Watch SpaceX launch its Falcon 9 rocket and try to land it on a barge (updated)
Very soon at around 6:20 4:47 AM EST today SpaceX will launch one its mighty Falcon 9 rockets carrying a Dragon capsule, weather permitting. “Big deal!” you may well say. “What’s another rocket launch?” We’re sure you’re not that jaded (they’re all amazing) but this one is pretty special. After the Dragon is up and away doing its thing (carrying ISS cargo, to be exact), the 14-story tall first stage will attempt to make a precision landing on an ocean platform only 300×100 feet in size. Though the Falcon 9 has touched down on the ocean before, this is the first precision barge landing it’ll make. Even the normally brash Musk said “the odds of success are not great — perhaps 50 percent at best.” That makes things extra exciting, so grab your popcorn and check the video below.
Update: the Falcon 9 launch and recovery has been aborted, apparently due to some kind of issue with the second stage. The next launch window could be as early as this Friday.
Update (01/10/15) by Mariella Moon: SpaceX is on track to launch the Falcon 9 rocket in a few minutes and then land the first stage on a barge when it makes its way back down. If all goes well, Elon Musk will finally be able to party at Cocoa Beach today.
At mission control in California. Launch in 60 mins. Looks good so far.
– Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 10, 2015
Filed under: Science
Source: SpaceX
CES takeaway: Android Auto
The 2015 experience of the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas is wrapping up, and it was a pretty great event. We had a good portion of our team on the ground for the week, bringing you all the best that CES 2015 had to offer. With so much to discover and experience, we had to break apart our round-up of the show into several parts.
Before we dive into our Android Auto coverage, I just wanted to thank you, our readers, for joining us on this adventure. We had a ton of fun, and we hope you did too.
Last June, Google officially introduced a number of new products and services at their Google I/O conference, most of which centered around the Android operating system. On that list was a streamlined version of the OS called Android Auto. Designed specifically to operate in the dashboard of your next car, 40 auto makers signed on to bring this system to life into 2015 and beyond
As it so happens, auto makers were a major vendor at CES, and as you can imagine, Android Auto was a major driving force behind smart and connected cars at the show.
For new vehicles
Hyundai
One of the first names to come to our attention was Hyundai. Hyundai took Android Auto to a level that we perhaps always dreamed of, but didn’t think would hit this early in the game. With the name Blue Link, and in cooperation with Viper car alarms and starters, Hyundai has not only built Android Auto into their car, but went ahead and built an Android Wear app to go with it. We took the time to talk about Hyundai and Blue Link a few times, which you can see in short in the video below.
This might be a good time to mention that Hyundai’s Android Auto implementation, as with most others, is not currently the core of the software running. As you saw in the Hyundai hands-on video over here, Android Auto is an application within the Hyundai software. This is to be expected, as you still want your car entertainment and navigation systems to work, even if you leave your phone at home.
Volkswagen
Playing fair to Android and iOS users alike, Volkswagen came to the show with their promise of Android Auto and CarPlay support for upcoming cars. Sadly, the only vehicle specifically named was the Golf, but we expect most of their lineup will see the update in coming years. Volkswagen’s new system will also feature something called MirrorLink, which will allow for direct integration with HTC, LG, Samsung and Sony Android phones.
Best of all, Volkswagen is also working on Android apps so that you can lock and unlock doors or check on your battery level from the comfort of your living room.
Aside from the Android Auto highlights of the show, CES 2015 had a good number of other auto makers on board as well, we saw innovations for everything from infotainment systems through to self driving cars. A few of the major names to make headlines were BMW with their accident avoidance tech and GM, or Chevrolet depending on how you look at it, with their new Volt electric car. Players like Dodge, Mercedes and Tesla were also on hand, but as cool as their stuff was, it just didn’t make it onto our ‘Android radar’ as much as the rest, at least not this time.
Another player that made us stop and look twice, was Ford. Ford has long been a leader in connected car technology, at least in the ‘cars under $50,000′ segment. I won’t spoil anything, but we took a good look at their tech over here.
Audi
As an added bonus, we caught wind of a new smartwatch built by LG at the show. At first we were a little perplexed, and you are probably wondering why we’re talking about it in an Android Auto article. I go further off course by mentioning that said smartwatch was found to be running WebOS, but the thing is, this smartwatch was commissioned by Audi.
We are eagerly looking forward to learning more about this watch, particularly how well it integrates with Android, as it has been called the rich and beautiful sibling to the LG G Watch R. More than this, we can’t wait to see how (if) it integrates with Android Auto in the car.
For all vehicles
The idea of purchasing a new car equipped with Android Auto is very exciting, but what if a new car is not in your immediate future? No worries, a handful of common car audio manufacturers were at CES showing off their new Android Auto wears. In general, we’re looking at stereo head units built with Android Auto, and we suspect something will appeal to you with players like Kenwood, Panasonic and Pioneer in the game.
But that’s not all, a brand that you may not have heard of has made a bit of a splash as wall, Parrot announced their new RNB6. RNB6 offers up a 7-inch touch panel to users, with a few dedicated physical buttons on the side for good measure. Running a base layer of Android Auto software, enhancements have been added to support CarPlay and the device can even hook to your car’s OBDII connector, to bring in live metrics of your drive, such as fuel level and consumption and so much more.
One last thing, did we mention that the Parrot RNB6 also packs a dash camera, and support for a rear camera? That’s right, Parrot may have build the best aftermarket Android Auto head unit around, so far.
Until next year
With CES 2015 under our belts, it’s time to look forward to what comes next. As far as Android Auto is concerned, the best is yet to come. We’ve all seen Android Auto in the news, watched the videos, read the articles, but the real fun starts now. We are very much looking forward to 2015 and all that it brings to the road.
Before you run away, be sure to check out our other CES takeaway experiences, including:
CES takeaway: Android TV (Coming soon)
CES takeaway: Smartphones and Tablets
CES takeaway: Wearables (Coming soon)
What was your favorite Android Auto news out of CES 2015?
These are Android Central’s Top Picks for CES 2015!
Some of the best of what we saw at CES 2015!
We’re in the home stretch of CES 2015. We’ve see quite a good bit of Android on the show floor of the Las Vegas Convention Center. Some good. Some not so good. But some stood out above all others as we made our way through the week.
And it was a diverse class this year. We’ve got phones. We’ve got tablets. We’ve got a high-end camera with a phone. We’ve got a watch. A TV box. And even some of the new guts that are going to be powering our devices in the future.
It’s a strong list, indeed. But perhaps it’s even more exciting that it’s still a limited look at what we’ve got in store this year. There’s so much good stuff coming. But for now, it’s time to announce this year’s winners. And they are …
Lamborghini phone will cost you $6,000
The 88 Tauri has been announced by luxury brand Tonino Lamborghini at CES for those that have expensive taste. This is the company’s second Android device, and like the first it commands a premium pricetag. Expect to shell out $6,000 for this piece of kit.
Review – Cassnova Denim Laptop Case
Laptop sleeves are a great solution for protecting your device and holding a few accessories without carrying around a bag or briefcase. However, they are also known for being fairly stripped down of compartments and options, which can be inconvenient at times.
Cassnova has bridged the gap between bag and sleeve with their 13-inch Denim Laptop Case. It offers up the thin design of a sleeve with enough storage and features to fill in as a laptop bag.
Forks and spoons can’t stop the Lenovo Yoga Tablet 2 with AnyPen
The folks at Lenovo have been working hard to keep the Yoga line cutting edge and interesting, and as far as most people are concerned they have managed exactly that. A new year means new tech on the horizon, especially here at CES, and it’s clear after spending a few minutes with the Yoga Tablet 2 that the focus is making sure you can use your tech wherever you are. Sometimes that means you’re in the kitchen with egg yolk all over your hands, while other times it means you’re out in the shop with thick gloves on. The one thing these scenarios have in common, according to Lenovo, is the ability to use whatever is handy as a stylus thanks to AnyPen.
It’s probably still important to remember that just because you can use any piece of metal around you doesn’t mean you should, especially since a carrot will work just as well, but the ability is exciting and perfectly functional.
CES 2015 favorites from the folks back home
CES favorites from the folks not buried in CES
You’ve probably noticed that over 9000 people from Mobile Nations — including our own Phil, Alex, Andrew, Russell and Justin — are on the ground at CES 2015 looking at all the things. Phones, tablets, TVs and almost anything else you can think of that run Android or work together with Android have invaded Las Vegas, and we need an army to see it all.
But not all of us are there. We still need people to run things back home, and sleep in their own beds and eat food that doesn’t come from a booth. At the same time, we spend all day virtually at CES through the Internet. Trust me, I have more CES going on in my office than the Las Vegas Convention Center does. We’ve seen it all, through the eye of the camera, and we all have our own favorites.
Have a look at them.
AccuWeather app now supports Android Wear
The AccuWeather app on Android has just received a new update, bringing a new dedicated app for Android Wear along with it. This allows users to open up the AccuWeather app directly from their smartwatch, instead of periodically seeing cards on their wearable.
From the Android Wear app, users can view forecast, current weather conditions, precipitation and much more at their convenience. The update reflects on both the free and Platinum versions of the app, so you don’t need to shell out any extra bucks to get the app on your wrist.
There shouldn’t be any changes between the free and paid versions of the app, so you should be able to enjoy AccuWeather on your wearable regardless of whether you paid for it or not. But owning the paid version will remove ads from the mobile version of the app, so it’s worth considering if you don’t want annoying ads clogging up your view.
Come comment on this article: AccuWeather app now supports Android Wear
‘Crossy Road’ Bounces into Google Play Store
The popular Frogger clone ‘Crossy Road’ has officially made its way to Android from the Apple Appstore after stopping in at the Amazon Appstore for a month. The hit game is a blend between Frogger-like gameplay, Minecraft graphics, and a name reminiscent of Flappy Bird.
This addictive game will quickly capture your attention for hours on end, with simple controls and an easy goal: cross the road, don’t die. Crossy Road is free, with in-app purchases of $1 for new animals, like a cow or pig, to add to your starter chicken. It’s also possible to get some characters through gameplay.
So watch the promo video, follow the link, and get hopping!
Click here to view the embedded video.
Come comment on this article: ‘Crossy Road’ Bounces into Google Play Store
CES takeaway: smartphones and tablets
If you missed our coverage of CES 2015, that’s okay! As the event is coming to a close, we thought we’d take this time to go through the week’s top stories and roundup the biggest smartphone and tablet announcements we saw at the trade show. There’s a lot to recap here, so let’s jump right in.
Smartphones
LG’s G Flex 2
LG’s early announcement of the G Flex 2 was arguably the biggest announcement of CES 2015. LG’s first G Flex brought a ton of new features to the smartphone world, but it fell short in many critical areas. With the G Flex 2, it seems as though LG stepped up and really made this a device worth buying. It’s 5.5-inch 1080p curved screen, rear-facing 13MP camera and even the super attractive Flamenco Red color make it an overall killer device. What’s more, the G Flex 2 is the first smartphone on the market to tote the Snapdragon 810 processor.
Last year’s G Flex was really difficult to recommend to almost anyone, but this year’s iteration will definitely be one of the most interesting phones of the year, especially for those looking for something a bit more unique when it comes to form factor.
Read more:
- LG G Flex 2 hands-on and first impressions
- LG G Flex 2 vs. Samsung Galaxy Note Edge quick look
- LG G Flex 2 vs. LG G Flex quick look
The superphone/supercamera hybrid: Panasonic’s Lumix CM1
Panasonic was showing off their Lumix DMC-CM1 smartphone at CES, but it was announced at the tail end of last year. That didn’t seem to bother anyone though, because this camera smartphone can really pull its own weight. The phone itself has a 4.7-inch 1080p display, a Snapdragon 800 processor backed by 2GB of RAM, and it’s running Android 4.4 KitKat. But the phone isn’t the star of the show here, it’s the camera. Panasonic managed to throw on a huge 1-inch sensor, an f2.8 Leica lens and a 20MP sensor that truly makes for an amazing camera experience. To top it all off, there’s a smartphone attached to it? Sign us up.
When the device was originally announced, Panasonic made it very clear that this device was meant solely for the European market. Turns out it’s coming to the US on AT&T and T-Mobile to the tune of roughly $1,000 unlocked. It’s expensive, but we think it’ll be worth it for any photography lovers out there.
Read more:
- Hands-on with the Panasonic Lumix CM1
- Panasonic’s Lumix CM1 phone/camera hybrid is coming to the United States
The multimedia powerhouse: Saygus V2
The Saygus V2 (V squared) is probably one of the most talked about handsets to hit CES this year. It’s marketed as a true multimedia powerhouse that is perfect for anyone who values tons of storage and great speaker quality. The most notable feature of the phone is definitely that it can house up to 320GB of storage. No, the phone doesn’t have a massive hard drive. There’s 64GB of on-board storage, and two microSD card slots (maximum of 128GB each), equalling 320GB of storage. What’s more, the device features a removable 3100mAh battery, front-facing Harman Kardon speakers, a 5-inch 1080p screen and a Snapdragon 801 processor backed by 3GB of RAM.
This really is the phone for you if you’re into one of the best multimedia experiences you can get on a smartphone. We’ll have more to say about this device in our full review, but for now, we’re really excited about this device. Of course the fact that it is from an unknown handset maker might be a turn off for many folks, and it’s worth mentioning that no exact pricing has been announced just yet, though supposedly it will hit the hands of consumers in the next few months.
Read more:
- Hands-on with the feature-filled Saygus V2
- The powerful Saygus V2 supports up to 256GB of external storage
Asus Zenfone 2: The first smartphone with 4GB of RAM
Moving along, Asus also had a pretty big keynote at CES with their announcement of two high-end devices, one of which being the Zenfone 2. This device is such a hit thanks to its premium build quality, customizable software and unbeatable price point. There are three different variations of the Zenfone 2, all of which are at different price points. The “middle” device (the one featured in the above video) features a 5.5-inch 1080p screen and 2GB of RAM. The lesser of the three versions has the same screen size, but with a resolution of 720p and with 2GB of RAM. This device will cost less than the other two. The most powerful of the bunch, while no pricing information is announced yet, features a 1080p display and a whopping 4GB of RAM.
The three devices will be available beginning in March starting at $199 unlocked. There are a lot more specifications to cover with these three iterations, so follow the links below for more information.
Read more:
- Asus Zenfone 2 hands-on and first impressions
- Asus launches 5.5-inch Zenfone 2 and Zenfone Zoom, featuring 3X optical zoom
Asus Zenfone Zoom
Asus also unveiled the Zenfone Zoom alongside the Zenfone 2. As the name suggests, the Zoom is a camera-centric smartphone with a 13MP camera and 3X optical zoom, optical image stabilization and a laser auto focus system. While the device is quite bulky, it’s not as bad as other camera-focused smartphones out there. Overall, the 5.5-inch 1080p display and the sturdy build quality should suffice for anyone looking for a great camera experience on their mobile phone.
The Zenfone Zoom will be available in Q2 of this year starting at $399.
Read more:
HTC’s budget-friendly Desire 826
The Desire 826 is HTC’s next iteration in the Desire 820 line. Sure, the HTC One M8 and M7 were terrific smartphones, but HTC has really put a ton of effort into their mid-rangers lately. Many Desire phones are even considered to be towards the high end of the mid-tier, and the 826 is no exception. Much like the rest of the Desire series, the 826 is either glossy or matte plastic (depending on the color combination), and two SIM slots, a vibrant 5.5-inch 1080p display, and a 64-bit Snapdragon 615 processor. The big story here is HTC’s decision to move the cameras around a bit. On the 826, there’s a 13MP rear-facing camera and a 4MP UltraPixel shooter, instead of the other way around like we see on a few other Desire devices. This seems to be a really nice phone so far, and we’re looking forward to putting it through its paces in our full review.
The Desire 826 will be available later this year for China and other Asian markets, with the potential to roll out to other markets.
Read more:
- HTC Desire 826 hands-on and first impressions
- HTC Desire 826 vs. HTC Desire EYE quick look
- HTC launches Desire 826 with UltraPixel selfie camera
ZTE Nubia Z7
Last but not least, we have the ZTE Nubia Z7. Shown off alongside the Grand X Max+ and the Star 2 at CES, this is the most high-end device out of the three. It has a 5.5-inch QHD screen, a Snapdragon 801 processor, 3GB of RAM, a 3000mAh battery and 32GB of on-board storage. To be honest, there are very few compromises when it comes to this device. Unfortunately, it’s set right now as a China-only release, and there’s no word yet of the Z7 making its way out of Asia.
Read more:
The devices listed above aren’t the only smartphones unveiled at CES this year. If you’d like our full coverage on other recently-announced phones, check out the list below.
- Lenovo announces 64-bit P90 and VIBE X2 Pro at CES
- ZTE Grand Max+ hands-on and first impressions
- Interview with Yota Devices at CES 2015
- Samsung’s Galaxy E5 and E7 debut in India today
- ZTE Star 2 hands-on and first impressions
- BLU has just announced seven low-cost Android handsets
- Kodak IM5 officially announced
- HTC desire 320 headed to the UK and Germany
- Acer announces 4G-capable Liquid Z410 smartphone
- Archos unveils budget-friendly 50 Diamond smartphone
- Alcatel Onetouch announces Pixi 3 series smartphones
Tablets
Fuhu’s television-sized kids “tablets”
Fuhu has released big tablets in the past, but none even close to this size. But at CES 2015, Fuhu announced some products to really expand their tablet lineup – 32, 43, 55 and 65-inch variants of their Big Tabs.
Fuhu is really pushing the “Internet of Things” movement, and would like their new Big Tab XL models to be the centerpiece of your home entertainment. There’s no mention of which version of Android these tablets are running, but the press release does say that they run “the latest Android software” and Fuhu’s groundbreaking Blue Morpho OS. All four of the new “tablets” will also double as televisions, which justifies the purchase a bit more. The two smallest models sport 1080p screens, 2GB of RAM and run on a NVIDIA Tegra K1 processor. The two biggest models both have 4K resolutions, 4GB of RAM and use NVIDIA’s new Tegra X1 chip. The tablets will go on sale sometime this year and will range in price from $699.99-$3,999.99.
Read more:
Arbor’s rugged Gladius 10 tablet
Arbor isn’t usually the name we think of when talking about Android devices, but the company has just announced the Gladius 10 rugged tablet. It’s meant specifically for warehousing, transportation, medical, and mobile point of sale applications.
The Gladius 10 features a 10.1-inch TFT LCD display with 1280×800 resolution with a Corning Gorilla Glass 2 coating. It also brings a MediaTek MTK8392 Octa-core Cortex A7 CPU, a Quad-core ARM Mali 3D GPU, 2GB of RAM, optional barcode scanner, a 13MP rear-facing camera, 2MP front-facing camera and a dual-SIM card slot. On top of these already decent specifications, the tablet is also rated with IP65 protection, and meets the U.S. Military’s 810G standard for drops and other hazards. There’s no mention of the battery capacity in the release, but Arbor is quoting the tablet to have up to 10 hours of battery life.
The Gladius 10 seems like a decent tablet so far, until we get to the price. The tablet will go on sale in May of 2015 for $1,030, and can be customized to the user’s preferences.
Read more:
Archos 80b Helium tablet
Archos recently announced their new 80b Helium tablet, a 4G LTE-capable budget tablet for less than $150. Details are pretty scarce when it comes to this one, but we’ll definitely keep an eye out for more details. So far, though, a 4G-capable tablet for under $150 is bound to be a big seller.
Read more:
As much as people might want to disagree, I thought this year’s CES offered up a decent amount when it came to smartphones. We haven’t seen anything truly groundbreaking with smartphones in the past few days, but that surely doesn’t mean it was a bad CES. There are a few devices that are getting me excited, though.
First of all, I really like what LG is doing with the G Flex 2. It’s smaller, prettier and has specs that might give some other flagships a run for its money. LG hasn’t really had the reputation to skimp on their devices’ internals, and this year is no exception. It’s great to see them focusing hard on a smartphone that isn’t their “flagship,” and I really think more companies need to adopt that trend.
Other than the G Flex 2, of course I’m going to love the Lumix CM1… and I think you’d be crazy not to. It’s a relatively high-end device on it’s own, only with a super powerful camera on its back. Speaking of devices with cameras strapped to the back, the Zenfone Zoom isn’t half bad either. Remember when the Galaxy S4 Zoom launched? It seems like Samsung didn’t even try to make the phone compact in the slightest. We’ve absolutely come a long way since then… the Lumix CM1 and Zenfone Zoom are actually viable options for folks who want to take photography a little bit more seriously.
One device that stuck out in particular was the 65-inch Fuhu Big Tab. It’s an interesting concept, and makes me feel a little bit more like I’m living in the future.
CES 2015 wasn’t a year that pushed any boundaries with smartphones or tablets, but it was a trade show that needed to happen.
A tablet that doubles as a television… with a 4K display… and NVIDIA’s new Tegra X1 processor? Awesome. What’s not as awesome is the price, though. When the devices launch, prices will likely hover around the $700-$4,000 range. Prices aside though, while there likely isn’t a huge market for devices like this, the concept is still very intriguing.
CES 2015 wasn’t a year that pushed any boundaries with smartphones or tablets, but it was a trade show that needed to happen. A few companies bumped up the specs of their devices, sure, but we all knew these progressions would come in time. While 4GB of RAM, 320GB of storage, or even QHD displays on more affordable handsets are great, we all knew these were going to happen eventually. So, I’m not too upset or excited about this year’s CES, it has just made me more excited for what’s to come in 2015.
What were your most favorite/least favorite smartphones and tablets from the trade show this year? Did you think this was a particularly good or bad year for mobile devices? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!
AIVAnet 