The touchscreen changed the way users could interface with their devices and opened up a new realm of opportunities for software developers. Smartphone manufacturers, and more recently, tablet makers, have been exploiting this technology almost to a fault, lopping off nearly all the physical buttons from their designs, and with it, the physical connection between user and device. Tactus Technology aims to provide both with on-demand, transparent, physical buttons via their dynamic tactile interface. Continue reading CES 2013: Tactus Rises Above Fourth Wall of Touch Displays

Chip manufacturer Broadcom unveiled a number of new technologies at CES, including the first Ultra HDTV home gateway chip, a decoder that will enable 4Kx2K resolution distribution to the home. The company, whose enclosed convention space at the back of South Hall was abuzz with activity, also showcased its first 5G Wi-Fi wireless IPTV set-top box platform, which enables carriers to deliver HDTV programming to more devices, reliably and with greater speed and range. Continue reading CES 2013: Broadcom Introduces UHD Home Gateway and 5G Wi-Fi

Suitable Technologies is seeking to make telecommuting easier. The company makes its CES debut with Beam, a robot designed for two-way mobile videoconferencing. The $20,000 unit is Wi-Fi enabled, outfitted with 480p video and a six-microphone beam array. The keyboard-driven device can turn 360 degrees on a very tight footprint and has a 180-degree frontal field of vision. Continue reading CES 2013: Beam Fulfills the Promise of True Remote Presence

Playsurface, a Massachusetts-based startup, has prototyped a handheld cylindrical viewer that senses its location on a tabletop computer and allows the user to see inside the object being displayed when a complementary Playsurface application is running. Continue reading CES 2013: Playsurface Tabletop Viewer Goes Inside Objects

Brooklyn, New York-based MakerBot Industries is showcasing its fourth generation desktop 3D printer, the Replicator 2. The latest version features a resolution capability of 100 microns and a 410 cubic inch build volume. MakerBot dropped the default layer height down to 100 microns (smaller layers mean higher resolution), which results in smooth surfaces and a reduced need for post-production. Don Levy speaks with a MakerBot rep in this video report about the $2,199 Replicator 2. Continue reading CES 2013: MakerBot Demos New Replicator 3D Printer (VIDEO)

Cisco forecasts that by 2016 all forms of video (TV, VoD, Internet, and P2P) will account for some 86 percent of global consumer traffic. So how are they addressing such a future? At CES, the company presented its vision for the “Future of Television” by showcasing its newest version of Cisco Videoscape Unity, a hardware/software platform for video service providers (and we have video). Continue reading CES 2013: Cisco Intros New Take on Videoscape Unity (VIDEO)

Since 2008, Sony has attempted to gain a foothold in the smartphone market, trying everything from a mobile gaming phone built on their PlayStation brand to enlisting James Bond to market the Xperia TL. The company’s latest offering in the flagship Xperia line, the Z, might not need 007’s help to take on Apple’s iPhone and make waves in the ever-growing sea of Android phones. Continue reading CES 2013: Sony Mobile Dunks 5-Inch Xperia Z Android Phone

The Home of the Future was a popular theme at World’s Fairs and theme parks. Such a home would include centralized and automated control of appliances, voice commands, picture phones, and the use of computer technology throughout the house. That Home of the Future concept was in evidence throughout CES with connected solutions from companies including Samsung, Technicolor, Qualcomm and AT&T. Continue reading CES 2013: Internet of Everything Starts in the Connected Home

CNET announced the winners of its official “Best of CES” Awards program on Thursday morning. Hundreds of new products were judged by the CNET editors, while the People’s Voice Award was selected by an online audience. This year, both the Best of Show and People’s Voice Awards went to the $999 Razer Edge, a PC gaming-oriented Windows 8 tablet. Other winners included the Lenovo 27-inch Horizon Table PC, Samsung’s 4K UHDTV and the Android YotaPhone with e-ink display. Continue reading CES 2013: Razer Edge Takes Top Awards in CNET Best of CES

Panasonic demonstrated its interest in 4K through the CES unveiling of a prototype 56-inch 4K OLED display and 20-inch 4K tablet. It is also focusing on production, previewing a proof of concept 4K x 2K camcorder that is aimed at prosumer applications as well as broadcast. The camera will offer a frame rate of 30 fps, but very little additional information was provided. Continue reading CES 2013: Panasonic Shows Proof of Concept 4K Camcorder

Texas Instruments was on hand at CES with its DLP Pico Projectors, which can be used for applications from business to the home. The company of course also makes the 4K DLP Cinema chip found in digital cinema projectors from Barco, Christie and NEC, but TI’s strategic production manager Tony Adamson showed caution when asked about 4K for the home. Continue reading CES 2013: Texas Instruments Cautious About 4K for the Home

Health professionals gathered Thursday for a panel at the Digital Health Summit to talk about “Why Healthcare Has Its Head in the Cloud.” Unlike many other industries that have been quick to adopt cloud connectivity, the health industry has noticeably lagged, said Don Jones, from Qualcomm Life who moderated the discussion. Panelists discussed the benefits of accumulating data in the cloud for more in-depth analysis and expanding preventative potential. Continue reading CES 2013: Healthcare Professionals Won Over By the Cloud

Vizio is adding an app for 3DGO! — Sensio Technologies’ 3D VOD service — to its Vizio Internet Apps on its Theatre 3D Smart TV models. Sensio is making the app, and is talking with additional set makers about this opportunity. Aimed at growing the amount of available 3D content in the home, 3DGO! currently offers roughly 30 titles, primarily documentaries. Continue reading CES 2013: Vizio To Launch 3DGO! App On its Smart TVs

Dynamics Inc. is showcasing a credit card “charge plus instant reward” solution that blends a multi-account credit card with a customer profile and purchase-tracking infrastructure. This enables Dynamics’ client companies to instantly offer personally relevant rewards to consumers when they make purchases. The battery-powered card allows users to securely choose from rewards using mechanized buttons on the card. Continue reading CES 2013: Interactive Credit Card Enables Instant Rewards

Just as phones and TV have become “smart,” the latest generation of cars are much more digitally enhanced to keep drivers connected and keep their eyes on the road with a variety of hands-free voice controls and wireless offerings. From Ford’s SYNC interface to Hyundai’s Blue Link to Chrysler’s Uconnect, car manufacturers are upping the ante with displays and concepts at CES, expanding infotainment, connectivity and security. Continue reading CES 2013: Cars to Become More Connected and Conversational