CES
Latest
Acer’s Spin convertible laptops get 10th-gen Intel chips
Acer's Spin line of convertible laptops are really designed for people who need flexibility but don't want to carry around too much stuff. They've never been outrageously heavy, but were never the lightest or prettiest devices. Which is precisely why the 2020 refresh of the Spin 3 and Spin 5 is so welcome.
Charmin thinks your bathroom needs robots and VR
Charmin, the popular toilet paper brand, has big plans for CES. Its Charmin GoLab will showcase "cheeky" conceptual prototypes all meant to improve the bathroom experience. They're a blend of robotics, sensors and virtual reality, and they're all equally ridiculous.
Greetings from CES 2020!
For Engadget editors, life is just a series of moments while you wait for CES to come back around again. Sometimes it almost feels like we never left. But we did. And now we're back. CES 2020 is about to get started in sunny (and slightly smelly) Las Vegas. As always there will be plenty of cars, TVs and smart (fill-in-the-blanks). But our real job is to separate the wheat from the chaff and bring you only the best of what the world's largest tech conference has to offer. The show floor hasn't officially opened yet, but we've already seen plenty shiny new laptops, a lot of 8K screens, and even a shower head that's also a smart speaker. Of course, you don't want to miss out on our liveblogs for Sony (January 6th at 8pm ET / 5pm PT) and Samsung (January 6th at 9:30pm ET / 6:30pm PT). And as always we are hosting the official Best of CES awards on Thursday January 9th at 8pm ET / 5pm PT.
SmartTools' updated weight lifting cuffs are cheaper and more durable
Bench pressing 200 pounds is cool, if you're into that, but it can put a strain on your limbs. SmartTools has an alternative. The company's SmartCuffs, blood flow restriction training (BFR) cuffs, let you lift less weight and see the same gains. While BFR training has primarily been used in clinical settings, the new SmartCuffs are meant for consumers and they're significantly more affordable than past iterations.
CES 2020: What to expect
We're only a few days into 2020, but we're already busy getting ready for the Consumer Electronics Show. The annual event for all things tech kicks off in Las Vegas next week, and we'll be there to check it all out. Here's a sneak peek at what to expect.
Engadget Podcast: CES 2020 here we come!
To celebrate the arrival of 2020, Devindra and Cherlynn are doing what they do every year: Prepping like crazy for CES. This week, we chat about how the infamous trade show has evolved over the years, and the new innovations we're actually looking forward to. And we can't help but dive into the products (and celebrity guests) we're already dreading. Check back next week for interviews and a recap of CES 2020! Listen below, or subscribe on your podcast app of choice. If you've got suggestions or topics you'd like covered on the show, be sure to email us or drop a note in the comments! And be sure to check out our other podcasts, the Morning After and Engadget News! Subscribe! iTunes Spotify Pocket Casts Stitcher Google Play Music Links All of Engadget's CES 2020 coverage! CES might be the home of tech, but not all gadgets are welcome CES re-awards revoked robotics prize to women's sex toy 2020 is VR's make-or-break year Credits Hosts: Devindra Hardawar and Cherlynn Low Producer: Ben Ellman Music: Terrence O'Brien
Willow's CES booth will double as a safe space for breast-pumping moms
CES is just around the corner and that means two things: the opportunity to get up close and personal with exciting new tech, and horrifyingly long lines for the men's bathroom. It's no secret that tech is still a very male-dominated industry, and to highlight the inequality that continues to abound, breast pump brand Willow is aiming to replicate the famous bathroom queues at its booth, which it is turning into a comfortable pumping space for conference-going moms.
Philips seems to be working on more Hue outdoor lights
The Philips Hue smart lightbulb lineup already includes some outdoor lighting, but rumor has it that Philips will introduce more outdoor options, likely at CES. According to a leaked product catalog, found by Hueblog.de, Philips Hue is planning a pretty big expansion of its offerings.
Ivanka Trump will reportedly appear on a panel at CES
According to documents reviewed by CNET, Ivanka Trump is scheduled to speak at CES 2020. Supposedly, she's slated as a headline speaker in a panel with Consumer Technology Association (CTA) president Gary Shapiro.
Apple's first CES appearance in 28 years is all about privacy
Apple hasn't had an official presence at CES since the Newton's debut in 1992, but it's about to come back... in a very modest way. The company's Senior Director of Global Privacy, Jane Horvath, is due to speak at a roundtable where she and her peers will share their beliefs on what customers want for privacy protections. There won't be an announcement, a keynote or a booth, then -- this is really about articulating views to industry and the press.
CES 2020 will allow sex tech on a trial basis
At least one sex tech product caused a stir at CES last year. As you might remember, the company Lora DiCarlo had a Robotics Innovation Award for its Ose "blended-orgasm machine" revoked and then reinstated. This year, likely hoping to avoid another debacle, the Consumer Technology Association (CTA) says it will allow tech-based sex products.
CES re-awards revoked robotics prize to women's sex toy
There was outrage and disbelief earlier this year when the Consumer Technology Association (CTA) -- the organization behind the major CES annual tech show -- revoked its Robotics Innovation Award from women's sex toy Osé.
The Void’s extra-sensory VR does what home experiences can’t
I walked through The Void's virtual reality center in the Las Vegas Venetian twice. The first time, armed with headset and wireless backpack, I was shuttled through Ralph Breaks VR, the company's latest experience. I saw my own shiny animated pink hands as I touched the walls and picked up a rifle -- both in the game and real life. Then, I ducked behind a café counter before firing pancakes at bunnies. When the area caught fire, my skin felt heat; when standing precariously on a skyscraper ledge I felt the vertigo-inducing wind on my face.
When you’re the only company at CES from your country
There are more than 1,700 American companies at CES, 1,200 official exhibitors from China, and several hundred from France and South Korea. Many of them are veterans of the trade show circuit, one-upping each other's booths with elaborate curved OLED TV installations and Disney-fied cart rides. There are entire government-sponsored showcases to feature the best of their country's tech scene.
VLC reaches three billion downloads, will soon add AirPlay
VLC, the video player that'll crunch every format you've heard of, plus all the ones you haven't, is about to hit a huge milestone. Variety spotted an installation at VideoLan's CES booth that's counting ever-closer to the three billion download mark. The VideoLan team expects the (really) Big Three-Oh to be hit at some point on Friday, with around 25 percent of all downloads going to mobile devices.
GoPro's Nick Woodman is happy he gave away a million dollars
GoPro's Nick Woodman is happy that there's nothing to report. After an eventful few years, 2018 was pretty much back to business as usual. That doesn't mean it was an uneventful 12 months though. The Hero 7 Black landed with a (stabilized) splash, and the company embarked on a new endeavor: The Million Dollar Challenge, that gave GoPro Hero 7 Black users the chance to claim a slice of the seven-figure prize pool. In our stage interview here at CES, Woodman (joined by one of the winners) explains how it could well be one of the best ideas they ever had.
Eargo Neo is a hearing aid you might actually want to wear
Six years ago I faced a choice: Risk facial paralysis, or potentially lose some hearing in my left ear. I opted for the latter, and two surgeries later, my ability to hear high and mid frequencies on one side is notably diminished. I've tried several hearing aids since then, and while some have worked well, for a combination of reasons (my hearing's tolerable without, the batteries run out too fast, comfort and the stigma / general appearance) I rarely stick with them. Enter the Eargo Neo, a hearing aid that, judging by my list of reasons not to wear something, was pretty much made for people like me.
Jack Dorsey talks NBA Twitter and Kevin Durant's burner account
Fresh off the announcement of a new partnership between Twitter and the NBA, today CEO Jack Dorsey sat down with the league's Commissioner Adam Silver at CES 2019. They talked about NBA games coming to Twitter for the first time, which won't be like any sports stream. Rather than watching a typical NBA broadcast, the Twitter camera feed is going to focus on single players, and users will be able to vote to choose whose view they want to get during a game. Dorsey said these livestreams are designed to be a "great complimentary experience" to the games you're watching on TV, rather than the primary source of entertainment.
Presenting the Best of CES 2019 finalists!
Our editors have been hard at work the past few days finding the latest and greatest gadgets here at CES 2019. Now, after a long and arduous debate, we're ready to announce our finalists for the official Best of CES awards. Below you'll find our selections for all 15 categories, which range from best wearables to the most impactful products we've seen at the show. We'll announce our category winners tomorrow, which is also when we'll reveal our Best of the Best award recipient, the most coveted prize of all. That special award is selected from our pool of category winners. If you want your voice heard too, no worries! There's an additional category for the People's Choice, where you can vote for your favorite entry from our compilation of finalists. Just head on over to our poll to vote, and the one with the most votes will win our special People's Choice award. All award winners will be announced at a ceremony tomorrow at our CES stage, so be sure to come back right here on Engadget around 5PM PT/8PM ET Thursday to watch it all unfold.
A woman pumped breast milk on the CES show floor. So what?
Every company at CES is incentivized to oversell their latest products but the invitations from Imalac promised something that was "groundbreaking," "the craziest thing you will see at CES this year" and "part of CES history." It was indeed an event the show floor had never seen before -- the CTA confirmed it. The unassuming booth in the baby tech section had a lactating woman.
