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Plantronics Clarity Fortissimo speakerphone hands-on (video)
Music aficionados will recognize the term "fortissimo." It's used to signify belting out the tunes as loud as humanly possible, which is exactly what Clarity is hoping to achieve with its speakerphone that uses the name. The Clarity Fortissimo is geared toward those who are mobility-challenged, offering a massively loud 95dB speaker, huge buttons, voice activation, Bluetooth and DECT connectivity, and a large touchscreen display. The Fortissimo offers Plantronics' Vocalyst technology, which has the ability to push emails, messages and even social network updates. It also has a dedicated button that automatically dials Clarity's support center, where a rep can then program the phone remotely for you. Expect to see the Fortissimo available this spring -- we were quoted April / May -- and will retail for $500. We have images and video after the break.
Sony Muteki RDH-GTK33iP shelf system ears-on (video)
In many respects, it could be considered a boombox. But if the Sony Muteki RDH-GTK33iP shelf system can't easily be hoisted above our heads in an attempt to win the heart of the girl we love, we simply can't bring ourselves to actually call it that. That's not to say it's a terrible shelf system: on the contrary, we could definitely use one of these in our office to liven things up on a long Friday, or even to throw into our own room. Perhaps it's just the pretty lights that change colors as you crank out the tunes, or maybe we're just enchanted by the 420 watts of power coursing through its electronic veins. Regardless, the built-in 30-pin connector for iOS devices is nice, but a USB port for flash drives and the built-in AM / FM radio are all included as a way for Sony to try attracting anyone that doesn't use an Apple-branded device. So if you're looking for a new system, have a look at the gallery and video below.
VGo telepresence robot gets Verizon LTE, we go eyes-on (video)
The idea of a telepresence robot isn't exactly new in the tech world, considering there's been a few going to school in the place of teenagers for over a year now. But the VGo 'bot -- a chest-high roving device that has a display and camera built-in and allows patients and others to interact with a remote operator -- is at CES this year to show off its inclusion of Verizon LTE, instead of the WiFi-only model we've seen in times past. Certainly, the robot can default to WiFi in the absence of Big Red's next-gen network, but the nationwide coverage definitely gives the robot a lot more appeal... even if it is a mere $6,000. Expect to see the 4G-enabled Johnny Five available in the next two or three weeks. To see exactly what the robot's capable of, check out the gallery below and the video after the break.
Live from the Engadget CES Stage: an interview with NXP's Jeff Miles (update: video embedded)
We've got plenty of questions about near-field communications, and who better to talk to than Jeff Miles, a VP at NXP, the company behind the NFC chips in your devices? Follow along at 6:30PM ET, after the break. Update: Interview video now embedded.
Live from the Engadget CES Stage: an interview with Pantech's Erin Magee (update: video embedded)
Got questions about Pantech's line of mobile devices? Marketing Director Erin Magee's got answers. And demos? Yeah, she's got some of the those too. She'll be joining us today on the Engadget stage at 2:30PM ET. Follow along after the break. Update: Interview video now embedded.
Live from Nokia's CES 2012 press conference!
Yes, we're here. It's been a few months since Nokia attempted to shake its smartphone foundations with the launch of its first Windows Phone devices. But it's CES 2012: there's Nokia phones out here now. But does Nokia have something else up its sleeve? Something flagship? Another white phone? Stay tuned because we're getting our liveblog on!
Mobile Miscellany: week of December 19, 2011
This week was packed with news on the mobile front, so it was easy to miss a few stories here and there. Here's some of the other stuff that happened in the wide world of wireless for the week of December 19, 2011:
