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Acer has a 15-inch Chromebook, but it's unclear why you'd want one
I initially wasn't going to bother writing a longer piece about Acer's new 15-inch Chromebook. I figured the last thing you wanted from me during the busiest week in tech news were hands-on photos of yet another laptop, especially when we already review so many same-y Chrome OS devices. Then it occurred to me: Although this is the first-ever 15-inch Chromebook, not to mention the largest, Acer never actually made a case for why it should exist, and it's a question that many of my peers at other tech publications don't seem to be asking. Does anyone need a notebook this big that basically just runs the Chrome browser? I belatedly spent some time with one to try and find out.
Watch CES Today, find out about what's happening at CES... today
#fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-328766{display:none;} .cke_show_borders #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-328766, #postcontentcontainer #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-328766{width:570px;display:block;} try{document.getElementById("fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-328766").style.display="none";}catch(e){} It's another beautiful, sunny day in Las Vegas, and CES 2015 is still going strong. Can't be bothered to read all of Engadget's coverage of the show? We've got you covered with highlights, humor and some wisdom from Will.i.am. If you didn't see us live, here's your chance to catch up on what you missed.
Sennheiser made its great Momentum headphones even better
Since its introduction in 2013, Sennheiser's Momentum line headphones have added not only new color options, but on-ear and in-ear models, too. During that time, I've been quite impressed by the cans and their clear and balanced sound. At CES, wireless versions of the over-ear and on-ear gadgets made their debut, and when the news hit, I immediately wondered if the Momentum Wireless would be better than the original. After trying them out, I can confidently say that Sennheiser has made a good thing even better.
Cooki's the robot chef that only knows how to stir
When I try to picture what a live-in robot that makes fresh, hot meals would look like, a lone mechanical arm isn't exactly what springs to mind. That might be a slightly oversimplified description of Cooki, a prototype "robotic automated cooking" machine from up-start Sereneti Kitchen, but it's not far from the truth. In addition to its multidirectional arm, the sum of the device also includes a hotplate, and a mechanical tray arrangement for holding ingredients. The long and short of it is: You fill trays with a selection of fresh ingredients -- they correspond to a specific recipe, of course -- and choose the matching meal from within an app. A preprogrammed series of events then plays out, with the dish on the hotplate brought up to the correct temperature, ingredients added at the correct intervals and the arm, well, kind of pushing it all around until it's ready to serve.
Lowe's Innovation Labs redefine retail with robots and VR
It's weird to think that a humble DIY store is making groundbreaking strides to innovate retail stores, but that's what Lowe's Innovation Labs was set up to do. The company unveiled two pretty neat concepts for the future of shops in the last few months: a robotic store assistant that patrols the aisles of an Orchard Supply in San Jose, and a virtual reality interior-decoration tool that's currently in operation in two stores in Toronto.
The Big Picture: This is not the Apple Watch
This is not the Apple Watch and it isn't launching in early 2015.
The most important news at CES is a $300 million response to GamerGate
The most important news from CES 2015 involves hundreds of millions of dollars and a titan in the tech industry. It has its origins in a movement that scarred the latter half of 2014. It's not a gadget. It's not a service. It's not something that's for sale at all, actually. The most important news at CES 2015 comes from Intel of all places, which announced its Diversity in Technology Initiative on Tuesday evening: an ambitious $300 million investment, intended to "increase the representation of women and underrepresented minorities in the workplace and our industry" through partnerships, hiring and oversight. As Intel CEO Brian Krzanich puts it, "This isn't just good business; this is the right thing to do." For a company that's over 75 percent male, it's about time.
B&O wants you to touch wood to control your music at home
Knocking on wood is said to bring you luck. Those of a less fortunate disposition will be interested to know about Bang & Olufsen's new wireless home music system then. It's called "Moment" and features (among other things) a wooden touch-sensitive interface. It could be the luckiest HiFi you'll ever own. The curious device comes in two parts: the dock/base station, and a wireless controller. It's the latter that gets the wood treatment. As you can probably already tell, the Moment is typical Bang & Olufsen, in that it's not typical at all.
A connected plant pot meets a smart bulb at CES
You may not realize this yet, but you're probably going to be buying a connected home gadget at some point this year. After endless hype, we're finally beginning to see smart home products that are both affordable and easy to use. Case in point: Parrot's new self-watering smart flower pot ($60) and Misfit's colorful Bolt smart lightbulb ($50). We brought Tim Golnik, Misfit's vice president of product and design, and Jerome Bouvard, Parrot's smart pot product manager, to the Engadget CES stage to chat about their new products and the state of the connected home. And as a bonus, we also got a live demonstration of the Parrot Pot's self-watering mechanism in action. Check out our full conversation below.
Gibson's Les Paul headphones take design cues from the iconic guitar
Gibson's fitness-minded headphones may get most of the attention here at CES, but venture inside the company's tent, and you'll discover yet another line of cans. And these are much more in line with what I'd expect from the guitar maker. In fact, the inspiration comes from the Les Paul: an iconic guitar that debuted in the '50s and named for the musician who first endorsed it. It's still a popular choice for pickers. Later this year, Gibson will equip Les Paul owners and admirers with a new series of headphones that get their aesthetics from the design of the classic axe. Just like the guitar, there will be a range of choices, including Standard (over-ear) and SG (on-ear) models that pack regular, Lightning and wireless connectivity.
Welcome to CES, where $50,000 can turn you into a skilled marksman
#fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-881708{display:none;} .cke_show_borders #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-881708, #postcontentcontainer #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-881708{width:629px;display:block;} try{document.getElementById("fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-881708").style.display="none";}catch(e){} What's holding most everyone back from being a talented sharpshooter? Lots of training. But now you don't even need that to hit a target from thousands of feet away thanks to TrackingPoint's Mile Maker sniper rifle. Well, anyone who's rich enough that is. The outfit's targeting this (pun intended? You be the judge!) massive and heavy gun at people with way more money than time: folks like doctors and lawyers who want to go on safari in Africa and come back with a zebra bust for the wall, guaranteed. If you have a spare $49,500 lying around, you could bag practically any trophy too. But doesn't that take away from the art and discipline of shooting? For TrackingPoint's answer to that question, check out our stage interview above.
will.i.am's wearable tech plans merge high fashion with inspiration
What hasn't will.i.am done? He's a mega-producer, solo artist, founding member of The Black Eyed Peas and, yes, even a tech entrepreneur with a significant history at CES. With his new "computer on your wrist," the $399 i.am PULS+, announced this past October, will.i.am's ready to dive deep into the wearables space under his own i.am+ brand umbrella. But it's not all about the tech, as we learned on the Engadget CES stage. He's got plans to tie the fashion industry into his product line -- former Vogue editor-at-large André Leon Talley's onboard to lend his expertise -- and inspire underprivileged kids to tackle careers in tech. You can watch it all go down in the video just after the break.
Runtastic shows us what it's like to do a workout wearing an Oculus Rift
One of the more experimental things that Runtastic has on hand at its booth here at CES is a demonstration of a workout trainer that uses Oculus Rift to make exercise a little less boring. Unfortunately, at this superbly early point, it's hardly the most refined or elegant system to use. Still, if you're struggling to picture what it's like to use a virtual reality device as a personal trainer, then you've come to the right place.
Audi's latest Q7 supports Android Auto and CarPlay
It seems Audi's Q7 is brand agnostic, at least in the Android vs. Apple battle: It hasn't yet chosen between Android Auto or CarPlay. The demos at CES this week are set shoulder to shoulder with Audi's HMI (Human Machine Interface) connected to either an Android device or an iPhone. Using the MMI knob -- if you've been in an Audi before -- is as intuitive as you remember, but instead of navigating through the factory system, you're now going to be using your phone interface. Once you've selected either CarPlay or Android Auto from the main menu, the phone's interface takes over. The steering wheel includes a button to activate Siri or Google Now for voice input and the wheel will scroll you through either system's menus. No surprises here as far as functionality, but the fact that the carmaker began to support both almost as quickly as heavyweights like Pioneer is an impressive feat. Look for this in Audi cars starting with the 2016 Q7 when it starts hitting showrooms this year. We look forward to couples everywhere finally settling the "Apple is better/Android is better in a car" question once and far all.
We go virtual trail biking on a robotic smart bike
It takes you less than 30 seconds sitting on top of Activetainment's Ebove B\01 smart bike before you start wishing you could own one. Sure, there are plenty of static exercise bikes that let you follow a trail with the benefit of a tablet strapped on top. There are a lot fewer bikes that are set up on a gimbal that lifts up when you crest a hill and dips down when you hit the opposite side. When you factor in the fact that the bike has working gears and the effort you make represents the distance you travel, it's the closest thing we've seen to trail biking that doesn't involve getting muddy.
HTC RE camera update turns you into a YouTube live show host
You may well already be hosting your own YouTube live show from your computer or phone, but for those who want a bit more versatility plus a wider-angle camera, they now have a new option courtesy of HTC. As of tomorrow, the RE camera's Android app will be updated to add a seemingly straightforward YouTube live broadcast feature, and its iOS counterpart will also get some love some time this quarter. Considering that the RE is waterproof and offers several optional accessories, it might just become a new favorite toy for adventurers who want a bit of YouTube fame.
Samsung's absurdly fast SSD uses virtually no standby power
Samsung has started manufacturing a PCIe (M.2) SSD that pulls off a rare trick -- it'll be the fastest drive your laptop has ever seen, while consuming almost no power in standby mode. The new SM951 SSD succeeds the Korean company's XP941, a drive that can already read data at a mind-melting 1.4 gigabytes per second (GB/s) clip. On newer laptops or desktops, its successor will shame that with 2.15 GB/s read and 1.55 GB/s write speeds (on PCIe Gen 3 tech) using new 10-nanometer-class MLC flash tech. It also sips 50 percent less power and only consumes a negligible two milliwatts in standby mode. The SSDs will come in 128, 256 and 512GB sizes, but only to major laptop and workstation manufacturers to start with. If it follows the XP941's footsteps, however, you'll be able to supercharge your own laptop later on.
Take a tour of LG's colorful, high-definition CES booth
LG will probably be best remembered at this year's CES for showing off what appears to be a very nice curved-screen phone. But as ever, LG had a very big booth here in Vegas and as ever, it contained way more than just a few smartphones. Take a look around and you'll find walls full of 8K displays, Swarovski crystal-encrusted televisions and some flexible sets too, for good measure. Oh, and there was that crazy baby washing machine. Excuse us: baby (as in small) washing machine. Not baby-washing machine. We wouldn't want you to get the wrong idea or anything. For more from LG and beyond, check out our 2015 CES Field Guide.
BlackBerry will invade your wrist by bringing BBM to Android Wear
Messaging services like WhatsApp have slowly been trickling onto our extremities via Android Wear for what feels like ages now, so is it really any surprise that BlackBerry's getting in on the action now too? At a press breakfast earlier this morning, the company took a few moments to highlight its tentative plan to bring BBM to Google's wearables. Even in its unfinished state, the whole shebang works just the way you'd expect it to: You'll be able to view and accept friend invites right from your wrist, and speak your responses aloud for Google's machine brains to render into text. And the ETA for BBM's touchdown on your watch? BlackBerry's Jeff Gadway says you'll be able to nab it sometime in "early 2015," so you'd better make sure your contacts are in order. Just in case you're itching to see the early concept in action, go ahead a take a peek after the break -- you won't regret it.
Twitter adds 'Emmy award winner' to its list of accomplishments
Twitter has just won an Emmy award. Yup, you read that right: the microblogging site has scored itself an atom-toting statuette, though nobody's dressing up in a blue bird costume and walking down the red carpet to accept it (probably). What the company won is a technology and engineering Emmy for -- this is quite a mouthful -- Innovation in Improving Engagement Around Television in Social media. Tech Emmy committee chairman Robert P. Seidel says they're recognizing "companies and individuals whose innovation and vision have materially affected the way the audience views television and have set the standard for technological excellence in the industry."
