Sony’s flagship soundbar kicks out room-filling audio

CES is filled with Dolby Atmos-spitting audio equipment, but Sony’s HT-ST5000 stands out. Sony has improved this model with the ability to scale audio properly no matter what size your room is. Just adjust for the height of the ceiling and where you’re sitting (using its onscreen GUI) and it can provide impressive positional audio.

The combined soundbar and wirelessly-connected subwoofer pack enough ins and outs (3x HDMI in, 1 HDMI-ARC out, USB-in on the side, plus optical digital and analog audio output) to make it a reasonable receiver surrogate. Even then, support for multi-room with Google Home helps take it to the next level. With control via the “OK Google” voice command, it can sync up with other speakers in the house, or just control playback in one room.

It’s always hard to assess audio quality on the CES floor, but the HT-ST5000 filled the demo room and made each effect sound like it was coming from a specific place, including overhead or from behind. We didn’t get any specs on the subwoofer, but suffice to say it seemed up to the job. The entire system is rated at 800w, and the inclusion of two angled speakers to project audio upward give it the 7.1.2 channels Sony claims. Naturally, it’s capable of passing through 4K and HDR video. It probably won’t pull you away from a full surround setup, but when it arrives later this year it will be a way to fill a room with audio without having to move too many things around.

Billy Steele contributed to this report.

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

Source: Sony

Presenting the Best of CES 2017 winners!

We debated. We argued. One of us even yelled. After a long night of going through our list of finalists, our editors have finally settled on our winners for the official Best of CES awards. Below is our list of winners for each category, including our Best of the Best and our People’s Choice winner too. Congratulations to all our finalists and winners!

Best Accessibility Tech: Whill Model M

Whill’s Model M is an electric wheelchair meant to boost mobility for people with disabilities. Powered wheelchairs have been around for decades, but this new version from Whill has a compact, sturdy design that allows people to move across different surfaces independently. The patented omni-wheel technology enables maneuverability and makes this wheelchair a clear winner in this category. — Mona Lalwani, Senior Editor

Best Startup: Amber Agriculture

Plenty of startups promise solutions to problems that are either overblown or don’t really exist, but we can’t say the same about Amber Agriculture. With Amber’s array of sensors, farmers can more easily check the quality of their stored grain and get their wares to the companies that make our food at the right time. Beyond ensuring these farmers get the biggest return on their crop yields, the ability to monitor for the conditions that lead to spoilage could eventually help whole countries deal with food supply issues. Long story short: Amber’s is a savvy approach to a pressing problem most people don’t even know about. — Chris Velazco, Senior Editor

Best Digital Health and Fitness Product: Willow smart breast pump

The technology world is so dominated by men that it’s so rare to see a gadget designed to solve a problem that’s wholly the preserve of women. Willow has crafted a bra-worn breast pump that tackles an issue you rarely hear discussed here at CES. But this prize isn’t just about rewarding a startup for helping destigmatize a sensitive topic; it’s to recognize a company building something that could make many people’s lives easier. In addition to being portable, with no outlet required, the device has a companion app that lets parents monitor their baby’s nutrition — ideal for when you’re sleep-deprived and dealing with a hungry newborn. — Daniel Cooper, Senior Editor

Best Wearable: Willow smart breast pump

Too many wearables exist for gimmicky reasons; only a few actually make our lives more convenient. Willow’s smart breast pump belongs in the latter category. This thoughtfully designed device is for mothers who want to avoid being chained to a wall outlet while breastfeeding and instead have more time to themselves or to spend with their babies. — Cherlynn Low, Reviews Editor

Best Automotive Technology: Honda Riding Assist

Once again CES has transformed itself into a de facto auto show. But amid all the future-looking, AI-based vehicles, it was the self-balancing Honda Riding Assist motorcycle that ultimately made the biggest impression. Using research from the automaker’s UniCub mobility scooter and Asimo robot, the bike stays upright on its own without any help from the rider. It’s a potential game-changer in terms of safety: Anything that keeps riders from tipping while preserving the thrill of cruising on two wheels is a spectacular invention indeed. — Roberto Baldwin, Senior Editor

Best Home Theater Product: Dish AirTV

The Engadget team spent a particularly long time debating this category. In the end, though, AirTV’s blend of streaming and over-the-air broadcast television won us over. The Sling TV guide neatly organizes live channels alongside Netflix, Android TV apps and whatever networks you can receive for free with an OTA antenna. Conveniently, there’s also voice search built right into the remote. At $130, it’s competitively priced too, and it’s already available for purchase. What’s more, you don’t have to pay for Sling TV to use it. That means users get a whole lot of options in one place. — Billy Steele, Associate Editor

Best Connected Home Product: Whirlpool Zera Food Recycler

The Whirlpool’s Zera Food Recycler makes home composting not only easy, but efficient. For urban gardeners or folks who just want to reduce the amount of waste they send to local landfills, the fertilizer-making device is one-button simple, turning food scraps into compost in about a week. While the modern smart home is filled with devices that ultimately just keep people on the couch, the Zera gives people the satisfaction of knowing they’re making the world a better place, one banana peel at a time. — Roberto Baldwin, Senior Editor

Best Innovation (Disruptive Tech): Honda Riding Assist

For the second year in a row, automotive technology is taking our Best of CES Innovation award. Honda’s Riding Assist is one of those rare pieces of technology that feels like magic when you first see it. And unlike much of what you see at CES every year, Riding Assist is genuinely new and has the potential to make things safer for motorcycle riders. This year often felt like a very iterative CES, which made the sheer “wow” factor of Rider Assist stand out even more. — Nathan Ingraham, Senior Editor

Best Mobile Device: ASUS ZenFone AR

The ZenFone AR is the first phone that doubles down on the future, promising both virtual reality (with Google’s Daydream platform) and augmented reality through Google’s Tango technology. No other smartphone does both. To do both features justice, ASUS has crammed in 8GB of RAM, three camera sensors and Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 821 processor, all wrapped up under a 5.7-inch AMOLED display. In addition to everything else, the ZenFone AR is also very stylish, thin and light. With this phone, ASUS has a head start on the competition as it kicks off 2017. — Mat Smith, Senior Editor

Best TV Product: LG OLED W-Series

LG’s flagship OLED is our Best TV winner for the third consecutive CES. Even as the technology is popping up across other brands, as and LCDs continue to improve, this is still the best display we’ve seen during this show. Shifting its smarts and inputs to its Dolby Atmos soundbar enabled the “wallpaper-thin” design that makes it seem more like a window into another world than any TV we’ve seen before. With that, LG once again remains a step ahead of the competition. — Richard Lawler, Senior Editor

Best Gaming Product: Razer Project Ariana

It won’t be for everyone, but Razer’s Project Ariana is an exciting option for gamers looking for more from their home setup. It’s an extension of the gaming company’s Chroma lighting project, but instead of just brightening up a keyboard, this is a 4K projector that expands your game outside of a monitor. Though Project Ariana is just a concept for now, Razer hopes to make the idea a reality by the end of the year. In a sea of laptops, mice, monitors and game streaming services, Project Ariana stood out. — Aaron Souppouris, Senior Editor

Best Offbeat Product: Fisher-Price Smart Cycle

Given the breadth of the category and the sheer number of potential contenders, the offbeat category is always a difficult one to judge. This year, however, a single product stood head and pedals above the rest. We are, of course, referring to the Fisher-Price Smart Cycle. The bike’s combination of activity tracking and STEM-based edutainment means that kids can exercise their bodies as well as their brains — regardless of the weather outside. The ability to train the next generation’s hearts, bodies and minds, all at the same time, makes for a potent learning tool and a clear winner. — Andrew Tarantola, Associate Editor

Best Maker-Friendly Technology: Lego Boost

If we want people learning how to build for themselves, we might as well start when they’re young. Lego has been doing that for decades, but its new Boost set lets you build five different motorized creations and program their actions with the accompanying tablet app. It’s similar to Lego Mindstorms but much simpler — created with younger builders in mind. Naturally, too, you can augment your creations with any other Legos you have tucked away in the closet. While this kit seems great for kids, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t interested in checking it out myself. — Nathan Ingraham, Senior Editor

Best PC: Dell XPS 13 2-in-1

The Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 has everything we want in an ultraportable. It retains the refined style of the previous XPS 13, which itself was the best Windows laptop of both 2015 and 2016. This 2-in-1 can be folded over like a tablet and, thanks to Intel’s latest CPUs, it’s more powerful than similarly thin machines. If you’ve been waiting for the ideal convertible laptop, you’ll want to seriously consider this one. — Devindra Hardawar, Senior Editor

Best Robot or Drone: UVify Draco HD

At CES this year we’ve seen a slew of drones, but UVify stood out for a number of reasons. Drone racing is becoming increasingly popular, but there are still many challenges for new pilots to get into the sport. UVivy’s Draco dissolves many of those, with a modular, easy-to-repair design, high-quality live video feeds from the camera and assisted flight modes for learning. All of this, without compromising on race performance. — James Trew, Deputy Managing Editor

Best of the Best: LG OLED W-Series

It’s rare that a product truly blows us away at CES, but LG’s W-Series OLED TV did just that. At just 2.6 millimeters thick across its entire body, it’s the slimmest TV we’ve ever seen. It’s not quite paper-thin, but it sure is close. And this isn’t a case of style over substance either. Its picture quality is better than last year, and the TV also supports more HDR standards and comes with a Dolby Atmos-enabled soundbar (which also handles all of your inputs). The only downside? You need a flat wall to mount it; there is no stand.– Devindra Hardawar, Senior Editor

People’s Choice Winner: Razer Project Ariana

Razer is, yet again, the winner of our People’s Choice award! This time it’s for Project Ariana, a 4K projector that expands your game beyond the confines of your monitor. The company has now won this category for four years running thanks to a remarkable get-out-the-vote effort and an ardent fan base. It won first place handily with over 40 percent of the vote, while NVIDIA’s GeForce Now game-streaming service came in second and the LG OLED W-Series finished third. — Nicole Lee, Senior Editor

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

AT&T and Time Warner have a plan to dodge merger review

AT&T has indicated how it may avoid FCC scrutiny over its proposed $85.4 billion Time Warner merger. At issue are Time Warner’s FCC broadcast licenses — if were to transfer them to AT&T, that would require FCC approval. However, in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), AT&T said “it is currently anticipated that Time Warner will not need to transfer any of its FCC licenses … after the closing of the transaction.”

The merger is strongly opposed by consumer groups since it would give AT&T control over Time Warner properties like CNN, HBO and the Harry Potter franchise. It could then favor that content on its DirecTV cable and internet platforms by offering them at lower rates.

Time Warner needs FCC licenses so that HBO and other stations can transmit programs to satellites and back down to pay-TV distributors. However, according to Bloomberg, it has been trying to sell them to another broadcaster, after which it could simply contract with a third party for satellite uplinks and other chores. AT&T could also just drop the licenses and transmit data by land.

That would leave Time Warner with no licenses to transfer to AT&T, and therefore no need for FCC approval. In that case “it would be very hard” for the commission to gain jurisdiction, analyst Craig Moffett told Bloomberg, leaving the decision to the Department of Justice, which is about to fall into Republican hands.

That said, President-elect Donald Trump opposed the merger during the Presidential campaign, saying it “concentrates too much power in the hands of the too and powerful few.” Some pundits think he has changed his mind, given his recent appointments, but Bloomberg reported that he’s still against it. Anyway, it’s not clear if he’d be able to affect the deal one way or the other anyway, since both Republican and Democrat senators are opposed to it.

Via: Ars Technica

Source: AT&T (SEC Filing)

David Copperfield: ‘I come to CES to get inspired’

CES is many things to many people. For the most part, it’s the grease that keeps the mechanics of technology running for the rest of the year. For some, though, it’s a veritable treasure trove of potential magic. Literally. David Copperfield, a stalwart on the Las Vegas strip and legendary magician isn’t just a fan of the show, he walks the floor every year looking for technology he can use in his illusions. Naturally, he wouldn’t tell us exactly what he’s incorporated into his act, but we bet it’s more magical than a voice activated trash can.

David, and his Exectutive Producer Chris Kenner also brought along some historical artifacts to show the technology in use almost two hundred years ago. The clever engineering and simple effect are principles that David clearly gets excited about. In the video above, he also reveals how modern technology like the internet and YouTube both help and hinder the magic process.

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

Regulators approve VW plan to fix 70,000 more diesel vehicles

Before it can reinvent itself as an EV automaker, Volkswagen still has to clean up the remnants of the ongoing Dieselgate scandal that has cost the company billions in buyback programs, repairs and class action settlements. With so many different models affected, VW has also had a difficult time getting regulators to approve it fixes. However, the Environmental Protection Agency and the California Air Resources Board announced Friday that they have approved the company’s plans to repair about 70,000 Generation 3 2-liter engine vehicles.

The approved program means VW can offer customers the choice of either selling back their vehicle or having it repaired, but only covers the model year 2015 diesel versions of the Beetle, Beetle Convertible, Golf, Golf SportWagen, Jetta, Passat and the Audi A3. Owners who want to have their vehicle fixed should know that the repair is a two-step plan: first you’ll need to bring the vehicle to a VW dealer to remove the “defeat device” that was fooling emissions tests. The second phase includes further software and hardware changes that aren’t available yet, but which should be rolling out in a year. Be aware, that diesel ride of yours is also going to need a new diesel particulate filter, diesel oxidation catalyst, and NOx catalyst to get it in line with current regulations, all of which should be covered under the repair plan.

Via: Consumerist

Source: EPA

George Hotz wants Comma AI to be the Android of autonomous driving

Hacker, entrepreneur, rabble rouser and freeform rapper George Hotz joined us on the Engadget stage at CES to talk about the decision to open source his autonomous-car research and the state of self driving. He also weighed in on California’s regulatory system (he’s not a fan) and how he’s excited about the future of augmented reality.

Circuit Cubes make engineering basics a snap for kids

Kids that fall in love with technology and engineering have never had it better. There’s no shortage of websites and tutorial videos and hardware kits meant to teach them the fundamentals of crafting their very own gadgets, but I’d argue few are as elegant — or as fun — as Tenka Labs’ Circuit Cubes. They’re tiny modules laden with magnets, batteries, sensors and other fun little components, but since they’re cubes, they allow players to build complex, multifunctional structures in three dimensions. Imagine a mash-up between LittleBits and Lego and you’re on the right track.

In fact, the Cubes have more in common with Lego than just their build-friendly concept. Each of them is designed to fit connect perfectly to standard Lego blocks, meaning kids (or you, or anyone) can build even more elaborate structures by taking a couple kits and smashing them all together. Tenka Labs’ booth in Eureka park was a testament to how seemingly simple it is to combine Circuit Cubes and Lego bricks — a tiny AT-AT-inspired walker lumbered around as though it was searching for the Rebel base on Hoth, and next to it sat a contraption built by a 6th grade girl that ran through messages written on a loop of paper.

What’s really neat about the Circuit Cubes is that they very subtly teach kids the basics of designing electronics. Peer closely enough at some of these blocks and you’ll see some silver lines etched into them — those represent the flow of current. Let’s say you’re trying to build a simple noisemaker — you’d attach a battery block to a switch to a tiny speaker so the whole thing doesn’t just blare at you non-stop. If you don’t orient the switch properly when you connect it (like I did the first time I tried) the current won’t pass from the battery through switch block so the speaker will never turn on. The fix takes mere moments, but it imparts an important lesson in circuit design in a way that feels really intuitive.

I’ve played with a handful of similar kits in the past (many times at CES, no less), and I can’t remember the last time I’ve had as much fun piecing little doodads together. Granted, my creations were childishly basic at best, but there’s a very specific kind of joy that comes with working out the right sequence and seeing some hardware do exactly what you hoped it would. Alas, co-founders Nate McDonald and John Schuster couldn’t tell me when the first Circuit Cubes kits would launch — all they said was “soon”. After a relaxing time hanging out at their booth and building stuff, though, I’m tempted to say these will be worth the wait.

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

A game of ‘Whac-a-Mole’ can tell if you’re concussed

When Reflexion Interactive’s Matt Roda was in high school, he suffered a severe concussion during a hockey game that laid him out for months. At the time, his coach put him back in the game after asking asinine questions like who was president and what year it was. The experience inspired him and his friends to begin investigating a better way for high schools to detect concussions without buying expensive gear. A few years later, and the Reflexion Edge was born.

Reflexion Edge is a billboard-style display that spans about five feet wide and has a grid of LEDs on the front. The idea is that players will, at the start of the season, conduct a series of short spatial awareness and cognition tests standing in front of it. For instance, tapping a single light as it activates — a test felt like a pretty boring version of Whac-A-Mole without the comedy animal violence. Once a baseline has been found for each player, they can do follow-up tests through the season that take just 30 seconds.

More importantly, should a player suffer a suspected concussion, the team hopes that the Edge can diagnose it within half a minute. They simply replay the test on the side of the field and if their stats deviate too much from the baseline, they’re sent to the emergency room. Now, it’s a little rough-and-ready and not the most accurate, but then most high schools don’t have the funds to pay for expensive scanning gear. In fact, the prototype version of the device cost less than a thousand dollars.

One idea that the team are kicking around is that the device, when not being used as a diagnostic tool, could be used as a billboard. That way, high schools could recoup some of the cost through the ads that would run on it during games. Alternatively, they could sell the device at cost and make money through a subscription during the sports season.

The three friends are now each at a different college (Case Western, Penn State and Cornell) but continue to develop the device in their spare time. They’re planning to spend the rest of the year running a clinical study to validate the efficacy of the Edge and, if all goes to plan, have it ready for sale by 2018.

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

These connected shoes could help you run faster, smarter and safer

Power laces and 3D-printed materials aren’t the only things shaping the future of footwear. If Sensoria and Vivobarefoot have their way, people could soon be wearing shoes packed with tech to help them run faster, smarter and safer. At CES 2017, the companies revealed a concept pair of sneakers that feature two removable chips and four pressure sensors near the heel area of each shoe. Not only can the system measure speed, pace and track you via GPS, but it’s also smart enough to learn your stride rate and foot-landing technique.

But what exactly can you do with this information? Well, there are companion web and mobile apps that use artificial intelligence to develop a training plan just for you, using details it knows about your overall running form. In theory, that should translate to you being a more efficient runner and, perhaps most importantly, less prone to injuries. What makes the idea even more interesting is that Sensoria and Vivobarefoot want to share their project with others, especially lifestyle and sportswear brands.

The shoe is only a prototype right now, so there’s no way to know if it actually works as advertised. That said, Sensoria and Vivobarefoot definitely have their mind in the right place, though we’ll have to wait to test the sneakers to see if they’re everything they aspire to be.

‘Super Mario Bros. 3’ is harder with a live audience

Old school video games are hard. That’s what we learned after booting up a NES Classic edition for today’s gaming challenge live from the Engadget stage at CES. Feminist Frequency’s Carolyn Petit joined me on stage to thoroughly thrash me at games from yesteryear, while her colleague Anita Sarkeesian talked smack from the sidelines. We played Super Mario Bros.3 , Bubble Bobble and Balloon Fight. The challenge was further raised by some temperamental game controllers. Oh the thrill of gaming before a live audience!

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