Airbar gives your MacBook Air with a touchscreen for $99

Sure, the new MacBook Pro has that fancy Touch Bar, but some Apple laptop owners long for a machine with a full touchscreen display. A company called Airbar already gave the PC faithful a USB accessory that gives a 15.6-inch screen a more tactile function and at CES 2017 it’s doing the same for the 13.3-inch MacBook Air. The company calls the device “plug-and-touch,” which means you don’t have to worry about futzing with drivers before you can use the gadget.

The installation process involves putting a couple magnets on the laptop to hold the Airbar in place. Once that’s done, all you have to do it plug it into a USB port and the device emits a light field over the display to pick up you touch navigation, pinch-to-zoom and scrolling gestures. Of course, you’ll have to remove it to completely close your laptop, but the addition of touch with a relatively painless install process makes a solid case for the add-on.

We tried the Airbar on a MacBook Air here at CES and it performed well navigating around Google Maps and Paintbrush on OS X. Unfortunately, the unit on display is a working prototype so we weren’t able to test zoom and scrolling functionality. The company says you can also use a physical object to handle input, something like a stylus or even a paintbrush. Right now, there’s only the one size for one Apple laptop, but the plan is to expand the line with more sizes that accommodate more computers.

If you’re looking to outfit your 13-inch MacBook Air with an Airbar, you’ll be able to do so in March. The accessory will be available on Amazon at that time for $99, $30 more than the PC version that’s available now.

Nathan Ingraham contributed to this report.

Click here to catch up on the latest news from CES 2017.

The Fisher Price Smart Cycle is an adorable form of exercise

Fisher Price is preparing the next generation for a life of apps and exercise bikes with its latest innovation in the way children play. The Smart Cycle is a miniature exercise bike with a tablet stand mounted on the front — kids pedal to play the attached game. We got a hands-on look at the Smart Cycle at CES 2017, but unfortunately we weren’t able to go feet-on.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the Smart Cycle is not large enough for most adults to use. (The image above is an enlarged demo unit that Fisher Price crafted just for CES.) It’s designed for kids ages 3 to 6, and presumably it’ll hold up even after your little one gets super jacked.

This whole thing is an upgrade on Fisher Price’s previous Smart Cycle, which hooked up to a TV via a cable.

The SmartCycle!

A video posted by Jessica L. Conditt (@jesslconditt) on Jan 4, 2017 at 7:41pm PST

After seeing it in person, it’s fair to say the actual Smart Cycle is adorable. It’s due to land in June or July for $150, complete with one free game, Mission to Tech City, which offers a literary curriculum. Additional apps will cost $5 each and they include offerings from Nickelodeon, such as a SpongeBob SquarePants app that focuses on teaching science and social studies.

The entire thing is Bluetooth-enabled, which means it works with Apple TV and other streaming systems. But parents, feel free to keep the big TV for yourself, no bike necessary.

Daniel Cooper contributed to this post.

Click here to catch up on the latest news from CES 2017.

Ford vehicles will soon have Amazon’s Alexa on board

We finally know when Ford will unleash the Alexa integration it promised almost exactly a year ago. The automaker has announced that it will roll out the feature in two phases, with the first one going out later this month. Folks who own Ford vehicles with the company’s Sync 3 entertainment system, starting with the Focus Electric, Fusion Energi and C-MAX Energi, will be able to control their cars from home sometime this January. They’ll be able to start or stop their car engines, unlock their doors and check their fuel levels simply by issuing commands through Amazon’s Echo, Echo Dot and Tap speakers.

They’ll eventually be able to ask Alexa to find establishments, add items to their grocery lists, play music, check news and read audiobooks, as well. Plus, they’ll be able to adjust their house’s thermostat, control its lights and even its security system right inside their cars. However, they’ll have to wait for the second phase of the rollout — scheduled for sometime this summer — to access all those neat features.

In addition, Ford is adding built-in Wi-Fi hotspot capability to Sync connect this fall on select 2018 models. The LTE hotspot will be powered by AT&T and will be able to support up to 10 devices at a time. Finally, Samsung Gear S2 and S3 owners will be able to connect their smartwatches to Ford’s Sync system starting this spring. The feature will give them an easy way to log parking spots and set audio alerts to make sure they don’t fall asleep at the wheel.

Click here to catch up on the latest news from CES 2017.

Source: Ford

CES 2017: Speck Launches New Drop-Protective Presidio Cases for MacBook Pro and iPhone

Speck, best known for the cases and accessories it makes for Apple’s line of products, is showing off two new protective cases at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show. The Presidio Clear is Speck’s first drop-resistant laptop case, while the Presidio Show is its latest iPhone case.

The Presidio Clear is made with a dynamic transparent material that Speck is calling “Impactium Clear,” and according to the company, it is able to absorb and disperse shock, protecting the MacBook from drops as high as four feet.

It’s made from the same material as Speck’s Presidio smartphone cases and is entirely transparent, preserving the design of the MacBook. It is UV resistant so it won’t yellow over time. The case snaps on to the front and the bottom of the MacBook, and a raised edge around the case offers a no-slip grip that makes it easier to hold on to one of Apple’s thin notebooks.

For the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus (and the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus), Speck is debuting new clear Presidio Show cases that are designed to match the colors of Apple’s latest devices. The Show was specifically made for the Jet Black iPhone, giving users a way to keep it safe while showing off its glossy finish.

The Show uses Speck’s Impactium material, which the company says will protect the iPhone from drops up to 10 feet (this is Speck’s only clear case with the superior drop protection). While a black version is available now, gold, rose gold, and silver versions will be available in the near future.

The Presidio Show for the iPhone 6, 6s, 7, 6 Plus, 6s Plus, and 7 Plus is available for $39.95 starting today from the Speck website.

The Presidio Clear, which will be priced at $99.95 and comes in Clear and Onyx Black, will be available for the 13-inch MacBook Pro in February of 2017. Presidio Clear cases for additional MacBook models will be available later in the year.

Tags: Speck, CES 2017
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Sony’s amazing OLED A1E series TV is also a speaker, the screen vibrates

Sony has unveiled its OLED TV and it has an incredible trick up its sleeve. Not only does it support the Dolby Vision HDR standard, there are no speakers on the television. That’s because the whole TV is a speaker too.

The superthin screen vibrates to create the audio – in a tech Sony calls Audio Surface. How this works with stereo audio, we’re not sure, but it is groundbreaking.

The TV was shown during the company’s CES 2017 press conference and boasts very impressive picture quality.

• Best TVs of CES 2017: Samsung, Sony, Panasonic, LG OLED and more

Other TVs announced include the 4K HDR X93E series, which has much greater brightness than the OLED panel but can’t achieve the same black levels. It’s really horses for course as to which you prefer.

Sony also revealed that the previous X94 series and the Z9D will be made Dolby Vision compatible.

It is putting a lot of stock into HDR this year, with the update for the PS4 now introducing the extended colour and brightness tech to gaming. Compatible games are now being released regularly. They’ll look amazing on the OLED TV we’re sure.

We’ll be getting a proper first look at the A1E series TVs at CES 2017 very soon, so check back often.

Sony’s $25K projector fulfills the dream of putting a screen anywhere

Sony has shown off pricey Life Space projectors at CES before, but this short-throw model is the first to bear its high-end ES label. Like other short-throw projectors, this one is made to project a large (100-inch) image on a wall from as close as six inches away. That kind of capability means it can blend into a room instead of requiring a dedicated home theater. It will require dedication from your budget, however, thanks to its staggering $25,000 price tag. Naturally, it is 4K and HDR compatible, and will go on sale in April.

Click here to catch up on the latest news from CES 2017.

Sony’s Chromecast soundbar and sub blast the bass under your sofa

A number of companies have added Google Cast, er “Chromecast built in,” to speakers and soundbars in the last year and Sony has a new model that includes the handy tech for CES. The HT-MT500 is a compact soundbar that pairs with a wireless subwoofer you can slide under your sofa or stand upright near your TV. There’s a specific setting for each of those two locations so the sound adjusts accordingly. Spotify Connect is also available on the HT-MT500 and there’s a HT-MT300 model for people who don’t need to employ that Google tech. It still includes Blueooth and NFC pairing, but you won’t get the added benefits of Chromecast.

The HT-CT290 is another space-saving option that’s super slim and can easily be mounted on the wall without becoming an eye sore. It also has a wireless subwoofer, Bluetooth connectivity and simulated surround sound with 300 watts of power. If you need an audio upgrade for your 4K and HDR viewing, the HT-CT800 packs in Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio. In other words, you can enjoy uncompressed audio with those stunning visuals. You can also use Sony’s wireless surround sound speakers and multi-room audio gear with the HT-CT800 and the soundbar/sub combo plays nice with Google Home.

Last but not least, Sony’s flagship soundbar for 2017 is the HT-ST5000. A key feature here is Dolby Atmos and high-resolution audio support. The company sees this device as the core of a home theater setup, so it has three HDMI ports, one HDMI ARC connection, a USB jack and Bluetooth connectivity as well as digital optical and analog options. It also works with Google Home which means you can use Google Assistant to control music and other sounds with ease.

Like most of its audio announcements at CES, Sony isn’t revealing any pricing or exact availability. The company says we can expect all of these soundbars to arrive this spring.

Click here to catch up on the latest news from CES 2017.

Next for HTC Vive: Wireless VR and tracking for everything

After living through the VR frenzy of 2016, it’s almost hard to believe that HTC’s Vive Pre debuted at CES just a year ago. Since then, the company released the consumer edition of the headset and reorganized all of its Vive business under a subsidiary. Now that it’s laid the groundwork for its VR ecosystem, HTC is looking to make it flourish by focusing on developers and fine-tuning its user experience.

For one, you can expect wireless VR to be a big theme for the Vive this year. It’s not hard to see why: It’s simply hard to believe you’re in an actual virtual world when you’re tethered to a computer. At CES today, HTC announced that the TPCast adapter, which was developed within its own Vive X incubator, will be available globally in the second quarter of this year for $249. Previously, you could only order it from HTC’s Chinese site. TPCast can last around an hour and a half on its own, but there will also be a five-hour “XL battery” pack coming later this year.

Additionally, the company announced that Intel, a new partner, is working on a WiGig wireless VR solution capable of 360-degree tracking. The company is also open to other wireless solutions, assuming they can handle the demanding throughput and offer low latency.

HTC also unveiled the Vive Tracker, a tiny device that’ll let developers track just about any object in virtual reality. You can think of it as a miniaturized version of the Vive touch controller’s top portion, which is where most of the motion tracking magic happens. HTC says it’s created a “simple connection” for developers to integrate the Tracker into their accessories. And at under three ounces, it won’t add much heft either.

Based on the demos I saw at HTC’s media event, developers are genuinely excited about the possibilities of the Vive Tracker. Deakin University’s James Mullins is using the tracker as part of FLAIM Trainer, a way for firefighters to prepare for battling blazes. As part of that experience, he attached the Vive Tracker to the end of a mock firehose. Based on a short demo, it managed to accurate follow where I was pointing the hose just as well as a typical Vive controller. Notably, Mullins also told me it took only four hours to build in support for the Vive Tracker.

HTC also has some big plans for its VivePort app store. It’s launching a subscription-based service for testing out VR apps and games (a “Netflix for VR” as HTC called it), and it’s also developing a platform for arcade owners to easily offer VR experiences without dealing with licensing headaches from developers. HTC is hoping for it to jump-start VR availability in arcades.

In another bid to improve the Vive experience, HTC also announced the Deluxe Audio Strap, which adds a bit of comfort to the top of its head straps and built-in headphones. Personally, I prefer the Oculus Rift’s integrated headphones to the Vive’s dangling audio jack, so I’m looking forward to seeing if the new Audio Strap makes things more comfortable.

HTC’s Vive Deluxe Audio Strap makes its VR headset more comfortable

Compared to Playstation VR and the Oculus Rift, HTC’s Vive virtual reality headset is a bit of a face-hugger. It offers a window into beautiful virtual realms and boasts room-scale motion tracking but, well, it’s just not very comfortable. Soon, that may change. HTC just announced that it’s creating a Vive Deluxe Audio Strap to replace the headset’s elastic headgear. Not only does the new strap look a lot more ergonomic, but it tacks on one of the Oculus Rift’s most convenient features: built in headphones.

At a glance, the new Vive head mount looks like a cross between the Rift’s ridged strap system and PlayStation VR’s adjustable plastic band. It reaches over the top of the user’s head, like the Rift and the Vive’s existing soft straps, but still features a adjustable sizing dial for tightening the band. That should be a marked improvement over the velcro belt adjusters that come with the stock band. HTC didn’t say much about the headstrap’s included headphones, but they seem to be a removable on-ear solution, not unlike what ships with the Oculus Rift. In other words, you’ll still be able to use your own headphones if the built in audio isn’t to your liking.

At the end of the day, this still leaves the HTC Vive as a heavier VR headset than its competitors — but it could go a long way to mitigating the Vive’s biggest flaw. How much that fix will cost you is still up in the air: HTC says the new headgear is scheduled to ship sometime in Q2, but isn’t willing to share its pricetag just yet.

Click here to catch up on the latest news from CES 2017.

Sony upgrades its 4K line with Dolby Vision… and OLED

If you can’t beat ’em, use ’em, seems to be the logic of Panasonic and now Sony, which is announcing its first OLED TV. The XBR-A1E Bravia uses a trick we just heard about from LG Display, which embeds a sound system within the screen itself. That’s thanks to the thinness of the OLED panel itself, which Sony claims makes for an “unmatched visual and aural experience” called Acoustic Surface. The OLED TV will be available in 55-, 65- and 77-inch models.

Of course, Sony is still in the LCD business too, and it has upgraded the X930E/X940E with new LED lighting technology (the 940E features full-array LED backlights) that it says are better than ever. Also, for the first time, Sony has blessed all of these models, OLED included, with support for Dolby Vision HDR, and just in time, since it’s now available on streaming and Blu-ray.

As usual, all the new TVs also have Sony’s imaging tech built-in and are powered by Android TV with Google Cast support. Sony is also announcing a new Ultra HD Blu-ray player, the UBP-X800, although there’s not much word on how this differs from its planned ES model, or if it will support Dolby Vision video.

The only other thing missing from all of these? A price or specific release window.

Click here to catch up on the latest news from CES 2017.