Gaming at CES 2015: All the top gaming announcements

by Review Rulezz 11 January 2015

Our pick of the top gaming tech announcements at CES 2015

With CES 2015 in full swing, there have been plenty of gaming service and peripheral announcements of note.

The majority of the new gaming tech announced won’t actually go on sale until later this year, but you might want to use the round-up below to start your shopping list.

We’ll be updating this page with any new gaming announcements made at CES 2015, and let us know if you spot any we’ve missed.

MSI at CES 2015

Another batch of new hardware announcements came from MSI at this year's CES. MSI revealed five new products, including the innovative MSI GS30 Shadow and Gaming Dock.

MSI GT80 Titan SLI - A brand new gaming laptop with an integrated mechanical keyboar featuring Cherry MX Brown switches and a SteelSeries design. It comes packing dual nvidia GTX 980M GPUs in SLI and can supports up to 4x M.2 SATA SSDs in RAID 0 and 32GB of memory. The GT80 Titan will start shipping this month with prices starting at $3,399.99 (£2,550).

MSI GS30 Shadow and Gaming Dock - This innovative combo sees a 13.3-inch gaming laptop, measuring up at 0.77-inches thick and weighing less than 2.65lbs, paired with a Gaming Dock to enhance the power of the laptop when at home. The laptop itself features an Intel 4th Gen Core i7-4870HQ processor, 16GB DDR 1600MHz RAM and Iris Pro graphics.

The Gaming Dock itself allows you to use the processing power of a desktop GPU up to 14.3-inches in length, and add aditioanl storage via a 3.5-inch hard drive slot.

Read More : 10 Best Tech Innovations at CES 2015

The pair will go on sale later this month with prices starting at $1,700 (£1,200).

MSI GE 62 Apache - Another gaming laptops, but this time a more affordable option. It features a choice of Nvidia GTX 965M and GTX 970M graphics, dual exhaust system, SteelSeries gaming keyboard and actually weighs less than 2.7kg. The revamped design apparently extends battery life by 46 per cent too.

It will go on sale later this month, retailing from $1,399.99 (£950).

MSI AG240 All-In-One 4K Gaming PC - This AIO gaming PC comes with an UHD 4K display, 3x mSATA SSDs at RAID 0, the latest Intel processor, Nvidia GeForce 900M Series GPU, MSI's Anti-Flicker and Less Blue Light technology.

The AG240 will be available in March for $1,999 (£1322.75).

MSI AP16 All-In-One PC - The Flex is an AIO than enables users to go from traditional desktop to tablet mode thansk to a rotating kickstand that can be flipped back 90-degress for desktop mode or laid flat. It uses the Intel Bay Trail J1900 quad-core processor, LED backlight panel and fanless design.

it will go on sale in January with prices starting at $499 (£330).

Oculus VR at CES 2015

Oculus VR has shown off the new audio improvements within the current Oculus Rift prototype.

The specialised audio technology is similar to a surround sound system that is contained within the headset. So if you’re embroiled in a gun battle in the latest FPS title on Oculus rift, all gunshots will be heard coming from the right direction.

These audio improvements come in the form of the Crescent Bay Oculus Rift headset – a new, lightweight headset that comes with built-in sonics.

There’s still no word on an official release date for the Oculus Rift, despite the promise of a 2015 consumer launch.

Intel at CES 2015

Intel’s 5th Generation chips finally released
It’s been a long time, with numerous delays, but Intel finally released its 5th Generation chips.

Ten new 15W processors, all with Intel HD Graphics and four new 28W processors with Intel Iris Graphics were all announced. Intel also revealed that a variety of manufacturers are set to launch new products kitted out with the new 5th Generation chips.

The new processors use Intel’s 14nm process and claim to deliver up to 24% better graphical performance, 50% faster video conversion and improve battery life by up to an hour and a half.
 

Nvidia at CES 2015

Nvidia Tegra X1 unveiled as "mobile super chip"
The huge reveal from Nvidia at CES 2015 was the Nvidia Tegra X1. It follows on from the seriously impressive Nvidia Tegra K1, found in the Nvidia Shield Tablet.

The 64-bit Tegra X1 offers double the performance of its predecessor, though, with 256 processor cores.

That architecture means the X1 can exceed 1 teraflop and can handle 4K video playback at 60Hz.

Nvidia was also quick to highlight that during its Unreal Engine 4 Elemental demo, the Tegra X1 was only using 10W of power. Comparatively, the Xbox One needs 100W to run the same test, highlighting the power efficiency of the Tegra X1.

Read More : The most awesome drones and quadcopters we've seen at CES 2015

Tegra X1 behind the new Drive CX automotive focus
That powerful new processor will be the driving force behind Nvidia’s new in-car direction, too. Nvidia Drive CX is the digital cockpit bound for the cars of the near-future.

It runs on the Tegra X1 and is capable of powerful multiple in-car displays up to 16.6 megapixels. Nvidia also foresees the CX powering features like speech and image recognition.

With Drive CX comes the similarly named Drive PX. This features two X1 processors that can process camera inputs from up to 12 cameras positioned around the vehicle.

Drive PX utilises computer-vision technology to recognise objects around the car, including potential hazards such as pedestrians.
 

Razer at CES 2015

Razer takes on the Android TV market with the Razer Forge TV
Razer is stepping out with one of the first Android TV set-top boxes, and the Razer Forge TV is definitely one with a strong gaming focus.

Running on a 2.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 805 processor with 2GB of RAM and an Adreno 420 GPU, the Forge TV also comes with 16GB of internal storage as standard.

It runs Android TV, but it also uses the new Razer Cortex: Stream gaming launcher, which will arrive in beta in the spring.

The Forge TV is a dinky little box, not unlike its rival the Amazon Fire TV. Razer’s box measures up at 105 x 105 x 17mm, while the Amazon Fire TV is 115 x 115 x 17.5mm – neither making much of an impact on your TV setup.

Accessory wise, Razer also introduced the Razer Serval game controller – another Android gamepad with a distinct Xbox 360 design and feel to it. You'll be able to buy the controller and Forge TV set-top box as a bundle for about £149.99. The box alone will be around the £99 mark.

For those looking for a more PC-like experience, Razer also outed the Razer Turrent keyboard and gaming mouse combo.




Razer to launch open-source VR headset in 2015Razer has revealed its plans to launch its own virtual reality headset and open-source software initiative, called OSVR (Open-Source Virtual Reality).

OSVR is a new group formed to promote interoperability around VR gaming, and Razer is the first to lay its cards out on the OSVR table.

The VR headset developer’s kit is on show and fully functional at CES and features a gyroscope, accelerometer and compass. It also has a surround-sound codec for developers to add 3D audio to their games.

The headset’s internal display runs at 1920 x 1080 Full HD, with the optical elements within fully adjustable.

It also has USB ports for connecting controllers or other peripherals.

Razer has confirmed it will make all the schematics and 3D files available to download, so people can make their own versions or customise the design to their liking.

When Razer’s OSVR Hacker Dev Kit is released in June 2015 it'll cost $200, but some select devs are being allowed access now.

Any software written for Unity 3D or Unreal 4 Engine will run on the Razer VR headset, too.

PlayStation at CES 2015

PlayStation Vue coming to US this quarterThe cloud TV service, PlayStation Vue, will be launched in the US in full sometime during Q1 2015.

As revealed during the Sony CES 2015 press conference, PlayStation Vue will arrive early this year and be available on a month-by-month subscription service.

Sony hasn’t yet confirmed the pricing for its cloud TV service in the US, but at least we know vaguely when it'll arrive.

Currently there are 75 channels to PlayStation Vue’s name, including big players such as Discovery, NBC, CBS, Fox and Viacom.

US and Canadian PlayStation Now subscription pricing revealedPlayStation Now subscription pricing has been officially confirmed for the US.

The subscription options will be available from Tuesday, January 13 in the US and Canada, on the PS4 only to begin with. Other PlayStation Now devices will follow at a later date.

Gamers will have the choice of two different subscription plans. There’s the $19.99 per month option, or you can pay $44.99 for a three-month rolling membership, which gives you a saving of $4.99 a month.

There will be a seven-day free trial to take advantage of, too.

The subscription plan gives you unlimited access to the over 100 PS3 games that are currently available now. You won’t get access to the other PlayStation Now titles at this stage, though.

Global PS4 sales top 18.5 millionPS4 sales around the world have now surpassed 18.5 million units, with over 4.1 million units sold during the Christmas period alone.

As for the UK, the PS4 was the best-selling console in 2014, even during the final week and peak selling season of November and December combined.

Turtle Beach in CES 2015

A batch of new Turtle Beach Xbox One headsetsTurtle Beach lifted the lid on a trio of new Xbox One headsets at CES this year.

The main focus is the Turtle Beach Elite 800X, a brand-new wireless gaming headset for the Xbox One. It’s the first for the Xbox One to come with active noise cancellation and an invisible boom-less microphone.

The Elite 800X comes with DTS 7.1-channel surround sound along with customisable presets for defining your audio preferences.

Like the PS4 version, it comes with a magnetic charging stand, too.

The other two headsets for the Xbox One announced at CES 2015 are the XO Seven Pro and the XO Four Stealth.

The XO Seven Pro is officially licensed by Major League Gaming and comes with a new feature called Superhuman Hearing. The audio technology makes things that are usually softer, like an enemy’s footprints, easier to hear.

The XO Four Stealth is the lighter option and is designed to be compatible with mobile devices, too.

It features 50mm neodymium speaker drivers, removable mic and fold-flat ear cups. There’s also a special Ear Force Headset Audio Controller, putting bass boost, master volume, chat volume and mic mute controls at your fingertips.

Pricing and release dates for all apart from the Elite 800X, which will go on sale in June, have yet to be confirmed.

Turtle Beach doesn’t forget about PC eitherPreviously launched in Germany, the following Turtle Beach PC components will arrive in the UK sometime in the Spring.
 

Read More : The most awesome drones and quadcopters we've seen at CES 2015

Turtle Beach Impact 700 – A metal-reinforced gaming keyboard with laser-engraved, backlit Cherry MX Brown keys, a full-sized chassis, gunmetal keycap plate and full anti-ghosting. It also comes with 3.5mm mic and audio jacks, two USB 2.0 ports with direct audio pass-through for a gaming headset and mouse.

Turtle Beach Impact 500 – A mechanical gaming keyboard for PC and Mac with Cherry Blu MX mechanical switches, a soft-touch, metal-reinforced chassis and a minimalist keycap layout for a smaller footprint.

Turtle Beach Grip 300 – An affordable, optical 5-button scrollwheel gaming mouse with the Avago 3050 optical sensor and Omron switches. It has an illuminated scrollwheel, logo and hardware switches for adjusting DPI from 500 to 1750 and polling rate from 125 to 1000Hz.

Mad Catz at CES 2015

Mad Catz storms CES with an army of peripheralsYou can safely say that Mad Catz put in a lot of effort at this year’s CES. The company pulled tonnes of products out of the metaphorical bag, including the following three headsets, the insane L.Y.N.X. 9 gaming controller and a gaming mouse.

Mad Catz F.R.E.Q. 9 – A Bluetooth wireless gaming headset that comes with AM3D Audio technology and an integrated boom-free microphone. You also get a special adapter box with the headset, allowing it to connect to a standard digital optical or analogue source.

It also comes with Active Noise Cancellation technology for background noise reduction and Binaural Monitoring for tracking ambient noise. It will start shipping later this month.
 
Mad Catz F.R.E.Q. TE – A stereo gaming headset for the PC and Mac part of the Mad Catz Tournament Edition range. It comes with a uni-directional boom mic, 50mm speakers within padded memory foam ear cups and on-ear controls for easy access.

It connects to your PC or Mac’s sound card via 3.5mm headphone jack.

Mad Catz Tritton Swarm – A wireless mobile gaming headset that comes with Bluetooth connectivity and a wired connection option for PC, Mac, gaming consoles and mobile devices. It has aptX technology to combat lip-sync issues found in some Bluetooth headsets, and AM3D Audio for 3D sound.

Mad Catz L.Y.N.X. 9 – A mobile hybrid controller that's the Swiss Army Knife of mobile game controllers. It can be assembled in different configurations to accommodate a 7-inch tablet, smartphone, mini QWERTY keyboard or just act as a standalone controller. It has an integrated mousepad for navigation and connects to a variety of Android, PC and Smart TV devices via Bluetooth.

It's available to order now for a whopping $299.99.

Mad Catz R.A.T. PRO X – A gaming mouse built from a magnesium alloy chassis for lightness and strength and featuring a new Scroll Wheel system. Compatible with PC, it incorporates Modular Sensor Units (MSU) so you can swap out the sensor according to play style.

SteelSeries at CES 2015

SteelSeries keeps its eye on game streamers with the Sentry Eye Tracker...
Powered by Tobii technology, the company behind the leading eye trackers, the SteelSeries Sentry Eye Tracker was announced at CES 2015.

It's capable of tracking eye movement in real time and overlaying that directly onto the screen, so that viewers watching the live stream can see exactly where the players are looking.

SteelSeries are working with eSports professionals to test the software and establish peak performance, which will really benefit average competitive gamers when they come to use it.

It can be bought now for £159.99 from the SteelSeries website.

...while its fingers are busy with the SteelSeries Apex M800 KeyboardThe Apex M800 is a brand-new mechanical gaming keyboard from SteelSeries, which the company is claiming is the fastest and most customisable available worldwide.

It has an LED surface mounted on every key, with colour choices numbering 16.8 million. The mechanical switches within are said to deliver 25% faster actuation than the standard mechanical keyboard, too.

Again, this is available now and retails for £159.99.

HP at CES 2015

HP launches gaming-focused 4K, 5K and curved displaysAttempting to take on rivals including Apple and its 5K Retina iMac, HP has revealed several gaming-focused monitors, including a 5K resolution option.

The HP Z27q is a 27-inch monitor with a 5K resolution, working out at a 218ppi image density. It uses a 16:9 aspect ratio, features four USB 3.0 ports. It will cost around the $1299/£850 mark when it goes on sale in March.

Then HP also announced two 4K monitors, the Z24s and Z27s. Both monitors use a 16:9 aspect ratio, but the former is a 23.8-inch display and the latter is the more substantial 27-inch variant.

At that resolution the Z24s has an image density of 185ppi, while the Z27s has a 163ppi image density.

Both monitors come with an array of connectivity options, including Mini DisplayPort, HDMI and four USB 3.0 ports.

The Z27s is going on sale this month for $749/£490, while the Z24s won’t be available until April for $549/£360.

HP unveiled a curved monitor too, with a 34-inch 3440 x 1440p resolution, falling just short of the 4K mark. It has a 12:9 aspect ratio and a price tag of $999/£655 when it goes on sale in April.

Nyko at CES 2015

Upgrade your PS4 HDD with the Data Bank for PS4Currently the PS4 is only compatible with 2.5-inch SATA HDD, but with the Nyko Data Bank, you can kit out your PS4 with a beefier, larger 3.5-inch HDD. It attaches to the to the top of the console and replaces the 2.5-inch hard drive.

3.5-inch HDD tend to be faster and offer larger storage sizes but for cheaper prices, so this could well be a nifty – albeit pretty ugly – solution to a full PS4 hard drive.

It will be released in the first half of 2015, but there's no word on pricing as yet.

The Nyko Type Pad allows for quick text input
If you're irritated by the text input options on the PS4, despite there being quite a few of them, you might be interested in the Nyko Type Pad. it plugs into the headphone jack on the DualShock 4 and enables QWERTY keyboard text input for any Bluetooth keyboard-enabled games and apps.

It will also be available sometime in the first half of 2015, but again no price has been detailed.




We'll keep you posted if and when any more tech gaming announcements arrive from CES. Feel free to give us your thoughts on the latest news in the comments below.

Read More : The most awesome drones and quadcopters we've seen at CES 2015

Read more ...

10 best tech innovations of CES 2015

 by Review Rulezz 11 January 2015

Tech to watch out for in 2015

CES is where we get to see many of the most important innovations that’ll shape the tech to come later in the year. At CES 2015, most companies decided to save their big phone announcements for MWC in February and beyond.

However, among the gyrocopters, the 10,000 fitness bands and the mountains of gimmicky iPhone accessories, there were some real tech innovations to see: things that will guide what will be released in the next 12 months and beyond.

From next-generation TVs to smart wearbles and some great baby-steps towards VR gaming in your home, you should all be very excited. Bring on 2015.

1. Intel Curie

A computer the size of a button? Intel Curie could be an incredibly important piece of hardware for low-power wearable tech of the future.

At present, a good deal of the wearables we use have smartphone processors, which naturally limits how small and efficient they can get. Curie is a natural evolution of Edison, the postage stamp-sized SoC we met at CES last year.

Its very limited processor power means it won’t be suitable for Android Wear devices and the like, but for other simpler smartwatches it could be a route to the holy grail: a proper smartwatch that lasts for more than a week on a single battery charge. Curie’s going to start shipping in the second half of 2015. Fingers crossed we’ll see Curie-powered prototype devices before the end of the year.

2. Panasonic’s 4K Blu-ray player

Look, we know Blu-rays are not long for this world. Even with the 4K Blu-ray standard on the way, it seems a stop-gap before a fully streamed future where physical media will seem quite archaic.

However, for now, getting 4K on physical media is important. Not everyone uses Netflix (the primary source of 4K for many), and the quality of 4K streams can’t match what 4K Blu-ray would offer.

Panasonic showed off the first 4K Blu-ray player prototype at CES 2015. It’s a sleek brushed-metal box expected to go on sale towards the end of the year. Yes, 4K Blu-ray really isn’t moving fast. Who’d have thought we’d think of Blu-ray as a lumbering old dinosaur already?

3. Oculus Rift gets surround sound

Few gadgets tick as many tech nerd boxes as the Oculus Rift VR headset. It offers 3D gaming, a cinematic perspective, and now positional surround sound audio.

As a step forward in the development of the existing Crystal Cove prototype model, Oculus VR showed off positional surround sound with head tracking demos at CES 2015. This will essentially get you an audio experience that fully matches up with the visuals bombarding your eyeballs.

We always knew plain stereo wouldn't really cut it, but that Oculus is out to ace every element of the equation before even shipping its first consumer-facing Oculus Rift is a sign of good things to come. When is the headset going to be released? We still don’t know. The better this thing gets, the more frustrated we become. But only because we want one.



Read More : Gaming at CES 2015

4. Netflix HDR 4K, partnered with LG’s HDR OLEDs

Netflix continues to prove itself a real fast-acting supporter of the latest moves in video standards. It was reasonably quick to offer 3D, has become one of the main 4K sources and now has revealed its plans to introduce HDR video in 4K.

We encounter HDR more commonly in photography, where it’s used to reveal details in highlights or shadow areas that would either appear overexposed or hidden in darkness. Many phones can even shoot video in HDR, and it’s now being positioned by some as the next move in movies and TV.

As with 3D, we’ll have to wade through plenty of content that has simply been tweaked for HDR, where shadow areas have been tweaked more than usual in post-production, but in coming years we’ll likely hear of movies ‘shot in HDR’. To avoid HDR content looking washed-out, you need a TV with superior dynamic range, and Netflix’s demo used an upcoming LG OLED 4K TV that offers much brighter whites than the current models. And they’re pretty bright to begin with.

5. Samsung SUHD TVs with Quantum Dot and HDR

Our experiences with TVs last year convinced us OLED TVs are the future. However, Samsung’s doing its best to convince us otherwise with its new SUHD TVs – that stands for Super UHD if you’re wondering.

It’s an LCD-based system, but one that uses numerous new and new-ish bits of tech to offer picture quality far in advance of what we got from last year’s LCDs.

Not only is it primed for HDR footage with brightness of up to 500 nits, but Quantum Dot technology also gets you created colour range than ever. It involves an extra layer in the TV's make-up that allows for very vivid, but natural, colour.

This is one of the most vibrant, dazzling TVs we’ve seen to date.

LG also showed off a Quantum Dot TV, the UF9400, but we think its already-announced 4K OLEDs are the most interesting in its line-up.

Related: Quantum Dot TVs explained

6. Toyota’s freeing up of hydrogen fuel cell patents

All big corporations are evil. It’s easy to believe. But Toyota made moves this CES 2015 that border on altruistic.

It has released 5680 patents it holds regarding fuel cells and related technologies, meaning other companies will be able to use the company's hard work royalty-free. The idea is this will encourage other manufacturers to start investigating and using fuel cell tech.

Talking of the value of these patents, and how much money the company has spend working on these technologies, Toyota’s Bob Carter said, “the best I can give you is, it’s enormous.” Companies still have to apply to use the patents, and the deal only holds to 2020, but should help other hydrogen fuel cell cars appear much more quickly.

Toyota plans to launch the first hydrogen fuel cell car the Mirai in 2015.

7. Google Nest’s ‘Works with Nest’ tech

Google is in your computer. Google is in your phone. Google will soon be in your TV and it’ll soon be in your home. At CES 2015, Google’s Nest announced its Works with Nest partnerships, which let a Nest smart thermometer system hook up with other devices.

These are existing or upcoming smart gadgets that can be controlled within the Nest system. It’s a big step forward to the smart home ideal of your dreams (or possibly nightmares).

Works with Nest devices include Philips Hue lights, the Jawbone UP24 fitness band, Whirlpool washing machines and Dropcam home security cameras.

The roster of Nest-compliant gadgets is only set to increase throughout 2015 too, so if you were considering a £180 smart thermometer, now's a good time.

8. Nvidia Tegra X1

The next step on from last year’s impressive Tegra K1 is the Tegra X1. NVIDIA says it's twice as powerful as its predecessor – if so that’s a breathtaking amount of power for a chipset planned for mobile devices.

The Tegra X1 is based on the Maxwell GPU desktop architecture, and has a 256-core graphics chip. We think the GPU will prove to the the biggest deal of this GPU/CPU combo, but the 20nm 8-core CPU part is impressive, too.

With enough power to output to two 4K monitors, it really does have the grunt we associate more commonly with desktop processors. Nvidia says the Tegra X1 will end up powering car UIs, but we’d also like to see what it can do in a phone or tablet. It may be a pretty obvious step-up from the last model, but it sure has a lot of power on tap.

Read More : The most awesome drones and quadcopters we've seen at CES 2015

9. Sony Smart B-Trainer

At first glance, the Sony Smart B-Trainer seems pretty conventional. It looks like a pair of behind-the-neck headphones, but actually represents a very smart approach to wearables – a market with a scattergun approach like an orchestra of sawn-off shotguns.

It is an audio player, sure enough, but also encompasses an accelerometer, a GPS chip and a heart rate sensor. The Sony Smart B-Trainer is an all-in-one fitness gadget, more-or-less.

If you think about it, this makes more sense for regular runners than a GPS smartwatch like the Moto 360. GPS kills battery, and with a fitness-only gadget like this, you can simply leave it to charge once you’ve finished your run. It’s refreshingly sensible.

Our one worry: will the heart-rate sensor have the stability to offer good accuracy? While the area under your ear is a traditional pulse point, this one seems to measure from in your ear, and the B-Trainer may move about too much to offer anything like the reliability of a HR-equipped runner’s watch.

10. The rise of Android TV

Google TV was a total flop. But if CES 2015 is anything to go by, Android TV is going to be massive. Sony, Sharp and Philips (TP Vision) are all to widely adopt the new platform in their 2015 TVs, where Google TV was only used in a few sets.

While we’re yet to see whether Android TV will be as good as we hope, it promises to offer much of the same streaming capabilities you get in a Chromecast dongle. That’s particularly good news for Android phone owners.

It has an awful lot of competition, though. LG is barrelling forward with WebOS 2.0, which promises to be great just like the first version. Samsung is modifying its Tizen OS to work with TVs: fingers crossed it’ll be sound. Panasonic is betting on Firefox OS. Given our experience with the system in phones: good luck with that one, Panasonic.

Read More : Gaming at CES 2015

Read more ...

The best (and worst) smart home tech at CES 2015 so far

Smart Home at CES 2015: What's smart and what's not?

 by Review Rulezz 07 January 2015

Our pick of the best (and worst) smart home tech at CES 2015

We've barely started CES 2015 and we've already seen lots of smart tech and smart home gadgets aiming to convince people to part with their cash.

We'll be updating this page with the best and worst examples throughout the show, as clearly the 'Internet of Things' is a bandwagon many a tech firm wants to jump aboard, albeit with mixed results.

TempTraq – A smart thermometer for infants

What is it?A prototype for a temperature tracking patch that you place on an infants underarm. It's billed as a safe and non-intrusive way to track an infant's temperature when it's ill. A built-in flexible battery lasts 24 hours. The idea is you only use this during a period of illness, so you don't have to wake or disturb them to take a temperature. The data is tracked in an app that allows you to make notes of when medication was taken and so forth, so you can verify the effect.

How smart is it?It's smart, that much is for certain, but no one at TrustedReviews can agree whether it's a good thing. There's a slight sense that this panders to obsessive parenting and could lead to parents overreacting to small changes, or ignoring medical advice based on misleading data.

How much is it?No price is available yet

When can I buy it?Not any time soon as it's pending FDA approval.

VerdictAn interesting idea, but one with some potentially troubling implications.

Smarter Coffee – A smart coffee machine that knows what you need

 

What is it?A bean-to-cup coffee machine with a difference. It's app-controlled, but it's a lot more than that. The app lets you set schedules, such as to make you coffee in the morning. It will also let you control the strength, warn you when the coffee or water is empty and keep your coffee warm while you slowly awaken from your deep slumber.

How smart is it?Pretty smart and potentially even smarter thanks to integration with IFTTT, smart wearables and Apple's Home Kit. Integration with select fitness trackers allows the Smarter Coffee to suggest a stronger brew after a bad night's sleep, and the 'Welcome Home' feature will ask if you want a cup when you get home.

How much is it?Just £129.99, so it's about the same price as other bean-to-cup machines on the market.

When can I buy it?We don't have a date yet, but it should be in the first half of this year.

VerdictA neat little prospect provided the coffee quality is up to muster

Read More : Gaming at CES 2015

Parrot Pot – The smart, self watering plant pot

What is it?A Bluetooth enabled plant pot that measures soil moisture, fertilisation, ambient temperature and light exposure. It feeds this information to an app, but the smart bit comes with the built-in water reservoir. This lets the Parrot Pot automatically water your plant based on the data. It has enough water to keep going for a month, so it's perfect if you go away for long periods often.

How smart is it? Very, we think. It's a luxury item, obviously, but if you go away often and have house plants that need regular upkeep then this could be a godsend. If you'd rather use your own pot, meanwhile, the Parrot H20 does the same job and attaches to a standard plastic bottle.

How much is it?There's no price at present.

When I buy it?Sometime this year, that's all we know.

VerdictA clever solution for the lazy, the forgetful and the absent.

Velvetwire Powerslayer Blu – The smart phone charger

What is it?The second generation of 'smart phone charger' that adds Bluetooth connectivity. The original automatically stopped charging your device when it was fully charged, which in theory should prolong the life of the battery as it won't 'over charge'. This new Bluetooth version adds app connectivity. It will notify you when your phone is fully charged and tell you how long it will take to charge. You can also set the amount you need it to be charged, and it will tell you how long that will take.

How smart is it?We really like this. It's simply but useful. It's the kind of thing we expect phone makers to implement in future, but we only say that now we've seen it. Velvetwire also claims the charger is faster than stock ones, though this is hard to verify.

How much is it?In the region of $80, but that isn't confirmed yet. It's only available in the US, though it is importable.

When can I buy it?It will go on sale on Velvetwire's website this month.

VerdictSmart in a simple way. Might be a tad expensive, but we can excuse that if it works properly.

Read More : 10 Best Tech Innovations at CES 2015

Ring Video Doorbell – The ultimate doorbell

What is it?
It's in the name, it's a video doorbell. It's basically an IP camera that's activated when someone presses the doorbell. You then get a notification that opens the app and a video feed with the option to accept or deny whomever has come knocking. It has two-way audio, night vision, motion detection and can be run off a built-in battery that lasts a year or off a mains wire.

How smart is it?Very smart, we like this one. It does a lot of small useful things, including some security benefits. It lets you pretend to be at home and means you can instruct couriers to deliver items to specific neighbours or leave them in a specific location. It's useful in loads of different ways.

How much is it?It's $199, so not cheap, but then you could pay as much for a top-end IP security cam. It's worth it.

When I can buy it?It's already on sale on the company's website. It ships from the US, but there's no barrier to importing.

VerdictIt's a winner.

Brio Smart Power Outlet – The safe and smart wall socket

What is it?
An Internet-connected wall socket that gives you control using an app, but its party trick is a clever safety system. It can detect when a genuine socket needing power is attached, which means anyone who inserts a foreign metal object won't get zapped. It's billed as the perfect solution for protecting kids, and the firm plans a range of complementary devices.

How smart is it?
Pretty smart, we'd say, though that doesn't mean we'd go out and buy one straight away. Each socket costs $49.99, so fitting out your home with them would prove costly, and the safety aspect is the smartest element here. Still, it's done something neat and innovative, and the idea of controlling wall sockets remotely could add some benefits.

How much is it? $49.99 for a single socket. It's only available in the US at the moment.

When can I buy it?
It's already available in the US after a successful Kickstarter campaign

Verdict
We're not 100% sold yet, but it's not a total waste of time.

Read More : The most awesome drones and quadcopters we've seen at CES 2015

Netatmo Welcome – A face recognising security cam

What is it?
The Netatmo Welcome is a IP security camera with a few extra tricks and a rather neat, eye-catching design. Its main talent is face recognition. Leave it by the front door and it'll recognise the people coming in and out, sending you notifications when they do.

This means you can use it to let you know when your kids arrive home, for example. Better still, it supports IFTTT (If This, Then That), which means you can set up actions that occur when it sees someone it recognises. Netatmo will also provide door sensors that communicate with the camera to tell it when doors have been left open.

How smart is it?
Support for IFTTT certainly helps here, as there are some potentially helpful uses for the creatively minded. We like the door sensor idea, too, though it's one we've seen other companies use before. A great deal rides on how reliable the face recognition element is.

How much is it?
Pricing to be confirmed, but we were told £200 (~$300) is a decent estimate.

When can I buy it? We're told Q2, which means in the April to June period.

Verdict It has potential.

LilyPad Smart Pool Thermometer and UV Sensor

What is it?
A plastic disc that floats in your swimming pool and measures the temperature and the outdoor UV light. The 'smart' bit comes from an app that recommends what type of sun cream you should use based on your skin type and the current UV light intensity.

How much is it? It's priced at £78, €99 and $99 respectively

How smart is it?
Ugh, not very. Measuring UV light and making recommendations sounds smart, but it's also totally unnecessary. It's an expensive way to complicate something very simple. We really don't need tech like this as a substitute for common sense and vigilance.

When can I buy it?
It's already on sale in the UK and Europe and available for pre-order in the US right now.

Verdict A solution in search of a problem.

Stay tuned for more updates, including a temperature-tracking patch for infants and a smart coffee machine

Read more ...

The most awesome drones and quadcopters we've seen at CES 2015

by Review Rulezz 11 January 2015 

Fly these near an airport and you will get arrested...

This is the year of the drone. We saw plenty in 2014, but if CES 2015 is anything to go by then they're going to be more affordable, accessible and widely available than ever before. Here are some of the best drones and quadcopters we've seen as CES 2015.

Zano – The Autonomous, intelligent, swarming nano drone

Zano is a British effort that's recently passed £2 million in its Kickstarter pledge – that's quite a lot of money. It's easy to see why it's so exciting when you look at what it can do, though. Not only is it small, it's smart and promises to be easy to fly.

Simplicity is key. It has sonar and infrared to detect obstacles and ensure it avoids them, and it will fly back to you if it senses it's too far away or if power is low. Basically, it accounts for the ineptitude of its operator, which is definitely a good thing.

At just 55g, it's very small and light, yet it crams in some awesome features. It has 5-megapixel camera with image digital image stabilisation, and an 8x8 RGB pixel display that you can use to display animations or use as a camera flash.



Everything is controlled via apps for iOS and Android. Flight time ranges between 10 to 15 minutes, with an 15 to 30-metre optimal operating range. The final awesome trick is a follow mode where Zano will stay at a constant distance from you as you walk around.

Of all the drones we've seen at CES, this is the one we'd consider buying.

Read More : Smart Home Tech at CES 2015

DJI Inspire 1 – App controlled quadcopter with 4K video

 

At the complete opposite end of the spectrum is the DJI Inspire 1, which sells for $3,399. This large quadcopter can be operated using an advanced smartphone app, or dedicated professional controls.

Its party trick is that the arms lift out of sight, allowing the operating a complete 360-degree view with the camera without the blades getting in the way.

Related: The best (and worst) smart home tech at CES 2015 so far



The Inspire 1 camera shoots 4K video, 12-megapixel photos and can shoot in Adobe DNG RAW. Its suspended on the 360-degree rotating gimbal, though the field of view is restricted to 94 degrees.

Unsurprisingly for such an expensive drone, the numbers are impressive. It has a max descent of 5m/s and top forward speed of 22m/s. It can fly at up to 4,500m, plenty high enough for serious aerial photography.

Read More : Gaming at CES 2015

 Micro Drone 3.0 – Tiny, modular micro-copter with camera support

After two successful versions, UK company Extreme Fliers is planning its next Kickstarter drive with the Micro Drone 3.0. This is much more of a toy than the other in this list, but it's very fun one.

The coolest ability is how the Micro Drone 3.0 can correct itself automatically when thrown in the air upside down. It's incredibly manoeuvrable, zipping around at breakneck speeds and doing flips with ease.



It's also the only drone of its size that can carry a camera, it even supports a mini gimbal. The current version costs less than £100, making it a great way to try out drones without emptying your wallet entirely.

Perhaps the best feature, however, is support for Google Cardboard. Don the DIY VR headset and you can see what the camera sees as you fly. This is the kind of toy we'd happily waste some time playing with.

More at CES 2015

Read more ...

CES 2015

by Review Rulezz 30 December 2014

 

CES 2015 is just days away. Here's everything you need to know about from show dates and attendees to the likely big announcements and upcoming trends.

The 2015 Consumer Electronics Show kicks off on January 6, so our thoughts have inevitably started straying to the biggest tech gathering of the year.

Over the space of four days (January 6 - 9), many of the world’s biggest tech companies will descend on Las Vegas to reveal what’s in store for the coming year. Preceding the show, January 5 will likely act as a press day, with the likes of Samsung, Sony, LG and company all holding dedicated conferences to make major announcements.

Historically a show for the TV industry to show off its coming wares, CES has expanded to be so much more. Here are some of the tech trends plus the confirmed and rumoured announcements to look out for during CES 2015.

Early outing for Samsung Galaxy S6

Now this really could be a turn up for the books but the rumour mill has gone into overdrive in recent weeks that the Galaxy S5 successor could make an appearance at CES 2015. The latest iteration of Samsung’s flagship is usually reserved for an unveiling around February or March to coincide with Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.

Among the Samsung Galaxy S6 specs rumoured include a 5.5-inch display, a 20-megapixel camera and the inclusion of a Cat. 10 LTE Exynos chip. While it might sound unlikely for Samsung to alter its launch plans, the welcome changes in design as seen with the Galaxy Note 4 and Galaxy Alpha after the S5 launched could have persuaded the company to fast track the S6 to get it out ahead of whatever Apple, Sony, HTC and LG have planned for 2015.

Do Read : Upcoming Samsung Galaxy S6 leaked reports

Kodak's first Android smartphone

It looks like the unveiling of the Panasonic Lumix CM1 camera/smartphone hybrid could start a trend with Kodak confirming plans to show off its first Android-based smartphone at this year's show. Putting camera features at the heart of the handset, the Kodak cameraphone will come with pre-loaded bspoke image capture, management and sharing features, while users will also be able to print photos instantly.

That’s not all from Kodak at CES either. The iconic imaging company also plans to show off a range of headphones, an action camera and even a smart baby monitor.

LG goes big with Art Slim and Quantum Dot TVs

Historically, CES is a show that’s been about TVs and the Korean manufacturer is not going to buck the trend in 2015 with plans to show off new LCD displays it’s calling Art Slim. Set to be some of the slimmest and lightest panels available, the screens will be offered in 55-inch and 65-inch models.

These super-slim screens will sit alongside LG’s line of 4K TVs packing quantum dot LCD technology. The new range will offer a wider colour palette and superior colour saturation in a similar way to Sony’s Triluminous display technology.

Read More: Quantum Dot explained

Xiaomi breaks out

Of all the exciting smartphone news that we’re expecting from CES 2015 - and bear in mind that most of the bigger announcements tend to happen later in the year, is that Xiaomi will use the event to launch phones in the West.

We’ve been waiting for this for some time now. Xiaomi is the third biggest smartphone manufacturer in the world, but that’s thanks to its massive success in its native China.

However, Xiaomi has always had bigger plans than mere domestic dominance. Why else do you think the company hired Hugo Barra - the former Google Vice President and Android spokesman?

Xiaomi should bring a youthful energy and sharp (if heavily Apple-influenced) design philosophy to the Android space, and all at a knock-down price. The company typically makes its money on software, selling its hardware at cost, though it’ll be interesting to see if that works in the same way outside of China.

First up at CES 2015 (according to the rumour mill) will be the Xiaomi Mi5 - the company’s new flagship phone which could have some killer specs. We’re talking a 5.7-inch QHD display, a 64-bit Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 CPU, a 20.7-megapixel camera, and a fingerprint sensor.
Watch out Samsung, HTC, Motorola, LG, and Sony.

Smart TVs with Android TV

At Google I/O back in June, it was revealed that the next version of the Android OS had been designed to scale to the Smart TV form factor.

Android TV offers the tantalising promise (admittedly not the first time) of an intuitive and widely adopted Smart TV UI standard, rather than the largely rubbish individual manufacturer efforts we’ve been putting up with for too long now.

Google’s new solution will allow you to initiate media content searches using your phone, using both text input and voice recognition. You’ll also have access to a whole heap of apps and games, through it’ll ship with its own app store rather than simply having access to the Google Play Store.

Google also announced at the time that it had reached agreements with Sony, Sharp, and Philips to include Android TV in their 2015 HDTV ranges. As such, we’re expecting to see a whole bunch of top end TV sets running on Android TV at CES 2015.

Sony in particular has promised to go all in with Android TV in 2015 and has already revealed a cryptic CES 2015 video teasing a Google-based announcement.

Don’t expect Samsung and LG to join the Android TV party just yet though. Both Korean manufacturers are keen to push their own platforms. Samsung is known to be looking to reduce its reliance on Google, while LG last year introduced its new webOS TV platform.

ANOTHER new Sony phone

No one has released more flagship phone revisions over the past two years than Sony, and we’re expecting to see yet another one at CES 2015.

Of course, there’s good reason to be excited for the Sony Xperia Z4 - the Sony Xperia Z3 and Sony Xperia Z3 Compact were two of the finest Android phones of the year.

Sony’s continued financial troubles mean that this might be the last bit new mobile release we see from them for a while. Well, for a year at least. So make the most of it.

We’re expecting the Sony Xperia Z4 to see a bump up to a QHD display, which should be a common sight throughout 2015. It’ll apparently run on a Snapdragon 805 CPU, which again should be fairly normal throughout the new year.

What probably won’t be normal is 4GB of RAM, but that’s what reports are suggesting the Z4 will have, as well as an improved camera.

Oh, and we may also see the Sony Xperia Z4 Ultra, which will be a phablet version of the Z4.

The Dash gets a run out

If there's one thing we can be sure of seeing it's the odd crowdfunded success story. One of those projects includes the Dash, a  pair of truly wireless smart headphones that raised over $3 million on Kickstarter in 2014.

The tiny waterproof in-ear buds are jam packed with features including a 4GB music player, gesture controls, four hour battery life and activity tracking including heart rate monitoring.

Kickstarter pledgers are expected to get their hands on the Dash headphones in early 2015 so we will be able to see how they are shaping up at CES.

More, and cheaper, 4K TVs

2014’s CES brought a lot of 4K or UHD TV sets, sporting four times the pixel density of your bog standard 1080p Full HD telly.

We’re not expecting anything radically new on this front in 2015. The big advances should be in UI and smart features rather than core tech.

What we can expect to see, however, is more practically priced 4K TV sets as manufacturers look to bring the new resolution standard within range of your average punter. To that end, we’re expecting more 40- and 50-inch efforts this time around.

One trend that doesn’t look likely to go away just yet is curved TVs. Both Samsung and LG still appear fixated with these bent screens, so there’ll probably be more on show in 2015.

Expect to see LG showing off with its unique OLED TV tech. Samsung has all but put its own OLED plans on hold due to persistent manufacturing issues, but LG is known to be ahead of the game on this front. Naturally, it’s going to push this advantage for all it’s worth, so look out for new OLED sets.

Samsung for its part has announced previously that it will be focusing on Quantum Dot TV technology - an advancement of existing LCD techniques rather than a super-sizing of its OLED technology. Keep an eye out for more on this new approach at the show.

Following January’s Michael Bay blunder, hopefully Samsung will push another inexplicably successful film director out to humiliate themselves whilst pushing a 105-inch 4K TV no one can afford. Our money’s on Zack Snyder.

New tablets to rival the iPad

Speaking of Samsung, this year’s CES saw the launch of the Samsung Galaxy Pro range. This added the Samsung Galaxy Note Pro and the Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro lines to an already dizzying array of sameish Android tabs from the manufacturer.

Given Samsung’s slightly predictable cycles, we’re offering low odds on another batch of Pros coming in 2015. We’re not sure our keyboards could cope with a Samsung Galaxy Note Pro 2 12.2, but who knows?

Of course, with the slinky Samsung Galaxy Tab S now on the market you might argue that there’s no purpose for a new set of Pros. But then that’s never stopped Samsung before.

It’s not just Samsung you need to watch out for on the tablet space either. Chinese manufacturer Huawei is alway keen to throw a new affordable take on a consumer hit into the mix, with Sony, ZTE and a host of others all likely to push new tablet offerings.

LG to bend our ear

We’re not expecting to see the LG G4 at CES 2015, which is a shame given that the LG G3 was our phone of 2014.

However, an altogether more interesting smartphone proposition is in store from South Korea’s second favourite electronics company: The LG G Flex 2.

Reports suggest that the follow-up to 2013’s banana-shaped oddity, the LG G Flex, is on the cards for a Las Vegas outing.

This time around we could be getting a high-resolution OLED display in a small form factor, as well as a self-healing plastic coating.

Of course, the first phone claimed to have all of these things too, and it wasn’t very good. Still, with rumours that the LG G Flex 2 represents a “major upgrade” over the original, we live in hope.

Do Read : HTC One M9 specs leak

No Steam Machines

One of the biggest disappointments of 2014 was Valve’s decision to delay its Steam Machine program until 2015, owing to issues with the design of the Steam Controller.

Stepping back a few months, CES 2014 had seen a big Steam Machine splurge, with a number of hardware partnerships highlighted and some preliminary Steam Machine designs outlined.
After this year’s false start, many were hoping that the very same venue could be used to showcase Valve’s finalised Steam Machine vision this coming January.

Alas, Valve itself has scuppered those hopes. The company’s VP of marketing, Doug Lombardi, has revealed that Valve is aiming for a big showing at GDC 2015 in early March instead.

Of course, that doesn’t mean that Valve’s third party Steam Machine partners won’t be showing up to CES 2015.

Wearables, and plenty of them

It’s a pretty safe bet when discussing any of the big shows set to take place over the next 12 months to simply say: “wearables.”

Yes, it’s still a hot topic for tech companies, even if it hasn’t yet taken off with the general public. But while previous shows have had wearable devices that haven’t particularly wowed anyone, CES 2015 should be different.

For one thing, it will be the first CES show following Google’s unveiling of Android Wear, as well as the first smartwatches built to run it. Now would be a good time for others to join in.bAlso consider the fact that Apple will be releasing its Apple Watch a month or two after CES 2015.

There’s a general feeling that this will be the point at which the smartwatch market truly kicks off, so any manufacturer that hasn’t played a convincing wearables hand around this time risks being left behind.

This is also an area where we have confirmation of some manufacturers’ plans. Lenovo has confirmed that it will be showing off some new wearables at CES 2015 - and it has nothing to do with Motorola (which it now owns) and its disappointing Moto 360. LG is tipped to offer a smartwatch based on the WebOS operating system currently used for its WebOS TV range.

There are also claims that TAG will be showing off its first smartwatch, powered by Intel internals. Intel itself is set for a big year with a renewed emphasis on its wearable and mobile chip business, which has thus far struggled in comparison to its traditional PC chip business.

3D printing steps to the fore

3D printing will be big at CES 2015. The organisers are reportedly doubling the floor space for this intriguing field at next year’s show.

Apparently, more than 30 companies will be present with their latest advances. And if you think this technology is still at the experimental stage, well, think again.

Reports suggest that sales of desktop 3D printers will have hit 67,000 by the end of 2014. True, that’s a pretty small number compared to the number of ink jets out there, but it’s enough to tell you that things are moving rapidly in the field.

Do Read : Quantum Dots Explained

Do Read :  Microsoft to replace IE with new browser for Windows 10

Read more ...