue stops by, live at 3:30PM ET.Update: Interview video now embedded.
Crapgadgets at CES 2012: the best of the worst
For one week at the beginning of each year, we see the gadgets that will help define the industry for the following 12 months. The Las Vegas Convention Center is brimming with innovation and excitement at the moment, but for every hot new Ultrabook there are hundreds -- if not thousands -- of devices that make us scratch our collective heads. But we've got a special place in our hearts for the strange, sometimes frightening, and often downright useless products we spot. Check out some of the highlights after the break, and be sure to check back in, because there are plenty more Crapgadgets to come, we're sure.
Crapgadget CES, round seven: Because everything looks better in fur
This furry case was unfortunately un-priced. But nothing exudes premium more than the combination of faux pomeranian tail and leopard print.
Galaxy Tab 10.1 and 7.0 Plus get bleached, on sojourn in Vietnam
Release a device in black to much furor, and then follow it up a white variant later. That's a game Samsung's been playing all too well lately, and its latest are all-white versions of the Galaxy Tab 10.1 and 7.0 Plus. Otherwise identical to their existing counterparts, the duo spotted by Tran Quoc Huy in Vietnam extend the alabaster luster all the way to the bezel. Catch them in a cornucopia of photographic evidence at the source.[Thanks, Sahil]
ViewSonic ViewPhone 3 hands-on (video)
No trip to CES 2012 would be complete without spending some up close and personal time with ViewSonic's new phone for the Americas, the ViewPhone 3. Known internationally as the V350 -- which we scored a hands-on with at last year's MWC -- this model retains its dual-SIM heritage and brings a few upgrades such as an 800MHz CPU and Android 2.3. Along with a 3.5-inch HVGA, TFT-LCD display and a 5 megapixel camera (sans LED flash), the phone features 802.11b/g/n, quadband GSM and 7.2Mbps HSDPA with unknown bands (save for 850MHz, anyway). The handset has a plasticky feel, but is also well-proportioned and fits comfortably in the hand. We were less impressed with the quality of the LCD screen, which is rather low-res and distorts easily when viewed from angles. While the hardware is rather passable as a budget phone, the software is cluttered with superfluous features and effects that detract from the user experience -- both in terms of performance and navigation. Given the dual-SIM nature of this phone and its availability as an unlocked device for $279, it's actually somewhat of a rare breed. Loaded with a proper ROM, it could certainly appeal to the right crowd. For some further insight into the ViewPhone 3, be sure to check the video after the break.
KDDI and Kyocera create speaker-free smartphone, we go hands-on (video)
Leave it to the Japanese to blast us away with another sweet smartphone feature we've never seen before. This Kyocera handset, running what appears to be a heavily skinned Android OS, has had its earpiece summarily disposed with, preferring to transfer your phone-call audio through vibrational technology. Due to the way this works through physical contact, it means you can actually touch any part of the phone with your ear to transmit audio. It'll even work through hats, in-ear headphones and -- as demonstrated above by the brilliant Mr. Suzuki (above) -- over noise-cancelling headphones. So how many years until we get to see this in real phones? You'll be happy to hear that the team-up between Kyocera and Japanese carrier KDDI is a real-world technology that will arrive in Japanese customer's hands later this year. However, further availability outside of the Land of the Rising Sun remains out of ear-shot. Amar Toor contributed to this post
Spotted: Samsung's 17-inch Series 7 Chronos laptop
And then there were three. The first time we saw Samsung's Series 7 Chronos, we knew it was going to be offered in two mainstream sizes -- 14 and 15.6 inches -- but now we know the line's going to include a desktop replacement as well. The company's soon to ship a 17-inch model with a matte, 300-nit, 1080p display, next-gen Core i7 processor, JBL speakers and some unspecified ATI graphics card with 2GB of video memory. As you'd imagine, the industrial design is what you'll find on the 15-inch version we reviewed, and the laptop incorporates the same SuperBright display used on the Series 5 Chromebook and Ultrabooks. Which is to say it's bright with decent viewing angles, though not quite as sunny as the screens used on Samsung's Series 9 laptops. No word yet on when and where it'll go on sale, but we're hearing it'll run for $1,499 when it does arrive in the US. In the meantime, we've got some requisite hands-on photos below for your viewing pleasure.
Live from the Engadget CES Stage: an interview with Toshiba (update: video embedded)
Toshiba's senior product manager swings by to talk about Toshiba's ever growing product line and the future of their brand. Join us live at 3:00PM ET. Correction: The Toshiba Excite X10's correct pricing is $529.99 MSRP for 16GB and $599.99 MSRP for 32GB Update: Interview video now embedded.
Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 MSM8960 development tablet hands-on (Video)
We already had the deep-dish on Qualcomm's Snapdragon S4 development platform during our on-stage pow-wow with the company's Rob Chandok but we wanted to get some extra time with the device. The MSM8960 is a developer tablet: which means it'll never retail and it's packing some serious kit including a dual-core 1.5GHz CPU, 13-megapixel cameras on both side and Qualcomm's beefy LTE gear inside. We got a few minutes to play Fight Game Heroes: a tech demo game where your character fights a musclebound company executive in a steelworks. The action was fluid and rapid, particle effects like smoke and sparks were well rendered -- we think the chip's obviously got gaming gravitas considering the early nature of the software. It's harder to see if this is more noticeably powerful than Tegra 3, but on current evidence we think nVidia's a step ahead. Just as we left, 15 Nokia executives swarmed the booth, but would it be too much to hope that the company's thinking about building a Tablet? Well, yes, obviously. But it doesn't stop us dreaming, okay? After the break we've got footage so you can decide for yourself. Sean Buckley contributed to this report.
WOWee and MicroVision offer 200-inch viewing and 'booming sound' on your mobile
Despite all the product rivalry at CES, a little romance was inevitable -- and not just in the Engadget trailer. WOWee, purveyor of the ONE portable speaker, has paired up with MicroVision and its dashing PicoP laser projector technology (shown above) to create a "marriage of sight and sound." It looks like the two companies will start out by simply bundling their respective wares, which will be available together in 120 countries from this quarter, rather than rushing to announce a hybrid device straight away. A wise decision, no doubt.
Samsung Series 9 monitor and all-in-one eyes-on
After spotting a powered-off Series 9 display at a CES press event earlier this week, we told you we'd revisit it if we could actually show you that 27-inch, 2560 x 1440 panel in all its billion-color glory. Well, folks, here she is. Samsung's first PLS display for the consumer market is arriving in March or April for $1,199, and is arriving with a refreshed design that trades last year's slick surfaces for an aluminum base. We'll let those hands-on photos speak for themselves, but hopefully from where you're sitting you can still appreciate those wide viewing angles, deep blacks and rich colors.And what of last year's Series 9 monitor? Samsung recycled the glossy, asymmetrical design, added a slot-loading Blu-ray drive and turned it into a high-end all-in-one. The 27-inch display has 1080p resolution, and the same kind of Ultra Clear panel Samsung uses in its televisions to make sure that glossy finish isn't too reflective. And though Samsung doesn't have too many specs to share, we know it has a quad-core Core i7 CPU, 8GB of RAM, a TV tuner and an unspecified AMD graphics card with 1GB of video memory. As you'd expect, it also comes with a wireless mouse and keyboard, the latter of which has some surprisingly cushy keys, given the island layout and all. No word on pricing or availability, though a Samsung rep told us the company has no plans to bring this stateside.Edgar Alvarez contributed to this report.
Engadget rides the Board of Awesomeness, results are... awesome (video)
We showed it to you a few days ago, and now we finally got to ride Chaotic Moon's Board of Awesomeness. For those who missed it the first time around, it's an electric skateboard rigged up with a 36 volt battery and an 800 watt motor capable of hurtling you down the road at up to 32mph. It's controlled by a Kinect sensor bar and one of Samsung's Windows 8 developers tablets strapped to the deck. Interestingly enough, Chaotic Moon built the thing with little hackery -- the only hardware mod was made to connect the Kinect's power cord to the battery. You control the throttle by pushing your hand closer or further away from the Kinect, which is made possible using the sensor bar's Beta 2 SDK. A pressure switch is on the deck to kill the motor should you fall off, which is nice since the thing has no brakes -- it stops via the motor's natural drag. Kinect controls were also initially used for steering, but folks found it to be counter-intuitive, so now it turns like any other skateboard.As you can see from the video above, our skateboarding skills aren't quite on par with Tony Hawk, but that 800 watt motor puts out a ton of torque, so starting it up took some getting used to. The control system is easy and intuitive to use and is like pushing an invisible gas pedal with your hand, though since we were riding it in a parking lot here at CES, we got nowhere near its 32mph top speed. However, we eventually got the hang of riding it at lower speeds, and would love to spend a few days learning how to properly ride it and really see what it can do. The best part? This is only version one of the Board of Awesomeness, and the company plans to create a faster one in the future -- we'll be practicing our riding skills in the meantime to get ready. We hope you enjoyed watching us get awesome, but if you want to see someone who can shred asphalt on the Board of Awesomeness, hit the video after the break.
I'm Watch brings old Android, new form factor to your wrist (video)
Smartwatches are increasing their presence at this year's CES. Alongside Sony's latest efforts to marry notifications with a dash of apps, Italian company i'm SpA has decided to make the long trip over to Las Vegas and give us a showing of its own curiously named I'm Watch. The hardware includes a sapphire glass front -- a 1.55-inch color 240 x 240 display -- with an aluminum body that weighs around 70 grams. Power is provided through the headphone socket, and the 480mAh battery will afford around four hours of smartwatch entertainment. There were plenty of color options on the show floor with the standard style arriving in white, pink, light blue, red, yellow green and black. Several metallic options were also housed in a glass case and are set to arrive soon. The watch packs in both a loudspeaker and microphone, with Bluetooth connectivity and 4GB of memory storage. Aside from color options, there are two different models available with 64 or 128 MB of RAM. The interface remains a capacitive touchscreen, with a button on the right side acting as both the screen unlock and back button. Four icons can be housed on each screen, and like any Android device, you can swipe between them. App compatibility is a little hit and miss, on the aging Android version, but for social network updates and music playback and from our limited time with the watch, it appears largely up to the task. The basic model is priced up at $330 dollars, and is available to order online now. Smartwatch fans can check the Android timepiece in our video right after the break. Zach Honig contributed to this report.
iLuv ArtStation Pro for Samsung Galaxy Tabs hands-on (video)
The options for Samsung Galaxy Tab speaker docks are a bit limited, especially if you're looking to make use of its proprietary dock port instead of a Bluetooth connection. Earlier this year, iLuv outted its iMM514 for Sammy slates, enabling you to jam some Kelly Clarkson and charge the device at the same time. For $149.99, we weren't expecting to be blown away but we're hoping it'll be a serviceable kit for at least a few Android tablets. We spent a few minutes with the iMM514 and we walked away with some observations.Right off, there are noticeable differences between the ArtStation Pro and some of the high-end speaker docks that we've handled recently. Lacking a top-side LED, there is no visual indication as to whether or not the peripheral is powered on, which was a bit perplexing. Once docked, you'll have the option of portrait or landscape orientations coupled with the ability to make minor tilt adjustments. Controls were pretty standard for playback and responded quickly to our finger commands. As far as sound quality goes, the iMM514 was about what you'd expect from a sub-$200 dock -- it's serviceable and we didn't notice a ton of distortion at maximum volume. Granted, we were smack dab in the middle of CES so our keen hearing could've been slightly thrown off. Oddly, the dock can also be paired with a Bluetooth keyboard if you're into that, however it was nowhere to be found during our demo. Looking for a quick tour? Hit the video after the break. It'll make you stronger, we promise.
