Ces2012
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ioSafe Solo G3 hands-on
After the heavy stench of ozone started to clear, ioSafe officially took the wraps off the Solo G3 -- the latest in its line of fire and waterproof storage solutions. Unlike previous models this one actually manages to ditch the fan, and therefore runs almost completely silent in operation. The G3 isn't for those looking for an inconspicuous device. This external data safe sports a unique design with a perforated exterior and weighs in at a staggering 15 pounds. Around back you'll find the powerjack and switch as well as a USB 3.0 port for high-speed data transfers. The G3 is available starting at $299 for 1TB of storage. Check out the pair of galleries below. Edgar Alvarez contributed to this report.
Sony Vaio Hybrid and Slate tablet concepts showcase new form factors, flexible materials (video)
Black, bezeled and rectangular? That's pretty much the go-to design for tablets nowadays. But lately Sony's been straying from the pack and taking a different aesthetic tack, which it recently showcased with the Tablet S and P. On the showroom floor at CES, however, the company had two newer models secured behind glass to give consumers a sense of future form factors. These prototypes -- known prospectively as the Hybrid and Slate -- fall under the Vaio brand and clearly highlight an exciting direction for the Japanese electronics giant's impending offerings. The Hybrid's most distinctive feature is its marriage of laptop functionality with tablet portability. Sliding the unit up and locking it into place reveals a keyboard in front (shown with a dedicated Windows button) and an expansive speaker grill behind. The company wouldn't elaborate on the materials used in the enclosure, but that sparkly, copper color manages to toe the line between cheap and space age -- a definite contradiction, for sure. At the base of the 11-inch unit is a dock that fits an included stylus, as this tablet is being designed to support touch pen input, in addition to the typical capacitive touch. None of the ports on the device are final, but when and if it ever ships, you can expect the usual array. For a true glimpse into the next generation of tablet manufacturing, you need only look to Sony's tablet Slate -- the real stunner of this conceptual duo. With its use of a smart, soft touch flexible material -- the company refused to elaborate on just what -- that extends from the unit's back for easy table top mounting, it's easy to see a product like this setting consumers' interest on fire and nabbing that lust-worthy tech crown. Unfortunately, this particular scifi casing is more than likely a few years off, but it's good to see the company innovating and attempting to break free from the shackles of ordinary builds. The Slate is also designed to work with a wireless keyboard that shares the same intelligent material and appears to incorporate a touch interface. Click on through the galleries below for a tour of these two proof of concepts and make sure to click on past the break for a brief video tour.
Sharp 8K Super Hi-Vision LCD, 4K TV and Freestyle wireless LCD HDTV hands-on
We got a hint of Sharp's plans during its CES 2012 press conference two days ago, but really nothing can prepare you for the sight of the company's 7,680x4,320 resolution 85-inch Super Hi-Vision 8K LCD. No matter how close we got, we still couldn't see the pixels, and the video reels being demonstrated showed an almost unimaginable level of detail. The worst part of it was, seeing that first almost ruined the experience of checking out the ICC 4K demo at the other end of the booth. We can say this -- after seeing Super Hi-Vision there's really no going back. Make an appointment to see those 33MP broadcasts from the London Olympics now. Also a concept, but packed in a more conventional design, were Sharp's Aquos Freestyle LCDs. These featherweight flat-screens were also featured in the press conference, and pack wireless HD streaming inside capable of extending up to 98 feet. The 20-incher in the video above even has a battery good enough for two hours of completely wireless 1080p viewing. While Sharp called them concepts, the displays seemed incredibly polished, so check them out in the gallery below because you may see them on shelves someday.
Engadget Podcast 273: CES 2012 Day 3 - 01.11.2012
Although it was the first official day of CES, it was third day in week-long marathon for us. Join us as we hit our trade show stride--live (ok, not exactly live, but close enough) from the Central Hall at the Las Vegas Convention Center with PCMag's Dan Costa. Host: Tim Stevens, Brian Heater, Darren Murph, Guest: Dan Costa (PCMag) Producer: Trent Wolbe 00:00:20 - PCMag editor-in-chief Dan Costa 00:01:30 - Engadget CES 2012 Trailer Tour 00:07:25 - Intel mounting 'biggest advertising campaign since 2003' for Ultrabooks 00:13:10 - Dell's XPS 13 Ultrabook: IT-friendly, 128GB SSD and backlit keyboard standard, arrives in February for $999 00:15:35 - Sprint's Galaxy Nexus shown on Engadget's CES stage by David Owens! 00:19:10 - Motorola and Intel hold hands for multi-year, multi-device partnership, shipments start 2H 2012 00:19:35 - Lenovo K800 Intel Medfield smartphone hands-on (video) 00:19:55 - Intel's first Medfield smartphone is Lenovo's K800, coming first to China Unicom in Q2 with Android 4.0 00:32:35 - Polaroid announces Android-powered SC1630 Smart Camera, slated for release this year 00:33:35 - Polaroid SC1630 Android HD smart camera hands-on, is it a cameraphone or a phonecamera? 00:37:45 - Sony Xperia S hands-on (video) 00:42:00 - AT&T PlayStation Vita 3G hands-on, races PlayStation 3 on WipeOut (video) 00:42:25 - Transformer Prime gets a fresh serving of Ice Cream Sandwich, we go hands-on 00:46:00 - Toshiba 13- and 7.7-inch tablet prototypes hands-on (video) 00:53:40 - BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0 hands-on (video) 01:05:02 - Live from the Engadget CES Stage: an interview with TransferJet 01:08:10 - Live from the Engadget CES Stage: an interview with Ford Hear the podcast Subscribe to the podcast [iTunes] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in iTunes (enhanced AAC). [RSS MP3] Add the Engadget Podcast feed (in MP3) to your RSS aggregator and have the show delivered automatically. [RSS AAC] Add the Engadget Podcast feed (in enhanced AAC) to your RSS aggregator. [Zune] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in the Zune Marketplace Download the podcast LISTEN (MP3) LISTEN (AAC) Contact the podcast Send your questions to @tim_stevens. Leave us a voicemail: (423) 438-3005 (GADGET-3005) E-mail us: podcast at engadget dot com Twitter: @bheater, @timstevens, @darrenmurph @dancosta
ioSafe gives shocking demo of Thunderbolt Rugged Portable prototype (video)
Every year ioSafe has some absurd demo to show off just how tough its rugged hard drives are. They've already played with fire and peppered a portable model with buckshot. This year the company turned to an eight-foot tall Tesla coil and pointed its bolts of current at a prototype Thunderbolt model of its Rugged Portable -- which the company hopes to ship sometime in Q2. Unlike previous versions, this one packs dual SSDs in a RAID array for redundancy. After being blasted repeatedly with a million volts of electricity the drive still worked. Things got a bit hairy when the drive wasn't recognized at first, but CEO Robb Moore broke out the screwdrivers, cracked open the case and connected the SSD directly through a separate adapter. Turns out just the mainboard was fried, but the storage was still safe. A second Rugged Portable, one of last-year's models brought in by a member of the press, was also put to the voltage test and came through unscathed. Check out the video after the break. Edgar Alvarez contributed to this report.
Apple checking out the competition at CES
Just because Apple isn't exhibiting products at CES doesn't mean it's not interested in the event. paidContent.org is reporting that the company does have a presence, with one of their bloggers running into Greg Joswiak (head of iOS product marketing at Apple) at the Sony booth. Joz isn't the only Apple employee at the crowded show. Reuters noted a source who said that Apple has over 250 employees registered for the event. paidContent's Tom Krazit talked with Joswiak, who apparently is interested on how other companies present products at shows like CES. From the layout and design of show booths to the individual products that are highlighted by a company, he's keeping his eyes on the competitors. According to Krazit, Joswiak seemed underwhelmed with the Sony booth. The most humorous part of the encounter was Krazit's observation that "His badge was strategically arranged as to cover over his name and company affiliation, however, a nod to Apple's penchant for keeping a low profile." Only a seasoned Apple-watcher would know that one of Apple's highest-placed executives was in the house.
Fujifilm X-Pro1 interchangeable lens camera preview (video)
The interchangeable lens camera market grew by one this week, following Fujifilm's confirmation of its new X-Pro1. The 16 megapixel APS-C ILC may be in fact be a mirrorless model, but company reps prefer that you don't use "the M-word," insisting that the shooter stands alone in its own category as a "premium" interchangeable lens camera. And after spending an hour with the oversized, solidly-built ILC and viewing a variety of comparison samples, it's not difficult to confirm that the assessment may not be far off. The entire hands-on experience was in line with that premium claim -- from the white gloves we were required to use when handling the camera to the Japanese design lead taking care to make sure sample models were clean of markings and positioned just right, it's clear that Fujifilm is taking this launch very seriously, and you should, too. Join us past the break for an early CES look at what may very well be the sharpest mirrorless interchangeable lens camera to date.
Panasonic HDTVs show off Time Warner Cable IPTV app with live streaming channels, DVR access
Time Warner launched the TWCable TV live streaming app for iPad last year (Android streaming coming soon), and now at CES Panasonic is showing off a version for TVs. While it's still streaming TV channels from the internet just like the tablet version, the one Panasonic is demonstrating also has DLNA streaming access to anything stored in DVRs on the same home network. We're told the app should work on 2012 and 2011 Panasonic HDTVs, and while there was no word of a release date, the app appeared pretty polished. It's not clear if the cable company is making the jump fully to IPTV yet (or anytime soon), but if it's going to straddle the midpoint then Panasonic's sets are ready for a set-top boxless future. From what we hear, this could launch on multiple platforms later this year. Check out a few more screenshots in the gallery below, we'll let you know about any more details as they become available.
Lenovo's IdeaCentre Q180 HTPC hands-on
Lenovo's IdeaCentre Q180 is touted by Lenovo as the world's smallest desktop PC. Coupled with a Blu-ray drive -- literally, using magnets to hold the Q180 to the drive and a USB adapter -- and an N5902 keypad the tiny IdeaCentre would make an amazing and unobtrusive HTPC. Powered by a 2.13GHz Intel Atom dual-core CPU the Q180 connects to your peripherals via HDMI, USB 3.0, or VGA. Full HD, check. 7.1 channel sound, check. Honestly, starting at $299, this 22 mm-thick box seems like an easy choice for somebody looking to get involved in this type of media storage and playback. Video and pics are just a click away.
Plextor announces M3 Pro SSD with 24nm flash and 7mm form factor
Bored by Plextor's safe and steady M3S? Then ponder on its new performance model, the 2.5-inch, SATAIII-sporting M3 Pro. It notches up random read/write speeds by around seven percent to 75,000/69,000 IOPs, while sequential read/writes have also had a marginal bump to 540MB/s and 450MB/s. It's not yet clear how much the new drives will cost when they reach stores in 128GB, 256GB and 512GB varieties next month, but the use of 24nm toggle flash -- which squeezes more storage onto less silicon -- should help to keep pricing relatively sane. Oh, and the 7mm height also means that the M3 Pro will slide happily into the compressed bowels of your Ultrabook -- unless that slot has already been reserved for a Crucial. Read on for the press release.
TUAW TV Live at 5 PM ET: Music, books, and apps
There's a surprising dearth of Apple-related news this week, other than pundits talking about how almost every company at CES is copying Apple's innovations in one way or another. No worries -- if you're depressed hearing about the latest cheesy MacBook Air clone or some other company's iPad ripoff, I'll cheer you up this afternoon with another episode of TUAW TV Live. Looking into the box of goodies here at the TUAW TV Live studio, I find that I have a pocket-sized analog synthesizer that can be used to process output from an iPad, iPhone or musical instrument; an iPad app that lets you run Microsoft Office on your device for free; a free GPS navigation app; a handful of Apple-related books (both physical and electronic); and other digital flotsam and jetsam that is bobbing around my rapidly sinking desk. As usual, I'll be starting the show at 5 PM EDT (2 PM PDT / 10 PM BST) sharp, and we'll take a few minutes to chat before the demos start. To join in on the chat and watch the live streaming video, drop by TUAW about five minutes before the start time to get your instructions on how to participate. If you're unable to join us for the show, remember that you can always subscribe to the video podcast and watch the show at your leisure in iTunes or any other favorite podcatching app. The past shows are also available on the TUAW YouTube channel. The chat is now available as well on IRC: join us on server chat1.ustream.tv, chat room #tuaw-tv.
WikiPad prototype hits CES 2012, does exist
Wikipad's promise of a touchscreen, dual-analog gaming controls and glasses-free display meant we were itching to get our gaming fingers on it. Heck, on paper that's the illegitimate love child of the Vita and the 3DS. Fortunately, we managed to bump into the tablet on the CES show floor. It turns out the tablet is quite a svelte thing once you unshackle it from the game controls. With a soft-touch backing, the eight-inch tablet hits the sweet spot size-wise, with a glasses-free 3D display that was able to show off the entirety of Avatar. Otherwise, it's Ice Cream Sandwich as normal. We're going to shrug off the OS sluggishness here to prototype teething, but it's something that we hope disappears in the finished product. Sadly, there's a bit of a major problem tackling a hands-on with this thing -- and it's not the Gamegear-trouncing size of the thing; the gaming controls weren't functioning with any games on the device we had. While the Sonic CD app icon on the Android desktop piqued our interest, it wasn't installed and we were then told that the controls weren't currently working with games. Menu navigation was possible, and the digital inputs were responsive, but a little shaky. The pair of analog sticks feel about right, though obviously we need to see some in-game responsiveness before we pass proper judgement. The device is set to launch during Spring, so hopefully they'll get the gaming side sorted soon. Expect a more in-depth hands-on when there's more to play around with. Sean Cooper contributed to this report.
The Engadget Interview: Google TV Product Manager Rishi Chandra at CES 2012 (video)
After launching its initial volley in late 2010, Google TV remained in a holding pattern hardware-wise while waiting for the massive upgrade to Honeycomb that would bring third party apps and an entirely new UI. Now Google TV 2.0 has arrived, and it's been followed by a slew of new product announcements. While Logitech has bowed out this time, new partners Vizio, LG and Samsung are joining Sony for round two, so we took a few minutes to chat with product manager Rishi Chandra about where the platform has been in the last year and a half, and where he sees it going in the future. Check out the video above to see what the team has learned from its users over the last year, and what the folks at Google think it will mean to simplify TV and internet video viewing.
OnLive Viewer comes to Google TV, full gameplay capability coming soon
If you aren't content streaming video games to your PC, MicroConsole, Android device or iPad, you're about to get another option: Google TV. Following the same slow rollout it used when it launched the cloud gaming service for Android devices, OnLive is launching OnLive viewer for Google TVs today. Not enough, fine, fine -- the streaming outfit is also demoing a full gameplay update for Google TV on the CES show floor, and promises that you'll be pwning newbs soon enough. Not a Google TV user? Onlive casually mentioned the service would be hitting Blu-Ray players and other set-top boxes soon as well. Read on to see for yourself, the press release awaits.
XtremeMac rolls out three new mobile chargers for iDevice devotees
XtremeMac has just unveiled a troika of new iDevice-friendly chargers: the 3 in 1 USB Mobile Cable, InCharge Boost and InCharge Micro Boost. Announced at CES today, the 3 in 1 cable, as its name suggests, packs three different connectors on a single cable, offering USB to microUSB, mini USB and 30pin connectivity to owners of Apple-branded devices and "most" tablets, smartphones or cameras. The portable InCharge Boost, meanwhile, combines a 2300 mAh lithium polymer rechargeable battery, USB port and 30pin connector, designed explicitly for iPhone, iPad and iPhone users on the go. Rounding out the trio is the comparatively pared down InCharge Micro Boost -- a rechargeable 500mAh battery, coupled with a USB to microUSB connector. It also features a built-in carabineer, meaning you can charge your iDevice while climbing a rock. Or something. No details on pricing yet, but the devices are slated to begin shipping during Q1 of this year. Press release? It's after the break.
Samsung Optical SMART Hub hands-on (video)
Tucked away in the corner -- and shadowed by dozens of giant TV panels hanging above -- of Samsung's almost frighteningly large booth we found the Samsung Optical SMART Hub. Samsung's hub lets users stream media from CD / DVD, or a USB hard drive both wirelessly or via ethernet to desktops, laptops, and mobile devices. We have no complaints about streaming quality while testing it on the show floor, pulling the plug on the drive while we were streaming killed the video after 15 seconds or so, plugging it back in restored the film in about the same time. While this is an interesting idea, we can't hep but feel that Blu-ray would have been a nice addition to the mix -- as long as copy protection played nice, that is. Click past the break to see our quick tour and test. Mat Smith contributed to this report.
Ben Heck guts an iCade to build iPhone gamepad, salutes CES in the process (video)
While the majority of the tech industry prepares to go all in on this week's CES madness, a certain Mr. Ben Heck's been busying himself with an homage to the Vegas event. In the spirit of consumer electronics, he's gone ahead and retrofitted a gamepad enclosure to Apple's iPhone. Using a modified circuit board taken from an iCade, Heck was able to craft a plastic enclosure and buttons, made with a 3D printer, to neatly surround the device and borrowed silicon. Click on past the break to watch Ben walkthrough what he does best, which is to say, not gaming.
Updated TiVo Netflix, YouTube interfaces and iPad streaming hands-on
Like us, you're probably wondering what's new with TiVo at CES. Typically the company doesn't issue press releases during CES, or even announce new products, but private meetings are held in TiVo's meeting space. In said space, we were able to take in demos of the latest Netflix and YouTube interfaces running on the TiVo Premiere. The refreshed look is greatly appreciated, as in the ability to search and even add movies to your Netflix queue -- there is even support for 5.1 surround sound. Both interfaces should look familiar if you've ever seen the Insignia cTV with TiVo design. The demo was an early version, but we're told the updates should be hitting your Tivo this spring. Also on display was a little TiVo box with a transcoder built-in that connects to the Premiere via the network and leverages the new streaming features added in the latest update. The TiVo Premiere for iPad and iPhone apps were able to stream recordings, watch Live TV or download recordings to be watched later. The experienced was very responsive and, unlike many other tech demos, there weren't any glitches or errors. Right now the little box doesn't even have a name, nevertheless a release date or price, but we did find it interesting to learn that the iOS devices stream the content directly from the little guy.
Huawei MediaPad to get Ice Cream Sandwich this quarter, new colors announced
Huawei was certainly the eager beaver when it announced this last summer that the MediaPad would be one of the very first tablets with Android 3.2 pre-loaded, and we could tell that the Chinese manufacturer wanted to do something similar with the Honor by offering a demo version of Android 4.0 through its official channels. It's now taking the same initiative with the Huawei MediaPad, announcing that all existing versions of the tablet will receive ICS by the end of the first quarter, and new MediaPad tablets -- including the new color series unveiled in the same press release -- will begin coming pre-loaded sometime in the first quarter as well. This color series takes the existing MediaPad and adds black, brown and pink flavors to your possible options. Check out the full press release below the break for all the details.
Fuzhou Rockchip hypes RK2918 chip for bargain ICS phones and tablets
Could Fuzhou Rockchip's new RK2918 be the next go-to processor for a budget Android 4.0 experience? We already spotted this fleck of silicon running in the company's PAD prototype (shown above) and now we're told it'll also power a China-targeted ICS smartphone made by AirTouch, as well as an 'eHome Cloud Solution' that'll somehow make it easier for smartphones, tablets and PCs to share resources over a home network. Rockchip claims it's becoming a "virtual behemoth in North America," but only hands-on time with its latest products will tell whether that means 'big' or just 'monstrous'. Read on for more ambiguous details in the press release.
