Ces2011
Latest
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%
ViewSonic ViewFun 3D Show photo frame hands-on
Do you love 3D? Do you love pictures? Do you love 3D pictures? The ViewFun 3D Show picture frame from ViewSonic may just be your fix you've been dreaming of. The $179 photo viewer jankily converts 2D stills to 3D (and videos, too, apparently, although we didn't get to see a demo) and eliminates the use for those funky glasses. The images remind us of holograms we used to find in cereal boxes, except bigger. The 8-inch frame sports capacitive buttons on the bezel that light up on contact. Along the left side of device, you'll find a USB 2.0 port, SD slot and power button. In order to stand this thing up, the company packed a pull-out plastic kickstand that felt pretty flimsy. Oh, and the remote control we demoed had improper button mapping, which made it virtually useless. Peek the gallery below the fold for a bunch of shots of this thing on the CES show floor. %Gallery-113455%
Hands-on with Sphero at the CES 2011
Sphero is this year's AR.Drone here in Las Vegas. Last year, the Parrot AR.Drone turned heads with an iPhone-controlled quadricopter, and this year, Sphero is creating a little buzz as an iPhone-controlled, well, ball. That's right -- the Sphero is a ball that both glows colors and rolls around at your iPhone or iPad's command. A company named Orbotix is working on releasing the ball sometime this year for no more than $100, and earlier this week at CES' ShowStoppers event, we got a chance to roll and control the ball ourselves. What's the verdict? It's a little tough to control, but then again the AR.Drone was as well, and that sold all right when it was released late last year. Setting up the free, not-yet-released iPhone (or iPad, or Android) app for Sphero is simple, and once it's up and running, you just need to face the ball in the right direction by dragging a little icon around a round area on screen. When the ball's aligned in the direction you want it facing, you just press the screen, and the ball moves the way you drag it -- forward, backwards, left or right. You can also adjust the ball's speed and the screen's sensitivity, and you can dive into another menu that allows you to change the (completely cosmetic) color of the LED inside with a few RGB sliders. It's fun, though, since it's still a prototype, it's tough to make the ball do exactly what you want, and most of the time, you just have to settle for what it does anyway. The dev told us that they're opening the platform up to anyone to make games or create applications, and the team has been working with ideas like turning the ball into a car with augmented reality. Our suggestion: let a cat play with this thing. They'd love it.
Pleo RB cuddles up to CES, we go hands-on and talk to Innvo about future Pleos
The folks behind the Pleo robot dinosaur didn't have much but promises and a giant, not-for-sale version of the bot at last year's CES, but Innvo Labs has come through this year. They have a number of their new Pleo RB dinos on hand, and we got a chance to both check them out and talk to Innvo COO Derek Dotson about what the future might hold for the robot dinosaur that refused to die. As for the current Pleo RB, while it may look relatively unchanged from before, it does boast some fairly impressive improvements, including voice recognition (with any language), more touch sensors, the ability to sense temperatures, RFID-based "learning stone technology" for feeding and other advanced commands, and time of day awareness. As you might be able to surmise, the combination of those latter two means that the Pleo will get slow and lethargic if you don't take care of it, but Innvo assures us that it won't actually die (just make you incredibly sad). It sounds like we could be seeing some even bigger changes in future generations of Pleo, though. Innvo tells us that they've basically pushed the current design to the limit, and they seem to be keeping all options on the table for future models. We asked about different versions, internet-connectedness, and even a Roomba-like ability to recharge itself, and Dotson said that Innvo considering all of those, but that it doesn't want to rush and do anything that would dilute the Pleo brand. Hit up the gallery below for a closer look at the Pleo RB, and head on past the break for a video. %Gallery-113464%
Intel Oasis: firetrucks, dragons, and trains hands-on
We'd seen Intel Lab's Oasis (Object-Aware Situated Interactive System) project a while back, and sure, while what it's showing off is the same, we love to get up close and personal. Using a Kinect-style camera, the system is able to recognize 3D objects on a surface and then project some nifty graphics to add interactivity. Placing the dragon near the house or train station sees them light on fire, drop a firetruck in and it puts out the fire, add a train then draw a track in front of it by dragging your finger, you get the idea. Intel Labs isn't bringing any of this to market -- at least not yet -- but we're enthused with what we see and look forward to what the folks with the crayons can dream up. Have a peek at the vid and gallery if trains, burning Lego people, fire breathing dragons, and firetrucks are your thing. %Gallery-113450% Myriam Joire contributed to this article.
