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We're live from NAB 2012 in Las Vegas!
Three months ago to the day, we were packing up our CES trailer and making a run for the airport, expecting another year to pass before our return to Sin City. But now, as the National Association of Broadcasters' annual trade show has begun overlapping with the consumer electronics market -- from a gear perspective, at least -- we've decided to make our way back to the desert, calling this oasis home for another week in 2012. If you're a high-end camera buff, this is the show for you, with Canon, Sony and RED introducing products that are sadly priced out of reach of photo enthusiasts, but carry mass appeal among professionals with million-dollar equipment budgets, and a need to shoot with the latest and greatest digital devices. It's yet unclear what else we may see at this year's NAB, but rest assured that we'll be scouring the halls of the LVCC, bringing you updates from the floor throughout the week. Protip: Use the 'NAB 2012' for the latest show news and hands-ons.
Sony to launch NEX-FS700E 4K cinema camera for $9,000 at NAB?
What would you pay for the ability to capture cinema quality 4K video? $36,000? $18,000? Try $9,000. That's the expected price of Sony's rumored NEX-FS700E, which could launch at NAB next month with a June ship date. EOSHD reports that the camera will pipe 4K video to a dedicated external recorder over 3G HD-SDI. It will reportedly use the same NEX E-mount as its predecessor, the FS100, and may include a trio of neutral density filters to increase versatility. We haven't been able to track down an image of the rumored cinema cam (the model in that image above looks identical to the FS100), but we wouldn't be surprised to see another detail or two leak out before the broadcast community's annual Vegas gathering kicks off in a little over two weeks. For its part, Canon is also expected to announce a 4K EOS-format DSLR at NAB, as a less-expensive alternative to the $16,000 C300, while RED's Scarlet already has 4K capabilities, and a $9,000 price tag.[Thanks, Andrew]
Canon teases 'exclusive screening' in Las Vegas, new Cinema EOS products coming at NAB?
With both its 1D and 5D-series models already confirmed for 2012, today's Canon teaser hints at something slightly different -- and, according to our sources, a major announcement. The event is set for April 15th -- during the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) show in Las Vegas -- further confirming that whatever imaging device we'll see will likely be geared towards the motion picture and television communities. So, what could it be? A new Cinema EOS cam with a 1D form-factor? A lower-priced model poised to compete with the RED Scarlet? We have but a month to wait for confirmation, so if you haven't already placed your C300 order, it might not be a bad idea to hang tight until after Canon's Tax Day reveal.
Nevada is getting serious about driverless cars
We were admittedly cynical last summer, when Nevada's state legislature passed a law regulating the safety of driverless cars. But maybe we shouldn't have been, because it looks like they're actually serious about it. The state has now begun fleshing out its campaign with new regulations for testing these robocars, which, of course, are still very much in their infancy. According to the Associated Press, drivers looking to test a driverless vehicle will have to first purchase a bond worth between $1 million and $3 million, depending on the specifics of their project. The data from each test, moreover, will have to be shared with state officials, and all automated vehicles must have some sort of black box-like device to securely store this information, in the event of a crash. Most interesting, however, is how humans fit into all of this. Under the state's regulations, a passenger is still considered an "operator" of the vehicle, even if he or she isn't driving. They'll be exempt from Nevada's ban on driving while texting, but they won't be able to rely on their robocar as a designated driver -- which is fine, because it's not like anyone drinks in Vegas anyway.
Leaving Las Vegas: Team Engadget departs CES 2012
CES 2012. It's over, but it'll leave a lasting impression on us all. And by "lasting," we mean "eternal." It'll also go down as the most attended CES ever, with more exhibitors and more product launches than ever before. Engadget as a team hit more news than ever before, covered more hands-ons than ever before and just generally sat in awe at the sheer quantity of news that flowed from the halls of the Las Vegas Convention Center. The trends this year? A fair question, indeed. Truthfully, we didn't spot a single category overshadowing the rest, but it's safe to say that LTE, slimmer-than-slim HDTVs and the promise of Windows 8 tablets kept themselves fresh in our mind. We've assembled an array of wrap-up posts to clue those in who couldn't (or would rather not) keep pace with the absolute torrent of announcements from the event, a boatload of statistics to pore over and a final video from the show.On a personal note, I had an absolute blast with the team. From our trailer to our stage within the LVCC, from the raucous Unveiled show floor to the background dings and bloops in McCarran International Airport, the past week (and change) has been truly amazing, and getting this many people who are passionate about technology into a single place is a downright magical experience. We're fortunate and humbled to be able to do this, and despite a near-total lack of sleep and some questionable food choices, we're still as jazzed as ever to fight through crowds in order to get the first shots of [insert gizmo here]. From us to you, thanks for sticking through the madness once more, and here's to another amazing year in consumer technology. We couldn't do it without you, and frankly, we wouldn't want to.So, what's next for us? Well, planning for CES 2013 has already begun, and we'll probably find ourselves at a few Apple events in the near future. Oh, and we'll be bringing you the blow-by-blow from Mobile World Congress in a matter of weeks. We'll sleep, as they say, when we're dead.
Wrap-up: Engadget editors sound off on CES 2012
If you've spent any time on this site since Monday, then you know that we've just reached the end of another very successful Consumer Electronics Show, and are packing up to head home (and rest up) until we get ready to return in 2013. As always, there were plenty on gadgets on hand -- far more than even our enormous Engadget team could capture during four long days on the show floor -- so we've opened up the floor to the entire CES crew. Tim Stevens and Darren Murph chime in just below, but jump past the break to hear from the rest of us. Tim Stevens, Editor-in-chief If this paragraph makes any sense it will be a remarkable thing. It was another insane week in Vegas yet this one felt a little smoother than years previous. I hope you enjoyed our coverage as much as I'll enjoy my next nap. Oh, and I'll never forget those 55-inch OLEDs. Never. Darren Murph, Managing Editor My fifth CES. That's kind of nutty. I'll just say that this CES has proven that the industry is surging, and the hidden gamechangers will surface again in the coming months. Compared to CeBIT 2009 -- which felt hopelessly throttled by the economy -- CES 2012 just felt alive.
A behind the scenes look at the Engadget CES stage!
Guys, haven't you heard? We've got our own stage at the Las Vegas Convention Center this year, right in the thick of the 2012 Consumer Electronics Show. And all week we'll be delivering live podcasts, as well as nonstop interviews with some of the most prominent companies setup here on the floor. Keep it locked here all week for the usual CES blitz, and if you're curious as to what the stage itself takes to operate, there's a video above that deserves your attention.
Google Maps indoor navigation: yeah, it works at CES
Google Maps 6.0 brought a promise of indoor navigation back in November of last year, but outside of a few dozen airports, transit hubs and retail outlets, we had no idea where it was or wasn't implemented. Turns out, Google (smartly) mapped out lots of Las Vegas before the annual Consumer Electronics Show, as many of our contemporaries have pointed out over at The Sands and Venetian. We also confirmed that indoor mapping worked here at CES Unveiled, and given the dearth of wireless connectivity inside most of Vegas' frequented locales, it's certainly a blessing that we'll be taking advantage of.
Delta offers up 30 minutes of free Gogo on all CES flights
Heading to join us at CES in Las Vegas? Delta is prepared to hook you up with 30 minutes of free in-flight WiFi on all of its flights to and from LAS beginning today. If you're flying in from the West Coast, that should have you covered for most of the trip. Otherwise, it's at least long enough to download your email or check to see if that farmland below is in Kansas or Nebraska. And if you opt to use social media during your flight, go ahead and throw in the #EngadgetCES as you rave about being able to tweet from the sky.
We're live from CES 2012!
We've landed in Vegas, just in time to enjoy the proverbial calm before the storm that will be the 2012 Consumer Electronics Show. Motorized carts zoom around the parking lot as the Las Vegas Convention Center begins to take shape -- as always, getting the million-dollar-booths fully dressed before the curtain comes up next week seems an impossible task, but the crews will come through, making the finished product a far-cry from what we see today. And as exciting as it can be to roam the halls of the LVCC and surrounding venues during the show, the pageantry of CES is really about the products, including many of which we haven't heard so much as a peep about in the weeks leading up to the show. But as the booths inside will remain veiled until company heads have a chance to brief attendees, a few hints have begun popping up outside the convention center, as workers hang sponsored banners above and along the massive entranceways. Some of these product hints serve to confirm previous rumors, so join us past the break for an early look at what's to come.
Westinghouse is bringing new LED HDTVs to CES, acronym lovers reportedly 'delighted'
In January, Westinghouse Digital likes to drive on down to Nevada and show off its wares for the next 12 months at CES. Everything in Las Vegas is super-sized, which is great inspiration for Westy's new 70-inch LED HDTV that'll pump out 1080p episodes of "proper" CSI at 120Hz, with an 8ms response time. If your inner-city apartment doesn't have a 70-inch wall, then perhaps you'd prefer the new 46-inch ultra-slim LED HDTV that's so slender, it probably disappears if you look at it side-on, or something. The company's also gonna be showing off its first ever Bluetooth Soundbar that comes packing two 12 watt speakers, a class D amplifier and enhanced bass so you can really enjoy those opening bars of Who Are You.
Engadget: The Official Online News Source of CES 2012 and the CEA!
If you know Engadget, you know we like to really do it up at CES. For us, the Consumer Electronics Show is serious business, and our unmatched coverage has resulted in us being named Official Blog three years in a row. This time, though, we're doing things a little bit differently. We'll be adding far more live video into the mix and, with Distro getting in on the fun as well, it was definitely time to leave that old "Official Blog" moniker behind. So, we're incredibly proud to announce that we're now the Official Online News Source not just of the 2012 International CES, but of the CEA as a whole. The Consumer Electronics Association is the entity that hosts CES each year, and its President and CEO Gary Shapiro said the following: Engadget does a terrific job bringing the energy and excitement of the thousands of new products launched each year at the International CES to attendees and consumers. We look forward to this expanded partnership with Engadget as they continue their dynamic coverage and analysis of the products and trends that rivet the world each January at the International CES, as well as their unique coverage of CEA's other events throughout the year. For CES this year we'll be cranking out the news from our double-wide trailer, just like we always do, but we'll also be adding a full video studio on the floor. Engadget Live from CES will feature exclusive interviews and live product demos throughout the day as well as other regular broadcasts -- like our evening video podcast, where you can watch the whole crew get gradually more giddy as the effects of sleep deprivation sink in. CES 2012 takes place between January 10th and the 13th. It's going to be bigger and better than ever, and we can't wait to bring it to you -- unfiltered and unadulterated -- live from Las Vegas.
AT&T expanding LTE to 15 markets on November 20th
AT&T started out small, but it made a promise to blanket 15 cities with LTE by the end of the year, and by golly, it's going to keep it. In its press release announcing the Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9, it also mentioned six additional markets to be graced by the super-fast speeds on November 20th. So by this time next week, customers in Charlotte, Las Vegas, Kansas City, Oklahoma City, Indianapolis and San Juan, Puerto Rico will be able to make their HTC Vivid, Jetstream and Samsung Skyrocket go a-blazin'. New York City? Sorry, not this round, but we're making progress. Check out the press release tidbit after the break.
Rumor: GameStop to carry iOS devices, new and used
This is intriguing: 9to5Mac is claiming that they've heard from multiple sources that GameStop will be carrying iOS devices, including iPhones, iPads, and iPod touches, in the very near future. The announcement was supposedly made last week to the various store managers at their annual gathering in Las Vegas, and the biggest indication that this is so is that GameStop has actually mentioned accepting trade-ins for the devices on its website. That system doesn't appear to be fully up and running yet, but yeah: You'll be able to trade in your iOS device to GameStop in the future. That's pretty wild -- we'll have to wait and see how it all works, including which service provider GameStop uses for selling iPhones, and all of the other issues that might pop up around a system like this. It's unclear what value the store will assign to these devices as well; GameStop traditionally allows customers to trade-in items either for store credit or a lesser amount of cash, and that value is obviously less than they sell the devices for afterwards. We'll just presume that all of those questions will be answered in time (probably, guesses 9to5Mac, in accordance with the upcoming rumored iPhone 5 release). GameStop has recently been trying to deal with the flood of digital game sales in marketplaces like the App Store, but this looks like the company is going with a new strategy of "joinin' em," rather than beating them.
Star Trek Online's Dine with the Devs event details -- Vegas edition
With the Star Trek Las Vegas convention coming up this weekend, trekkers and trekkies are sewing the final buttons and putting the finishing touches on their costumes. With estimates of over 15,000 Humans, Klingons, and Romulans -- among others -- attending the event at the Rio Convention Center, there is bound to be a massive turn-out of Star Trek Online players, including a handful of Cryptic developers. Just like last month, there is a special event being planned that will bring players and devs together for an evening of fun. Priority One, the STO podcast for which I am Executive Producer, is proud to be hosting another Dine with the Devs event this Saturday evening, August 13th. While not affiliated with Massively, the casual meet-up will be within walking distance of the convention. As we dine, the devs will be answering players' questions and talking more in depth about some of the projects they have been involved with. It is important to note that each attendee's expenses are their own responsibility. For more information, including location and time, visit the event's information page.
Captain's Log: Dining with the devs
Captain's Log, Stardate 65075.4... Hello, computer (and players)! Ahhh, the good 'ol developers! You follow them on twitter, you read every one of their forum posts, and you even stalk them in-game. But you know what? Developers are just like us, a fellow human being, right? Wrong! Developers are the key to the future, the hands that create our dreams, the molders that shape our gameplay. Okay, okay -- I'm going a bit overboard, but you have to admit, they are pretty dang cool! Luckily for us Star Trek Online players, the devs that are working on the game, as well as all of the other projects in development at Cryptic, are very transparent. More often that not, they let us know what they are working on and look to the community to see what we think about particular ideas -- we truly get to help influence what makes it into the game. Aside from posting in the forums, many of them also participate with the community by guest starring on podcasts and meeting up with players when they can. As I broke the news to you all last week, I was privileged to host a Dine with the Devs event that coincided with a visit of some of the STO devs to this year's San Diego Comic-Con. While this was not associated with Massively, I figured all of you would like to know what happened and what was said. So, without further ado, it's time to recap the event and fill you all in on the super-secret meeting minutes! Ensign, warp 10! Let's boldly go where most of you were not able to go...
Defcon Kids event invites hackers to bring their genetic back-up units
Apparently, kids aren't at all put off by the air of misadventure and notoriety that surrounds hacking. In fact, they're so eager to partake in lock-picking workshops, clue-deciphering seminars and social engineering round-tables, that Defcon in August will have a side event totally dedicated to proto-hackers aged 8-16. The focus will be strictly on well-intentioned hacking and cyber-security, so there's little risk that your progeny will be set on a life-path that ends in a lengthy jail term. Nevertheless, the organizers warn that the main adult event will be going on all around the kids' areas, leading to a risk of exposure to bad language, possible nudity and an "assortment of philosophies." And if that doesn't deter them, nothing will.
Verizon's next big LTE push coming July 21st
You can't stop Verizon's nationwide LTE push -- and even hoping to contain it seems like a bit much to ask these days. The company made its last major 4G service rollout just under a week ago, and now it's looking to do the same next month, adding a slew of new markets to its coverage umbrella and expanding in a few existing locales on July 21st. New markets include Portland, OR, Toledo, OH, Winston-Salem and Raleigh-Durham, NC, Maui, HI, Wichita, KS, and Knoxville, TN, to name a few. Coverage will be expanded in Seattle, Louisville, Phoenix, Los Angeles, San Diego, and Las Vegas. The full list of high-speed recipients can be found in the link below.
CES 2011 sees big boost in attendance, CES 2012 scheduled way more sensibly
Good news for people who love bad good news. According to IDG News, this year's Consumer Electronics Show saw around 140,000 people descend upon it, which pretty much destroys the estimate of 126,000 attendees. We're told that around 126,000 humans showed up last year to see Palm introduce webOS 1.4 (and for everyone else to introduce an e-reader), while just 113,000 booked a ticket to Las Vegas for CES 2009. The last time this quantity of Earthlings arrived in the desert to get their geek on was CES 2008, or in other terms, the last year that life as we knew it was halfway normal. There's no question that we felt as if the floor was teeming with people, and the show in general just felt more alive than usual. Furthermore, we're being hit with even more amazing news from the show floor: the official show dates for 2012. Rather than pushing CES up against a pair of holidays in Christmas and New Year's Day, the Consumer Electronics Association has finally seen fit to bump things forward a week. CES 2012 will officially be held January 10th through 13th, and we're guessing that most of the press events will start on the 8th or 9th. Sadly, we weren't able to go three for three with outstanding news today -- the show is still slated to be held in Las Vegas, so we're apologizing in advance to the internationals who will once again wonder how a place overran with neon, grotesque paper cards at every street corner and a public transportation system that only stops once every five minutes could be so highly touted.
Vdara hotel 'death ray' claiming victims in the Las Vegas Strip
"Death ray" is probably one of the most tantalizing phrases in the blogger's vocabulary, so our ears perked up when we heard talk of one out there in the Las Vegas Strip. A totally unforeseen and unpredictable consequence of building a 57-foot curved mirror in the desert, the Vdara Death Ray is the affectionate nickname given to a phenomenon that's been plaguing poolside loungers staying at the hotel / spa. Among the victims is one Bill Pintas, whose tale of woe was recently printed in the Las Vegas Review-Journal: [A]fter a brief dip in the hotel pool, he was sunning on a recliner. He was on his stomach, relaxed, eyes closed. But suddenly, the lawyer became so uncomfortably hot that he leaped up to move. He tried to put on his flip-flop sandals but, inexplicably, they were too hot to touch. So he ran barefoot to the shade. "I was effectively being cooked," Pintas said. "I started running as fast as I could without looking like a lunatic." Then he smelled an odor, and realized it was coming from his head, where a bit of hair had been scorched. A spokesman for MGM Resorts International (which owns Vdara) claims that it is working to fix the problem. In the meantime, if you're going to be in town for any random tech shows that might pop up, we suggest that you either get a trailer or barricade yourself into your suite at Circus Circus. Both have worked for us in the past.
