Netgear’s new Nighthawk router is built for pro gamers

Netgear is rolling out two new products designed for hardcore gamers. Launched today at CES 2018, the Nighthawk Pro Gaming WiFi Router (XR500) and Nighthawk Pro Gaming SX10 10G/Multi-Gig LAN Switch (GS810EMX) have been designed for heavy-duty, uninterrupted gameplay, offering best in class features neatly packaged in formidable black casing.

The Pro Gaming Router streams simultaneously to multiple devices on the same network, so you can game online at the same time as your friends without eating up one another’s performance. Its geo filter guarantees a local connection and lets you create preferred server lists, while the Dual-Core 1.7GHz processor supports multiple devices for better 4K streaming. It’s pretty nippy, too, with up to 800+1733 Mbps wireless speeds and dual-band WiFi doubling available bandwidth. Plus there’s the usual network tools that let you check for performance-hogging devices and view real-time usage across multiple parameters.

The Pro Gaming Switch, meanwhile, succeeds the Nighthawk S8000. It promises “close-to-zero” latency, ports that automatically adapt to deliver the speed you need (up to 10Gbps), the option to aggregate ports for even faster speeds and stream prioritization with QoS to fine tune your game play. Plus its aluminium enclosure dissipates heat, so without the need for a vent or fan it’s totally silent, and you can fiddle with the customizable RGB LED controls so you can personalize every light on the device – if you’re not busy taking advantage of the tech inside it, of course. The router and switch are available in the US for $300 each.

Click here to catch up on the latest news from CES 2018.

Watch the best of Samsung’s CES 2018 press conference in 12 minutes

Some of Samsung’s biggest announcements broke cover before the company’s big CES press conference, but that didn’t stop a parade of execs from sharing their vision of a Samsung-fueled future. If they have their way, we’ll be brainstorming on connected whiteboards, commuting in DRVLINE-powered autonomous cars and talking to Bixby a lot. More than anything, though, Samsung tried to paint a picture of how it will take all of its disparate products and weave them together into a cohesive ecosystem — it’s fascinating stuff, but we’re not sure the presentation had to be an hour long. To prove it (and to help you easily catch up on the company’s biggest news), we put together a 12-minute supercut you can check out above.

Click here to catch up on the latest news from CES 2018.

Intel teams up with Ferrari for AI-powered drones to analyze races

Normally when you think Intel, your mind wanders to computer chips and those four tones from their commercials. You definitely don’t imagine Ferrari’s racing around a track with drones overhead capturing video and analyzing it with AI. But that’s exactly what’s going to happen.

At CES, the chipmaker unveiled a partnership with Ferrari North America to deploy video-capturing drones during races that use artificial intelligence. The captured footage will be analyzed in real time and offer up telematic information to drivers and their crews to help them tighten up lap times. Intel also says that the data can be used by broadcasters to help create a race narrative with data not previously available to TV crews.

Of course, the data could also be shared with viewers interested in data about individual drivers or how the whole pack is taking a certain corner.

Intel says that the data gleaned from the cars will far more detailed than anything a human could produce since the AI will recognize subtle variations that could go unnoticed by a person.

The drone-mounted AI camera system will go live during this year’s Ferrari Challenge North America Series.

Click here to catch up on the latest news from CES 2018.

Nokia’s sleep sensor controls your smart home

Nokia has announced the Nokia Sleep, a bed sensor that sits under your mattress to provide you with data about what you get up to while unconscious. Like many of its rivals, the device will track your sleep duration, interruptions and the quality of the shut-eye you’re getting each night. In addition, the pad integrates with IFTTT, letting you automate your smart home to operate in tandem with your rest periods. If you’re having trouble sleeping, then you will also be entitled to try out an eight-week course on improving your sleep, designed by Dr. Christopher Winter.

Those with long memories will remember that Withings, which Nokia bought in 2016, produced a device that was pretty much this, called the Aura. Back then, the Aura was a combination lamp and bed sensor that worked in tandem to help you get better sleep. The lamp would blast you with red light to help you doze off in the evenings, waking you with whiter and bluer shades the following morning. The bed sensor would then tell the lamp to shut down if it detected you’d zoned out ahead of its program.

One of Aura’s biggest strengths was that it also integrated with Nest, enabling it to turn your home’s heating off when you were safely asleep under a comforter. Unfortunately, the hardware never gained IFTTT integration, although it’s not clear if such a feature was ever considered in its original incarnation. The revamped Nokia Sleep, which is more properly known as the Nokia Sleep and Home Automation Sensor, is intended to right that particular wrong.

It’s going to be very interesting to see if there’s a market for the sensor, shorn of its night-and-day-light simulation lamp. Not to mention that other sleep sensors that offered similar insights — such as the Peter Thiel-backed Sense Hello — have foundered. That won’t deter Nokia, however, which is pushing out the sleep pad at some point in the next few months, priced at $99.95/under £100.

The other big announcement to come out of the company this year is the addition of a new colorway to its Steel HR hybrid smartwatches. The rose gold version of the Steel HR will ship with two different face designs: black and white, and a choice of black or blue leather straps, or gray and black silicone bands. The timepiece will drop in February this year, with prices starting at $180 and running all the way to $250.

Intel will patch all recent chips by the end of January

The potential impact of the major processor security flaw that went public last week can’t be understated. But hardware and software companies alike have been quick to patch fixes for the first two reported exploits, Meltdown and Spectre.

Intel, which to date is the company most affected by the exploits, already committed to patching “90 percent” of affected processors made in the past five years by the end of this week. Today on stage at CES, Intel CEO Brian Krzanich promised the remaining 10 percent would see fixes by the end of the month.

“We believe the performance impact of these updates is highly workload dependent,” Krzanich said, referring to claims that processors may be slowed by as much as 30 percent as a result of the fixes. “We expect some may have a larger impact than others, so we’ll continue working with the industry to minimize the impact on those workloads over time.”

Krzanich reiterated Intel’s stance that there’s no evidence either exploit has been used to steal customer data, and said the company is “working tirelessly on these issues to ensure it stays that way.”

There’s still no word on a timeline for when affected processors made over five years ago will be patched.

Click here to catch up on the latest news from CES 2018.

The Puffco Peak is the future of dabbing

Dabs aren’t just for Cam Newton. It’s also a great way to consume cannabis concentrates. Problem is, dabbing traditionally requires the use of either a butane blowtorch and titanium nail or a clunky electronic heating ring (aka enails). But no longer! With the advent of the Peak by Puffco, consuming concentrates is now as easy as pressing a button.

The Peak is to concentrates as the Pax 3 is to looseleaf vaping — that is, dead simple. The rig itself stands under a foot tall and weighs a bit over a pound. The battery needs just 2 hours to fully charge and offers between 25 and 30 hits before it depletes.

You just need to add the concentrate of your preference — whether its shatter, crumble, wax, or oil — to the heating chamber, double click the the activation button. The rig requires only 20 seconds to fully heat, regardless of which of the four temperature settings you’ve selected. That’s magnitudes faster than enails and far safer than wielding a blowtorch. What’s more, the system will automatically adjust the heat settings as you use it so that every session delivers the same experience.

The Peak will be available for pre-order beginning January 15th and will begin shipping in early February. It’s expected to retail for around $350 when it does.

Click here to catch up on the latest news from CES 2018.

Intel is making a big bet on autonomous driving in 2018

Now that Intel’s MobilEye acquisition is complete, the tech titan is ready to get the ball rolling. In fact, we might see semi-autonomous vehicles powered by MobilEye’s Road Experiment Management (REM) system as soon as this year. Intel has signed contracts with 11 carmakers, which will use the Level 2+ autonomous driving tech MobilEye developed and will release them throughout 2018 and 2019. This particular technology will add semi-autonomous features, such as simple braking, steering and acceleration, to cars, but REM will eventually make fully autonomous cars possible.

Intel and MobilEye will also begin gathering data to create near real-time maps. They’ll be relying on the software built into MobilEye’s EyeQ4 system-on-a-chip that’s embedded in 2 million cars — BMWs, VWs, Nissans and other brands — already on the road. The chip will use onboard sensors to build HD maps showing roads’ current conditions, including such as incident reports and construction information.

Finally

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Source: Intel (1), (2), (3)

Intel Studios is a high-tech soundstage for capturing 360-degree video

Intel built a high-tech soundstage in Los Angeles for capturing volumetric video in real-time. More than that, the chipmaker has forged an “exploratory partnership” with Paramount Pictures to see what’s possible with the technology that can capture a scene from pretty much any point of view — even that of a horse during a Wild West shootout.

Paramount’s chairman Jim Gianopolulos said that he thinks filmmakers will adapt to the technology well. The slow-mo panning (think The Matrix’s bullet-time shots) and perspective-swapping might not have a place in traditional movies, but VR tie-ins could benefit from the data-rich tech.

The chipmaker has spent over a year building out the 25,000 square-foot studio with 10,000 square feet dedicated just for video capture. To house all the data generated from shooting, there are 10 petabytes of local storage. Needless to say, if you’re making 360 degree video, this is where you’ll want to shoot.

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CES 2018: Incase Announces New MacBook Pro Sleeve With USB-C Port and Integrated 14,000mAh Battery

Incase today announced the upcoming launch of a new IconConnected Power Sleeve for the MacBook Pro, which is designed to be an all-in-one protection and power solution for Apple’s latest notebook computers.

The IconConnected Power Sleeve combines the protection of the Incase Icon sleeve with a built-in battery that’s able to provide additional power to a MacBook Pro right from the case. The Power Sleeve features a built-in 14,000mAh battery with a USB-C port and an included USB-C charging cable.

In addition to being able to charge a MacBook Pro, the Power Sleeve also includes a USB-A port that can be used to charge iPhones, iPads, and other USB devices.

According to Incase, the Power Sleeve is able to provide more than one charge to the MacBook Pro, and multiple charges for devices with smaller batteries like the iPhone and iPad.

“For over 20 years, Incase has created innovative solutions that provide a better experience for Apple users through good design, with a rich heritage in MacBook protection and most recently, with an emphasis on connected solutions,” said Paul Okui, Vice President of Product, Incase. “The IconConnectedTM Power Sleeve bridges the Incase connected and protection product ecosystems into one refined, powerful sleeve designed to meet the evolving demands of today’s MacBook Pro users.”

The Power Sleeve will be available for both 13 and 15-inch MacBook Pro models with USB-C ports, and when it launches in the third quarter of 2018, it will be priced at $199.95.

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CES 2018: Nokia Launching $99 Beddit-Style Sleep Tracking Accessory

Nokia is adding to its health accessory lineup with the launch of a new sleep tracking accessory called the Nokia Sleep (via The Verge), which is debuting at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show.

Like Apple’s own Beddit sleep tracker that it acquired back in May, the Nokia Sleep is a thin under-the-sheet accessory that has built-in movement sensors to track metrics like sleep length, sleep quality, and snoring, which can be viewed in the accompanying Health Mate.

Nokia Sleep will provide users with an overall sleep score, which is also how the Beddit sleep tracker works. Unlike the Beddit, though, it can integrate with other smart home products to do things like activate the lights when a person has fallen asleep or woken up.

The Nokia Sleep will be available for $99, which is $50 cheaper than the Beddit, but it also offers fewer sensors with no heart rate monitoring.

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