Technics has three new Grand Class components for one high-end system

Technics was talk of the town at CES 2016 with the revival of the iconic SL-1200G turntable and at this year’s show, the company is back with an updated model, the SL-1200GR.

• CES 2017: All the announcements that matter from LG, Samsung, Panasonic and more

It’s part of a new series of Grand Class hi-fi components and like its famous sibling, features a redesigned version of its coreless direct-drive motor.

There’s a single surface-facing rotor magnet once again and a 2.5kg platter to help reduce any of those unwanted vibrations that would otherwise affect the sound quality of your records during playback.

The price of the SL-1200GR hasn’t been revealed just yet, but it’s expected to be more affordable than the SL-1200G.

Technics

If you go ahead with a purchase of the SL-1200GR, you may want to investigate Technics’ new Grand Class SU-G700 stereo amplifier to hook it up to. There’s a phono stage for doing just that, as well as two analogue and two digital coaxial inputs, while the onboard DAC can comfortably handle high-resolution audio up to 32-bit/384kHz. But what peaks our interest most is the snazzy VU meters on the front for a bit of nostalgic charm.

And finally, you’ll want to be able to hear your new components, and Technics has you covered with the Grand Class SB-G90 floorstanding speakers. The cabinets have been made incredibly strong to help keep resonance at bay, while the combination of a 16cm woofer and 25mm tweeter can handle frequencies from 27Hz to 100kHz. Prices for the amplifier and speakers have also yet to be announced.

Samsung CES 2017 press conference: Watch it right here

As always, Samsung will have a huge presence at CES 2017 in Las Vegas and will debut a whole host of new products.

We’ve already seen some of them, including the new QLED TV technology for 2017 televisions, and the second generation Family Hub refrigerators. However, there will probably still be one or two surprises, so it’s well worth watching the company’s CES press conference.

And you can watch it here on Pocket-lint below…

When does the Samsung CES 2017 press conference start?

Samsung’s CES 2017 press conference is starts at 2pm PT, that’s 10pm GMT.

It will run for 45 minutes and you can watch it here:

What will be shown at the Samsung CES 2017 press conference?

Samsung will undoubtedly be highlighting its new QLED TV range, with higher brightness than ever before and many other features. However, we expect a lot of the focus to be on the smart home appliances and the new Family Hub 2.0 fridges.

• Samsung QLED TV preview: Is this Samsung’s best ever television range?
• What is QLED? Samsung’s new TV tech explained
• Samsung Family Hub 2.0 American style fridge could steal the CES crown again

We’ll also be going hands-on with more of Samsung’s CES launches in the next day or two. Come back often.

Lenovo Miix 720 preview: The ultra-powerful portable 2-in-1

Lenovo has taken the wraps off its latest 2-in-1, the top-end Miix 720, which based on specs alone is an all-powerful 2-in-1 tablet. It doesn’t half look bad either and, based on our time tinkering with the new crossover at CES 2017, it feels good in use too.

We’ve long enjoyed the Miix range, with 2016’s Miix 510 laying down some obvious Microsoft Surface competition, which Lenovo is looking to further leverage with the 720 and take out the Surface Pro 4. The promise here being that you’ll be able to take any kind of work – no matter how demanding – anywhere thanks to the Miix 720’s power.

That 12-inch display up front boasts a resolution of 2,880 x 1,920 (or QuadHD+) and is powered by the latest 7th-gen Intel Core i7 processors in the highest-spec version. These chips have only just made it to market for 2017, so expect the latest and greatest speeds whilst you’re on the go. It also has Intel HD Integrated Graphics 620.

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There’s room to play too: in the maxed-out tablet you can specify 16GB RAM and a 1TB solid state drive, although that will invariably elevate the cost well beyond the $999 starting price.

Portability is a key attraction here, with the metal alloy chassis measuring just 14.6mm thin (including the keyboard) and weighing just 1.1kg. It’s small and light, yet sensibly sized for all varieties of work. There’s even Windows Hello facial recognition login.

On the rear of the body there’s a kickstand, complete with the classic Lenovo “watch band hinge”, which is capable of adjusting to up to 150 degrees. It holds rigidly in any position, assuming it’s not too vertically upright that it’ll topple over. The hinge can be a touch fiddly to release when closed, but that’s nothing new. We’re just glad it holds firmly in position.

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Ports are interesting as they’re new for the Miix series. In the 720 there’s a single Thunderbolt 3 port which can support up to two external displays up to 4K resolution. Being Thunderbolt 3 means it can support data transfer speeds up to 40GBps, so it can easily keep up with the fastest external storage available. Other ports include one USB 3.0 port, a USB 2.0 port, microSD slot and an audio jack. More Thunderbolt ports would have been nice, but they’re costly things.

All this comes with a battery which Lenovo claims will get you up to 8-hours of usage on a single charge, although we suspect real-life usage will deplete the capacity a little sooner than that. It’s the same issue with the Microsoft Surface and its nearest competition – and we don’t anticipate Kaby Lake 7th Gen Intel processors being any more efficient than the previous year’s build.

A quick tug and the full-size backlit keyboard – which can sit in a flat or slightly upright position and feels natural to type on thanks to 1.5mm key travel – can be pulled from its magnetic connector with relative ease. It’s just about right: not too rigid in hold, but strong enough so it won’t go falling out.

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There’s also the optional Active Pen 2 stylus ($60, available February 2017), which adds a click button to its top compared to the original and twice the sensitivity with 4,096 levels of pressure.

The tablet itself won’t be available to buy until the beginning of April 2017, though, which may just be enough time for Microsoft to launch its anticipated Surface Pro 5.

Casio’s WSD-F20 is a seriously hardcore smartwatch, runs Android Wear 2.0

Casio has used CES 2017 to launch a new version of its Android Wear smartwatch, one of the more interesting Android Wear devices to launch in 2016.

The new WSD-F20 makes a few cosmetic changes to the original version, but still sticks to the big brash styling, leaving you in no doubt just how much abuse this watch can take. 

Pitched as a smart outdoor watch, one of the main points of interest for tech heads will be that it launches on Android Wear 2.0, Google’s slightly delayed update to its smartwatch platform, but as Engadget comments, the original WSF-F10 will be in line for an update in 2017 too. 

As before there’s number of buttons and loads of sensors on-board, with GPS taking centre stage, so this watch will do your mapping without needing your phone. That’s not just GPS route tracking for sports apps, but also supporting offline mapping with a low power mode, so if you’re lost in the bush, your watch can help you find your way out again. 

Low power is on the agenda and one of the unique features of Casio’s rugged smartwatch is the dual display setup, meaning you can reduce the battery drain when you’re out and about.

The exact specs and prices are still to come from Casio, but we’re expecting the WSD-F20 to be available from April 2017.

No word on whether it will be available in the UK.

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon (2017) preview: The best business laptop money can buy?

If there’s one so-called “business laptop” brand that keeps its customers happy time and again, that would be ThinkPad. The once IBM-owned brand has remained strong under the wings of its Lenovo acquisition and its latest 2017 product, the X1 Carbon, is a notable upgrade over previous models that hurls this ThinkPad into the stratosphere. Indeed, it looks like one of the best business laptops that money can buy.

At first glance the trim bezel around the 14-inch screen looks rather Dell XPS-esque by design. The ThinkPad isn’t quite as trim to the edges to our eyes, but it’s a far cry from the chunky bezel of old. It means a 14-inch screen can fit into a typical 13-inch laptop form factor.

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And that form factor is a gorgeous thing to behold. Ignore the retro silver “ThinkPad” logo to the inside corner (ok, we know it’s a staple, but it could do with a refresh) and the flat, matte finish has an almost spongey feel to it. Ideal for long wrist-wearing sessions at the keys. Interestingly the 2017 X1 Carbon is available in black or silver finishes.

The backlit keyboard is full size, has the necessary degree of travel and, but of course, features the classic red “nipple” mouse control to the centre. It’s not something we use, but legacy users will want this ThinkPad staple to remain. It looks rather distinctive. The trackpad has proper buttons flanking its main touchpad too.

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The 14-inch screen is a 2560 x 1440 resolution (WQHD+) panel, with 300-nit brightness, ensuring it looks crisp, bright and colourful. It’s not a touchscreen, so no greasy fingerprints to be seen here – if you’re after that then the X1 Yoga product is more suitable.

When it comes to specification there’s no corner cutting (only bezel-cutting). Spec it out and 7th Gen Intel Core i7 processors, 16GB RAM and 1TB SSD can be specified. Expect the price to hurtle over the £2,000 mark quickly after that.

For on-the-go use there’s a Micro SIM slot for 4G LTE connectivity, if wanted. This is placed discreetly around the rear, in the same pin-opened microSD card slot. We would rather have a separate full-size SD card – something we use all the time on our generation-old MacBook – but can’t have it all.

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All this in a near-1.1kg shell under 16mm thick, with dual Thunderbolt 3 support alongside full-size USB 3 and, well, we can’t think of a straight-up Windows laptop that we’d rather own. Good job.

Live from ASUS’ CES 2017 press event!

ASUS is back for another CES, ready to show off all of its latest wares, like the Tango- and Daydream-enabled ZenFone AR. The ASUS press conference kicks off at 11:30AM PT (2:30PM ET) on Wednesday, January 4th, and Engadget will be there, live, to share all of the details as they roll in.

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

Hulu adds CBS to its upcoming live TV service

CBS is America’s most-watched network, but it’s resisted letting its channels onto platforms that it didn’t control. That’s about to change with the news that it’s signed up to Hulu’s forthcoming live TV streaming service. CBS, as well as CBS Sports and Pop will be available on the burgeoning product, set to launch “in the coming months.” Subscribers will also be able to watch much of CBS’ content on demand, including hits like Big Bang Theory, NCIS and 60 Minutes.

The CBS Sports roster is also coming over in its entirety, so users will be able to view all of the Football and Basketball games it holds the license for. With this deal too, Hulu seems to be doubling down on Showtime, which will continue to be offered as an optional extra on the basic package.

Hulu hasn’t officially taken the wraps off its new service, but it also hasn’t been shy about discussing the content deals that it’s already bagged. The company has already tied down Disney, Fox and Turner, meaning that users will have at least 35 channels, including ABC, Fox, ESPN and TBS, persuading them to cut the cable.

What’s interesting is what this means for CBS’ own nascent streaming platform, All Access, which it’s trying to push at the same time. The company is using original shows like Good Wife spin-off The Good Fight and Star Trek: Discovery to coax people into parting with $6 a month. But will that be enough if you can catch pretty much everything else as part of your existing Hulu subscription?

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

TCL adds Dolby Vision HDR to more of its 4K Roku TVs

Today at CES, Roku unveiled 25 new Roku 4K TVs for the North American market, lowering the price bar for Dolby Vision HDR tech. As with past models, its latest C-series and P-series sets have built-in Roku streaming, giving you access to most smart TV and streaming services. TCL isn’t exactly known for its great picture quality, but those lineups come with Dolby Vision HDR, giving you many times more colors, a brighter image and deeper blacks. And while such sets have generally cost $1,000 and up, the 50-inch P-series TV will launch for an affordable $500.

Dolby Vision has been adopted by film studios like MGM and Universal, along with streaming services including Netflix, Amazon and Vudu. TVs bearing the badge are supposed to be up to 40 times brighter than standard TVs, have better blacks, expanded contrast and 12-bits of color per pixel, equating to over 68 billion colors, compared to just 16 million for a regular TV.

Both the Roku C- and P-series have 4K Dolby Vision and HDR10 support, along with 4K “Creative Pro” upscaling, the latest Roku OS, new LED phosphors that supposedly deliver better colors, HDMI 2.0a and HDCP 2.2, 802.11ac wireless and ethernet. However, the C-series is attacking the higher end of the market with a slimmer, more contemporary design and also has “HDR Dynamic Contrast” that optimizes contrast by scene. That model ranges from 49 to 75 inches, while the largest P-series model is 65 inches. (Prices haven’t been released yet for most models.)

TCL also launched the 2017 S-series, with regular HDR but no Dolby Vision, ranging from 43 to 65 inches. That lineup also packs built-in WiFi, three HDMI ports and, of course, the Roku streaming features. All told, CES 2017 represents a big new step for the Chinese company, which, despite being the third-largest TV manufacturer in the world, is little known in North America. Whether the picture quality can stand up to rivals like Samsung and LG remains to be seen, but we’ll try to get a closer look on the show floor.

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

Source: TCL

Nike’s senior innovator on the challenge of designing a self-lacing shoe

With the 2016 Mag and HyperAdapt 1.0, Nike turned its idea of self-lacing shoes into a reality in 2016. And who better to talk about this than two of the masterminds behind the project, Nike’s Senior Innovator Tiffany Beers and Vice President of Design & Creative Concepts Tinker Hatfield. In case you’re not familiar with Hatfield’s work, he designed some of the most popular Air Jordans, as well as the sneakers from Back to the Future Part II. Beers, for her part, led the team who built Nike’s Electro Adaptive Reactive Lacing technology.

Tune in to watch our conversation with them tomorrow at 10:30AM PT/1:30PM ET, live from Engadget’s CES Stage.

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

ASUS’ ZenFone 3 Zoom has two cameras and a big battery

ASUS’ ZenFone Zoom was an ugly phone. While the front was discrete enough, the back was a leather-clad monster with a plastic disk jutting out. The benefit, of course, was the 3x optical zoom lens that allowed you to capture detail from afar. Its successor, the ZenFone 3 Zoom, takes a vastly different approach. The circular bulge is gone and in its place you’ll find a dual-camera setup reminiscent of the iPhone 7 Plus. One is a f/1.7-aperture, 25mm wide-angle lens, while the other is a 59mm version offering a 2.3x optical zoom. Like Apple’s latest smartphone, you can instantly bounce between to retain clarity in your shots.

Both cameras shoot 12-megapixel stills, using what ASUS calls an improved “TriTech+” autofocus system to keep your images sharp. These include dual-pixel phase detection autofocus (PDAF), subject tracking autofocus and a new, revamped laser focus system. The ZenFone 3 Zoom is also the first device from ASUS to feature its new “SuperPixel” technology, a process which involves “intelligently adjusting ISO levels” and applying noise reduction in post. Such a system, the company claims, gives the phone two and a half times greater light sensitivity than the iPhone 7 Plus.

We’ll see, ASUS. We’ll see.

Underneath its full metal body you’ll find a Qualcomm Snapdragon 625, the same processor packed into the regular ZenFone 3 lineup. While not the most impressive chipset, it should improve the phone’s stamina, which already sounds stellar thanks to its 5,000mAh battery. ASUS is promising 42 days of standby time — a feat that should help photographers who spend long days shooting on location. Heck, the phone has so much juice that it can double as a “high-speed power bank” for charging over devices.

Pricing and storage configurations are yet to be confirmed. ASUS has said, however, that the phone will be coming out next February, no doubt to coincide with Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.

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