Connected TV has taken center stage, and at this CES we are seeing production model TVs equipped with Intel’s WiDi capability out of the box.
WiDi, or wireless display, extends the laptop to the television screen.
Intel introduced the technology in 2010, but it’s just now beginning to bear fruit, with a multitude of WiDi-ready devices coming to market, including all new ultrabooks and models from 100 different OEMs.
It will also be enabling WiDi on Intel-chip tablets and phones. Intel is only now entering those markets, and was showing at its booth pre-release Lenovo tablets and phones.
Samsung and Sharp are among the manufacturers shipping sets with built-in WiDi, as is AT&T on its U-verse boxes, and consumers can expect “Intel WiDi” badges to become as ubiquitous as “Intel Inside.” Adapter boxes that retrofit existing sets hit retail last year for $100.
Connectivity-wise, WiDi is also going to be used to connect computer-to-computer, or computer-to-phone. Intel is emphasizing the creation of an optimized Android SDK for the Intel chip architecture, which should result in a number of interesting mobile apps.
The cloud is a huge presence hovering above CES, but for those who are squeamish at the idea of using mass shared storage, Iomega is offering mini-servers that function as “personal clouds.”
The concept is essentially an easy-to-use means of accessing an NAS server at home from anywhere via the Internet.
Iomega Personal Cloud also allows users to share files with up to 250 members.
When not in use the unit automatically powers down to a 1-volt sleep mode.
An entry-level 4TB setup costs about $899, and the units scale up to 12TB. Available from Fry’s Electronics and online.
Where to see it: Intel Booth, Central Hall 7253; Iomega, Venetian Renaissance Suite
Motorola’s new 4G Droid Razr Maxx is built for maximum power, with a 3300mAh battery that just about doubles the industry average.
The company claims the device can run for 21 hours of talk time — or the streaming of eight movies — before needing to be recharged.
At 8.99mm the Maxx is slightly thicker than the 7.11mm of the prior version. It includes a 4.3-inch Super AMOLED display, dual-core 1.2GHz processor and Android Gingerbread 2.3.5 (upgradeable to Ice Cream Sandwich).
It also features HD video capture and playback via front and rear-facing cameras.
If the size of the crowds packing the Microsoft booth demos is any indication, there is a lot of interest in Windows 8.
Maximized for touchscreen interaction, the Windows 8 user interface makes ample use of slide commands (which can be achieved via mouse or keystrokes for those not using a tablet).
The colorful tiled interface, dubbed “Metro Style,” is ubiquitous across all new Microsoft platforms including Windows Phone, and allows for a high degree of customization.
Cool features include automatically hibernating any open apps that are not actively being used, for maximum processor efficiency.
The ability to search and share content across multiple platforms (from hard drive to phones and social media) is also handy, as is a snapping function that keeps multiple windows open and locked in position.
Microsoft says there has already been 3 million downloads of the developer preview and a Windows Store opens in February when the public will be able to download a free trial version.
The commercial release remains unannounced, but is expected by the end of the year.
Alcatel-Lucent is showcasing a new app called the Fan Cam, developed through its ng Connect Program with member companies 4DK and AFP.
The idea is for a wireless provider like Verizon or AT&T to partner with location-based entertainment (sports, music, and more) to further engage fans by allowing them to share user-created material.
Fans use their phones to register as participants at live events, where they could then access content like instant replays, fan-uploaded photos and participate in real-time contests and receive special offers.
Spectators can live-stream an event or game from their seat and the compiled content can be marketed afterwards or shared with friends. It can also be analyzed by an editor during the event and shown on the big screens.
“They’re doing all this content sharing on things like Facebook. Why not engage them directly?” an Alcatel-Lucent rep explained.
Dell will begin releasing ultrabooks at the end of February. The XPS 13 will start at $999 with an Intel i5 processor, 13.3-inch LED screen and 128GB solid-state drive.
Ultrabooks are one of this year’s “it” items at CES. Positioned as the PC answer to the iBook in terms of performance, they are larger and pricier than netbooks.
The fact that Dell — one of the largest suppliers in the U.S. — has chosen to enter the market is seen as significant.
The XPS 13 weighs just under 3 pounds, has up to 8 hours of battery life and is being offered in an iBook-like aluminum case with an LED backlit keyboard and Gorilla Glass screen.
It will also feature Intel’s “Smart Connect” technology, prompting the unit to periodically “wake up” from sleep mode to update email and calendar items if a Wi-Fi network is available.
Future design plans include touchscreen capability and the ability to convert the clamshell into a tablet.
Intel has announced deals with Motorola Mobility and Lenovo to create phones and tablets powered by the Intel Atom family of chips.
At his keynote, Intel CEO Paul Otellini was joined by Motorola CEO Sanjay Jha to announce a “multi-year partnership” that would see phones and tablets hit the U.S. market in the second half of the year.
Otellini also shared the stage with Lenovo senior VP Liu Jun, who said his company would release an Atom-equipped Android phone, the K800, that will be sold in China during the second quarter.
The promised 8 hours of 4G talk time with standby time of 14 days make this a formidable package. A 10-inch Atom tablet will also be made available in that country.
Otellini talked up the Atom Z2460 platform, formerly known as “Medfield,” which was specifically designed for smartphones and tablets. It offers Wi-Di, a wireless technology that sends content from phones and tablets to TV screens.
Some are wondering how the Motorola venture will play out, given that Google — which in August announced plans to buy the company — has phone deals mainly with manufacturers that use chips made by ARM Holdings.
The presentation also included a demo of the upcoming 32nm Intel Atom SoC for tablets and hybrids running on Microsoft’s Windows 8, and news that Dell would be releasing its first ultrabook, the XPS 13, which features Intel’s Core i7 processor.
Motorola’s new 4G Droid Razr Maxx for Verizon is built for longevity, with 21 hours of talk time — or the streaming of eight movies — before the unit needs to be recharged.
The company unveiled the phone at CES, just hours before Intel announced Motorola as one of the first mobile providers that had agreed to use its Atom chip (however, the Droid Razr Maxx will not be using the Intel chip).
The 3300mAh battery just about doubles the industry average (roughly 1700-1900mAh).
At 8.99mm the Maxx is slightly thicker than the 7.11mm of the prior version.
Other specs remain largely unchanged: a 4.3-inch Super AMOLED display, dual-core 1.2GHz processor and Android Gingerbread 2.3.5 (upgradeable to Android’s next gen Ice Cream Sandwich).
Motorola is also touting Motocast, an app the company describes as a “personal cloud,” allowing mobile devices to access content on a home or work PC. Both the Droid Maxx and the Droid XY Board tablet feature Motocast. An IR transmitter on the Board enables it to control the television.
In August, Google announced its intent to purchase Motorola Mobility for $12.5 billion.
Qualcomm’s Snapdragon S4 chip makes its smart TV debut with Lenovo, whose senior VP Liu Jun emphasized the chip set’s speed for gaming. The unit will run on Android’s Ice Cream Sandwich and incorporate voice controls in the remote.
CEO Paul Jacobs also revealed in his keynote that the company is partnering with Microsoft to demonstrate pre-release Windows 8 devices using Snapdragon S4 processors with AT&T’s 4G LTE connectivity.
The offerings underscore what seems to be an advantage by robust and low-powered cell phone chips over more traditional PC processors (at a CES in which one of the major subplots is Qualcomm’s face-off with Intel).
Jacobs predicts mobile will become a $1.3 trillion industry and believes emerging markets will account for roughly half of all smartphones shipping by 2015.
New products also include an e-reader from Hanvon for the Chinese market that incorporates full-color video at 1024×768 and uses Mirasol display technology.
Qualcomm has teamed with Sesame Street Workshop to offer “augmented reality” technology Vuforia, with a tablet camera that “recognizes” designated 3D objects and populates them in 3D screen environments.
The keynote also included an impressive display of health-related devices, including a phone that displays a cardiogram onscreen when the user applies fingertips to two sensor pads — and an app that measures blood glucose in real time.
Qualcomm announced that in three years $10 million would be awarded to the developer of the best self-diagnosis medical tool.
AT&T announced at CES it would be the first to deliver 4G LTE Windows Phones, including the Nokia Lumia 900, expected in spring running Windows mobile 7.5.
Windows 8 is expected to be released sometime this year, but no date has been set.
Nokia CEO Stephen Elop was joined onstage at a Monday press conference by AT&T’s Ralph de la Vega and Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer to talk up the phone that is expected to mark Nokia’s return to viability in the U.S. market.
“The whole push is to build a strong, third ecosystem in the smartphone market with a differentiated point of view,” Ballmer said, noting there are currently about 50,000 Windows Phone apps on the market.
CNN, ESPN, Univision and “Sesame Street” are among the content providers that have partnered with Nokia as it strives to offer customers a rich user experience. “We’re not just building phones, we’re building content ecosystems,” Elop said.
Elop touted as significant the mobile apps associated with CNN’s iReport, “the largest citizen journalism network in the world, with 1 million registered users and more than 1,800 field missives filed last year.”
Nokia will also be making a 4G LTE Windows phone for T-Mobile.
From a 5.5-pound, 20-inch portable LCD TV that runs on batteries — to an 8K home cinema super-screen that offers 16x the resolution of HD, Sharp heads into its 100th anniversary year with guns loaded.
While the 85-inch 8K (7680×4320) prototype is on display, there’s no ship date yet. However, consumer product marketing officer Mark Viken says it’s definitely headed for the home.
Sharp’s splashiest ready-for-market offering is an 80-inch 3D LCD TV. The 1080p Wi-Fi display features Sharp’s Quattron technology and 240Hz to virtually eliminate blur.
Connected TV: Sharp announced that all new 60-inch class and larger AQUOS models will come equipped with Wi-Fi enabled SmartCentral for full-screen Web browsing and access to popular apps.
The company also introduced the free Beamzit app, which will allow TVs to share content from iOS or Android devices.
Sharp jointly developed with I-cubed Research Center the ICC-4K LED TV, which “intelligently” up-scales from HD to 4K, providing four times 1080p resolution.
Portability: The AQUOS Freestyle is a line of slim and light HD sets from 20- to 60-inches. The Wi-Fi enabled Freestyles are designed for “plug-into-a-wall-socket-and-play” capability.
Energy-sustainability: Sharp’s 80-inch AQUOS TVs cost just $22 per year to operate, according to the company.
NPR has debuted an app designed specifically for Ford SYNC AppLink, the voice-activated platform that works by connecting smartphones to vehicles.
The deal is interesting on two fronts: as a case study in how traditional content “networks” might make their products available a la carte — and for Ford’s hands-off positioning as third-party technology enabler that is facilitating cool uses for smartphones while leaving it largely to the handset manufacturers to upgrade and maintain the platform environment.
Ford AppLink allows developers to create in-vehicle mobile applications that assume unique functionality when Android, iPhone and Blackberry devices are docked to the dashboard via USB. Android devices also work via Bluetooth.
Ford’s apps feature a variety of sports, information and financial programming.
NPR is “one of the most popular features on iTunes, accounting for 7 out of 10 downloaded podcasts,” according to the network’s Kinsey Wilson.
Ford’s SYNC Services launched in 2009, providing voice-activated access to a cloud-based network of information including traffic, news, sports, weather and more. In 2010 Ford added SYNC AppLink — allowing smartphone-equipped customers access to a growing number of popular apps.
Where to see it: North Hall, Grand Lobby, Lower Level 2230
Henry Ford technical fellow Jim Buchowski said his company plans to continue its pioneering role in the “smart car” space as a means of differentiating its product from those of other manufacturers by “creating new experiences for consumers.”
Ford will continue to take a somewhat platform-independent approach that sees the focus more on software and apps rather than hardware.
“Our approach will continue to be not building the technology into the vehicle, because once you’ve got a 3G modem built-on and 4G comes along, you’re stuck,” Buchowski said.
Initiatives Ford is showcasing at this year’s CES include onboard health monitoring devices that will help drivers with medical issues. Things like back-up cameras that can make it easy for one person to do things like attach a trailer hitch are also a focus.
These are extensions to technologies Ford has rolled out over the past two CES shows. SYNC, which integrates Wi-Fi hotspotting directly into the vehicles, allows the car to seamlessly interface with phones, mobile music devices and navigation systems (including voice commands) and MyFord Touch, which puts controls at the driver’s fingertips.
Ford is utilizing the Windows platform. At present there are more than 3 million vehicles equipped with SYNC.
Where to see it: North Hall, Grand Lobby, Lower Level, 2230
The Samsung SmartCam streams live footage to your smartphone, PC or Mac via a tiny camera and speaker combo.
The plug-and-play 1.3-megapixel webcam does not require any software pre-load (a very popular concept among manufacturers this year).
Features include sound- and motion-activated alerts, two-way talk, messaging, night vision and mobile apps for Android and iOS devices. Up to five viewers can access the feed at once.
Register as many units as you’d like to your personal account, authenticated through Samsung’s WPS-encrypted server.
Set to ship in March at $149 per unit.
Where to see it: Central 12004; Innovations Design and Engineering Showcase, LVCC Grand Lobby
San Francisco-based Toktumi, Inc. — the company behind the Line2 app that provides second phone lines for iOS and Android smartphones — is now debuting a version that works with the iPad.
“It can make calls where AT&T’s signal is weak, like indoors. It can turn an iPod Touch into a full-blown cellphone. And it can ruin the sleep of cellphone executives everywhere,” wrote David Pogue of the original app in The New York Times.
The app uses new numbers or can port over existing local phone numbers. Users can make calls over Wi-Fi or 3G.
It is being marketed as a tool for small businesses that need a second line. It also includes a contact management organizer.
The $9.95 per month fee includes unlimited calls to the U.S. and Canada, and unlimited texting (no contract required).
The manufacturer is billing it as a more professional-looking alternative to products like Skype and Google Phone because it uses traditional phone numbers. Also touting it as a “cheap” way to add a second line.
Where to see it: Innovations Design and Engineering Showcase, LVCC Grand Lobby
Connected TV has taken center stage, and at this CES we are seeing production model TVs equipped with Intel’s WiDi capability out of the box.
