https://techcrunch.com/2018/01/02/what-to-expect-at-ces-2018/?utm_source=tcfbpage&sr_share=facebook
The biggest tech show of the year is set to officially kick off January 9 — which actually means the big announcements. TechCrunch has made a lot of reporting over the years, so they have some idea what to expect.
Connected homes will likely dominate the show yet again, led by the explosive popularity of Alexa and Google Assistant. Some past themes will likely see a shift, meanwhile, as past years’ fascination with VR shifts to a more AR focus. Google, in particular, is reportedly planning quite a presence at this year’s show.
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Tomi Engdahl says:
VW taps Nvidia to build AI into its new electric microbus and beyond
https://techcrunch.com/2018/01/07/uber-taps-nvidia-for-its-self-driving-vehicle-fleet/?utm_source=tcfbpage&sr_share=facebook
Nvidia will power artificial intelligence technology built into its future vehicles, including the new I.D. Buzz, its all-electric retro-inspired camper van concept. The partnership between the two companies also extends to the future vehicles, and will initially focus on so-called “Intelligent Co-Pilot” features, including using sensor data to make driving easier, safer and more convenient for drivers.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Uber taps Nvidia for its self-driving vehicle fleet
https://techcrunch.com/2018/01/07/uber-taps-nvidia-for-its-self-driving-vehicle-fleet/?utm_source=tcfbpage&sr_share=facebook
Uber has picked Nvidia as one of its key technology partners in its fleet of self-driving, specifically to provide the AI computing aspects of its autonomous software.
The partnership is one that has been in development for a while now, including in its very first test Volvo XC90 SUVs, which followed the introduction of its program using modified Ford sedans.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Liveblog: Nvidia is at CES 2018 with autonomous cars and gaming
https://techcrunch.com/2018/01/07/liveblog-nvidia-is-at-ces-2018-with-autonomous-cars-and-gaming/?ncid=rss&utm_source=tcfbpage&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Techcrunch+%28TechCrunch%29&utm_content=FaceBook&sr_share=facebook
Nvidia is quickly becoming a giant in the world of consumer electronics so it’s only fitting that the company holds one of the first press conferences of CES 2018. The event starts at 8:00pm PST from the massive MGM Casino in Los Vegas.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Devindra Hardawar / Engadget:
HP announces Spectre x360 15 laptop with 8th generation Intel CPUs and Radeon RX Vega M or Nvidia GeForce MX150 GPUs, starting at $1,370, available on March 18
https://www.engadget.com/2018/01/08/hp-spectre-x360-15/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Dean Takahashi / VentureBeat:
Nvidia partners with Acer, Asus, HP to launch 4K 120Hz 65-inch gaming displays this summer, with its G-Sync tech and Android TV-based Shield platform built in
Nvidia supersizes PC gaming with Big Format Gaming Displays
https://venturebeat.com/2018/01/07/nvidia-supersizes-pc-gaming-with-big-format-gaming-displays-bfgds/
Nvidia is announcing today that it is going to supersize PC gaming with a new breed of Big Format Gaming Displays — or BFGDs.
Nvidia is helping hardware partners Acer, Asus, and HP to integrate a high-end 65-inch, 4K, 120Hz HDR display with Nvidia’s G-Sync technology and the Nvidia Shield set-top streaming box. Nvidia says this will deliver a “buttery-smooth” gaming experience and media streaming apps on a giant screen. Nvidia is showing the technology at the 2018 Consumer Electronics Show (CES), the big tech trade show in Las Vegas this week.
“PC gamers expect high performance and instant response times, but, until now, they’ve been largely limited to traditional desktop displays,” said Matt Wuebbling, head of GeForce marketing at Nvidia, in a statement. “BFGDs change that. With Nvidia’s latest technology built into these new displays, PC gamers can now experience their favorite titles in all the low-latency glory they deserve.”
At the heart of the BFGDs is the latest G-Sync HDR technology, which synchronizes the display’s 120Hz refresh rate to that of the game at each moment. This G-Sync Variable Refresh Rate technology delivers a highly responsive, smooth, tear-free, immersive gaming experience unmatched by any display of this size.
G-SYNC technology brings the ultra-low latency of desktop gaming monitors to the BFGD when gaming directly on the PC, Android, another console, or using Nvidia GameStream technology from a desktop or laptop gaming PC.
G-SYNC HDR technology also supports video playback at native framerates, including popular 23.976, 24, and 25 FPS formats.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Jacob Kastrenakes / The Verge:
Belkin starts shipping WeMo HomeKit Bridge hub with Apple HomeKit support, announced 8 months ago, for $40
Belkin releases Wemo hub with Apple HomeKit support
https://www.theverge.com/circuitbreaker/2018/1/7/16858820/wemo-homekit-apple-belkin-hub-released-ces-2018
Tomi Engdahl says:
LG Display has made a 65-inch rollable OLED TV
A 4K TV you can roll up like a sheet of high-tech paper
https://www.theverge.com/2018/1/6/16859102/lg-display-rollable-oled-65-inch-ces-2018
A couple of years ago, LG Display showed off an intensely futuristic 18-inch OLED display that could be bent and rolled up just like a newspaper. Today, that prototype has grown to 65 inches in size, with the company announcing that it’s managed to scale up the tech to the dimensions of a large TV. At CES 2018, LG Display will be demonstrating the new 65-inch rollable OLED prototype, which also happens to have UHD (aka 4K) resolution.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Everything is too complicated
What are you assuming people already know?
https://www.theverge.com/2018/1/7/16861056/ces-2018-bad-assumptions-smart-assistants-tech-confusion
It’s the very beginning of CES 2018, and the first trickles of gadget news are starting to come out — the flood begins tomorrow as the show floor opens and keynotes and press conferences begin in earnest. It’s easy to see the broad themes of the show and the tech industry at large already forming: smart assistants everywhere, sensors and radios in every device you can think of, and an eternal hope that something, anything, will be the reason people will finally upgrade their TVs.
All of that is exciting — I love gadgets and am one of the few crazy people that think CES is incredibly fun! — but I want to take a half-step back before it all begins and point out something obvious: most people have no idea how any of these things work, and are already hopelessly confused by the tech they have.
Think of the tech industry as being built on an ever-increasing number of assumptions: that you know what a computer is, that saying “enter your Wi-Fi password” means something to you, that you understand what an app is, that you have the desire to manage your Bluetooth device list, that you’ll figure out what USB-C dongles you need, and on and on.
CES is great for seeing a little glimpse of the future, but real lives in the present are messy and complicated. Assuming that anyone cares about one downloading one more app or creating one more secure password is a huge and potentially dangerous mistake.
I think the most important questions we can ask right now are actually the simplest: how does it work? How do you set it up? What happens when people don’t understand something? Do I need to create a new username and password? Is all of that secure? Does it work well with other things I’ve already bought? What assumptions are you making?
Tomi Engdahl says:
Valentina Palladino / Ars Technica:
Netatmo debuts Smart Home Bot, a Facebook Messenger chatbot for its own and partner devices like thermostats, cameras, smart lights, and blinds
Netatmo’s Smart Home Bot uses AI to let you text commands to your devices
Voice controls not your thing? No problem.
https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2018/01/netatmos-smart-home-bot-uses-ai-to-let-you-text-commands-to-your-devices/
While voice assistants like Amazon’s Alexa and Google’s Assistant are taking over the home, there are still some users who don’t want to talk to their devices. The French company Netatmo, maker of a number of smart home products, wants users to text—not speak—to control their devices no matter where they are. At CES, Netatmo debuted its Smart Home Bot, a digital assistant of sorts that lives within Facebook Messenger that users can text commands to, thereby controlling their smart home devices.
The foundation for the Smart Home Bot comes from Netatmo’s new “with Netatmo” program. Currently, Netatmo devices are compatible with various virtual assistants including Alexa, Siri, and Google Assistant. But Netatmo’s new program will encourage other companies to partner with Netatmo to make devices that work with the company’s software as well as the Smart Home Bot. At CES, Netatmo is showing off a few of the newest “with Netatmo” devices, including smart lights, blinds, and radiators that will debut in 2018.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Devindra Hardawar / Engadget:
Intel announces a new NUC powered by Intel Core with Radeon RX Vega M Graphics, claims it’s the smallest VR-capable computer on the market
https://www.engadget.com/2018/01/07/intel-nuc-amd-rx-vega/?sr_source=Twitter
We’ve called Intel’s NUC “the future of tiny desktops.” That’s truer than ever with the newest version of the device, which is powered by the company’s new 8th generation CPU with AMD RX Vega M graphics. In fact, it sports the fastest version of that chip, making it an even better desktop replacement. Intel claims it’s so powerful, the 1.3 liter NUC is the smallest VR-ready system so far. And based on its specifications, we’re inclined to believe them.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Daniel Cooper / Engadget:
What to expect at CES 2018: from energy efficient laptops, high-end TVs, and self-driving car tech to AR/VR gaming, robots, and smart home tech
CES 2018: What to expect
All the rumors, new devices and incoming trends we’re expecting to see in Vegas.
https://www.engadget.com/2018/01/02/ces-2018-what-to-expect/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Wearable home theater lets you see what’s outside
It’s due in part to Eagle’s clever use of OLED displays.
https://www.engadget.com/2018/01/08/eagle-wearable-home-theater/
Home theater headsets have come a long way, but there’s still a common problem: they tend to dominate your face. It’s hard to know when someone wants your attention unless they tap on your shoulder. You might not be quite so cut off in the future, though. Kopin and Pico Interactive have unveiled a wearable home theater prototype, the Eagle, that promises the equivalent of an 80-inch screen while giving you better awareness of the outside world. You probably wouldn’t want to walk with this on your head, but it could give you a peek at an approaching person before they say hello.
Not surprisingly, the displays are key. Eagle revolves around a pair of newly unveiled 0.49-inch OLED screens that may be limited to 720p, but pump out a high 1,000 nits of brightness while consuming relatively little power.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Would You Use a Smartphone-Style Laptop With a Three-Day Battery Life?
https://hardware.slashdot.org/story/18/01/07/0759200/would-you-use-a-smartphone-style-laptop-with-a-three-day-battery-life
An anonymous reader quotes USA Today:
“Always connected personal computers” — or ACPCs — refer to a new breed of Windows laptops with three key features: a battery that can last multiple days; instant-on access when you open the lid or touch a key; and an optional high-speed cellular connection, to avoid hunting for a Wi-Fi hotspot to get online. In other words, your laptop is going to behave a lot more like your smartphone…
In fact, with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor, ASUS is claiming battery life of up to 22 hours of continuous video playback, and up to 30 days on standby. At $799, the ASUS NovaGo (model # TP370) will also be the first always-connected PC with a 360-degree flip hinge
A laptop with three days of battery life: It’s coming
http://www.king5.com/article/news/nation-now/a-laptop-with-three-days-of-battery-life-its-coming/465-4d72269a-9d25-4fdd-a72d-0abc16620cb1
Is this the dawn of the multi-day laptop battery?
“Always connected personal computers” — or ACPCs — refer to a new breed of Windows laptops with three key features: a battery that can last multiple days; instant-on access when you open the lid or touch a key; and an optional high-speed cellular connection, to avoid hunting for a Wi-Fi hotspot to get online.
In other words, your laptop is going to behave a lot more like your smartphone.
Qualcomm – the world’s largest smartphone chip maker — is largely spearheading this emerging category. This marks the San Diego-based company’s second foray into the computer space, after the Windows RT mobile operating system failed to catch on after it debuted in 2012.
Intel is also a major player in this space, having worked on the first cellular-supported PC back in 2005 (with Sony). It’s been heavily involved in battery improvements over the past few years.
But if you believe the hype, what we’ll see debut in 2018 will be nothing like we’ve witnessed in the past.
Tomi Engdahl says:
The PDA returns to CES, because everything old is new again
https://techcrunch.com/2018/01/07/the-pda-returns-to-ces-because-everything-old-is-new-again/?ncid=rss&utm_source=tcfbpage&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Techcrunch+%28TechCrunch%29&utm_content=FaceBook&sr_share=facebook
we carried personal digital assistants. It was a dark age, when our mobile devices still sported physical keyboards.
Of course, we’re far more evolved these days, typing on our flat screens, but every few years, another product hits the market, in a stubborn attempt to recapture that magic. The Gemini is the latest contender, and this one’s got plenty of support, with Indiegogo backers having already committed $1.2 million to the project — nearly 300-percent of its initial goal.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Nvidia Wants To Prohibit Consumer GPU Use In Datacenters
https://hardware.slashdot.org/story/18/01/07/0010221/nvidia-wants-to-prohibit-consumer-gpu-use-in-datacenters
Nvidia has banned the use of its GeForce and Titan gaming graphics cards in data centers — forcing organizations to fork out for more expensive gear, like its latest Tesla V100 chips. The chip-design giant updated its GeForce and Titan software licensing in the past few days, adding a new clause that reads: “No Datacenter Deployment. The SOFTWARE is not licensed for datacenter deployment, except that blockchain processing in a datacenter is permitted.”
Nvidia: Using cheap GeForce, Titan GPUs in servers? Haha, nope!
Nice try, but no, you’re gonna have to cough up for these expensive data center chips
https://www.theregister.co.uk/AMP/2018/01/03/nvidia_server_gpus/
Nvidia has banned the use of its GeForce and Titan gaming graphics cards in data centers – forcing organizations to fork out for more expensive gear, like its latest Tesla V100 chips.
The chip-design giant updated its GeForce and Titan software licensing in the past few days, adding a new clause that reads: “No Datacenter Deployment. The SOFTWARE is not licensed for datacenter deployment, except that blockchain processing in a datacenter is permitted.”
In other words, if you wanted to bung a bunch of GeForce GPUs into a server box and use them to accelerate math-heavy software – such as machine learning, simulations and analytics – then, well, you can’t without breaking your licensing agreement with Nvidia. Unless you’re doing trendy blockchain stuff.
A copy of the license in the Google cache, dated December 31, 2017, shows no mention of the data center ban. Open the page today, and, oh look, data center use is verboten.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Google Sold 6.75 Million ‘Google Home’ Devices In the Last 80 Days
https://tech.slashdot.org/story/18/01/07/171214/google-sold-675-million-google-home-devices-in-the-last-80-days
Google today announced that it sold “tens of millions of Google devices for the home” over the course of the last year and that it sold “more than one Google Home device every second since Google Home Mini started shipping in October,”
https://techcrunch.com/2018/01/05/google-says-it-sold-a-google-home-device-every-second-since-october-19/
Tomi Engdahl says:
World’s biggest AR display
https://www.uusiteknologia.fi/2018/01/08/ces2018-maailman-suurin-lisatyn-todellisuuden-ar-naytto/
https://www.realfiction.com/solutions/mixed-reality/deepframe
Tomi Engdahl says:
CES 2018: 20 most innovative gadgets at show
https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/talkingtech/2018/01/07/ces-2018-20-most-innovative-gadgets-show/1008276001/
Each year, the Consumer Technology Association, which stages the CES, selects 20 products for the CES Innovation Awards, “honoring outstanding design and engineering,” in consumer tech products.
Tomi Engdahl says:
CES 2018 is nearly upon us, and there will be a strong IoT presence at the annual showcase next week in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Consumer Technology Association had more than 184,000 attendees at CES 2017, with 4,000 companies exhibiting at various venues. Smart cities, smart homes, augmented and virtual reality, self-driving cars, and artificial intelligence will be among the technology fields to be discussed and exhibited. Qualcomm has scheduled a press conference for Monday afternoon, January 8
Source: https://semiengineering.com/the-week-in-review-iot-79/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Free TV Keeps Getting Better: Welcome ATSC 3.0
Here’s everything you need to know about the next-generation wireless TV standard.
http://www.electronicdesign.com/community-home/free-tv-keeps-getting-better-welcome-atsc-30
In November, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) issued new rules that will let TV broadcasters adopt the next-generation wireless TV standard designated ATSC 3.0. This new standard defines the specifications for ultra-high-definition (UHD) or 4K over-the-air (OTA) digital TV.
In case you haven’t noticed, TV has progressed to the 4K ultra-high-definition stage with its 3,840 × 2,160 pixel resolution. (3,840 pixels is almost 4,000, thus the 4K designation.) Big-screen LCD and OLED sets are now reasonably priced, and some UHD content at the new resolution is becoming available. If you have not experienced UHD on a big screen, give it a try. You will want to upgrade immediately. In the near future, broadcasters will be able to offer this improved technology based on the ATSC 3.0 standard.
Roughly 75% of households pay for their TV reception for cable or satellite distribution. But you can still get free over-the-air TV from your local broadcasters.
Tomi Engdahl says:
What’s On Center Stage at the CES Tech Show? Your Voice
https://slashdot.org/story/18/01/08/1235214/whats-on-center-stage-at-the-ces-tech-show-your-voice?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Slashdot%2Fslashdot%2Fto+%28%28Title%29Slashdot+%28rdf%29%29
Apple is coming out with its own speaker this year; Microsoft and Samsung have partnered on another. As the annual CES gadget show kicks off in Las Vegas this week, manufacturers are expected to unveil even more voice-controlled devices — speakers and beyond — as Amazon and Google make their digital assistants available on a wider array of products.
https://apnews.com/265fc612e35b46a59dd660b241f6f07c/What's-on-center-stage-at-the-CES-tech-show?-Your-voice
Tomi Engdahl says:
AMD Unveils 2nd Gen Ryzen and Threadripper CPUs, 7nm Vega Mobile GPUs At CES
https://hardware.slashdot.org/story/18/01/08/138247/amd-unveils-2nd-gen-ryzen-and-threadripper-cpus-7nm-vega-mobile-gpus-at-ces?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Slashdot%2Fslashdot%2Fto+%28%28Title%29Slashdot+%28rdf%29%29
AMD is unveiled a number of upcoming chip products for the new year at CES 2018, including updated next-generation Ryzen and Threadripper desktop processors covering every market segment from mobile to HEDT, and an array of Vega-based graphics products. AMD will be releasing a pair of Ryzen 3-branded mobile APUs for mainstream notebooks. T
AMD Announces 2nd Gen Ryzen And Threadripper Processors, 7nm Vega Mobile GPUs At CES 2018
https://hothardware.com/news/amd-unveils-2nd-generation-ryzen-and-threadripper-processors-7nm-vega-mobile-gpus-at-ces-2018
Tomi Engdahl says:
Todd Bishop / GeekWire:
HP, Asus, Acer, and others plan to integrate Alexa into some of their Windows 10 desktops and notebooks this year — Amazon Alexa will soon arrive on Windows PCs, creating new competition for Microsoft’s built-in Cortana voice assistant. — Hardware makers HP, ASUS …
Alexa is coming to PCs: HP, ASUS and Acer bring Amazon’s assistant onto Microsoft Cortana’s turf
https://www.geekwire.com/2018/alexa-coming-pcs-hp-asus-acer-bring-amazons-assistant-onto-microsoft-cortanas-turf/
Amazon Alexa will soon arrive on Windows PCs, creating new competition for Microsoft’s built-in Cortana voice assistant.
Hardware makers HP, ASUS, Acer and others plan to bring Alexa to their computers this year, further expanding the reach of Amazon’s voice assistant. The integrations, announced at CES in Las Vegas, will allow PC users to interact with Alexa in much the same way as they do on Amazon Echo speakers and third-party devices — to control the lights, get flash briefings, or anything else Alexa normally does.
“This is a big step toward making Alexa available wherever customers might need her,” said Steve Rabuchin, Amazon Alexa vice president, in a news release announcing Acer’s integration of Alexa into select Acer Aspire, Spin, Switch and Swift notebooks, and Aspire all-in-one PCs.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Natalie Gagliordi / ZDNet:
Nvidia says its new Xavier SoC can process Level 5 self-driving data, powers its Drive IX vehicle safety and convenience and Drive AR infotainment UX platforms — Nvidia unveiled the next generation of its autonomous driving stack at CES 2018. — LAS VEGAS — Graphics chip giant Nvidia …
At CES 2018, Nvidia launches Xavier, an effort to meld autonomous driving and AI
Nvidia unveiled the next generation of its autonomous driving stack at CES 2018.
http://www.zdnet.com/article/at-ces-2018-nvidia-launches-xavier-an-effort-to-meld-autonomous-driving-and-ai/
Graphics chip giant Nvidia on Sunday unveiled the next generation of its autonomous driving stack powered by Xavier, the company’s $2 billion R&D bet on automotive AI.
Touted by Nvidia as the “world’s most powerful SoC (system on a chip),” Xavier was built to process Level 5 autonomous driving data from a vehicle’s radar, cameras, Lidar and ultrasonic systems with more energy efficiency and a smaller form factor than anything else on the market.
Xavier has more than 9 billion transistors with a custom 8-core CPU, a 512-core Volta GPU, an 8K HDR video processor, a deep-learning accelerator, new computer-vision accelerators, and the ability to perform 30 trillion operations per second on 30 watts of power.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Ian Cutress / AnandTech:
Intel unveils 8th-gen Intel Core i5 and i7 chips with Radeon RX Vega M Graphics, the first Intel chips with AMD’s Radeon graphics — Intel’s Performance Numbers — *Disclaimer: All performance numbers in this section are from Intel and have not been independently verified
Intel Core with Radeon RX Vega M Graphics Launched: HP, Dell, and Intel NUC
by Ian Cutress on January 7, 2018 9:02 PM EST
https://www.anandtech.com/show/12220/how-to-make-8th-gen-more-complex-intel-core-with-radeon-rx-vega-m-graphics-launched
It’s here – one of the most unlikely partnerships in the semiconductor industry. Long-time rivals Intel and AMD, battling out of x86 dominance for over 35 years, are now co-conspirators. Take one part Intel’s high-performance 8th generation processor core, one part with AMD’s efficient Vega graphics, mix together with 4 GB of HBM memory and sprinkle in some high-performance interconnect.
The new products are officially labeled as ‘Intel 8th Generation Core with Radeon RX Vega M Graphics’, although this will be shortened to ‘Intel with Radeon Graphics’ for ease of use.
Kaby Lake-G unveiled: Intel CPU, AMD GPU, Nvidia-beating performance
New hybrid chips should offer a compelling alternative to discrete GPUs.
https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2018/01/kaby-lake-g-unveiled-intel-cpu-amd-gpu-nvidia-beating-performance/
One of the more surprising products announced last year was an Intel CPU with embedded AMD graphics, an unusual collaboration between two competitors. With the full specs now available, it’s clear that the companies are taking aim at a common enemy: Nvidia.
The result is perhaps one of the most annoyingly named products we’ve seen in a while: the full branding is “8th generation Intel Core processor with Radeon RX Vega M Graphics.” The CPU part is a Kaby Lake-R chip; these are the four-core, eight-thread versions of the 7th-generation chips. The CPUs are paired with either a Radeon RX Vega M GH or a Radeon RX Vega M GL GPU, which in turn is connected to 4GB of second-generation High Bandwidth Memory (HBM2).
The GPU is joined to the CPU with eight PCIe 3.0 lanes running within the package; another eight lanes from the CPU are available to other devices on the motherboard. The GPU’s memory uses Intel’s Embedded Multi-Die Interconnect Bridge (EMIB), a high-speed, short-range interconnect that uses small chunks of silicon embedded into the circuit board, rather than traditional copper traces.
Tomi Engdahl says:
HP’s Z 3D Camera puts Sprout’s scanning power on your PC
A PC accessory that saves you from buying a new, $3,000 machine.
https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2018/01/hps-z-3d-camera-puts-sprouts-scanning-power-on-your-pc/
HP’s Sprout all-in-one was a behemoth when it launched, and its second iteration, the Sprout Pro G2, wasn’t any different. Both PCs made 3D scanning easier by incorporating a down-facing camera atop the display and a Touch Mat that almost acts as a second display. To match their power, both Sprout PCs are incredibly large and expensive, priced at $3,750 and higher. At CES, HP introduced the $599 Z 3D Camera, which basically takes the 3D camera technology from the original devices and packages it as a PC accessory rather than a full, all-in-one device.
A $3,000 PC like the Sprout Pro G2 is a huge investment, particularly when the customer may only be purchasing it for the camera’s capabilities. HP has made a smart decision by turning that technology into an accessory with the Z 3D Camera—users now have access to those 2D and 3D scanning features without investing thousands of dollars into a new PC. However, you still need a powerful PC to use the Z 3D Camera most effectively.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Powermat gives in to Qi, moves wireless charging closer to uniformity
Powermat joins the WPC and will “share technology innovation” to help expand Qi.
https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2018/01/powermat-gives-in-to-qi-moves-wireless-charging-closer-to-uniformity/
Wireless charging company Powermat has joined the Wireless Power Consortium (WPC) in a move that looks to further unify wireless charging tech behind the popular Qi standard.
Powermat—which has long pushed the PMA wireless charging standard as Qi’s primary competitor—quietly announced the move last week. The company is a leading player in the AirFuel Alliance, a wireless charging standards body that formed in 2015 with the merger of two other organizations, the Alliance for Wireless Power and the Power Matters Association. Powermat has largely stood opposite Qi and the WPC.
Qi has won the lion’s share of the wireless charging market in recent years, though. Its dominance came to a head last fall after Apple threw its weight behind the standard with its new iPhone X and iPhone 8 phones. This more-or-less sealed Powermat’s fate and led stores like Starbucks—which had previously supported Powermat over Qi through its in-store wireless charging pads—to update its chargers to support both formats.
“Qi has become the dominant wireless charging standard on the market, and the recently launched Apple iPhone lineup is evidence of this success,”
None of this immediately changes the fact that wireless charging is still slower than using a more traditional wired connector like USB-C.
Tomi Engdahl says:
ASUS Showcases Small Form Factor Solutions at CES 2018
https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180108006044/en/
New PB40 and PN40 Mini PCs, Chromebox 3 and Tinker Board S offer compact size and versatility for work or play
Tomi Engdahl says:
Nima announces a $289 portable peanut allergy tester
https://techcrunch.com/2018/01/08/nima-announces-a-289-portable-peanut-allergy-tester/?utm_source=tcfbpage&sr_share=facebook
Peanut allergy is common and now there’s a new way to detect if a food substance contains the ingredient. Nima’s Peanut is a small, self-contained unit used to detect peanuts. And like Nima’s gluten detector, it seems quick and easy to use.
In both the peanut and gluten tester, the user places a pea-size chunk of food into the single-use testing tube. After this tube is placed into the Nima, the device uses different sensors and chemistry to detect either peanuts or gluten. The results are delivered in about three minutes.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Baidu debuts Apollo 2.0, its latest open self-driving platform
https://techcrunch.com/2018/01/08/baidu-reveals-apollo-2-0-its-latest-open-self-driving-platform/?utm_source=tcfbpage&sr_share=facebook
Tomi Engdahl says:
Intel CEO: Meltdown and Spectre patches will come to 90%+ of chips in the next week
https://techcrunch.com/2018/01/08/intel-ces/?ncid=rss&utm_source=tcfbpage&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Techcrunch+%28TechCrunch%29&utm_content=FaceBook&sr_share=facebook
“I want to thank the industry for coming together to address the recent security, industry-wide issue. Security is job number one for Intel and our industry,” he said. “The primary focus for us has to keep our customer data safe.”
He said that Intel had not received any information that any data has been compromised on its chips to date. “We are working tirelessly to make sure it stays that way,” he added.
He also said that Intel expects to issue updates to its processors soon. More than 90 percent will be getting them within the week, and the rest by the end of January.
He also added that the impact of the security patches will be “highly workflow dependent”, he said. “We will continue to work with industry to minimise the impact on workloads over time.”
Tomi Engdahl says:
if Intel can be in the driver’s seat in how that new technology develops, it can leverage this for Intel’s chips to play a central role in powering them.
And “driver’s seat” may be the operative term here: it looks like that majority of Intel’s news for this year focused on new deals with carmakers as they move to test and adopt autonomous driving systems.
Intel is now putting 100 vehicles of its own into its own self-driving pilot — it looks like the first of these that it wheeled on to the stage is a Ford — and it said that 2 million vehicles from BMW, Nissan and Volkswagen are using Mobileye’s Road Experience Management (REM) tech to work on crowdsourcing data to enhance its maps: the companies are working with Intel and Here to build these maps into their systems.
Meanwhile, in China Intel will work with SAIC and Navinfo to develop Level 3, 4 and 5 cars (with increasing levels of autonomy), also using Mobileye technology, for the Chinese market.
Source: https://techcrunch.com/2018/01/08/intel-ces/?ncid=rss&utm_source=tcfbpage&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Techcrunch+%28TechCrunch%29&utm_content=FaceBook&sr_share=facebook
Tomi Engdahl says:
Intel’s Mobileye will have 2 million cars on roads building HD maps in 2018
https://techcrunch.com/2018/01/08/intels-mobileye-will-have-2-million-cars-on-roads-building-hd-maps-in-2018/?utm_source=tcfbpage&sr_share=facebook
Intel and Mobileye are moving forward with the latter’s REM platform, an HD mapping solution that uses data collected by REM-capable vehicles on roads to build maps that can be used as a key ingredient in ADAS and autonomous driving systems.
Mobileye, and Intel post-acquisition, have been setting the stage for REM mapping for a while now. It’s set now to turn on the styes and begin collecting the data, which will be gathered by software build into its EyeQ4 system-on-a-chip. EyeQ4 entered volume production last year, and is now in place in two million cars on the road, including vehicles from BMW, VW, Nissan and more.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Don’t buy your kids a camera, let them build one with the Kano Camera Kit
https://www.digitaltrends.com/photography/kano-camera-kit-ces2018/
Sure, digital cameras designed for kids teach basic photography skills, but what about codings skills or DIY photo editing? The Kano Camera Kit is now close to getting in consumers’ hands after a half-million dollar Kickstarter campaign. During the Consumer Electronics Show, Kano shared the latest prototype for the camera kit.
The Kano Camera Kit is a DIY digital camera designed to teach kids well beyond the photo basics, but coding and creative photo manipulation, too.
Kano, a London, England-based company, says the kit is as easy to build as Lego bricks, with detailed guides. After constructing the 5-megapixel camera, kids can code their own photo filters or use code to change the color of the flash.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Where GoPro goes next
https://techcrunch.com/2018/01/08/where-gopro-goes-next/?ncid=rss&utm_source=tcfbpage&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Techcrunch+%28TechCrunch%29&utm_content=FaceBook&sr_share=facebook
GoPro, already a beloved camera brand, just couldn’t take flight. The GoPro vision – a little box you can attach to the wing of a plane or your ski helmet and catch unparalleled views of the world – is cloudy now on news that trading halted this morning due to low performance attributed to price slashing, layoffs, and the closing of the company’s nascent drone division.
Tomi Engdahl says:
LG has come up with a surprisingly interesting way to apply AI to TV
https://techcrunch.com/2018/01/08/lg-has-come-up-with-a-surprisingly-interesting-way-to-apply-ai-to-tv/?ncid=rss&utm_source=tcfbpage&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Techcrunch+%28TechCrunch%29&utm_content=FaceBook&sr_share=facebook
Generally speaking, at CES and elsewhere, when a company says something is powered by AI, they’re blowing smoke. And while smoke was definitely blown at LG’s otherwise unremarkable press conference this morning, the company also announced it was applying AI in a way that’s both unexpected and smart: intelligently enhancing TV images using computer vision.
Tomi Engdahl says:
CES 2018: Suitable Tech Introduces BeamPro 2 Telepresence Platform
https://spectrum.ieee.org/automaton/robotics/industrial-robots/ces-2018-suitable-tech-introduces-beampro-2-telepresence-platform
Tomi Engdahl says:
Zano drone returns after multi-million dollar crowdfunding failure
https://www.engadget.com/2018/01/08/zano-drone-returns/
The project raised over $3 million in crowdfunding, but failed to deliver.
Tomi Engdahl says:
CES 2018: Tactical Haptics Redesigns Its Magical Force Feedback Controller
https://spectrum.ieee.org/tech-talk/consumer-electronics/gaming/ces-2018-tactical-haptics-redesigns-its-magical-force-feedback-controller
Tomi Engdahl says:
CES 2018: Intel’s 49-Qubit Chip Shoots for Quantum Supremacy
https://spectrum.ieee.org/tech-talk/computing/hardware/intels-49qubit-chip-aims-for-quantum-supremacy
Intel has passed a key milestone while running alongside Google and IBM in the marathon to build quantum computing systems. The tech giant has unveiled a superconducting quantum test chip with 49 qubits: enough qubits to possibly enable quantum computing that begins to exceed the practical limits of modern classical computers.
Intel’s announcement about the design and fabrication of its new 49-qubit superconducting quantum chip, code-named Tangle Lake
Tomi Engdahl says:
Intel sets the stage for new ‘Level 2+’ automated driving
https://techcrunch.com/2018/01/08/intel-sets-the-stage-for-new-level-2-automated-driving/?utm_source=tcfbpage&sr_share=facebook
Tomi Engdahl says:
Google launches smart displays with JBL, Lenovo, LG and Sony
https://techcrunch.com/2018/01/08/google-partners-with-jbl-lenovo-lg-and-sony-to-launch-echo-show-and-spot-smart-display-competitors/?ncid=rss&utm_source=tcfbpage&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Techcrunch+%28TechCrunch%29&sr_share=facebook
For the longest time, we’ve been waiting for Google to bring its Assistant to devices with a screen. After all, voice assistants are great — until you need some visual information to go with their answers. To address this, Amazon launched the Echo Show and Spot last year and now it’s Google’s turn. But it’s not launching a Google Home with a screen. Instead, the company today announced it is working with JBL, Lenovo, LG and Sony to launch new smart displays later this year.
Tomi Engdahl says:
CES 2018: Intel’s CEO Becomes First Passenger in an Air Taxi
https://spectrum.ieee.org/cars-that-think/aerospace/aviation/volocopters-ceo-drinks-own-koolaid-by-riding-in-prototype-air-taxi
Tomi Engdahl says:
Qualcomm shows off a chip for the next generation of Bluetooth earbuds
https://techcrunch.com/2018/01/08/qualcomm-shows-off-a-chip-for-the-next-generation-of-bluetooth-earbuds/?ncid=rss&utm_source=tcfbpage&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Techcrunch+%28TechCrunch%29&utm_content=FaceBook&sr_share=facebook
Tomi Engdahl says:
New Products At CES powered by Android Things
https://android-developers.googleblog.com/2018/01/new-products-at-ces-powered-by-android.html?m=1
The Android Things team has been working closely with our partners to create compelling, secure and thoughtful IoT products. During the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, a number of our OEM partners are announcing their first set of products powered by Android Things. These products are built on certified Android Things System-on-Modules (SoMs) from our silicon partners, benefit from regular feature and security updates from Google, and have the Google Assistant and Google Cast seamlessly built in.
New voice-activated speakers powered by Android Things are being announced at CES, including the LG ThinQ WK7 and iHome iGV1. Turnkey hardware solutions based on the Qualcomm SD212 Home Hub Platform, MediaTek MT8516 and Rockchip RK3229 SoM are certified for the Assistant and Cast, and NXP i.MX 8M is coming soon. Three of our Original Design Manufacturer (ODM) partners, Tymphany, Goertek, and Tonly, have created full speaker reference designs
Tomi Engdahl says:
Introducing Single-Chip Solutions for Building Alexa-Enabled Products
https://developer.amazon.com/blogs/alexa/post/ba17fd33-6510-45d6-b682-ee9ed9ef589c/single-soc-dev-kits-for-avs
Today, we the launch the first single System-on-Chip (SoC) development kits for the Alexa Voice Service (AVS).
A typical system designed for AVS requires a microphone and speaker with three processing blocks: an audio front end (AFE) to clean up the input speech, a wake word engine (WWE) to recognize the voice command for “Alexa,” and an AVS client to send utterances to and receive directives from the cloud.
Existing Audio Front End Development Kits for AVS utilize a dedicated digital signal processor (DSP) to implement the AFE processing block, while leveraging a Raspberry Pi to host the WWE and AVS client for prototyping purposes.
System Development Kits for AVS offer a complete, end-to-end system reference design for building AVS products. This category includes AFE development kits that are also available in qualified bundles with production-ready SoCs.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Toyota will add Amazon Alexa to select cars in 2018
https://www.cnbc.com/2018/01/09/toyota-will-add-amazon-alexa-to-select-cars-in-2018.html
Some Toyota and Lexus models will offer Amazon Alexa in 2018.
The Japanese automaker plans to add the feature to more models in 2019.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Sony launches a bunch of new headphones and adds Google Assistant functionality to the line
https://techcrunch.com/2018/01/08/sony-launches-a-bunch-of-new-headphones-and-adds-google-assistant-functionality-to-the-line/?ncid=rss&utm_source=tcfbpage&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Techcrunch+%28TechCrunch%29&utm_content=FaceBook&sr_share=facebook
Tomi Engdahl says:
Toyota launches dedicated mobility services concept vehicle
https://techcrunch.com/2018/01/08/toyota-launches-dedicated-mobility-services-concept-vehicle/?utm_source=tcfbpage&sr_share=facebook
Tomi Engdahl says:
Oculus partners with Xiaomi to launch the Oculus Go and Mi VR Standalone
https://techcrunch.com/2018/01/08/oculus-partners-with-xiaomi-to-launch-the-oculus-go-and-mi-vr-standalone/?utm_source=tcfbpage&sr_share=facebook