Hasta La Gadget!

Samsung may be saving its big TV news for CES 2014, but it can’t help but squeak out a little about its new Smart Control, a peanut-shaped remote that wants … Continue reading

Ahead of CES 2014, Archos has spilled the beans on a number of “connected objects” that it is going to showcase at the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. These include a weather station, home camera, blood pressure monitor, activity tracker, smartwatches and more. The connected objects will be compatible with iOS and Android platforms, allowing users to control them from anywhere and use Bluetooth Low Energy to ensure extended use without requiring recharging. The company says these objects are styled to “blend into your home environment.”

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Archos To Showcase ‘Connected Objects’ At CES 2014, Will Unveil Sub $100 Smartwatches original content from Ubergizmo.

CES 2014 is just a couple of weeks away and if this year’s CES is any indication, we could be hearing about a new flagship device from Sony. After all Sony gave us the Sony Xperia Z earlier this year, so it wouldn’t be out of the question if Sony were to unveil a new device at CES 2014 next year as well. So what could be in store for us next year? Well according to Chinese website, Digi-Wo, they claim that Sony might have a couple of new devices for us next year. The two devices in question have been given the codenames Sirius and Canopus and could be announced in the first half of 2014, leading us to believe that CES or MWC could be the platform that Sony might use for its announcement.

The full specs of either device remain unknown, but according to Digi-Wo, the Sirius handset is expected to be a 5.2” device with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor with 4G LTE support. As far as Canopus is concerned, the device is rumored to be slightly smaller with a 5” display but will sport a Snapdragon 800 or 805 processor. Oddly enough Digi-Wo claims that the Canopus will have a “no mobile version”, suggesting that maybe the Canopus device could have a media player version launched alongside it as well. Unfortunately that’s all we know about both devices for now, but with CES around the corner, check back with us then for all the details! Hopefully Sony will be able to wow us at CES next year like they did with the Xperia Z which managed to steal the show.

Sony “Sirius” And “Canopus” Smartphones Rumored For 2014 original content from Ubergizmo.

Earlier this year, Huawei announced the Ascend Mate smartphone which is why it does not come as a complete surprise to think that Huawei might be looking to introduce a successor in the form of the Ascend Mate 2, which we have seen in leaked photos and certifications. In any case there is a good chance that Huawei could take advantage of CES 2014 to announce the successor of the Ascend Mate but until then, newly leaked photos of the handset has since made its way online, giving us a better glimpse at the device prior to its officially unveiling. The photos (courtesy of Engadget) shows off various angles of the handset which we have to say doesn’t look particularly flashy, but we guess it should get the job done.

As far as specs are concerned, we have only heard the rumors, but if they are to be believed, the device is rumored to sport a 6.1” display and oddly enough will keep its 1280x720p HD resolution, as opposed to upgrading it to Full HD which seems to be the standard these days. Pretty odd given that 2K phones are starting to make their appearance but we guess this is one way to keep costs down. Other rumored specs include a 1.6GHz quad-core processor of Huawei’s own make, 2GB of RAM, a 13MP rear-facing camera, and a 5MP front-facing camera, with Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean running the phone.

We expect Huawei will announce the device in its official capacity at CES 2014, so be sure to check back with us then for the details. In the meantime you can check out our review of the original Ascend Mate to get an idea of what to expect.

Huawei Ascend Mate 2 Photos Leaked original content from Ubergizmo.

While pretty much every smartphone today looks like a thin slab of glass and plastic or metal, this upcoming device eschews these conventions, going with a dramatically different approach.

Developed by Houston-based Noitavonne Instruments, the Noit Spectrum (aka the “Noit Joystick”) looks more like a canister of pepper spray, or some strange gizmo from the Star Trek medical deck than a phone. But if you look closely, you’ll see a numeric keypad there in the middle, and it does look vaguely like the shape of an old-school phone handset. There appears to be a small display at the top, as well as a set of physical buttons, and a screen on its side.

The device is actually being referred to as a “Mobile Companion Device,” so I’m not even sure it’s a full smartphone, or if it’s some sort of funky Bluetooth handset. I’m assuming it’s a standalone device, as it’s described as having a 1.2GHz processor, 3G connectivity, Wi-Fi and 64GB of storage, according to its entry on the CES website. I did manage to find a concept video up on YouTube which indicates that it is a full-fledged media player, which runs a flavor of Android, and can wirelessly stream content to larger displays.

While there’s no info yet up on the Noitavonne Instruments website, I’d assume we’ll find out more during CES next week.