Hasta La Gadget!

Harman has joined several other companies in jumping the CES gun, announcing five new products it’s bringing to the show. First up is the JBL Charge, a hardy Bluetooth speaker which promises an impressive 12 hours of tunes on a single charge. If you are willing to sacrifice some of that play time, you can siphon power from the internal battery to other kit via the speaker’s USB port. Expected to start shipping in Q1 2013, you should be able to pick one up for around $149. Joining JBL’s OnBeat range are the Mini and Rumble speaker docks, which are both compatible with Apple’s Lightning connector. The Mini is a fairly standard dock which will play and charge for up five hours on battery power, and should be available this coming March for around $149. The Rumble, however, is a little more equipped, with both Lightning and Bluetooth streaming options, as well as a 4.5-inch, “down-firing subwoofer” for bass junkies. That extra muscle is reflected in the price, though, which is likely to be $399 when it hits stores next spring.

A couple of new Kardon-branded A/V receivers from Harman are also coming along to CES — the AVR 2700 and 3700. Both have multi-zone functionality, are stacked with wireless features including internet radio, AirPlay and DLNA connectivity, and can be controlled using iOS and Android apps. The AVR 2700 has eight HDMI ports and 4K video scaling for when you get round to buying that UHDTV, as well as 7.1-channel audio (at 100 watts per channel). The AVR 3700 adds WiFi connectivity, and has 7.2 channels (at 125 watts per channel) for adding a second woofer to your setup. When they become available to purchase in Q1 2013, expect wallet damage to the tune of $799 for the 2700, or $999 for the 3700. You can get a closer look at all the Harman products in the press shots below (complete with unnecessary reflection), and if you’re into PRs, there are a whole bunch awaiting you after the break.

Continue reading Harman bringing trio of JBL speakers and pair of AV receivers to CES

Filed under: Home Entertainment, Peripherals, Wireless, HD

Comments

It looks like Mad Catz will have some special treats in store for CES this year. The company is teasing a new line of mobile gaming peripherals called GameSmart, and will consist of a full line of mobile gaming devices that include game controllers, mice, keyboards, headsets, and other specialty controllers.

According to the landing page, the devices are “designed to work seamlessly and wirelessly with a wide array of devices and platforms,” and will connect to existing devices via Bluetooth. The peripherals will work with laptops, tablets, and smartphones, and will utilize Bluetooth Smart technology.

The company says it’ll include an app to add functionality to the peripherals, and they also expect the tech to help game developers bridge differences between platforms by offering standardized controllers. Although Mad Catz is waiting until CES to unveil these GameSmart gamepads, keyboards, mice, and headsets, the company says the hardware won’t launch until shortly after its unveiled.

Unfortunately, Mad Catz aren’t providing any photos of the new devices — not even a quick tease other than an outline of a generic-looking game controller, which looks an awful lot like an Xbox 360 controller. So it looks like we’ll be waiting until next week before we’ll see what these new mobile devices will look like.

Mad Catz teases GameSmart mobile gaming peripherals for CES 2013 is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

ROCCAT made its debut in the States a year ago and now the German gaming outfit is looking to get a jump start on the happenings at this year’s CES. The company has announced the Ryos, its first mechanical gaming keyboard with per-key lighting and up to two 32-bit ARM Cortex processors. This method of illumination allows the peripheral to display key functions and macros in addition to information like health stats. The unit also sports 2MB of internal flash storage, up to four Cherry MX key switches in a variety of colors and an included SDK. No word on pricing yet, but the Ryos is expecting to ship during Q1 2013. If a few more details are what you’re after, take a gander at the PR that awaits just past break.

Continue reading ROCCAT unveils Ryos gaming keyboard ahead of CES, individually lit keys in tow

Filed under: Gaming, Peripherals

Comments

Thunderbolt enthusiasts have only been able to rely on the use of copper core cables — which offer significant limitations on distance — for their data transfer needs, but hope is close at hand. This afternoon, Corning announced that it’s launching optical cables with Thunderbolt connectivity. The new cables are just as durable as copper and are up to ten times longer (they come in lengths of 10, 20 and 30 meters, while copper only goes up to three). Just like copper, the optical cables offer high-speed data transfers up to 10Gbps, though they lack the ability to provide power to your devices. If Thunderbolt isn’t your thing, don’t fret: Corning plans to offer a set with USB3 connectivity as well. We haven’t been given any pricing yet, but both sets of cables should be available sometime in Q1.

Filed under: Peripherals, Internet

Comments

Shortly after revealing the foxLv2 aptX Bluetooth speaker, Soundmatters is adding another member to its foxL range with the Dash 7. This pocket-friendly soundbar doubles up as a speakerphone and carries a $250 sticker, boasting pristine omnidirectional sound and also bundling an angled stand for direct on-axis listening. Tipping the scales at 200g, the Dash 7 stands just about 18mm tall and is designed to be nestled below your slate without restricting the view. The speaker plays well with the diminutive foxLo subwoofer too — a pairing that promises to add some punch to impromptu parties. The Dash 7 will come in red, white, black and silver when it lands later this month, but the core specs are currently MIA — a problem we expect to resolve as early as next week when we encounter the accessory at CES.

Continue reading Soundmatters’ $250 Dash 7 portable Bluetooth speaker to debut at CES 2013

Filed under: Cellphones, Peripherals, Tablets

Comments

Source: Soundmatters