CES 2014 : ALL IN ONE NEWS

CES 2014: Smartphones roundup

The Consumer Electronics Show saw some new technology trends, from 8K TVs, to smart wearables and devices for toddlers. Smartphones of course, were not to be left behind, and companies like: Acer, Alcatel, Asus, Huawei, Sony, and ZTE introduced new handsets to whet our smartphone appetites.
The CES 2014, which is this year's first personal technology tradeshow, showed an array of handsets, and few of those found a way of standing out in the crowd. Here are some of the newly launched smartphones that caught the eyeballs.

Acer started off its CES 2014 campaign with the launch of its 5-inch budget Android smartphone, the Acer Liquid Z5. The Acer Liquid Z5 has been priced at priced at 169 Euros (roughly $230 or Rs. 14,300) and would be available in France, Benelux, Germany, Spain, Portugal, Ukraine and the UK from mid-January. Acer has been touting the Liquid Z5's Float UI, which allows additional app windows to be overlaid, for better multitasking.
Alcatel launched two new smartphones dubbed One Touch Idol X+ and One Touch Pop C9 at the CES 2014. The Alcatel One Touch Idol X+ will be available in China starting January 15 and has been priced at $330, with no word on global availability, while there is no mention of the pricing and availability details of the Alcatel One Touch Pop C9.
The Alcatel One Touch Idol X+ is powered by an octa-core MediaTek MT6592 processor clocked at 2GHz along with 2GB of RAM. The Alcatel One Touch Pop C9 is a budget phablet featuring 5.5-inch display.
Taiwanese computer electronics giant, Asus at CES 2014 unveiled two new smartphone-tablet hybrids, the 4-inch Asus PadFone mini that fits into a 7-inch tablet dock, and the 5-inch Asus PadFone X that fits into a 9-inch tablet dock. The company did not reveal any details about pricing and availability of the two hybrid devices, however, it did mention that the PadFone X will be available in US exclusively with AT&T.
Asus also unveiled its new line of low-end smartphones at the CES 2014, the ZenFone range, which includes three handsets namely the Asus ZenFone 4, Asus ZenFone 5 and Asus ZenFone 6.

 

The newly launched Asus ZenFone handsets feature the ZenUI skin, which is built with simplified, easy-to-access icons and menus, select themes to match the device colours, and a What's Next feature to keep a track of a user's daily schedule.
Huawei, the popular Chinese handset maker announced the new Ascend Mate 2 4G, a refreshed version of the Ascend Mate phablet at CES 2014 bearing the same 6.1-inch HD IPS+ LCD display, but with an upgraded chipset, more built in storage, and bigger front and rear cameras.

 

The Huawei Ascend Mate 2 4G packs a 4050 mAh battery, which comes with a 'reverse' charging feature, allowing the phone to be used to charge other devices.
Sony surprisingly revealed its two premium smartphones, an Xperia Z1 variant exclusive to T-Mobile, and an international mini-variant at the CES 2014. The Sony Xperia Z1 Compact is a mini-variant of the flagship smartphone, Xperia Z1 and boasts of similar innards, except the screen size and the battery.

 

Sony also announced the Xperia Z1S, which will be available in US through T-Mobile starting January 22 and will be priced at $22 per month for two years or will be available at $603 outright (without contract), this translates to roughly Rs. 37,500. Notably, the Sony Xperia Z1S comes with similar specifications to the Xperia Z1.
 
 ZTE expanded its Grand smartphone line-up and launched the Grand S II at CES 2014. The highlight feature of the Grand S II is the voice recognition unlocking, voice photography and an upgraded ZTE My-drive assistant .

CES 2014: Tablets roundup

The Consumer Electronics Show held in Las Vegas saw numerous tablets being introduced, from massive 13-inch hybrids, to kid-friendly, rugged devices. We take a look at some of the biggest tablet launches and reveals from the tradeshow.
Asus at CES 2014 revealed a chain of new tablets, out of which one was its first ever 'quad-mode' convertible tablet - Transformer Book Duet (TD300). The Transformer Book TD300 boasts of a dual OS, Android 4.1 Jelly Bean and Windows 8.1 OS, and can switch between the two within four seconds. The 13-inch hybrid is backed by an Intel 'Haswell' Core i7 processor and is claimed to run twice as fast as other tablets with ARM processors.
The Taiwanese firm also unveiled two new smartphone-tablet hybrids - Asus PadFone mini and Asus PadFone X with 4-inch and 5-inch displays respectively. While the PadFone mini fits into a 7-inch tablet dock, the PadFone X fits in a 9-inch tablet dock. The PadFone mini introduced in CES 2014 should not be mistaken for Asus PadFone mini 4.3, which was revealed last year. Not many details have been revealed for the Asus PadFone X. However, the device is confirmed to run on the latest Android 4.4 Kitkat OS.
Asus additionally launched its Windows 8.1-based VivoTab Note 8 tablet targeted for professionals and students alike. The selling point for the VivoTab Note 8 is the Wacom Digitizer Stylus seated at the bottom of the tablet in a neat holder. The stylus offers over 1000 levels of pressure sensitivity to provide a natural writing and drawing experience at a high speed, accuracy and responsiveness. The company has not detailed any information about the pricing or the availability.
Micromax, the popular Indian mobile and tablet brand, started its CES 2014 campaign with the unveiling of the Canvas LapTab tablet. The Micromax Canvas LapTab tablet, like the Asus Transformer Book Duet TD300, sports an Android Jelly Bean and Windows 8.1 dual-boot functionality, however, the precise Android version has not yet been revealed. The company has not revealed the pricing details of the Canvas LapTab tablet but said the tablet device will go on sale in early February via e-commerce portals and retail stores across India. The company has also introduced a wireless keyboard cum protector sleeve for the tablet.
At CES, Samsung unveiled four tablets in its new Galaxy NotePRO and Galaxy TabPRO line-ups, all of which run Android 4.4 KitKat out-of-the-box. These are, the Galaxy NotePRO (12.2-inch), Galaxy TabPRO 12.2-inch, Galaxy TabPRO 10.1-inch and Galaxy TabPRO 8.4-inch. Samsung did not revealed the pricing for the Galaxy NotePRO and TabPRO tablets line, but did say the four newly launched Samsung tablets will be available starting from Q1, 2014.
The Samsung Galaxy NotePRO and TabPRO tablet line will be available in Wi-Fi only, Wi-Fi and 3G, or Wi-Fi and LTE connectivity options. In addition, Samsung has revealed that the 12.2-inch Galaxy NotePRO will come bundled with an S Pen, while the 12.2-inch Galaxy TabPRO, Galaxy TabPRO 10.1-inch and 8.4-inch will come without the S Pen option. Read our previous coverage for complete specifications of all four tablets.
Acer announced two new tablets ahead of CES 2014, the Iconia A1-830 and the Iconia B1-720 with 7.9-inch and 7-inch screens respectively. Running on Android 4.2.1 Jelly Bean, the Iconia A1-830 is the more premium of the two tablets, with a 7.9-inch IPS display (768x1024 pixel), and an aluminium back on offer. The Iconia B1-720 costs $129.99 (roughly Rs. 8,000) and will hit North America later in January 2014, alongside an optional protective case. The tablet will run Android 4.2.1 Jelly Bean out-of the-box and features a 7-inch OGS (One Glass Solution) with no details on resolution.
Panasonic, expanding its Toughpad range of tablets, launched the Toughpad FZ-M1 tablet at CES 2014. The rugged tablet, unlike previous iterations, is targeted at the enterprise segment. The Panasonic Toughpad FZ-M1 will be available in early spring 2014, although there is no word yet on specific market rollout. Based on Windows 8.1 Pro (64-bit), the tablet comes with a 7-inch touchscreen with a resolution of 1200x800 pixels with glove touch technology and comes with an optional stylus support.
Xolo at CES 2014 also introduced its first Windows-based tablet, dubbed Xolo Win with 10.1-inch display. The company notes that the Windows 8 certified Xolo Win tablet will reach India by the end of January, though it has not revealed the pricing of the tablet. Further, Xolo claims that its first Windows tablet is targeted at the youth segment, along with working professionals.
Alcatel has launched two new budget tablets, One Touch Pop 7 and One Touch 8 running Android 4.2 Jelly Bean at the CES 2014. The One Touch Pop 7 features a 7-inch TFT display and is backed by a 1.3GHz dual-core MediaTek MT8312 processor along with Mali 400 GPU and 1GB of RAM. The Alcatel One Touch Pop 8 tablet comes with an 8-inch 1280x800 pixels resolution. It is powered by a 1.3GHz quad-core processor (unspecified chipset) with 1GB of RAM.
Kid-safe tablets and smartphones are hitting the market, giving parents more control over how the mobile devices are used. Hollywood studio DreamWorks has joined the move, introducing its DreamTab at this week's Consumer Electronics Show in partnership with California-based manufacturer Fuhu. The new device will be up against competition - including from French-based Kurio, which has its own tablets on display at the huge Las Vegas show, and is also introducing a kid-safe smartphone. Fuhu already makes a tablet designed for kids called Nabi, but will expand its footprint with DreamWorks, teaming up with the animators behind films like Shrek, Kung Fu Panda and How to Train Your Dragon.
One Laptop per Child (OLPC), a project supported by One Laptop per Child Association (OLPCA) and OLPC Foundation (OLPCF), has introduced a couple of tablets for children at CES 2014. The tablets, OLPC XO-2 and XO-10, have almost the similar hardware specifications with some tweaks in the operating systems. OLPC's XO-2 tablet costs $149 (roughly Rs. 9,200) with its availability dates kept undisclosed by the firm. The tablet operates on the much popular Android platform. The XO-10 tablet is understood to set back a customer by $199 (roughly Rs. 12,300) and runs on a heavily modified version of Android 4.4 Kitkat OS.

Wearables at CES 2014: A vision of the future

The annual International Consumer Electronics Show in Vegas is a prime testing ground for companies to debut new products and concepts. Many of the devices on display aren't anywhere near ready to be released into the market, and reactions from the press and public will help their manufacturers determine which trends will catch on and which will die without any fanfare. This year's big trend is undoubtedly wearable technology, and CES has been dominated by products of all shapes and sizes. Interestingly, the world's biggest technology companies find themselves competing against several previously unheard of names, including brand-new startups. It's a whole new frontier of consumer technology, and with no clear standards or market leaders yet, any of these companies could soon become a dominant force in the fight for the prime real estate on your face and wrists.

Watches

Already a fairly established name, Pebble launched a restyled version of its groundbreaking eponymous smartwatch, called the Pebble Steel. With far more refined, mainstream looks, the Steel should attract droves of new users. On the inside, it isn't significantly different from its predecessor, which means that all the same apps and watch faces-which you'll soon be able to download from Pebble's own app store-will run just as well on both models.

Looking to steal some of Pebble's thunder, Metawatch showed off a new line called Meta, created by former Vertu designer Frank Nuovo. Metawatch is gunning for the high end of the market, and although the device's capabilities aren't any better than the Pebble's, it is made out of premium metals, leather and glass.

China's ZTE came to the show with its own BlueWatch, most notable for its similarities to the original Pebble. It comes with nearly identical features, including the button layout and magnetic charging port, and even has similarly designed watch faces. ZTE however promises the design will improve before the BlueWatch ships, and it's promoting the device's upcoming social network integration and built-in pedometer.

Casio, no stranger to bulky digital watches, has also joined the smartwatch bandwagon with its STB-1000, which can pair with a smartphone and act as a fitness tracker in addition to showing notifications.
Intel had a prototype on display, although it has no clear plans to bring such a product to market itself. The device uses a colour LCD touchscreen and has its own SIM card for persistent Internet connectivity. GPS is also an important application, with users able to define "geofences" that alert the wearer or a parent, for example, if the watch leaves a predefined perimeter.

Wristbands

Apart from watches, sensor-laden bands are also competing for room on your wrist. Razer was exhibiting the Nabu, which has a small screen and another panel of indicators, but is designed as a fitness tracker and future input device for augmented reality applications and games. Other neat tricks include gesture input and band-to-band communication. It will sell for under US$ 100 (approximately Rs 6,200) and support Android and iOS companion apps.

Sony unveiled the Core Smartband, envisioned as the starting point for a future line of wearable sensor devices. The band uses LEDs and a vibrator to deliver alerts, and a button to trigger an app called Lifelog which will start capturing information including GPS location and a user's phone activities. All this combines to create a web of relationships between a user's activities and his or her music and movie watching patterns, app usage, Internet activity, and more. Sony will then attempt to make further recommendations based on the user's habits.

 

LG's Lifeband Touch does many of the same things a smartwatch does, but specializes in activity tracking and fitness monitoring. You can get all your phone notifications via a Bluetooth connection while checking how many steps you've taken and how many calories you've burned.

Headsets

Epson has dramatically improved last year's Moverio personal headset. The new Moverio BT-200 is less than half the weight and bulk of its predecessor, and can project a transparent screen in front of both your eyes without obstructing your field of vision too badly. The BT-200 responds to head movements thanks to its built-in gyroscope and accelerometer, and Epson is committed to creating a platform for Android developers to create innovative apps for it. Unlike Google Glass, you won't be able to wear the BT-200 all day, but it could become a fantastic piece of hardware for augmented reality experiences and games.

Oculus Rift has iterated on the VR headset it developed last year. The new "Crystal Cove" prototype is touted as a massive improvement over last year's model, offering much more realistic motion and accurate responses. The headset completely covers your eyes, offering complete immersion into whatever 3D environment you choose, while a network of sensors tracks your head and body movements and use them to alter what you see. While gaming is the most obvious application, education, entertainment, and even industrial use cases have been created around Oculus Rift already.
GlassUp aims to compete directly with Google Glass, and the company intends to create a product that looks exactly like ordinary glasses and also eliminates the cyborg-like camera to minimise the social disruption that Glass causes. When it comes to market later this year, you'll be able to check notifications, get directions, and read information more comfortably than with Google Glass.
Meanwhile, Lumus aims to perfect smart glasses with its DK40 prototype heads-up display. The company has created an augmented reality environment around the glasses, but its main claim to fame is how information is inserted into your field of vision: using a special coating on a clear glass lens rather than a projector and screen that get in the way.

Odds and ends

Netatmo and CSR both showed off what they called smart jewellery. The Netatmo June is a wearable UV sensor that alerts users when they've been out in the sun too long and can also determine the optimum SPF rating you need for your sunscreen. It looks like a bejewelled bracelet so that it feels more like a standard accessory than a piece of technology. CSR's Bluetooth-connected pendants alert users to incoming messages and calls.

Intel and LG both showed off smarter earphones, both of which can monitor a wearer's heart rate and report it to a smartphone app. Intel also had a smart charging bowl that could make life easier for people who will eventually own multiple tiny wearable devices. But what truly is a harbinger of things to come is Intel and Rest Devices' sensor-laden baby onesie, which can wirelessly alert parents when a baby wakes up of if his or her vital stats are unusual. Perhaps soon all our clothes, bags and accessories will have screens and sensors all over them, keeping us constantly aware of our social connections as well as our health and activity levels.

CES 2014: Cameras roundup

The Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2014, which is held in Las Vegas, is not exactly a place where camera enthusiasts and professionals might go to shop for devices, but that didn't stop the major camera players from showcasing devices from their respective kitties at the show. Amongst others, there were the likes of Canon, Nikon, Fujifilm, Olympus, Pentax, Sony and Samsung who showcased their point and shoots and DSLRs. We take a look at the models that grabbed eyeballs at the event.

Point and shoot, bridge cameras
One of the biggest highlights at CES has been the numerous point-and-shoot cameras showcased for the general public. The Canon PowerShot N with its square design was definitely eye-catching. With a $350 (roughly Rs. 20,000) tag the biggest feature on it is the rear facing camera and that the device can use both the cameras simultaneously. It has a 12-megapixel High-Sensitivity CMOS sensor, with the DIGIC VI image processor - the highest ever on a PowerShot. The lens has a shorter 5x optical zoom, but it has an f/1.8 aperture with optical image stabilization. The 3-inch capacitive tilting touchscreen onboard though, strangely doesn't tilt the full 90 degrees.

Canon also launched the 16-megapixel PowerShot SX600 HS at $250 (roughly Rs. 15,500) in Canon's long-zoom SX series, featuring an 18x zoom and using a DIGIC IV image processor. The appeal of the SX600 HS is the very compact size - almost like an ELPH. The camera records full-HD, and a Mobile Device Connect button puts you into Wi-Fi mode for transfers and uploads; there's also NFC for quick pairing with a smartphone. The SX600 HS has Canon's Hybrid Auto feature that records short clips as you use the camera, then putting it into a short highlight reel. Expect this camera in May, in black and white.

In addition to that Samsung unveiled four point and shoot cameras - the WB1100F, the WB50F, the WB350F and the WB35F, apart from the WB2200F bridge camera. Another important factor that came in was the use of Wi-Fi and tag and share. Manufacturers are targeting the general consumer base as one that can use the point-and-shoot camera as a convergence device.


Fujifilm too got into the act and launched the FinePix S1, the S9200, the S9400W and the S8600. In addition a rugged waterproof camera, the XP70 is also in the pipeline. The cameras came with a price tag range of $200-$500 (roughly Rs. 12,600 - Rs. 30,000). What was interesting to note that along with rugged exteriors the lenses on the cameras too have been improved with additional zoom. It is an interesting target audience they are reaching out to- from the consummate professionals to the more adventurous ones.

Nikon unveiled five new models for their CoolPix series namely the L830, the S6800, the S5300, the S3600, and the L30. The five models are all in the $119 - $299 (roughly Rs. 7,400 - Rs. 18,500) price range.

Mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras and DSLRs
While point and shoot, and bridge cameras were definitely a hit with those present at the CES, another focus of the show was mirrorless cameras and DSLRs. Polaroid bought the Android-powered iM1836 to CES. With a $400 (roughly Rs. 25,000) price tag, the Polaroid iM1836 featured interchangeable lenses, and a sensor just behind the barrel.


Samsung also launched its MILC camera, the NX300, which has an APS-C sensor with a 20.3-megapixel still capturing power under its hood. Other features are a 100 to 25,600 ISO range and a 3.3 inch AMOLED Screen. Also bundled in is a 20-50 mm kit lens and can shoot 3D pictures when combined with a $500 3D-capable lens. The camera is priced at $750 (roughly Rs. 47,000), which is one of the more pricey cameras that debuted at CES 2014.

Finally, Nikon introduced its J3 and S1 mirrorless cameras. The J3 comes in at $600 (roughly Rs. 37,000) with a kit lens, while the S1 will be available for $500 (roughly Rs. 32,000). Both are designed as step-up models for current point-and-shoot owners. In addition they also debuted the D3300, the new entry-level DSLR with a new lens dubbed the Mark-II. The D3300 is priced at $649 (roughly Rs. 41,000) along with the kit lens. The lens will also be available on its own for $249 (roughly Rs. 15,500).

Sony also unveiled the lightest (as claimed) interchangeable lens camera with Wi-Fi connectivity, the Sony Alpha 5000. The BIONZ X processor paired with the APS-C sized sensor on the Alpha 5000 along with the 20.1-megapixel shooting capabilities make it a robust shooter.

Wearable cameras
Another category of cameras that made a large impact at CES this year were from the wearable section. Polaroid launched its $99 (roughly Rs. 6,200) C3- a 1.3-inch square camera, which captures images at 720p or VGA video and 5-megapixel stills. With built-in magnets under the skin, multiple units can be attached to the wearer. It is also water resistant up till 6.5 feet. Another similar product, the MeMini camera Kickstarter project, also uses magnets to attach to the wearer and is priced at $169 for those who are helping fund the project. It can shoot 1080p HD video in a loop from five seconds to five minutes.

Liquid Image brought out the Ego LS 4G LTE camera, which can be clipped to a jacket, for a price tag of $199.99 (roughly Rs. 12,400). It records full-HD video at 30 fps or 720p video at 60fps, and can stream video live, via an accessory, over a 4G LTE network. The somewhat steeply priced Autographer $499 (roughly Rs. 31,000) uses the five onboard sensors ambient light, accelerometer, magnetometer, passive infrared motion, and temperature -- to determine when to shoot 5-megapixel stills (though there's a shutter release if you want to manually shoot, too). A built-in GPS module keeps track of where your shots are taken. The camera can capture up to 2,000 photos a day, shooting for up to 12 hours on a single charge, and can store 16,000 images.

Panasonic also debuted its first 4K Ultra HD wearable camera, an unnamed device that will launch in late-2014. The camera was capable of transmitting videos onto a larger screen via a mini-HDMI port and despite the compactness produced sharp videos.

Micromax Canvas LapTab with Android, Windows 8.1 dual-boot revealed at CES 2014

 

Micromax, the popular Indian mobile and tablet brand, has started its CES 2014 campaign with the unveiling of the Canvas LapTab tablet.The highlight feature of the Micromax Canvas LapTab tablet is its Android Jelly Bean and Windows 8.1 dual-boot functionality, however, the preceise Android version has not yet been revealed. As of now, the company has not revealed the pricing details of the Canvas LapTab tablet either. The company said the tablet device will go on sale in early February via e-commerce portals and retail stores across India. The company has also introduced a wireless keyboard cum protector sleeve for the tablet.
The Micromax Canvas LapTab, first reported by Engadget, comes with 10.1-inch display with a resolution of 1280x800 pixels. On the camera front, the tablet sports a 2-megapixel camera on both the rear and front panels. The tablet is powered by a 1.46GHz Intel Celeron N2805 processor alongside 2GB of RAM. The Canvas LapTab also comes with 32GB built-in storage, expandable by another 64GB. Other specifications of the Micromax Canvas LapTab include a 7400mAh battery, Bluetooth 4.0, Wi-Fi.
An earlier report had suggested that Micromax has been aiming at a global presence, with its upcoming high-end smartphones. The report revealed that in January, Micromax will start begin selling phones in Russia, followed by Romania, where competitors also include Samsung and Nokia.
The report also claimed that Micromax tried to tap the Brazilian and the Middle Eastern markets with basic phones, but did not manage to build scale and closed its operations.

Micromax Canvas LapTab key specifications

• 10.1-inch display with a resolution of 1280x800 pixels
• 1.46GHz processor
• 2GB of RAM
• Android Jelly Bean and Windows 8.1 dual-boot support
• 2-megapixel rear camera
• 2-megapixel front-facing camera
• 32GB built-in storage