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Airbitat's Compact Cooler promises 'deeply cooled' energy-efficient AC
You might not think of your air conditioner (AC) as contributing to climate change, but typical AC units use quite a bit of power, which leads to higher greenhouse gas emissions. In a vicious global warming cycle, as the planet gets hotter, more people will turn to air conditioning. So, companies like Airbitat are working on more efficient cooling methods, like the Airbitat Compact Cooler, which just won a CES 2020 Climate Change Innovator Award.
Sony is still trying to make 360 Reality Audio a thing
At CES last year, Sony impressed me with its carefully planned headphone and speaker demos for 360 Reality Audio. The 2019 installment of the show was the debut for the company's immersive audio standard -- technology that we would repeatedly hear about until Amazon debuted the first device that could handle it: the Echo Studio. I wrote that Sony had created what I hoped would be the future of music, and I still feel that way. However, thus far, Sony has made the technology available on headphones through its audio companion app, via a camera-based ear calibration tool. But it still hasn't announced a speaker of its own, or added the capability to existing devices.
Bello's belly-fat scanner should inspire you to get on the treadmill
We've known for years that weight is never a perfect measurement of how healthy you are, since muscle weighs a lot more than fat. Subcutaneous fat around the waist is a big issue, and an indicator of a number of metabolic issues, including diabetes and heart disease. That's why Olive Healthcare has built Bello, a body fat scanner designed to analyze the timber around your waist and help you deal with it.
I skipped breakfast, but Samsung had a robot make me a salad
Normally when I miss breakfast, it's by choice. Today, it was because I was in a rush to get to Samsung's booth on the CES show floor and see if I could get any face time with the company's cute new rolling robot. (That, uh, didn't go so great.) The trip was still well worth it, though, because I got to eat a tofu salad partially made by a pair of robotic arms slung from the bottom of some kitchen cabinets.
Becon's scalp scanner forces you to confront hair loss head-on
To quote the great Thanos: "Dread it. Run from it. Destiny still arrives." Like so many others, I don't want to think about whether my hair is thinning. For now, I'm happy to put my head in the sand (not literally) and pretend the problem doesn't exist. A startup called Becon takes a different view, though. The team, which is part of Samsung's C-Lab program, believes it's better to tackle the problem head on (no pun intended) and track your scalp meticulously. With the right data, they argue, you can identify the root cause (geez, so many puns) and possibly slow the hair loss process.
Intel's Horseshoe Bend prototype is the biggest foldable tablet yet
Foldables were big in 2019, and it looks like they're only going to get bigger in 2020. We've seen folding phones and even tablets, with Dell and Lenovo showing off their slates with bendy screens here at CES 2020. But the trend is about to get literally larger, with Intel showing off a new 17-inch foldable tablet prototype called Horseshoe Bend. It builds on the company's former prototypes like Tiger Rapids and Twin Rivers, but is meant to help Intel and its partners figure out how to make a large foldable work.
Go Dogo trains your pup while you're away
A bored dog is an unhappy dog. So if you have to commute to the office during the work week, keep your pup entertained and mentally engaged with Go Dogo.
Samsung SelfieType is a more virtual virtual keyboard
We've all seen adverts for laser keyboards that often lurk in the back pages of the Sharper Image catalog, which promise a lighter bag when you're on the go. But the ideal of using a virtual keyboard to type on your smartphone or tablet is never as practical in the real world, when it's often fiddly and unreliable. Samsung has decided to see if it's possible to make this work but without using any crappy accessories.
Wacom's $400 One puts pen displays within reach of budding artists
You've had fairly limited options if you wanted a Wacom tablet for relatively little cash -- either buy a standard drawing surface and look at a separate display, or pay a premium for a Cintiq pen display. There might just be a happy middle ground, though. The company has introduced a Wacom One display that lets you draw directly on a screen for $400 -- still not trivial, but better than the $650-plus you had to pay before. The 13-inch, 1080p display isn't the most accurate with 72 percent of the NTSC color gamut (its 26ms response time doesn't help either), but you can still use the battery-free pen to sketch with 4,096 pressure levels and a tilt of up to 60 degrees. It's also relatively portable, with foldable legs that help you set up shop wherever you'd care to create.
PiBo is a robotic companion for single people
It can get lonely living on your own, especially when you've got a landlord that doesn't allow pets or roommates. But instead of dropping two grand on an Aibo, check out this unnervingly cute companion robot from Korean developer, Circulus. Say hello to piBo.
Watch TCL's CES 2020 press conference in seven minutes
TCL made a name for itself with bargain-priced 4K TVs that don't skimp on must-have features like Dolby Vision HDR, but the company is ready to move on to 8K TVs, new technology and other devices. At its CES 2020 press conference, TCL confirmed that its 8K Roku TV is still on the way and introduced Vidrian, a new form of Mini-LED technology that should mean better contrast and luminance.
Samsung’s Galaxy Home Mini is finally landing in early 2020
Samsung says it will release its first Bixby-powered smartspeaker sometime later this year. Hyunsuk Kim, CEO of the company's consumer electronics division, told Bloomberg the Galaxy Home Mini will be available to buy in "early 2020."
A $100 box is the cheapest way we've seen to add LiDAR to cars
Velodyne, one of the companies that helped invent modern LiDAR, says it has developed a component that will make adding laser-based radar to autonomous cars and other vehicles more affordable. At CES, the company showed off its new Velabit LiDAR system, which it plans to sell to manufacturers for about $100 per unit.
LG Display is cramming curved and bendable OLEDs into every part of your life
CES is the show for gazing at gorgeous, huge TVs from the likes of Samsung, Sony and LG, but if you want a teaser of things still over a year away, you have to book yourself into a private meeting with LG Display's prototype showroom. It's probably the quietest place in CES, with hushed LG executives walking around as our press group gets the tour, starting with a new rollable OLED TV.
Don’t worry: Impossible Foods is already working on fake bacon
Impossible Foods CEO Pat Brown has revealed that his company is working on a plant-based version of bacon. Brown shared the tidbit during a Q&A session that followed the company's Impossible Pork announcement at CES, reports CNET.
The KamiBaby monitor makes it easier to see your child's breathing
This small, cone-shaped speaker topped with a camera lens wrapped in bunny ears. It's adorable, but hiding behind the facade of cuteness is some serious AI computing.
Audio-Technica brings active noise cancellation to its wireless earbuds
Audio-Technica is esteemed for its high-quality equipment in pro audio -- you're likely to find the company's ATH-M50x headphone monitors in most recording studios. And while the brand may not be well known for its consumer-level headphones, the company's recent efforts in the wireless earbuds market have ranged from decent to impressive. Audio-Technica's latest true wireless model, the QuietPoint ATH-ANC300TW, will add active noise cancellation (ANC) -- but at the cost of battery life.
Google adds sticky notes and speed dial contacts to its smart displays
It's the dawn of a new decade, and our devices are amazingly intelligent and powerful. Google's Assistant is continuing to get smarter and more helpful with a set of new features being announced here at CES 2020. There are updates for different devices, which makes things a little confusing to keep track of, but let's start with the easiest to visualize. You'll soon be able to get the Assistant to add sticky notes to your smart display, so you cam let the cat sitter know, for example, if you've already fed it.
Google makes it easier to ask the Assistant about your data privacy
2019 was not a great year for smart speaker security. Amazon, Apple and Google were all caught saving user recordings from assistant interactions without explicit permission, leading all three giants to refine their policies on that front. Google even went as far as to promise never to store recordings, adding ways for users to prevent misuse. As it continued to roll out new features for the Assistant here at CES 2020, Google also added methods to make it easier to access your privacy settings.
White House cautions against over-regulating AI in new guidelines
Today, the White House proposed 10 principles for federal agencies to consider when regulating artificial intelligence, Reuters reports. The guidelines stress limiting regulatory "overreach" and encourage Europe and other allies to "avoid heavy handed innovation-killing models."
