ces2016
Latest
LG tries to capture the cheap smartphone market with the K series
Over the last year and a half, manufacturers have started making cheap smartphones that are actually good enough to compete with the typically expensive flagship models that usually cost two or three times more. (Look no further than the Moto G for an example of how far a sub-$200 smartphone has come.) LG is throwing its hat into the game here at CES 2016 with its new K Series of smartphones -- there's no word on the specific price yet, but LG says that their design makes the phones "look far more expensive and exclusive than they really are."
AMD's new graphics core is built for laptop gaming
For all the talk of fast graphics in thin laptops, the technology isn't quite there yet. You typically have to choose between a bulky gaming machine and a thin system with pokey low-end video. AMD thinks it might have the cure, however. It just offered a peek at a new graphics architecture, Polaris, that promises gaming-grade performance without the power draw. In Star Wars Battlefront, one of AMD's future chipsets is 61 percent more energy-efficient than a GeForce GTX 950 with similar performance -- in the mobile world, that could make the difference between a slim portable and a big desktop replacement. Even if AMD is cherry-picking the results, this could still lead to speedier visual in laptops and any other small PCs where heat and power are problems.
Altec Lansing wants to end the frustration of lost earbuds
What if your earbuds had a feature that helped you locate the accessories when you forgot where you put them? Well, you'll soon be in luck as Altec Lansing will do just that with its Freedom True Wireless in-ear headphones. The earbuds nix the cord entirely, using two separate units to handle the Bluetooth audio in each ear.
OMsignal's biometric sports bra hits stores this spring
Four years ago, OMsignal set out to make a biometric sports bra -- but a lack of experience in clothing design hampered the company's progress. Eventually, the team released the OMsignal smart shirt, a product that worked, but only served half of the market. That's not a problem anymore: OMsignal just announced the OMbra, a biometric garment designed specifically for women.
Toyota joins Ford's infotainment fight against Google, Apple
Ford is determined not to let Google and Apple dictate its vehicle dashboards and now has a big partner. Toyota has agreed to adopt Ford's open-source SmartDeviceLink (SDL) interface software, letting drivers access its Entune infotainment system. SDL allows smartphone-native apps, like GPS navigation, to run on vehicle infotainment systems (it's a open-source version of Ford's AppLink). Auto parts supplier QNX, owned by BlackBerry, has also signed on to the standard, And Ford said that Peugeot Citroën, Honda, Mazda and Subaru are considering it, too.
ASUS' optical zoom smartphone to hit the US next month
All good things take time, which is often the case with products coming from ASUS. In this case, we're looking at the ZenFone Zoom, the world's first modern smartphone to feature a camera with 3x optical zoom sans the protrusion (a homage to the Nokia N93, if you like). Exactly a year after its surprise unveiling at last year's CES, we bring you the good news that this quirky device is finally heading to the US in early February. The price? $399 off-contract, as originally intended. That's not bad given that unlike its closest competitor from Samsung, the ZenFone Zoom doesn't compromise its main specs and materials to make way for the expensive camera module.
DJI's latest drones are made for 4K video pros
Now that there's a budding market for movie-making drones, DJI is determined to seize the moment. It's releasing a trio of camera drones that cater to pros wanting the best possible aerial shots. The Phantom 3 4K upgrades the regular Phantom 3 with shooting in official DCI 4K formats, and rolls in a range-extended WiFi link that lets you control the drone from much further away -- 3,937 feet, to be exact. The black Inspire 1 Pro, meanwhile, gives you a high-quality 16-megapixel camera in a stealthier, more sinister-looking design. The Phantom 3 4K is relatively affordable for personal at $999, but you'll likely have to be a full-on filmmaker to justify the Inspire 1 Pro's $4,499 price tag.
Polar launches its very own smart scale
If you make fitness trackers, then you probably need to make weighing scales, or watch as Withings or Fitbit steals your customers away from you. It's a lesson that Polar now appreciates, and after a couple of years producing simple fitness trackers, it's turned up at CES with its first set of connected scales, Polar Balance. The firm describes the unit as a "weight management service," and promises that using it will help shift those pounds you gained during the holiday.
The first 4K Roku TVs will be available this spring
Roku may be best known for its ever-expanding range of streaming boxes, but the company has also spent the last few years trying to get Roku OS installed on as many new smart TVs as possible. It's proving to be a hard task, as most people normally upgrade their set once or twice a decade, but Roku TV sales have eclipsed the one million mark. With 2016 shaping up to be the year of 4K, Roku is reinforcing its commitment to Ultra HD content, announcing today that it's teamed up with Chinese electronics company TCL to launch the first 4K Roku TV sets in the spring.
Samsung's new portable SSD puts 2TB in your pocket
Samsung ushered in last year by launching its first portable SSD, so it's only fitting the company should kick 2016 off by announcing a bigger, better successor. The new Portable SSD T3 is similar to the older T1 in more ways than one. It uses Samsung's reliable vertical NAND (V-NAND) memory, is capable of read/write speeds of up to 450 MB/s and though it's ever-so-slightly larger and heavier than the T1, the T3 is still tiny enough to get lost in a deep pocket. Arguably the most significant development is the jump in capacity, as the T3 will be available with either 250GB, 500GB, 1TB or a massive 2TB of storage.
GM and Lyft team up to create self-driving vehicle network
Lyft and General Motors may be runners-up in their respective industries, but a partnership between the two could significantly boost both driverless vehicles and ride-sharing tech. The companies announced a joint venture to develop a network of autonomous cars, a first for a ride-sharing company and automaker. In the short-term, GM will provide vehicle rentals and its OnStar network to Lyft drivers, while Lyft will offer perks to GM drivers, presumably via trips for vehicle owners. In the long term, however, the companies plan to develop "a network of on-demand autonomous vehicles" developed by GM that might one day pick you up from the curb.
Makerbot just made a more reliable 3D printer head
Makerbot unveiled a new extruder for its 5th generation 3D printers today. The component, dubbed the Smart Extruder+, reportedly offers superior performance, longevity, and reliability than the current iteration. The company improved the extruder's thermal management system and added more accurate print sensors to further boost performance.
Acer's H7 is the world's first USB Type-C display
You probably don't know Acer for its smartphones, but the company has nonetheless been pushing out handsets for years. Its latest is the Liquid Jade Primo, a Windows Phone teased a few months back, which arrives with a couple of tricks up its sleeve. Internally, it's virtually identical to Microsoft's own Lumia 950 and 950 XL, with a 5.5-inch 1080p AMOLED display, Snapdragon 808 processor, 3GB of RAM, 32GB of internal storage, 21-megapixel rear and 8-megapixel front-facing camera. So far, so Windows Phone. Like the Lumias, it can connect to a monitor and turn into a "PC." But Acer's announcing a second product today that makes that transition much smoother.
Acer adds a semi-rugged $180 model to its Chromebook line
Acer's almost certainly the most prolific ChromeOS supporter. It's brought Google's operating system to a wide range of devices over the years, including 15-inch laptops, convertibles and giant all-in-ones. It's going back to basics today, though, with a simple addition to its Chromebook 11 line. Named the CB3-131, it's a low-end machine with an 11.6-inch 1,366 x 768 display, an Intel Celeron processor and a choice of 2GB or 4GB of RAM (and 16GB or 32GB storage). Rounding off the spec sheet are dual-band 802.11ac WiFi, HDMI out, USB 3.0 ports, an SD card reader and a touted 9-hour battery life.
New WiFi standard offers more range for less power
The WiFi Alliance has finally approved the eagerly-anticipated 802.11ah WiFi standard and dubbed it "HaLow." Approved devices will operate in the unlicensed 900MHz band, which has double the range of the current 2.4GHz standard, uses less power and provides better wall penetration. The standard is seen as a key for the internet of things and connected home devices, which haven't exactly set the world on fire so far. The problem has been that gadgets like door sensors, connected bulbs and cameras need to have enough power to send data long distances to remote hubs or routers. However, the current WiFi standard doesn't lend itself to long battery life and transmission distances.
Acer's new Chromebase is bigger and more powerful than ever
The idea of all-in-ones running Google's ChromeOS is now firmly established, and Acer is pushing the concept further with its new Chromebase 24. While previous models from LG and Acer have used cheaper chips like Intel Celerons and Tegra K1s, the Chromebase 24 uses proper Intel Core chips, like the sort you'd find in all-in-ones running Windows or OS X. It's also got a larger display than the last generation of Chromebases -- a 23.8-inch 1080p IPS unit with optional touchscreen support.
Acer introduces 'world's first' laptop with 802.11ad WiFi
Acer isn't bringing a load of Windows laptops to CES this year, but it is refreshing some existing lines with new features and tech. One such device is the company's TravelMate P648, a business-oriented laptop with one stand-out feature: support for 802.11ad wireless. Also known as WiGig, it's a short-distance WiFi standard that supports speeds of up to 4.6Gbps. The TravelMate P648 features one of Qualcomm's tri-band Atheros chips, which uses 2.4GHz, 5GHz, and 60GHz radios to support a range of networks.
Acer's Aspire Switch 12 S: a convertible laptop with USB Type-C
Acer's Aspire Switch 12 was an odd thing. Ostensibly a "five-in-one," it was a low-power Windows tablet that tried to be everything to everyone (with varying success). It'll soon be replaced by the Aspire Switch 12 S, which dials down the crazy in favor of a more traditional design and some improved specifications.
Mio's new tracker and health metric may help you live longer
Mio introduced a new fitness tracker called the Mio SLICE at CES Monday and, with it, a new kind of health index called the Personal Activity Intelligence index that supposedly helps practitioners live up to a decade longer. The PAI index is based on the HUNT study, a large scale trial that followed 60,000 people over two decades. By keeping their PAI score above 100 "will increase your lifespan by up to 10 years and provide maximum protection from lifestyle diseases," a Mio statement touts. What's more, it is supposedly personalizable to each individual, rather than more generalized metrics like the Body Mass Index.
Samsung's latest smart fridge has cameras and a huge display
One of the highlights of CES is always the wacky new appliance tech (and associated bickering) from Samsung and LG. This year looks to be no exception thanks to a new "Family Hub" refrigerator from Samsung. The imposing-looking model is equipped with a 21.5-inch, 1080p monitor and cameras inside so that you can watch your mayonnaise go bad in real time. You can even check the contents remotely via a smartphone app to see what's in there while you're shopping, in case you forgot whether you need that jar of sweet pickles or not.
