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Live from the Engadget CES Stage: the Engadget Podcast with Jon Rettinger and Phil DeFranco (update: video update)
Yes, friends, it's the penultimate Engadget CES podcast! This time out, Tim and Brian will be be joined by TechnoBuffalo's Jon Rettinger and YouTube superstar Phil DeFranco to discuss all of Wednesday's goings-on and play with some of the best toys the show has to offer. January 9, 2013 11:00 PM EST Check out our full CES 2013 stage schedule here! Update: video embedded
Apple had a huge CES 2013 presence, without even being there
Wired has an interesting -- although certainly not unexpected -- look at how Apple has managed to have a massive impact on this year's Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas without having any official presence at the show. As the piece points out, a large percentage of products being shown at the event have to do with the Cupertino gang's creations, with 500 (out of 3,000) exhibitors residing in the Apple-specific iLounge pavilion alone. Even with our goal of focusing on the best, most interesting products on display, we've managed to keep pretty busy. In fact, to witness the complete lineup of Apple-focused products on display at this year's CES is something akin to starting into the Ark at the end of Raiders of the Lost Ark. It's worth noting that pretty much everyone Wired spoke with for the piece says they don't really care if Apple attends the show or not -- even the CEA, which organizes the event. Of course they don't; as long as Apple keeps making immensely popular products these folks can produce accessories for (and need a place to show), why should it matter if they're actually in the building?
Crapgadget CES, round two: Necomimi brainwave cat ears (video)
Mee ow... Daniel Orren contributed his brain and dignity for this report.
Rapoo TV claims to make 'any HDTV smart,' is compatible with iOS and Android
Less than 24 hours after announcing the H9080 wireless headphones, Rapoo's let it be known that its CES 2013 repertoire also includes a little something for the living room (or bedroom, depending on where you prefer to enjoy your downtime). With its Rapoo TV, the company's touting the ability to turn any HDTV into one with intelligent features -- essentially, though, it is a wireless receiver that allows iOS and Android devices to connect to it, allowing them to mirror mostly any content on the bigger screen. Of course, there might be some better options for iOS users (and Android soon, we imagine) in the market already, but the company's still hoping some folks may have room for yet another set-top-like unit in their home. The company says the Rapoo TV will be available sometime in Q1 of this year, however there's no word on pricing just yet.
Geonaute's 360 degree sports camera catches all the action, even our hands on
Sport and action cameras are big business, and even though there are a couple of main players, it doesn't stop other's trying to get a bite of the apple. Geonaute, however, have come at the situation from a different angle. Heck, they're coming at it from every angle, with its 360-degree offering. Equipped with three 8-megapixel wide-angle lenses the camera captures an almost spherical field of view. This might initially sound like a strange idea... after all, who wants all of that in one video, won't it all be warped beyond recognition? The short answer is no, in fact it's much better than you would ever have thought, and we'll explain why shortly. Going back to the camera itself, it looks a little like the innards of those security cameras you find in government buildings etc that peer at you ominously. However, in this case, the three lenses have color detail around them which makes them look anything but sinister, and the circular base section might look a little large, but in fact it's light in the hand -- and actually helps it sit quite comfortably atop a helmet. In 360 video mode the advertised resolution is up to 2,048 x 1,024. In photo mode you'll get single shot, burst and time-lapse modes with a top resolution of 4,096 x 2,048. The actual FOV is 360 degrees on the horizontal, and 150 degrees vertically, but the end result is a fairly complete viewing sphere. The 3,000 mAh battery should be good for two hours of footage, and the microSD card slot will take cards of up to 32GB. While there is a waterproof housing, the camera itself will take the elements on pretty well thanks to its IPX7 rating. Read on after the break for more impressions.
TCL shows off MoVo Google TV box, 'China Star' 110-inch 4K TV
Chinese manufacturer TCL has a rather significant showing at CES 2013, with a number of TVs and TV-related products. We're not sure if we'll be seeing any of these debut in the US, but among them were a 110-inch "China Star" 3D 4K TV that's got a brand tie-in with Iron Man 3, and its MoVo Google TV product. Its Google TV set-top box is powered by the same Marvell Armada 1500 SoC as many others, but features a custom skin and uses facial recognition to provide personalized experiences for every family member. It seemed to run equally to other Google TVs, although we wonder if that custom skin may slow down the pace of future updates. Also on display in the booth are TCL's iCE Screen that debuted last year, and its super thin V101 Blade TV. There's more details on the products in the press release after the break, as well as some in person pics (including the 36+ sq ft China Star and accompanying costumed Iron Man) in the gallery.
GE looking to saddle up with TI, bring dual-piezo jet cooling to market
We're often disappointed when 'cool'-looking inventions never come to market, but it looks like the dual-piezo jet fans we saw in GE's labs recently have a fighting chance. The company told us at CES 2013 that it wants to team with Texas Instruments to put the millimeter-thick, bellows-like units inside upcoming Ultrabooks and other devices that have no room for a traditional fan. Such a partnership could work out since GE has little experience in the gadget-space, and TI has all the power conversion bits necessary to make the tech work, since they're similar to the latter outfit's circuits used in so-called high-definition haptics, a tactile feedback system. Representatives from the two outfits said that manufacturers are already working with the tech, meaning we could see the technology in slimmed down products like Ultrabooks within a year -- perhaps just in time to meet Haswell's demanding specs.
Translusense clear keyboard eyes-on
You might have forgotten about this guy. It's been over a year since Jason Giddings put his clear keyboard concept up on Kickstarter. Well, the infrared-based touch board may not have found enough backers to get off the ground, but some other investors saw potential and now Translusense is making its way towards a reality. The company wasn't quite ready to show off working prototype at CES -- there's still a number of issues to work out with the firmware. But we were able to get a glimpse of what the final hardware will look like. The main platform is a relatively thick piece of glass with a surprisingly pleasant curve, while the base is a heavy chunk of plastic and metal. The smooth surface feels nice, but we are concerned about the effect it'll have on our touch typing skills. The keyboard actually starts completely blank. The "keys" you see above are actually a print out that is laid over the glass and can be peeled off, replaced or customized with a piece of software. This will allow users to create custom layouts specifically for use with games or applications like Photoshop. Unfortunately, Translusense hasn't escaped vaporware status just yet. While we did see what appears to be a nearly production-ready piece of hardware there are still many software issues to work out. To see what this piece of science fiction (nearly) come to life looks like from a few different angles hit up the gallery below.
Crapgadget CES, round one: the iPotty iPad dock
Compatible with children aged 3 years and under. Kevin Wong contributed too much to this report.
Osungo readies a garden of super-efficient Flower Power USB chargers (hands-on)
It's normally hard to spruce up a USB power charger, but Osungo gave us a pleasant little treat at its CES booth. It's readying a Flower Power series of wall adapters that are unabashedly cute and, more importantly, can save as much as 95 percent of the energy that's wasted when devices already have a full charge. No, it's not extremely sophisticated, but it doesn't have to be to do some good -- and we'll admit that the pseudo-organic cord wrap is a nice touch. Versions are coming with both 1A of current for phones and 2.1A for tablets, and we're told they should be on sale in March. US-friendly adapters will cost about $25 to $30.
Romo gen 3 gains Lightning connector, we go hands-on (video)
Remember Romo, the adorable iPhone-faced track-equipped robot? We met up with Romotive in Vegas at CES 2013 to play with the 3rd generation model that was recently launched on Kickstarter. The company also gave us an exclusive first look at a 3rd generation prototype with Lightning connector. We sat down with CEO Keller Rinaudo to discuss the new robot and catch up on what the team's achieved over the past year. As a refresher, we first encountered Romo when we covered it for our Insert Coin feature in October 2011. Back then, the robot used rudimentary analog electronics and plugged into the iPhone's headphone jack. After a successful initial Kickstarter campaign, Romotive moved from Seattle to Las Vegas where we caught up with the team on our stage during CES 2012. The 2nd generation model was available both pre-assembled and it kit form with support for iOS, Android and Windows Phone. It was upgraded to digital electronics but still used the audio interface to control its tracks and featured hacker-friendly auxiliary ports. Hit the break for more.
Transview touch-sensitive transparent display case eyes-on (video)
Transparent displays are nothing new, but while trawling the labyrinthine backstreets of CES in search of hidden gems, we couldn't help but stop at IL WOO's booth and ogle one. The company was demoing a couple of its Transview display cases with see-through Samsung panels, intended for interactive advertising and other commercial uses. We were particularly drawn to the 22-inch, 1,680 x 1,050 model with infrared touch control, mainly because of the nifty Flash program running on it, which did a great job of showing how the cases could be used. It was very much a treat for the eyes, so we'll leave it there and just point you to the gallery and video below. Kevin Wong contributed to this report.
Gadmei 3D HD Pad hands-on (video)
While some have declared 3D dead, Chinese electronics firm Gadmei doesn't appear to have received the memo. Cruising the outskirts of the Las Vegas Convention Center, we came across the company's forthcoming glasses-free 3D HD Pad. The device packs an 8.1-inch 1,280 x 800 display, a 1.5GHz Cortex-A9 processor, 1GB of RAM, 8GB of internal storage, a 5,000 mAh battery and Android 4.2. Sure, these specs aren't much to gawk at, but the real draw here is the tablet's display-altering software that allows users to toggle between 2D and 3D viewing on select applications. Entering this demonstration with skepticism, we must say that we were pleasantly surprised with the 3D HD Pad's visual effects. Somewhat reminiscent of using a Nintendo 3DS, viewing angles were limited, but once we found a sweet spot we were good to go. The tablet's 3D capabilities would likely be most effective resting against some type of stand. Visual gimmicks aside, the device has a solid build quality and Jelly Bean ran fairly smooth on its modest hardware.
Huawei's Richard Yu confirms 8-core chip for 2H 2013, teases super slim P series phone for MWC
We never thought our day could get any better after Huawei's Consumer Business Group CEO Richard Yu became available again for our CES stage interview (there was originally a "last minute urgent conflict"), but our man was also kind enough to share a couple more scoops with us. First of all, Huawei will be joining Samsung at the octa-core Cortex-A15 party in the second half of this year, and given what Yu's told us earlier this week, our guess is that this will either be the HiSilicon K3V3 or a sister chipset, again manufactured by TSMC. The second scoop of the day was delivered fresh off the stage after the interview. Yu told us exclusively that at MWC next month, Huawei will be unveiling a super slim follow-up to the current P series Android phones. We asked if it'll be even thinner than 6.45mm (the thickness of the Alcatel One Touch Idol Ultra announced at CES), and Yu said yes. The exec added that the new phone will have a beautiful metallic body as well. Exciting times, right?
Sony SimulView gets even more bananas in 4K, we go eyes-on
We've seen Sony SimulView in action before -- the system was first unveiled on Sony's tiny 24-inch PlayStation 3D Display back at E3 2011 -- but never quite like this. An 84-inch 4K LED Sony television at CES 2013 upscaled Polyphony Digital's Gran Turismo 5 to 4K resolution, but instead of employing said resolution for graphics, it was used to deliver two full HD images to two separate players. Those two separate HD feeds are then pumped into the same screen, which can be viewed fully independently by two separate people wearing polarized glasses, all at the same time. Did we lose you? Let's break it down: since 4K TV delivers twice the number of lines vertically as well as horizontally, the television is upscaling GT5's HD visuals by double. Rather than employing those lavish numbers on single player, the duty's divided between each player's video feed, allowing two-player gaming all on one screen. The two images are then overlaid, a la 3D, resulting in a simultaneous feed that looks crazy until you put on polarized glasses. Once you're wearing those glasses, though, you only see one of the two feeds in full HD. It's ... it's kinda messed up. The system is incredibly impressive, but boy is it weird how effectively it works. Even better, it works without the game developer having to actually do anything (other than making a 3D-enabled game, that is) -- the splitting is handled by the television rather than the software. It's similar to systems that LG has in Dual Play and Samsung has in Multi-View, and it's not exactly brand new, but it's as impressive as ever. We've captured a variety of stills and dropped a video after the break showing the system in action, should you wish to join in our amazement.
iMusic BodyRhythm musical shiatsu vest shoulders-on (video)
After a long week of schlepping around the Las Vegas Convention Center, there are few things we'd like more than a good shoulder rub. iMusic's BodyRhythm musical shiatsu vest promises to turn your favorite tunes into some muscle-pounding with its iOS device. Launching on Kickstarter to coincide with CES, the product needs to raise $50,000 before we'll see one available in stores. Ever eager to put our bodies on the line in order to bring you tech news, we strapped one on and saw what a double team of it and Carly Rae Jepsen could do to our bodies. If you'd like to watch the results, there's plenty of stuff after the break.
Samsung Galaxy Grand Duos hands-on (video)
When it comes to Samsung's collection of large-screened phones, the Galaxy Note II (as well as the Galaxy S III) takes the bulk of the mindshare. And while that particular handset is the flagship, the company is still interested in branching out to a market segment that wants a large screen but needs to keep within a limited budget. Welcome the Galaxy Grand Duos (and Grand, a single-SIM version), a 5-inch WVGA device that will likely see most of its time in emerging markets. We had an opportunity to sit down with the Grand Duos for a few minutes, so keep your eyes peeled below for our impressions, as well as a photo gallery and video.
Eyes-on with Hyundai's in-car tech for 2014: CloudCar, MirrorLink and a 9.2-inch display
Many who live in North America wouldn't put Hyundai at the forefront of in-car technology, but the Korean au hoping to change that reputation by 2014 with a more internet- and mobile-savvy platform. We had an opportunity to peek at some of those components at the automaker's CES booth. CloudCar calls out for attention as the most distinctive: going beyond the existing BlueLink system, it pairs the car's infotainment unit with at least a Jelly Bean-equipped Android phone to put an always-online interface in front of the driver. The early CloudCar example runs on a very simple interface with options like Google Maps navigation, media playback and Google contacts on the left. It's built for multitasking and will keep directions going even as we're firing up NPR or sharing to Facebook (hopefully, while stopped). While it's not exceptionally deep, it appears suited to the need-it-quick nature of real driving, with shortcuts like directions to the office or a call to a favorite contact. Other additions aren't quite as conspicuous, but could still be very welcome when we see it in future cabins. Hyundai is one of the first car builders that we know of to embrace MirrorLink, echoing whatever's on a phone's display (in this case, Android) through MHL; there's a companion Android app with a car-sized interface for navigation, hands-free calls and music. Hardware should get an upgrade as well through a premium system with a 9.2-inch, 720p display. The company isn't quite ready to narrow down which vehicles will see what upgrades, although we're told the early strategy may split CloudCar and MirrorLink between different model lines. If you're willing to accept that the technology could change in a year's time, you can get a peek at the future in the gallery below.
Live from the Engadget CES Stage: an interview with ZTE's Hagen Fendler (update: video embedded)
It may not be the biggest mobile show around, what with MWC just around the corner, but ZTE's using this year's CES to make its presence known with the launch of handsets like the Grand S. We'll be joined on stage by ZTE USA CEO Lixin Cheng to talk about the company's place in the US market and around the world. January 10, 2013 6:30 PM EST Check out our full CES 2013 stage schedule here! Update: Sadly, Cheng was not available, but we got Global Chief Design Director Hagen Fendler instead to talk about the Grand S! You may remember him from our April interview when he was still at Huawei. Update 2: video embedded
Live from the Engadget CES Stage: an interview with WiGig's Ali Sadri (update: video embedded)
WiGig has some big news to share last week, when it announced that it would be merging with the WiFi Alliance. We'll be discussing the marriage with the organization's President and Chairman, Ali Sadri, and what it means for the future of both organizations. January 10, 2013 7:00 PM EST Check out our full CES 2013 stage schedule here! Update: video embedded
