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Polaroid debuting $1,000 4K TV at CES
Polaroid's been struggling with a bit of an identity crisis since the halcyon days of instant photography. Did you know, for example, that the company's been putting its name on TVs? Polaroid's celebrating CES with the release of two ambitious (if not particularly memorably named) sets at extremely low price point. The more notable of the two is a 50-inch 4K set with three HDMI inputs, priced at $1,000. Can't quite swing that? Good news, a mere $600 will get you a 50-inch set with a Roku Streaming Stick built-in -- and that one's got HDMI inputs, as well. Both sets will be on-hand in Vegas next week.
Samsung unveils Galaxy Camera 2 and NX30 with NFC photo sharing (hands-on)
Samsung isn't waiting until CES starts to spill the beans on its camera lineup. The company has just revealed the Galaxy Camera 2 and NX30, both of which center around an NFC-based "Tag & Go" sharing feature; you can now tap your phone against either shooter to begin transferring photos. They also offer more control through upgraded Remote Viewfinder mobile apps that show the same settings you'd find on the cameras themselves. The unique upgrades to each model vary widely. The Android-powered Galaxy Camera 2 still has the 16-megapixel sensor, 21x zoom lens and 4.8-inch LCD of its predecessor, but it touts much-needed improvements to battery capacity (up to 2,000mAh) and weight (down to 9.2 ounces). Samsung has also stuffed in a newer 1.6GHz quad-core processor with 2GB of RAM, and an update to Android 4.3 introduces both 120fps slow-motion video as well as separate autoexposure and autofocus controls. The NX30, meanwhile, builds on the NX20's formula with upgrades to image quality and the display. The new mirrorless cam sports both a more light-sensitive 20.3-megapixel sensor and a fast hybrid autofocusing system that takes just 80ms to find its subject. Take a look at the back and you'll find a brighter, Super AMOLED-based touchscreen that can now tilt, not just swivel; on the side, there's a new 3.5mm microphone input. Glass aficionados may also appreciate two 16-50mm lenses launching alongside the NX30, including a quiet f2-2.8 lens and a video-friendly, f3.5-5.6 power zoom unit. Samsung isn't yet ready to divulge launch details for either the NX30 or the Galaxy Camera 2, but you can check out our hands-on galleries of all the new devices while you're waiting. Edgar Alvarez contributed to this report.
Lenovo launches the Vibe Z, its first LTE phone, plus three other handsets
Sometimes Lenovo is ahead of the curve: It was first to market with Intel's mobile chips for two years in a row. When it comes to LTE, though, the company has been sadly trailing; it's only just getting around to releasing its first 4G device. But you know what they say -- better late than never, right? Lenovo's LTE-capable Vibe Z is finally reaching markets outside China, and though it won't win any awards for timeliness, it at least arrives on the scene with some solid specs. What we have here is a 5.5-inch handset with a 1080p IPS display, a pixel density of 400 ppi and a thin, 7.9mm-thick build. Inside, it's powered by a quad-core Snapdragon 800 chip (not Intel this time), along with 2GB of RAM, up to 16GB of internal storage and an 802.11ac WiFi radio. Imaging-wise, you get both a 13-megapixel f/1.3 camera along with a 5MP webcam up front. Lenovo also threw in some custom camera software allowing you to add special effects, if that's your sort of thing. What's interesting is that although this is Lenovo's most advanced phone to date, it has generally the same industrial design as Lenovo's other recent mobile devices, including the Vibe X and the doomed Yoga Tablet. All of which is to say, it has a textured plastic back, which in the past has stood up well to scratches and fingerprints, even if it doesn't look premium, per se. It also appears to run the same heavily skinned version of Android (version 4.3, in this case). That means some oversized icons, for starters, and also a missing app drawer. As it happens, though, heavily skinned phones are fairly common in the Asian market, which is precisely where the Vibe Z is headed: Lenovo says it will arrive in February in Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and the Philippines, with an unlocked price of $549.
Leak shows LG's radical new interface for its webOS Smart TVs
LG's rumored webOS Smart TV is tipped to arrive at CES in the coming days, but that hasn't stopped intrepid leaker @evleaks from giving us what could be an early preview of its next connected set. In what appears to be a significant departure from the smartphone-like UI utilized in its current Smart TVs, the leaked render shows off LG's modern interpretation of the Cards interface we first saw in Palm's webOS-powered smartphones and tablets. LG chiefs have already indicated that the company has thrown its weight behind the Enyo open-source JavaScript development framework, which it acquired from HP as part of the webOS project, in the hope it will encourage third parties to create apps and services for its next-gen TVs. If the leaked image is real, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and Skype apps will likely be available at launch, but we're set to find out for sure when CES 2014 commences next week.
Ford's C-MAX Solar Energi Concept is powered by a roof panel, rolls to CES next week
The tech inside green vehicles continues to improve, and Ford has just announced a concept that looks to push it even further. The US automaker has outed the C-MAX Solar Energi Concept: a vehicle that packs in all of the perks of a plug-in hybrid, but doesn't require that tether to recharge. As the name suggests, a roof-mounted solar panel collects a day's worth of energy needed to churn out the same performance as the C-MAX Energi Hybrid; however, the new Solar Energi model seeks to do so without relying on the ol' power grid. The panel itself houses "a special solar concentrator lens" that acts like a magnifying glass, directing those requisite rays on the rooftop. After rolling around the lot of the LVCC at CES next week, the concept vehicle will be tested by researchers from Ford and Georgia Tech -- who helped develop the panel system -- to see if the C-MAX Solar Energi is indeed viable for production. For now, we'll have to wait to grab a closer look in a few days.
Samsung reveals new wireless streaming speaker, home theater system, portable stereo and two TV soundbars
Clearly Sonos, Samsung's been peeking at your Play:1 playbook. After introducing the Shape wireless streaming audio system and the M7 speaker mere months ago, the Korean company is now ready to reveal a new, smaller member of the family, the M5, at CES. This new model has only three drivers (down from the five inside the larger M7), but still packs the same wireless audio tech as its elder -- meaning it's controlled by the Shape mobile app, connects to your local network through a Shape hub wired to your router and automagically fits into your existing system, whether it's a multi-room or multi-channel setup. Additionally, Samsung's cooked up a connect box that hooks up with old school analog speakers and loops them into the Shape system so they can be wirelessly controlled too. Plus, Samsung's crafted a pair of Shape-compatible soundbars, the HW-H750 and the HW-H600. The H750 soundbar pumps out 320W of sound and is built to sit beneath the largest of TV's (curved or otherwise), while the H600 sound stand is designed so that smaller 32-55 inch TV's sit directly on top of it while it pumps out multi-directional 4.2 channel audio.
Samsung's new TV remote for 2014 has a new pebble shape, 80 percent smaller touchpad
Samsung couldn't wait for CES to start leaking information about its new HDTVs, starting with the remote. After rolling out larger and larger contraptions over the years with more buttons (on both sides, even), this year's "Smart Control" model has a touchpad that is 80 percent smaller than the 2013 version. That control is in the middle (adjusted from the 2012 and 2013 versions, shown in this infographic) which, combined with a new button layout, integrated microphone and gesture control -- similar to LG's Magic Remote, among others -- promises to make controlling apps and content even easier. We've heard these claims before, and its pebble shape is very similar to the Panasonic Viera Touch remote introduced a couple of years ago, but we're for anything that's simpler than Samsung's previous remotes.
Snapdragon 805's desktop-class mobile graphics chops in action (video)
Qualcomm's Snapdragon 800 chip is still pretty dang new, but the company's already churned out a follow-up: the Snapdragon 805, a so-called Ultra HD processor. Like the 800, this version is a Krait-based, quad-core chip, and its biggest selling point is support for 4K video playback on your mobile devices as well as your smart TV. The 805 also includes an Adreno 420 GPU, which Qualcomm says offers 40 percent more graphics performance. Of course, this is the sort of tech that you really need to see to believe. Luckily, a recent trip to San Diego gave us a chance to stop by Qualcomm's HQ and check out the latest Snapdragon demos. Head past the break for a look at the chip's graphics and video chops.
Archos will debut multiple 'Pebble-like' smartwatches at CES, starting at less than $50
There's one more interesting nugget in today's jam-packed Archos press release. Alongside the home tablet, scale, weather system, activity monitor, et al. is a very brief mention of a smartwatch -- a "selection of" smartwatches, actually. There's not much info here, save for the fact that at least one of the wearables will hit an under-$50 price point. The company is also apparently comparing the iOS/Android-compatible line to a familiar wearable, referring to it as "pebble-like" in the included press material (lower case, mind). If we had to venture a guess, we'd say the similarity comes from what looks to be an e-ink or e-ink-like display, but it looks like we're going to have to jump on a plane to Vegas to find out for sure.
Archos previews connected home, health monitoring devices ahead of CES
Archos looks to be getting in on the New Year's resolutions a bit early. The company clearly couldn't wait for CES to spill the beans on its 2014 lineup -- at least so far as connected devices are concerned. The device maker wants to make you a part of its internet of things, previewing a slew of devices, including an activity tracker, scale, blood pressure monitor, weather station and tablet. There is, predictably, not a whole heck of a lot of information on any of the products -- in fact, the company's managed to shove mentions of all of the above into a single press release issued a little more than a week out from the big Vegas event. Archos is collectively referring to the lineup as its "connected objects" -- devices that are monitorable in real-time via Android and iOS apps. There's not much to say about the 7-inch Smart Home Tablet, at the moment. The company's positioning the Android device as a "gateway" to connected home actions, like turning on lights and recording video with a mini-cam when a motion sensor is triggered. CES will also see the debut of a new Weather Station from Archos, offering up indoor and outdoor temperature, humidity, CO2, pressure and other readings, along with national and historic levels for comparison. The company's Connected Self app, meanwhile, was built to work with a handful of new health devices. The list includes a connected scale that tracks body fat, an activity tracker that measures footsteps and burned calories and a blood pressure monitor that comes with an irregular heartbeat detector.
Samsung's latest developer kit lets you control appliances from your TV
Ever wish you could turn on the air conditioning without leaving the couch? Samsung's new Smart TV SDK 5.0 will give you the luxury of being that lazy. The programming kit gives the TV control over home appliances, including network-savvy lighting and refrigerators. Developers should also have an easier time building apps thanks to a new web framework that both supports HTML5 and uses Native Client to run software across a wide range of TVs. Apps can run on mobile devices, too. Samsung has already posted a beta SDK, but aspiring big-screen app builders will have to wait until January 6th to get the finished tool.
LG's HomeChat will let you command its latest smart appliances via SMS
LG really, really wants you to have a good chat with your washer/dryer and robotic vacuum cleaner. It just announced you'll soon be able to use the Line messaging app and a new service called HomeChat to give natural language commands to its 2014 Smart Appliance lineup. If you tell the system "I'm going on vacation," for instance, it'll put your refrigerator into power-savings mode and program the robotic vacuum cleaner. The app will also update you as to what's in the fridge, show a history of your robotic vacuum's cleaning trips and recommend recipes via the smart oven, to name a few other features. LG also announced NFC tagging and smart diagnoses for its upcoming smart appliance lineup, a scheme that'll help you avoid unnecessary repair visits, download new washing machine cycles and more. All of this will arrive in the flesh at CES 2014, but if you're interested, maybe avoid seeing Maximum Overdrive in the meantime.
LG's new Pocket Photo 2 printer is incrementally smaller, better
We'll have to take LG's word on the success of its Pocket Photo mobile printer. Primarily because we fear the lady above and her soul-stealing stare, but also 'cause it would explain the investment in a sequel. LG's Pocket Photo 2 is slightly thinner than its predecessor, and is said to have an improved battery life with 30 photos' worth of juice. Printing resolution has been upped to 600 DPI and the platforms graced with companion apps are listed as Android, iOS and Windows 8. Otherwise, it's much the same as the original -- you pair up via NFC/Bluetooth, and can add QR codes and text to images before printing, as well as filters for the Instagram generation. Prior to a wider launch, the Pocket Photo 2 will hit Korea for an unspecified price in mid-January, shortly after LG tries to drum up interest for it at CES.
LG teases CES home theater lineup including a multi-room music streamer
Nothing says "holiday cheer" like a fresh coat of snow, hot toddies and scads of CES pre-announcements from LG. After dishing on some of its 2014 smart TV plans, the Korean company has now moved on to audio, detailing several new components starting with the NP8740 wireless audio system. It'll let you play music through your house in a similar fashion to to Sonos' Play:1 speaker, thanks to a dual-band 2.4/5Ghz WiFi system using so-called mesh network technology. That means each speaker can repeat the signal throughout the house, letting you play the same song everywhere or choose music on a room-by-room-basis. It can even connect to other audio systems and let you control the whole shebang with a smartphone app. The company also revealed its LAB540W SoundPlate, a slim home theater receiver for 32-to-55-inch TVs with a 4.1-channel, 320-watt amp and external wireless subwoofer. It packs a built-in 3D Blu-ray player and smart TV functions, letting you stream audio from a portable device via WiFi or Bluetooth. For those who just need audio, LG also flaunted the 320W NB5540 soundbar that can either work via a Bluetooth connection or over a single HDMI cable from your TV, thanks to an audio return channel. As usual, there's no sign of pricing or availability for any of these products yet, but we'll be boots on the ground next month at CES 2014 in Vegas to fill in all the details. Meanwhile, check after the break for a few more pics.
Samsung's 2014 smart TVs will let you control videos by pointing your finger
Samsung's 2014 smart TV lineup may revolve around impressive-looking hardware, but the Korean tech giant has revealed that interface improvements will also play an important role. Its new TVs will support finger gestures that should be more intuitive than the whole-hand commands of this year's models; you can stop a movie with a spinning motion, for instance. Voice control will also be more powerful. It's at last possible to change channels or launch apps with a single step, and search results appear in one place. While the gesture and voice upgrades may not be revolutions, they'll likely be welcome to viewers frustrated with unwieldy TV software.
Samsung has its own 105-inch, ultrawidescreen UHD TV to show at CES
Samsung couldn't possibly let its Korean rival LG jump ahead in the race to produce astoundingly large super high res televisions we can't afford, and as such has unveiled its own 105-inch, ultrawide, ultra high definition TV. It will be at CES, just like the model LG announced earlier tonight, and while it's unlikely to fit in our living rooms -- or budgets -- we're planning on taking a closer look as soon as possible. After apparently fading out late last year, it appears the ultrawidescreen 21:9 format is also suddenly hot again, at least for these demo models, matching the IMAX-style curvature of these screens. The pixel count is a stunning 5,120 x 2,160, and Samsung is already claiming this one is "the world's most curved." While LG and Samsung have gone head to head in recent years with Ultra HD, OLED and curved OLED TVs, the extreme sizes seen here remind us mostly of CES 2007's battle between a Sharp 108-inch LCD and Samsung's 102-inch plasma.
Netflix teases 4K streaming straight to UHD TVs, expect details at CES next month
Netflix has been talking up its ability to stream Ultra HD resolution video (demonstrated at the last CES with a local video feed, as seen above), and CPO Neil Hunt reiterated those "next year" promises to Stuff.tv. Specifically, he indicated the streamer has deals to offer 4K video via embedded players on UHD TVs from several manufacturers that will be announcing them at CES. What you won't hear about -- at least immediately -- is any 4K support from set-top boxes, including the two next-generation consoles, as Netflix is apparently waiting for standards (read: DRM) and HDMI 2.0 to mature first. Gigaom spotted a few test 4K videos on Netflix early in November, however they won't play in that resolution on current hardware either. Content-wise, early adopters can expect House of Cards season two and... probably not a lot else, but that should keep everyone busy for one Kevin Spacey-filled week or so.
LG's 105-inch, 21:9 curved UHD TV is wide enough to be a tanning bed
LG already has a big 77-inch curved Ultra HD OLED TV, but why stop there? The Korean company has just announced that it will be unveiling a 105-inch version at CES next month, but with a twist: this one uses LCD instead of the more expensive OLED, courtesy of improved TFT technology for an even backlighting across the curved surface. Furthermore, this 105UB9 model has a wider-than-usual 21:9 "CinemaScope" aspect ratio, thus providing a 5,120 x 2,160 UHD resolution (but technically not 5K). While we likely won't find out about the pricing of this monstrosity until CES, this milestone for LG Display's LCD technology could signify a wave of more affordable curved TVs next year -- much like what Sony's attempting with its S990A. Stay tuned for our eyes-on report once we hit the show floor.
LG's 21.5-inch Chromebase all-in-one puts ChromeOS on the desktop
Besides Samsung's Chromebox series ChromeOS has appeared mostly on laptops, but now LG will put its new Chromebase up against Apple's iMac and Windows-based all-in-one desktop PCs. According to the spec sheet, that 21.5-inch 1080p IPS LCD hides an Intel Celeron CPU, 2GB of RAM and a 16GB SSD inside, along with an assortment of ports (including HDMI-in so you can use it as a monitor) in the back and on the sides. It won't compete with high-end PCs on horsepower or internal storage, but it's ready to play a part in Google's vision of network computers that run mostly web-based apps, are hassle free and require no real maintenance. We're not expecting to get Steam loaded on here, but when we're playing IT for relatives over the holiday something like this may seem like a better option. Without a pricetag it's hard to judge properly, so we'll look for that and more information -- including other devices that might use some of the Chrome-related trademarks that leaked in October --next month at CES.
Engadget's 2014 Best of CES Awards: Eligibility criteria and how to nominate
In case you missed the news earlier this year, Engadget is heading up the 2014 Best of CES Awards! We always look forward to kicking off the year at the country's biggest tech convention, and we're extra stoked to be taking on the role of curating the show's best innovations. In the months leading up to CES 2014, we'll be giving you additional insight into our voting process -- and giving you a chance to cast your own vote for best product -- but first and foremost let's talk submissions. Whether you're an interested company or simply a reader curious about our criteria, you'll find all the info you need below the break.
