Tuesday, January 8, 2019

Apple : We tried Google Assistant Interpreter Mode at CES 2019, and it’s a world-changing real-time translator

Apple : We tried Google Assistant Interpreter Mode at CES 2019, and it’s a world-changing real-time translator


We tried Google Assistant Interpreter Mode at CES 2019, and it’s a world-changing real-time translator

Posted: 08 Jan 2019 01:03 PM PST

For the first time today since graduating high school, I don't feel guilty about forgetting the years' worth of Spanish I learned. Better, I don't expect to feel guilty about it ever again thanks to Google Assistant.

That’s because Google Assistant is being upgraded to tackle one of the most intimidating things about traveling to a foreign country: it’s adding real-time translation to Google’s increasingly smart AI voice assistant.

I got to demo Interpreter Mode, as it’s officially called, by commanding a Google Home Hub smart speaker with a single phrase: “Okay, Google, become my Italian Interpreter.” I then had a full conversation with someone who spoke Italian, even though I don't know uno from due – until Assistant helped me out by reciting the words in English seconds later.

Google Assistant Interpreter Mode is potentially world-changing for the future of travel: I won’t need to be bilingual in order to properly visit places and converse with locals in China, France, Italy, and so on. And there’s no need to boot up a translation app, sort through language selection dropdown menus, or spend time typing in words. It all happens automatically.


The Earth grew three times smaller

Google Assistant Interpreter Mode is like having a foreign language dictionary come to life. It was the most promising innovation I’ve seen at CES 2019. The back-and-forth conversation between myself and my fluent Italian friend felt fairly natural, even if the software did require us to repeat some sentences. For the most part it worked.

Like Google Maps has helped us navigate the world when visiting big, unfamiliar cities, Google’s new Interpreter Mode has the potential to close the gap on bilingual conversations. It’s built for travelers visiting foreign countries, and works better than the Google Pixels Buds translator.

In fact, Google demoed its real-time translation mode to me at the Caesars Palace concierge desk in Las Vegas during CES. It’s strongly hinting that a future check-in process at hotels could use Interpreter Mode to aide world travelers.


The power of Babel needs to come to your pocket

Assistant can translate between 27 different languages in real-time so far. That list will grow, but the real expansion that is needed is in device support. That’s coming, too, says Google.

Right now, Interpreter Mode works with Google Home speakers, like the Google Home Mini and Home Hub, but it’ll eventually come to more third-party speakers and even smartphones down the line, according to Google.

This is the single phrase of Spanish I remember. Sadly, Google didn't like my clearly-fake 'Spanish' accent. But others were able to get it to work just fine.

Its eventual launch on smartphones is when this real-time-translating Interpreter Mode goes from AI with world-changing potential to a world-changing reality. You need the power of Babel in your pocket, not just when a Google Home speaker is installed at a hotel concierge desk.

My CES demo was mostly a success, though Assistant didn’t particularly care for my not-so-authentic Spanish accent when I said “Okay, Google, become my Spanish Interpreter” and asked “¿Dónde está el baño?,” or “Where is the bathroom?.” It kept translating my ‘Spanish’ to Spanish, and it proved my ability to speak Spanish is absolutely terrible. It’s now AI-verified.

Google said Interpreter Mode will work with authentic language speakers, and really, that’s the point. When I spoke English and the Google employee spoke Italian, it worked nine times out of ten – we only had to repeat phrases twice. That’s about the rate in which my Google Home Hub properly hears me when issuing normal English commands.

By the time it comes to smartphones, Google may be able to refine Interpreter Mode’s precision even further. That’s when the world may become three times smaller for the monolingual among us.

  • Check out all of TechRadar's CES 2019 coverage. We're live in Las Vegas to bring you all the breaking tech news and launches, plus hands-on reviews of everything from 8K TVs and foldable displays to new phones, laptops and smart home gadgets. 

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Top budget smartphones with big batteries in India

Posted: 08 Jan 2019 12:15 PM PST

A decent battery is the root of any smartphone worth its salt. It ensures that you can get the most out of your phone during any point of the day, without worrying about battery drain. More importantly, it's the underlying factor behind whether or not you can listen to tunes on your device when you're on your way home after a long day at work.

Quite a few phones that go all out with their features forget to back it up with a sizeable battery. But, there are still ample options in the market that fall within the mid-range or budget segment. 

Keep in mind that battery size alone isn't the determining factor for a smartphone's battery life. The phone's chipset and a consumer's usage pattern also have a big part to play. 

Mi Max 2

After receiving a warm response for the existing Redmi phones in India, Xiaomi introduced its plus-sized Mi Max 2, which has a massive 5300mAh battery. As per the company's claim, the battery offers 18 hours of video playback, 57 hours of talk time and over 31 days of standby. Not only is the battery large, but the phone also has a huge 6.44-inch full HD display, which is protected by Corning’s Gorilla Glass 3.

Along with its mammoth battery and display, the smartphone offers decent support for day-to-day tasks. In fact, it can be a great smartphone for multimedia enthusiasts with features like the dual speakers. It comes packed in an attractive metal unibody shell, which adds to its premium feel.

So, if you are in the market for a phone with big battery and display, the Mi Max 2 can be a good choice. 

Read the full review: Xiaomi Mi Max 2 review

Gionee M7 Power

Launched in September 2017, the Gionee M7 Power sports a 6-inch full HD+ FullView IPS display with an aspect ratio of 18:9. The screen is protected by a layer of Gorilla Glass 3 on the top. The highlight of the phone is its 5000mAh battery, which offers tons of power.

It is powered by a quad-core Snapdragon 435 chipset, coupled with 4GB of RAM. The 64GB internal storage is expandable to up to 256GB.

The phone is available on Amazon in Black and Gold colours.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro

The Redmi Note 5 Pro is an incredible smartphone for its price point. Even after heavy usage through out the day, the battery won't run out in the span of 24 hours. Idle battery life will last for quite a while. 

The camera performs well, the SoC boosts efficiency and the option for expandable storage make life a lot easier. 

The phone is currently available on Amazon for Rs 12,999.

Read the full review: Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro

Moto E5 Plus

It may be the cheapest of the range, but the Moto E5 still packs a sizeable 5.7-inch display with a tall 18:9 aspect ratio display, Qualcomm Snapdragon 425 chipset, 2GB of RAM, 16GB of storage, 13MP rear camera, microSD slot and a rear facing fingerprint scanner.  

More to the point, there's a big 4,000mAh battery, along with a stock Android 8.0 Oreo UI, a headphone jack and a 5MP front-facing camera. Not bad for the price, but it's definitely not without compromise. 

Read the full review: Moto E5 

After launching the Srt.phone, India-based Smartron has launched a budget smartphone in the country with a big 5000mAh battery. While the device does not offer powerful hardware, it is good for a secondary device for all-day use priced at Rs. 7,999 on Flipkart.

While the device is being offered as a budget device, it does not feel cheap at all. It features a metal body with plastic bands at the top and bottom and features a fingerprint sensor at the rear. 

Read the full review: Smartron t.Phone P

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Best laptops under Rs 40,000 in India for January 2019

Posted: 08 Jan 2019 12:12 PM PST

The top laptops under Rs. 40000 now often feature a dedicated graphics card for mild gaming on a budget, without compromising on other aspects of the device. The sub 40K is most the most asked price segment when it comes to notebooks. From students to office-goers, everyone can easily get a laptop that does basic day to day tasks with an ease. 

If it's about the add-ons, many of them offer a dedicated graphic card, or multimedia features or sometimes you may get additional power for intensive tasks. But certainly  not enough power to suffice the need of a video editor or a graphic designer for that matter. 

Still, finding the best laptops among the options available can be a little challenging. There are many configurations available, some with newer processors and some with older ones. Some of the previous generation laptops may also be better than newer ones when you consider the specs-to-price ratio. 

As always, we’ve tried to make the job of selecting the best laptop under Rs 40,000 easier for you. 

Note that these prices and deals were available when this article was written.

HP has several affordable options when it comes to laptops with an integrated graphics card. The HP 15-BE015TU features a 15.6-inch HD backlit LED display, along with the full set of connectivity options. Dual speakers, DTS audio sound and HP’s Truevision HD webcam round up the specs of the laptop.

The first Dell entrant in this list, the Inspiron 3567 comes with the latest generation of Intel’s Core i5 processor with integrated Intel HD graphics. It looks minimalist and comes with six hours of battery life, which is good compared to other options. 

The Inspiron 3567 also features a similar 15.6-inch HD display, but comes with half the RAM compared to its competitors at this price. You will have to decide whether you want the latest generation processor or more RAM.

Another good laptop from Acer is the Aspire E5-575G. It comes with a 6th gen Core i3 processor, but makes up for it with a dedicated 2GB NVIDIA GeForce 940MX graphics card. 

Compared to the E5-575, it is slightly more expensive but having a dedicated graphics card could be worth it if your main goal is to game comfortably.

The Dell Inspiron 15 5000 is powered by a seventh generation Intel Core i6 processor coupled with Intel HD Graphics. It features a 15.6-inch full HD display, offering a vivid visual experience to users.

It is a powerful device and at this price point, offers excellent value for money to its users. It runs on Linux and sports dual stereo speakers with MaxxAudio Pro support, for a good audio experience. 

The Asus X541UA-XO561T features a 15.6-inch HD display and is powered by a sixth generation Intel core i3 processor with Intel Integrated HD 520 graphics. It is equipped with 4GB of DDR4 RAM, 1TB HDD and runs on Windows 10 Home.

Like other affordable laptops, this device from Asus also lacks dedicated graphics and is equipped with Intel HD graphics. Additionally, it offers only 4GB RAM, but considering its price, it is a capable contender in this list.

The HP 15-bs145tu features a 15.6-inch full HD display and is powered by an eighth generation Intel core i5 processor with Intel HD 620 graphics. It is equipped with 8GB DDR4 RAM, 1TB HDD and runs on DOS.

The laptop is equipped with some good features from HP such as the HP Fast charge that allows you to charge the device to 90% in just 90 minutes and HP Audio that delivers rich bass and provides clear voice. This powerful device is a good option if you are looking for a long term device and are willing to spend around Rs. 40,000.

Acer has another E5-575 laptop with a newer Core i5 7th generation processor with integrated Intel HD graphics. It also comes with 8GB DDR4 RAM and a full set of connectivity options. Considering its current price, the E5-575 Core i5 is a good machine to consider, compared to the Dell Inspiron 3567.

The Lenovo Ideapad 310 comes with a 6th gen Intel Core i5 processor and a dedicated NVIDIA GeForce N16V-GMR1 graphics card. A full set of ports for connectivity and a decent design makes the Ideapad 310 another worthy contender in this segment. 

It also comes with decent battery life, making it a good all-round package under Rs 40,000.

The Dell Vostro 3468 with 7th Gen Intel Core i5 processor is next in this list. The laptop comes with Window 10 operating system and has a plenty of ports including 1xUSB 2.0, 2xUSB 3.0, 1xHDMI port and 1xVGA port. Weighing 1.96kg, the laptop is lightweight which makes it highly portable for the users. 

So, apart from getting a good processor, you will have a number of connectivity options and that too with a reasonable price tag.

Falling next very close to under-40k category is the Lenovo Ideapad 320. The laptop has in-built Harman speakers with Dolby Audio which ensure crystal clear sound to the users who like to consume media.

Along with superior sound quality, the laptop also offers crisp display with up to full HD IPS resolution. The 7th gen Intel i5 processor is still among the best you would get on a competition, so performance and efficiency is ensured. A 2GB graphic card also lets you play mild games without needing a gaming laptop, but of course, heavy titles might not fit in that system. But overall, it's a highly recommended machine for the price. 

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Lenovo reveals its 'smartest ever' AI-driven Yoga laptops

Posted: 08 Jan 2019 11:00 AM PST

At CES 2019, Lenovo showed off its new line of Yoga convertible laptops that come with a host of improved features, and which the company claims are its smartest computers yet.

Now, you might think your existing laptop is pretty smart, but Lenovo has packed these new devices with some interesting artificial intelligence features that tie together facial recognition, biometric authentication and virtual assistants, as well as high quality media playback.

According to Lenovo, “these advancements are driven by people’s evolving needs, like wanting security and privacy without sacrificing convenience, or immersive entertainment without compromising on portability.”

Yoga S940

First off is the new Yoga S940, which is an incredibly slim and light laptop with Contour Glass that wraps around the display. The bezels are incredibly slim around the display, which can be configured to be up to 4K with HDR and Dolby Vision, with Atmos support. It’s built out of aluminium, weighs 2.64 pounds and is just 0.48 inches (12.2mm) thick.

It’s powerful, too, with 16GB of DDR4 RAM and up to 1TB of PCIe SSD super-fast storage, as well as an Intel 8th generation Core i7 processor.

It also comes with Lenovo Smart Assist features, which include an IR camera for face recognition login, eye tracking content that moves content from the screen to an attached monitor depending on where you’re looking, and software that blocks out background sounds when you’re making voice and video calls. Alexa and Cortana voice assistants are supported, too.

The Lenovo Yoga S940 goes on sale May 2019, starting at $1,499 (around £1,200, AU$2,100).

Yoga C730

The Lenovo Yoga C730 has also been updated, and it comes with a gorgeous new 4K OLED touchscreen display, with a 100% color gamut that makes it a brilliant choice for photographers and digital artists.

It also features up to 16GB DDR4 RAM, a 512GB PCIe SSD, built-in JBL speakers and Lenovo’s Active Pen 2 stylus. An 8th generation Intel Core i7 processor powers the laptop.

It goes on sale in April 2019 for $1,649.99 (around £1,300, AU$2,300). However, Lenovo’s press materials say it is not on sale in the US. We’ve contacted Lenovo to find out if and when this laptop is coming to the US.

Lenovo Yoga A940

Lenovo also revealed a 27-inch all-in-one desktop PC aimed at creatives, which offers an alternative to the iMac and Surface Studio 2.

It comes with a rotating 4K screen, which is Dolby Vision certified, and it sits on a dual-hinge design that allows you to move the screen to 25-degree angle for drawing on. An AMD Radeon RX 560 graphics card gives plenty of oomph for video editing and rendering (and even a spot of gaming), and it has a 1080p IR camera and optional five Dolby Atmos speakers.

It will cost $2,349.99 (around £1,900, AU$3,300) and goes on sale March 2019.

  • Check out all of TechRadar's CES 2019 coverage. We're live in Las Vegas to bring you all the breaking tech news and launches, plus hands-on reviews of everything from 8K TVs and foldable displays to new phones, laptops and smart home gadgets.

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Google Assistant is insanely smarter at CES 2019. Here’s how it’s changing

Posted: 08 Jan 2019 11:00 AM PST

Google Assistant getting smarter in 2019, and we got a chance to demo its new powers at CES 2019, including the ability to translate to a foreign language between two people in real-time.

Assistant, now two and a half years old and on nearly one billion devices, is being upgraded in three key ways: on your phone, in the car and at home. More apps, like Google Maps, will now include Assistant functionality, which will make driving safer, according to Google.

Here’s how Google Assistant is changing and possibly altering your daily habits, all based on our hands-on demo of the AI software during CES.

Google Assistant real-time translation

The biggest highlight of Google’s CES 2019 demo has been real-time translation. Officially dubbed Interpreter Mode, we tested out its ability to translate between two people speaking different languages.

It worked for us at the Caesar’s Palace concierge desk, where we spoke English and a Google employee spoke fluent Italian. We didn’t understand anything the person said to us until Google Assistant on a Google Home Hub read loud the English translation seconds later.

Really, the potential behind this new Assistant mode is immense. It could be a game changer for world travelers who don’t speak the language of the country they’re visiting. It could make foreign traveling more inviting in the future, once it rolls out to more devices.  

In its current state, Interpreter Mode can translate between 27 languages in real-time and is slated to work through Google Home speakers, like the Google Home Hub and Google Home Mini. It’ll come to more devices and even smartphones in the future, according to the company.

New smartphone functions

Google Assistant is just getting smartphone on phones. The AI behind the assistant is constantly being improved to better understand what it’s being told. It’s also being supported by more apps, making it easier to complete tasks.

What’s that mean for you? For one thing, better dictation, as Google Assistant can automatically handle punctuation on Android and iOS phones. It’s also just getting better at messaging in general, with the ability to read back and reply to all of your messaging notification on Android.

The number of apps supporting messaging from Google Assistant is growing, too. At least for Android, it will work with SMS, WhatsApp, Messenger, Hangouts, Viber, Telegram, Android Messages and more.

Google Assistant’s mobile upgrades aren’t limited to messaging either. Improved understanding of context and multi-part questions can let it respond to more complex questions like “How far is the airport from here?” based on your travel plans, or queries as random as “How tall is Khloe Kardashian and her boyfriend?” It’ll be able to figure out who her boyfriend is and recite both of their heights.

Frequent travelers and sports fans also get some upgrades. Google Assistant can learn your favorite sports team, and it will soon be able to check into flights for you while also saving and retrieving your boarding pass. United Airlines will be the first to support the automatic check-in, and it’ll work on both Android and iOS.

Google Assistant in your car

Google is also aiming to make your driving experience safer. Beyond the upgrades to messaging with Google Assistant that will make it easier to handle communication while keeping your eyes on the road, Google Assistant will work directly with Google Maps on both Android and iOS.

If you don’t have a dedicated Android Auto device built into your car, you’re not out of luck in 2019. You can still just mount up your phone and use that, or take your pick of new auto accessories that will come with Google Assistant built-in.

Both Anker and JBL are working on devices to plug right into your car’s lighter port and connect via Bluetooth or auxiliary cable. They provide a link between your phone and your car’s stereo, and they’re microphones will reduce echo, making it easier to give commands to Google Assistant.

Those commands will do more for you as well, since you’ll be able get navigation in Google Maps through the assistant as well as sharing your ETA with contacts, searching along your route, and adding new stops. You can also keep your favorite podcasts and music playing as you drive without taking your hands off the wheel or eyes off the road.

Your car’s health is even getting some attention from Google Assistant. Verizon’s Hum accessory will gather your vehicle’s diagnostics, which can then be pulled up with just your voice.

Google Assistant in your home

Perhaps the place Google Assistant is going to make the biggest splash this year is in the home. Internet of Things devices are constantly growing, and Google Assistant is a prime tool for interacting with and controlling many of these devices.

At CES 2019, Google has announced Google Assistant Connect, a new platform for IoT device manufacturers to incorporate the assistant into devices easily and affordably. That integration can let you control more devices with Google Assistant without the need to have a Google Home device in every room. 

Google Assistant Connect will be coming later this year, and it has potential for a wide variety of device types. On the show floor, Google showed off an e-ink that could connect to a smart speaker to provide a daily info, like the weather. 

Clocks, light bulbs and air conditioners are also on the table. Google suggested telling an air conditioner to run for an hour in a press email, and it mentioned smart C-Life bulbs coming from GE. Philips Hue bulbs will also be getting smarter with support for more advanced controls through Google Assistant. You’ll be able to set up light-based wake-up times and gentle alarms that turn on slowly increase the brightness of bulbs before the sound-based alarm goes off.

Lenovo is even working on the Lenovo Smart Clock, which can sit at your bedside, providing all the typical Google Assistant features on a 4-inch display. But, it can also suggest alarms based on your routines and offer a gentle wake-up. That devices should launch in spring.

Home entertainment isn’t getting left out of the mix either. Google Assistant is integrating into a load of new and existing devices. Sonos One and Sonos Beam speakers will get Google Assistant control for music and podcasts, and earlier Sonos models may get the feature later on. 

Naturally, TVs will get plenty of Google Assistant support as well. Select TVs from Samsung, Sony, Hisense, Philips, TCL, Skyworth, Xiaomi, Haier, Changhong, JVC and Toshiba will get Google Assistant. This will make it possible to control channels, volume and more with just your voice. And, for those that include far field microphones, there will be less issue with misheard commands.

And, these are just the devices we can expect to see in the near term. Google has plans for Google Assistant integration into everything from kitchen appliances and home security to EV chargers and smart shower controls.

If you’re interested a tour of sorts showing of the new features and integrations of Google Assistant, you can say, “Hey Google, take me on the Assistant ride,” to your own Google Assistant.

  • Check out all of TechRadar's CES 2019 coverage. We're live in Las Vegas to bring you all the breaking tech news and launches, plus hands-on reviews of everything from 8K TVs and foldable displays to new phones, laptops and smart home gadgets.

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GitHub brings unlimited private repos to free users

Posted: 08 Jan 2019 10:24 AM PST

In an effort to make its platform more accessible to developers, GitHub has announced that free users will have unlimited access to private repositories.

For the first time, developers will be able to use the platform for their private projects and they can even collaborate with up to three users per repository for free.

This is great news for developers that want to use private repos when applying for jobs, working on side projects or just to test a new idea in private before releasing it publicly.

GitHub's public repositories are still free as well and include unlimited collaborators.

New enterprise offering

In addition to empowering free users, GitHub also announced its new unified product for Enterprise Cloud (formerly GitHub Business Cloud) and Enterprise Server (formerly GitHub Enterprise).

GitHub Enterprise will provide organisations with the flexibility to use GitHub in either a cloud or a self-hosted configuration at a one per-seat price.

These products can also be securely linked to form a hybrid option using GitHub Connect so that developers can seamlessly work across both environments.

In a blog post highlighting the announcement, the company's CEO Nat Friedman explained how GitHub is the best place to code for users of all backgrounds, saying:

“Whether you’re a student about to write your first line of code, an enterprise leader with teams around the world, or an open source maintainer, we want GitHub to be the best place for you to code, collaborate, and connect with the global community of developers. Today’s changes are a big investment in the future of GitHub, and we’re excited to see what you build in 2019.”

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Alienware's Area 51m crams Dell's desktop gaming prowess into a laptop

Posted: 08 Jan 2019 10:00 AM PST

At CES 2019, Alienware announced the Area-51m, a gaming laptop that doesn't just pack the latest and greatest specs – it's also upgradable. 

The Alienware Area-51m is the latest flagship gaming laptop from Dell's gaming brand, featuring the new 'Legend' industrial design. Unlike most desktop replacement gaming laptops, the Area-51m has a clean black or white (with a black accent around the back) design.

It's not just style, out of the box, the Alienware Area-51m will already be an impressive gaming laptop, with socketed desktop-grade Coffee Lake Refresh processors and Nvidia Turing graphics, that users can upgrade in the future. 

These processors will top out with the Intel Core i7-9700K and Intel Core i9-9900HK, which are the first eight-core processors to make it to a laptop. These powerful processors will be backed up with up to an Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 GPU.

It's not clear how the internal GPUs will be upgraded, but the CPU appears to be using a standard Intel processor socket. However, the Alienware Area-51m will be fully compatible with the Alienware Graphics Amplifier, which enables full-speed external graphics from either AMD or Nvidia.

You can pack it with up to 2TB of SSD storage and 64GB of RAM, so the sky's the limit when it comes to performance, and all this powerful hardware will be powering a FHD (1,920 x 1,080) 144Hz G-Sync display with Tobii eye tracking technology.

Cool it down

Now, when a gaming laptop comes out with desktop-grade components, cooling is obviously going to be a concern. Alienware hopes to address this with its new Advanced Cryo-Tech 2.0 cooling system. 

This cooling system will draw cool air from the bottom of the laptop, and exhaust the hot air through vents in the back and sides of the laptop. 

It doesn't end there, though. Backed up with a high voltage driving fan, the system can intelligently discharge heat across several heat pipes. Alienware claims that this setup will keep the desktop-grade components within their thermal limits. 

Understandably, all of this cooling to come at a cost to the dimensions. The Alienware Area-51m is a hefty device, weighing in at 8.54 pounds (3.87Kg), and measuring 1.7 inches (42mm) at its thickest point. 

Alienware hasn't disclosed pricing information at the time of writing, but the Alienware Area-51m will be hitting the market on January 21.

  • Check out all of TechRadar's CES 2019 coverage. We're live in Las Vegas to bring you all the breaking tech news and launches, plus hands-on reviews of everything from 8K TVs and foldable displays to new phones, laptops and smart home gadgets.

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IBM is taking quantum computing out of the lab

Posted: 08 Jan 2019 10:00 AM PST

IBM has revealed how it wants to bring quantum computing out of the lab and to the masses at CES 2019.

Speaking at her keynote this morning, IBM CEO Ginni Rometty revealed the company's next step along its IBM Q quantum computing development process, an entirely new system that it hopes can greatly increase the reach and use of the technology.

The new IBM Q System One platform is its first integrated universal quantum computing platform and its "most advanced ever", meaning the technology is finally able to break free from the laboratory to help a wider range of organisations than ever before.

Quantum computing for the masses

IBM says that the "world first" 20-qubit system is designed to assist commercial and scientific organisations harness the power of quantum computing, highlighting examples such as financial data modelling or optimising global logistics operations.

But along with bringing new levels of computing power, IBM's new release also represents a striking transformation in the look of quantum computing.

The hardware is contained in a specially designed 9x9 foot glass case built by Goppion, a world-renowned maker of museum glass display cases that is best known for protecting the Mona Lisa in the Louvre.

This case is purpose-built to eliminate outside interference and lengthen the lifespan of quantum computing's units of information called qubits so they survive long enough to perform useful calculations without interference from external sound, vibrations, or temperature fluctuations.

There's no news on how much the system will cost, but companies and research organisations will be able to pay to use it via IBM's cloud, with Exxon Mobile and CERN among those already signed up.

"The IBM Q System One is a major step forward in the commercialisation of quantum computing," said Arvind Krishna, senior vice president of hybrid cloud and director of IBM Research. 

"This new system is critical in expanding quantum computing beyond the walls of the research lab as we work to develop practical quantum applications for business and science." 

  • Check out all of TechRadar's CES 2019 coverage. We're live in Las Vegas to bring you all the breaking tech news and launches, plus hands-on reviews of everything from 8K TVs and foldable displays to new phones, laptops and smart home gadgets.

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Dell XPS 13 finally gets a higher webcam for 2019

Posted: 08 Jan 2019 10:00 AM PST

Now that CES 2019 is here, Dell has announced the Dell XPS 13 for 2019, and it brings long awaited improvements to Dell’s flagship laptop. 

Dell has managed to craft its smallest laptop camera ever, at 2.25mm – small enough to be integrated into the top bezel of the XPS 13 InfinityEdge display. This finally eliminates one of the longest lasting issues with the Dell XPS lineup, whose webcams were always at an awkward nose-high position.

That would be impressive enough on its own, but Dell has kept the same general footprint as last year, managing to shove a 13.3-inch laptop in a 11-inch chassis, weighing just 2.7 pounds (1.2kg), and coming in at just 0.3 inches (7.6mm) at the narrowest point. 

Dell is also releasing a new Frost color option, as well as remixing last year’s Arctic White color to be brighter and whiter. 

Maximum style, maximum power

But those aesthetic changes wouldn’t mean that much if there wasn’t more powerful hardware inside, and Dell is well aware of this. The Dell XPS 2019 will be packing the latest 8th-generation Whiskey Lake processors, with turbo boosts of up to 4.6GHz.

With up to 16GB of LPDDR3 memory, and up to a 4K UHD (3,840 x 2,160) InfinityEdge touch display, the Dell XPS 13 2019 holds par with its predecessor in these two areas. 

And, thanks to a starting option with an 8th-generation Intel Core i3 processor, an entry-level model can be had for $899 (about £710, AU$1,270) to start. 

The Dell XPS 13 2019 is available beginning January 8 with a 4K display in either the silver-on-black and rose gold-on-white color options, with the 4K display option in Frost-on-white and all 1080p options  coming in late January. Dell says the aforementioned entry-level model will arrive "after January".

There’s a new Inspiron, too

While Dell’s XPS lineup traditionally occupies the high-end of the PC space, Dell has also launched two new Inspiron 2-in-1 laptops aimed at the mid-range. 

The Dell Inspiron 13 7000 and Dell Inspiron 15 7000 2-in-1 Black Edition laptops are convertible laptops with a unique Dell Active Pen stylus garage. This is located in the hinge of the device, so your stylus is always accessible for note-taking or sketching. 

However, beyond the inclusion of USB Type-C for charging, Dell hasn’t shared any specifics on the hardware inside these new Inspiron devices. We’re sure that Dell will announce the specific hardware closer to release.

But, we do know these new Inspiron laptops will feature a new Adaptive Thermal technology that will let the laptop sense when it’s sitting still on a desk or being moved around, automatically adjusting performance to optimize thermals. 

No price has been announced for either new Inspiron 7000 2-in-1 Black Edition model, but both will be on shelves come May 2019. There will also be a silver, non-Black Edition model without an Active Pen garage, for what we assume will be a lower price. 

  • Check out all of TechRadar's CES 2019 coverage. We're live in Las Vegas to bring you all the breaking tech news and launches, plus hands-on reviews of everything from 8K TVs and foldable displays to new phones, laptops and smart home gadgets.

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Dell's G gaming laptop series starts looking more like Alienware in 2019

Posted: 08 Jan 2019 10:00 AM PST

CES 2019 is here, and Dell has announced its next-generation budget gaming laptops, the Dell G5 15, G7 15 and G7 17.

While Dell has featured the G-series name before, these new gaming laptops are starting to look more and more like their Alienware counterparts. The Dell G7 15 and G5 15 are 15-inch laptops, and come in a Deep Space Black color option with blue accents, and feature ridges around the borders that give it an edgy appearance – and will probably help with cooling. 

However, users can opt for the Dell G5 15 SE, which has the same specs as the Dell G5 15, but with an Alpine White chassis with the same blue accents. 

The main difference between these two models is the dimensions. The Dell G5 15 measures in at 0.95 inches (23.7mm) thick, and weighs 6.1 pounds (2.77kg). The Dell G7 15, however is much thinner at 0.78 inches (19.9mm), consequently weighing less at 5.77 pounds (2.62kg). 

These thin and light chassis are packing the latest Intel Coffee Lake processors, with up to an Intel Core i7-8750HQ hex-core processor and Nvidia Turing graphics up to an RTX 2080

Users will also be able to upgrade the display to a 4K UHD (3,840 x 2,160) OLED display for high-detail gaming, or instead opt for a FHD (1,920 x 1,080) panel at 144Hz, perfect for competitive gaming.  

The Dell G5 15 will start at $999 (about £780, AU$1,400), with the Dell G5 15 SE available as an upgrade option. If you want to get your hands on the thin and light Dell G7 15, however, you're looking at a starting price of $1,099 (about £870, AU$1,550). Both laptops will hit the market on January 21. 

Bigger and badder

Dell didn't just announce two budget-level 15-inch gaming laptops. The manufacturer also showed off the Dell G7 17, packing more powerful hardware behind a bigger chassis.

The Dell G7 17 will allow users to opt for an Intel Core i9 processor, dramatically increasing the horsepower. However, the rest of the specs, including the Nvidia Turing graphics remain the same – topping out with the RTX 2080. 

The Dell G7 17 has the same Deep Space Black color as the 15-inch varieties, and unlike many 17-inch gaming laptops, it isn't that much thicker, either, measuring just .98 inches (25mm) thick and weighing 7.21 pounds (3.27kg). 

Keep in mind, though, that the 17-inch display version doesn't have a 4K UHD (3,840 x 2,160) option, as it's limited to FHD (1,920 x 1,080). However, you can opt for a high refresh rate of 144Hz. 

The Dell G7 17 will be out on January 21, and will start at $1,379 (about £1,090, AU$1,950).

  • Check out all of TechRadar's CES 2019 coverage. We're live in Las Vegas to bring you all the breaking tech news and launches, plus hands-on reviews of everything from 8K TVs and foldable displays to new phones, laptops and smart home gadgets.

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Audio Technica announces new in-ear headphones with true wireless tech

Posted: 08 Jan 2019 10:00 AM PST

Audio Technica has lifted the lid on two new pairs of true wireless in-ear headphones, called the Sound Reality ATH-CKR7TW and the Sonic Sport ATH-SPORT7TW.

Both headphones are designed to bring high quality wireless audio to your ears, as well as being able to answer and end calls, and control music from your connected Bluetooth devices.

audio technica new wireless sport headphones

The Audio Technica Sonic Sport ATH-SPORT7TW headphones.

The Audio Technica Sonic Sport ATH-SPORT7TW are created with fitness lovers in mind. They're set to offer up exceptional true wireless audio quality, as well as a design that'll stay in place no matter how much you move, a built-in mic and touch controls. 

Their ear pieces feature ergonomic Freebit ear fins for maximum comfort and they're certified with an IPX5 rating, which means they're sweat resistant and can even be rinsed under a tap. They also boast an ambient hear-through function, which you can switch on to give you the choice of hearing environmental sounds for safer use outdoors. 

They last 3.5 hours on a single charge and come with a carry case that can deliver up to 14 hours more power if you need it on the move. 

They're available for $199 (around £157.22/AUS$280).

new audio technica wireless headphones

The Audio Technica Sound Reality ATH-CKR7TW headphones.

The Audio Technica Sound Reality ATH-CKR7TW headphones have a great design with a 3D Loop Support so they stay secure in your ear, as well as button controls to easily handle phone calls, music playback and volume.

They boast 11mm drivers with a carbon coated diaphragm that delivers faster response time and minimal distortion. The drivers also have machined brass stabilizers, which reduce unwanted resonances, as well as a stainless steel acoustic mesh resistor for improved high-frequency response.

The ATH-CKR7TW deliver six hours of music on one charge, and come with a carry case that provides a further nine hours of use.

They're available for $249 (around £196.73/AUS$350.41).

The two new pairs of in-ear headphones will be at CES 2019, where we'll be getting a first look and hopefully a hands-on with Audio Technica's latest true wireless accessories. 

  • New year, new tech – check out all our coverage of CES 2019 straight from Las Vegas, the greatest gadget show on Earth

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Audio-Technica unveils four new LP60 turntables to suit all vinyl fans

Posted: 08 Jan 2019 10:00 AM PST

Audio Technica has unveiled four new turntables that build on the brand's already popular entry-level LP60 turntable series.

The new record players are aimed at modern vinyl enthusiasts, bringing vinyl wireless streaming, a digitised record collection and headphone listening, as well as the high-quality audio and sleek, minimal design Audio Technica is known for.

All four turntables allow you unbox and get on to playing records in seconds and have two speeds: 33 1/3 for long play albums and 45 RPM for singles and 12-inch records.

They also all boast a preamplifier with switchable phono/line output, which allows you to easily connect to active-powered speakers or a phono-enabled amp.

There's also an AC adapter, which handles AC/DC conversion and reduces noise in the signal chain for a crisper sound. 

Here's a quick run down on each:

A product shot of the Audio Technica AT-LP60X

Audio-Technica AT-LP60X - A great introductory turntable for first time vinyl collectors or those who have taken a break and want a quick and easy way to get their LP collection spinning again. 

The Audio-Technica AT-LP60X is priced at £99 (around $127 / AU$180) and out in February 2019.

A product shot of the audio technica AT-LP60XUSB

Audio-Technica AT-LP60XUSB - Created for those who want to convert their beloved vinyl collection into digital audio files quickly and easily. It has a built-in USB output for you to easily connect it up to your PC or Mac and works with Audacity recording software to save your records as digital files.

The Audio-Technica AT-LP60XUSB is priced at £149 (around $190 / AU$265) and is available in February 2019.

A product shot of the Audio Technica AT-LP60XBT

Audio-Technica AT-LP60XBT - One of the more premium options of the bunch, the built-in Bluetooth technology in the AT-LP60XBT allows you to wirelessly stream your analogue sounds making it perfect for those who already have a wireless sound system. 

It also boasts the higher quality aptX codec, which means you have an enhanced signal between your music and whichever device you're listening to it on, delivering a a high-quality and stable wireless performance. 

The Audio-Technica AT-LP60XBT is out in February 2019 and priced at £179 (around $230 / AU$320).

A product shot of the Audio Technica AT-LP60XBT

Audio-Technica AT-LP60XHP - Designed for private, immersive listening, this turntable has a built-in headphone amplifier and 3.5mm headphone jack, which means you can plug in and listen to your favorite records through a pair of headphones. It comes with 250AV headphones, which have a lightweight build and comfortable, noise isolating earpads.

The Audio-Technica AT-LP60XHP will be available for £149 (around $190 / AU$265) in early 2019. 

  • New year, new tech – check out all our coverage of CES 2019 straight from Las Vegas, the greatest gadget show on Earth

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These Audio Technica headphones offer 35 hours of custom noise cancellation

Posted: 08 Jan 2019 10:00 AM PST

Audio Technica had a fantastic 2018, with cans like the ATH-M50xBT wireless headphones earning a recommended award from the TechRadar test labs. The company well have outdone itself at CES 2019 though with its impressive-sounding ATH-ANC900BT wireless over ears.

The ATH-ANC900BT make use of multiple onboard microphones to monitor ambient noise, and offer three noise cancelling levels as default, including an airplane mode. However, things can be fine-tuned with the free Audio-Technica Connect app for iOS and Android, which lets you dial up or down the amount of noise cancellation to your specific desired level. 

What’s particularly impressive according to the press release is battery life – you’re looking at up to 35 hours from a single charge, even with Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity and noise cancelling engaged.

Smart design

Tap and swipe controls give you easy access to key features – for instance, give a quick tap to the left can and you turn on ambient hear-through, toggling noise cancelling off so you can hear the world around you more clearly.

In terms of acoustics, you’re looking at 40mm drivers and carbon coated diaphragms for for “dynamic audio performance”, supporting aptX and AAC codecs. In the box you’ll find a 1.2m cable for hooking up to hi-res players or phones when your battery dies, while there’s a charging cable, airplane adapter and a carry case rounding out the fold-flat headphone package.

The Audio-Technica ATH-ANC900BT will hit shops in March 2019, priced at £269 / $299. We’re waiting on Australian availability, but will update this post when we get it.

  • New year, new tech – check out all our coverage of CES 2019 straight from Las Vegas, the greatest gadget show on Earth

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EE now lets you register for updates on the Samsung Galaxy S10

Posted: 08 Jan 2019 09:27 AM PST

CES 2019 is in full swing and while we won’t see the Samsung Galaxy S10 there, we shouldn’t have long to wait, with the phone likely to land at MWC 2019 next month. In fact, the launch is so close that UK mobile network EE already lets you register for updates on the unannounced phone.

The company has referred to it as "the new Samsung Galaxy" but the S10 – or whatever Samsung's flagship launches as - is almost certainly what it’s talking about.

It’s unlikely that EE will share any information before the phone is announced, but you never know, so it could be worth registering, especially if you’re an EE customer. This also strongly suggests that EE will stock the phone when it does land.

Rumor after rumor

We don’t know when you’ll be able to buy the Galaxy S10 yet. Rumors strongly suggest a late February announcement, but that likely means it won’t be in stores before March.

There’s plenty that has been rumored about the S10 range though, with leaks pointing to there being at least three different models, an in-screen fingerprint scanner, a top-end chipset, a pinhole camera on the front and three (or possibly even more) cameras on the rear.

We’ve even seen a photo seemingly showing the front of the Samsung Galaxy S10 and we’d expect to see and hear plenty more over the coming weeks.

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WD demoes world largest capacity USB flash drive at 4TB

Posted: 08 Jan 2019 09:24 AM PST

AT CES 2019, Western Digital unveiled several new innovative storage solutions designed to help consumers bring and share their personal content on the go.

While the company's new drives provide consumers and creative professionals with an easy way to bring their content with them anywhere, a demo for an upcoming 4TB flash drive gave attendees a glimpse of the future.

SanDisk's USB-C prototype flash drive manages to cram 4TB of high speed flash memory into a compact form factor ideal for business users that need to bring large files with them. 

Unfortunately since the device is still in the prototype stage, Western Digital did not provide any information on pricing but its current 1TB flash drive retails for $400 so expect similar pricing once the product is finalised.

SanDisk Extreme Pro 

The new SanDisk Extreme Pro portable SSD leverages the company's in-house NVMe technology to deliver increased transfer speeds of up to 1GBps.

The drives rugged case ensures that user's files are protected in any situation and with up to 2TB of storage, creative professionals can bring a full library of content in a pocket-sized design.

The SanDisk Extreme Pro even includes both USB Type C and Type A connectors so that users can connect and share content on either PC or Mac.

My Passport Go

In addition to its new SanDisk Extreme Pro, Western Digital also unveiled the latest version of its My Passport Go portable SSD.

This pocket-sized drive features drop-resistance of up to two meters thanks to its rubberised protective bumper and the built-in cable makes it quite convenient for consumers on the go.

Western Digital's My Passport Go is available with a capacity of either 500GB or 1TB and its auto backup and built-in password protection mean that you can rest easy knowing your files are safe.

Vice President of Product Marketing at Western Digital, David Ellis explained how its new offerings are designed to help consumers enjoy their content in any situation, saying:

“We continue to evolve our products to help consumers find new ways of enjoying the content that matters the most. Our latest offerings reinforce Western Digital’s commitment to delivering a wide range of personal storage solutions that offer ruggedness, speed, reliability and ease of use.” 

  • Check out all of TechRadar's CES 2019 coverage. We're live in Las Vegas to bring you all the breaking tech news and launches, plus hands-on reviews of everything from 8K TVs and foldable displays to new phones, laptops and smart home gadgets. 

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TicWatch E2 and TicWatch S2 announced, and both are ready to go in the pool

Posted: 08 Jan 2019 09:00 AM PST

Two of our best smartwatches are getting sequels as Chinese company Mobvoi has announced the TicWatch S2 and TicWatch E2 at CES 2019.

The new devices aren't dissimilar to the original TicWatch E and TicWatch S variants, but there are a few improvements here, including waterproofing that means you can take either device into the pool for a swim.

Both the TicWatch E2 and TicWatch S2 are waterproof up to 50 meters, so this should be able to monitor your lengths up and down your local pool – but it isn't designed for diving.

There's a swim-monitoring mode on each watch too to give you an idea of how you're improving in the water.

Ready to splash

Both watches sport similar specifications, and the main differences lie in the designs that you can see below. The E in the E2 name stands for "express" while the TicWatch S2 is the "sport" variant.

The watch casing is made of polycarbonate and both are available in black, with a white version of the TicWatch S2 set to launch later in 2019. Each uses 22mm silicone straps, and you should be able to use your own straps with them too.

These are each powered by Wear OS software and feature the Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 2100 chipset. That's not the latest and greatest, which we've seen running in devices like the Fossil Sport and Montblanc Summit 2, but it should still run well on these watches.

Mobvoi also claims the battery life has been improved on each watch by 30%, so you should be able to get somewhere between a day or two from a single charge. We found both the original watches lasted for a single day, so we're hoping it's more toward the two-day mark for the next generation.

Each has a 1.39-inch AMOLED display with a resolution of 400 x 400, plus there's a heart rate sensor on the rear of each watch and GPS to track your runs too.

We don't currently have an exact release date for the TicWatch E2 or the S2, and we don't know pricing information yet either.

The original TicWatch E launched for at $159.99 (around £120, AU$200) and the TicWatch S was $199.99 (around £150, AU$250) so we'd expect similar pricing to that for the next-gen devices.

  • Check out all of TechRadar's CES 2019 coverage. We're live in Las Vegas to bring you all the breaking tech news and launches, plus hands-on reviews of everything from 8K TVs and foldable displays to new phones, laptops and smart home gadgets.  

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CES 2019: all the latest news and reviews

Posted: 08 Jan 2019 08:46 AM PST

CES 2019 is now in full swing, and we've been hard at work covering the show live for two days now. We've seen major keynotes from Intel, LG, Samsung, Sony and others filling us in on what we'll be seeing on the show floor.

After the deluge of news, we'll be hitting the show floor to hunt out the very best, most innovative and yes, even the strangest, products at the show. It's exhausting work, but there's no place like Vegas during CES.

What can you expect to see at this year's show? We've got all the news, reviews and opinions that's on show at CES 2019.

Update: What have we seen so far? We've started into the future of HTC's next VR headset, seen a 98-inch 8K Samsung TV too large for words and Intel finally showed off its 10nm processors.

What and when is CES 2019?  

The 2019 International CES will begin on Tuesday, 8 January and end on Friday, 11 January. It's been taking place since 1967 and is staged by the Consumer Technology Association (CTA), a trade organization that represents over 2,000 consumer tech companies in the U.S. 

Though it gets a lot of attention from the world’s media, this is not an event where the public can go see the latest tech. Unlike the IFA exhibition in Berlin each August, the CES is open only to the electronics trade, as well as journalists, bloggers and plenty of blaggers. (You know who you are...) 

How big exactly is CES? It's huge. If you're going for the first time, go on a few five-mile walks in the preceding weeks. Seriously, it's hiking boots-big. There are 2.75 million net square feet of exhibit space. Eleven venues. 24 product categories. Some company's booths are vast and complex, while other, smaller firms grab a table in one of the 25 marketplaces. 

In terms of footfall, the CES attracts about 180,000 people from 155 countries, as well as 6,500 media, who visit 4,500 exhibiting companies. All the biggest tech companies in the world gather ... well, except for Apple.  

CES 2019

Where does CES 2019 take place?

Since 1978 the CES has been staged in Las Vegas. Why? Hotel rooms, all 150,000 of them, and counting. The main venue is the Las Vegas Convention and World Trade Center (LVCC), which is a short (and very busy) monorail ride from The Strip, where most of the hotels are. 

Along with the nearby Westgate Las Vegas and Renaissance Las Vegas, this is referred to as Tech East. This is where most of the major booths are. Tech West (comprising the Sands Expo, The Venetian, The Palazzo, Wynn Las Vegas, and Encore) is where you'll find hi-fi and audio. 

At Tech South (ARIA, Park MGM/Park Theater and Vdara) you'll see VR, AR, and gaming. There are shuttle buses between the venues, but it's best to stay put for the day at one of the three areas to avoid the traffic. 

CES 2019

CES 2019 latest news

CES has barely begun but we've already seen some truly amazing technology on show at CES 2019. You can find individual break downs further down the page, but here are the biggest news stories and most interesting products we've seen so far.

Alcatel's latest entry-level smartphones offer up Full View screens at a low price

Alcatel has shown off two budget smartphones at CES 2019: the Alcatel 1X and Alcatel 1C.

The Alcatel 1X (2019) is the slightly more premium of the two handsets, with a 5.5-inch 18:9 Full View display with an HD+ (so, 720p) resolution, dual 13MP + 2MP rear cameras, a fingerprint scanner and face recognition technology. 

Meanwhile, the Alcatel 1C (2019) is aimed at emerging markets, with a more affordable price tag, and packs a smaller, 5-inch 18:9 display and runs Google's lightweight mobile OS, Android Go.

Michael Kors Access Sofie 2.0 announced

The Michael Kors Access Sofie 2.0 smartwatch has been announced at CES, and it comes with loads of new features in a stylish design we've come to expect.

The new model includes GPS, so you can track your runs without your phone. It has also got NFC, meaning you can make contactless payments with Google Pay, and there’s a heart rate monitor, none of which were offered by the original Access Sofie.

Kate Spade Scallop 2 smartwatch has Google Pay, GPS and heart rate tracking

The Kate Spade New York Scallop 2 smartwatch, which has just been announced at CES, has lots internal improvements over the last generation including GPS so you can keep track of your location and NFC to allow for Google Pay contactless payments. 

Honda Dream Drive

Honda's Dream Drive in-vehicle experience aims to gamify travel

Honda has unveiled its new Dream Drive innovation, which aims to deliver a whole new in-vehicle experience.

It’ll allow drivers and passengers to exploit the vast array of goods and services that are available on the web, but from the safety and comfort of their cars. 

Philips Hue is leading the way in outdoor smart lighting at CES 2019

Philips Hue has launched a number of new products as part of its outdoor smart lighting range at CES 2019 in Las Vegas, with the new devices designed to welcome you home and lend some ambience to your outside space.

The new range includes the new Philips Hue Outdoor sensor, a battery powered motion sensor that detects you as you approach your home, and switches on your lighting system, along with new outdoor lamps and lights, that can all be configured using the Hue smartphone app.

Alexa is coming to Razer gaming peripherals

At CES 2019, Razer has announced that it has got together with Amazon to bring Alexa support to some of its gaming peripherals.

This means you can control Chroma RGB lighting on Razer mice, keyboards, and other gaming accessories verbally by speaking to Alexa. While this won't appeal to everyone, it's a sign of Alexa's growing popularity that it's cropping up in all kinds of places.


Google Assistant is now in your bathroom mirror

Voice assistants are cropping up in all kinds of places at CES 2019, and Google Assistant has been spotted in Capstone Connected Home's Smart Mirror, which features both voice and touchscreen capabilities.

The Smart Mirror allows you to access Google Assistant, check weather and traffic before you head out for the day, and even stream YouTube.

 

The Galaxy S10 isn't at CES 2019, but Samsung's 5G plans are

We were never really expecting the Galaxy S10 to show up, but Samsung has been at CES 2019, and it's shown off some exciting smartphone tech that gives us an idea about what we can expect from the company's upcoming flagship smartphone.

It looks like 5G, the faster mobile internet technology, will be a big feature in 2019, and the S10 could also run on Qualcomm's Snapdragon 855, which is also at CES 2019.

New Netgear Orbi packs the latest Wi-Fi tech for super-fast home internet

Netgear has shown off its improved Orbi mesh Wi-Fi router at CES 2019, and it comes with Wi-Fi 6 support (also known as 802.11ax) that will make wireless network speeds even faster, and will better cope with heavy network traffic.

According to Netgear, this will  “address the performance needs of the gigabit internet home”.  With so many internet-connected devices being shown off at CES 2019, we'll need routers that can handle all the traffic, and it looks like Netgear will deliver.

Eye AF coming to Nikon's Z6 and Z7

Nikon has revealed that it's working on firmware to add Eye AF to its first full-frame mirrorless cameras. 

Eye AF allows the cameras to automatically detect a subject’s eyes to make attaining critical focus easier, and Nikon will also add support for raw video output via firmware.

Hyundai walking car

Hyundai's 'walking car' could be the ambulance of the future

CES is great for getting glimpses of future tech, and at CES 2019, Hyundai showed off a new concept vehicle that could make it easier to reach victims of natural disasters: a 'walking car', which uses articulated legs to navigate off-road following floods, fires and earthquakes.

Under Armour’s true wireless FLASH in-ears could make you a better runner

Sportswear brand Under Armour has unveiled its new true wireless FLASH headphones, which it says are designed “by runners, for runners”. 

These in-ear headphones are fully cordless, and connect automatically to your smartphone via Bluetooth. They feature IPX7 water-resistance and have five hour battery life, with a charging case that can boost the battery by 20 hours.

Aftershokz Xtrainerz are ideal headphones for swimming

Aftershokz Xtrainerz are bone-conducting headphones that bring music while you swim.  You just place them on your temples and the music will vibrate through your skull, so you don't need to fiddle around with earbuds that can easily fall out while swimming.

Xtrainerz come with a 4GB internal memory, meaning you can fill them up with MP3, WMA and other file formats, but there's no streaming options like Spotify. 

Intel Ice Lake

Intel finally announces its first 10nm processors

The wait is finally over, Intel has finally announced its first, real 10nm processors and has shown them working on stage. What's more Intel announced multiple series of 10nm chips on the way with Ice Lake, LakeField and Cascade Lake server chips.

Samsung's 98-inch QLED 8K TV is mind-boggling

If you thought the best 4K TVs were massive, Samsung has upped the ante with an immense 98-inch Q900 QLED 8K TV. It's basically more screen than your eyes can handle.

Meet HTC's next-gen VR headset

HTC Cosmos

HTC is speeding along to its next headset and its shooting for the starts with its newly announced Cosmos headset. The headset maker claims it's next device will be lighter, easier to setup and require no external tracking software. We had our first look into the HTC Cosmos, but it'll be months before HTC will share more about its form factor and functions so this one won't be coming any time soon.

In the more immediate future, HTC also announced the Vive Pro Eye, which features eye-tracking technology, and Viveport Infinity games pass subscription service that's basically Netflix for VR.

Groove X’s cuddly Lovot robot is stealing hearts at CES 2019

The new Lovot robot from Groove X has been spotted at CES, and it's a seriously cute robotic companion with big cartoon eyes and teddy bear-soft exterior.

Groove X says that Lovot is designed to “nurture people’s capacity to love” by demanding the affection of its owner. It's certainly very cute, but it might cost a huge amount as well, with a pair of the robots available for preorder for 598,000 yen, which works out at around $5,520/£4,320/AU$7,750.

McAfee and Google Assistant will let you secure your smart home with your voice

At CES 2019, McAfee announced the launch of new Secure Home Platform voice commands for Google Assistant, which will enable you to keep track of your whole network without fiddling with software and app interfaces.

Secure Home Platform will come built into routers and gateways, and will let you perform security checks using spoken commands.

Asus announces ROG Zephyrus S GX701 ultra-thin gaming laptop

Asus has announced its new ultra-thin ROG Zephyrus S GX70 gaming laptop, which comes with brand-new Nvidia GeForce RTX with Max-Q design graphics. Configurable up to an RTX 2080 with Max-Q Design and 8GB of GDDR6 VRAM, Nvidia’s new laptop graphics combine the power of its high-end RTX 2080 graphics card with a slim design that allows it to be installed in thin gaming laptops.

The ROG Zephyrus S GX701 also comes with an 8th generation Intel Core i7-8750H six-core processor with a turbo clock speed of 4.1GHz. It can also be fitted with up to 24GB of DDR4-2666 RAM.

Asus also showed off its innovative Mothership GZ700 gaming laptop, which comes with a completely new and unique form factor that allows it to house some seriously impressive tech inside.

Huawei's MateBook 13 could be a MacBook Air killer

Huawei announced the new MateBook 13, a 13-inch Ultrabook at CES 2019, which  features 8th-generation Whiskey Lake, full-power processors, 8GB of RAM and up to 512GB of RAM, with an optional Nvidia GeForce MX150 GPU. This all powers a 13.3-inch 2K (2,160 x 1,440) touch display.  

Best of all, the MateBook 13 will continue Huawei's tradition of releasing powerful tech in stylish Apple-like designs for a lot less money than the competition.  The laptop will be available later in January for $999 (about £780, AU$1,410) for the Mystic Silver Core i5-8265U model. Users can opt for the Space Gray Intel Core i7-8565U MateBook 13, with Nvidia MX150 graphics for $1,299 (about £1,025, AU$1,830). 

Asus Chromebook Flip gets a power boost

Asus has announced the followup to its popular Chromebook, the Asus Chromebook Flip C434.

Its screen has had a massive upgrade, with a new NanoEdge display technology that crams a 14-inch Full HD (1,920 x 1,080) display into a 13-inch laptop. 

It also features 8th-generation Intel Amber Lake fan-less processors, up to 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. With the lightweight nature of Chrome OS, this hardware will let you get some serious work done.  

Eve Light Strip takes on Philips Hue

We got to check out a new Apple HomeKit-compatible LED light strip, the Eve Light Strip , which has debuted at CES 2019 this week, and it's a bit brighter than our old favorite, the Philips Hue LightStrip Plus.

The Eve Light Strip is a 2m long bendable strip of LED lights. It's $79 (other region pricing coming soon) and comes with adhesive on the back so you can attach to your various parts of home for extra flair. 

Arlo's new DIY security system detects intruders, gas leaks, dripping pipes, and more

Arlo (the Netgear-owned smart camera manufacturer) has announced a new DIY security system at CES 2019 that will keep your home safe from pretty much any threat you can think of.

The Arlo Security System features an all-in-one Multi-Sensor that detects windows and doors opening and closing, motion, smoke, carbon monoxide, water leaks, temperature changes and more

Blackberry wants to make your smart speaker more secure

Blackberry has announced that it will license its Blackberry Secure technology to smart device manufacturers, in a bid to make smart speakers like Google Home and Amazon Echo, more secure.

Samsung Notebook Odyssey is the company's most powerful laptop so far

Samsung Notebook Odyssey

Want a powerhouse gaming laptop you can slip into your rucksack? The Samsung Notebook Odyssey hopes to do just that, with a slim 19.9mm chassis (weighing 2.36kg) that still packs a 144Hz refresh rate, Full HD resolution, 8th-generation Intel Core i7 six-core processor, and GeForce RTX 2080 graphics card. 

Explicitly for 'serious gamers', it should be out in the US from early 2019 – and will likely be angled as a companion to the Samsung HMD Odyssey VR headset.

Netatmo unveils first smart video doorbell

Netatmo smart video doorbell

Want to keep a closer eye on the deliveries, guests, or prospective burglars frequenting your doorstep? Netatmo, purveyor of many a security camera, are expanding their smart home range with the new Netatmo Smart Video Doorbell.

The smart doorbell comes with a 1080p Full HD camera comes and 160-degree wide angle lens, and is the first to work with Apple HomeKit. With this, you can control the doorbell using Siri voice controls, or by connecting the device in tandem with other smart home products – like turning on the porch lights when a potential intruder is outside.

Mui's new smart display is a touch-sensitive plank of wood

Mui smart display

Why not? The first product from Mui's Japan-based studio was funded on Kickstarter, and houses a touch-sensitive smart display inside a sleek wooden furnishing.

The display can show clocks, thermostats, weather information, text messages and slogans, and allow you to control other connected smart devices in your home. It ships out September 2019 to early backers, though with style like this we could certainly see it seeing a wider release beyond that.

Dell's Alienware m17 is the thinnest and lightest 17-inch gaming laptop yet

 Dell always brings the goods to CES, and 2019's event is no different, with the laptop maker showing off the Alienware m17, which the company claims is the thinnest and lightest 17-gaming laptop ever.

It packs Intel Coffee Lake H-series CPUs, Nvidia Turing graphics and a 17-inch display into a chassis that's just 0.91 inches (23mm) thin, weighing just 5.79 pounds (2.63kg), and it's all cooled by Alienware's Cryo-Tech v2.0 cooler. 

Razer announces new Blade 15 gaming laptop with Nvidia RTX graphics

Following the reveal that Nvidia RTX graphic cards are coming to laptops, Razer announced that its refreshed Blade 15 gaming laptop will feature the tech, with configurations up to a mighty Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q GPU.

Other specs include an Intel Core i7-8750H, 16GB of RAM and up to a 512GB SSD, and the refreshed model keeps the svelte design with a chassis that's only 0.7 inch (17.78 mm) thick.

Acer Predator Triton 900 is a revolutionary gaming laptop

During CES 2019, Acer detailed the Predator Triton 900 gaming laptop which we first briefly glimpsed back at IFA 2018 in August. We've now got a better look at it, and it comes with Nvidia's latest Turing graphics cards (up to an RTX 2080 GPU),  8th-generation Intel H-series processors  and a 4K UHD (3,840 x 2,160) G-Sync display.  

Perhaps most interestingly, it also comes with a radical new form factor.  The Acer Predator Triton 900's screen features an "Ezel Aero Hinge" that allows the 17-inch display to rotate and move. You can move the display in front of the keyboard, to put it into an Ezel mode, or you can even put the laptop in a tent mode for consuming media. 

HP also updates its gaming laptops and desktops with Nvidia RTX graphics

HP is another company that has used CES 2019 to announce that it is updating it products to feature Nvidia's newest RTX graphics cards, for its Omen gaming laptops and desktops.

The 2019 edition of the HP Omen 15 will feature an Intel Core i7-8750H processor, 16GB of RAM, 128GB SSD and 1TB hard drive, along with the RTX graphics card.

It has also updated the HP Omen Obelisk 875 1010 and 1020 gaming desktop PCs.   The former features an Intel Core i7-9700K and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080, bumped up to an Intel Core i9-9900K and an RTX 2080 Ti for the latter. Both models feature the same 16GB of RAM and 512GB SSD with a 1TB hard drive. 


Nvidia RTX mobile graphics bring ray-tracing to gaming laptops

Nvidia has finally announced that its RTX graphics cards are coming to gaming laptops, and according to the company, 40 gaming laptop models are launching with the new graphics inside starting January 29. 

In fact, just after Nvidia's announcement, a range of laptop makers such as HP and Razer, announced new laptops with RTX mobile graphics cards. This will be huge for gaming laptops in 2019.

Nvidia announces the GeForce RTX 2060 graphics card

Nvidia has announced its much-anticipated RTX 2060 at CES 2019. This is the mid-range entry in the company's latest range of graphics cards, priced at $349 (about £270, AU$490).

Nvidia didn't announce any specific specifications for its new mid-range GPU, but it promised that it would be more powerful than even an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1070 Ti.

It also showed off how the RTX 2060 was capable of playing Battlefield V at Ultra settings and RTX On at well above 60 fps thanks to DLSS also being enabled.

The Asus StudioBook S brings workstation performance to a thin and light chassis

Asus has revealed its workstation-class laptop, the Asus StudioBook S.  Aimed at business use, it comes with Intel Xeon processors and Nvidia Quadro P3200 graphics – along with up to 64GB of RAM and 4TB of SSD storage. This means the StudioBook S packs enough raw horsepower to please content creators and other professionals alike.

The Asus ZenBook 14 is smaller and more powerful than ever

Asus announced its 2019 lineup of thin and light Ultrabooks at CES 2019, including the ZenBook 14 and the new Zenbook S13.

The Asus ZenBook 14 packs the latest Whiskey Lake Ultrabook processors, along with Nvidia GeForce MX150 graphics and up to 16GB of RAM into a svelte, blue chassis that's as thin as it is light. This Ultrabook weighs just under 1.45kg (3.2 pounds), while managing to cram a 14-inch display into a 13-inch chassis.

Meanwhile, the Asus ZenBook S13 keeps the same 12.9mm (0.51 inches) thickness of the original ZenBook S, but this time around, it managed to shove an Nvidia MX150 GPU in the mix.

Samsung's 2019 TVs will harness AI 

Samsung has announced its plans for its 2019 line up of TVs, and the company is looking to expand its AI's capabilities to improve Bixby, the sound quality of its TV's built-in speakers, and Tizen, its smart TV platform. 

In 2019, users will be able to ask Bixby questions, and it will use context awareness to automatically adjust answers based on a specific question. Bixby will also be able to integrate with an intelligent home, allowing it to control Samsung devices, other Internet-of-Things (IoT) devices, and life-on-demand services.

Samsung TVs will also be getting a dedicated iTunes app for movies and TV shows – the first time iTunes content will be available on a non-Apple TV – alongside support for AirPlay 2.

AMD 2nd Gen Ryzen Mobile processors surprise us at CES 

While all eyes were trained for AMD to announced 7nm Ryzen 3rd Generation processors and Vega II graphics cards, the company has surprised us all with its new 2nd Gen Ryzen Mobile CPUs.

Whereas in years past AMD would only introduce a handful of CPUs, the chipmaker now has a full product stack to power everything from gaming laptops, Ultrabooks, budget notebooks and even Chromebooks – which reminds us...

AMD processors are coming to a Chromebook near you 

For the longest time, Chromebooks have included either Intel or ARM-based processors across the board. But, at CES 2019, there have been plenty of Chromebooks announced with AMD processors for the first time.  

Chief among these new AMD-based Chromebooks are the HP Chromebook 14 and the Acer Chromebook 315. HP hasn't shared pricing information for the HP Chromebook 14, but the inclusion of an AMD processor could mean a more affordable Chromebook – making it more appealing to students that don't necessarily need the fastest hardware.

Byton confirms M-Byte car will be available in 2019 with AI, 5G and 48-inch display 

Electric car startup Byton is back. After unveiling its M-Byte Concept vehicle back at CES in 2018, it's returned to Las Vegas, Nevada for CES 2019 with news that the M-Byte will be available before the end of 2019. 

The look of the interior has been updated over the Concept for the production version, but the huge screen remains, as does the 7-inch 'driver tablet' which is mounted in front of the steering wheel. The tablet doesn't rotate with the steering wheel though, keeping it orientated correctly the whole time. 

HP Omen X Emperium redefines the term ‘gaming monitor’

Nvidia’s “Big F**king Gaming Display” (BFGD) project kicked off at CES 2018, and now we know partner HP has been working on one with the debut of the Omen X Emperium. And, at 65 inches and with a soundbar built-in, this screen definitely lives up to Nvidia’s vulgar project name.

With Nvidia’s G-Sync HDR technology, the Emperium can actively sync its 144Hz refresh rate with the frame rate of your PC’s Nvidia graphics card powering the graphics. This creates a tear-free visual without any stuttering that even the best graphics cards can’t get around without such a feature.

HP spared no expense with this absolutely ‘extra’ gaming monitor, but don’t worry – you’re footing the bill, and it’s massive.

CES 2019 reviews

Asus ZenBook S13

With a bezel-less screen unlike anything you’ve seen and packing more hardware than most other Ultrabooks, the Asus ZenBook S13 is a unique machine worthy of your attention

Michael Kors Access Sofie 2.0

The Michael Kors Access Sofie 2.0 isn't much of a design change from the last-gen watch, but it now comes with lots more tech inside that may make it more tempting.

Kate Spade Scallop 2

The design of the Kate Spade Scallop 2 is similar to the last generation, but there's lots of interesting tech packed in here, making it a fully-fledged smartwatch worthy of your attention.

Sony Master Series Z9G 8K HDR TV

If you’ve been waiting for the proper sequel to the Sony Z9D/ZD9, the new Sony Master Series Z9G could be the immaculate 8K follow-up we’ve been waiting for. 

Samsung Notebook 9 Pro (2019)

The new Samsung Notebook 9 Pro might be Samsung’s best looking and performing Ultrabook ever. Thanks to its stand out design, it makes a great first impression and it has the specs to duke it out with the best laptops on the market. 

Samsung Notebook Flash

With plenty of features not often found in laptops at this price and an attractive design, the Samsung Notebook Flash should prove to be a fine laptop for students and budget-conscious consumers alike. 

Withings Move

It's not brimming with new tech, but the Withings Move looks like it may be perfect for those after an affordable hybrid with a vibrant design. 

Withings Move ECG

The Withings Move ECG is one of the first products to offer an electrocardiogram on a consumer wearable, and it has the benefit that it looks good at the same time. This looks like it may well be one of the most interesting hybrid smartwatches money can buy.

MSI GS75 Stealth

The MSI GS75 Stealth takes the best of the GS65 Stealth and blows it all up to 17.3 inches, while implementing Nvidia’s latest graphics. Color us impressed.

Corsair Harpoon RGB Wireless

The Corsair Harpoon RGB Wireless makes wireless gaming mice accessible to almost everyone with its unbelievably low price, excellent ergonomics and seamless connectivity. 

Corsair Ironclaw RGB

If you can look past the odd design, the Corsair Ironclaw RGB is an affordable, high-performance gaming mouse that big-handed gamers can love. 

LG Signature Series OLED TV R (65R9)

Vegas was the perfect backdrop to show off this magical, rollable 65-inch LG Signature Series OLED TV R (65R9) TV. 

Huawei MateBook 13

Not to get ahead of ourselves, but we’re generally expecting the Huawei MateBook 13 to be a benchmark laptop for 2019, and the one other laptop makers will need to beat.

Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060

The Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060 might be more expensive than the graphics card it’s replacing, but it’s also a helluva lot more powerful, too. This mid-range GPU will make your PC gaming dreams come true.

Aircharge wireless charger

Aircharge at CES 2019

Wireless charging is on the up, and the CES will definitely see three new products from Aircharge: a Fast Wireless Charger 10W, Fast Dual Charger 10W, and a PS4 DualShock 4 Wireless Adapter. Both chargers will deliver 10W fast wireless charging, including both Apple and Samsung fast wireless charging. 

AMD Ryzen processor

AMD at CES 2019

Semiconductor company AMD has already said that it intends to show-off its 3rd-gen Ryzen processors and new graphics products at CES 2019. 

According to a recent leak, that will include three new entry-level Ryzen 3 processors (3300, 3300X, 3300G),  three mid-range Ryzen 5 processors (3600, 3600X, 3600G) and two Ryzen 7 processors (3700, 3700X). On top of the mainline processors, AMD might also surprise us with a few new mobile processors in the form of the 2.6GHz AMD Ryzen 3 3200U, 2.1GHz AMD Ryzen 3 3300U CPU and 2.1GHz AMD Ryzen 5 3500U.

Beyond processors, CES 2019 might be the place that we see the company's next AMD Navi GPUs – though, that seems a little less likely than the 3rd-gen processors. 

There's also talk of a new Radeon graphics card, with 7nm Vega II GPUs possibly making an appearance. 

All the latest AMD CES 2019 news:

Asus ZenFone AR

Asus at CES 2019

Asus has really pushed the boat out with the Mothership GZ700 gaming laptop, just announced at CES. It ditches the usual form factor of most laptops and piles its components behind the laptop screen, rather than beneath the keyboard, reportedly to assist better airflow to the hardware.

Asus also announced its new ultra-thin ROG Zephyrus S GX70 gaming laptop, combining the power of its high-end RTX 2080 graphics card with a slim design that allows it to be installed in thin gaming laptops.

All the latest Asus CES 2019 news: 

Canon cameras

Canon at CES 2019

CanonRumors.co reports that CES 2019 could see the unveiling of a Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark III – complete with a new image sensor and a longer zoom range – and possibly a G9 X Mark III. That rumor seems to be even more likely than ever now that Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark III product images surfaced online.

Something that's beyond rumor, however, is the new line of Vixia camcorders, with Canon revealing its HF G50, HF W11, and HF W10 camcorders. While the latter two are built to tackle the elements, with waterproof, dustproof, and shockproof bodies able to withstand temperatures of -10C / 14F, the G50 is aimed more at the prosumer market with some impressive specs.

All the latest Canon CES 2019 news: 

HTC at CES 2019

HTC Cosmos

HTC is speeding along to its next headset and its shooting for the starts with its newly announced Cosmos headset. The headset maker claims it's next device will be lighter, easier to setup and require no external tracking software. We had our first look into the HTC Cosmos, but it'll be months before HTC will share more about its form factor and functions so this one won't be coming any time soon.

In the more immediate future, HTC also announced the Vive Pro Eye, which features eye-tracking technology, and Viveport Infinity games pass subscription service that's basically Netflix for VR.

All the latest HTC CES 2019 news:

Intel processor

Intel at CES 2019

Intel came out guns blazing at its CES 2019 keynote, announcing the first 10nm Ice Lake processors based on its Sunny Cove architecture – and even showing the chip powering a running laptop.

The new chips aim to bolster modern PC performance, while Intel's new Project Athena initiative hopes to push mobile computing to the next era with thinner and lighter hardware across industry partners like Huawei, Asus, and Lenovo.

Intel also announced six more 9th-gen processors, ranging from Core i3 to Core i9, to release soon. Our own digging leads us to think some of these will launch without integrated graphics cards, in an attempt to lower prices and cut into AMD's share of the market, though those details were curiously absent from the press conference...

All the latest Intel CES 2019 news:  

A photo of an LG robot

LG at CES 2019

As expected, we've seen a lot of new TVs and TV-related announcements from LG. The Korean-based electronics manufacturer revealed the boosted Alpha 9 (Gen. 2) TV processor that will power its 2019 OLED TVs in advance of CES, and it was clear going in that LG would have a lot to show.

The highlight of LG's conference has to be its rollable OLED television, now named as the LG Signature Series OLED TV R, which will be on sale in the second half of the year – and given its unique mechanical design, certainly won't be cheap.

But otherwise LG's conference was marked by collaboration. There are a host of new partnerships with other manufacturers, with Apple Airplay 2 support and a dedicated iTunes movies app coming to LG's ThinQ smart TVs this year. LG is also combining support for Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, giving more choice than ever with TV voice controls.

And just when you thought you had LG figured out, it announces a smart cupboard that steams your clothes. Featuring a mirrored door with integrated display, automatically moving hangers, and a smart steaming system, this cupboard will take care of your dusty, wrinkly clothes for you.

We had our hearts set on LG's foldable phone being unveiled, though it looks like we may have to wait until MWC 2019 to hear more on that.

All the latest LG CES 2019 news:  

Netatmo Smart Video Doorbell

Netatmo at CES 2019

Feeling secure in your home security? Smart home provider Netatmo has branched out into its first smart video doorbell, adding to its range of smart security cameras, and connected home devices. It can be easily linked up to your existing wired doorbell, and is the first smart doorbell to work in tandem with Apple HomeKit.

Nvidia keynote

Nvidia at CES 2019

Nvidia revealed its GeForce RTX Mobility graphics cards at CES 2019, with the RTX 2080, and other cards, now available for gaming laptops.

Moreover, Nvidia may be preparing more than just RTX graphics for laptops at CES 2019, with a reference to MX250 graphics just appearing in an HP laptop listing. 

The supposed HP Zahn 66 Pro 14 G2 Notebook PC was reportedly listed somewhere by HP with an Nvidia GeForce MX250 with 2GB of GDDR5 memory, first shared by Twitter user Momomo

 All the latest Nvidia CES 2019 news:  

Panasonic at CES 2019

Among other things, Panasonic has promised to "bring Hollywood home" with its latest and greatest GZ2000 OLED TV. The TV will be exclusively compatible with the high dynamic range still mode (or HLG photography) found on the company's Lumix range of cameras, making it ideal for professional photographers reviewing or displaying their work.

Again on the home cinema front, Panasonic has unveiled two high-spec 4K Blu-ray players, both supporting passthrough Dolby Atmos and the latest version of HDR (HDR10+). The DP-UB450 supports Dolby Vision as well, while the DP-UB150 aims to be slightly more affordable, although pricing and availability is yet to be announced.

We were holding out for a full reveal of the upcoming Lumix S1 and Lumix S1R mirrorless cameras, though Panasonic kept things to a brief tease of the specs we can expect.

 All the latest Panasonic CES 2019 news: 

Royole foldable phone

Royole at CES 2019

The world's first foldable phone is here. Royole beat LG and Samsung to the punch with the Royole FlexPai, featuring a 7.8-inch AMOLED screen that folds in half. The 'developer' version of the handset is already on sale, albeit for a pricey $1,318 (around £1,035, AU$1,850), and we're sure to see a lot more of this foldable tech in the coming year.

 All the latest Royole CES 2019 news: 

Samsung The Frame television

Samsung at CES 2019

A CES launch for the previously announced Samsung Galaxy Home smart speaker – compete with Bixby – seems a shoo-in, but will Samsung launch its Galaxy X foldable phone? "While the full Samsung launch might be at Mobile World Congress we could instead see the Samsung Galaxy S10 launched at CES, which won’t be foldable but will have 5G and triple camera, plus a new notch design on the front panel," says Tom Morrod, Senior Research Director, IHS Markit. 

Looking to get ahead of the deluge of news, Samsung has announced two new versions of its Samsung Notebook 9 Pen 2-in-1 laptop. Scheduled for a vague ‘2019’ release and with no pricing to speak of, the laptops are both a rehash (13.3-inch) and an expansion (15-inch) of the late 2017 debut model. We've also had a new Samsung Notebook Odyssey announced, which will be the company's most powerful laptop yet.

On the TV front, Samsung have rejigged its MicroLED range: now with a 'smaller' 75-inch modular television called The Window, and a far larger 219-inch telly carrying the name of The Wall. We've also seen a new size option for the recent 85-inch Q900R 8K QLED TV, boosting the already-incredible display up to a whopping 98-inch wonder

We heard rumors of a possible transparent TV being patented by the company, and since Samsung is often launching design-led screens, that wouldn't be a surprise – though if you're after some more practical features, the newly announced Remote Access should be able to source files, programs and cloud services from connected devices and computers direct to your TV.

What we do know for sure at this point is that Samsung will enhance its Serif TV and The Frame designer screens with QLED tech. The new screens will make their debut at the show and, according to Samsung, will reside in the large lifestyle TV exhibition zone of Samsung’s booth. 

The last rumor we've heard concerning Samsung 2019 TVs is that they might include both Bixby and Google Assistant – giving users the choice over which assistant they'd like to use.

All the latest Samsung CES 2019 news:  

Sony wireless sport earbuds

Sony at CES 2019

Sony first launched the Master Series range last year for its high-end home televisions, and has now confirmed this year's flagship will be Sony's Z9G 8K LED TV: an 85-inch monster with 8K resolution and Sony's latest X1 Ultimate processor.

All the latest Sony CES 2019 news: 

Spotify smartphone app

Spotify at CES 2019

The streaming service doesn't normally deal in hardware, but could Spotify use CES 2019 to launch its own voice search interface to compete with Amazon Echo and Google Home? Spotify has suites reserved at the Wynn Encore …   

One thing’s for sure, after CES 2019 the world of tech won’t ever be the same.  

Technics at CES 2019

The masters of the vinyl DJ turntable, Technics, has finally launched another member of its acclaimed SL-1200 line after a nine-year wait. The SL-1200 MK7 features reverse playback, a core-less direct drive motor and motor control technology to allow for more responsive scratching.

To have something to listen to your new SL-1200 turntable, Technics has also announced a pair of over-ear hi-fi headphones – the EAH-F70N and EAH-F50B. They both support apt-X HS and LDAC standards, and the F70N come packing hybrid active noise cancelling, which intelligently detects the noises to be cancelled via multiple microphone locations.

WeMo at CES 2019

WeMo Light Switch

It's easy to overlook some of the smaller smart home releases alongside the big PC and television announcements – but the new WeMo Light Switch is a simple replacement for an existing dumb light switch, which can connect direct to the Apple HomeKit ecosystem without the old WeMo bridge.

The WeMo Light Switch price ranges from $39.99 for a single-pole switch to $49.99 for a three-way switch – with prices outside the US yet to be announced.

  • New year, new tech – check out all our coverage of CES straight from Las Vegas, the greatest gadget show on Earth 

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New Windows 10 update changes how it handles storage space

Posted: 08 Jan 2019 08:26 AM PST

As the next feature update to Windows 10, 19H1, gets closer to its scheduled April release, we're starting to get a better picture of what that update will include – and one new arrival will be a new storage management system.

On top of the new option to pause Windows 10 Updates for up to a week, and some new accessibility and security tweaks, Microsoft is going to reserve about 7GB of space on your drive for future updates, according to the latest Windows Blog

This move should ensure that updates are smooth, and that you don't run into any critical storage options. You can access this reserved space if you reinstall Windows 10, too, so nothing is permanent. 

Reliability for all

This move is a huge deal for devices in Windows 10 S Mode and the best Windows tablets, as those devices usually come with small eMMC drives that fill up quickly. So, you can go ahead and fill up your hard drive without having to worry about running into any issues. 

However, if you are running low on space, you can reduce the amount of space allocated for updates, though you won't be able to remove it altogether. Microsoft itself may alter the amount of drive space reserved, presumably ahead of bigger updates. 

The way this will work is that all of your temporary files, created by apps or processes, will be stored in this system reserve. Then, when the tiime comes for a Windows 10 Update, these files will be cleared out in order to make room for the new update. 

This will work in conjunction with Storage Sense to intelligently manage your device's storage – so you have a device that's always reliable without having to think about it. 

If you want to test this new feature yourself, it's included in the latest Windows 10 preview build for the Spring 2019 Windows 10 update.

Via Windows Latest 

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Today's top Amazon deals: save $200 on the iPad Pro and more

Posted: 08 Jan 2019 08:17 AM PST

New year, new deals! We're almost midway through January and retailers such as Amazon are still releasing fantastic discounts on some of their best-selling products. 

We've scoured Amazon's site to find the best standout deals of the week on a variety of popular gadgets. Some highlighted deals include the top-rated Powerbeats3 Wireless Earphones for $99.99, the best-selling Instant Pot DUO+ 60 for $96.95 and the Amazon's Choice Fitbit Aria Smart Scale for $30 off.

The best deal we've seen today is the Apple iPad Pro that's currently on sale for $799. That's a $200 discount for this powerful tablet that features a 10.5-inch Retina display.

See the rest of our top Amazon deals below.

Today's top deals: 

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Alcatel's latest entry-level smartphones offer up Full View screens at a low price

Posted: 08 Jan 2019 08:15 AM PST

Alcatel has announced two new entry-level smartphones at CES 2019, with the Alcatel 1X (2019) and Alcatel 1C (2019) on show in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The Alcatel 1X (2019) is the slightly more premium of the two handsets, with a 5.5-inch 18:9 Full View display with an HD+ (so, 720p) resolution, dual 13MP + 2MP rear cameras, a fingerprint scanner and face recognition technology.

It will go on sale during Q1 2019 in select markets within North America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia. The Alcatel 1X price will be $120 (around £95, AU$170).

A phone for emerging markets

The Alcatel 1C (2019) is aimed at emerging markets, with a more affordable price tag of €70 (around $80, £60, AU$110).

It packs a smaller, 5-inch 18:9 display and runs Google's lightweight mobile OS, Android Go. This software offers up key Google apps such as Gmail, YouTube, Maps and Assistant, specifically coded to run on more cost-effective hardware.

You'll be able to pick up the Alcatel 1C in selected markets within Europe, Asia, Africa, the Middle East and Latin America from Q1 2019.

  • Check out all of TechRadar's CES 2019 coverage. We're live in Las Vegas to bring you all the breaking tech news and launches, plus hands-on reviews of everything from 8K TVs and foldable displays to new phones, laptops and smart home gadgets.

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