Distro’s CES 2013 Daily Issue 73.4 is out and so are we

Posted on 11/01/2013 by Christopher Trout

We're cracking up over here -- literally. It's our sixth day of coverage live from CES and the long hours and lack of daylight are playing tricks on us. While the working conditions have not been kind, the news is an entirely different story. We've seen more, written more and generally dived deeper into the bowels of CES to bring you this, our final CES 2013 Daily. Now please excuse us while we curl up in a collective ball and rock gently back and forth until the screaming stops.

Distro Issue 73.4 PDF
Distro in the iTunes App Store
Distro in the Google Play Store
Distro in the Windows Store
Distro APK (for sideloading)
Like Distro on Facebook
Follow Distro on Twitter

Filed under: Announcements, HD, Mobile, Alt

Comments

Romo gen 3 gains Lightning connector, we go hands-on (video)

Posted on 11/01/2013 by Myriam Joire

Remember Romo, the adorable iPhone-faced track-equipped robot? We met up with Romotive in Vegas at CES 2013 to play with the 3rd generation model that was recently launched on Kickstarter. The company also gave us an exclusive first look at a 3rd generation prototype with Lightning connector. We sat down with CEO Keller Rinaudo to discuss the new robot and catch up on what the team's achieved over the past year.

As a refresher, we first encountered Romo when we covered it for our Insert Coin feature in October 2011. Back then, the robot used rudimentary analog electronics and plugged into the iPhone's headphone jack. After a successful initial Kickstarter campaign, Romotive moved from Seattle to Las Vegas where we caught up the team on our stage during CES 2012. The 2nd generation model was available both pre-assembled and it kit form with support for iOS, Android and Windows Phone. It was upgraded to digital electronics but still used the audio interface to control its tracks and featured hacker-friendly auxiliary ports. Hit the break for more.

Gallery: Romo gen 3 hands-on

Continue reading Romo gen 3 gains Lightning connector, we go hands-on (video)

Filed under: Cellphones, Robots, Mobile, Apple

Comments

Sony SimulView gets even more bananas in 4K, we go eyes-on

Posted on 10/01/2013 by Ben Gilbert

We've seen Sony SimulView in action before -- the system was first unveiled on Sony's tiny 24-inch PlayStation 3D Display back at E3 2011 -- but never quite like this. An 84-inch 4K LED Sony television at CES 2013 upscaled Polyphony Digital's Gran Turismo 5 to 4K resolution, but instead of employing said resolution for graphics, it was used to deliver two full HD images to two separate players. Those two separate HD feeds are then pumped into the same screen, which can be viewed fully independently by two separate people wearing polarized glasses, all at the same time.

Did we lose you? Let's break it down: since 4K TV delivers twice the number of lines vertically as well as horizontally, the television is upscaling GT5's HD visuals by double. Rather than employing those lavish numbers on single player, the duty's divided between each player's video feed, allowing two-player gaming all on one screen. The two images are then overlaid, a la 3D, resulting in a simultaneous feed that looks crazy until you put on polarized glasses. Once you're wearing those glasses, though, you only see one of the two feeds in full HD. It's ... it's kinda messed up. The system is incredibly impressive, but boy is it weird how effectively it works. Even better, it works without the game developer having to actually do anything (other than making a 3D-enabled game, that is) -- the splitting is handled by the television rather than the software. It's similar to systems that LG has in Dual Play and Samsung has in Multi-View, and it's not exactly brand new, but it's as impressive as ever. We've captured a variety of stills and dropped a video after the break showing the system in action, should you wish to join in our amazement.

Gallery: Sony Simulview with Gran Turismo 5 hands-on

Continue reading Sony SimulView gets even more bananas in 4K, we go eyes-on

Filed under: Gaming, Home Entertainment, HD, Sony

Comments

Distro’s CES 2013 Daily Issue 73.3 has arrived!

Posted on 10/01/2013 by Christopher Trout

Three, two, one... Contact! We've reached a heightened level of delirium here at Engadget HQ -- this being our eighth day since touch down -- but we've saved just enough of our sanity to bring you the third issue of Distro's CES 2013 Daily. In it you'll find a DJing baby, Motorhead's Lemmy and even a few must-see gadgets from the show floor and beyond.

Distro Issue 73.3 PDF
Distro in the iTunes App Store
Distro in the Google Play Store
Distro in the Windows Store
Distro APK (for sideloading)
Like Distro on Facebook
Follow Distro on Twitter

Filed under: Announcements, HD, Mobile, Alt

Comments

Westinghouse’s 110-inch 4K television costs $300,000, is built to order (eyes-on)

Posted on 09/01/2013 by Michael Gorman

We must admit, we were a bit surprised when we heard that Westinghouse -- not exactly the first name in HDTV -- would be bringing a 110-inch 4K HDTV to CES. Naturally, once we got to Vegas, we had to see the thing for ourselves. Its size is as impressive as you imagine, and the native-res 4K video looked really good on such a massive screen, with nearly 180-degree viewing angles and vibrant colors. Unfortunately, the unit we saw was an engineering test mule, so the back was all exposed panels and circuit boards and there was some ghosting on the screen itself. However, we were assured that those willing to pony up the obscene $300,000 asking price can get a flaw-free TV custom installed via special order at the end of Q1 of this year. Want to see more of what all those dollars will get you? Check out our gallery of shots below.

Gallery: Westinghouse 110-inch 4K TV eyes-on

Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD

Comments

Distro’s CES 2013 Daily Issue 73.2: 4K TVs, celebrity sightings and a giant robotic spider

Posted on 09/01/2013 by Christopher Trout

With calluses forming on our fingertips as we pound away at our well-worn keyboards, we bring you the second installation of Distro's CES 2013 Daily. Our eyes may be having a hard time focusing on the real world, what with all of the 4K displays we've been staring at, but there's plenty more to see in this issue than the UHD screens that have dominated this year's show. We'll keep it short, but leave you with this to whet your appetite: giant robotic spiders!

Distro Issue 73.2 PDF
Distro in the iTunes App Store
Distro in the Google Play Store
Distro in the Windows Store
Distro APK (for sideloading)
Like Distro on Facebook
Follow Distro on Twitter

Filed under: Announcements, HD, Mobile, Alt

Comments

Sony CEO Kaz Hirai talks 4K, Xperia Z, death of the PS2 and more at CES 2013 (video)

Posted on 08/01/2013 by Darren Murph

4K TVs and streaming? The Xperia Z? The death of the PlayStation 2? Just a few topics of conversation as our own Editor-in-chief Tim Stevens sat down for a one-on-one interview with Sony CEO Kaz Hirai. We won't waste any more of your time here -- head on past the break to watch the full video!

Continue reading Sony CEO Kaz Hirai talks 4K, Xperia Z, death of the PS2 and more at CES 2013 (video)

Filed under: Cellphones, Gaming, Home Entertainment, Sony

Comments

Distro’s CES 2013 Daily Issue 73.1 is hot off the digital press

Posted on 08/01/2013 by Christopher Trout

Today may be the official first day of ~~the rest of our lives~~ CES, but we've already seen plenty of touchscreen laptops and UHD TVs. We've run ourselves ragged, covering every last bit of news worth your time, but we understand not everyone has the wherewithal to read every last post we've published since Sunday night. So, in the interest of keeping you informed (and entertained) we present to you issue 73.1, our very first Distro CES 2013 Daily, published from our trailer at the biggest gadget show on Earth. For more from the madhouse, check back tomorrow for version 73.2.

Distro Issue 73.1 PDF
Distro in the iTunes App Store
Distro in the Google Play Store
Distro in the Windows Store
Distro APK (for sideloading)
Like Distro on Facebook
Follow Distro on Twitter

Filed under: Announcements, HD, Mobile, Alt

Comments

Hands-on with Razer’s Edge, a $999 gaming tablet / home console

Posted on 08/01/2013 by Ben Gilbert

The PC ecosystem is no longer as simple as it once was -- first there were desktops, then laptops, then tablets, then all-in-ones. Buying a PC now is more nebulous than it ever was. You could build your very own rig, piece-by-piece, or you could buy one of the many, many pre-fab options out there (or some mixture of the two, of course). And then there's even more outside-of-the-box options, like Razer's recently re-introduced Edge (aka "Project Fiona"), which occupies a space all its own. Part laptop, part tablet, part home console, and part portable console, the Razer Edge is the fruition of Razer CEO Min-Liang Tan's dream to create a "true" portable PC gaming machine. And weighing in at just two pounds, the Edge is dramatically lighter than Razer's other portable gaming machine, the Blade (which clocks in at a whopping 6.6 lbs.), making it the company's first actually portable game console.

Keeping those Blade comparisons rolling, the base level Edge at $999 features a slight step down from the Blade's Core i7 Ivy Bridge processor to a 1.7GHz Intel's Core i5 (the Edge Pro at $1299 boosts that CPU to a 1.9GHz Ivy Bridge i7, more closely matching the far costlier Blade). Thankfully, the Edge's GPU is not only discreet, but also powerful and (thankfully) not fragmented between the two models: an NVIDIA GT640M LE powers the graphics on both, while 4GB or 8GB (respectively) of DDR3 RAM keeps it all running smoothly. The base model Edge holds 64GB of content in a speedy solid state drive (128GB in the Pro model, upgradeable to 256GB). But let's be honest -- you already know most of these specs, right? What matters is how all this stuff pans out, and we've just gotten our first chance to find out. Head past the break to see how Razer's Edge fared.

Gallery: Razer Edge (hands-on)

Continue reading Hands-on with Razer's Edge, a $999 gaming tablet / home console

Filed under: Gaming, Laptops, Tablets, HD, Mobile

Comments

Braven’s latest portable Bluetooth speakers: 850 charges your iPad, BRV-1 laughs at H2O (eyes-on)

Posted on 08/01/2013 by Joe Pollicino

It's no secret that we generally enjoy Braven's pushes into the portable Bluetooth speaker arena. The company is again aiming to take your dollars away from the likes of the Jawbone Jamboxes, offering up two new units for CES. The 850 is it's largest speaker yet, being roughly the same size as Big Jambox -- and priced much the same at $300. As you'd expect, the 850 is clad in aluminum, and has a USB port for charging external devices. That's not all, however, as Braven claims this is the worlds first battery-powered speaker that'll charge 2.1A gimzos (like the iPad) on its own accord (no word on expected battery life). Even more impressive -- and expensive -- we're told that two units can be run in true stereo with either serving as the left and right channels. No pictures for now, but we'll update this post as soon as we get them.

Aside from the 850, the $170 BRV-1 (dummy units pictured) ditches the company's smooth rectangular speaker angles, in favor of ruggedness and IPX5 water-resistance. The not-so pocketable speaker is clad in rubber, featuring two large buttons on both edges for playback controls. The speaker grill on the front get's Braven's usual treatment with aluminium, while the back houses twist-cap protected microUSB port, USB port, battery indicator and a 3.5mm input jack. Both speakers are set to site along its Six Series units sometime this month, and you'll find more pictures of two BRV-1 mockups in the gallery below.

Gallery: Braven BRV-1 water-resistant and rugged Bluetooth speaker (eyes-on)