ces2016
Latest
Meet the real people of CES
The number of attendees at CES is huge. A huge mass of people descending on Las Vegas to experience the latest and greatest in consumer technology. But, sadly, amidst all the hustle and bustle, busy schedules and dash to the next meeting, the human behind the name badge is often overlooked. Reduced to nothing more than a business card and a calendar appointment. Let's address that, and discover a hand-picked selection of real humans from all four corners of the CES world. These are the real people of CES.
Samsung's Ultra HD Blu-ray player is coming soon for $399
There aren't many Ultra HD Blu-ray players to choose from, but the first one you can buy is this one from Samsung. We'd seen it before at IFA last year, but this week Samsung announced the UBD-K8500 will go on sale in the US this March. Talking to reps from Samsung and the Ultra HD Association, I was told it could start selling as soon as February 22nd, and we expect to see the first Ultra HD discs arrive at the same time. Pre-orders are up on Samsung's website and Amazon.com now for $399.
BMW's motorcycle helmet is the connected future on two wheels
In addition to bringing its highly connected concept car to CES, BMW also showed off a HUD helmet that syncs with its ConnectedRide platform delivering a plethora of information right into the face of riders. While it's extremely unlikely it'll ever become available for cycles from other manufacturers, owners of two-wheeled BMWs might want to take notice.
A chat with the folks bringing free gigabit WiFi to NYC
We've been charting the progress of LinkNYC for the past year -- from a mere concept to a legitimate replacement for New York City's payphones. Now as LinkNYC has begun installing its gigabit-speed wireless hotspots, I sat down with Colin O'Donnell and Dave Etherington of Intersection, the company behind the project, to discuss their progress so far. On top of providing free internet, the kiosks will also offer smartphone charging, free voice calls, and local information. Of course, it's all ad-supported. It's always been an intriguing concept, but LinkNYC is now coming into focus as a potentially groundbreaking upgrade for all New Yorkers. Its blistering fast gigabit speeds is significantly faster than any commercial ISPs (even Verizon FiOS), and LinkNYC isn't planning to limit users in any way. In fact, as O'Donnell and Etherington tell us, they wouldn't mind it if the service actually replaced people's home internet provider.
Ford CEO Mark Fields on car research and partnerships
Ford CEO Mark Fields joined us onstage at CES 2016 to talk about the automaker's car-sharing plans, its research into autonomous driving and the growing list of partners entering its dashboard. "It is about developing relationships," he said, "and seeing if you can develop partnerships that are mutually beneficial."
You can order groceries from the door of Samsung's new fridge
When Samsung announced its latest smart refrigerator earlier this week, we were intrigued. After the company demoed the appliance during its CES press conference, we had to stop and take a look. If you missed the initial news, the new Family Hub fridge is packed with tech. The first thing you notice is the 21.5-inch display in the door, and that screen is the centerpiece of the Tizen-based system. As you might expect, you can mirror what's on your TV or stream music from the likes of Pandora, but entertainment options are actually the less exciting features.
Sex is back at CES
For years CES shared the Las Vegas Convention Center with the Adult Entertainment Expo (AEE). But when AEE decided to reschedule its show in 2012, the biggest tech show on earth lost its adult edge. That is, until this year. Over the course of three days, I met with four companies showcasing sex-related products in and around the show.
Fox pushes virtual reality to the limit with 30 minutes on Mars
I wasn't prepared for The Martian VR Experience. All I'd known before sitting down in a padded seat in a near-pitch-black booth, tucked away in the Library bar at Vegas' Marquee nightclub, was that I'd be enveloped in virtual reality for up to 30 minutes. And I was worried about that. Bad virtual reality -- VR that lasted up to two minutes -- has sidelined me in the past, leaving a lingering nausea I'd prefer to never revisit. But by going all in with its first commercial experience, 20th Century Fox has made an expensive bet that pays off: It's created comfortable long-form VR.
VW claims Apple wouldn't let it show wireless CarPlay at CES
Apple may have baked wireless CarPlay into an iOS update months ago, but that doesn't mean it's ready to show off the feature... at least, not according to Volkswagen. The car giant claims that Apple wouldn't let it demonstrate the phone-to-infotainment-system option at CES this week. There's no mention of why it was verboten, but Car and Driver speculates that Apple wanted any first public demonstration (it hasn't been shown in action until now) on its own terms. We've reached out to Apple for its take on the situation, and we'll let you know if it has a comment.
The Fleye drone could be the safest flying robot at CES
Following its successful Kickstarter campaign, the Fleye drone made its debut at CES 2016 this week. The $1200 UAV is designed, first and foremost, with safety in mind. Its main rotor is encased in a plastic cage which in turn is wrapped in lightweight, impact resistant plastic. The unit also incorporates a sonar unit, six other sensors and a down-facing camera to help it both avoid obstacles and navigate via computer vision. The entire unit weighs just one pound -- uncannily light, given that it's roughly the size of a basketball. It's also outfitted with a 5 megapixel 1080p camera. The Fleye only has enough battery life for about ten minutes of flight time, however, thanks to its open source API and SDK, the UAV can easily be programmed for autonomous flight.
The Engadget Challenge: Multitasking
The most ridiculous spectacle to ever grace the Engadget stage at CES is over. But you can relive the magic of the Engadget Challenge right here. We're never satisfied doing just one thing at a time any more. We're Snapchatting with one hand and Googling with other. If we're looking up actors on IMBD while watching TV, that's not even "multitasking" anymore, that a "second screen" experience. But, the truth that nobody wants to admit is, they're not really as good at multitasking as they think they are. We're going to prove that point in episode two of the Engadget Challenge.
Meet Krush's 360-degree VR vomit comet
You know those firms that are famous for making one thing, but also have some wacky projects on the side? Krush is one such outfit, which is most commonly known for its video chat platform, ooVoo, and various other social and dating apps. Despite this, the the firm has rolled up to CES with the Moveo, a VR flight simulator that offers 360-degrees of unfettered motion. A user straps themselves in while wearing an Oculus Rift, and uses a joystick in the cockpit to zoom around the galaxy in a virtual spaceship.
Panasonic's 4K CES: OLED, LCD and Ultra HD Blu-ray
At Panasonic's CES press conference we focused on its new SL-1200 turntables, and now we've hit the company's booth to see some new 4K hardware. That includes the 65-inch OLED TV that's supposed to arrive later in the year, a DX900 Ultra HD LCD with Ultra HD Premium certification and there's even an Ultra HD Blu-ray player. While what it has to show is impressive enough, Panasonic squeezed all of its home theater offerings into a relatively small area of its booth -- not like previous years when TVs dominated. Now action cameras, electric vehicles, data storage and home automation are taking up most of the space.
Sex-robot maker says you probably won't own his machines
David Levy, author of Love and Sex with Robots and sensual chatbot champion, claims that sex with humanoid companions will be routine by 2050. Self-proclaimed futurologist, Dr. Ian Pearson recently took that declaration one step further in a report created in conjunction with UK sex shop Bondara, saying human-robot sex will start to eclipse old-fashioned human-on-human sex that same year. If all of that wasn't enough to get you hot and bothered about who or what will be handling your genitals in the not-so-distant future, consider the words of futurist Stowe Boyd who posited that sex robots will be a socially derided mainstay just 10 years from now. While the sex robot fantasy has existed for more than a century, the conversation around our future fuck buddies has reached fever pitch of late due to the "Campaign Against Sex Robots," a "movement" covered widely by the mainstream media that takes on Levy's assertion that our robo-sex future is bright. Dr Kathleen Richardson and Erik Billing of De Montfort University claim that these "robots are potentially harmful and will contribute to inequalities in society." We sat down with one of the men working to bring your Stepford fantasies to life at CES 2016. Matt McMullen, founder of RealDoll, says there are far more dangerous AI applications in the works, and believe it or not, he's not looking to create an army of sex bots to replace flesh-and-blood partners. Check out our discussion for more insights from the front lines of the next sexual revolution.
Samsung's home tech will eventually plug into Windows 10
Microsoft has revealed that it will join forces with Samsung to develop smart home "internet of things" (IoT) devices that work on Windows 10. The idea is to let people monitor and control washing machines, refrigerators and other appliances using apps on Microsoft's OS. To demonstrate the idea (below), Microsoft used Cortana to query whether a Samsung washing machine was in use and then brought up a chart showing when and how different family members used it.
Here's what you missed on day four at CES
#fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-913972{display:none;} .cke_show_borders #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-913972, #postcontentcontainer #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-913972{width:100%;display:block;} try{document.getElementById("fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-913972").style.display="none";}catch(e){} Day four of CES 2016 was less about consumer products, and more about pie-in-the sky ideas. A company that one day plans to mine asteroids 3D-printed an object out of asteroid dust, just to show how humans might build objects on remote planets. We also got our first look at the KATIA robot arm, a surprisingly affordable device that could help you do light manufacturing or, say, build Lego. Finally, we got a look at two smartphones that use Google's vaunted Project Tango tech that will let you 3D scan all the things. For those and the other stories, watch our Editor-in-Chief Michael Gorman's take on the day (above) or check the gallery below.
YouTube to join Netflix and Amazon with HDR video
With big-name TV makers and movie studios all pledging to support high dynamic range (HDR) technology, it was only a matter of time until the world's biggest online video platform got in on the action. According to Mashable, Robert Kyncl, YouTube's Chief Business Officer, confirmed that the service will soon roll out support for HDR, allowing streamers to watch videos in a lot more detail.
BMW's concept car puts next-gen interior in a sports car
CES is quickly become the place to show off concept cars. Not to be left out of the fun, German automaker BMW shared its vision of an autonomous car that is the complete antithesis of the driverless pod cars that have been shown off by Google. Based on the i8, the BMW i Vision Future Interaction (that's a mouthful) gives the driver the option of driving the car themselves or kicking back letting the car take control while you check out the gigantic 21-inch panoramic display that's controlled via gestures, touch or voice. It's technology wrapped inside the vehicle you want to drive down the coast.
ICYMI: Aging exoskeleton suit, the biometric bed and more
#fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-726881{display:none;} .cke_show_borders #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-726881, #postcontentcontainer #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-726881{width:570px;display:block;} Today on In Case You Missed It: Applied Minds built an exoskeleton suit for insurance company Genworth and took it on the road to CES to give conference goers a dose of empathy for the elderly. The suit reenacts the physical ailments people often suffer as they age, from vision loss to hearing problems.
8K Attack: LG's and Samsung's super high-res TVs are here
We're barely emotionally adjusted to the existence of 4K, but already tech companies are looking to the next big thing. Sharp put its $130,000 8K TV on sale last year while this week both LG and Samsung showed off "real" 98-inch Super Hi-Vision screens. LG said its 8K television would go on sale in the second half of this year, but it didn't specify a price. Samsung doesn't have a release date or price for its TV either, but the bigger question of what you can even connect to these behemoths also has no answer. The last time I saw an 8K broadcast, it needed an Internet2 connection and a decoder the size of a doghouse just to work, so it's probably still a few years away from being feasible. Still, if these hit the market, maybe they can take a hint from Dish's Hopper 3 and watch four 4K videos at once. [Photos by Will Lipman]
