CES 2011
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Quanta's 7-inch Android tablet dummy spotted at CES
In case you're not already sick of tablets, here's another one that we spotted at a small Taiwanese booth at CES. Sure, this Anadem Q07 -- a rebadged Quanta device -- was just a dummy, but even this could easily beat the lot of cheap Android slates in a beauty contest. Encased within the chrome bezel and silver body will be a 7-inch 800 x 480 display (which is slightly underwhelming), along with a Samsung S5PV210 processor -- essentially the Hummingbird chip but in a different package -- underclocked to 800MHz, but still capable of handling 1080p video playback. There's not much else on the spec sheet, but we did see a micro-USB port, HDMI mini connector, microSD slot, SIM card slot, and stereo speakers on the Q07. Naturally, you'll hear from us when we stumble upon this Froyo tablet again. %Gallery-113477%
Full House Poker preview: Know when to hold 'em
After leaks about the secret beta appeared way back in November, Microsoft finally unveiled its Full House Poker game during an event at CES this past week, and I sat down with members of the gaming press (and celebrity guest Shannon Elizabeth) to run the Xbox Live Arcade poker title through its paces. The rumors of the game being part of 1 vs. 100's legacy are true. "This is pretty much a spiritual successor" to the popular-in-certain-circles event-based massively multiplayer arcade title, says lead designer John Scott Tynes. But rather than a snappy trivia game show, this is definitely a Texas Hold'em poker game -- there's no celebrity hosts or mob members here. If you don't know your straight flush from your two pair, ace high, the game does have a tutorial to teach you the basic rules, but you'll have to find your own way to figuring out when and how to go all-in. %Gallery-113483%
MOG Fusion to bring premium music service to cars, or so MOG hopes
MOG's on-demand music subscription service could be coming to a vehicle near you. Excited? You should be. At this year's CES, auto manufacturers had a coming-out party when it comes to in-car infotainment, and MOG's champing at the bit to jump on the bandwagon. According to the company, its newly launched MOG Fusion program will be accessible to select suppliers and manufacturers in the CE and automotive industries, with the API program being made available to "select partners," with Visteon Corporation being named in particular. It's still unclear how exactly tunes will be delivered, but we're sure all of that will be revealed in due time. Not nearly quick enough to satisfy you, we're sure, but hey...
Could this be the year we get to ditch the cable box?
We've been coming to CES for years looking at demos of technologies that will let us watch HDTV without a set-top box, and yet here we are years later with little choice but to find a place to put that box. The big failures have been CableCARD and then tru2way, both of which have had little impact to mainstream America. But despite all of our disappointment over the years, we came away from CES this year with the feeling that this might actually be the year. Of course, the allure of Vegas has yet to wear off, but when Time Warner Cable, Comcast, DirecTV and Verizon FiOS TV are at the same show sending almost the same message and showing demos, we have a hard time not taking our skeptical shield down a little. Sadly it wasn't exactly the same message, and if you click on through you might discover the true future of how TV will be delivered. %Gallery-113471%
This day in Engadget: CES extravaganzas galore
Welcome to 'This day in Engadget', where we crack open the archives and take a whimsical look back at the memories and moments of our storied past. Please join us on this trip down random access memory lane. If you've not been living under a boulder for the past week or so, you've probably noticed that CES has been going on in glorious, illness-inducing Las Vegas, Nevada. The thing is, Engadget has been running this game for a long, long time, and though historically things are usually wrapping up around the 9th of January every year, the remnants, the wrap-ups, and the gadget hangovers are almost as fun to look back on as the show itself. So, as we wrap up a truly outstanding CES 2011, we thought we'd take a look back at previous CES wrap-ups, some big days, and some downright weird ones, in this nostalgic episode of This day in Engadget.
Toyota Entune infotainment system hands-on (video)
Toyota's still the biggest auto manufacturer in the world, handily trumping GM and Ford, and with the Prius celebrating its 10 year anniversary it's clear the company can certainly lead the industry when it wants to. Not so much with advanced infotainment and smartphone integration. There the company has been lagging behind the competition, Ford's SYNC and the like, but now it's making a big step forward with Entune, and it chose this year's CES to do it. Toyota was kind enough to let us run a very early demo unit through its paces. Keep on reading for our impressions. %Gallery-112384%
Acer Iconia Windows 7 tablet hands-on
Acer has made something very clear here at CES -- it's going to enter the tablet market much like it entered the netbook one, with lots of options. In addition to the Android tablets (it's got 4.8-, 7-, and 10-inch versions) and the dual-screen Iconia, the company will be bringing its 10.1-inch Windows 7 tablet to the US market for about $550 in the coming months. Just as we had heard, the tablet will use AMD's Fusion platform and will come with a keyboard dock. We got a chance to check out the whole package and the dock / tablet fit together in a unique fashion -- the tablet and keyboard are surrounded by magnetic borders that latch onto each other. When you pull 'em apart you can attach the tablet via USB to the keyboard or just use it on its own. The whole attachment mechanism felt very flimsy on the two units we saw at the show and the entire thing felt very top heavy when docked. The chiclet keyboard is different from Acer's typical variety, but we really like the addition of the pointing stick in the center for navigating Windows 7. We didn't get to spend too much with the working unit but we were able to fire up Engadget in Internet Explorer 9 and scroll down the page rather smoothly. It's unclear whether Acer will be using a skin on top of Windows 7 since we saw it on display in Microsoft's booth and all of those tablets were running stock Windows. It should be rather interesting to see how AMD's Fusion platform performs in a tablet and how it impacts the battery life, but until we can bring you a full review we leave you with the gallery below. %Gallery-113472%
SCT iTSX lets you tune your car from your iPad (video)
Viewing vehicle information wirelessly from an OBD-II port? Been there, done that. Actually tuning your car and making it faster over OBD-II? That's genuinely new, and that's what SCT is up to with its iTSX. For $350 you get the Bluetooth dongle and access to a free app that works on iOS devices. From there you get access to limited tuning parameters, like specifying idle RPM and fuel type. If you're familiar with SCT you know that's probably a little limited, but if you go to an SCT-authorized tuner they can create custom tunes, tweaking way more parameters than that, and download those tunes to your device. You can then apply them whenever you like or, even restore your stock tune if you're feeling really crazy. Compatibility is a little limited, though, only working with Ford and GM vehicles '96 and nearer. Right now the hardware is ready, just waiting on App Store approval, so look for release in the coming months. %Gallery-113463%
Tribune's Mosaic app brings elegant media aggregation to Windows 7 tablets, soon to Windows Phone 7
Tribune is hardly the first media monolith to try something like this, but the more the merrier, right? And for once, a company's out to provide an elegant, useful news aggregator for a platform not named iOS. Mosaic is a fresh piece of software, designed to pull together news and information from all sorts of sources onto Windows 7-based tablets. At least, that's what we're guessing. According to the official press release, it'll be available for use "with Microsoft's Windows 7 Mobile-based tablets" starting on January 31st, and unless the folks in Redmond have yet another OS up their sleeve, we're guessing they simply mean Win7 slates. Furthermore, a companion app for Windows Phone 7, iPad and Android will be following shortly, and it sure sounds as if both versions will be completely gratis.
Snakebyte PlayStation 3 remote touts IR and Bluetooth, $50 price tag
So, here's the dilemma -- do you buy a lovely Bluetooth remote to control your PS3, or spring for a Bluetooth-to-IR adapter in order to better integrate your console into your overall home theater? How's about neither? Snakebyte's Premium Bluetooth Remote has just been unleashed here at CES, offering both Bluetooth and Infrared support, enabling it to dictate your PS3 as well as five other IR components. You'll also get a backlit display, ingrained motion sensor, a built-in Li-ion battery and support for updatable firmware. We dropped by the company's booth here in Vegas, but the only model on-hand was a non-functional mockup -- too bad, but the real-deal is expected to ship this April for $49.99.
Motorola's CES 2011 booth tour
To say Motorola's had a stellar show would be a massive understatement. Betwixt the Motorola Atrix 4G, the Xoom, Droid Bionic and to a lesser extent the Cliq 2, they've been reborn and are the star of the show. Of course, in order to peddle your wares at CES you need a booth -- the more garish the better, typically -- and Moto's is massive and bedecked and badazzled in light with more flair than you'd need to work in a place like Chotchke's. So, we wandered about, took in the sights, the sounds, and grabbed some pics and a short vid of what we saw. %Gallery-113437%
NetTalk TV to deliver à la carte HD television programming?
NetTalk hasn't exactly made it easy for the world to believe in all of its claims, but things are just getting loco at this point. The NetTalk TV has been introduced here at CES, touted as a companion device to the Duo that provides ultra-low cost digital TV service. Reportedly, the bantam box offers HDMI / S-Video / composite outputs, Ethernet and WiFi, and it'll enable consumers to receive only the standard- and high-definition content that they want. According to the company, this allows individuals to detach themselves from the high-priced cable packages that force you to pay for 50 channels (when you only need three), but here's the kicker: there are no details whatsoever provided in the press release after the break. Not even a price. We're told to expect shipments in Q3 of this year, followed by undoubted disappointment as you begin to understand that it won't be NetTalk to finally convert the à la carte dream into reality.
Marvell-powered OLPC XO 1.75 only draws two watts of power, finally charges via hand crank
Here's something you may not know -- OLPC's XO hand crank has never really worked to recharge the kiddie laptop. Why? Well, the previous versions were powered by x86 AMD and VIA processors that pulled too much power. However, things are different now with the XO 1.75 since OLPC has baked in Marvell's 1GHz Armada chip. As a result, the entire system now only pulls two watts of power, and thus the battery can be given some more juice with a few turns of that neon green crank. It's not meant to recharge the laptop completely -- actually, according to OLPC's CTO Edward McNierney, it would take about two hours of cranking to top off the system. Other than the fresh ARM CPU, the new model is identical to the previous versions -- it has an outdoor readable PixelQi display, Flash storage, a rubber keyboard, and runs Sugar OS. On a different note, OLPC is hard at work on the tablet version of the XO and, according to McNierney, the only hold up is finding a more durable, plastic display -- converting the current system into a tablet should be fairly easy since all the guts are in the display part already. The tablet is still on track for 2012, while the XO 1.75 should be with the hand-cranking children by the end of the summer. %Gallery-113451%
Crapgadget CES, round seven: MiniDV underwater goggles for all ages
Really? For all ages?
Hands-on with the iPad ClamCase keyboard/stand
We've been stopping by the trailer of our sister site Engadget quite often here at CES for the excellent company (and the excellent Wi-Fi), and while we were in there the other day, the good folks from ClamCase came by to show off their product. Engadget got their own look, but we were kindly handed one of our own to give it a good once-over from a more Apple-centric perspective. The most intriguing thing about the ClamCase is how light it is. At just 1.8 pounds, even with a 1.6 pound Wi-Fi+3G iPad snapped in securely, the whole unit is only a little bit heavier than a 13-inch MacBook Air. It doesn't fold down quite as thinly, but it's still a pretty compact package that feels solid and well-made. The iPad does just snap in -- there's no release or switch, so you kind of have to "pop" the case open to get it out. But ClamCase told us that they tried a few different things, and in the end, the snap was what worked best and easiest. The keyboard is a Bluetooth keyboard and the keys are tiny. The whole thing couldn't be made bigger than the iPad itself, so if you've got fat fingers, you might find more key presses than you meant to have. The scale takes a little getting used to as well -- reaching for the shift key will have your pinky falling right off of the case if you're used to a standard keyboard.
Kenmore shows off smartphone / tablet-connected appliances at CES (hands-on)
We've already seen some smartphone-connected appliances in LG's Thinq lineup, and it looks like Kenmore is now getting ready to join it in a big way with some fairly impressive "enhanced" appliances of its own -- which we managed to get an early look at here at CES. Those will include things like washers, dryers, stoves and refrigerators, all of which will be able to be controlled via a "smartphone or smart tablet" (Apple and Android devices were specifically mentioned as getting a free app), or via a large touchscreen on the device itself (not removable as a tablet, unfortunately). What's more, the appliances all boast Kenmore Connect, which allows for remote diagnostics that can be used to prepare technicians for in-home repairs, and they pack an array of energy management features that will let you conserve energy and keep watch on how much you're using. Unfortunately, you'll still have a bit of a wait before you can actually buy one -- Kenmore says they'll start rolling out in 2012. Hit up the gallery below for a closer look. %Gallery-113454%
HTC EVO Shift 4G vs. Motorola Cliq 2... fight!
HTC's ThunderBolt along with Motorola's Atrix 4G and Droid Bionic might be taking the overwhelming majority of the attention here at CES over the past few days, but remember that both companies have introduced some other models that are expected to be serious midrange breadwinners for their respective carriers. One of the most obvious head-to-head matches would be the HTC EVO Shift 4G taking on the Motorola Cliq 2, both launching this month on Sprint and T-Mobile, respectively. %Gallery-113461%
Boxee demonstrated on iPad at CES 2011
As soon as we heard that Boxee was demoing their iPad version at this year's CES conference, we had to hunt them down and see it. We found them over at Iomega's booth (stay tuned for a writeup of an Iomega product designed to help iPhone backups as well), and asked to see the app. It's about what you'd expect from a Boxee interface -- slick and clean, with four different options across the top. Friends videos are first, allowing you to tune in to any videos your friends have flagged on various social networks. Featured videos is the second option, where you can watch any videos that Boxee wants to show off. Watch Later allows you to watch any videos you've marked on the Boxee service. And Files is the last option, letting you pull up any videos (in almost any format) stored via a Boxee media server on a Mac or PC on the same network. As you watch any of the videos, you can click a button in the iPad's interface that will also send that video right off to your own Boxee installation to watch. It's pretty awesome -- browse around for a video on your iPad, set it to start playing, and then either watch it there, or send it AirPlay-style right out to your Mac, PC, or a media player equipped with Boxee. Boxee says the app will be released for free later on this year, with another version for iPhone and iPod touch eventually as well.
Ion Book Saver hands-on
Treading on the brink of being another CES crapgadget, here's Ion Audio's venture into the book-digitizing business. The Book Saver promises one-second color scans of both pages of a book and comes with OCR software and the ability to export to PDF or JPEG formats. Plans aren't quite finalized and the unit before us wasn't functional, but a 2GB SD card is expected to be included while there's also a USB connection to hook up straight to your PC or Mac. The big problem here is that there's no automation for page turning, and worse yet, you'll need to lift the entire, somewhat fragile, scanner in order to flip to the next page. That's done using that fetching Wiimote KIRF up at the front of the device and there are a pair of cameras embedded in the bottom of the overarching plastic casing. MSRP is set at $149 and availability is coming in June at places like Barnes & Noble, Staples, and Office Depot ... you know, in case you actually want one. %Gallery-113453%
Griffin Beacon universal remote control system hands-on
We visited Griffin's CES booth to check out the Beacon universal remote control expecting yet another Redeye clone, but instead wound up walking away impressed. Two notable features of the prototype Bluetooth to IR converter device are that it's battery powered and includes a 360 degree IR blaster. These are key since they give users the freedom to place the transmitter almost anywhere around an entertainment center. The free iPhone remote app built by Dijit was the real highlight though. The UI and functionality was incredibly intuitive, and we especially liked that the setup process doesn't require inputting device model numbers. Instead, users just pick the brand and then test a series of code cycles to see if their components respond. The TV guide and Netflix integration are also points of distinction over competitors -- since you can select shows or movies to watch directly from the app. Last but not least, your remote settings can be saved and downloaded to as many devices as you like. To give you a feel for the system, we've included plenty of shots of the app's UI in the gallery below along with more photos the device. %Gallery-113456% %Gallery-113458%
