D-Link Covr Wi-Fi System Release Date, Price and Specs – CNET

The Covr Wi-Fi system.

D-Link

D-Link’s first Wi-Fi system, the Covr DKT-883, kind of bucks the trend. Instead of a few identical hardware units, which you see in systems like the Google Wifi or the Eero, it includes a main unit and a smaller satellite unit, preprogramed to work with each other right out of the box.

A router and an extender

The main unit is the fully featured DIR-883 AC2600 dual-band MU-MIMO router. This is a quad-stream (4×4) router that has a top speed on the 5GHz band of 1,733 megabits per second and on the 2.4GHz up to 800Mbps. Like most home routers, this unit has the usual number of network ports (four LANs and one WAN) and a web interface with a full set of features, just like any other D-Link router.

The satellite unit is the DAP-1655 AC1300 Gigabit Wi-Fi extender. This is a 2×2 device with up to 867Mbps on the 5GHz band and 400Mbps on the 2.4GHz band. It also has two Gigabit LAN ports. This unit automatically replicates the Wi-Fi setting of the router unit. As a system, the two will likely offer seamless hand-off, meaning clients like phones and laptops can automatically switch between the main router and the extender units without any interruption, something you generally can’t achieve by using a standalone router with another standalone extender.

The Covr Wi-Fi System has smart steering that focuses its Wi-Fi signal on connected devices for faster speed. You can also add more satellite units to increase the coverage area. According to D-Link, while you will be able to buy the satellite unit individually, the Covr router will be available only in a kit that also includes one satellite unit.

It’s unclear how large a space the Covr Wi-Fi system covers, but my guess is with the two units, it can easily handle some 4,000 square feet, similar to the NetgearOrbi.

The Covr Powerline Wi-Fi adapter.

D-Link

Powerline thrown in the mix

D-Link’s Covr family also includes the DHP-W732AV PowerLine Wi-Fi System. Despite the name, this system is not intended to be used only with the Covr Wi-Fi system above. Rather, it’s designed for people with any existing router and who need to increase their home’s Wi-Fi coverage. However, D-Link says the two systems can work together and in this case, the powerline system will automatically replicate the Wi-Fi settings of the Covr’s main router.

The DHP-W732AV system includes two identical powerline units that can connect to each other via electrical wiring using the AV2 standard at 1,300Mbps. Each also includes a built-in dual-band Wi-Fi access point and three Gigabit network ports. D-Link says the Covr Powerline Wi-Fi system is perfect for homes with thick walls that Wi-Fi signal can’t penetrate.

Availability

Both the Covr Wi-Fi System and Covr Powerline Wi-Fi System are slated to be available in the second quarter of 2017 at the suggested price of $400 and $200 respectively. UK and Australian pricing was not announced, but those prices convert to £325 and £165, or AU$555 and AU$275.

Click here to find out what else is happening at CES 2017.

D-Link HD Wi-Fi Camera DCS-8000 Release Date, Price and Specs – CNET

D-Link

D-Link’s making it easier to enter the smart home. The company’s newest security camera, introduced this week at CES in Las Vegas, costs just $70. A D-Link rep suggested the price could be even lower by the time the camera goes on sale this spring.

As a smart-home device that’s priced more like a splurge than an investment, the $70 DCS-8000 LH still has night vision, sound and motion detection, a built-in microphone and a 120-degree field of view. You’ll be able to view live footage from the cam with the myDLink Home app for iOS and Android.

By the time the camera hits stores, D-Link will be rolling out new features for the app as well.

• You’ll be able to view time lapse footage of the day
• You can switch between a Home and Away mode on your camera with one click
• D-Link’s security app will integrate with the Home app for easier functionality.
• You can store some footage online for free, with additional priced tiers for more storage

The online storage is important, as the $70 cam offers no SD card slot for local storage. D-Link also introduced a $120 model with two-way audio, a 180-degree field of view, and an SD card slot — the DCS-8100LH if you want local storage.

It’s been awhile since we’ve loved a D-Link smart-home cam, but a $70 connected model could be a steal if it’s competent.

Asus VivoPC X Release Date, Price and Specs – CNET

The VivoPC X, next to a monitor and keyboard. Yep, it’s small.

Asus

Companies love to say their gaming PCs are the size of a game console. It’s almost never true — but the new Asus VivoPC X really is smaller than an Xbox One.

As long as we’re talking about one of the beefy original Xbox One game consoles, anyhow. It’s definitely a tad bigger than an Xbox One S, and substantially bigger than a PS4 Slim. Here, see for yourself:

SocialCompare

And yet, despite that console-like footprint and a reasonable $799 price (roughly £650, AU$1,100 converted) the VivoPC X is a fully fledged Windows 10 PC that’s ready for VR.

Sure, its seventh-gen Intel Core i5-7300HQ processor and Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 graphics won’t give you the highest fidelity VR experiences imaginable — the 1060 is on the low-end of the VR totem pole compared to the much more powerful 1070 and 1080 chipsets — but Asus says this PC is fully certified for the Oculus Rift.

Plus, it comes standard with a 512GB solid state drive (of the M.2 SATA variety) instead of relying on wimpy spinning magnetic storage. That’s unusually generous for the price, and you can fit a hard drive too if you really want.

Four USB 3.1 ports and two USB 2.0 ports mean no shortage of jacks for the Rift’s external sensors. Plus Gigabit Ethernet, two HDMI ports, a DisplayPort and 802.11ac Wi-Fi.

Asus

The VivoPC X even fixes one of my pet peeves with most “VR-ready” desktops by including two HDMI ports instead of just one — meaning you can easily plug in a VR headset and a TV or HDMI monitor at the same time.

With the CPU and graphics chips seemingly baked into the motherboard, it’s not a PC you’ll be able to upgrade down the road — but that’s the price you pay for such a small computer. Asus says it should be available in the US this March.

The VivoPC X.

Asus

Lemon California Roll Release Date, Price and Specs – CNET

What’s oval, waterproof, wireless, solar-powered and comes in 5 colors? The Lemon California Roll bluetooth speaker.

Starting at $249 (converts to roughly $345, £200), it’s available for preorder now and it expected to ship in March or April of 2017.

Wireless, solar-powered, waterproof and sleek.

Josh Miller

While its name suggests sushi is for dinner, the Lemon speaker is a different type of treat. The California Roll stands out in the sea of waterproof bluetooth speakers thanks to the 33 solar panels built into its back panel.

Charging via the solar panels takes about twice as long than charging via the micro-USB port, but if you’re out camping with no outlet in sight, you’ll take what you can get. The speaker can also charge your phone or tablet (like an external battery pack) via USB.

The speakers come with either cloth covered or metal grills.

Josh Miller/CNET

Instead of being round, rectangular or square, the Lemon speaker is oval to make it easy for smaller hands to grip. There’s also the option of a cloth-covered speaker grill or a metal one.

You can’t find the Lemon California Roll in retail stores, at least not yet, so you have to head to Lemon’s website to purchase.

Aristotle by Nabi Release Date, Price and Specs – CNET

Aristotle by Nabi.

Mattel

It’s a baby monitor. It’s a voice-activated smart assistant. It answers your questions, and maybe your kids’ questions, too. It orders more diapers when you run out, and soothes babies back to sleep automatically. It plays with your kids. It could be the most exciting thing toymaker Mattel has ever produced.

It’s called the Aristotle, and it’s not just an Amazon Echo clone: According to interviews with Bloomberg, FastCo Design and USA Today, the device is a fully-functioning Amazon Alexa assistant that can answer all the same adult questions and has all the same smart home capabilities — but say “Aristotle” instead of “Alexa,” and it can also summon a different voice assistant who can interact with your kids.

The voice-activated speaker also comes with a wireless camera that streams 256-bit encrypted video to your phone, an array of colorful LEDs, and special software some of which — as a new parent myself — sounds too good to be true.

Here are some of the additional things that Mattel claims the Aristotle’s software will do, according to Bloomberg, FastCo Design and USA Today interviews:

• Automatically recognize when a baby wakes up, and sooth them to sleep with a lullaby, white noise, a favorite song, or a night light
• Log wet diapers and feedings via voice commands or a phone app
• Automatically order more diapers and/or formula from Target, Babies R Us and other participating retailers
• Actually recognize and answer young kids’ questions after a brief voice recognition training session
• Answer questions until your child falls asleep
• Play guessing games with kids based on animal noises (say the name of the animal) or shapes held up to the camera (say the name of the shape), and light up with the correct answer
• Read aloud from a selection of thousands of children’s books, via partnerships
• Recognize specially designed kids’ toys with embedded NFC chips, or with its camera, and provide sound effects when kids play with them (an upcoming Hot Wheels racetrack was one example)

According to FastCo Design, the device should ship in June 2017 for about $300 (this roughly converts to £245 or AU$415). That’s not cheap, but it could be a small price to pay for the convenience of an Echo, plus some extra sleep.

And if you don’t have kids, keep in mind that Lenovo also just introduced a $129 Amazon Echo derivative (£105 or AU$179 converted) which could have a way better speaker.

Carrier Cor 5C Thermostat Release Date, Price and Specs – CNET

Carrier

Carrier makes everything from home HVAC systems to humidifiers, but the company is perhaps best known for its line of thermostats. And today, Carrier is adding to its lineup with two new smart thermostats, the Cor 5C and 7C.

Like competitors from Honeywell, Ecobee and Nest, the Cor 5C and 7C have advanced controls that make them a bit smarter than your average heat and A/C controller. Here’s a rundown of what Cor’s new thermostats are supposed to do:

• Estimate how much money you’re saving on your monthly energy bill
• Read a home’s specific “thermal characteristics” to create ideal temperature settings
• Integration with Amazon Echo and Apple HomeKit

The latest tech news:

• Self-driving cars to headline CES 2017
• Whirlpool turns food waste into fertilizer at CES
• Siri and Alexa’s future: Health and emotional support?

While Carrier hasn’t shared specific pricing or availability information for its Cor 5C and 7C thermostat just yet, the team said it’s striving to reach a broader audience with these products. Hopefully, that means lower prices.

We’ve seen this trend lately with Carrier’s competitors. Both Ecobee and Honeywell have introduced lower-priced, sub-$200 smart thermostats within the last year in the Ecobee3 Lite and the Honeywell Lyric T5 (video below). Carrier’s new thermostats actually look a lot like Lyric T5. Nest, on the other hand, still sells a single thermostat model for the same price as always — $249 (£249, not yet available in Australia).

Maybe Cor’s pricing will help it appeal on the same level as Ecobee and Honeywell’s latest models. We’ll just have to wait and see.

Click here to find out what else is happening at CES 2017.

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Kerastase Hair Coach Powered by Withings Release Date, Price and Specs – CNET

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We’ve written about connected frying pans, makeup mirrors that work with Amazon Alexa and app-enabled food composters, but smart hair care products are an entirely new frontier. Today we explore that uncharted territory with the Kerastase Hair Coach Powered by Withings.

Yes, the Hair Coach is essentially just a brush, but this version was dreamed up by the L’Oreal-owned hair care brand Kerastase in partnership with smart home company Withings. That means you can expect this quirky device to do a bit more than your typical hairbrush.

Pricing hasn’t been announced for the Hair Coach just yet, but it will cost less than $200 (£160 or AU$275 converted) when it hits stores mid-2017.

The latest tech news:

• Self-driving cars to headline CES 2017
• Whirlpool turns food waste into fertilizer at CES
• Siri and Alexa’s future: Health and emotional support?

Hairbrush tech

• Microphone: A built-in microphone supposedly listens as you brush to identify your hair type: dry, frizzy, split ends and so on.
• 3-axis load cells: If you’re using too much force to brush your hair, this advanced tech should know.
• Accelerometer and gyroscope: The Hair Coach can apparently count brush strokes and use haptic feedback to alert you if you’re brushing too forcefully.
• Conductivity sensors: Sensors distinguish between wet and dry hair to ensure correct readings.

The Hair Coach is supposed to send the information it gathers to the related app over Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. The app should then factor in environmental conditions, such as the temperature, humidity, UV index and more to give you a hair quality score, details on how well you’re brushing your hair and tips on how to improve. The app is also supposed to give you product suggestions — Kerastase-brand-specific, of course.

I’m pretty skeptical about this gadget. I don’t think I need this much help brushing my hair, but I’m also very curious what reading it would give me. I guess I’ll just have to try it out to see.

Withings also announced the Home Plus today, a $200 (£160 or AU$275 converted) DIY security camera that works with the Apple smart home platform, HomeKit.

Click here to find out what else is happening at CES 2017.

The Kerastase Hair Coach Powered by Withings has tons of smart tech that lets you know whether your hair is healthy or not.

Josh Miller/CNET

Mohu AirWave Release Date, Price and Specs – CNET

John P. Falcone/CNET

Mohu pioneered the sort of bargain flat digital TV antenna you can buy on Amazon for as little as $20. Now, the company’s new AirWave antenna is looking to deliver over-the-air channels where cordcutters want them: Straight into the streaming video device they’re already using, where they live side-by-side with Netflix, Amazon, Hulu and the like. In other words, no more switching inputs to watch live over-the-air TV.

The Mohu AirWave (a mockup of which is pictured above) will cost $150 when it arrives in April. The AC-powered TV antenna can be located anywhere in your home that’s in range of your Wi-Fi network. It then streams the over-the-air channels to a companion app on your entertainment device of choice. The company is promising compatibility with Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, iOS, Android and standard web browsers. Additional platforms could follow. And, of course, there are no pesky cable-like subscription fees.

The AirWave is also equipped with Mohu’s “ClearPix” technology, which is said to offer improved reception by adjusting the hardware based on the signal strength of given channels.

We’re hoping for more info on AirWare when we get a real-world demo later this week. It’ll also be interesting to see how it compares to rival devices like the HD Home Run (and its companion Channels app), as well as the just-announced Sling AirTV.

Mohu AirWave key specs

• Powered antenna that streams live TV to compatible devices
• Compatible apps coming to Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, iOS, Android and standard web browsers
• $150, no subscription fees, US only

Nemonic Release Date, Price and Specs – CNET

The Mangoslab Nemonic is a petite printer for Post-It notes and it’s pretty damn cool. Technically it doesn’t use official Post-It paper, but the sticky notes it prints are very similar.

The Nemonic is a thermal printer that exclusively prints sticky notes.

Josh Miller/CNET

Using its app you can write down notes, use a pre-loaded template, or take a photo on your phone or smart device of choice, and then print it.

The Nemonic is a thermal printer — like the ones that print your receipts at the grocery store — except it only prints sticky notes. It prints really fast — around five seconds — and only in black and white.

The Nemonic comes in four colors.

Josh Miller/CNET

Mangoslab claims that the thermal paper, which costs $4 a roll for about two hundred sticky notes and comes in 5 colors, will last 2 to 5 years without fading away.

The Nemonic is scheduled to go on sale in May or June for around $100 to $120. It’ll be released in the US, Europe and Japan, and is scheduled to hit Australia and UK some time after.

PicoBrew Freestyle Release Date, Price and Specs – CNET

You can drag and drop any part of the recipe.

Josh Miller/CNET

PicoBrew’s PicoPaks just became fully customizable. On display at CES 2017, the PicoBrew Freestyle lets you make a beer exactly to your liking with a few clicks.

PicoPaks are the prepackaged ingredients that work with the push-button brewer — the $800 (converts to roughly $1,100, £650) PicoBrew Pico. Previously, you picked your PicoPak from a list of professionally crafted microbrews. If you think you can do better, now you can.

The PicoBrew Freestyle allows you to make full use of its online interface to select all of your beer’s ingredients — the hops, the malt, even the yeast — then the company will ship you your selection, complete with a customized name.

I spent some time with the system at CES, and Freestyle is delightfully intuitive to use.

The status bar at the top changes as you tinker.

Josh Miller/CNET

You start by picking a base type of beer, you have six options ranging from stout to hoppy IPA. Then, Pico will offer suggestions at each of the next phases, but you can drag and drop various grains and hops to your heart’s desire and completely change the character of your beer. Better yet, as you make changes, the stats of the beer listed at the top of the page change too. You’ll see the beer’s color, bitterness and alcohol level, and all of them alter actively as you tinker, as does the price of the Pak.

PicoBrew obviously limits you to the types of malt and hops they have in stock, but they have a decent selection. The site will also stop you if you try to push the recipe past what the Pico can handle, but you still have a wide range of wiggle room.

The only concern I have with the PicoBrew Freestyle is strangely the Pico itself. We’re putting it through its paces for a review, and it hasn’t impressed me yet. If the Pico ends up winning me over, the Freestyle will be an awesome feature that’s available now and free for PicoBrew’s customers.