ces2016
Latest
LG wants to make using smart TVs easier with webOS 3.0
LG debuted its webOS-powered HDTVs back in 2014, bringing HP's mobile technology to the living room and making for a smart TV that mostly succeeded in being simpler and faster. Last year the second edition focused on speed, and for 2016 -- in world where dongles, set-top boxes and videogame systems are all competing to manage your streaming TV apps -- LG says it's working on usability and control. There are three new "Magic" features this year, with Mobile Connection that lets users toss apps up from their phone to the big screen, a new remote that's supposed to control more set-top boxes, and Zoom that can blow up parts of the picture without ruining the quality.
LG's robotic vacuum is both janitor and security guard
LG has launched its latest Hom-Bot robotic vacuum, the Turbo+, and is trying a few techie gimmicks to make it stand out from the latest models by Roomba and Dyson. The main new feature on the Turbo+ is "Home-Joy," a quasi-augmented reality (AR) function that takes advantage of a smartphone app. All you need to do is point your smartphone's camera at a region of the floor you want to clean and the Turbo+ will go to town on it, eliminating the need for any tedious mapping.
LG unveils next year's monitors and laptops ahead of CES
LG announced three classes of products on Tuesday that it will be showcasing at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. First up, LG announced a trio of new models for its 21:9 UltraWide line of monitors. They'll all sport 3440- x 1440-pixel screens and ThunderBolt 2 connectors. The The UC98 and UC88 models both feature curved screens, while the UM88 will not.
Huawei wants to bring its Honor smartphones to the US
Huawei wasn't kidding around when it talked about spreading its wings and launching more phones in Western markets. The Chinese mobile giant's George Zhao is teasing that it'll bring its Honor brand (and the accompanying devices) to the US, with an announcement due as soon as CES in early January. Just what you would see on this side of the Pacific isn't clear, but it's reasonable to presume that one or more of Honor's nicer smartphones would make it stateside.
Faraday Future will build its Tesla-fighting EV in Nevada
Carmaker Faraday Future materialized earlier this year with word of significant funding from a Chinese backer and a list of designers that hail from Tesla, BMW, GM and Ferrari. We won't see a concept version of the electric car it's building until CES in a few weeks, but today the company announced where it will build the 2017 model. Following the lead of its supposed competitor Tesla Motors and the Gigafactory, Faraday said its $1 billion facility will be located in Nevada near Las Vegas. In another move mirorring the Tesla announcement, governor Brian Sandoval announced the plant would be a source of jobs for Nevada residents and a boon to the local economy, justifying a $250 million tax incentive.
Loyal robot dog waits for you to walk through the door
WowWee, a smart toy company, has unveiled a robotic dog with blue-green LED eyes. The dog, aptly called CHiP (short for Canine Home Intelligent Pet), sits with the tap of a button, picks up your presence in the room via bluetooth and plays fetch. The sensor-loaded pup comes with a toy-watch looking wristband that allows it to pick up your whereabouts. When you're happy with your "pet's" response, you can press down a thumbs up on the wristband as a sign of approval -- it's the digital equivalent of a belly rub.
Engadget presents the Best of CES 2016: Here's what you need to know
It's November. For some, that means planning for Thanksgiving, while others might already be in the midst of holiday shopping. For us here at Engadget, November is when CES organizing kicks into high gear. Not only because CES is the country's largest get-together of tech, but also because for the third year in the row, Engadget has been bestowed the honor of running and hosting the official Best of CES awards. Just as in years past, our team of intrepid editors will search out the cream of the crop, nominate our finalists and pick the winners of the show. Oh and you too will have your voice heard in the People's Choice award. Want to know more? Well, head on over to our newly launched awards hub or read on further for a list of our award categories. And if you happen to be a company who wants to submit your product for such high honors, we've got instructions for that too.
Rinspeed's latest concept is a self-driving sports car
Most prototype self-driving cars are designed for comfort, not performance. After all, wouldn't you want to take the wheel if you really wanted a thrill? Rinspeed thinks there's a case to be made, though: it just teased the Σtos, an autonomous sports car concept. The vehicle still has a steering wheel for those hands-on moments, but the controller automatically retracts into the dashboard when you're content to let the car do all the hard work. Two curved widescreen displays also move closer into view in this mode, and there's even a drone (complete with a landing pad) that could deliver goods or record your adventures on camera.
