Latest News - Page 2875

CES 2014 - Kingston displayed a prototype of a new type of USB flash drive for mobile phones. A study concluded that the maajority of phone users actually email pictures from thier phones to transfeer them to thier PC or laptop.

The concept is pretty simpe, one end of the USB drive connects to the micro-USB connector on the phone, allowing quick and easy access to the contents of the drive.

The other end of the drive is a standard USB 3.0 connector, which can be plugged into any typical laptop or computer. This allows the user to add or remove files on the computer, and then one can transfer files to or from the phone easily.

CES 2014 - We visited Plextor's CES showroom yesterday and found a broad range of new products that span several markets. Over the years, Plextor's image changed from optical products to consumer SSDs and now the company looks to just make it all SSDs.

First up is the new M6e, a PCIe 2.0 m.2 SSD that uses two lanes to outperform SATA based storage products. The M6e drives we saw at the booth include an adapter for desktop use. This makes the M6e the ultimate performance SSD since end users keep TRIM and avoid the hassles of RAID.

Moving closer to the mainstream consumer level, the M.2 form factor could dominate the notebook market with both SATA and PCIe based drives. M.2 products will cost less to manufacture when the economics of scale catch up.

CES 2014 -Seagate displayed it's new 5mm HDD's that stick with the standard SATA connection. For a complete view of the performance capabilities of the drive feel free to take a look at the Seagate Laptop Ultrathin HDD Review by our very own Tyler Bernath.

To give some perspective, I took a snap of the HDD next to my Samsung Galaxy Note 3. This thin profile allows this HDD to be deployed into just about any thin device.

The thin HDD's from Seagate's competitors feature a new edge connector, which hasn't made much headway in terms of mass adoption. The slow uptake, or lack thereof, of the edge connector has led Seagate to forgo use of the spec, since it is much more financially viable for companies to use existing standards at this point. Of course that could be subject to change in the future as devices shrink, but selling relevant products for today's market is Seagate's focus.

CES 2014 - During our visit with Lenovo, we got the chance to check out one of the coolest pieces of PC tech on display at CES. The Lenovo Horizon 2 is a 27-inch monster-sized tablet that when paired up with an optional stand, becomes what Lenovo is calling a Table PC.

As you can see in the video, the Horizon features a screen with either a 1920 x 1080 resolution, or a 2560 x 1440 resolution depending on the customer's budget, but unfortunately the stand will have to be purchased separately. The tablet / table PC runs on an Intel Core i7, NVIDIA graphics, and a battery large enough to keep the device running for 4 hours of continuous use. As you can see in the video, things like image manipulation, gaming, and everything else is quite fun on the device! Lenovo says that the Horizon 2 retails for $1499 and will hit shelves in June.

As Google edges closer to the consumer release of its Glass headset, the search giant has unveiled some brand guidelines for developers. Google is trying to maintain control over the way Glass is treated by third-party companies, in the way of its marketing and branding.

For example, Google wants the "G" in Glass to be capitalized, and that the term is never possessive or plural. This means that the search giant won't allow "Glasses" or "Glass's", which might get annoying, fast. Apple has been here, done that, where it removed "the" before its iPhone, iPad, and iPod products. Another example of walking the fine wearable walk with Glass, is that you should never have the word "Glass" in its name.

It provide an example, "Glass Cat Facts" and "Glassy Cat Photos" are not accepted, but "Cat Facts for Glass" is acceptable. Google also wants to see developers using #throughglass when sharing Glass content, which it says is for better "discoverability and aggregation". As for e-mails, it wants to see users use "Sent through Glass".

CES 2014 - Oculus VR unveiled its latest prototype Rift headset at the Consumer Electronics Show 2014 a few days ago, with a new 1920x1080-resolution, AMOLED-based display on-board. Not only that, but it had positional tracking abilities, which lifts it to an entire new category.

The new codenamed Crystal Cove headset took out the 2014 Best of CES prize, and rightly so, it sounds like a kick-ass upgrade to the already awesome product. It should only be success for Oculus from here on out, which has secured Doom and Quake god John Carmack, nearly $100 million in funding, with its latest funding round securing $75 million.

The machine to machine (M2M) industry will grow from a $45 billion market last year to an estimated $242 billion in 2022, according to the Strategy Analytics research group. The healthcare industry, consumer electronics, utilities and vehicles, and emergency all services will quickly control the M2M industry, with companies driving towards better efficiency. M2M helps enable data flow in both wired and wireless systems, with advanced frameworks available for industry specialists needing a customized service.

Healthcare, CE, Utilities and vehicles are areas that will see major revenue growth, through the driving out of inefficiency in existing processes as well as the creation of new service opportunities," said Andrew Brown, Strategy Analytics Executive Director of Enterprise and M2M research at Strategy Analytics, in a statement.

M2M is still in its infancy when compared to the tech market as a whole, but security, mobility, and cost containment are three major concerns. M2M operators need to carefully identify strategic partners and have an appropriate plan to reach newer customers unfamiliar with the benefits of M2M adoption.

Wireless carrier T-Mobile wants to poach subscribers from AT&T, Verizon Wireless and Sprint, and now is focusing on family plan subscribers. A recent survey revealed only 11 percent of AT&T and Verizon Wireless subscribers with shared data plans would be willing to switch in 2014, according to Strategy Analytics. As the battle in the booming 4G LTE market in 2014 increases, "cut-throat promotions" are expected to hit consumers later this year.

"Las Vegas has seen its share of famous fights, and this week at CES heavy weight defending champion AT&T (which shares the title with Verizon Wireless) dukes it out with mid-weight challengers T-Mobile and Sprint in the battle for the family plan," said Susan Welsh de Grimaldo, Strategy Analytics Director of Wireless Operator Strategies, in a blog post. "Sprint and T-Mobile are attacking the core source of scale at Verizon Wireless and AT&T - the family plan subscribers."

Mobile devices were on full display during CES 2014, as many companies showed off smartphones, tablets, mobile hotspots, and other cordless technologies. AT&T and Verizon might control the U.S. market, but constant pressure from T-Mobile, Sprint, and smaller carriers has steadily increased. Family plans are lucrative due to the number of wireless lines in the account, so consumers should see even better deals later this year. (Image: AP)

Mobile company OpenPeak is building relationships with AT&T, Deutsche Telekom, and other major wireless carriers seeking next-generation mobile security platforms. The SAMBA! (Safe Mobile Business Apps) will roll out as a managed software-as-a-service (SaaS) offering for Deutsche Telekom, providing secure Internet browsing, enterprise app store, and data security protocols.

"We're proud to provide carriers like Deutsche Telekom with a white-label enterprise mobility solution that they can brand, customize and sell directly to their customers," said Dan Gittleman, OpenPeak CEO, in a statement. "As a cloud-based solution, SAMBA! will evolve with our own efforts to improve the OpenPeak suite. We're committed to providing Deutsche Telekom and its customers with a solution that can meet the mobility challenges of the present and future."

There is a strong need for enterprise mobility solutions, as more employees and companies carefully embrace the 'bring your own device' craze.

CES 2014 - BenQ has announced a new monitor that will have serious gamers interested, the new RL2460HT. BenQ's RL2460HT monitor features the company's RevolutionEyes technology, which helps gamers' eyes during massive gaming sessions.

The new display is specifically optimized for real-time strategy (RTS), and first-person shooters (FPS). BenQ specifically mentions Call of Duty: Ghosts, MOBA-style games like StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm, League of Legends, and of course, Defense of the Ancients 2 (DotA 2), and even Mortal Kombat. Let's move onto specs, with the BenQ RL2460HT starting off as 24-inch monitor, which comes courtesy of its TN-based panel with "virtually no input lag" and "industry-leading 1 ms response time".

We have integrated speakers, two HDMI inputs, DVI, VGA, and SmartScaling for pro-gamers, which allows them to customize their screen viewing area for optimal viewing performance. BenQ has an ETA of Q1 2014 for its new RL2460HT, and a retail price of $249.

CES 2014 - Thermaltake always puts on a good showing at CES and 2014 is no exception. Earlier this week I got the chance to stop by their suite and check out some of the new and exciting products we can expect to see in 2014. Shannon Robb spent a few minutes walking me through several new cases, PSUs, and even some new cooling hardware.

The new Core V71 chassis is one of the cleanest PC chassis I have seen at CES this year, and is definitely an excellent choice for anyone wanting to build a rig destined to be heavily liquid cooled, or anyone needing a large amount of storage such as a server, or gaming box. Thermaltake also showed off some upcoming water cooling components including a new reservoir and pump combo along side a pump-less reservoir, and a complete line of compression fittings.

Almost 70 percent of consumers in the United States suffer from digital eye strain from continuous use of electronic devices, according to The Vision Council. As casual consumers become more comfortable with devices like smartphones and tablets, it seems there is major concern that digital eye strain will become more prevalent. The term digital eye strain explains two or more hours using a device with a digital screen - and includes dry, red and irritated eyes, fatigued eyes, blurred vision, headaches, and back, neck or shoulder pain.

"Digital eye strain has become a large concern for the vision community," said Ed Greene, The Vision Council CEO, in a statement. "Fortunately, the optical industry has made great strides in the past year to develop lens technologies that can best address the causes of digital eye strain. Like other glasses we rely on to read and see clearly, computer glasses are transforming the way we look at computer and handheld devices."

For better eye health, the "20-20-20" rule: After every 20-minute duration, take a short 20-second break while looking at something 20 feet away. When reading text or looking at a particular screen, either increase font size or zoom in.

CES 2014 - AMD is using CES 2014 to show off its new Nano PC, which is powered by the company's Mullins APU. AMD's Nano PC is a super small PC that sits on, or under your TV, and is capable of running Windows 8.1.

The Nano PC, even at its tiny size, features a camera, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and DockPort connectivity, as well as a 256GB SSD for storage. The Mullins APU is capable of driving the Nano PC without a problem, with reports stating that the tiny PC can play FIFA 14 at 1080p without a problem. We have a mini breakout box that provides USB and HDMI so that it can push the Nano PC's output to your TV.

Unfortunately, AMD won't be selling these Nano PCs direct, but instead will be offering them as a prototype to other manufacturers as a new HTPC/thin PC device.

Speaking to Australia's national newspaper, The Australian, Samsung representatives at CES have revealed that the oft-rumored quad-layer Blu-ray format--double the current standard, which could hold upwards of 100GB--will be revamped in preparation for the release of 4K Blu-ray discs by the end of the year.

Shunting aside the holographic standard and other tech prototypes, the 4K Blu-ray standard would seek to provide the world with the likely last physical home video format. In doing so, production costs could be kept down by manufacturing on current gen production lines, with a little tweaking.

Samsung revealed that the format is "good to go", save for the Blu-ray Disc Association having not selected which codec will be utilised. The current leading Blu-ray codec, AVC H.264, would seem to indicate it would be a good bet that the newer H.265 codec will be chosen; however, in recent times, numerous competitors have emerged, promising even more efficient encoding and other abilities.

CES 2014 - During today's visit with Acer, we got the chance to check out a new Windows 8 tablet as well as a new Chromebook that are being released in 2014. Acers new Iconia W4 appears to be the budget-friendly Windows tablet to consider in 2014, while its new Chromebook is the on-the-go consumers dream device.

Acers new Iconia W4 tablet features a ultra-sharp 1280x800 8-inch IPS display that is directly bonded to the protective glass which provides for a true HD experience while providing almost 180 degrees of viewing angle. A 4th Generation Intel Atom Clover Trail processor is on board and running at 1.8 GHz. Imaging duties are handled by a 2-megapixel front facing camera as well as a 5-megapixel rear shooter. A full copy of Windows 8.1 is onboard and includes a copy of office. The W4 felt quick, snappy, and overall felt like a very high-end tablet. The W4 retails for $329 for the 32GB version and $379 for the 64GB model.

While the C720 Touchscreen Chromebook has been out for a few months, Acer has expanded the line to include new colors, including a sleek, new MoonStone while color that is both ultra modern, and stylish. The entire chassis is white, giving the device a consistently stylish look from any angle. A touch enabled 11.6-inch HD LED back-lit display is present and features 10-points of touch sensitivity. The MoonStone White version will be available to the US market later this month at a pricing point of $299.

CES 2014 - This morning we got a chance to stop by the Digital Storm suite and check out their new Bolt II hybrid Steam Machine. Robert Wall, senior technician for Digital Storm gave us a full rundown of the new hybrid Windows and Steam OS system in the video below.

The Bolt 2 Steam Machine that was demoed featured an purpose-built custom case that is able to pack everything into a nice and tidy small form factor footprint. Processing power is handled by an Intel i7 4770k CPU along with 16GB of Corsair Dominator Platinum RAM. An NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780Ti handles the GPU duties while a Corsair H100i dual fan unit keeps the CPU running nice and cool. Air flow and lighting are controlled via Digital Storm's proprietary lighting and cooling module, and further adds to the uniqueness of this unit.

Power is handled by a normal ATX PSU up to 700W in size, and a pair of 30mm fans are installed to ensure no stagnant pockets of hot air form inside the chassis. Surprisingly the Bolt II is about as silent as a PC can get. While in the suite, I was unable to notice any noise at all coming from the device that was running under the flat-screen TV. Digital Storm says that the Bolt II will be priced from $1500 up to $2500 depending on component choices and features.

Video eye company Vuzix will beef up its M100 smart glasses by including the company's proprietary Nuance Communications voice recognition software. The M100 Google Android-powered wearable display glasses won't need a data connection or software update for the new embedded voice software. Simple voice commands can be used to control and navigate the M100 menu system, opening the door to better user interaction. The software will be available with the Vuzix M100 2.0 OS release set for later this year.

"Vuzix is focused on delivering powerful wearable technologies to the industrial, medical and prosumer markets," said Paul Travers, Vuzix CEO, in a statement. "By integrating Nuance's voice technology into our M100 platform, we've given our customers even greater flexibility in the way they can use our smart glasses to solve issues that challenge their business."

The consumer market is seeing tremendous interest in wearable electronics, such as smart glasses, but it's the enterprise that could lead to wider adoption. Companies now realize the importance of staying on the technology forefront, so don't be surprised to see wearable electronics everywhere.

CES 2014 - There aren't many thin gaming notebooks on the market outside of the Razer Blade, but it looks like GIGABYTE's new Aorus series will take care of that. GIGABYTE's Aorus is the company's new PC gaming hardware brand, which has started off with a new gaming notebook.

The Aorus X7 is a 17.3-inch gaming notebook which features Intel's Core i7-4700HQ processor, two NVIDIA GeForce GTX 765M GPUs in SLI, up to 32GB of RAM, a pair of 512GB SSDs and the storage is backed up by a 1TB mechanical HDD. All of this arrives in chassis that is just 0.9 inches thick, with two fans, four vents and five thermal pipes doing everything they can to keep GIGABYTE's Aorus X7 cool.

Connectivity wise we have dual HDMI ports, a mini DisplayPort and VGA socket that will drive up to three more monitors from the Aorus X7. GIGABYTE has provided some anti-ghosting keys, dedicated macro buttons on its backlit keyboard, a Killer NIC networking chip, and 802.11ac Wi-Fi to wrap things up. We should expect the GIGABYTE Aorus X7 to ship in March, with prices falling between $2,099 and $2,799.

CES 2014 - We all know Lenovo has some of the best notebooks on the market, but it has just refreshed its X1 Carbon notebook at the Consumer Electronics Show 2014 that is currently cranking along in Las Vegas.

The refreshed Thinkpad X1 Carbon offers a carbon fiber-constructed chassis, which weighs in at 2.8 pounds. Something unique that Lenovo has done with its X1 Carbon is provide an Adaptive Keyboard, which the company claims "dynamically adjusts based on the software or application being used to highlight the most relevant keys". The 14-inch display is of the anti-glare variety, with Lenovo offering up a 1600x900 or 2560x1440 resolution.

Lenovo has provided a rapid-charge technology, which will provide 80% of the total charge in under an hour, on top of a nine-hour battery. The pricing on the Lenovo Thinkpad X1 Carbon isn't bad, starting at $1,299. The refreshed X1 Carbon will be available starting at the end of the month.

CES 2014 - The Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2014 typically brings about joy for consumers and most companies, but Intel confirmed it would rename the McAfee Security brand. John McAfee, founder of the company that he later sold, now has a name of infamy bringing forth rather negative name recognition. Beyond John McAfee's wild personal issues, including a global search, wild spending and obscure blog posts, Intel is clearly interested in just moving forward.

It was just two years ago that Intel said there were no plans to change the McAfee name, but Intel wants to alter the company's public perception. In addition to a name change, product packaging and marketing will also reportedly be revamped.

During the Intel keynote, Intel CEO Brian Krzanich said his company will provide mobile security to smartphones, tablets, wearable electronics, and other mobile devices. Intel will release additional details related to the company's free mobile software for smartphone and tablet owners later this year.