At CES last year Yota introduced their first smartphone. It was met with tremendous interest due to the dual-screen technology – full Android color display on the front, read-only e-ink screen on the rear. At MWC 2014 they just revealed the 2nd generation Yota smartphone – and it is an upgrade in every possible way!
On the first day of Mobile World Congress 2014 in Barcelona, Judie got a hands-on first look at the Mad Catz C.T.R.L.i Bluetooth iOS 7 controller. The controller works with iOS devices running 7.0 or higher, connects via Bluetooth and has a removable clip for holding your iPhone. It will run $80 when it arrives this April. Learn more.
During her first day at Mobile World Congress 2014 in Barcelona Judie met with Gregg Sullivan, Marketing Director for Windows Phone at Microsoft. According to Gregg, Microsoft is looking to expand the Windows Phone family on multiple levels. In addition to new partners there will be new enterprise initiatives and much more. Here’s our video from the show floor.
Lenovo’s Yoga line has been a huge hit, and the company is keeping the momentum at Mobile World Conference with a new Yoga Tablet 10 HD+ Android tablet. These will have an updated HD screen, plus a number of proprietary apps called DOit, SHAREit, and SECUREit to add productivity. These start at $350 this April, watch Lenovo’s site for more!
Samsung is intent on claiming your pockets and your wrist. The original Galaxy Gear watch, designed as a smart watch companion to the Galaxy phones, received a mixed response. Now only a few months later, Samsung is announcing two new watches, the Galaxy Gear 2 and Gear 2 Neo!
If you were to ask my younger son about his most elusive piece of affordable technology, it would be the M-Audio Trigger Finger from 2005. The popular controller was used by all of his favorite music producers but was discontinued. Now it is back and better than ever with the M-Audio Trigger Finger Pro announced at NAMM 2014! Here is what M-Audio is saying: Trigger Finger Pro is a fully encompassed performance instrument and software control station in the form of a portable, 16-pad (4×4 configured) instrument with onboard sequencing. Nearly a decade ago, M-Audio revolutionized the industry by introducing…
One of the things I love about CES is that it gives me an opportunity to wander aisles filled with products from companies that I might never have discovered otherwise. Tucked in an out of the way area that we almost didn’t explore, Dan and I found iFace; they make some of the best-looking protective cases available.
Judie and I have long been fans of Element Case and their various offerings. After our visit with them during CES 2014, that is more true than ever. Their cases are gorgeous, their offerings are expanding, and their philosophy permeates every aspect of their brand. Here are some images and videos from our time at the booth.
At CES 2013 Jabra showed off the upcoming Revo and Revo Wireless on-ear headphones. I have, and love, both! This year at CES 2014 Jabra went large with the Jabra Solemate Max and they went small with the Jabra Rox Wireless. We checked both out during our CES 2014 Booth Tour.
During CES 2014 Parrot introduced the MiniDrone. The small, less-expensive app-powered drone makes an immediate impression and looks like a ton of fun! Connect it to a smartphone or a tablet with Bluetooth Smart and watch it take flight. I asked the “pilot” to use Judie as a landing zone for the MiniDrone. They were happy to comply.
During our time at the #FordNAIAS we had the opportunity to learn about the creative process currently employed by Ford as they bring their new products from concept to reality. What was perhaps most striking about it is the way in which Ford employs both traditional artistic methods and bleeding-edge technology in the process. Let’s look at Ford Design in 2014.
Nissan is celebrating its 80th anniversary as it releases the Sport Sedan Concept at the North American International Auto Show, calling it a design study with a real emphasis on next-generation design and sporty style, embodying Nissan’s next-generation design signatures. The Sport Sedan Concept shares some common traits of recent concept vehicles and now brings them to a four-door design.
Just a few short hours after its Corvette Stingray was named North American Car of the Year, Chevrolet debuted the 2015 Corvette Z06 supercar that boasts track times faster than those of the 2013 ZR1. The new car features the all-new LT4 6.2-liter supercharged V-8 engine that will deliver 625hp and 635 lb. ft. torque.
The Chrysler Group, consisting of Chrysler, Dodge, Fiat, Jeep and Ram, debuted the all-new 2015 Chrysler 200 Sedan at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. It will be the first midsize sedan with a standard nine-speed automatic gearbox via new electronic rotary shift dial and offer an all-wheel-drive system with an automatic fully disconnecting rear axle.
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…