CES 2014: Haier Launches First ‘MFi Licensed’ Smart Appliance for iOS Device Compatibility
Chinese appliance manufacturer Haier today announced that it has become the first such company to be accepted into Apple’s MFi licensing program to certify compatibility with iOS devices. Haier’s Tianzun cabinet air conditioning unit is the first appliance to carry the MFi designation, with expansion to other Haier appliances coming in the future.
Haier’s Tianzun air conditioner is the first air conditioner and white good that is authorized by Apple’s MFi program. Haier will use this technology in the other Haier products, such as water heaters, ovens, intelligent home accessories and the like. Users will be able to complete the setup simply by connecting to WiFi. The live demonstration showed that Haier’s air conditioner could match the phone automatically and the user could set up parameters for the air conditioner directly without registration, setup password or any other complicated and time-consuming operations when connected to WiFi. And that brings consumers a simple, efficient experience of using smart appliances.
While smart appliances capable of being controlled through iOS devices are not new, a move by manufacturers to join Apple’s MFi program may help give consumers confidence that the products meet Apple’s standards for compatibility and functionality. The licensing program is already in wide use for such products as charging accessories, speaker docks, and more recently game controllers, but Haier’s announcement today indicates that the program is poised for even greater adoption as the burgeoning market for connected home appliances continues to expand.
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Xbox Music for iOS now plays music offline
Xbox Music landed on iOS with a big splash, but the absence of offline playback hurt its appeal for frequent flyers and anyone else whose internet access isn’t guaranteed. That won’t be a problem now that Microsoft has updated the app with offline support. Tunesters just have to flick a virtual switch to cache playlists for listening in any situation. The move won’t lure subscribers away from rival services that have had offline playback for a while, but it’s hard to object to a little more convenience for Xbox Music loyalists.
Filed under: Cellphones, Internet, Software, Mobile, Microsoft
Via: The Verge
Source: App Store
iRing adds gesture control capability to iOS music apps (video)
This year’s CES has introduced us to a number of devices that cater to specific people. That includes IK Multimedia’s iRing accessory, designed for aspiring DJs who’d like to control their iOS music apps with gestures…and a dash of showmanship. So long as a user’s wearing the iRing, the iDevice’s front camera picks the gesture controls up, and the peripheral’s accompanying app translates them to commands music software can understand. According to the company (the same one responsible for a few other music accessories for iOS), the iRing’s capable of controlling not only basic music apps, but also advanced ones designed for those who mix their own tunes. It also comes with a couple of its own music editing apps that one can use to add effects and create non-stop loops. Those who prefer waving their hands in the air over poking at on-screen controls can get the iRing in various music and electronic retailers worldwide for $25.
Filed under: Peripherals, Mobile
Source: IK Multimedia
Neptune’s Pine isn’t a smartwatch, it’s a smartphone that sits on your wrist
When designing a smartwatch, the general trend is to start with a basic timepiece and add features until physics or budgets get in the way. That’s not the approach taken by 19-year-old Canadian Simon Tian when he developed the Pine by Neptune. Instead, he took to Kickstarter with the idea of just shrinking a last-generation smartphone down to watch-size proportions. The result isn’t really a watch in any sense of the word, but considering that the Pine raised eight times its goal on Kickstarter, there’s clearly a desire for this sort of hardware. We got to spend some time with it at CES and want to share some impressions with you.
Even with the pictures, it’s hard to get a sense of the scale of this thing. Imagine something the size of a deck of cards that’s strapped along your wrist and you’re almost there. The three Android navigation buttons run down the right side of the 2.4-inch, 320 x 240 TFT screen. Powering this thing is a 1.2GHz Snapdragon S4 paired with 512MB RAM and when using it, it’s certainly swift enough to play Angry Birds without any stutter or lag. Considering that it is a smartphone that’s been shrunk in the wash, you’ll also find a microSIM card slot, speakerphone and forward and rear-facing cameras. The VGA forward-facer is fine for video calls, but to use the primary lens, you’ll actually have to unclip the device from the wrist clip to use it.
Because of the size of the display, it’s entirely possible to use a full size software keyboard, meaning that it’s feasible, if not comfortable, to use this for email and texting. In fact, the phrase “feasible, if not comfortable” probably sums this device up in its entirety. While we’re sure there are plenty of people who will overlook its size in favor of having full smartphone functionality attached to their wrist, we can’t imagine this selling beyond its niche. Still, if you remain determined to snaffle one, the 16GB edition will cost $335 and the 32GB edition will set you back $395 when they launch in March.
Filed under: Cellphones, Wearables, Mobile
Source: Neptune Pine
G-Series wearable tracks sports, sleep and sitting
The language on Movea’s site can be a bit broad and tough to parse at times when trying to figure out exactly what the company produces. The simple answer is motion tracking, particularly as it pertains to things like sports and physical therapy. It makes sense, then, that the company was eager to jump on the activity-tracking wearable bandwagon, celebrating CES by teaming up with Texas Instruments for the G-Series. The wristband monitors a pretty broad spectrum of activities and, well, non-activities, counting your steps, tracking running/hiking, analyzing sleep activity and even detecting your posture (whether you’re, say, sitting or standing). The wearable promises a greater than 95 percent accuracy rate when it comes to activity classification and the lowest error rates when it comes to counting steps. Maybe we’ll try it out — we’ve got a few more steps to walk around the Las Vegas Convention Center this week.
Filed under: Wearables
Gigabyte’s dual GPU Aorus gaming laptop is less than an inch thick
To impress us with a gaming laptop these days requires more than just spec-bombing, but Gigabyte‘s Aorus has grabbed our attention. For starters, the 17.3-inch model is a mere 0.9-inches thick and weighs 6.4 pounds, rather insane numbers considering that it packs a pair of NVIDIA GTX 765M chips in an SLI configuration. In comparison, the 17-inch Razer Blade Pro is almost exactly the same size with a single GPU. To achieve that, Gigabyte made the case out of solid aluminum with a sculpted look only a gamer could love, while packing copious vents and ports to duct away the hot air. The rest of the specs are also top-tier: a 17.3-inch, 1080p display, Intel Core i7-4700HQ CPU, up to 32GB of RAM, three USB 3.0 slots, 500GB of mSATA SSD storage max, and up to a TB of 2.5-inch HDD storage. Gigabyte calls it a “powerplant on your lap,” and it’ll arrive around March for $2,099 -$2,799 depending on options. If you’re interested, some heat-proof pants might also be in order.
Via: The Verge
Source: Gigabyte
Please enjoy this video of dancing drones
Listen, it’s CES. We’re tired, you’re tired, and yet there’s no end to the madness in sight. So, please, take a minute and enjoy this video from the gentleman who brought you that really amazing video of drones playing the James Bond theme. And don’t forget to breathe.
Kurio 7x 4G LTE tablet gives kids Verizon data on those long family drives
Sure, you can give your kids a child-friendly tablet to keep them entertained during the trip to Grandma’s, but what if they want to play an online game or two? Techno Source has just introduced a rare cellular-equipped kids’ tablet, the Kurio 7x 4G LTE, for that very purpose. As the name implies, the 7-inch Android slate has built-in Verizon data that keeps little tykes connected in most parts of the US. Per-app parental controls prevent Junior from visiting salacious websites or streaming music after bedtime. The company hasn’t shared many hardware details, but the presence of a (sadly unnamed) quad-core processor should give the tablet enough performance to handle at least 2D games and browsing. While there’s no mention of pricing just yet, the LTE-toting Kurio is expected to ship in time for that big summer vacation.
Filed under: Tablets, Wireless, Verizon
Source: Kurio World, PR Newswire
Leaked T-Mobile ad suggests it’ll pay for families to leave its rivals
When T-Mobile USA CEO John Legere isn’t busy getting himself kicked out of an AT&T party, he’s likely putting the finishing touches to his own CES announcement. Rumors have suggested that T-Mobile will soon make it easier for consumers to switch to the UnCarrier from rival operators, and a banner ad spotted by Droid Life suggests its willing to put its hand in its pocket to do so. The advertisement, which briefly appeared on T-Mobile’s website before it was unceremoniously pulled, says the operator will “pay your family’s termination fees when you trade in your devices,” countering AT&T’s promotion that gives T-Mobile customers up to $450 if they switch to its NEXT plan.
T-Mobile’s small-print says it’ll accept ports from AT&T, Verizon or Sprint customers and transfer up to five lines. While the initiative appears costly, it’ll look to recoup its outgoings by requiring new customers to trade in their existing smartphone and choose a new phone offered on its UnCarrier plans. Droid Life indicates that the T-Mobile will likely limit the amount it is willing to pay — we expect Legere and co. to confirm payment caps and all the other details at its UnCarrier 4.0 event when it kicks off at 12:30PM PT.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, AT&T, T-Mobile
Via: The Verge
Source: Droid Life
CES 2014: FLIR Systems Debuts ‘FLIR ONE’ Thermal Camera Case for iPhone 5s and iPhone 5 [iOS Blog]
FLIR Systems showed off its FLIR ONE thermal imaging camera case for the iPhone 5s and iPhone 5 at CES 2014, allowing users to display heat signatures from live humans, animals, and environmental sources up to 100 feet away. In addition to its infrared capabilities, the FLIR ONE houses a rechargeable battery that can power the case for up to two hours, and also increases the battery of an iPhone by up to 50 percent.
FLIR ONE’s unique ability to see and measure infrared energy gives consumers a versatile new tool that can be applied in a wide variety of applications. For example, homeowners and contractors with a FLIR ONE can easily identify heat or cooling leaks in buildings, find studs in walls, or locate water damage. An outdoor enthusiast can observe wildlife, day or night, navigate in the dark, determine if the day’s catch is fully cooked, or make sure a campfire is out by using FLIR ONE. A family can detect intruders in total darkness, find a lost pet, or see through smoke in an emergency using a FLIR ONE.
FLIR also says a developer SDK for the device is in the works for late 2014, with select developers getting early access. The FLIR ONE camera case itself will begin shipping in Spring 2014 and will come in grey, white, or gold.
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