Hasta La Gadget!

Many who live in North America wouldn’t put Hyundai at the forefront of in-car technology, but the Korean au hoping to change that reputation by 2014 with a more internet- and mobile-savvy platform. We had an opportunity to peek at some of those components at the automaker’s CES booth. CloudCar calls out for attention as the most distinctive: going beyond the existing BlueLink system, it pairs the car’s infotainment unit with at least a Jelly Bean-equipped Android phone to put an always-online interface in front of the driver. The early CloudCar example runs on a very simple interface with options like Google Maps navigation, media playback and Google contacts on the left. It’s built for multitasking and will keep directions going even as we’re firing up NPR or sharing to Facebook (hopefully, while stopped). While it’s not exceptionally deep, it appears suited to the need-it-quick nature of real driving, with shortcuts like directions to the office or a call to a favorite contact.

Other additions aren’t quite as conspicuous, but could still be very welcome when we see it in future cabins. Hyundai is one of the first car builders that we know of to embrace MirrorLink, echoing whatever’s on a phone’s display (in this case, Android) through MHL; there’s a companion Android app with a car-sized interface for navigation, hands-free calls and music. Hardware should get an upgrade as well through a premium system with a 9.2-inch, 720p display. The company isn’t quite ready to narrow down which vehicles will see what upgrades, although we’re told the early strategy may split CloudCar and MirrorLink between different model lines. If you’re willing to accept that the technology could change in a year’s time, you can get a peek at the future in the gallery below.

Filed under: GPS, Transportation

Comments

It may not be the biggest mobile show around, what with MWC just around the corner, but ZTE’s using this year’s CES to make its presence known with the launch of handsets like the Grand S. We’ll be joined on stage by ZTE USA CEO Lixin Cheng to talk about the company’s place in the US market and around the world.

Check out our full CES 2013 stage schedule here!

Update: video embedded

Continue reading Live from the Engadget CES Stage: an interview with ZTE’s Lixin Chen (update: video embedded)

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile

Comments

Silicon Image is hoping that you’ll want to play HD from your handheld device on a big screen without taking the more convoluted WiFi route using DLNA, Airplay and the like. As such, the company took its WirelessHD 1080p60 tech currently seen in bulkier gadgets like laptops and shrunk it to mobile size as the UltraGig 6400 wireless transmitter. It’s now created a reference design for the tech in the form of the tiny chip shown highlighted in the image above, which it would like manufacturers to integrate in their handsets or tablets. To show how it works, they jury-rigged the chip into a smartphone and set up a receiver on an HD panel, so naturally we wanted to take an Android game for a spin on the big screen. The signal stayed solid thanks to the chip’s focused antenna array and 30-foot claimed range, while distracting latency seemed to be minimal — in line with the company’s 5ms assertion. Silicon Image is still talking to manufacturer’s to see who might like to integrate the tech into their devices, but until then, you can experience it vicariously in the video after the break.

Continue reading Silicon Image UltraGig 6400 wireless HDMI, hands-on (video)

Filed under: Cellphones, Home Entertainment

Comments

Earlier today AMD’s director of global business units marketing, John Taylor, joined us on our CES stage to talk chips. Specifically, tablet chips, and laptop chips, and chips for products that have elements of both. While he was up there, Mr. Taylor flashed a reference device — a laptop hybrid with the keyboard and touchpad built into the carrying case. Obviously, we weren’t satisfied with just a quick tease, so we caught up with him afterward to learn a bit more. As it turns out, it runs a quad-core version of AMD’s new Temash chip, which is being billed as the first quad-core, x86-based SoC. (There’s also a dual-core version.) Built into the chip is an HD Radeon 8000 series GPU with AMD’s Graphics Core Next architecture, so in theory you should be able to pull off PC-caliber gaming even on a tablet.

All told, it promises 50 percent more performance than AMD’s Hondo processor, which you can find in Vizio’s new Windows 8 tablet. Of course, those are just marketing claims, and besides we haven’t had a chance to benchmark either a Hondo or a Temash system yet. So, to put that in better context, it might be helpful to hear AMD talk about its competitors. Obviously, Intel is a biggie, but in particular AMD says Temash should be able to compete with Clover Trail tablet chips, going all the way up to Core i3 on laptops. We’re told Temash will ship sometime in the first half of this year, and that AMD will be revealing more details about the platform at Mobile World Congress, which kicks off in late February. Until then, we’ve got hands-on photos of the unit below, along with some performance impressions after the break.

Continue reading AMD shows off a reference device with a quad-core, x86-based Temash chip

Filed under: Laptops, Tablets, AMD

Comments

Pioneer launched a stack of new sets this year for CES as well as an iPhone 5 connectivity solution for those left hanging since upgrading to Apple’s latest phone. We’ve seen the headunit specs so we thought we’d give you a pic tour of the newest devices as well as a short clip of us sitting in the custom Lexus CT 200h playing with its ridiculous stereo. The centerpiece of the system is the AVH-X8500BHS receiver (above) and a custom Steampunk-inspired sub enclosure loaded with six PRS D800 amps. End result? hair-moving, skin-creeping bass and volume. We’re digging seeing all the AppRadio expansion to Pioneers’s line and can only hope we see prices drop — and even become pack-ins — for the now rather expensive connectivity cables.

Continue reading Pioneer shows off 2013 headunit line, rocks our minds with bass (video)

Filed under: Home Entertainment, Transportation

Comments