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Samsung's robotic vacuum takes Amazon Echo voice commands
Samsung has revealed Powerbot VR7000, a robotic vacuum you can control with your Amazon Echo. The company says that, in fact, all of its WiFi-enabled Powerbot vacuums will work with Alexa, including, presumably, current connected models like the Powerbot WiFi. It didn't say what you can command your bots to do, but the Neato Botvac (which beat Samsung to the punch by adding an Alexa "Skill" last month) basically just lets you start and stop cleaning.
LG's next headset is a wearable surround sound speaker, too
Sometimes you want to listen to music without having something in or on your ears. That's the desire LG hopes its new Tone Studio wearable speaker will address. The new horseshoe-shaped unit features two full range speakers up up and a pair of vibrating ones, a digital to analog converter and DTS 3D surround sound. If you're feeling generous, you can even pair two of the devices together and share audio from a single source.
Lenovo's latest ThinkPads ship bloatware-free
It's virtually a tradition for Lenovo to unveil new ThinkPads around CES time, but this year it's doing something a bit different: its systems are defined by what they don't have. The PC builder has just unveiled a slew of mid-tier ThinkPad laptops that all run Microsoft's Signature Edition image of Windows 10 -- that is, you shouldn't expect bloatware bogging things down or introducing security holes. While ThinkPads have had cleaner software than Lenovo's non-pro systems as a general rule, this is good news if you're more interested in getting to work than dealing with unwanted apps.
Pre-orders open for the 'first internet-connected' keyboard
Das Keyboard is best known for its high-end mechanical keyboards, and now it's taking them online. Next month at CES the company will debut "the world's first cloud connected keyboard" that streams info from the web right to the input device. Rather than putting a display on the keyboard itself, info and notifications pop up as user-defined colors on the 5Q's standard QWERTY layout.
Yi Technology's next action camera promises to capture 4K at 60fps
Action cameras get more impressive with each generation, but 4K support has always been a bit shaky. So far, the best cameras on the market have only been able to shoot in UHD footage at 15-30 fps, forcing users to step down to 2.7K resolutions for a smoother experience. Next month, that could change: Xiaomi-backed GoPro competitor Yi has just announced that it will reveal a new action cam at CES 2017 that can shoot 4K video at 60 frames per second.
Samsung's 2017 TVs will keep track of your favorite sports teams
CES is nothing if not a show about TVs -- every year, Samsung, Sony, LG and many more parade out incremental upgrades meant to get us to open our wallets and upgrade our screens. In advance of next week's show, Samsung is announcing a piece of its strategy for the year: the company is planning three "Smart TV services" to help people find the all-important content they want to watch. The creatively-named services are "Sports," "Music" and "TV Plus" -- you can probably guess what types of content you'll find in each.
Samsung's 'creative' CES ideas: Bluetooth toy tags and skin care
Last year, Samsung brought a boatload of projects from its Creative Lab to CES. C-Lab projects it considered for business opportunities included a motion controller, a smart belt and a smart band for watches. The WELT fitness tracking belt eventually landed on Kickstarter and is supposed to start shipping next month. So what potential startups will Samsung demonstrate in Las Vegas this year? Meet the Tag+ Bluetooth button, S-Skin skincare system and Lumini cosmetic device.
ASUS' future Chromebook is a premium alternative to the Flip
ASUS' Chrome OS efforts are currently headlined by the cheap-and-cheerful Chromebook Flip, which mainly stands out for combination of a 2-in-1 design with a bargain basement price. However, the PC maker is about to shake things up in a big way. In the culmination of a series of leaks, Newegg has listed a $499 C302CA laptop that appears to be an upscale sibling to (but not replacement for) the Flip. It touts a larger 12.5-inch, 1080p screen, and it's running Intel's Core m3 processor instead of the budget Rockchip part you saw in the Flip last year. Combine that with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage and it's clear that this is a premium Google-powered system -- not at the level of the Chromebook Pixel or HP Chromebook 13, but much nicer than the Celeron-based portables that dominate the Chrome OS world.
LG wants a levitating Bluetooth speaker in every home
They may seem a bit magical, but levitating Bluetooth speakers have been around for years, often looking as outlandish as the idea sounds. However, LG is the first major electronics brand to throw a product in the ring, and is doing so with its classy-looking, albeit blandly named, "Levitating Portable Speaker," which will be unveiled to the public at CES in January.
Faraday Future could be out of business by February
Last we heard, Faraday Future was going through a rough patch in regards to building its manufacturing facility in Nevada. Now, it appears the electric vehicle company's troubles are worse than anticipated. The key theme, across report from Buzzfeed News, Jalopnik and The Verge is money. Specifically, a lack thereof. Faraday has a heap of unpaid bills, lawsuits from vendors and a landlord in addition to losing senior employees. Owed cash is in the hundreds of millions, and it looks like if the company can't secure more funding after CES next month, Faraday Future will be done for by February.
Dior's frame-maker is developing mood-assessing smartglasses
The Italian company that makes frames for Dior, Fendi and Hugo Boss eyewear is working on something more high-tech than it's used to: a pair of smartglasses. According to Bloomberg, Safilo Group SpA spent the past year developing internet-connected glasses with the intention of debuting it at CES 2017. The pair will reportedly be more like Snap's Spectacles than Google Glass -- a device that looks just like any eyewear out there with some "smart" capabilities.
Delphi and MobilEye will demo their self-driving tech at CES
We'll finally get a chance to see what MobilEye's been up to since it split up with Tesla at CES 2017 in January. The company and its new partner Delphi will showcase their automated driving system called Centralized Sensing Localization and Planning (CSLP) at the yearly event in Las Vegas. They're calling CSLP the "first turnkey, fully integrated automated driving solution with an industry-leading perception system and computing platform." Their test vehicle will drive 6.3 miles of combined highway and urban roads to tackle various challenges drives face, including navigating tight city streets, looking out for pedestrians and cyclists, as well as merging on the highway.
Engadget presents the Best of CES 2017!
The Consumer Electronics Show is just two months away, which means it's time once again for us here at Engadget to kick CES planning into high gear. Not only are we excited to get our hands on the latest gadgets and gear at the country's biggest tech show, but this will also be the fourth year in a row that Engadget is 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.
Faraday Future will unveil its production car at CES 2017
You shouldn't have to wait too much longer to see what Faraday Future's production electric car looks like. The company tells us (and has confirmed on Twitter) that it will unveil its production vehicle at CES 2017, which kicks off in early January. It's not divulging any new details beyond that, and says only that the car is a "premium" EV with "holistic design," loads of technology and "industry leading range" thanks to LG's super-dense batteries. One thing's for sure: we're only weeks away from finding out whether or not Faraday can translate the hype from its supercar concept to a street-ready car you can actually buy.
Formula E will pit drivers against gamers in virtual race
The joys of motorsport are in watching the perfect fusion of mechanical engineering and human ingenuity, right? Apparently not, as Formula E's leaders have decided that the competition will now expand to include virtual races. In an interview with Reuters, Formula E chief Alejandro Agag says that the competition's first battle will take place at CES 2017 in Las Vegas. The event will put professional race drivers against pro gamers, duking it out on simulators with a track that won't be disclosed until the day. The action may be imagined, but the stakes are high, with the victorious driver in line to win a $1 million payoff.
