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The 'Basslet' puts a haptic subwoofer on your wrist
Bass: It's music's final frontier. By that, I mean it's the part of music that needs to be done right. Too much, and songs sound like a mess. Too little, and there's no guts. Enter Basslet, from a company called Lofelt. In a nutshell, Basslet looks like a watch, but it actually houses a transponder that converts the low frequencies of your music into vibrations that "feel" like bass. It doesn't vibrate like a phone, though; it matches the music, so if bass rises from low to high pitch, you feel that sweep. It's a very unusual idea to grasp, but once you try it, you instantly get it. It's a little bonkers and also a lot of fun.
Engadget's annual CES dance break is a 'Frozen' duet
Sometimes, the madness of CES builds to a fever pitch and only one thing can save Engadget editors from a complete mental breakdown: Just Dance 2017. Specifically, dancing a duet to the most popular song from Frozen, "Let it Go." This year's Video Game Challenge kicked off with a bang, featuring Engadget Senior Editor Mat Smith as host, and Senior Editor Andrew Tarantola and Senior Reporter Jessica Conditt (that's me!) as the performers. Note that none of those titles include the word "dancer" -- and don't judge. We could all use a little fun in our lives every now and then, and doubly so at CES.
Delphi's autonomous system will be available to automakers in 2019
Automotive supplier Delphi has made a of a habit of showing off its self-driving and other research vehicles at CES in recent years, and 2017 is no different. Except now it's ready to commit to a 2019 launch date for its self-driving suite for automakers. I got to take a ride in a specially outfitted Audi on the streets of Las Vegas and walked away impressed.
Tilt tells augmented reality stories to kids with a rug and duvet
We've seen plenty of augmented reality storytelling apps, but Tilt goes a step further by tying them into colorful textiles that you'd actually want to put in kids' rooms. The company's SpinTales "Jungle Rug" and "Enchanted Duvet" ($99 each) work with mobile apps to let children dive into stories. And based on a quick demo at CES, it actually looks simple enough for kids to use on their own.
Anova has a $99 version of its popular sous vide cooker
Tender, flavorful pork. Or chicken. Or anything else you can stuff into a ziplock bag and gently simmer in hot water. That's the aim (and poor explanation) of sous vide -- a cooking technique where digital machines can help to ensure temperature consistency, and often throw in some WiFi or Bluetooth connectivity for added fun. This week at CES, established player Anova is showing off three new Precision Cooker models: a $99 entry-level device with Bluetooth; a mid-range model with WiFi that replaces its main cooker; and a professional-grade cooker with a touchpanel and what the team says is a "far more intuitive interface."
Who needs a 6-inch touchscreen Windows desktop?
Dutch startup Ockel believes that what the world needs right now is a 6-inch Windows 10 desktop PC that's also kind of a tablet. Ish. The nonfunctioning prototype was on show at CES, with final models expected to reach Indiegogo backers in May. Which give us a few months to wonder what exactly we'd ever use it for.
The Morning After: Friday, January 6th, 2017
Hey, good morning! We've reached the midpoint of CES, and we're meeting airport robots, staring at self-balancing motorbikes and asking Ron Jeremy about his vision of the future. Of course.
Finally, a haptic display that might be worthwhile
Back in 2011, tactile displays were thought to be the next big thing in mobile computing, since you can't feel anything from glass-fronted smartphones. Tanvas, a startup out of Northwestern University, is looking to change all of that with its prototype haptic display. It's a system that can theoretically bolt onto any existing touchscreen, although some of its most exciting uses may not be on a smartphone (or tablet).
Samsung's 32-bit wireless speaker is sleek and loud
24-bit audio is, presently, the upper echelon for high-resolution digital music. So, of course, Samsung has a 32-bit speaker here at CES. The company says the H7 Wireless Speaker will upscale your 8- and 24-bit audio to cover a wider frequency range, thereby making your music sound closer to the original recording. That claim is pretty dumb. There's no way to get 32-bit audio files, and there's no hidden data inside a 24-bit recording, so any extrapolation is pure guesswork on the speaker's part. But that doesn't mean the H7 is a complete write-off. For what it's worth, it's a very attractive wireless speaker that sounds pretty good too.
Penthouse's CEO thinks VR porn should be a carnival of sex
Penthouse is one of the most recognizable brands in the adult industry, having been around for over 50 years. And while new owner and CEO Kelly Holland is reverential to Penthouse's illustrious past -- she's investing heavily in its print magazine -- she's very much focused on the future. You probably won't be surprised to hear that she's a big believer in the potential of VR, or that she's unimpressed by much of what her competitors are making.
Nissan's SAM uses humans as a backup for self-driving tech
Nissan has big plans for self-driving cars, with as many as 10 autonomous-capable models due by 2020 (including the next Leaf), but according to CEO Carlos Ghosn, the tech can't cover every situation. To fill that gap, Nissan's solution is the Seamless Autonomous Mobility system (SAM). If the car's sensors and cameras detect an unexpected situation that is beyond what it has been programmed for (like a policeman directing traffic via hand signals), it will come to a stop and request help from a remote command center.
Panasonic's Lumix GH5 is even bulkier in person
Panasonic's long-awaited Micro Four Thirds camera, the GH5, is already being shown off at CES 2017. Like its predecessor the GH4, this new flagship is much bulkier than most mirrorless shooters. That's not a bad thing by any means, it was just one of the first things I noticed when I picked it up. If you're familiar with the previous model, you'll feel right at home with the button placement on the GH5. It's on the inside where most changes are, starting with the new 20.3-megapixel Live MOS sensor (no low-pass filter) and Venus Engine image processor.
Panasonic's companion robot is a cute projector trapped in an egg
Have you ever wanted to talk to a projector? No? Well, Panasonic wants to change that. It's showing off a proof-of-concept desktop companion robot here at CES that can respond to commands to project images and videos on a wall or your desk.
Engadget Podcast Ep 21: Ooh Las Vegas
Associate editor Billy Steele, senior editor Nicole Lee and deputy managing editor James Trew join host Terrence O'Brien to talk about the early trends emerging from CES. It's only the first day of the show, but there's already been plenty of announcements, press conferences and lots of lost sleep. One of the most immediate things you'll notice on the show floor is that everything has voice control this year, even garbage cans. And tons of companies are rushing to integrate Alexa into cars, washing machines and refrigerators. The panel will also talk about the best and worst things they've seen so far.
Nissan's next Leaf will be ready to drive itself
Today at CES, Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn confirmed plans for a follow-up to his company's flagship EV, the Leaf. While speculation has focused on how much range a successor could add to the current model, the announcement emphasized how a new Leaf represents "the next chapter of Nissan Intelligent Power" and will include ProPilot autonomous technology. The car is due "in the near future" -- at a media roundtable Ghosn said "we can't announce new EVs in advance because unlike our competitors, we're already selling them."
Dell's 2-in-1 Latitude 7285 ditches the charging cable
After packing 10 speakers into a desktop all-in-one, Dell has another cord-cutting trick up its sleeve. The Latitude 7285 2-in-1 is a hybrid laptop and detachable tablet that also happens to be the first such device to offer a wireless-charging keyboard base. Of course, you'll need to buy Dell's new desktop wireless charging pad to actually make use of the feature, but that peripheral is also compatible with the latest Airfuel Alliance standard, which should broaden its usefulness a bit.
Check out the first Windows VR headsets from Dell, HP and Acer
Just a few days after Lenovo unveiled its Windows 10 VR headset, Microsoft showed off at a CES media event what HP, Dell and Acer are working on. Unfortunately, they were all under glass, so all we could do was ogle at the hardware. Still, the designs look interesting. Acer's looks like it comes straight from the company's gaming team, while HP's has a cool black aesthetic. I was particularly surprised by Dell's headset, which resembles the PlayStation VR in a few ways.
The GeniCan updates your shopping list based on what you throw away
Putting together your bi-weekly shopping list is a lot easier when you already have an idea of what you're out of. That's can be tough when you've forgotten what empty containers you've already tossed but with a new device called GeniCan, your rubbish bin will handle that tallying for you.
B&O's Beoplay M5 wireless speaker has a lot of competition
Bang and Olufsen revealed its pricey Beoplay A6 wireless speaker back in 2015. Here at CES, the company has a new model that also handles multiroom audio. The Beoplay M5 projects that trademark B&O sound 360 degrees from a device that's designed to be a showpiece rather than extra clutter. Just like the A6, wool speaker covers are interchangeable so you will have options for what looks best in your home.
Porn is back at CES, but good luck finding it
In the far reaches of the Las Vegas Convention Center's South Hall, beyond booths full of off-brand robots, massage chairs, power strips and hoverboards (presumably not the exploding kind), is a row of conference rooms, marked only by white placards with red numerals signifying you're in the right place. Just beyond the sign reading "S115" is the first porn company to have an official presence at CES since the departure of the Adult Entertainment Expo in 1998.
