Here’s the smartwatch New Balance and Intel have been working on

It was nearly a year ago to the day that Intel and New Balance announced they were teaming up to launch the New Balance RunIQ, an Android Wear watch for fitness enthusiasts. Now, at CES 2017, we’re finally getting a good look at the finished product. The device is designed to be used by runners looking for an accessory for their fancy sneakers — also made by New Balance, of course. But beyond that, it’s not clear what this device does that so many other Android Wear watches can’t already do.

Take the spec list, for starters: It’s largely the same as other watches on the market. Under the hood there’s 512MB of RAM plus 4GB of built-in storage, all tucked behind a 1.39-inch AMOLED display. On the underside of the case, you’ll find an optical heart-rate monitor, which works alongside a gyroscope and accelerometer. Also inside is a GPS module and Intel’s Atom Z34XX processor — not to mention a battery rated to last 24 hours on a charge, or five house if you use GPS and heart rate monitoring.

On the software side, the watch syncs with Strava and has a one-tap lap button for easily timing your intervals on the track. You can also monitor your heart rate to make sure that you’re always staying within the zone during those longer runs. That 4GB of storage can be used to sync and play tracks from Google Play Music, so long as you have Bluetooth headphones. Then again, though, that’s true of most other Android wearables released in the last year or so.

The RunIQ is also a sign of how Intel will continue to operate in a wearables space that may have lost its luster. In late 2016, TechCrunch reported that Intel was about to lay off a big chunk of its wearables team in the wake of Basis’ immolation. Intel denied the report, but given that the chipmaker clearly doesn’t have faith in its own brand, it seems like it’ll continue to partner with third parties. The Tag Heuer Connected was a modest success, and New Balance can run the hard yards promoting and selling gear in a way that Intel can’t. It seems like the future of Intel as a wearables company is one where it operates behind the scenes — a shame for those of us who were hoping that Basis would rise like a phoenix from the flames.

At the same time as Intel and New Balance launch RunIQ, New Balance and Jabra are teaming up to release the PaceIQ — a pair of Bluetooth headphones that come with a dedicated button for real-time audio coaching. All told, it looks quite similar to the existing Jabra Sport Pace. Indeed, Jabra has previous experience in this market, with a set of Sports Coach in-ears that track your fitness and offer the same audio-assistance.

If you’d like to get in on an Intel-produced smartwatch and don’t have the thousands for a Tag Heuer, then this is probably your best option. Pre-orders for the device will begin on January 5th with sales kicking off at New Balance stores and online starting February 1st. It’ll set you back $300. PaceIQ, meanwhile, also drops February 1st and will set you back $110.

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

Google’s DeepMind AI has been secretly schooling online Go players

Over the past year, Google’s DeepMind AlphaGo AI has taken on (and defeated) worldwide Go masters in a series of high-profile matches. But in a sly move similar to a game-playing Turing test, DeepMind recently unleashed AlphaGo on some unsuspecting online Go players, thoroughly trouncing them in the process.

The mysterious player, simply called “Master” or “Magister,” started showing up on Tygem and FoxGo servers over the past few days and went on to play dozens of matches against some of the top Go players in the world. When Master won more than 50 straight, Go players on Reddit started to catch on, Business Insider reports.

So a mysterious AI, ‘Master’, is trouncing top Go players online 50-0, likely superhuman, and no one knows who created it. How cyberpunk.

— gwern (@gwern) January 4, 2017

On Reddit, users speculated that “Master” was anyone from world Go champion Lee Sedol playing anonymously, to a “1000-year-old Go master spirit” from a Japanese manga series. On Wednesday, however, DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis broke the spell and revealed on Twitter that Master was none other than the same AlphaGo AI that beat out Sedol over a five game tournament earlier this year. According to Hassabis, DeepMind used the unofficial online games to dial in a new prototype version of the AI.

“Now that our unofficial testing is complete,” Hassabis wrote, “we’re looking forward to playing some official, full-length games later this year in collaboration with Go organizations and experts, to explore the profound mysteries of the game further in this spirit of mutual enlightenment.”

Source: Business Insider, Demis Hassabis on Twitter

Live from Intel’s CES 2017 press conference!

It’s been a pretty big year for Intel, what with its new CPUs, its investment in self-driving cars and its ever-increasing focus on the internet of things. And how could we forget that all-in-one VR headset? At CES 2017, we’ll expect to see Intel address these topics and more. So check back here at 4pm Pacific / 7pm Eastern to check out our liveblog and see what Intel has up its sleeve for 2017.

The ZTE Blade V8 Pro is yet another affordable dual-camera phone

First the Honor 6x, then the ASUS ZenFone 3 Zoom, and now the ZTE Blade V8 Pro. These phones being unveiled here at CES 2017 all sport dual cameras that let you take photos with a shallow depth-of-field effect similar to what you can do with the iPhone 7 Plus. The difference is, this week’s new devices generally cost much less than the iPhone (although we don’t know the ZenFone’s price yet), with the cheapest so far being the just-announced Blade V8 Pro. For $230, the handset offers a respectable set of features, including two 13-megapixel rear cameras, a 5.5-inch full HD display and an octa-core Snapdragon processor. From my brief experience with a preview unit, the V8 Pro feels sturdier than the Honor 6x ($250), and has a slightly better dual-camera implementation, to boot.

First off, the Blade’s two cameras both have 13-megapixel sensors, which are sharper than the Honor’s 12-megapixel and 2-megapixel pair. This resulted in the Blade delivering more detailed pictures overall, and, at least during my brief trial, made for a more precise application of the bokeh (blurred background) effect. Like on the Honor, the Blade’s setting lets you adjust the intensity of the effect. Simply drag a slider up for a smaller aperture (more bokeh) or down for a wider opening (less bokeh). To be clear, you’re not actually changing the physical lens opening on the phone’s cameras; this is simply a software trick made possible by a monochrome sensor that captures more detail than a single camera would.

In addition to bokeh, the V8 Pro’s second camera has a fun monochrome mode that lets you see, in real time, your frame in black and white before you snap your photo. This is like having a live filter activated when you’re taking your shot, but ZTE’s execution here is better than most. The V8 Pro can also capture 4K video, and its 8-megapixel front camera captured crisp shots with accurate colors.

Below the V8 Pro’s 5.5-inch full HD display is a home button with an embedded fingerprint sensor, which is an uncommon feature for the price. The V8 Pro lets you open specific apps from the lock screen depending on what finger you scanned, which is a nifty application. My one gripe with the fingerprint sensor here is that you need to first press the button to wake up the phone before it will recognize your finger.

I liked the V8 Pro’s sturdy metal finish until I flipped over the device. The backplate has a rubbery texture, and that difference in finish from the rest of the phone makes it feel like the back can be removed, which is not true. Still, it makes the device easier to grip, and the phone still feels more premium than the similarly priced Honor 6x.

ZTE equipped the V8 Pro with a 3140mAh battery, which the company says will last longer than its flagship Axon 7. That phone lasted through about a day and a half of everyday use when I tried it out. That’s about the same as the 1.5 days to 2.5 days that Honor promises you’ll get out of the 6x, which has a larger battery. The V8 Pro uses an octa-core Snapdragon 625 processor, and comes with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage, which is expandable via microSD card.

This is the first time ZTE is bringing one of the Blade series of midrange smartphones to the US. The line, which is now in its eighth generation, has done well in Europe, Asia and Latin America, and the company confirmed it has sold more than 50 million Blade phones worldwide. You can pre-order the V8 Pro now, and it is slated to ship on January 11th.

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

ZTE’s crowd-sourced phone gets a name and a Kickstarter campaign

It’s only been a few months since ZTE tapped the wisdom of the masses and started work on its first crowd-sourced device: an eye-tracking, self-adhesive phone. No, seriously. A surprising number of people thought we should be able to stick our phones onto walls and navigate through websites and menus just by glancing all over the place. While the phone itself is far from finished, ZTE did give us a few new details here at CES: it’s called the Hawkeye, and you’ll be able to pre-order one on Kickstarter starting today for $199.

That early-bird price might be final, but very little else about the Hawkeye is. ZTE is still locking down the final specs so the chipset, camera, and RAM and storage configurations are still totally unknown. (As you can tell by the photos, it will have a rear fingerprint scanner.) That said, ZTE did let us fiddle around with some near-final design mockups and they’re sleeker than that all-too-reasonable price tag would suggest. If these choices stick around, we’ll be looking at an all-plastic body that comes in a variety of colors and texture finishes — naturally, Kickstarter backers will be able to vote on which ones make the final cut. That said, I actually like the choices ZTE has tentatively cooked up: there’s a smooth, deep navy with a zig-zag pattern that’s only visible up close, a lenticular finish with a blue-to-black gradient and a wavy lime green look that sort of looks like a zen garden.

Before I get too hung up on looks, I should point out that these preliminary bodies feel great too. They’re slim and light without feeling cheap, and they speak to how good ZTE has gotten at crafting attractive devices. There’s one caveat you should be aware of, though. Rather than baking the adhesive directly into the back of the phone, ZTE has decided to build an adhesive case for the phone. That’s not exactly in keeping with the winning proposal, but hey — since you can remove the clingy bits, you won’t be stuck with a smartphone that sticks to the inside of your pockets all the time. We’ll take it.

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

Live from Sony’s CES 2017 press event!

Sony’s press event is the final big show of CES 2017’s press day. Shake off that gadget fatigue, because the company is likely to unveil plenty of TVs, devices and accessories that will hit stores before the end of the year. (Something that can’t be said of all the gadgets announced at CES.) Join us at 8PM Eastern Time, right here! We’ll be reporting direct from the front lines of consumer electronics’ media salt mines.

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

The best thing about Samsung’s keynote was the comments

One downside of announcing most of your new products in the days leading up to your keynote is that the surprise has gone. Thankfully, while devices we’d already seen were trotted out on the dais, we could spend our time watching the YouTube commentary that accompanied the stream. Since this is the internet, the bulk of the statements were offensive drivel, but a few were entertaining. In fact, these brave YouTube souls offered us a masterclass in corporate trolling.

Emotions ran high during the conference.

People are curious about if Samsung’s new TVs and fridges will get the Galaxy Note 7’s most famous feature.

There was concern if the company would announce a phone, even though that normally happens in Spring.

A deeply original gag, here, wondering if Samsung’s poor battery manufacture is contagious.

Controversial.

No, we don’t know either.

Uh-oh, we’ve got an iPhone user in the house.

You’d think people would have forgotten about those exploding smartphones and washing machines by now.

And another reminder of the Note 7’s propensity to burn, in emoji.

But for pure commitment, telling the epic story of the Galaxy Note 7 in emoji deserves some sort of literature award.

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

Incipio CommandKit Wireless Smart Power Strip with Metering Release Date, Price and Specs – CNET

Incipio’s new CommandKit Smart Power Strip.

Incipio

Incipio brought some new smart gadgets to CES, including a new $100 “CommandKit” Wi-Fi power strip that you can control using both Siri and Alexa voice commands.

With four automatable outlets that you can can control independent of one another, this thing is basically a four-way WeMo Switch that’ll let you automate four things at once. Aside from syncing it up with Apple HomeKit or with one of Amazon’s Alexa-enabled devices to control it with your voice, you’ll also be able to turn the outlets on and off from Incipio’s app, or by scheduling them to turn on and off at specific times.

That Apple HomeKit compatibility also lets you control the outlets using Apple’s Home app on your iPhone or iPad. You can also pin outlets to the Control Center, then swipe up and tap to turn them on and off — no app needed.

Siri runs the smart home with these HomeKit-compatible…
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The power strip’s other big trick is that it’ll track the energy usage of whatever you’re plugging into it. That’s a nice little bonus, and an added value if you’re looking to cut your consumption. Automation can help with that.

At $100 (about £80 or AU$140, converted roughly), this is definitely expensive for a power strip, but it costs a lot less than you’d spend on four switches from iDevices or Belkin WeMo. Provided you’ve got four things right next to each other that you’re ready to plug in and automate, it sounds like it might be a smart buy once it hits the market this summer. We’ll keep an eye out for it.

Rapael Smart Glove Release Date, Price and Specs – CNET

At first glance the Rapael smart glove looks like one of the robot skeletons from the television show “Westworld.” Created by the South Korean company Neofect, the glove uses a variety of sensors to guide a patient’s rehabilitation for common hand and wrist injuries.

Seeing the Rapael glove in-person at CES, I had flashbacks to the NES Power Glove. The Rapael with its nine-axis movement sensor, bending sensors and 32-bit microcontrollers is more advanced in nearly every way. But the Rapael, as the Power Glove did, radiates a spirit of fun and gameplay. In fact, gamified exercises are essential to how the glove works.

A patient wears the wireless glove on their injured hand and wrist. The glove connects to the Rapael app which guides the user through repetitive movements to engage specific muscles and tendons. For example, I was shown a game where the user has to chop a vegetables using repetitive radial wrist movements. Another game, has the user throwing darts which emphasizes the flexing of the fingers.

Neofect developed the app’s games from actual physical therapy games/exercises. There is equal emphasis on finding exercises that work and that are also fun — hence the game that involves pouring a glass of wine.

The Rapael smart glove up close at CES
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Data from the gloves’ numerous sensors feed through a software algorithm that customizes the game play for the patient’s needs. A spokesperson compared this customization to the way Netflix’s algorithm customizes a viewer’s television shows and movies recommendations.

The Rapael has been approved by both the US and South Korean Food and Drug Administration. It is offered in two versions: one for clinics and one for home use. The home version is available to rent monthly for $99 (£81 and AU$136 converted).

A spokesperson told me they chose to name the glove Rapael based on “raphael,” which means “God is healer.” Neofect seems earnest in its pursuit to do just that — there are plans for other devices to assist with physical therapy for shoulders and knees.

All the cool new gadgets at CES 2017
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Ring Floodlight Cam Release Date, Price and Specs – CNET

Ring’s $249 Floodlight Cam is available for preorder now.

Ring

Smart-home security startup Ring introduced a new camera to its lineup today — the $249/£200/AU$345 Ring Floodlight Cam. Available for preorder now at Ring.com, the Floodlight Cam is slated to ship starting in April.

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Unlike Ring’s existing outdoor security camera, the $199 battery-powered Stick Up Cam, the Floodlight Cam is a hard-wired product designed to replace your current floodlight. And, like Kuna and Toucan, Ring’s latest camera works closely with its integrated lighting to deter intruders.

Here’s an overview of the Floodlight Cam’s specs:

• Do-it-yourself install
• Wi-Fi-enabled
• High-definition 1080p
• Live video streaming
• 100-decible siren
• Cloud recording
• 270-degree motion detection
• Integrated LED lights
• Infrared night vision
• Two-way audio

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But like Stick Up Cam and many other home security cameras, the Floodlight Cam is supposed to send you an alert whenever it detects motion. You can also sound the siren, flash the floodlights and talk through the built-in speaker for added deterrence.

In addition to Stick Up Cam and the new Floodlight Cam, Ring also sells a $199 Video Doorbell that acts as a digital peephole between your phone and any visitors. Floodlight Cam helps to round out Ring’s outdoor security lineup with a more robust camera. While the Floodlight Cam will likely require a more involved installation process than the Stick Up Cam, this new camera is a compelling addition to Ring’s outdoor security offerings. Be sure to check back for our full review of the Ring Floodlight Cam.

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

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