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Audi has a plan to keep you healthy while driving
More than just making electric vehicles, luxury automaker wants drivers to stay safe and healthy too. With the "Audi Fit Driver" system (spotted by Autoblog), the idea is to monitor your vitals via a fitness tracker or smartwatch, comparing aspects like current heart rate and skin temperature against previously gathered data to get a picture of your state while behind the wheel. From there, the system will analyze data gleaned from various vehicle sensors to determine your driving style, weather-and-traffic conditions and breathing rate, according to a statement from the company.
DVR headphones keep an eye on the crowd while you spin
Even in person, Altec-Lansing's new DVR DJ-Style headphones seem more like a "because we could" item than something the world has been desperately asking for. They pack a tiny 1080p camera in one ear cup, pointing forward so the wearer can record the crowd they're (presumably) inciting into a near riot through the power of music. On the CES show floor it's impossible to say with certainty what kind of audio quality they have, but Altec-Lansing says the $200 cans will stream video out over WiFi, or store it onboard for use/blackmail later.
LG's SmartThinQ wants to be the main hub for your smart home
LG's SmartThinQ home automation platform has existed for a few years now, but it's always felt like an afterthought for the electronics giant. This could be changing soon, however. Last week, LG introduced the SmartThinQ Hub, an Amazon Echo–esque device designed to be the centerpiece that controls your smart home, and it brought it to CES 2016 for everyone to see.
Syfy Labs fires up its 3D printers, lights and VR at CES
Syfy has always been willing to experiment with tech that promotes its shows -- Hue lights, the Defiance game/show tie-in -- and now it's launched the Syfy Labs "think tank" to crank out even more oddities. Here at CES, the network has a booth featuring some of its initial projects, like 3D printers from MakerBot cranking out figurines. If you have one of the devices at home, you can download the plans yourself and create the same models -- all without going through a CES 2016 security checkpoint.
Sony's new wireless headphones mix comfort and great audio
Wireless headphones are a dime a dozen here at CES, so you have to be pretty selective with what you take time to check out on the show floor. After last night's Sony presser, I was intrigued by the company's new high-res "h.ear" cans. Silly branding aside, the headphones offer digital noise-canceling tech that analyzes your surroundings to determine which mode will work best. In the confines of Sony's noisy CES booth, I can tell you that the tech works quite well. Even at a medium volume level, I didn't notice any raucous showgoer chatter. And if you want to turn it off, there's a button to do just that.
Hackaball, the toy kids can program, rolls out in March
After launching on Kickstarter last year, Hackaball, a programmable toy for kids, is almost ready for prime time. It's already sold out its initial pre-order run, but you'll soon be able to snag another batch for $85. Hackaball is expected to ship in March, the company says. To refresh, Hackaball looks like a fairly typical toy ball, but inside it's got a six-axis motion sensor and multi-color LED lights. Kids can program it to do all sorts of things using that sensor — it can change color when you throw it, or if you're not holding the ball steady enough. The idea is that kids will be able to create all sorts of games and learn the basics of programming.
A closer look at Intel and Xiaomi's Ninebot Segway Robot
Intel's collaboration with Xiaomi on its new (now modular) Ninebot Segway means at least one very important thing: it now has an adorable roboface. Arguably upstaging Intel's CEO when he rode the Ninebot on stage, it apparently combines the voice recognition and interaction skills of Pepper the robot with something that can take you places without having to move. Perfect. Intel was demoing the robotic role, while we're going to have to venture across Vegas to see someone riding the poor thing. (Most of the robot parts fold away when it needs to be ridden, making it look a lot more like the now headless-looking Ninebot Mini Segway.) Photos by Will Lipman.
What does it take to make a great show in Las Vegas?
Ever wonder what it takes to make a popular show on the Vegas strip? Tex Dike, general manager of The Axis at Planet Hollywood is familiar with the subject, as he oversees the venue where Britney Spears is currently in residency at Planet Hollywood. Tex stopped by the Engadget stage here at CES to fill us in and chat about the tech that makes the show so good.
The Skreens app puts all of your HDMI signals on one display
Skreens showed off its newly patented media device at CES Showstoppers. The self-titled gadget allows users to spread the video content from up to four HDMI inputs across a single display. The system utilizes a hardware component, shown above, that sits between the HDMI devices and the monitor, and an associated mobile app that controls how the inputs are displayed. Users can resize, reorder and rearrange the incoming signals as they see fit—even run a single input in full-screen with the other inputs overlaid semi-transparently. SImilarly, users can pick and choose which audio input they want to pay attention to.
3DR's Made for Solo program does 360-degree video on a budget
When 3DR announced its Made for Solo program last October, we knew it was working with Kodak to bring 360-degree video to its Solo drone. Today at CES, 3DR is showing off a prototype model of that integration, which adds a hyper-wide-angle lens to both the top and bottom of the drone, along with some early footage captured with the kit.
You can now buy a Bluetooth pregnancy test
While I might not be in the target market for First Response's new Bluetooth-enabled Pregnancy Pro test, it's obvious that this new test ties right into the bigger connected health trend that we're seeing all over CES this year. The device, which will cost between $15 and $20 depending on where you buy it, looks like a traditional pregnancy test, but you won't see a plus or minus symbol on it.
LG's Gram 15 laptop looks like a gold MacBook
It's only been a few months since LG brought its lightweight Gram laptops to the US, but the company's already looking toward the future with a new 15.6-inch model. Up until today, LG had only offered 13- and 14-inch versions, which are sold Stateside through Amazon and Microsoft Stores. Aside from having a larger 1080p display than both of its siblings, the Gram 15Z960 comes with Windows 10, Hi-Fi Sound speakers, 8GB of RAM and either a 256GB or 512GB SSD. Most importantly, it weighs in at a mere 2.16 lbs (980 grams) -- to put that in perspective, the 15-inch MacBook with Retina Display is 4.49 lbs.
Sony's new multi-room audio gear includes better speaker options
CES isn't the first time Sony's debuted speakers capable of multi-room audio. In fact, I spent some time with the company's SRS-X77 earlier this year. The wave of products that included that speaker offered a range of sizes, but didn't cover all the bases that Sonos does. With its announcements here in Las Vegas, Sony has a well-rounded stable of tech, with two speakers, a soundbar and a wireless sub. And those expanded options give it a better chance at taking a shot at the current top dog.
This VR flying rig had me pining for the fjords
Riding on a flying, virtual Pegasus is cool and all, but German design firm Hyve has cooked up what might be an even purer VR flying experience. Rather than plop down on a specially made stationary bike, designer Johannes Scholl has spent the last two years of his life crafting Icaros, a rig you climb on top of to simulate flight. There's no motor or hydraulics here — the sense of motion is derived solely from your own of balance... or in my case, the lack thereof.
I quite literally ran around a virtual arena and loved it
We've been watching the development of Virtuix's Omni VR treadmill since 2013. The company debuted a fully-functional production model at CES 2016 and I was lucky enough to take the $700 device for a test drive -- or rather test run.
3D Robotics: The future of drones needs to be smart yet simple
Quadcopters, drones, UAVs. Whatever you want to call them, they are an unavoidable part of our future according to 3DR CEO Chris Anderson. He should know, his company is the largest drone maker in America. Smart features that help enterprise and industry are pushing the limits of what's possible (and where it's possible). These are features that will trickle down the the drones you see on shelves. We spoke with him on stage to find out what likes ahead in the future of our skies.
LG shows off a 4K laptop with Harman Kardon speakers
The first official day of CES 2016 is underway, which means it's time to find those products companies left out of their keynote. Let's start with LG. Tucked in a small corner of its booth at the Las Vegas Convention Center, the South Korean firm is showcasing the 15U560, a 15.6-inch laptop with a 4K (3,840 x 2,160) display. Powered by Windows 10, it also features Harman Kardon speakers, 8GB of DDR3 RAM, NVIDIA 940M graphics and your choice of a 1TB hard drive or 512GB SSD
Intel's conceptual Adrenaline Dress gets upset when you do
Intel tapped Chromat to make its weird and wonderful Adrenaline Dress. Packing Intel's Curie computing module, the garment senses differences in adrenaline, based on your skin conductivity. A network of elaborate 3D-printed panels and a carbon-fiber skeleton then expands outwards, like a mutant porcupine had wings. Interestingly, there's no airpump or servos: it uses alloys that expand and contract to heat that are responsible for the movement. It's another design concept, but this one means to showcase its Curie module, while 2014's spider nightmare focused on RealSense. Curie is a more realistic proposition when it comes to smart garments -- because it's, well, tiny. Photos by Will Lipman.
LG's rollable OLED display is my CES dream come true
It's real and it's dreamy. After touring the company's other futuristic prototypes, LG Display got in touch so it could show us that glorious rollable OLED in action. It was glorious. And the future. And something that can actually get me excited here at CES. My picnic blanket OLED TV will happen.
Bang and Olufsen's BeoSound 35 is an 'all-in-one' soundbar
If you're familiar with Bang & Olufsen, you're well aware of its high-end audio gear for the living room. At CES, the Danish company is showing off its latest speaker: the BeoSound 35. Taking on the design and speaker layout we typically see in soundbars, B&O has far greater aspirations for the BeoSound 35. Rather than only serving as a means of boosting audio from your television, this speaker is meant to be what the company calls an "all-in-one integrated music system." What does that mean exactly? Well, support for streaming services like Spotify and Deezer is integrated into the unit, so you don't have to futz with your phone to get the tunes going. It also supports Google Cast, AirPlay and Bluetooth connectivity.
