Toyota started things off with a bang at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit by debuting its FT-1 sport car concept. Celebrating the 40th anniversary of its Calty design studio, FT-1 (which stands for the ultimate Future of Toyota apparently) continues a lineage that includes the 1978 Celica, Lexus SC400, Supra, FT-HS and LF-LC.
While it came as little surprise to us here at Gear Diary, the North American Car and Truck of the Year were announced as both being from the Chevrolet stable: The 2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray and Silverado 1500, respectively. The winners were announced at a ceremony that kicked off the 2014 North American International Auto Show media days in Detroit.
The best-selling truck in the world has just gotten better. Today Ford is taking the wraps off its next-generation F-150 light duty pickup boasting it will be tougher, smarter and more capable than any before it. The 2015 F-150 is being unveiled at the North American International Auto Show with aspirations of setting the standard for the future of trucks.
At CES, Sharp unveiled their Universal Player, the first ever WiSA-Compliant universal player. The Sharp Universal Player is the first component to push uncompressed sound at 24-bit/96kHz and video at 1080p, all wirelessly. Sharp’s Universal Player can wirelessly transmit sound to up to 8 wireless speakers. The $4,000 component ships Spring, 2014; you can read more here.
Thursday night, Judie and I had the chance to listen to Linkin Park through a specially installed JBL sound system at the Hard Rock’s The Joint. The concert was a celebration of the relaunch of Infinity by Harman and a celebration of a partnership between Linkin Park and Harman International. Read on to learn more and see Judie’s amazing pictures.
Sumo wrestlers aren’t known for their nimbleness, but you might rethink that when you take a look at Parrot’s new Jumping Sumo spy gadget/robot/toy. The Parrot Jumping Sumo is a WiFi enabled robot with a built-in camera, gyroscope, and accelerometer, which make it easy to pilot from your smartphone or tablet. Learn more about Parrot’s Jumping Sumo at Parrot’s website.
There has been some truly incredible technology at this year’s CES so far, and another example is the launch of the Epson Moverio BT-200 Smart Glasses powered by Wikitude SDK. The BT-200 is a set of binocular wearable display technology projecting transparent items over real-life objects. The augmented reality technology is also capable of advanced image recognition and geo-aware services. Here is what they are saying: “The Epson Moverio BT-200 smart glasses offer consumers crystal clear video as well as access to incredible new augmented reality experiences and relevant information according to their personal interests and needs. Leveraging Epson’s leadership…
Car audio has come a long way since the days of my cassette tape portable CD player converter. Touch screens and phone interface are almost standard. Pioneer unveiled their NEX, (Networked Entertainment eXperience) which will combine on-board features with connected services from your devices. Four navigation and one audio receiver is in the lineup. Read the release after the break. PIONEER SHOWCASES NEXT GENERATION OF NETWORK CONNECTED RECEIVERS – ENHANCING EMBEDDED FEATURES WITH CLOUD-BASED CONTENT Networked Entertainment eXperience (NEX) Interface Implemented in Five Pioneer Receivers LAS VEGAS – CES BOOTH #1201 (January 6, 2014) – Pioneer Electronics (USA) Inc. today unveiled…
With apologies to Jim Croce, “If I could put time on a diet…” I would end up with ClockOne… an E-Ink wall clock that weighs less than 3.5 pounds and is just 4mm thick. Seriously thin, ClockOne is big on time and makes quite the statement. Its expected MSRP of $499 does too. Here are the facts: What are the dimensions of ClockONE? 1000mm wide x 350mm tall x 4mm thin What is the weight of ClockONE? 1.5 Kilograms (3.3 pounds) What type of battery does ClockONE use? One CR2450 button battery What is the battery life of ClockONE? One…
Detroit is not the only venue that sees significant automotive announcements in January. Increasingly, automakers are using the global audiences at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas to debut not only the latest in technology but the future of transportation as well. Case in point is Toyota’s FCV (Fuel Cell Vehicle) concept and prototype hydrogen test vehicle.
Nuance may not yet be a household name, but their software is rapidly becoming ubiquitous. Between their work with voice recognition on mobile devices and the proliferation of Dragon Naturally Speaking on the desktop, they’ve clearly become the gold standard in speech to text. Their next step? Becoming your personal assistant!
TP-Link has debuted its new 300Mbps Wireless Range Extender Powerline Edition, which improves upon traditional wireless signals by creating a stable connection through your home’s existing electrical wiring. With the TL-WPA4220KIT, you’re able to access your network via WiFi as well as wired Ethernet without wiring your house with Ethernet cable. Read more about it at TP-Link’s website.
Over the last few years I have loved the moves to smaller and smaller chargign blocks for devices, which seems to be reversing as new ‘fast charge’ devices like iPad Air and Kindle Fire HDX require more power, meaning bigger blocks. So it was a welcome announcement that Scosche Launches superCUBE at CES 2014 – Smallest 12W USB Wall Charger. “Many of our customers have both Lighting and micro USB powered devices and become frustrated with how long a dedicated charger can take to power their other mobile devices,” said Kas Alves, Executive Vice President Scosche Industries. “superCUBE allows our…
When’s the last time you heard of a truly innovative gas grill? Lynx has just announced a concept that will bring the outdoor kitchen into the modern age. Using smartphone integration and voice commands, Lynx’s Smart Grill can automatically cook your food using pre-programmed recipes created by master grillers. Read more about it at Lynx’s website.
When Elana and I moved into our current home, we increased the number of windows more than ten-fold. Yes, our house is more windows and sliding doors than it is wall. We love it, but boy does that glass get dirty. That’s where the WINBOT I saw today on the floor at CES 2014 could come in quite handy.
It wouldn’t be CES without case manufacturers announcing new accessories for the smartphone and tablet market, and the folks at Seido are no exception. Seido has been churning out quality cases for years, going back to ye olde Palm OS days, and they are ready to protect your Galaxy Note 3, iPad, and iPhone with style!
When our buddy Paul Strauss, aka TheAwesomer, told me he just heard a band playing instruments that were all created on 3D-Printers while walking the floor at CES 2014 I was a skeptic. Instruments that were printed? I thought he was pulling my leg. Then I heard them and (cue up the Monkeys…), I’m a Believer.
Almost everyone carries around a smart device of one kind or another. It is great that these devices have become such wonderful tools in our lives, but how often do you need a place to set them? Scosche has announced a system of magnetic magicMOUNT device mounts for the car, home or office. Full press release after the break. LAS VEGAS – January 07, 2014 –Scosche is excited to unveil the magicMOUNT system of cradle free magnetic mounts for car, home or office. User’s simply apply the magicPLATE directly to their device and hover it over one of Scosche’s new magicMOUNTs to…
The other day the local youth bureau called asking if my kids could help an older person set up a universal remote for multiple devices – and they declined because I was the only one in our house who knew our system! This is true for millions, making it great news as Blumoo Home Audio Remote Debuts at CES 2014!
The stream of cool stuff continues with some cool looking new Polaroid and iLuv Announcements from CES 2014. The list of their introductions is insane and impossible to capture here, but it includes Polaroid cameras, tablets, smartphones, and Roku-ready HD TVs; and from iLuv no less than 14 speakers, earbuds, iPad folios and iPhone cases!
Sony has recently announced their PlayStation Now service will debut this summer at this year’s Consumer Electronic Show (CES) 2014 conference. a beta program will begin in the US at the end of January 2014. This new “cloud-based gaming” service will first include the PlayStation 4 and 3 consoles then the PlayStation Vita handheld console and also televisions, tablet computers, and smartphones. Andy House, president and CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment, made the announcement yesterday (Tuesday).