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Greetings from CES 2019!
It feels like CES only just ended, but we're back in Las Vegas for the 2019 edition and we couldn't be more excited. Just like always, there will be plenty of cars, TVs and smart appliances. But, we're here to separate the wheat from the chaff and bring you only the best (or at least the most interesting) tech from CES 2019. The show floor hasn't even opened yet and already several companies have made a splash -- including Apple, which continues to skip the event in any official capacity. But that hasn't stopped it from grabbing some attention. Of course, you don't want to miss out on all our liveblogs, our three epic days of live stage shows which all culminates with the official Best of CES awards on Thursday at 8pm ET / 5pm PT.
Follow along with our CES 2019 liveblogs!
It's early January, so you won't be surprised to learn that team Engadget has arrived in Las Vegas for CES 2019. While the show doesn't technically start until Tuesday morning, a flood of new product news will be arriving in the coming hours -- and we'll spend most of Monday attending the CES press conferences from the industry's biggest players. As usual, you can expect to see a bevy of bigger, better screens, more smart home tech, more Alexa and Google Assistant and quite a bit about the future of auto. But we're also hoping to see the oddball, offbeat but potentially ground-breaking tech that makes CES more than just a TV show. Sure, the big companies don't always surprise us like they used to, but we're betting there's still going to be plenty we didn't expect -- and it all starts with these events. Join us, won't you?
HP Chromebook 14 hands-on: AMD's first dance with Chrome OS
HP dropped a ton of news late last year -- like a laptop crafted from leather and a slew of updates to its premium Spectre line. So it's no surprise that the company doesn't have much to unveil at CES 2019. But that doesn't mean it has nothing intriguing to share. HP is launching the "world's first AMD Chromebook" with integrated Radeon graphics, and it costs just $269.
Huawei P30 might revive the headphone jack
As a rule, smartphone makers who've ditched the 3.5mm headphone port haven't rushed to bring it back, whether out of technical necessity or simple pride. Huawei, however, might be the exception to the rule. OnLeaks and 91Mobiles have produced leak-based renders of the upcoming P30 that hint at the return of the headphone jack, nestled neatly at the bottom near the USB-C port. If you're not in a rush to embrace wireless audio, this could be your flagship phone of choice.
The FTC's antitrust trial against Qualcomm has begun
After two years, the FTC's antitrust lawsuit against Qualcomm has reached the courtroom in earnest. The two sides made their opening arguments in a San Jose court on January 4th as part of a 10-day, no-jury trial that could force Qualcomm to alter its wireless chipset practices and, potentially, affect the company's legal battle with Apple. The initial salvos weren't completely shocking, although Qualcomm suggested at one point that it wasn't influential enough to warrant an antitrust case.
FBI investigates fake texts sent to House Republicans
Law enforcement is looking into one of the stranger digital attacks against US politicians in recent memory. The Wall Street Journal has learned that the FBI is investigating fake text messages sent to "several" Republicans in the House of Representatives, including Illinois' Adam Kinzinger. The currently mysterious perpetrator posed as VP Mike Pence's press secretary, Alyssa Farah, and asked representatives for both their availability for meetings and the whereabouts of other politicians.
Apple took out a CES ad to troll its competitors over privacy
Historically, Apple hasn't had an official presence at CES. It's not surprising given the company's success at hosting and hyping its own product launch events -- long before the iPod and iPhone brought Apple to the top of the technology mountain, Steve Jobs keynotes were can't miss events. The company is also very deliberate about its marketing campaigns; when I see Apple billboard ads, they focus on new product close-ups with minimal messaging. This is why the giant ad banner I saw when I arrived in Las Vegas yesterday for CES 2019 caught my eye. Positioned not far from the convention center where CES takes place, the sign is a cheeky riff on the old "what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas" slogan -- and with just a few words, it casts an Apple-shaped shadow over the convention. Apple never shows up at CES, so I can't say I saw this coming. pic.twitter.com/8jjiBSEu7z — Chris Velazco (@chrisvelazco) January 4, 2019
LA sues Weather Channel app owner over 'fraudulent' data use
Los Angeles' city attorney has filed a lawsuit against the company behind The Weather Channel app, claiming the app didn't adequately disclose to users how their location information would be used. The lawsuit calls The Weather Company's practices "fraudulent and deceptive" and says they violate California's Unfair Competition Law. "For years, TWC has deceptively used its Weather Channel app to amass its users' private, personal geolocation data -- tracking minute details about its users' locations throughout the day and night, all while leading users to believe that their data will only be used to provide them with 'personalized local weather data, alerts and forecasts," says the suit.
The Morning After: Behind the scenes of 'Bandersnatch'
Hey, good morning! You look fabulous. As much of the team packs up and heads to Las Vegas, we'll drop in another recap full of pre-CES rumblings, and some hints on what we expect to see. Also, we'll investigate why Apple isn't selling more of its increasingly-expensive phones and look behind the scenes of Bandersnatch.
Bethesda resolves lawsuit claiming 'Westworld' ripped off 'Fallout Shelter'
Back in June 2018, Bethesda filed a lawsuit against Behavior Interactive and Warner Bros, accusing them of ripping off Fallout Shelter. In its suit, the developer stressed the similarities in features, design, art style and gameplay between its free-to-play mobile title and Behavior's Westworld game for iOS and Android. Their legal battle is now over, but if you were expecting a dramatic conclusion, we're afraid you'll be sorely disappointed -- the companies have jointly announced that they "have amicably resolved the lawsuit."
The NFL wants Alexa to be your playoff watching companion
Just in time for the start of the playoffs, the NFL has released a new skill for Amazon Alexa devices. "A Rookie's Guide to the NFL" will guide fans and folks who are new to the game through the 2019 postseason, with information about teams, rules, positions, players, equipment, formations and more. The skill is the NFL's first venture into apps with voice-enabled features and is available through the Alexa Skills Store starting today.
Xiaomi might build a three-panel foldable phone
Don't look now, but Samsung's foldable phone might already be old hat. Reputable leaker Evan Blass has shared a video of what's believed to be a three-panel folding phone from Xiaomi. The dimly-lit clip shows precious little beyond the display, but it's clearly the centerpiece. In addition to providing a large landscape view, the two side panels can fold backward to provide a conventional phone-sized screen.
Apple knows the age of yearly iPhone upgrades is over
After Apple introduced the iPhone XS, XS Max and XR, I wrote that consumers didn't seem to mind how much more expensive iPhones had gotten over the past few years. But after Apple unexpectedly admitted yesterday that revenue for the last quarter would fall short of Apple's projections, I might have overstated things. It sure seems that the days of a new iPhone automatically driving big sales may be behind us. But those extremely high iPhone prices are just one piece of the puzzle, though -- let's break it down.
Samsung Galaxy S10 leak shows off its hole-punch display
Samsung's Galaxy S10 appears to have leaked again -- and this time, it's not hiding behind a disguise. Well-known leaker Evan Blass has posted a photo of the Beyond 1 variant (that is, the standard 5.8-inch model) that very clearly shows its hole-punch display with a spot in the corner for the lone selfie camera. The icons are unsurprisingly blurred out to avoid giving too much away, but the image otherwise provides a clear view of what the front design will entail. While Samsung hasn't completely eliminated bezels (it needs one for the top speaker), they're now so small that they make the Galaxy S9's chins seem enormous by comparison.
Red teases 'Lithium,' a 3D camera for its Hydrogen One phone
At $1,300, RED's Hydrogen One smartphone was never really aimed at consumers, so now it's starting to reveal a strategy for its bread-and-butter pro cinematographer market. On Facebook, it showed off "Lithium," a 3D camera that essentially uses the Hydrogen One as a monitor and controller. "Big things in the works for next for next year: Lithium," said the caption, with no other information.
Vuzix Blade $1,000 smart glasses are ready to meet your face
Vuzix has been making smart glasses for well over a decade, primarily for enterprise use such as medical applications or stocking shelves in warehouses. Last year, Vuzix teased a prototype of the Blade, a smaller, slimmer pair made for consumers. Not only does it come with a floating display a la Google Glass, it's also compatible with Alexa (and, eventually, Google Assistant). Now the company says it's ready to ship the Blade for $1,000 as it attempts to pick up where Google Glass left off.
Google's Fuchsia OS will be able to run Android apps
It might take years before Google's Fuchsia OS starts showing up on devices, but when it does, it will apparently be able to run Android apps. 9to5Google has spotted a new file posted on Android's open source project website that says "These targets are used to build ART for Fuchsia." In other words, Google is developing a special version of ART or Android Runtime that will be able to run Android apps on the upcoming operating system.
Apple blames China struggles and slow iPhone upgrades for earnings miss
Smartphone sales are struggling, and Apple is now feeling the pinch from that decline. The tech firm has lowered its guidance for its first fiscal quarter (October to December of last year) from a minimum of $89 billion down to $84 billion due to a variety of factors, most notably due to "fewer iPhone upgrades than we had anticipated." Most of the shortfall, Apple said, stemmed from China's weak economy.
USB-C could soon offer protection against nefarious devices
USB chargers and devices are universally accessible and easy to use, but they come with a host of potential security risks, namely the spread of malware from infected devices, and data leakage should a device fall into the wrong hands. Now, the USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF) -- the big dog in the advancement of USB tech -- has launched its USB Type-C Authentication Program, which will help mitigate these issues.
Nokia's five-camera phone will include an in-screen fingerprint reader
Thanks to some leaks, Nokia's five-camera smartphone is no longer a mystery -- and it might just be one of the more intriguing handsets of 2019. Well-known leaker Evan Blass and MySmartPrice have posted stills and videos of the Android One phone, now called the Nokia 9 PureView (yes, the PureView revival is real), and it's evident that the spider-like rear cameras aren't the only trick up the device's sleeve. It'll have an under-the-display fingerprint reader, for one thing. It'll still use the 2018-era Snapdragon 845 for a processor instead of the 855, but you can expect 6GB of RAM, 128GB of internal storage, wireless charging and a 6-inch "2K" display with both HDR10 and a tall aspect ratio.
