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A look inside Dolby Vision and Atmos at CES
It's hard to believe, but we've only been talking about Dolby's Vision and Atmos tech for a few years. Now they're not only inside most of the TV and home theater devices we discuss, but also connect experiences across game consoles, headphones and even laptops. We took a quick trip to the company's CES booth to see how it's grown in the last year and where it might be going. Innovative uses of its HDR technology in Alfonso Cuaron's Roma and spatial audio applied to gaming experiences like Tomb Raider provide a pretty good hint.
Sony takes a different tack at CES 2019
Sony's CES was a different one to previous years. The company's new strategy seems to focus on its prowess in movies and music to elevate its products. That made for an unusual press event, but Sony has a plan. Head of Communications, Cheryl K. Goodman elaborates on how the company wants to make all the moving parts work together, whether that's cameras, OLED TVs, mobile, PlayStation or everything else. Goodman is joined by a second guest, robo-puppy Aibo, who's celebrating its first birthday since its reinvention. We talk upgraded robot pets and what's next.
VLC reaches three billion downloads, will soon add AirPlay
VLC, the video player that'll crunch every format you've heard of, plus all the ones you haven't, is about to hit a huge milestone. Variety spotted an installation at VideoLan's CES booth that's counting ever-closer to the three billion download mark. The VideoLan team expects the (really) Big Three-Oh to be hit at some point on Friday, with around 25 percent of all downloads going to mobile devices.
Presenting the Best of CES 2019 winners!
Several hours of discussions and debate later, Engadget's editors have decided who among our finalists should win our Best of CES awards. Below is our list of winners for each category, as well as Best of the Best and People's Choice. Congratulations to all winners and finalists!
What's next for MSI in gaming PCs
MSI's GS65 Stealth Thin was one of the most remarkable gaming notebooks of 2018. It was powerful, thin and weighed just 4.1 pounds at a time when the competition was 4.5 pounds or higher. This week, they debuted a 17-inch Stealth Thin with NVIDIA's RTX 20-series GPU, which they also brought over to the GS65. Now, MSI wants to make a splash in professional notebooks with the PS63 Modern. At CES, we chatted with Andy Tung, CEO of MSI Pan Americas, and Cliff Chun, the company's director of product system management, about where MSI is going next.
Spotify on the importance of podcasts, personalization and partnerships
AI plays a huge role in how Spotify delivers personalized playlists to users, so it's somewhat fitting that the company's new partnership with Microsoft is focused on messages about how AI can impact all aspects of life -- including education, healthcare and philanthropy. Those messages are going to be showing up in the Discover Weekly playlist for free users, the first time that Spotify has lets brands have full customization and control over advertising in that feed. We talked with Spotify's Danielle Lee, VP and Global Head of Partner Solutions, about how the company uses AI to power its personalized content, how it can apply that in the future to things like video and podcasts and how the company can offer branding options for Discover Weekly while keeping things relevant to listeners. We also chatted about Spotify's new original podcast with journalist Jemele Hill.
Google used CES 2019 to show off just how big its Assistant is
Google made a huge splash at CES 2018, taking over the parking lot with a giant interactive booth. This year, the company was back, and everything was bigger. I mean, the entire second floor of the booth was a Google Assistant Ride, basically the company's version of Disney's iconic "It's a Small World" ride. But, you know, as a marketing stunt rather than inspirational experience. The literally massive Google Playground dovetailed nicely with Google's news here at CES 2019. The company will hit 1 billion active Assistant devices by the end of the month, up from 400 million the year before. There's no doubt Google has incredible momentum behind it, but as for this year's news? Well, it was a little more modest. Google rolled out a nice new Interpreter tool, added the Assistant into Google Maps navigation, revealed a slew of new hardware partners, and showed off some clever new third-party Assistant hardware. But what's perhaps most important is that even without a huge new feature or hardware device to show off, Google is broadcasting to everyone that it'll be at CES for years to come, getting the Assistant on as many devices as possible and slugging it out with Amazon for voice-activated dominance.
Samsung dives into 8K, MicroLEDs and more at CES
As we expected, 8K TVs were a huge topic at CES this year. Samsung already showed off its 8K QLED at IFA, but at CES we got a glimpse at the shipping models, including the huge 98-inch Q900R. It's cool tech, but there won't be any true 8K content for a while. Samsung's Scott Cohen explains why he thinks the company's AI upscaling could help give consumers a reason to go 8K. Additionally, the company showed off its latest MicroLED sets at CES, which includes a sensible 75-inch version and an enormous 219-inch set. As Cohen explains, that tech could give consumers more flexibility to deploy large screens. And honestly, it seems a lot more useful than 8K at the moment.
Dell on the upgradable Alienware Area 51m laptop, OLED and what's next
It's been a busy CES for Dell's Alienware gaming brand. They unveiled the most customizable laptop we've ever seen -- the Area 51m -- as well as a slim new 17-inch notebook, both of which feature NVIDIA's powerful mobile RTX graphics. And then there's OLED, which is coming to Dell's 15-inch XPS, m17 and G series machines, and it's also the star component of the huge Alienware 55 Monitor. To break down all of the news, I chatted with Matt McGowan, director of Dell's PC gaming division, on the Engadget stage at CES. The big takeaway? Dell is ready to make a big gaming splash this year.
Intel at CES 2019: Hybrid chips, AI and Project Athena
Intel had a ton of news to share at CES 2019. From six new ninth-generation Core processors and new 10nm chips to intriguing hybrid architecture, AI processors and 5G networking cards, the company covered a broad spectrum with its launch. It also announced a curious program called Project Athena that's meant to drive innovation in PCs over the next few years, by working with industry partners like components makers and software giants to create new ways to prolong battery life, craft versatile designs and push performance further. The first Athena product is launching later this year. We caught up with general manager of innovation segments Josh Newman to find out how the new chips work, the benefits they bring, as well as Intel's plans for 2019.
YouTuber Sara Dietschy talks filmmaking gear
Sara Dietschy, a bona fide social media influencer, sits down to talk about video gadgets. We take apart the vlogger duopoly of Canon and Sony and each camera's pros and cons. Then we talk about some new options in the mirrorless space, like the Panasonic S1R and the Nikon Z6 and Z7. But what about video editing? Sara breaks down her production process and, in a stunning twist, advocates for editing on desktops rather than laptops.
Google and Samsung on the perfect 2-in-1 tablet
2018 was the year every major tech company tried to create a tablet that can double as a laptop. We saw Google's Pixel Slate, Samsung's Galaxy Tab S4 and Galaxy Book 2 each attempt to be the best lightweight entertainment device that is powerful enough to let you get work done. Microsoft continued to dominate the space with the new Surface Pro 6, while Apple hyped up its marketing for the iPad Pro as "like a computer" but also "more powerful than most PC laptops." There are many components to get right -- a good display, a comfortable keyboard, powerful performance and versatile software are key. But there are challenges the industry needs to tackle. We talked to Google's Ben Janofsky and Samsung's Elina Vives at CES to find out what the ideal 2-in-1 should look like and how they'll improve in 2019.
Take a look at Bell and Uber's flying taxi of the future
While Elon Musk's Boring Company hopes to ease traffic congestion by burrowing under the cities of tomorrow, Uber and Bell Aerospace are taking to the skies. At CES 2019 in Las Vegas, Bell revealed the latest iteration of its Nexus VTOL aircraft, which is being developed as the preferred platform for Uber's Elevate air taxi program.
How Intel sees itself playing a role in the 5G rollout
The 5G hype has been brewing for years, and we're finally on the cusp of it becoming a reality. Every company wants in on the action, and Intel doesn't plan on being left out. At CES, the chip maker launched its Snow Ridge networking SoC that's centered around 5G internet access. It'll first launch in wireless base stations -- a market that Intel hasn't yet entered. By the end of the year, the company will also deliver its first 5G modem. It's behind competitors like Qualcomm in that, but Intel aims to be in every part of the process that gets data from a server to your phone or laptop. Intel's senior vice president of the network platforms group Sandra Rivera joined us on stage at CES to explain how the company is going to tackle 5G,
Analog 'Pong' is beautiful, but so expensive
Nothing screams hipster more than a product that's both less advanced than what's already around, and yet far more over-engineered. It's also not an unfair description of Universal Space's (UNIS) analog Pong table, on show here at CES. The company has revived those chunky arcade tablets that we remember from the '70s, but with a mechanical, rather than electronic mechanism.
GoPro's Nick Woodman is happy he gave away a million dollars
GoPro's Nick Woodman is happy that there's nothing to report. After an eventful few years, 2018 was pretty much back to business as usual. That doesn't mean it was an uneventful 12 months though. The Hero 7 Black landed with a (stabilized) splash, and the company embarked on a new endeavor: The Million Dollar Challenge, that gave GoPro Hero 7 Black users the chance to claim a slice of the seven-figure prize pool. In our stage interview here at CES, Woodman (joined by one of the winners) explains how it could well be one of the best ideas they ever had.
Eargo Neo is a hearing aid you might actually want to wear
Six years ago I faced a choice: Risk facial paralysis, or potentially lose some hearing in my left ear. I opted for the latter, and two surgeries later, my ability to hear high and mid frequencies on one side is notably diminished. I've tried several hearing aids since then, and while some have worked well, for a combination of reasons (my hearing's tolerable without, the batteries run out too fast, comfort and the stigma / general appearance) I rarely stick with them. Enter the Eargo Neo, a hearing aid that, judging by my list of reasons not to wear something, was pretty much made for people like me.
In the cab with Daimler’s level 2 semi-truck
When Daimler announced that its Freightliner new Cascadia would be the first class 8 truck to get level 2 driver's assistance (adaptive cruise control and lane keep assist), I was confused. It seemed insane that the vehicles that deliver our goods didn't have the same technology found in many new passenger cars. After riding in the cab of one of the new trucks, it's apparent that this technology is long overdue and sure to help drivers.
Cruising around on Riptide's $999 R1X electric skateboard
I've wanted a classic-sized electric skateboard for a while. A longboard, of course, is more stable and comfortable over long distances. But I'm interested in something that I can easily travel with and charge in a coffee shop without drawing too much attention. Boosted's Mini X is the obvious 'premium' choice, but I wanted to do some market research before dropping close to a grand online. Enter, then, the Riptide R1X -- a stylish shortboard with buckets of power and range. At CES 2019, I spent a good 30 minutes carving around the Engadget trailer on the rideable. My time with the board was short, but I came away thoroughly impressed.
Canon, Nikon, and the future of mirrorless cameras
This has been a big year for the camera industry, with Nikon and Canon releasing their first professional full-frame mirrorless cameras. As the name implies, these cameras ditch the traditional mirror and moving parts of a DSLR for a more compact body. But Nikon and Canon's models are a little late to the party, and Sony, Fuji and Panasonic have carved out a bigger share of the market. Just as important though, Nikon and Canon's mirrorless cameras also served to launch new lens mounts (and accompanying sets of lenses) from both companies. Lens mounts are at the heart of any camera and are generally standard for 30 years or more -- an eternity in our current era of disposable tech. These new mounts were a tricky proposition. They had to enable future technologies without alienating pros who've spent thousands of dollars on existing lenses. We sat down with Steve Heiner of Nikon and Drew Maccallum of Canon - both veterans of the photo world to talk about these new mirrorless cameras and what the future of photography has in store.
