Skip to content

Archive for

6
Jan

Magellan’s new RoadMate GPS stays relevant by including a dash cam


Magellan RoadMate 6230T-LM PND DashCam

Dedicated GPS units may be less popular these days, but Magellan has figured out a way to justify their existence: strap a dash camera to the back. The company’s upcoming RoadMate 6230T-LM DashCam can both guide you through unfamiliar areas and record video to an SD card, saving you the trouble of mounting two devices in your car. Magellan’s hybrid design is also handy even if you don’t need directions, since you can watch live video from either the built-in camera or an optional wireless backup cam. The new RoadMate won’t ship until April, but it will also cost $230 — a relative bargain next to purpose-built dash cams that offer many of the same features.

Filed under:

Comments

Source: Magellan

6
Jan

Dish announces streaming app for PlayStation consoles


A troop of new Joey devices wasn’t the only thing Dish had up its sleeve for CES. In an effort to bring its streaming chops to game consoles, the company has just announced an app for PlayStation that does just that. Dish customers will be able to take advantage of the Hopper’s functionality via its Virtual Joey software on both PlayStation 3 and PS4 consoles to access their favorite TV shows without having to switch devices once that marathon gaming session is up. This software also allows for control via either the DualShock 4 or the Dish remote. The app should arrive for download this spring in the PlayStation Store.

Filed under: , ,

Comments

6
Jan

Pioneer unveils NEX, its Networked Entertainment eXperience with five new in-car receivers


Pioneer‘s new Networked Entertainment eXperience (NEX) line of products fill the gap between its connected AppRadio set and more traditional in-car products. Pioneer’s five new NEX headunits will take advantage of your smartphone’s (iPhone 4 up and compatible Android set) apps through AppRadio mode and grab your phone’s data connection to improve its built in services and apps. For example, AVICSYNC Networked Navigation (only on AVIC models) will be able to reach out and get local traffic, weather, gas prices and overlay that data right on your maps. Apple’s Siri Eyes Free is also on hand on all NEX receivers by simply poking the icon on the stereo’s display, once activated Siri responds to your every command using the provided mic and plays back through the speakers. Other notable features include Aha Radio across the board, Pandora Station Creation, HD Radio, Sirius-XM ready and support for FLAC lossless files. The The AVIC-8000NEX ($1400 SRP), AVIC-7000NEX ($1200 SRP), AVIC-6000NEX ($900 SRP), AVIC-5000NEX ($750 SRP) and AVH-4000NEX ($700 SRP) should ship by early February.

Filed under: ,

Comments

6
Jan

Live from ASUS’ In Search of Incredible event at CES 2014


3PM ET is the time to set your alarm for ASUS’ time in the CES spotlight. The Taiwanese electronics giant is set to reveal several products, including the dual-OS laptop/tablet combo the company teased late last month. We’ll be bringing you the action live from Caesars Palace in Sin City, so tune in right here for everything ASUS at CES 2014.

Hello! Glad you could make it.

I’m here at the lovely Caesar’s Palace with my colleague Joseph Volpe on photos, and Edgar Alvarez here to help with all the hands-on action.

We’re sitting third row, in seats marked “reserved” (aren’t we fancy?).

Some sort of pulsating muzak playing in the background. To get us in the mood, and all that.

Looks like we’re in good company here in the reserved section. Nearby we have Bonnie Cha with Re/code.net, Mark Spoonauer and Avram Piltch with Laptop Mag, Dan Ackerman with CNET and Mr. Anandtech himself, Anand Shimpi.

We’ve been told to silence our phones, so looks like the show’s about to start. Stay tuned!

Hi guys, Edgar here. Dana’s having some WiFi issues so I’m taking over for a bit.

ASUS’ Chairman Jonney Shih is now on stage, talking Transformer Books and the reincarnation of PCs.

Particularly, he’s talking about the Transformer Book Trio. And here comes a video!

Now he’s revealing the ASUS Transformer Book Duet TD300

Oh hey, we’ve written a little thing about the Duet. Read it here: http://www.engadget.com/2014/01/06/asus-transformer-book-duet/

It’s an Android laptop. A Windows laptop. An Android tablet. A Windows tablet. Yup!

“It only takes four seconds to go from Windows to Android and vice versa”

The Duet has what ASUS is calling “Instant Switch Technology.”

It’s $599, folks!

(Oh good, I was wondering when Jonney Shih would start with the yelling.)

Now we welcome Renee James, Intel President, onto the stage.

Renee is now talking about the partnership between Intel and ASUS. Hugs all around.

I’m still a little confused by ASUS’ decision to launch something so similar to the Trio, but with a different name.

Jonney’s now revealed an ROG Swift gaming monitor.

27-inch, 2,560 x 1,440 display, 120+Hz refresh rate and starts at $799

Lots of applause at that monitor price, by the way.

Also, who claps at press conferences?

Lookie here, there’s another video playing. This one is showing off PadFones and features like PanoSphere.

And now… Zenfone 4, Zenfone 5 and Zenfone 6!

The Zenfone 4 has a 5-megapixel camera and starts at $99. Yes, $99.

Between this and the new PadFone on AT&T, it’s nice to see so many ASUS phones coming to the US.

Also, nice to see one that’s just a phone, not a transforming device. Sometimes we just want a phone, ya know?

Now, onto the Zenfone 5. It has a feature dubbed GloveTouch (for those of you who are always around cold weather), an 8-megapixel camera and starts at $149.

Also, Jonney’s starting to yell again.

Meanwhile, the Zenfone 6 can handle pen input, thanks to PenTouch, has a 13-megapixel shooter with low-light mode. This one costs $199. Not bad.

(Watching Edgar watch Jonney Shih shout every other word. It’s like he’s never been to an ASUS press event before. Oh wait, he hasn’t.)

And here comes the Padfone mini, a 4-inch phone that can fuse into a 7-inch tablet.

The Padfone mini will go on sale for $249.

Intel’s push into mobile here feels a bit belated, but gotta hand it to them for making some noise about it when they finally caught up.

Jonney Shih just unveiled ZenUI.

ZenUI is said to simplify and “create easy access to all the things that matter.” There are also color themes.

There’s a lot of bright colors in ZenUI, folks.

Can an Android skin ever really be “powered by simplicity”? Or am I just overselling stock Android’s ease of use?

That said, it looks kinda nice.

The ZenUI Camera has a ton of different modes, with a big emphasis on low-light shooting.

The phone is there “to remind you of all the things you said you’d be doing later. A lot of things.”

Other features: Clear Zoom (for extreme detail) and Time Rewind (for when you missed a moment)

ZenUI also has something called Open Cloud and Open Messaging — the latter lets you communicate with your friends, as you may have guessed.

I have to say, I like the way this looks.

Jonney is now talking PadFone. And now Jeff Bradley from AT&T is here.

But you know where this is going: http://www.engadget.com/2014/01/06/asus-padfone-x/

Yup, like Dana said, the ASUS PadFone X is coming to AT&T.

“We are really excited to bring PadFone X to the US,” says Jeff.

Jonney: “We are excited to work with AT&T.”

Aw, and now they’re taking a picture together. Selfie time, anyone?

Hands-on time!

That is all, folks. Thank you for tuning in. You can find us on twitter at @jrvolpe, @danawollman and @abcdedgar

Filed under:

Comments

6
Jan

ASUS’ Transformer Book Duet can switch between Android and Windows as a laptop or tablet


ASUS Transformer Book Duet TD300

If you’re looking for a dual-booting convertible but find ASUS’ Transformer Book Trio a little too clever, you’ll want to check out the company’s just-unveiled Transformer Book Duet TD300. The 13.3-inch PC is really a dual-OS tablet that bundles a keyboard dock with its own hard drive and ports — whether you’re in laptop or tablet mode, you can switch between Android 4.1 or Windows 8.1 on the fly. The slate includes up to a 1080p display, a Core i7 processor and 128GB of solid-state storage; attach the dock and you’ll get up to 1TB in disk space alongside USB, Ethernet and HDMI. ASUS plans to ship the Duet to Asia and Europe late in the first quarter of the year, and to the US by late in the second quarter. When it does ship stateside, the system will start at $599 for a Core i3 model with an “HD” (read: 1,366 x 768) screen, and $699 for a 1080p unit.

Filed under: , ,

Comments

Source: ASUS

6
Jan

ASUS unveils ZenFone line packing Android, Intel chips and a simple interface


ASUS ZenFone 6

It’s been a while since we’ve seen an ASUS smartphone that wasn’t meant to be used with (or as) a tablet, but the company is making up for that absence by launching the ZenFone line. The ZenFone 4, 5 and 6 all sport dual-core Intel Atom processors and a range of exotic color options. They also tout a new interface layer on top of Android 4.3, ZenUI, that promises both simplicity and a What’s Next feature for tracking your daily schedule. Differences between models largely boil down to screen size and performance. The ZenFone 4 starts things off with its namesake 4-inch 800 x 480 LCD, a 1.2GHz Atom chip, a 5-megapixel rear camera and a front VGA shooter. Move to the ZenFone 5 and you’ll get a larger 720p display with pen and glove support, a 2GHz Atom, an 8MP back camera and 2MP at the front. The ZenFone 6 builds on this with an even bigger (though still 720p) screen and a 13MP rear camera. ASUS hasn’t said when the ZenFone series hits shops, although the absence of LTE suggests that the handsets won’t reach 4G-obsessed US carriers in an official capacity. They’ll definitely be cheap to buy off-contract, however — the ZenFone 4 starts things off at $99, while its 5- and 6-inch counterparts will cost $149 and $199.

Filed under: , ,

Comments

Source: ASUS

6
Jan

ASUS reveals the VivoTab Note 8, an 8-inch Windows tablet with Wacom pen input


ASUS VivoTab Note 8 tablet

ASUS’ VivoTab Note 8 has been one of CES’ worst-kept secrets, but we’re still glad to see that it’s finally official. The 8-inch Windows 8.1 tablet is a direct foil for Dell’s Venue 8 Pro, and includes a familiar-sounding 1,280 x 800 IPS display, 2GB of RAM, a 5-megapixel rear camera and an HD-capable front cam. Most of the differences revolve around its namesake pen input; the VivoTab includes a Wacom stylus that can handle 1,000 pressure levels, arguably trumping Dell’s less sophisticated (and purely optional) approach. An ever-so-slightly faster 1.86GHz Bay Trail Atom chip doesn’t hurt, either. The tablet should ship either late in the first quarter or early in the second, with prices starting at a frugal $299 for a 32GB model and climbing to $349 for a 64GB edition.

Filed under: ,

Comments

Source: ASUS

6
Jan

ASUS PadFone Mini coming to the US for $249


ASUS PadFone Mini

ASUS is giving American tablet fans more than the PadFone X — it just revealed at its CES event that the PadFone Mini will also be coming to the US for $249. The 4-inch smartphone and 7-inch tablet combo that will reach the US isn’t quite the same as what surfaced in Taiwan, though. This version touts a phone with 1.6GHz dual-core Atom Z2560 chip, 8GB of storage and an 800 x 480 display rather than the Snapdragon, 16GB of space and 960 x 540 display from before. ASUS hasn’t said exactly when we’ll see this new Intel-powered PadFone, but we’ll keep you updated.

Filed under: , , ,

Comments

6
Jan

Live from Intel’s CES 2014 press conference


We’re here at Intel’s CES press conference, and we’ve saved a great seat just for you (but please, sit down fast, because the guy next to us is giving us a dirty look). So, what can we expect from the chipmaker’s big event? There seems to be a fairly good likelihood that the company will be further inserting itself into the uber-hot wearbles conversation by way of those little Quark processors.

January 6, 2014 4:00:00 PM EST

And we’re in! As are a lot of other folks. This thing filled up fast.

The stage, meanwhile, is jam-packed full of tablets, laptops, displays and other device miscellany.

Filed under: , , ,

Comments

6
Jan

Pebble announces the Pebble Steel – a revamped version of their first generation smartwatch


Pebble announced today the new Pebble Steel.

We knew that ‘something special’ was coming today at CES, and now it’s here. This new model has a more premium look and feel to the older plastic model.

The big change in the Steel is the new hardware – the stainless steel body and buttons, the Corning Gorilla Glass front, and the brushed stainless and black matte bands. It has the same interface as before, and can run the same apps. It’s also keeping the magnetic connector, but it looks to be slightly different than the older Pebble.

Along with the the new hardware, comes a new price tag. The Pebble Steel is now available for $249, directly from the website.

Via: Smartwatch Fans

Source: Pebble

The post Pebble announces the Pebble Steel – a revamped version of their first generation smartwatch appeared first on AndroidGuys.

« Older Entries