This week at Digital Experience (during CES 2013) we caught up with the case makers at Cygnett where they had none other than the world famous TATS CRU joining the fun for fully unique customized iPhone 5 ICON cases. The TATS CRU is a set of mural street artists that’ve been using their graffiti style since the 1980′s with explosive results. This customizable case here has been customized not once, but twice, by the TATS CRU for none other than SlashGear – have a look!
What we’ve got here is one of Cygnett’s most well-received cases, made to clip on to your iPhone 5 extremely simply with a single move and protect from top to bottom. At the same time you’ve got the giant space on the bulk of the back of the iPhone where any number of images can blast forth. In this case it’s the TATS CRU’s creations made right on the spot here in Las Vegas.
Have a peek at the tools these three are using and imagine the possibilities. Also note that the TATS CRU have several hot graffiti-inspired cases up on the Cygnett that you’ll be able to pick up right this minute. The standard ICON case from Cygnett will run you a cool $29.99, more than reasonable for such a fantastic creation, bright and vibrant.
Take a glimpse of the front and the back and recognize the talent in the artwork as well as the hardcore nature of the construction. At the moment the folks at Cygnett have not announced any customizable cases on their own as such, but sticking with the TATS CRU through the future will bring you the sharp lines and lovely street style you desire one way or another – grab one right this minute!
Sony is starting 2013 with a bang, in the shape of the new Sony Xperia Z smartphone, a 5-inch 1080p powerhouse that wraps a 13-megapixel camera, quadcore S4 Pro processor, and 4G LTE in a waterproof glass casing. Revealed at CES today, and beginning a global roll-out in Q1, the Xperia Z puts Sony back on top of its game (and leaves us wishing Sony, not LG, was picked for the latest Google Nexus product). Read on for our hands-on first impressions.
When it comes to specs, the Xperia Z ticks all the right boxes. Measuring in at 139 x 71 x 7.9 mm and 146g, it runs Jelly Bean on Qualcomm’s S4 Pro APQ8064+MDM9215 quadcore with Adreno 320 graphics and 2GB of RAM; Sony tells us that it’ll be Android 4.1 at launch, with a 4.2 upgrade “shortly after” that. Connectivity includes LTE and HSPA+, depending on local market, along with WiFi, Bluetooth 4.0, NFC, MHL-HDMI, aGPS/GPS/GLONASS, and a microSD card slot for up to 32GB cards. Internal storage clocks in at 16GB.
Inside, there’s a 2,330 mAh non-removable battery good for up to 14hrs of UMTS talktime or up to 510hrs of LTE standby. However, Sony also adds a Battery STAMINA Mode option to the settings, which – when enabled – turns off any background data use while the screen is turned off. A whitelist allows select apps to remain active, but Sony says that with STAMINA turned on, runtime is extended up to fourfold. The system learns from your usage style and that of different apps, too, automatically adjusting its runtime estimate according to which apps are in the whitelist.
Sony Xperia Z overview:
As for the cameras, that’s a 13-megapixel sensor on the back and a 2-megapixel version on the front; the main camera uses Sony’s Exmor RS technology for better quality, and the interface features elements pulled from Sony’s CyberShot line. A “Superior Auto” mode adjusts the scene according to lighting, movement, and subject conditions, while a burst mode can continuously capture 10fps at 9-megapixels until your battery (or storage) expires. Sony is particularly proud of its HDR technology, which is used not only in still photos but in video capture too.
Those videos look particularly good on the Xperia Z’s display. The new flagship features the latest iteration of screen processing software from Sony’s HDTV range, Mobile BRAVIA Engine 2, which does real-time processing to make video content more colorful and engaging. It looks fantastic on the 5-inch TFT LCD HD Reality Display, with bright colors and crisp edges that don’t look over-saturated in comparison to some AMOLED panels of the moment. On top is a layer of scratch-resistant, shatterproof glass.
There’s shatterproof glass on the back, too, and glass-like inserts in the subtly curved sides. However, rather than being prone to smashing, the Xperia Z meets IP55 and IP57 dust and water resistance specifications, and can survive being immersed in (clean) water for up to 30 minutes with no issues. Even the power button is special: Sony has milled it precisely from aluminum, after its research found that the average user presses the key 64 times a day.
Sony Xperia Z walkthrough:
As for NFC, Sony will be using that as the “enabler” for a push in distributed media sharing around the home. Alongside the Xperia Z there’s a new Stereo Bluetooth Headset SBH20 and Wireless Headset DR-BTN200M, both of which can be paired via NFC simply by holding the Xperia Z nearby. Sony also has a new five-strong range of Smart TVs for CES, which include NFC in the remote control for easily pairing the phone with the TV and then streaming video over WiFi Direct.
Certain markets and carriers will get the Sony Xperia ZL, a second variant on the Xperia Z. It shares almost all of the specifications as the regular Xperia Z, but in a shorter, slightly thicker housing; it’s also not waterproof.
Sony isn’t talking pricing at this stage, nor confirming exact US availability or which carrier(s) might have picked up the Xperia Z or Xperia ZL. Still, from everything we’ve seen here at CES, this is the most compelling Sony handset in some time.
Samsung certainly knows how to grab attention, and the freshly announced Ultra HD UN85S9000 shown off at CES today is hardly shy and retiring. A whopping 85-inches of 4k-resolution screen, the vast TV – with a 110-inch version also in the pipeline – is incredibly bright and detailed, and even at a distance the quality and crispness is eye-catchingly impressive.
Samsung says the S9000′s industrial design – the easel-style frame – is intended to make the TV less intimidating in the lounge. In reality, it’s perhaps even more dominating than a regular set, the metallic-finish tubular frame leaving the screen almost floating in mid-air.
Samsung Ultra HD eyes-on:
Cleverly, Samsung has included speakers inside the frame, and unlike the typical wimpy drivers included in most TVs, there’s 150W of power to go with the picture. Upscaling from 720p/1080p to Ultra HD is also supported; useful, since right now there’s a dearth of native 4k footage around.
Samsung isn’t talking about pricing right now, but we can’t imagine the S9000 series is going to be anywhere near cheap. More details on the Ultra HD TV here.
Just last night we first heard of the Tegra 4-toting NVIDIA Project SHIELD for the very first time, and right here and now we’ve gotten our own opportunity to get our hands on it. This machine is a large piece in a gaming ecosystem NVIDIA is bringing forth to the world combining not only Android and its brand new Tegra 4 processors, but large screen monitors like your HDTV, and PC gaming too! We’ve been shown this device in its current state playing an early version of the new-to-Android game Hawken, Call of Duty: Black Ops II streamed from a GeForce-packing PC wirelessly, and some interesting moves through the device’s unique user interface.
As we spoke about in the initial announcement last night, NVIDIA intends this device to be not only a key device for accessing their NVIDIA Tegra Zone for Android, but to stream games from GeForce GPU-toting PCs as well. NVIDIA assured us today that until the data connectivity ecosystem is strong enough here in the USA, this machine will be streaming games from PCs only over a local area network. That said, it certainly can roll out with undeniable power completely wirelessly – over wi-fi, that is.
It was also made clear to us that developments still may be made before the final product would be launched – both in its software and its hardware. At the moment it’s clear that NVIDIA has the structure ready for prime time, there’s simply a few kinks to iron out as far as which situation requires what action: certainly forgivable given the fact that they’ve targeted Q2 of 2013 for the release – that being still relatively far off and plenty of time for software bug fixes.
The hardware, on the other hand, is extremely close to being complete. While there could be changes to the level of hardness with which the buttons need to be pressed as well as the materials that the casing will be made of, this beast is essentially ready for action. One important point of order for controller aficionados: the now-hard-plastic surrounding the left, right and front of the machine will likely be replaced by a softer plastic in the future – so says NVIDIA. Grippier plastic for a more controlled action experience.
The speakers on this machine are immense in their ability to blast your ears off. I was personally unable to play a game without turning the sound down somewhat – it can get too loud. That’s not to say that the sound is bad – not at all – in fact the sound is both full and deep, ready to be used on its own without a doubt. Another point of order: while most built-in speakers on devices like these working with heavy bass have a bit of a problem rumbling around on a flat surface, this machine’s audio system is set in a way that keeps it still. High fidelity and a controlled experience, top to bottom.
We saw the game HAWKEN in its newest state: Android-based and as high powered as we’ve seen it played on the PC. It seems every bit as immense here on this 5-inch 720p display as it does on the big screen, and from what we’ve experienced, this Android version is going to turn the mobile gaming world on its ear – in the mech universe, at least.
We also saw some awesome PC-streamed gaming with Call of Duty: Black Ops II from a GeForce-packing PC in the same room with this machine’s 802.11n 2×2 MIMO “game-speed” Wi-Fi. From what we’ve seen, game streaming from a GeForce-powered PC to Project SHIELD works flawlessly. Once you’re in-game, that is. By the time this device is released, we’re expecting an undeniably smooth experience start to finish.
Have a peek at the photos and videos above and below and let us know what you think about the device and the future ecosystem NVIDIA is building around it. Also be sure to tune in to our Tegra hub for all the NVIDIA action you can handle through the future!
One of ASUS‘ most significant announcements at CES this year is the Google TV-powered Qube. Just as the name suggests, the device comes in the shape of a cube, with an IR receiver on the front side, a USB port on the right, and a bunch more on the back: HDMI-in, HDMI-out, another USB port, RJ-45 and IR-out. Internally the Qube packs a Marvell Armada 1500 chipset with 1GB of RAM and 4GB of flash storage. Like the chassis, the Qube’s interface also features a rotating cube, but that’s pretty much the only thing special about it so far.
The Qube naturally comes with its very own remote control, and with the exception of the lack of a numpad it comes with all the standard buttons, and on the other side it has a QWERTY keyboard. It’s worth pointing out that there’s also a voice command button as well as motion-sensing, thus making the most out of Google TV ver.3. Not a fan of the remote control? Then you can simply download an app onto your Nexus 7 or any Android device to get the same functions.
In terms of availability, ASUS plans to launch the Qube in the US in around March for around $150. For the mean time, grab yourself a beverage and check out the demo video after the break.
Along with the Qube and the VivoTab Smart at CES, ASUS also quietly showed off its dock for the Nexus 7 at its remote suite outside CES. Judging by the tablet’s position in the above photo, you can tell that the fairly weighty dock makes use of the tablet’s pin connectors towards the bottom of its left side. Swing to the back and you’ll see a micro-USB port plus an audio-out socket. That’s actually pretty much it for the dock, and there’s no price or availability just yet for the US so we’ll keep our eyes open for more detail.
CES 2013 has only just started, but already NVIDIA has made its pitch for product of the show with Project SHIELD, the Tegra 4 based portable console that pairs the growing Android gaming scene with remote access to your home gaming rig. An eye-catching clamshell, borrowing cues from Xbox 360 and with a 5-inch 720p display, Project SHIELD promises the best of portable play with the freedom to output up to 4k Ultra HD video to your TV when you’re home.
At its heart is Tegra 4, the freshly-announced fourth-gen chipset which NVIDIA expects to dominate Android phones and tablets in the coming months. In a head-to-head test on-stage yesterday, NVIDIA showed how Tegra 4 could load 25 unique, full websites in 27 seconds, versus the Exynos-powered quadcore Nexus 10 which took 50 seconds to do the same.
That’s thanks to 72 GPU cores and four A15 CPU cores, along with NVIDIA’s work on pulling all those engines together to squeeze the best out of the chipset. Tegra 4 also includes some potent real-time image processing, which could make for interesting augmented reality type games when Project SHIELD is out in the wild.
Where Project SHIELD gets interesting – and maybe shaky – is in remote play. Rather than solely relying on Android games, the handheld can wirelessly stream games from your PC or notebook. That requires a specific set of hardware components, however, most notably an Intel Core i5 or above processor, and one of NVIDIA’s beefier GeForce graphics chips.
However, there’s also support for NVIDIA GRID, for cloud gaming. The chip company didn’t say whether that will entirely free up gamers from having to leave their PC on permanently, on the off-chance they might want to play a game; instead, it focused on the STEAM integration and positioned GRID as more of a conduit between the various components of the Project SHIELD system.
Unfortunately, in many ways there are still more questions than there are answers about Project SHIELD. NVIDIA says the console is expected to launch in Q2 this year, though there’s no telling whether that ship date will slip, and the name is set to change before it arrives on shelves. Biggest question, however, is price: NVIDIA conspicuously gave no indication of how much the pocket powerhouse would cost.
If the company can bring it in within the 3DS and PS Vita bracket – under $320, the same price a PS Vita with 3G goes for – then it could well find some buyers. However, the requirement for a decent-spec gaming PC or notebook for the remote play functionality means players may have to set aside some extra cash for upgrading or replacing their home rig. That might start to get expensive, especially compared to the bundle deals around on mainstream consoles like the PS3 and Xbox 360.
We’ll have more coverage – including some hands-on time – with NVIDIA Project SHIELD during the show, so keep an eye on the SlashGear CES Hub for all the news!
The Consumer Electronics Show 2013 is upon us, and the bacchanalian excesses of the holidays give way to big TVs, tablets galore, and marketing hyperbole aplenty as SlashGear heads to Las Vegas to see what’s umissable in consumer electronics. CES not only opens the year with a bang, it sets the tone for the next twelve months in tech; some of the gadgets we’ll be seeing won’t be on sale until the summer or even the 2013 holidays, and the buzzwords are likely to be peppering marketing copy until we’re all convinced we need Ultra HD.
Still, there’s a cloud of sorts hanging above CES in 2013. More and more of the big names are bypassing enormous, communal trade shows for their flagship announcements, with firms like Samsung and others instead preferring to hold independent launches where they can be guaranteed everyone’s full attention. Just as Apple decided with MacWorld, sometimes it’s best to set your own launch timescales rather than fitting into somebody else’s keynote schedule.
Nonetheless, there’s more to an electronics range than a single product, and even those firms pulling their punches until they can have the whole spotlight will still have plenty more to show to bulk out the rest of their 2013 line-up. CES always features big TVs, and – although they still haven’t quite convinced everyone that 3D is a mandatory upgrade – the major news will be Ultra HD, with four-times the resolution of Full HD (and price tags to match).
That’s not to say eye-catching screens will be the only news. Mobile is a huge growth area, and while cellphone-specific events like CTIA and Mobile World Congress appear later on the calendar, CES should have its fair share of smartphones and tablets. Android continues to be the go-to OS for most OEMs hoping to take on the iPad – and our sibling-site, Android Community, will be sifting through the best candidates – while Android on phones has already conquered the top spot by sales, even if not every manufacturer is shining.
Samsung will likely save its Galaxy S 4 thunder until a standalone event later in the year, but ambitious upstarts like ZTE and Huawei are likely to come out of the gate at full steam, hoping to grab a slice of the lucrative US mobile pie. Expect a fair share of celebrity endorsements – however tenuous – as firms attempt to convince us.
In computing, meanwhile, Windows 8 will be the biggest news, as companies like Dell, HP, Lenovo, and others show off their newest models. As ever, innovative designs like folding/flipping tablets and racing-fast performance PCs will earn the most column-inches, while the more mainstream notebooks and desktops go on to be the better sellers.
Here at SlashGear, we’ll be wading through the almighty gush of announcements (that in fact started several weeks back) to pick out the news you really need to know about, take the temperature of the year in tech, and figure out whether Snooki really knows her USB 3.0 from her Thunderbolt. You can find all our show coverage at our CES hub – slashgear.com/ces – and follow along with the team at Google+, Facebook, and Twitter. It’s an exciting week ahead!
2012 was a great year for gaming, but I have a feeling that 2013 will be even better. We’ve got a lot of exciting game releases coming up in the next few months, and if we’re lucky, we might have a new hardware reveal or two as well. Of course, we won’t know for sure what happens until we’re further into 2013, but that doesn’t mean we can’t drop some predictions in the meantime. Read on to see gaming predictions and even a few hopes for 2013!
First and foremost, we have the obvious question about new hardware. With Nintendo releasing the Wii U back in November, it’s now up to Sony and Microsoft to really get the next generation of gaming underway. While I’ve been convinced for a while that Microsoft is plotting to reveal the next Xbox sometime this year, to be honest with you, I couldn’t figure out whether Sony was going to announce the next PlayStation this year or wait for 2014. Then Sony started sending out press invites to an event it’s holding at the end of February.
The immediate thought is that Sony will officially pull the veil off the next PlayStation at this event, and that could very well happen. I think Sony wants to get the jump on Microsoft in the next generation, and I also think neither company wants to leave Nintendo alone as the only company with a “next-gen” console on the market for very long. Sony as a whole has been struggling a bit lately, but its games division has been performing relatively well – getting a new console on the market before Microsoft does could mean great things for Sony’s pocketbook. Does this mean that Sony will reveal the PlayStation 4 (or whatever it’ll be called) at this event? I’m not willing to call it either way. Here’s what I am willing to say, though: by the end of the year, both Sony and Microsoft will have revealed their next consoles, and we’ll have one (maybe both) available by the time 2014 rolls around.
While a new PlayStation reveal seems likely for this event, there’s something almost certain to happen there. I think Sony will use this event to announce a price drop on the PlayStation Vita. The Vita hasn’t been performing well at all, and Sony needs to do something if it wants to have any hope of competing against the 3DS. If no one is buying the handheld, no one will want to develop games for it, which in turn means that there’s only one thing to do: cut the price. A Vita price cut has to come this year if Sony wants to stay relevant in the handheld space, the earlier the better. So, it makes sense that Sony will announce such a price cut at an event where its bound to get a lot of press attention.
If announcements of new hardware are coming this year, then it stands to reason that we’ll see a bunch of new properties revealed as well. Of course, 2013 will be chock-full of sequels just like 2012, 2011, and 2010 were, but I think a lot of the big studios are going to step up to bring us exciting new games to play on the new hardware. If you’re suffering from sequel fatigue like so many of us are, just hold on, because once those consoles are revealed, we’ll more than likely see a whole bunch of new IP that we can really sink our teeth into.
Now for game-specific predictions: I think Nintendo isn’t going to waste any time introducing the world to a brand new 3D Mario game for the Wii U. New Super Mario Bros. U is great and all, but it doesn’t exactly serve as a worthy replacement to the likes of Mario 64, Sunshine, and Galaxy. The Wii U has been performing well, but if Nintendo really wants to see consoles flying off the shelves, it will use 2013 to reveal a new HD Mario adventure, preferably before Microsoft and Sony can get their next consoles to retail. I’m hoping that we’ll see the reveal of a new Zelda game for the Wii U, but with Skyward Sword only hitting at the end of 2011, that may be nothing more than a fool’s hope.
Just as well, I have a feeling that 2013 will be the year that Bethesda reveals Fallout 4, complete with the Creation Engine it used in Skyrim. This one is actually a pretty tough prediction, as I think the reveal of Fallout 4 relies heavily on when Sony and Microsoft’s next-gen consoles launch. If we see a new Xbox or PlayStation this year, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Fallout 4 following closely behind. Bethesda put Oblivion on the Xbox 360 early in the console’s life, and by doing so, Bethesda became a much more common name in the gaming community. If it can use Fallout 4 to show off the tech behind these new consoles, I have a feeling it will.
Sadly, 2013 isn’t going to be an all-around great year for Bethesda. The Elder Scrolls Online is scheduled to launch early this year, but I have no problem predicting that it’ll be dead on arrival. Don’t get me wrong, the game looks great and it’s finally giving us a multiplayer Elder Scrolls experience, but I don’t think it’s the multiplayer experience many players wanted. It’ll also come with a subscription fee at launch, which we know now is only something a select few MMOs can pull off. If Star Wars: The Old Republic can’t make it as a subscription MMO, I sadly don’t think The Elder Scrolls Online can either. I hope I’m wrong, because it does look beautiful and I’m excited to finally have a chance to explore all of Tamriel in one game, but I think history shows that it’s going to be an uphill for the battle for the title, and one that’s going to be nigh impossible to win.
Even though I’m beyond excited for the return of SimCity, I don’t think that’s going to be a success either. EA’s insistence on using always-on DRM will be what ultimately kills SimCity, as I have a feeling many SimCity players will experience launch problems very similar to the issues Diablo III had. Fans didn’t like Diablo III for many other reasons, but Blizzard’s use of always-on DRM got things off to a very rough start. I just don’t think a game can survive if it sports always-on DRM, so sadly, players might lose interest in the game only a few short months after its release.
On the other hand, I think DmC: Devil May Cry is going to hit a sweet spot with critics, despite the fact that fans have thrown a fit over the changes being made. Change is always a difficult thing to accept when it comes to gaming, but I think that DmC might just offer the shake up the long running series needs. Early impressions have been good, and while I may end up eating my words sooner rather than later (DmC is out in just a couple of weeks, remember), the game could be the start of something great for the franchise.
2013 will also be the year that Kickstarter proves its worth to the gaming world. A lot of the projects that were funded in 2012 will be releasing in 2013, and while there will be some failures, there will also be some smashing successes. Some games will fail to find an audience outside of backers, sure, but that’s okay – the developers get to make the game they wanted without relying on funds from publishers, and those who were truly interested will get to play it. Unless a studio needs to use some of its own funds to further fuel development, a game funded through Kickstarter doesn’t necessarily need to make millions after launch. In any case, 2013 should be a pretty inspiring year for the game projects that found funding success in 2012.
There is one Kickstarter project from 2012 that might struggle a bit after it’s out of the gate: OUYA. The tiny little Android console has a separate problem from simple games that were funded using Kickstarter, in that it needs support after launch. Yes, it’s an inexpensive console, but I’m still having a hard time seeing how there’s going to be any sort of large-scale success outside of the initial Kickstarter campaign. We shall see soon enough, as OUYA is scheduled to launch in just a few months, and while I don’t think it’ll fail outright, I think that 2013 is going to be a much harder year than OUYA’s makers were anticipating.
So there you have it – some of my gaming predictions for 2013. There’s no guarantee that any of this is going to play out as I’ve predicted, but looking at the lead up to 2013, this is where I feel the industry is headed this year. What do you think? Am I completely missing the mark here, or do you think some of these predictions will play out in the year to come? We’ll find out whether I’m right or wrong soon enough as 2013 is already underway, but in the meantime, leave a comment with your own gaming predictions for 2013 below!
This year the automotive world really stepped it up when it comes to technological breakthroughs, especially when it came to connecting to drivers’ personal mobile devices. What we’ve seen was everything from integration of mobile chipsets into automobile systems to wireless connectivity to smartphones from many of the top car and truck brands across the spectrum. Have a peek at some of the highlights in our 2012 run-down right this minute!
Note: the following set of vehicles and technology is in no particular order – the innovations we’re seeing this year are essentially all groundbreaking as we’re seeing the dawn of the mobile connectivity age in auto right before our eyes!
Audi A6: Google Maps, NVIDIA Tegra SoC, Bang and Olufsen audio
Back in January of this year we heard direct from Audi that they’d be teaming up with NVIDIA to bring the Tegra 3 quad-core mobile chipset to their automotive lineup. The Audi A6 took the opportunity to work with that processor and bust out a lovely touchscreen panel with 3D Google Earth views that the pilot is able to control on the fly. There’s also a touchpad where you can write commands to the vehicle one letter at a time as well as voice controls for next-generation control.
This machine works with Bang & Olufsen audio to keep your beats strong, and Audi assures the user that they’ve got plans for upgradeable entertainment and graphics modules as well. Keep an eye on our Tegra Portal to see NVIDIA continue working to bring high-powered processing to the market!
Tesla Model S: the year’s most infamous electric vehicle
The Tesla Model S has been in the news for months upon months now, gaining a spot up at the top of the “best of 2012″ lists for auto publications galore here near the end of the year. This machine is the flagship of the Tesla fleet and works with a collection of massive battery options – have at its birth the longest range of any electric vehicle on the planet.
This machine works with a beastly 17-inch capacitive touch LCD display with built-in navigation (with seven years of free updates if you pick the right package) and connection to a high-definition rear-view camera. This machine is shifting the way we work with cars here in the now, an essential cog in the machine that drives us toward an all-electric vehicle set for humanity.
Fisker Karma: a lot of bad press for a radical plug-in hybrid luxury sports sedan
What we saw with the Fisker Karma this year was nothing short of a negative press nightmare with two major recalls, one starting in December of 2011 and reverberating through the press through 2012, the other logged in August of 2012. The first recall was for a battery fire risk caused by coolant leakage, the second was for a faulty cooling fan unit. Then there were several fires, one of them in May in Fort Bend County, Texas, another in August in Woodside, California. After a single vehicle model has more than a couple incidents with it such as these, the press tends to pick up even the most minor incident – the result was that this futuristic beast had a lot more “negative” visibility than it did positive in 2012.
On the other hand, Fisker hasn’t fallen to the press. They’re bringing on the Fisker Atlantic EV early in the year and a new $100 million dollar investment round in September. They’ve also got plans for a less expensive vehicle by the name of Fisker Atlantic which will be appearing no sooner than 2014.
BMW 3 Series and friends: packed tight with technological mainstays
The folks at BMW have brought on a fabulous mix of high-tech features to not just their 3 Series and X3 SUVs, but the BMW X1 Crossover [check out our full review here] as well, most notably with the iconic center control station you see in the photo below. BMW comes correct on more than one model this year with blind spot detection, heads-up displays, lane departure warnings, and both rear and side parking cameras so you’ll never miss that rambunctious pet of yours.
BMW brings on adaptive cruise control, auto-high-beams, and internet integration with your center stack display – you’ll want to pick up a brand new 3 Series or X3 SUV for every single one of these features should you pick up the right package. It’s not going to come on cheap, but BMW created some of the most impressive packages the whole year long.
Ford Focus: an affordable line of forward-thinking vehicles for the whole family
The Ford Focus lineup includes several lovely little beasts pumped full of technological features, including the hatchback, the sedan, Focus ST with EcoBoost engine, C-Max station wagon / MPV coming in two iterations (hybrid and plug-in hybrid), and the fabulous Focus Electric. These vehicles each have their own fabulous feature high-marks like electric power-assist steering, iPod jacks, Bluetooth wireless connectivity to your smartphone, and parking sonar.
With Ford’s parking sonar technology ties up with electric power-assist steering to bring on automated self-parking and brings on cross-traffic alerts as well. You can upgrade your Focus in several cases with on-screen navigation, and there’s a bit of brand Ford brought forward that’ll place a smile on the faces of parents everywhere: MyKey. With MyKey, parents are able to limit how fast a Focus can stop, the on/off and volume of the vehicle’s audio system, and crash notifications via the web.
We also got a hands-on look at the AT&T-branded MyFord Mobile app for the 2012 Ford Focus Electric earlier this year that you’re going to be able to have a peek at below. This app works on iOS and Android and allows you to jump right into the guts of your vehicle without even being in the same neighborhood – hot stuff!
Nissan Altima: it’s got two display size options, sure, but it’s really all about the tires
The Nissan Altima works with either a 5 or 7-inch display ready to work with your tunes and your backup camera. This display allows you to work with Pandora radio, Google-powered local destination alerts, text messages, and more – though for some of these items you’ll need a connected smartphone. You’ve also got blind spot warnings, lane departure warnings, and moving object detection too. This machine also packs a simple AUX-in port that every modern vehicle should so you can connect your MP3 player or smartphone with a simple headphone-sized audio cord right out of the box.
The most instant-win technology you’ll get on this line is Easy Fill. With the technology known as Easy Fill, you fill your tires up with air until the vehicle beeps once when you’re near the correct pressure, then again when you’re there. Extremely simple feature that we’re certain most people would love to have.
Toyota Prius: a hero for the hybrid class gets a big tech upgrade
This year the Toyota Prius blasted forth once again with the new highest-mpg on the road along with the all-new Entune music and smartphone connectivity system. The Prius line carrying Entune works with your Entune account, your compatible smartphone connecting with the official Entune app and Bluetooth (or USB) with apps galore. Bing brings you local points of interest, as does OpenTable – dinner reservations too, Pandora and iheartradio bring on the runes, and MovieTickets.com allows you to pick up tickets for the next big blockbuster from your center console.
Entune also brings on local Fuel Prices, Stocks, Sports, Traffic, and Weather information too – and of course Entune isn’t limited to the Prius, it’s hit quite a few of Toyota’s 2012 and 2013 models. The Prius line is coming forth with Bluetooth and USB jack standard from now through the foreseeable future, too, Toyota making such connections an expected feature in cars across the industry (so it is expected).
Hyundai Santa Fe Sport: geofencing, smartphone connectivity, and a massive display up front
Earlier this year we had a test drive of the Hyundai Santa Fe Sport and had a peek at its futuristic insides. This machine brings on an 8-inch color LCD touchscreen with full navigation integration. This vehicle’s system includes Bluetooth connectivity to your smartphone for music streaming as well as an iPhone app for remote start, locking, and unlocking. You’ve also got the option to “geofence” this vehicle digitally, setting physical limits for where this vehicle can drive – drive too far and the whole vehicle shuts down.
2013 Cadillac ATS: with the Cadillac User Experience (CUE) in full effect
We had a close-up peek at the CUE in our 2013 Cadillac ATS Review – it was clear basically immediately that the high-quality interior on this machine was right in step with the competition, starting with its 8-inch capacitive touchscreen and running right through to USB and SD card compatibility. Have a peek at the hands-on video with CUE and feel the excellence in informatics and entertainment – Bluetooth connectivity with up to 10 devices included as well.
This machine works with physical buttons galore as well, pushing information to another 5.7-inch display in the instrument cluster and a heads-up display as well. The audio in this machine works with Bose technology, including a noise-cancellation system to reduce road and engine noise while you’re jamming at high speed.
Kia Soul (Eclaim!): bringing the Microsoft UVO Infotainment System to the great outdoors
The Kia Soul comes in several different spec models, as many fine modern vehicles do: our Kia Soul Review from earlier this year went by the name !, or Exclaim! This machine brought on the Microsoft-powered “UVO Infotainment System.” This system works with a 7-inch touchscreen in this case, bringing on Bluetooth stereo, USB and aux-in connections for your smartphone, and voice control. You can work with Sirius XM satellite radio right out the gate, and of course there’s a back-up camera so you’ll be in-line with governmental regulations for many years to come.
Mazda CX-5: with SKYACTIV, this machine may well be the best competition future-friendly electric batteries have
This machine takes on the hybrid and all-electric competition with Mazda’s SKYACTIV technology, combining “weight reduction, efficiency improvement and design rethinking”, as our Mazda CX-5 Review mentions right up front. This machine also works with three-stage heated front seats, rear-view mirror auto-dimming, and of course, a 5.8-inch LCD display. This display is touch friendly (provided you get the right package) as well as TomTom-powered GPS navigation.
Wireless connectivity with your smartphone is provided by Bluetooth and syncing allows you to access you contacts and make a call from the vehicle’s touchscreen. There’s a controller down by your parking break called the Multimedia Commander that you can use to scroll through selections on your touchscreen – or you can just use the generally OK voice command system via the dedicated activation button on the vehicle’s steering wheel.
Wrap-up
SlashGear will continue to be your source for the top technology coverage in automotive through the future with many more high-powered vehicle reviews to come in 2013. Be sure to check out our monstrous [Car Portal] to see the futuristic automobile segment from any angle you do so choose, top to bottom, and get pumped up about the connections you’re about to make!
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