CES 2011
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Bug Labs' BUGswarm and Verizon BUGbundle hands-on
Remember Bug Labs, the guys building open-source hardware modules that make it easy (and relatively inexpensive) to prototype new gadgets of your own creation? The last time we visited with these guys at the spring CTIA show last year, the company's upgraded BUGbase 2.0 was still in mockup form -- and carrier deals were little more than a gleam in CEO Peter Semmelhack's eye. Nearly a year has passed since then, and Bug's ecosystem has grown considerably to encompass a bunch of third-party modules, prototyped products, and carrier-specific packs for Sprint, AT&T, and Verizon that let your meticulously hacked-together hardware communicate over the network of your choice. Of course, this all necessitated a follow-up meeting, which we were delighted to have at CES a couple days ago. Read on! %Gallery-113915%
Razer Hydra Sixense motion controller eyes-on
The technology behind the Hydra Sixense motion controller has been in development for a while now, but Razer was actually showing it off at CES this year. Unfortunately, it was strictly a hands-off situation at the booth -- we could only look on with jealousy as the Razer rep played through some gorgeous Portal 2 level. What we could see is that the magnetics-based controllers are very responsive, spatial, and multi-dimensional; these aren't your parent's simplistic Wii-style flick controls. There's still no word on price or a release date, but we're hearing "under $100" and "early" this year. It's hard to get totally excited about a PC hardware peripheral, given the smaller quantity of games (particularly hardware-specific titles) over in desktop land, but with Valve support and what appears to be the perfect control scheme (dual analog sticks, dual fully 3D-sensing motion controllers), we'd say the Hydra has a better shot at winning us over than anything else of its ilk. Check out a video after the break for a bit of Hydra action. %Gallery-113921%
BodyMedia introduces the Armband BW at CES, body monitoring for iPhone
BodyMedia had quite a presence at CES last week, with one of their employees running around town and even jumping out of planes to show off the company's new product, the BodyMedia FIT Armband BW. I stopped by their booth to talk to company founder Ivo Stivoric about the product, and how it connects up to an iPhone app to help you monitor not only your body's activity level but also steps taken and calories burned. The band itself is nicely designed; it's just a little device that straps around your upper arm comfortably. It's designed to be worn as much as possible -- Stivoric said that some users just wear it during workouts, but many wear it more often than that. It's got a three-axis accelerometer on board, and it has equipment for monitoring your body's skin temperature and conductivity, as well as a few other measures of health and activity. The "BW" in the product's name marks the fact that it's Bluetooth-enabled. That means it can hook directly up to the company's free app, which it will do after being paired whenever the two are in proximity. What you get is a solid record of your body's activity throughout the day, and by inputting your calorie intake and even sleep records into the app, BodyMedia can help you work steadily toward your own fitness goals.
ASUS Wavi Xtion motion sensing control system demoed at CES (video)
ASUS may not be anywhere close to ready for its Wavi Xtion to hit retail shelves (we're hearing Q2 of 2012), but that didn't stop our brethren over at Engadget Spanish from stopping by for a hands-on demonstration at CES. We'll spare you the details on how it works, but in practice, we learned that it's quite similar to Kinect. Not shocking considering that PrimeSense is behind both boxes, but the primarily difference seemed to be the reaction time. ASUS' solution wasn't quite as snappy as the Kinect, being slower to recognize and translate motions in testing. Of course, we wouldn't expect a product that's 18 months out from mass production to be completely on top of its game, but feel free to head on past the break to see exactly what we mean.
Aigo A8 / Leo 14 megapixel cameraphone hands-on (video)
We were wandering the floor at CES just before the end of the show when we stumbled upon this oddly familiar device. It's the Aigo A8 -- née Altek Leo -- an Android cameraphone (more like a phonecamera, really) destined for China Unicom that sports a 14 megapixel autofocus camera with a CCD sensor, xenon flash, 3x optical zoom, and support for 720p HD video recording. Of course, we wasted no time taking this rare beast for a spin, even going so far as to sample the camera. Take a look at the pictures below, followed by more information -- and videos -- after the break. %Gallery-113767% %Gallery-113769%
Best of CES 2011
Maybe, just maybe, you've noticed that Engadget relocated this past week to the City of Sin for CES 2011. Oh yes, we set up camp in a double-wide trailer, liveblogged our hearts out, combed the show floor, and worked our rear ends off to bring you more gadget news than you ever thought possible. It's true, we've written over 720 posts (40 or so about tablets alone!), shot more than 180 videos, and brought you over 350 photo galleries in the last seven days. That's a ton of technology news and products, but naturally, only certain ones have been able to rise above the rest and stick out in our scary collective hive-mind. With that said, we've complied our annual best of list for you, so hit the break and feast your eyes on what are bound to be some of the best products of the new year.
Rullingnet's Vinci tablet is a rugged Galaxy Tab for babies, we go hands-on (video)
As technology advances, so do babies. Seriously, it's amazing how often we see toddlers finding their way round smartphones and tablets these days, but according to Rullingnet founder Dr. Dan D. Yang, a lot of these products or apps are either too predictable or too dull to inspire the younglings, especially her own two-year-old daughter. As such, Dr. Yang came up with the Vinci tablet, which is essentially a seven-inch Android Froyo tablet bundled with educational 3D games, music videos and animated storybooks for ages of three and under. The prototype we saw was actually a Galaxy Tab housed within a rubber frame, but Rullingnet is working with Samsung to produce a similar-looking 1.3-pound device sporting a flush spill-proof housing, an unnamed Cortex-A8 processor, a 3 megapixel camera on the back, and a microSD slot. Wireless components are removed to reduce radiation exposed to children, but parents will be able to install or upgrade apps via the micro-USB port. Expect to see a late Q1 or early Q2 release for about $479. For now, have a look at one of the preloaded games after the break. %Gallery-113839%
Velocity Micro Cruz Watch hands-on preview
We've always liked the idea of having a Bluetooth watch streaming feeds from our phones, because deep down inside, we all want to act like special agents in public. Sadly, there aren't many of these wearables to choose from in the present market. In fact, with the inPulse smartwatch for BlackBerry seemingly stuck in limbo, what we have left is the Europe-only Sony Ericsson LiveView for Android, and maybe something nice from Fossil as well if its concept design gets picked up. To seize this opportunity, Velocity Micro is now working on its own connected Android watch -- currently known as the Cruz Watch -- that's destined for the sub-$200 market in mid-Q2 2011. Here's what we learned about this cool-looking prototype during our exclusive hands-on at CES: in many ways, it's conceptually identical to the LiveView -- it's a watch, it's a Facebook feeds reader, it's a multimedia remote control (for Android's music app and Android-powered TVs), and it can show you incoming caller IDs. While the Cruz Watch may be a bit of a lightweight when it comes to apps, its hardware certainly bests SE's offering in several ways: for starters, it has a full touchscreen that takes swipe and tap gesture inputs (instead of using navigation touch controls on the bezel), and it sports a 1.8-inch LCD instead of a 1.3-inch OLED display. There are also a few software features that we dig, especially with the interchangeable clock face: two analog, two digital; and the incoming call notifier pulls the caller's profile photo from your contact list, which is something that the LiveView can't do. We're told that since this watch is powered by Android 2.0 (and possibly something different on retail units), Velocity Micro might be able to implement app installation in the near future, so we shall see. Video walkthrough after the break. %Gallery-113737%
Aiken Labs shows off modular motion-sensing game kit, we give it a swing (video)
If you're looking to get your motion-controlled gaming fix, there are plenty of ways to go -- cameras, electromagnets and accelerometers, for starts -- but most figure you'll buy a single peripheral, a few plastic accessories, and call it a day. That's not the Aiken way. North Carolina startup Aiken Labs wants to sell you a set of tiny boxes that you can stick on any body part or toy you own, each with a full inertial measurement package (three-axis accelerometer, magnetometer and gyroscope) inside. The boxes connect to a base station over 802.15.4 wireless that doubles as a USB recharging unit for the lot, and you can connect up to eight modules to track 24 degrees of freedom at a time. It's not an elegant solution, to tell you the truth, particularly given the hacked-together nature of the prototype devices we saw on the CES 2011 floor, but we love the idea of simply affixing a box to a helmet to get instant head-tracking support in our favorite PC titles. Inventor Chris Aiken tells us a starter set will ship for about $300 with two sensors and the base station in the second quarter of this year -- additional sensors should run $100 each -- and you can see what it looks like in a video right after the break. %Gallery-113714%
Etymotic EB1 and EB15 earplugs hands-on
Etymotic, a company we've seen here at CES and in the past, has developed a pair of earplugs that protect your hearing against things like loud explosions and gunfire. The EB1 and EB15 Electronic Blast PLG Earplugs, retailing for $449 and $499, respectively, are aimed toward buyers such as hunters, musicians and soldiers -- folks who are exposed to loud noises and need protection. The analog earpieces are powered by a 312 hearing-aid battery and will last three weeks. There's no on/off switch -- just a high and low gain control. High gain is used for environments that require an amplification and the opposite applies for low gain. In other words, if a soldier is out on the battlefield and needs to hear an enemy inside a house, he'd switch to high gain to generate a louder sound. The difference between the plugs is simple: the EB1 is for people who are going to be around one-off noises and the EB15 are for those who are going to be exposed to prolonged noises. We got a chance to test out the plugs on the loud show floor and we gotta say, the difference between high- and low-gain modes is easily recognizable and we feel like these earplugs will make superb head-hole protectors. Plenty of complicated graphs and numbers in the gallery below. %Gallery-113772%
Seen at CES: Blinged-out iPhone and iPad cases
This intriguing (and shiny!) M.C. Escher case was seen in the CES booth of one Lux Mobile last week. The custom case was made with over 18,000 Swarovski crystals and was apparently made in the good old US of A, "one crystal at a time." Pretty snazzy, no? Lux Mobile does carry this case in a standard non-crystal form (and we're told it's a popular model), but that's not nearly as fun. One more note here: the custom-made crystal case on display above costs a whopping $3000 -- just about six times the value of the iPad it's actually supposed to hold. Check out a few more of Lux's blinged-out iDevice cases after the break, including a pink Ed Hardy monstrosity that would keep Jonathan Ive up at night.
ViewSonic ViewPad 10 and 10s hands-on
Wait, doesn't the ViewPad 10 look oddly familiar? Remember when we reviewed the Tegatech Tega v2 back in October? Well, we think it's safe to say that the ViewPad is a rebranded version of the same tablet. ViewSonic swapped some internals and moved to a smaller 16GB SSD, but it's still the same 1.66GHz Intel Atom processor underneath. The tablet dual-boots Windows 7 Home Premium and Android 1.6 (sans MarketPlace access). Both operating systems run smoothly, and yes, you can pinch to zoom. Some inputs on the machine include USB 2.0, mini-HDMI, microSD and 3.5mm headphone jack. The 10-incher also sports a 1.3 megapixel shooter on the front for your video chatting needs. The company says it'll retail for around $629 when it ships next month. %Gallery-113533% The 10's sister, the 10s (also a 10.1-inch slate), is launching later this month. However, this tablet is running a skinned version of Android 2.2 on Tegra 2. On the top of the device you'll find the power button, orientation lock and back button. Don't ask us why the back button is up there -- we're just as puzzled as you are. On the right side, you'll find a hinged door hiding an HDMI, USB 2.0 and Micro SD slot. Don't worry, there's a 3.5mm headphone port and volume rocker so you can awkwardly rock out connected to the giant gadget piece. The 10s is only launching in Europe, Asia and Russia and is said to cost a rounded 430 smackaroos. %Gallery-113534%
Samsung CA750 wireless Central Station eyes-on
We heard a brief mention of Samsung's Central Station during its first press event, but it wasn't until we had a chance to check it out for ourselves on the floor did we really understand how the monitor / wireless docking station worked. Turns out it's thanks to a USB dongle that connects the laptop in question to the rest of the setup. A clever idea, for sure, but we'd definitely need to put it through the ringer before we'd suggest. The 23-inch and 27-inch models are coming in March with prices as-yet unspoken. Enjoy the pictures below! %Gallery-113761%
Real Networks' GameHouse division finds a home on the App Store
On our way around last week's CES ShowStoppers event (where we met up with none other than T-Pain), I was surprised to see that Real Networks had a booth. They were big time back in the days when RealPlayer ruled internet streaming, but these days, I haven't seen much of them around. Turns out they're still kicking, though -- in addition to the streaming services, the company has been running an acquired arcade site called GameHouse (basically the successor to the old RealArcade), and that division has been releasing games on one of our favorite platforms: the iOS App Store. Sure enough, the popular Sally's Salon game is a GameHouse title, and Tiki Towers is another popular title from the company. We were shown two new iPad games from GameHouse -- the first was called Bad Air Day, and it has a pretty nauseous premise. You play as a hotel elevator bellhop with a farting problem, and as your little guy cuts the cheese, it's the player's job to swipe the touchscreen and direct the green gas around. Aside from the bathroom premise, the game has some interesting almost physics-based gameplay, as you need to clear the gas past the customers and into a ceiling fan, or onto a fart fairy who actually likes the smell. The other game we saw was Table Twister, a word game with rotating letter tiles on a table, that requires up to four players to drag the tiles off and create words as quickly as possible. Both were simple, but fun, and they were pretty polished -- GameHouse seems to know what its doing after quite a bit of iOS experience. "Games is a core business" for the company, the representative told us. As I said, I was surprised to see the old familiar Real logo (and those of us who counted on web streaming years ago can still see it spinning in our dreams and/or nightmares) at the show, but it's interesting to know that the company is growing well on the iOS platform.
Video demonstration makes sense of N-Control Avenger
Remember that Xbox 360 controller attachment that turns your gamepad into a monstrous tangle of levers? Engadget met up with creator N-Control during CES, capturing just what the Avenger thing is on video. After the break, see how the Avenger uses an elaborate, Mouse Trap-style arrangement to allow access to all of the controller's buttons without moving your thumbs off of the sticks -- ostensibly saving you valuable milliseconds of reaction time. Of course, the adapter requires several minutes of explanation, so perhaps it's a wash.
The Engadget Podcast Show 005: CES 2011 Part 5 - 01.10.2011 (video)
This fifth and final CES 2011 Showcast is multimedia-enhanced. You can order a CD-ROM of the Engadget Podcast Show 005 by faxing $14.99 + shipping and handling to Joshua Topolsky c/o The Little Yellow AOL Man, 9999 Microprocessor Circle, Silicon Valley, USA 99999. Act now and we'll throw in a stress ball that's shaped like the earth and an integrated circuit at the same time. Or just click on any of the hyperlinks listed below! Hosts: Joshua Topolsky, Paul Miller, Nilay PatelGuests: Chris Ziegler, Myriam Joire, Darren Murph, Ross Miller, Ben Drawbaugh, Richard Lawler, Thomas RickerProducer: Trent WolbeMusic: Law & OrderZardoz: Nick Criscuolo00:06:56 - Live from AT&T's Developer Summit00:13:01 - Motorola Atrix 4G, HD multimedia dock, and laptop dock hands-on00:24:20 - Razer Switchblade preview: 3G, Intel Oak Trail, almost definitely going on sale00:33:10 - Audiovox to buy Klipsch, we can't help but worry00:35:43 - Samsung SUR40 for Microsoft Surface hands-on with video! (update)00:39:52 - Lady Gaga's Polaroid digital camera, printer, and glasses hands-on00:45:38 - Gateway Media Console with CableCARD and Windows Embedded Standard 7 hands-on00:48:15 - Samsung will offer access to TV, VOD from Time Warner & Comcast on its Galaxy Tab, TVs00:57:30 - Vizio CES hands-on with ultrawidescreen TV, passive 3DTV, OnLive and Android clock radios01:11:30 - LG Thinq linqs your smart appliances with WiFi and smartphone apps01:16:20 - Apple AirPlay devices set to explode in 201101:22:45 - Verizon iPhone: everything you need to know01:32:18 - Motorola Xoom becomes official, headed to Verizon in Q1, upgradeable to 4G in Q2Hear the podcastSubscribe 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 MarketplaceDownload the podcastLISTEN (MP3)LISTEN (AAC)LISTEN (OGG)Download the videoiPhone/Zune formatted Mobile 3G 720p HDContact the podcast1-888-ENGADGET or podcast (at) engadget (dot) com.Twitter: @joshuatopolsky @futurepaul @reckless @engadget @zpower @tnkgrl @ohnorosco @bjdraw @trixxy @rjcc
XtremeMac shows off new docks and chargers at CES 2011
XtremeMac had a suite at the Bellagio (my favorite hotel on the Strip, I think) for last week's CES conference, and I stopped by to check out their latest lines of accessories and cases for the upcoming year. My favorite product in the booth is pictured above -- it's a speaker dock called the Tango TRX, which features a removable dock that can be unattached from the sleek speaker. It's Bluetooth-enabled for streaming audio directly from your iDevice, and there's a free universal app that will let you control the speaker with a virtual remote. The Tango TRX is shipping soon, and it will be available for US$179.99. The other dock they were showing was the Luna SST, a bedside stand with a detachable speaker that will actually send two alarms out to the two separated speakers (so that a person on one side of the bed can supposedly wake up without bothering the other). The Luna also has an app that can be used as a clock face, or even set alarms or settings on the device while docked. I also saw a new line of InCharge chargers -- there are auto-based chargers coming that will allow you to not only charge your iDevice in the car but also plug in an aux cable or charge another USB device. XtremeMac is also introducing an iPhone case called the InCharge Mobile that serves as both a 2300 milliamp battery and a relatively thin case with a kickstand for just $79.99. Finally, I was walked through some of the cases that XtremeMac offers -- all pretty standard affairs. I was told (not the only time that week) that black is by far the number one color for case sales, and that while customers will say they want different colors and will judge a brand based on many colors, in the end they mostly choose black for their own phones. Cases are mostly a matter of taste, so it turned out that what I learned about case buying was more interesting than any of the actual cases on display there.
4G at CES 2011: AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile make big moves
Traditionally, CES isn't a huge mobile event -- the biggest phone news has historically been saved for MWC in February and CTIA in March -- but that changed in a huge way this week. Looks like 2011 is shaping up to be the year of 4G, and both carriers and manufacturers alike wasted no time jumping on the hype bandwagon with a variety of announcements that promise to make the next few months exciting... and really, really fast. AT&T kicked things off early in the show, but it was just the beginning of a relentless torrent of mobile news that lasted for days and ultimately left us with a pile of devices and network upgrades that should take us at least through the middle of the year. Read on for the recap!
How the iPhone has influnced Intamac's connected home services
Intamac was probably one of the least consumer-facing appointments we had at last week's CES conference in Las Vegas -- the company develops and supports home monitoring systems, mostly for other businesses (security companies and telecommunications companies) rather than actual consumers. But it was still an interesting meeting, and if nothing else, showed us just how much the iPhone has changed all kinds of businesses around the world. Intamac's home monitoring systems are used for all kinds of purposes -- not only does it have products that can monitor video or motion, but it's developed ways to remotely monitor a home's temperatures and energy usage as well, and it uses all of those devices for things like making sure an elderly relative is moving around OK, or that guests are staying out of restricted areas. The systems can even do things like text-to-speech, or contact you on email or social networks when something happens at the house. All of these things are controlled via Intamac's system, which was originally designed to work with a browser-based app. But recently, the company released an iPhone app, and the representative told me this was a sea change in the way their business has worked. Customers are using the iPhone app (and other smartphone apps) in droves, and what Intamac is seeing is that usage of the iPhone app is actually determining company strategy these days. "This is certainly driving us," they said.
Enspert Identity Tab E301 and E201 hands-on preview
Android tablets aren't exactly in short supply at CES 2011, but the Enspert Identity Tab stands out -- despite hailing from a manufacturer we'd never heard of before the show. Enspert's got two slick 7-inch slates on the floor, and while the E201 mostly cribs from Samsung's WiFi-only Galaxy Tab -- right down to a 1GHz Samsung Hummingbird chip -- the flagship Enspert E301 pumps up the pixel density with a 1024 x 600 capacitive touchscreen, adds an all-metal case, a mobile DTV antenna, and 3G connectivity. We poked and prodded these tablets all over and got a peek at the full spec sheets, so after you peruse our gallery below, hit the break for details! Update: It seems Enspert isn't new to the Android game at all -- it's actually Inbrics, which renamed itself after acquiring a semiconductor design firm early last year. %Gallery-113487%%Gallery-113488%
