Tag: CES 2016

5 Cool Wearables for Pets

If you think wearables are a piece of tech, from the future, here are wearables for your pets to take things a step further. From electric bow ties to little paw-cams, there is every kind of wearable out there available for your pets. And you thought pet-wearables were only about GPS trackers, didn’t you? Forget those obsolete little devils, they are a thing of the past. However, sadly enough, the majority of these wearables are for dogs, but hey, that’s a start.

1. FitBark : Dog Activity Monitor

FitBark, as the name suggests, is a tracker for your dog’s daily activities. It would monitor sleep which would be converted into what the company calls ‘BarkPoints’. The fitness tracker would explain changes in your dog’s behaviour based on biological and physiological changes. It can be linked to your FitBit helping to track both your and your pet’s fitness. Priced at $54.95, the FitBark can bought off the official website here.

2. WonderWoof Bluetooth Bow Tie

This is another kind of activity-tracker for your dog which uses Bluetooth to connect itself with its companion WonderWoof app. It is compatible with both iOS and Android devices. The monitor would keep you updated about the health status of your dog based on its breed, gender, age and size. This device also helps you set up a social network of sorts for your pet. Your friends’ pets can be connected to your tracker which would then give you notifications if they are in the vicinity.

Using the tracker, play dates, vet appointments and grooming sessions can be fixed. WonderWoof also has a waterproof rating of IP67. It can be bought off the official store for $95. At CES this year, where WonderWoof was launched, the company also mentioned a product called WonderMeow, but it won’t be able until the end of the year. No other details have been mentioned

3. PawsCam Remote Video Camera

Ever wonder what your pet was up to when you were not around? No, they don’t just sit there all day waiting for you to come back. And here is a device to prove that. PawsCam takes a 6-second video when it detects any movement which is auto-uploaded to PawsCam cloud. The user can access it on iOS devices or on the web. To make sure you get an uninterrupted record of your pet’s escapades, the device has been made to be shock-proof and is capable of lasting seven days with a single charge. The videos recorded are of 480p 30fps and require Wi-Fi to be sent to the cloud. PawsCam is available for $100.

4. Taillights

This is one of a kind wearable -even for the animal world. Taillights is a series of LED lights meant for horses. There are four strips of lights which are attached to the tail of the horse, making it visible even on a dark for up to a mile. This fantastic wearable is surely a good measure against road accidents. Police officials in the US and Canada use it for patrol-horses. The lights are available in multiple colours and flash patterns, along with festive options. Guess who can have a horse with a tail incandescent with red and green lights for the festive season this year? Taillights cost $145 on the official website.

5. GoPro Fetch

GoPro Fetch is basically a harness made by the company that lets you attach a GoPro (to be bought separately) to your little canine friends and then view the world from their point of view. Use it to watch your dog during “bone-chewing, digging and front-paw action”. The harness is washable, sturdy and tough enough to withstand exposure to mud and water. It can be purchased for a price of $49.99 off the GoPro website.

February 9, 2016
Credit Card Sized Device To Charge Your Phone Using Water

CES 2016, saw a lot of crazy concepts, but none of them could match this one for ingenuity. Move aside portable chargers, forget about finding electric outlets to charge your phone, the JAQ is here to save the day.

Swedish startup MyFC unveiled this cool device which is small enough to slip into your pocket. It is a fuel cell charger, and uses saltwater and oxygen to convert chemical energy into electricity. Precious electricity that can later be used to charge your power hungry phone.

The charger consists of two pieces, a credit card-shaped power card and a port for the card that’s roughly the size of a smartphone. The card contains saltwater, which fuels electricity producing chemical reactions when you slip the card into the port. The port can be connected to your phone using a normal usb cable.

According to the information on the company’s website, one JAQ power card produces close to 1,800 mAh, enough to charge an iPhone 6S. Larger devices, like tablets, can also be charged with the fuel cell, but it’ll take more than one power card to get them fully juiced.

But JAQ cards come with a catch. These power cards are good for just one use. After that,the saltwater in them stops producing the chemical reactions required for generating electricity.

The JAQ isn’t available for purchase just yet, but the company plans to start shipping the product to American users later this year. It is expected to be sold on a subscription bases, though the company also plans to make these cards individually available for $1 each( Approx Rs 60).

January 14, 2016
Samsung ‘Smart Suit’ to Dress You Up For the Future

Smartphones, smart-watches, smart cities with smart people living in futuristic smart homes doing smart things all the time! Well, the future sure promises to look like the setting of a Sci-Fi movie. And, for better, or for worse, Samsung is here to do its bit for this revolution by promising to dress up the future, you and us, with smart-clothes.

Samsung unveiled its Smart Suit concept, a range of smart wearables at CES, 2016. The technology behind the Smart Suit, however, isn’t that impressive. It’s basically your every-day clothes with an NFC tag sewn into them.

SMART Button

This range of smart clothes includes a button that can be used to put your phone into “do not disturb” mode and can share contact details, getting rid of the need for business cards to be exchanged -all this by just swiping your smartphone over this smart-button on your suit.

Welt- The SmartBelt

The Button is joined by the Welt. This smartbelt will not only hold up your pants, but also track the size of your waistline, steps you’ve walked, among other things. We say that’s pretty impressive for a belt.

Body Compass 2.0

The smart suit concept also brings to us Body Compass 2.0, which has two pieces of apparel to it, a tank top, and a pair of trousers. No prizes for guessing, both come sewn with a metal nub that houses a processor, and a small battery to power the sensors in the clothes.

These sensors that send data back to this hub are incorporated in the material itself, and help the athletic wear measure body fat, heart rate, and stance of the user. On the flip side, usage of sophisticated tech in these clothes also makes them non-machine washable.

This range of smart wearables interact with a Samsung app, and provides real-time analysis of your workout, going as far as advising you to correct your posture and even pesters you if you take too long a rest. Phew! Too much pressure.

January 11, 2016
Lenovo May Kill the Motorola Brand

It looks like another popular name in the mobile phone industry is set to follow the same fate as Nokia (although the latter might be making a comeback this year). Buzz around the internet is that Motorola will soon be phased out.

Lenovo, which bought Motorola from Google back in 2014, announced at CES 2016 that it will phase out the Motorola brand for its phones. “We’ll slowly phase out Motorola,” said Motorola Chief Operating Officer Rick Osterloh.

The decision is particularly interesting when seen in light of Lenovo’s statement back in 2014 when it said that, “We plan to not only protect the Motorola brand, but make it stronger.”

What this means is that Motorola’s phone business will now come under Lenovo and the Motorola name will disappear from its phones this year. Meanwhile, Lenovo will still use the ‘Motorola Mobility’ name for its phone division, but any upcoming phone or wearable will fall under the brand of ‘Moto’ and ‘Vibe’.

Motorola fans need not despair. The brand name will continue to live on, albeit in a more minimalist way. Future Moto products will continue to sport Motorola’s batwing-like ‘M’ logo along with Lenovo’s blue logo. Indeed, Motorola will be missed, and will always be remembered as one of the earliest, if not first brand to produce a mobile phone.

January 8, 2016
This Drone Can Carry a Man

If you’re looking for little man-made contraptions humans could fly in, seek no more. A Chinese company, Ehang Inc., unveiled what is being touted as the first ever drone capable of carrying a human being, on Wednesday at CES .

The Ehang 184 was unveiled yesterday as an electric-power drone that can carry up to 220 pounds and is capable of flying for 23 minutes. It looks like a small helicopter, but of course, along with the four doubled propellers of a drone. The air-conditioned cabin has room for one person and is capable of being charged fully in only two hours. It also has a reading light and space for a back-pack, just because.

The passenger is required to give two commands “take off” and “land” once the flight plan has been put in order; both these commands are taken care of using the Microsoft Surface tablet. The drone is designed to fly 1,000 to 1,650 feet off the ground with a maximum altitude of 11, 500 feet. The highest speed it can reach is 63 miles per hour.

Shang Hsiao, co-founder and Chief Financial Officer for Ehang aims to sell the drone at $200,000-$300,000. However it seems there will be a while before the drone is declared legally safe in all aspects. The Federal Aviation Administration is already trying to regulate America’s sudden increased interest in drones. It would be interesting to see them tackle another addition to the territory.

January 7, 2016
Netflix Available Globally

Netflix arrives in India -guess who can finally use the phrase “Netflix and chill”? The announcement was made during a keynote by Co-founder and Chief Executive Reed Hastings at CES 2016, while the service went live simultaneously.

Netflix is now available in 190 countries and needless to say, India is one of them. Viewers can now stream their favourite movies and TV shows on almost any Internet-connected device like smartphones, computers or tablets.

The Basic plan costs Rs. 500 per month while the Premium one is priced at Rs. 800 per month. Users can try the service for free for the first one month by signing up at www.netflix.com/in . Which Netflix show will you be streaming first? Let us know in the comments below.

January 7, 2016
Windows Powered Galaxy TabPro S Launches at CES 2016

The long wait is finally over. Samsung, after having ignored the Windows OS platform for sometime now, has come to the market with a Windows 10 based tablet. The Galaxy TabPro S, is a sleek tablet, which at its size is thinner than it’s main competitors, the Apple iPad Pro, and the the Surface Pro. Samsung at CES,2016 gave a sneak peak into this new offering from its stables.

The product from the outside looks better than most other Android tablets that Samsung has in the market. With its detachable keyboard case, and stylus input bears, it’s more than a passing resemblance to Microsoft’s very own Surface Pro lineup. Because of its fanless design, it runs at a sleek 6.3 mm.

Inside this frame of it, the Galaxy Tab Pro S houses a dual core 2.2 GHz Intel Core M Processor. This, paired with 4 GBs of Ram, and 128 GB/256GB of storage space, works wonders with the Windows platform to give users a smooth, stutter free experience. The TabPro S also comes equipped with a rear 5 MP camera, and a 5 MP front camera.

On the connectivity front, it comes with Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and option of LTE connectivity, but sadly no HDMI, and USB ports are to be found on the TabPro S. A 12 inch Samsung Super Amoled display on the outside running a resolution of 2160×1440 is arguably the star of the show here. It’s bright, colourful, and much like the other displays on Samsung devices, has brilliant viewing angles.

The Tab comes with the much loved USB Type C Port which charges a cool 5,200 mAh battery packed inside the case.

The TabPro S, with it’s sleek looks, under the hood hardware combined with the fact that it’s running the fast growing Windows platform looks to be a sure winner. Pricing, and further details are expected by February.

January 6, 2016
CES 2016: Samsung’s Gear S2 to Soon be iOS Compatible

Samsung’s day at CES 2016 is now over. The company made some big announcements in technology today, one of which concerns the Tizen-powered Gear S2 lineup. Samsung’s newest wearables will be available in platinum and rose gold variant. But this wasn’t the big announcement we’re talking about. The Gear S2 will be iOS compatible later this year. As of now, the wearables can only work with an Android device.

now while Samsung promises seamless connectivity with iOS devices like the iPhone or iPad not all features in the device will be made accessible. Samsung Pay, for example, which is yet to roll to the smartwatch, is not likely to be iOS compatible, and will rather require a Samsung device for it to work.

Samsung’s decision to have its wearable work with iOS devices will be especially beneficial for those who aren’t all that excited about the Apple Watch (mostly due to its pricing), but are still keen on sporting smartwatches.

Samsung hasn’t revealed the precise date when the iOS platform for the Gear S2 will be rolled out to the public. You can expect Apple to take point on this as this is likely to affect sales of the Apple Watch once the cross-platform compatibility is made available.

January 6, 2016
Lenovo Yoga 900S is the Thinnest, Lightest Laptop in the World

The Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2016 doesn’t officially begin until Wednesday. However, the conference kicked off today with CES Unveiled, where some companies were allowed to preview their products in a smaller, closed space with limited numbers. Lenovo was one such company that kicked off the event with a bang, unveiling a bunch of products, among which is the Lenovo 900S convertible laptop.

The new Lenovo Yoga 900S, which is a spinoff of the Lenovo 900 that was unveiled at last year’s CES, is officially the world’s thinnest convertible laptop weighing at 2.2 pounds (0.99kg), making even the 3 pound MacBook Air look a little bloated. The 12.5-inch QHD display hybrid laptop also promises up to 10.5 hours of battery life thanks to Intel’s low energy Core M processors powering it, which means the performance of the laptop will take a hit.

That’s not all. Because of its carbon fibre construction, the Lenovo 900S measures at an incredibly thin 12.88 millimetres, which is the same as the iPhone 3GS. The laptop also comes with an active stylus for drawing. Starting at a price of $1,099, the Lenovo 900S will be available in the US in March. It’ll be interesting to see just how well a thinner, lighter laptop from Lenovo will do.

January 5, 2016
Huawei P9 with 6 GB RAM to Launch at Pre-CES Event on January 5

There have been rumours in the past that Huawei was planning to launch the P9 flagship smartphone was set for a March release. However, it looks like Huawei is not planning on waiting that long to unveil the device. Fresh rumours out of China suggest that the Huawei P9 will be made official at the company’s pre-CES event, scheduled to be held tomorrow, January 5.

The specs that’s really grabbing everyone’s attention is the whopping 6 GB RAM inside the device, and a dual rear camera setup. Other rumored specs of the device include 5.2-inch display, Kirin 950 SoC, and a fingerprint sensor.

This along with the Huawei Mate 8 are the two devices Huawei plans on unveiling at CES as of now. Follow this space as we cover CES 2016 starting January 6 – 9.

January 4, 2016
What to Expect at CES 2016

CES, short of Consumer Electronics Show, is the place where new and shiny gadgets are revealed that sets the tone for the technology that year. CES 2016 will be no different. The event will take place at in Las Vegas from Wednesday, January 6 to Saturday, January 9, 2016. Here are some of the many technologies that will be unveiled at the four-day conference.

Samsung

Samsung is likely to draw a lot of attention at CES 2016. Or perhaps that may have been the case when it was expected that the company would launch its next flagship Galaxy S7 devices at the event. However, this rumour has been almost completely denied. Samsung’s invitation puts highlight TVs and home appliances as their main showcases.

But this doesn’t rule out a phone launch by the company. It may not be the Galaxy S7, but Samsung has many other handsets in its pockets that are just waiting to come out. It is likely that the Korean-based company will reveal some mid-range devices – possibly the Galaxy A4 and A7 smartphones, or perhaps the new Galaxy Tab Pro and Note Pro tablets. On the TV front, you can expect some 4K and 8K products in the offing.

Camera Tech – BRITECELL

BRITECELL is Samsung’s new camera technology that IS expected in the upcoming Galaxy S7. The technology will be showcased at CES and viewers will get a sneak peek into what they can expect from the flagship handset, at least on the camera front.

Huawei Mate 8

Huawei has been eager to launch the Mate 8 in the U.S and has received the green light for it. The device has already passed FCC and will be unveiled at CES 2016.

For those of you unaware about the Mate 8, the device sports a 6-inch 1080p touchscreen display and will be powered by Huawei’s new Kirin 950 chipset and an ARM Mali-T880 GPU. Furthermore, the handset will be available in 3GB and 4GB of RAM with 32GB and 64GB and 128GB storage variants. The Mate 8 has a large 4,000 mAh battery and will run on Android 6.0 Marshmallow.

HTC One M10

There’s a lot of uncertainty surrounding the launch of HTC’s next flagship device. The HTC One M10 has been floating between CES and MWC for a while. HTC is still enjoying the launch of the One A9, but fans have already been asking about the One M10, and HTC is likely to reveal the device soon enough.

HTC One M10 Concept

What we know so far about the One M10 is that the handset will likely sport a 5.5-inch screen with 2 GB of RAM and 16 GB storage. The device will come pre-installed with Android 6.1, which is a good piece if information. More details will be known as we get closer to the unveiling.

VR

Smartphones and other technology aside, it in VR and autonomous cars that the CES 2016 will revolve around. The two technologies are set to be the highlights at the press conference. We’re slowly moving towards an age of wearable technology and virtual reality is the next big leap. 2015 has already seen the the Oculus Rift and in action, but 2016 will see the official launch of the headgear in the first quarter.

The Oculus Rift will not be the only VR headgear at the CES. Sony’s Project Morpheus, now known as Playstation VR, will also be at the event. Furthermore, Samsung may also reveal a second version of the Gear VR, though nothing has been confirmed on that front. Lastly, HTC is also likely to present a developer version of the Vive VR at CES 2016.

While these were the major names in the department let it be known that there are more than 40 companies presenting VR gear at CES. If that doesn’t tell you how the future of technology looks, nothing will.

Autonomous Cars

Finally, the other major focus at CES 2016 will be on smart cars. A number of players in the automobile industry are set to unveil autonomous or self-driving vehicles. Some of the speculated names include BMW’s i8 Spyder and the Apple Car. Volkswagen is also keen on shifting people’s attention from the the dieselgate scam, which is why the company is also ready to unveil its first all-electric autonomous vehicle. A teaser revealed earlier this month showing a boxy shape front has raised suspicion that VW is ready with its much-talked about microbus revival.

January 1, 2016
New Photos of Samsung Galaxy A9 Reveal Design

Expected to be unveiled at the CES in January, Samsung’s new Galaxy A9 smartphone is set to become one of the largest smartphones by the company with a 6-inch 1080p Super AMOLED screen. The handset recently passed the FCC and today, the device has been approved by China’s Telecommunication Equipment Certification Center, which means it’s ready to be sold in China soon.

The certification body also reconfirmed what we’ve come to know about the rumoured specs and has also revealed some new images of the device. The Samsung Galaxy A9 is going to sport a 6-inch 1080p Super AMOLED display and a metal frame. It will also have a battery marked at 4000 mAh to match the huge screen.

The device will be powered by an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 620 (or 652, according to the new name change) processor clocked at 1.8 GHz. The new handset also features a fingerprint scanner embedded in its home button, and will run on Android 5.1.1 Lollipop. The Galaxy A9 is also expected to include a 13 MP main camera, 8 MP front camera, 3 GB of RAM and 32 GB of internal storage.

No word yet on the pricing of the device, but rumours suggest the A9 will be priced around $450 or close to Rs. 30,000.

Source

December 23, 2015
Huawei Mate 8 Passes FCC, Could Launch at CES 2016

Late last month, Huawei made the Mate 8 official. The company also expressed its desire to launch the device in the U.S and has received the green light to do so. Latest word is that the Mate 8 has passed the FCC. This means that its release in the U.S market is imminent.

The Mate 8 sports a 6-inch 1080p touchscreen display and will be powered by Huawei’s new Kirin 950 chipset and an ARM Mali-T880 GPU. Furthermore, the handset will be available in 3GB and 4GB of RAM with 32GB and 64GB and 128GB storage variants. The Mate 8 has a large 4,000 mAh battery and will run on Android 6.0 Marshmallow.

As you know by now, the CES press conference is scheduled to take place in January where the biggest names in the business are set to unveil new products. Now that the Huawei Mate 8 has passed the FCC, it is highly likely that the device will be launched at the CES 2016.

December 19, 2015
Samsung Galaxy A9 Passes FCC, Likely to Launch in January

Samsung is not just busy with the flagship Galaxy S7 devices. We know that Samsung likes to equally focus on its low-end and mid-range devices too. Just a few weeks ago, Samsung’s Galaxy A7 was spotted on FCC, which meant that an official announcement was imminent. Now, the upcoming Galaxy A9 device has been spotted on FCC as well. This means that the device will soon be available to the public.

Yesterday, Samsung announced that it would be present at the CES press conference in January. The company’s blog mentioned that some announcements will take place at the event, but mostly centred around TV and home appliances. While it’s almost certain that Samsung will not unveil its flagship S7 devices at the event, it is now highly likely that the Galaxy A9 will debut at the CES.

A couple of days ago, leaked images from China emerged revealing that the Samsung Galaxy A9 is going to sport a 6-inch 1080p Super AMOLED display. It will also have a battery marked at 4000 mAh to match the huge screen.

Other specs are expected to include a 13 MP main camera, 8 MP front camera, 3 GB of RAM and 32 GB of internal storage. Additionally, the phone would also have a fingerprint scanner, will run on octa-core Snapdragon 620 and come equipped with Samsung Pay. The Galaxy A9 is expected to be priced around $450 or close to Rs. 30,000.

December 18, 2015
Samsung Might Not Unveil Galaxy S7 at CES in January

The annual CES event is ready to kick off 2016 in style, promising some great new products and showcases by some of the biggest names in the industry. The event, which will take place in early January, will see Samsung unveiling some new products, too. And while many were eagerly expecting a new flagship smartphone in that list, that might not happen just yet.

Samsung released an invitation that confirms the Korean company’s presence at the CES along with a statement that read, “Samsung Electronics will once again kick off its CES with a major press conference, unveiling its latest innovations in TV, home appliances and more on January 5.”

It looks like the company’s main focus at the CES will be in unveiling a new TV and some home appliances, while there is no mention of smartphones. So, it looks unlikely that the Galaxy S7 flagship devices will be revealed in January, though Samsung has expressed its desire to have an early 2016 launch.

It is likely that the company will stick to a March launch for the upcoming devices like it did with the Galaxy S6. Samsung may still push the event forward, but we’ll know more as we approach closer to Samsung’s event.

December 17, 2015