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Origin PC teases new living room gaming rigs (but not Steam)
Remember how Origin PC was quick to hop aboard the Steam Machine bandwagon with plans for SteamOS-powered living room versions of its Chronos desktops? Well, it's back with another teaser for these rigs -- but, like other gaming PC makers, it's downplaying the Steam angle this time around. While the company's newly rechristened Omega line can still boot multiple operating systems, they're more PCs that happen to sit in your living room than they are launchpads for Valve's console-like software. Origin isn't divulging specs or pricing. However, it's promising support for the "highest-end" NVIDIA video cards, liquid cooling and optional peripherals like Xbox controllers and a possible all-in-one keyboard and trackpad hybrid. Just be prepared to wait -- the Omega series is only due to show up sometime in 2015.
New 3Doodler 3D printer pen gets slimmer and prettier
Remember the 3Doodler? A pen that lets you draw in the air with plastic -- basically a hand-held 3D printer. Well, the fine folks at WobbleWorks are back with an all-new 3D Doodler that's improved in just about every way possible. Most notably, this thing is tiny. It's just a quarter of the size of the first-gen device. Really, it's not much bigger than a large permanent marker at this point. And it's not much heavier either: At 50g (1.77 ounces) it's just half the weight of the original. But the improvements don't stop there. This pen is also quieter and uses less power. The latter part is especially important since the company is also debuting the JetPack (along with other accessories), a portable battery that lets you doodle with PLA or ABS plastic for between two and three hours while you're on the go. The new, aluminum-clad pen adds a double click for continuous flow (so you don't have to just hold the button down the whole time) and has two speed options depending on what you're drawing.
Garmin's stylish new fitness tracker is one you might actually want to wear
And you thought Garmin was done announcing wearables for the day. Well! You thought wrong, didn't you, Engadget readers! In addition to all those high-end sports watches the company unveiled just an hour ago, it's also showing off a lower-end wristband called the Vivofit 2. It's -- yep, you guessed it -- the follow-up to Garmin's original Vivofit fitness tracker. Actually, if we're honest, calling it a follow-up seems like generous wording on our part: It's nearly identical to last year's model, what with its rectangular OLED display, water-resistant design and colorful silicone bands. A big update this is not.
New portable speakers from Philips add some physical pop to your music
Bluetooth speakers are a dime a dozen these days, so new products need an extra bit of zing to make an impression on us. Or, in the case of the Philips FL3X speaker from Woox Innovations, a pop. The FL3X is a pocket-sized circular speaker with sides that can be pulled out, transforming it from a disc into a small cylinder that delivers richer bass than many similar-sized portable speakers.
Former HTC execs unveil smart scooter plus a network of swappable batteries
One of the biggest barriers to owning an electric vehicle is that you have to charge it, often for hours, before taking it for a spin. But what if you could swap out its depleted battery for a fully charged one in seconds? And what if those batteries were in plentiful supply throughout the city? And what if, on top of that, the vehicle in question was a high-powered, cloud-connected electric scooter that told you, among other things, exactly when you should go and swap them out? That's exactly what today's big announcement is from Gogoro, a new effort by a couple of ex-HTC executives -- former Chief Innovation Officer Horace Luke and former Chief Technologist Matthew Taylor -- both of whom were responsible for some of HTC's most groundbreaking products in the past few years. With Gogoro, however, Luke and Taylor's focus is not on phones, but on implementing smarter energy consumption in large cities. And its plans include transforming the urban transport landscape as we know it.
Misfit and Swarovski team up for the most fashionable health trackers yet
Leave it to Misfit, one of the first companies to deliver some truly attractive health gadgets, to be the first wearable startup to team up with a fashion icon like Swarovski. The two companies unveiled the Swarovski Shine Collection today at CES, a suite of jewelry and accessories that combine Swarovski's iconic crystals and Misfit's svelte Shine health tracker. They're among the first gadgets for tracking your steps, sleep and overall activity that you could actually wear out in the open at a fancy party. The Shine Collection, available in three introductory sets ranging from $170 to $250, offers a health-tracking spin on Swarovski's existing bracelet and pendant designs. In addition to running over six months on a watch battery (just like the original Shine tracker), there's also a violet Swarovski Shine model with integrated solar charging. Technically, that won't ever need a battery replacement (unless you live in a cave). You can pre-order the Swarovski Shine Collection today, and they'll also be available in Swarovski stores this spring.
Garmin intros three smartwatches, all of them aimed at sports junkies
Credit where it's due: Garmin has managed to basically reinvent itself. Once the king of in-car GPS navigation, the company is now equally known for its sports watches and fitness trackers. Indeed, with the exception of a few low-end navigators no one cares about, Garmin is pretty much only showing wearable devices here at CES. In brief, this year's lineup runs the gamut, with prices starting at $250 and going all the way up to $600. Still, they all have this in common: They're equal parts smartwatch and fitness tracker.
Alcatel OneTouch wants to be the Zara of smartwatches
Alcatel OneTouch wouldn't be the first company to bring us a round smartwatch (well, near-circular, in this case), but with its eyes set on the sub-€100 and sub-$150 price points in Europe and North America, respectively, the company clearly has ambitious plans. Previously known as the "Wave," this device is now simply dubbed the Watch and features a much prettier UI than what we saw back in September. In addition to the aforementioned updates, Alcatel's added two slightly different designs to go alongside the original sporty black-and-red look: a feminine all-white version and a premium all-metallic version. While these two will cost a little more, we understand that they likely won't exceed €150 (about $180), which should still encourage more folks to give them a spin.
Wellograph 2.0 adds sleep tracking to its stylish activity tracker
Wellograph's stylish, yet flawed activity tracker was one of the first wearables with a sapphire crystal display. Not one to rest upon its laurels, however, the company has spent the last few months revamping both the Wellograph's operating system and companion app for 2015. New features include sleep tracking, body readiness analysis and the unit will even identify how stressed you feel when your boss demands some TPS reports. In addition, there's a new social aspect that'll let you compete with your friends and enemies.
HP's next assault on Chrome OS is a pair of tiny Windows PCs
It's clear that when it comes to operating systems, HP isn't one to play favorites: The company's current lineup includes Windows machines, Chromebooks and even an Android laptop. At the same time, if there's anyone who's been giving Chrome OS a run for its money, it's good ol' Hewlett-Packard. After releasing a pair of aggressively priced laptops, each of them marketed as "Chromebook killers," the company is back, and this time it's taking on Chromeboxes. Here at CES, HP has just announced two miniature Windows desktops, both of which are small and inexpensive enough to compete with Chrome. At the lower end, there's the $180 Stream mini, which has a bright blue, plastic chassis, just like the Stream 11 laptop we reviewed recently. The higher-end Pavilion mini ($320) has a slightly more sophisticated design, though the overall shape is the same -- a 2-inch-high cube with four USB 3.0 ports, an audio jack, HDMI socket and DisplayPort.
D-Link wants to invade your home with security cameras and leak sensors
Night-vision baby monitors, pan-and-tilt security cameras and water leak sensors? D-Link's smart home product division loves CES, and an earlier connected home hub leak showed that it would be especially active this year. The company has formally revealed its first hub (the $80 DCH-G020) to support both WiFi and Z-Wave devices, along with some peripherals to go with it. As expected, it plugs into a regular router and lets you control a raft of either Z-Wave or WiFi accessories using the mydlink app for iOS or Android devices. Giving the hub some utility are the $40 Z-Wave DCH-Z110 open/close and $50 Z-Wave Motion sensors, along with the DCH-S160 WiFi water sensor and DCH-S220 WiFi siren ($60 and $50, respectively). All of those devices will be available sometime next quarter.
Keeping up with Engadget on the ground at #CES2015
It's the most wonderful time of the year! And if you look at the lyrics to the Andy Williams classic, it can easily be adjusted for the 2015 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas (and despite impending sleep deprivation, we'll still do our very best to "be of good cheer.") We're perched up in a gorgeous trailer (with plants!) and broadcasting live from our delightful stage right in the heart of the Las Vegas Convention Center.
D-Link's new routers look crazy, but they're seriously fast
D-Link has just jumped the router shark with its latest AC5300, AC3200 and AC3100 Ultra Performance models. On top of speeds up to 5.3Gbps for the AC5300 model, the 802.11ac devices feature, um, striking looks that hopefully won't frighten animals or small children. D-Link calls the models "attractive" with a "modern form factor for today's homes," and we'd agree -- provided you live in some kind of rouge-accented spaceship. Performance-wise, however, the new models are definitely drool-worthy, thanks to 802.11ac tri-band beamforming speeds between 3.1 and 5.3 Gbps, along with Gigabit Ethernet, high-power antennas and onboard USB 3.0 ports.
Ultimate Ears' UE Megaboom is a larger version of its 360-degree speaker
The UE Boom has been a popular choice among Bluetooth speakers since its debut back in 2013, thanks in large part to its stellar design and ability to blast tunes in 360 degrees. In fact, we've been quite smitten with it here at Engadget HQ. After nearly a year and a half, and a number of new colors and artist collaborations, Ultimate Ears has a new version: the Megaboom. If you're thinking this looks a lot like the regular Boom, you're correct -- except it's bigger. The larger option is still waterproof and wrapped in a stain-resistant skin, and it's said to last 20 hours on a charge with a Bluetooth range of 100 feet. Free apps for both iOS and Android are in play as well, which means remote control, alarm and sound tweaks from your mobile device return. And if one isn't enough, the UE Megaboom can "double up" with a second or a regular Boom for a sound boost. The $300 speaker will arrive in the US and a few countries in both Europe and Asia later this month.
The key to unlocking this smart luggage lock is NFC
eGeeTouch seems to have solved a travel problem we weren't even aware we had. Rather than having to fumble with a dial code or a key that's been TSA approved, the company's keyless smart lock uses NFC and a battery that should perform for 30,000 cycles between changes. Push the unlock button to activate, swipe the included NFC badge or your phone over the lock, and then slide the catch to unlock the lock. Battery die mid-trip? No worries: You can still use the device's physical key or a USB port on the side that will power it while you activate the lock to open it. While the eGeeTouch's developers don't have any immediate plans to sell the lock as a standalone device, they're already in talks with luggage vendors to have this on the market by the second quarter of the year.
NVIDIA's next-gen X1 mobile chipset: a closer look at the numbers
Earlier tonight, NVIDIA's Jen-Hsun Huang officially pulled back the curtain on the Tegra X1 -- a next-generation mobile powerhouse of a chipset that's also the first to offer a teraflop of processing power. It's going to play a crucial role in the company's automotive future, but the mobile nerds reading this might be a little more interested in how fast the X1's going to make our gadgets. Thankfully, NVIDIA pulled us aside for a fast-and-furious benchmarking session that gave us a better idea of what to expect when X1s start trickling into the wild.
NVIDIA's car of the future drives itself, has a gorgeous digital dashboard
In-dash navigation and instrument clusters don't need to be pretty, but when they are, it's a bonus. Case in point: NVIDIA's new Drive CX platform. The digital dashboards look pretty snazzy thanks to the company's graphics heritage, with the surfaces for the gauges following the properties of the materials they're simulating. Meaning, not only do the bamboo or carbon fiber skins look like a version of the real McCoy from head-on, but they also reflect light and color in ways that the actual material would in the real world, too. NVIDIA says this is all possible thanks to the newly unveiled Tegra X1 processor.
HP intros a slew of monitors, including curved, 5K and 3D models
HP just announced a boatload of new monitors here at CES and impressively, they seem to combine every big tech buzzword from the past few years. On the one hand, the company is showing off a pair of curved displays, which we already know are going to be huge at this year's show. Meanwhile, the company also unveiled its first 4K monitors, available in two sizes, along with its inaugural 5K model. Finally, HP is showing off a virtual reality display that works with 3D glasses, of all things -- a nice throwback to CES 2010.
NVIDIA's Tegra X1 is the first mobile chip with a teraflop of power
How powerful can a mobile processor get? Try a teraflop worth of raw computing muscle. NVIDIA just announced the Tegra X1 "mobile super chip" -- and yeah, it's sort of fast. The X1 is the first mobile chip to achieve a teraflop of computing power, co-founder and CEO Jen-Hsun Huang said on stage at NVIDIA's CES press conference tonight. That makes it just as fast as the world's fastest supercomputer in 2000. It's basically the same Maxwell GPU architecture for PCs, which the company announced several months ago, brought to mobile. Tegra X1 packs in an eight-core 64-bit CPU and 256 GPU cores. Altogether, it should deliver around twice the performance of last year's Tegra K1 mobile chip.
Take a look at the new Chevy Volt
GM won't officially introduce the new Chevy Volt until next week at the Detroit Auto Show, but tonight at CES we (briefly) got an uncovered peek at the new hybrid EV. It's still a sharp-edged sedan, but the black Volt on stage at tonight's event looked like a welcome redesign compared to the outgoing version. Unfortunately we didn't get any new details on the specs or rumored lower price, so for now you can just do what we did and see it, however briefly.
