Our CES plates were jam-packed full of eye-opening conversations this year. We had the chance to speak to top tech luminaries, entrepreneurs, celebrities and fellow journalists. Much of that opportunity arose from the return of our stage, parked right in the middle of the Las Vegas Convention Center’s Grand Lobby. We blew things out this year, packing the schedule from the show’s opening on Tuesday morning to its close on Friday night.
Below we have a list of the interviews we did at this year’s show, both on-stage and off, so you can relive the thoughts, theories and comments that defined this year’s Consumer Electronics Show.
If you didn’t know, last week was CES 2013. We were there in Las Vegas in full force to report on the latest and greatest gadgets, so we know first-hand at how packed the convention center was, so it may not be surprising to you that over 150,000 attendees ended up roaming the halls of the Las Vegas Convention Center, with 1.92 million square feet of exhibit space.
While we weren’t given an exact figure, the total number of attendees this year didn’t surpass last year’s total of just over 156,000. Still, we felt pretty cramped while walking the various halls, and we no doubt had to push our way through to make it to the next booth in order to get some ample hands-on time with the latest toys.
However, CES 2013 was the biggest in its 45-year history in terms of square footage, with more than 1.92 million square feet of exhibit space, compared to 1.86 million a year ago. Over 3,250 exhibitors showed off 20,000 new products at the show this year, and the attendee list included 35,000 people from overseas, with folks from over 170 countries making an appearance at the show.
The number of attendees still has to be audited later this spring, which is why we don’t have an exact number, but it should still be around that 150,000 mark. In any case, we definitely saw a number of famous faces at the show, including Maroon 5, Alicia Keys, Bill Clinton, Justin Bieber, LL Cool J, and Snooki. Here’s hoping that CES 2014 will be just as jam-packed with fun.
Mooly Eden steps out of the world of transistors and microprocessors for a moment. “If you want a simple explanation of what we’re doing, just look to Asimov,” the head of Intel’s Perceptual Computing push says, explaining. “Or Star Trek, Star Wars, and Avatar. The ideas have been in science fiction for years, and now they’re becoming fact.” They’re plainly taking sci-fi concepts and figuring out the road map to get there. More »
CES is done for another year, but before we can drop the microphone, we need to put together a reminisci-package to summarize the week in notebook computing. This year’s show was chock-full with Ultrabooks, leading many to believe that full-fat notebooks are going the way of the Dodo. However, Intel’s Kirk Skaugen feels that rumors of the laptop’s demise at the hands of the Ultrabook are greatly exaggerated — seeing the latter as merely a subset of the overall mobile PC firmament. Intel announced its power-sipping Haswell architecture and revealed its highly desirable North Cape reference design, which offered us a tantalizing glimpse of what future hardware could be like. However, before we get to that, we need to deal with the hardware hitting stores this year, so if you’d like to know more, follow us after the break.
The Consumer Electronics Show is one of the largest conventions on the planet. And as this infographic illustrates, CES veterans have figured out specific strategies to navigating the show’s 3,000+ booths and 1.87 million square feet of exhibits. More »
Forget about “Honey, I Shrunk The Kids” – while that movie (and its subsequent sequels) were entertaining back in its time (being rather cheesy if you were to watch it today), what we are more interested in these days would be the miniaturization process of computers and all things silicone. Xi3 Corporation is proud to unveil their Z3RO Pro Computer, a small form factor computer that comes in the size of a tiny paperback, where it debuted at the recently concluded CES 2013.
It might just prove to be the computer to purchase for developing countries, and by those who want decent computing power without having to break the bank. The Z3RO Pro Computer will have a sticker price that starts from $399 onward, where it is meant to pave the ay forward for small form factor desktop computing. Housed in Xi3′s smallest chassis (1.875” x 4.875” x 3.625”), the Z3RO Pro Computer is meant for general computer use, where among them include home and office environments, and yet is also more than capable of handling specialty applications including digital signage environments and home theater use.
Jason A. Sullivan , founder, President and CEO, said, “The Z3RO Pro Computer is the ideal size for the ultimate in small form factor x86-based general computing. In this post-PC era, it’s clear that there’s no reason to buy a tower or mini-tower computer ever again. Not only does the Z3RO Pro Computer help round out the Xi3 product line, it also marks the end of desktop computing as we’ve known it.”
The Z3RO Pro Computer will feature a dual-core 64-bit, x86-based processor that runs at 1.65GHz (with 2MB of Level2 Cache), carry an integrated graphics processor (GPU) containing 80 graphics cores (or shaders), 4GB RAM, 16GB to 1TB of internal solid-state SSD storage (with up to 12Gbps throughput speeds), depending on your needs, a couple of display ports providing maximum resolution of 2560×1600 (including 1 HDMI/DisplayPort v1.2 and 1 Mini-DisplayPort v1.2), a quartet of eSATAp 3.0 ports, and a 1Gb Ethernet port. Expect it to be made available to the masses sometime in the second quarter of the year.
Samsung may have had big screens on its mind at CES, but the company also previewed what might be the display the Galaxy S IV (aka Galaxy S4) is blessed with, together with the flexible AMOLED we’d really like it to have. Buried on the company’s stand was a display of curved AMOLED concepts under Samsung’s YOUM brand, AnandTech reports, with the panels curving around the edges and sides of the mock-up devices. More imminent, however, is a 4.99-inch 1080p Full HD screen running at a luscious 440ppi, which is likely to find its way into Samsung’s next Android flagship.
Launching in Q1 2013, the panel apparently brings not only a bump in resolution over Samsung’s previous AMOLEDs – the Galaxy S III, for instance, has a 4.8-inch 720p screen – but a cut in power consumption. The company claims the newer panels use 25-percent less juice than before, thanks to a switch-up in materials, while a low-power mode cuts the battery drain by almost half.
It’s YOUM technology we’d really like to see show up in the wild, however. Samsung’s mock-ups weren’t flexible in the sense of being bendable by the user, but instead wrapped the panel around the edges of the device; since AMOLEDs can selectively turn on sections of the display while leaving other parts shut off, that could mean the side of your phone might perpetually show a status ticker – with new message alerts, battery and signal indicators, IM previews, music playlist details, or other information – while consuming minimal power.
That’s an idea Nokia has flirted with in its Gem concept phone, though there the touchscreen was altogether more comprehensive, envisaged as wrapping around the whole device. Meanwhile, Samsung itself has dabbled in dual-displays, with the Continuum of late 2010 having a pair of screens. Since Samsung didn’t have flexible panels available at the time, however, it put both displays on the front of the handset.
Exactly when we can expect to see YOUM displays in shipping devices is unclear, however. Samsung’s original plan was to begin volume-production of the technology in 2012, but according to sources within the company opted to delay that roadmap and focus instead on regular AMOLED panels, which were still in high demand thanks to strong sellers like the Galaxy S III.
I know, the dust of CES 2013 has already settled, and most folks are home square and free from the mad house that is known as Las Vegas, but there were tons of other devices that we have yet to cover, so I will try my level best to bring out what I think is still noteworthy to mention. Case in point, the Ematic FunTab Family range that comprises of a series of child-friendly tablets which will be made available in a quartet of different sizes and styles, where all of them share a single mission – to make sure your kids have a unique and safe online experience for education and entertainment purposes, and to be able to enjoy doing so without having them spoil your precious iPad. The Ematic FunTab Family range is the result of the creative minds at Ematic who worked hand in hand with the award-winning Zoodles Kid Mode.
You can safely say that the children’s tablets on the market is a maturing one at the moment, but the folks over at Ematic intend to offer parents a platform which creates a safe haven for kids to learn and play. The four tablets in the FunTab Family are the FunTab Pro, FunTab, FunTab XL and FunTab Mini, where all of them will run on the Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich operating system, and will also feature games and other “specials” to keep your child busy for hours. Sounds like the ideal tool to have behind the car when you are off on a long road trip, no?
Some of the new features included on the tablets are Interactive Story Books and Art Studio, while the little photocopies of yourself can also use the Video Mail function in order to send video messages to grandparents and other relatives. Some of the more popular games of the day include Angry Birds, Where’s My Water?, and Cut the Rope among others, and it comes with a rubberized grip that is ideal for active children on the go.
The FunTab XL, FunTab Mini, FunTab and FunTab Pro will retail for $149.99, $59.99, $119.99 and $149.99, respectively.
In some ways, one could argue that CES 2013 was really all about the accessories. Sure, a lot of companies where there unveiling new hardware, whether that hardware was a massive TV, a new gaming tablet, or a phone that has an eInk display on the backside, but there were more accessories than we care to count being shown on the floor. Each of these accessories seemed to offer something unique; each was newsworthy in it’s own particular way. There were some that caught more attention than others, naturally, but nearly every accessory we saw is bound to get someone, somewhere excited.
We’ll start with the Pebble smart watch, a device that had visitors to CES clamoring for a look left and right. The Kickstarter darling was on display at CES 2013, with SlashGear managing to secure some hands-on time with the device despite the chaos that seemed to follow Pebble everywhere it went. We also got the chance to sit down with Pebble CEO Eric Migocovsky to talk about what makes the watch stand out from the competition and why it became such a hit with Kickstarter users. The company also talked about developers, apps, and how its future proofing the device, along with revealing when Pebble will begin shipping out to consumers (spoiler: its ship date is right around the corner).
Pebble netted a lot of attention during the show, but there were a couple other watches that managed to stick out despite Pebble’s presence. One of these watches was the the eInk CST-01, which has the distinction of being the world’s thinnest watch (it looks pretty sleek too, if we do say so ourselves). Next we come to the Martian Passport Watch, which boasts voice commands and Bluetooth to allow for simple connectivity to your Android or iOS device. If you’ve been in the market for a new watch, CES 2013 offered a bevy of potential choices.
The same could be said for smartphone cases at CES 2013. It isn’t much of a surprise that many of the cases we saw were for Apple’s relatively new (but nonetheless incredibly popular) iPhone 5. Otterbox was on-hand to show off its new Armor series and Defender series, using Apple’s latest iPhone to display them. Just the same, Pelican announced its first foray into the world of smartphone cases with its new ProGear Vault cases for the iPhone 5 and iPad mini. olloclip made itself stand out from the rest of the case manufacturers by offering one iPhone 5 case that has lens system, while Lifeproof was showing off a number of accessories for its iPhone 5 case, including a bright orange “Life Jacket” meant to keep your phone afloat if it ever goes overboard.
One of the coolest things to happen during CES 2013 was when the TATS CRU customized our Cygnett ICON cases right there in person. It wasn’t all just about iPhone 5 cases, however, with Pelican showing off a pair of new cases for the Galaxy S III, and ONGUARD introducing us to a rather unique origami case for the Nexus 7 (though the origami case is also available for the iPhone 5 and iPad).
Just as well, there seemed to be an awful lot of speakers on display on the show floor. SoundMatters had its Dash 7 portable Bluetooth speaker primed and ready for the spotlight, while SuperTooth was showing off its Disco Twin stereo Bluetooth speakers. If you’re looking for something a little more out of the ordinary, iuiDesign’s Mirror Boombox might be worth a look, considering its based on the side mirrors of a Mini Cooper car.
We also went hands-on with the HMDX Jam Plus and Burst speakers, which are cylindrical and available in all sorts of different colors. TYLT, which was there primarily to show off its Energi backpack that can charge three devices at a time, also had its TUNZ Bluetooth speaker on-hand, though this one comes with the bonus of NFC functionality.
Corning Optical Cables kept the Apple train moving by introducing new Thunderbolt cables aimed at the budget crowd during the show, so we imagine that those will be a big hit given the cost of spare Thunderbolt cables. Fitbit Flex is looking to to tackle the fitness monitoring business that Jawbone has conquered, while MpowerD was offering a waterproof, solar-powered lantern that seems perfect for the more adventurous among us.
Wearables seemed to be a pretty big thing at CES 2013. We already told you about TYLT’s Energi backpack and its device-charging capabilities, but TYLT had some competition from the likes of Spigen with its new SGP backpack. The SGP has enough pockets and storage areas to satisfy even the most serious gadget hoarder, and it’s also lined with super soft fabric that will keep your devices free of scratches. Then there’s the prototype TEC Jacket 2.0, which among other things features a battery pack for on-the-go charging and an antenna to boost your mobile data speeds. It’s lightweight to boot, so don’t be surprised to see this bad boy take off once its eventually released.
Griffin used the show to introduce a trio of new products. First up is its Powerdock 5, which as you can imagine can charge up to five devices at a time. The company was also showing off its StudioConnect iPad dock, which comes complete with a Lightning connector, making it compatible with Apple’s newest slate offerings. While those two were impressive, Griffin also had the very cool Crayola Light Marker on hand. The best description we could come up with for this device was calling it a “laser pointer on steroids,” so you’ll just have to check out our hands-on for more.
While many companies were announcing a collection of new products at CES 2013, there was also a number of one-off devices that were just as cool. These include Tethercell, which lets you use an app on your smartphone to control devices powered by double-A batteries (seriously, it’s super awesome), and the Silverlit Mercedes-Benz RC Car that’s controlled using your iOS device – and also features speakers you can use to stream music! Ion Scratch 2 is looking to outfit your iPad with actual DJ controls, and the Belkin WeMo light switch wants to bring light switches into the Internet age, offering connectivity with your iOS or Android device.
Kingston had its 1TB flash drive on display during the show, and though it’s a bit bulkier than the flash drives we’re used to seeing, it’s still incredibly small considering it houses a full terabyte of storage. We all know that power is always a difficulty, with many of us experiencing dead cellphone batteries at the worst possible times more than once. MiPower has taken it upon itself to solve that problem with its new PowerCube 8000M, which packs in 8,000mAh to make sure that you’ve always got enough juice to share between your devices.
Finally, there were a number of companies showing off new headsets. Turtle Beach had a collection of gaming-centric headsets at the show, introducing us to its new PX51, XP510, and SEVEN series headsets. Monster also targeted gamers out there with its MVP headset, which signifies a partnership with Electronic Arts, one of the biggest games publishers around. Last but not least, we got to spend some time with the Sennheiser MOMENTUM Black headphones, and boy do they looks sharp.
So there you have it folks – we weren’t kidding when we said that CES 2013 was in many ways all about the accessories. There were plenty of impressive devices and accessories on display, and we’re excited to get the chance to spend more time with these as the year goes on. As always, you can find any news from the show you may have missed at our CES portal!
CES isn’t short of product launches, and if you want to keep up you need the right tools. For 2013, the SlashGear team tried out a new workflow: carrying Samsung’s Galaxy Camera and doing as much of our uploading of photos and video wirelessly. We’d already been impressed by the Galaxy Camera in our review, but taking the Android-powered point-and-shoot out into the field for what’s arguably the toughest assignment on a tech-head’s calendar really put it through its paces. Read on for our full report.
A quick recap, if you’ve not been keeping up. Revealed at IFA 2012 last September, the Galaxy Camera blends a 16-megapixel camera with a 21x optical zoom together with Android as per the Galaxy S III smartphone. We had a mixture of AT&T and the recently-released Verizon versions of the Galaxy Camera, each using 4G LTE networks (there’s WiFi b/g/n, but we rarely took the time to hunt down local wireless networks). Just about all of the regular Android apps run on the camera, including Instagram, but we stuck with Samsung’s default app, that can also record Full HD 1080p video.
Our thinking was that, rather than shooting in our normal style – swapping out memory cards and offloading media to a laptop whenever convenient – we would use the Galaxy Camera’s wireless connectivity to upload photos and videos directly to the cloud. By using Smugmug, which has a dedicated app for Android, we could automatically watermark each shot and keep all of the media together in a place where the whole team (whether physically present at CES or otherwise) could access it.
In practice, that turned out to be largely the way the team worked, at least in more time-critical situations. Tag-teaming on press conference coverage, one person could shoot content and pick the best of the images to upload, all wirelessly, while the other person could pull their preferred images from the Smugmug gallery. With product hands-on, there was no “which memory card were those photos on?” confusion, since the images had already been uploaded.
Functionality is useless if the quality is lacking, though happily that wasn’t our experience with the Galaxy Camera. For best results you’ll usually get the most ideal images from a DSLR, unsurprisingly, but heavy, bulky cameras aren’t especially suited to the booth-hopping of a show like CES. In fact, we were able to coax some decent results from the Samsung – our Pebble smartwatch hands-on photos were all taken with the Galaxy Camera, for instance – while the 21x optical zoom proved invaluable for getting closer to items on-stage during press conferences.
Pebble smartwatch photo samples:
The Galaxy Camera isn’t perfect, mind. We experienced the odd focusing issue, where the Samsung would be reluctant to lock onto close-up subjects. That could usually be addressed by repositioning the frame and trying again – or backing off a little altogether – but it was frustrating when it happened, and interrupted our workflow. The uploading process could also be fiddly; we were using the Smugmug app, through which we could choosing individual photos and videos to be uploaded to a gallery in the cloud, but each required separate selections.
It’s also not ideal to be jumping in and out of the camera app, picking content to be uploaded. Some sort of briefly-shown “Upload This” button shown displayed with the preview frame after each shot is taken would be great, as would easy onboard watermarking. A double-save – one lower-res copy for uploading more quickly, and a higher-res original kept on the memory card for later – would also be useful. It’s worth noting that most of our complaints could be addressed by apps, which the Galaxy Camera’s Android OS would make easy to install – not something you could say about most point-and-shoots.
So what have we learned? Our experiment to integrate the Galaxy Camera into our workflow isn’t over, with a trial-by-fire at CES highlighting some of the Samsung snapper’s shortcomings. We returned to an old-fashioned whip-out-the-memory-card style workflow at a couple of points, for instance, usually when there was a particularly urgent image we specifically needed. It proved difficult to edit the upload priority of content in the task list, forcing us to go manual with our offloads. Samsung’s onboard video editing app proved fiddly to use on the go, and we quickly reverted to more traditional editing once the footage was on our computer.
For its balance of convenience and performance, though, the Galaxy Camera has impressed us again. When time is of the essence – and when we’re incredibly excited to bring you the latest news, as soon as possible – the effectiveness of an online camera is demonstrable. We’ll be tweaking with alternative apps and maybe even cooking up some custom software of our own, just so that we can better embed the Samsung into the SlashGear system, so expect to see more photos and video shot on the Galaxy Camera through 2013!
Thanks to Samsung who loaned us a number of Galaxy Cameras, with no expectations as to whether/how we might use them at CES, or indeed subsequently report on them.
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