Acer C731 Chromebook Release Date, Price and Specs – CNET

The Acer Chromebook 11 N7 C731 announced at CES 2017 is two things others in the category aren’t: inexpensive and tough.

Meeting the US MIL-STD 810G military standard, the 11.6-inch Google Chrome OS laptop can withstand drops from up to 48 inches (1.2 meters), can handle 132 pounds (60 kg) of downward force on its lid and has a spill-resistant keyboard. The keyboard’s key caps are recessed to keep them from being easily removed.

Starting at $230, it arrives in the US later this month and will be available in other regions in February (the price converts to roughly £185 or AU$320). The Chromebook 11 N7 will be available with a 1,366×768-resolution IPS touchscreen (c731T) or with a standard LCD (C731) at the same res. Before you get too excited, though, it will only be for education and commercial customers.

Here’s the rest of the stuff you’ll find:

• 1.6GHz Intel Celeron dual-core processor N3060
• 4GB of memory
• Intel HD Graphics
• 16GB or 32GB eMMC for storage
• 720p HD webcam
• Dual-band 802.11ac Wi-Fi (2×2 MIMO)
• Bluetooth 4.0
• Built-in stereo speakers and microphone
• Two USB 3.0 ports, SD card slot, HDMI output and 3.5mm headphone/mic jack
• Up to 12 hours of battery life
• Fanless cooling for quiet operation
• 180-degree hinges to lay the screen flat for sharing

Acer Aspire VX 15 Release Date, Price and Specs – CNET

Back in October Nvidia unveiled the GTX 1050 and 1050 Ti gaming graphics cards for budget conscious buyers. At CES 2017, we’re finally getting a look at laptops using them, like the new Acer Aspire VX 15.

Arriving later this month with a starting price of $799 in the US, the 15.6-inch laptop will come configured with either a 4GB 1050 or 1050 Ti paired with either an Intel Core i5-7300HQ or Core i7-7700HQ processor. (UK and Australian availability was not announced, but that price converts to about £650 or AU$1,110.)

Dual fans help keep the VX 15 cool under pressure.

Acer

The GPUs aren’t sufficient for VR, but provide enough muscle to run a modern game at 60 frames per second at full HD, which just so happens to be the max resolution for the VX 15’s IPS display.

Straying from the typical Aspire streamlined designs, Acer gave the VX 15 body a “gaming system” look including two large stylized fan vents at the back to keep this system nice and cool. If you appreciate a little splashiness — but just a little — this should do the trick.

Acer Aspire VX 15 is dressed and ready for…
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Other key specs include:

• Up to 16GB of memory (user upgradable to 32GB)
• Up to 512GB SSD
• 1TB 5,400rpm hard drive
• USB 3.1 Type-C (Gen 1), Two USB 3.0, One USB 2.0, SD card slot, HDMI out and headphone/mic jack
• Dual-band 802.11ac (2×2 MIMO), Gigabit Ethernet and Bluetooth 4.0

I spent a lot of time hunting through all the deals on Nvidia Geforce GTX 960M laptops this holiday season and seeing this makes me glad I waited.

Acer Predator 21X Release Date, Price and Specs – CNET

A $9,000 laptop with a 21-inch screen. Welcome to 2017.

Acer

There’s never been a better time to be a gamer who’s flush with cash. At CES 2017, Acer announced pricing and availability for some pretty impressive and, at least in one case, downright expensive gaming products.

Acer Predator 21 X

Big, huge, ginormous, etc.

Acer

The Acer Predator 21 X is the most ridiculous gaming laptop ever conceived. Considering it costs $8,999, it had better be. (UK and Australian pricing and availability weren’t announced, but the exorbitant 9,999 euro European price converts to £8,520 or AU$14,540.)

Not only is it the first laptop with a curved screen (a ginormous 21-inch display at that), the rig itself is more powerful than our CNET Future-Proof VR Gaming Desktop. Weighing 17 pounds (about 8 kilograms), it’s probably as heavy, too.

In case that’s not enough for you, the laptop’s touchpad can also be flipped over to be used as a numeric keypad, as shown below. If you’re currently frothing at the mouth, you’ll have to wait a little to get your hands on one. Expect the Acer Predator 21 X to hit stores in February. (AU pricing and availability weren’t announced, but the exorbitant price converts to AU$12,525.)

GIF by Sean Hollister/CNET

Specs

• 21-inch screen, 21:9 aspect ratio, 2,560×1,080-pixel resolution
• 120GHz refresh rate
• 2000R curved screen
• Nvidia G-Sync
• Tobii Eye Tracking
• Two Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080 GPUs
• Seventh-gen Intel Core i7-7820HK (overclockable) CPU
• Can store up to five storage drives at a time
• Two power supplies to run
• Five system fans
• Nine heat pipes to stay cool
• HDMI port and two DisplayPorts
• Four speakers and two subwoofers
• Mechanical keyboard uses Cherry MX switches and has an RGB LED under every key
• SD card reader
• 19.4 pounds (8.8 kilograms)

Acer Predator Z301CT

A curved gaming monitor with eye-tracking.

Acer

On the topic of curved, gaming-centered gear, Acer also announced the ultrawide Predator Z301CT gaming monitor. The 30-inch display, which (like the Predator 21 X above) has built-in eye-tracking so gamers can aim at targets faster than using a boring ‘ol keyboard and mouse, costs $900 (£730 or AU$1,250 converted) and is also expected to be available in February.

Specs

• 2,560×1,080-pixel resolution, 21:9 aspect ratio
• 1800R curved screen
• 200Hz refresh rate
• Tobii Eye Tracking
• Nvidia G-Sync
• 4ms response time
• DisplayPort, HDMI, USB 3.0 (4; 1 up, 4 down)
• Ergonomic tilt and height adjustment up to 4.7 inches
• Two 3-watt speakers

Amped Wireless Helios-EX RE2200T Range Extender Release Date, Price and Specs – CNET

The Helios-EX range extender (left) and the Helios router from Amped Wireless

Dong Ngo/CNET

Amped Wireless today released a new type of Wi-Fi extender at CES 2017. The Helios-EX RE2200T is set to eliminate the biggest shortcoming of extenders in general: signal loss.

Signal loss happens because extenders have to do two things at once: receive the signal from the original router — a process often referred to as back-haul — and rebroadcast that signal to Wi-Fi clients. Having to do two jobs simultaneously, the extender’s efficiency is reduced by 50 percent. This means clients connected to an extender, like your phone or laptop, will have just half the real-world Wi-Fi speed compared to those connected to the original router.

The Helios-Ex manages to overcome this by having three Wi-Fi bands: two 5GHz and one 2.4GHz. It dedicates one 5GHz band to the job of receiving signal and uses the other two to rebroadcast it to clients. This means all of its bands only do one job at a given time, resulting in no signal loss.

DirectLink

Using a dedicated band for back-haul, which Amped Wireless calls DirectLink, is not new. The Netgear Orbi Wi-Fi system uses this technique for its satellite unit to connect to the main router unit. However, while the extender unit of the Orbi system only works with the main Orbi router, the Helios-EX works with all existing routers on the market. This means instead of getting an expensive Wi-Fi system, you can get a Helios-EX to couple with your existing 802.11ac Wi-Fi router and achieve similar Wi-Fi coverage and performance.

In fact, Amped Wireless claims that the Helios-EX itself can cover up to 12,000 square feet — larger than any Wi-Fi system I’ve worked with — with speed up to 866 megabits per second on the 5GHz band and up to 399Mbps on the 2.4GHz band. The extender also includes four Gigabit network ports for wired clients. Overall, this seems a great addition to any home that needs better Wi-Fi coverage.

Keep in mind, though, I’ve never experienced any Wi-Fi product that performs exactly as the vendor claimed. Also, like any standalone extenders, the Helios-EX won’t offer seamless hand-off, meaning clients will not automatically switch between the extender and the original router without interruption. Seamless hand-off is generally only available in Wi-Fi systems where hardware units are designed to work with one another specifically.

Plus a new router

Apart from the extender, Amped Wireless also introduced today its latest tri-band AC2200 router, the Helios RTA2200T, which has two 5GHz bands (up to 866Mbps each) and one 2.4GHz band (up to 399Mbps), all of which are used for clients to connect to. This new router shares the same design and Wi-Fi coverage as the extender but is made for those wanting to replace their existing router.

The Helios-EX extender is slated to be available later this month while the Helios router will ship in the first quarter of the year. Both of them come with a suggested retail price of $180.

First Alert Onelink Environment Monitor Release Date, Price and Specs – CNET

First Alert

First Alert’s Environment Monitor wants to keep your child safe and comfortable. It monitors temperature, humidity, and carbon monoxide and connects to your Wi-Fi network so you can check on any of the three via the First Alert Onelink app when you’re out and about. Now, you can even check on your child’s room with your voice.

With a new integration with Amazon’s assistant Alexa, you’ll be able to ask your Echo to tell you the status of your child’s room. Alexa will be able to tell you about any of the three criteria the First Alert device measures.

Available now for $100 on First Alert’s site, the Monitor’s Alexa integration should launch soon. First Alert is showing off the device as part of its CES lineup, even though the Monitor itself is already on the market. It currently works with Apple HomeKit’s Siri.

Hopefully, its readings and alerts are more responsive and useful than the disappointing Onelink Wi-Fi Smoke and CO Alarm.

iDevices Instant Switch Release Date, Price and Specs – CNET

Over the past few years, iDevices has slowly been expanding its roster of smart home devices — from smart plugs, to a thermostat, an in-wall switch and an outlet. Now it’s adding a device to draw them all together: the iDevices Instant Switch.

Unlike every other iDevices product, the Instant Switch doesn’t use Wi-Fi to communicate with users via their phones. Instead, it uses Bluetooth to pair with any other iDevices power device (such as its plugs and switches) and inject a little more control to them. And at $50, the Instant Switch fits right in with the pricing of the other iDevices products — which is exactly the problem.

You can affix the Instant Switch to any wall you want — no wiring necessary, thanks to the included Command adhesive strips.

iDevices

The Instant Switch basically works like this: you stick it to a wall (using included Command adhesive strips on the back), pair it with another iDevices gadget and use it to control that gadget. That could mean, for instance, sticking the Instant Switch beside your bed, connecting it to a lamp via the iDevices Switch and just punching it from bed whenever you’re ready to sleep.

Or if you have a more elaborate setup, the Instant Switch could control multiple products at once, turning off in-wall switches, outlets and plugs all in concert.

I like the usability of iDevices’ latest product. As someone who’s wasted countless hours on cumbersome smart home device installations, I appreciate the effort to streamline the experience. But the features offered by the Instant Switch seem a bit anemic.

You can control the Instant Switch on iOS or Android — with Siri or Alexa.

iDevices

First off, its convenience comes at the cost of independence: you can only use the Instant Switch as intended if you already have iDevices products. That immediately limits the audience. Plus, that convenience isn’t new: you can control the Instant Switch and other iDevices gadgets with Siri or Alexa, so as long as you have your phone, you can control the lights from anywhere already.

Secondly, the Instant Switch doesn’t integrate with other non-power devices — not even iDevices’ own Thermostat. That makes it far less appealing than, say, Lutron’s in-wall switches, which can integrate with platforms like IFTTT to perform much more complex tasks, or the Belkin WeMo in-wall switch, which also integrates with more devices and still clocks in at the same $50 price as the Instant Switch.

Unless the Instant Switch drops its projected $50 price to something that better reflects its feature set among the competition, it amounts to little more than an interesting failure. Here’s hoping when it becomes available in summer 2017 that it will boast more features or a more appropriate price.

LG SJ8 Release Date, Price and Specs – CNET

The LG SJ8 (middle) alongside the SJ9 (front) and CJ98 boom box.

LG

If you’re not feeling LG’s all-singing, all-dancing fancypants new SJ9 sound bar, the Korean company is also unveiling the more demure (read: affordable) SJ8 here at CES 2017.

Looks-wise it’s very similar to the excellent-sounding SH7 but it’s had its profile reduced to just 1.5 inches in height. LG has designed this sound bar to integrate with its 2017 TVs by sitting flush, not 6 inches away, thanks to a curvy boomerang stand. LG calls this design “Perfect Fit” and includes a dedicated TV stand for these models in the box.

While it lacks support for the Dolby Atmos sound standard, the SJ8 includes many of the same features of the SJ9, including High Resolution Audio, 4K Pass-Through and the ability to stream via Google Cast.

Given that I was quite enamored with the SH7, I’m very much looking forward to hearing the SJ8. Pricing and availability for the SJ9 is yet to be announced.

Huawei Honor 6X Release Date, Price and Specs – CNET

For the first time since Lenovo’s Moto G4 comes a budget handset that looks good enough to possibly take down the low-cost champ. The phone in question is the Huawei-made Honor 6X, a 5.5-inch device with two cameras on the back, a big battery meant to last two days and a price tag low enough for the cost-conscious or anyone shopping for a second, casual phone. It helps that the 6X looks pretty polished, too.

The Honor 6X, which Huawei quietly announced in China, pressures the Moto G4 and other affordable devices, with some impressive-sounding hardware for less — including those two rear cameras that you won’t find (yet) on any other cheap phone.

It’ll cost $200 in the US, after a $50 rebate, and will sell at stores such as Amazon, BestBuy and Huawei’s own HiHonor.com. In the UK it will cost £225 from Amazon, direct from Honor, or from Three later this month. Australian availability is yet to be announced, but the UK price converts to about AU$380.

Huawei Honor 6X wants to be your two-camera…
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In the time I spent with an Honor 6X (with not-yet-final software), it so far seems like you’ll have to weather the usual hardware trade-offs that come with inexpensive gadgets: an older version of Android, no mobile payments and photography that isn’t as good as you’ll find on costlier phones.

Honor 6X specs

• 5.5-inch, 1,920×1,080-pixel HD display (403ppi)
• 12-megapixel and 2-megapixel rear cameras
• 8-megapixel front-facing camera
• Android 6.0 with Huawei’s EMUI 4.1 software
• 3,340mAh battery
• 2.1GHz octa-core Kirin 655 processor
• Fingerprint sensor (no NFC or Android Pay)
• microSD
• Dual-SIM optional
• 32GB and 64GB options (US gets 32GB model)

‘Tomb Raider’ writer Rhianna Pratchett says goodbye to Lara Croft

Rhianna Pratchett is a veteran video game writer who most recently penned the scripts for Tomb Raider and Rise of the Tomb Raider, but today on Twitter she announced her amicable departure from the series. Pratchett helped usher Lara Croft, the franchise’s legendary protagonist, into the modern era when Crystal Dynamics rebooted the series in 2013.

With Pratchett as lead writer, Tomb Raider was nominated for Best Narrative and Game of the Year at the 2014 Game Developers Choice Awards, while Rise of the Tomb Raider won Outstanding Achievement in Videogame Writing at the 2016 Writers Guild of America Awards and Outstanding Achievement in Character at the DICE Awards that same year.

So, I’m packing up my climbing axe plus a little venison jerky for the road, and bidding a fond farewell to Lara. Onwards to new adventures!

— Rhianna Pratchett (@rhipratchett) January 3, 2017

In a series of tweets, Pratchett thanked the Crystal Dynamics team and said she was off to new adventures. Crystal Dynamics, in turn, wished her the best.

“I like to think we did some good things. Maybe shifted the gaming landscape a wee bit. And that feels damn good,” she tweeted. “I also want to thank TR’s terrific fan community. You really are the best in the world. Constantly helping me remember why I do this job.”

There’s no word on what her next project will be, but in response to well-wishes from Owl Cave Games CEO Olivia White, Pratchett said there were exciting and terrifying times ahead. At least her new gig sounds like something that would make Lara Croft proud.

Source: @rhipratchett, @tombraider

Tesla narrowly missed its 2016 sales targets

At the start of 2016, Tesla set itself the ambitious goal of delivering “up to” 90,000 new cars to customers and almost, but not quite, achieved it. The company has revealed that it managed to get 83,992 electric vehicles out to people across the year, and would have been more but for some production hiccups in the Fall. It’s a big year-on-year boost for the relatively small automaker, since it only managed to deliver 50,580 cars in 2015.

If you can feel a “but,” coming, it’s because those numbers, while great, are nowhere near what Tesla’s going to need in the next two years. After all, the mass-market Model 3 has been reserved by more than 400,000 people since it was announced at the end of March. Delivery dates are currently being pushed back to 2018, with production expected to begin at the tail-end of 2017.

But even if half of those Model 3 pre-orders fall through, the company will still have to double, or triple its production capacity to meet demand. Tesla has already had to take extreme measures to deal with the looming issue, selling $2 billion in stock to raise cash and buying an automation company that’ll build robotic lines necessary of churning out that many cars in a year.

On the upside, the company says that it’s quite conservative when it comes to car deliveries, only counting them when the paperwork is signed. That means it’ll start 2017 with 6,450 extra transactions to count against its first quarter figures although, again, that’s pretty small fry compared to what’s going to be coming.

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

Via: CNBC (Twitter)

Source: Marketwired