We’ve seen plenty of phone based Virtual Reality gear. We’ve seen some great demos of phone based Augmented Reality, but no one device that claims to be both VR and AR ready. Until now. Asus took the wraps off the ZenFone AR, a phone supporting both Google Tango AR and Google Daydream VR. Here’s out first look!
LG Tone Studio Speakers and Tone Free Earbuds: Listening to some truly wireless audio! CES 2017
LG unveiled a pair of audio solutions at CES. The Tone Studio and Tone Free are fresh takes on LG’s “neck band” approach to Bluetooth audio. Tone Free deliver a truly wireless (and cable-less) pair of earbuds, while Tone Studio aims to create an audio cloud which surrounds your head. Let’s take a listen!
Kodak Super 8 Camera and the Return of Ektachrome Film! CES 2017
Analog is making a comeback. Kodak is bringing back Ektachrome film for a new generation of Super 8 cameras. The Super 8 Camera features some new tricks like audio input and a handy flip out LCD. We’re way more excited for a film camera than we should be…
Outdoor Tech Rhinos: Rugged Headphones at CES 2017
Good audio isn’t just for indoor conditions. Outdoor Tech is a California based company making rugged lifestyle gear. We got to take a look at the Rhino Headphones, durable water resistant cans designed for an active lifestyle.
Microsoft Unveils New Surface Pro 4, Lumia Phones, and Surface Book Multi-Mode Laptop in NYC
Sitting second row for Microsoft’s unveiling of their new hardware line up, the WiFi is already slaughtered, and cell phone networks are melting down. It’s frustrating being detached from the wider social media world, but the buzz surrounding this event makes sense. Microsoft has never put together such a complete line up of products and services to show off before.
Chatting with others around me, everyone seems to be here for a different product category. Lumia fans, Surface fans, XBox Fans, Band fans, Microsoft has a lot riding on bringing these various teams together. Not just internally, as their company wide reorganization seems to be working, and we’ve recently seen a bit more product synergy between departments which used to feud. We’re looking at a company now trying to bring their diverse customer base together. Taking individuals who might turn to Microsoft for a single service or solution, and exposing them to a more comprehensive ecosystem.
They’ve made a lot of progress recently in re-establishing their reputation as a services company, providing apps on every platform. That doesn’t unseat the need for Microsoft and partners to find opportunities to continue pressuring the hardware market. While Windows is the dominate force in PC sales, they represent a much smaller slice of the mobile market. The timing on this event actually works in their favor, as tablet sales for Android and iOS are starting to cool off, Windows slates are in a good spot for consumers to replace both laptops and tablets with a single purchase. To continue moving towards one unified operating system environment, Windows needs to blur the lines between phones and tablets, as much as they did between tablets and PC’s.
One of the first major announcements to follow that theme came from Facebook, building out a new suite of universal apps for the entire Windows 10 platform. Continue reading “Microsoft Unveils New Surface Pro 4, Lumia Phones, and Surface Book Multi-Mode Laptop in NYC”
SomeGadgetGuy in NYC! Let’s Talk New Microsoft Hardware!
I’ve been blasting it all over social media. While I’m trying to keep my expectations in check, I’m really looking forward to Microsoft’s announcements tomorrow, where the company is expected to take the wraps off of a new Surface Pro, and where we fans of Windows powered phones will finally get some new flagship devices.
Specs have already leaked for the forthcoming Lumia 950 and 950XL, and from a hardware perspective they look like they’ll be competitive handsets with some novel new tech features.
Most interesting to me, will be how this Lumia team has refined the camera experience. It was the old Nokia devices group that ushered in an era of crazy high quality optics and larger sensors on our phones. Nokia was years ahead of the curve there, but manufacturers like LG and Samsung have largely caught up to older devices like the Lumia 1520 and 930 (which I’ve brought along to help cover this event).
For my money, the camera battle between the Lumia 950 and the LG V10 is shaping up to be the most brutal as LG is working on improving their audio, and providing manual controls for shooting video, both areas where older Windows Phones still compete really well.
I’m also very curious to see how Microsoft will address mobile security. More Android devices are following behind the iPhone in offering up a smooth fingerprint scanning solution for unlocking phones and initiating mobile payments. The rumors on the 950 don’t show a fingerprint scanner on board, but instead the Lumia will be offering up an iris scanner. While other phones have flirted with using the front camera to unlock a device based on your face, we haven’t yet heard of anything as sophisticated as examining the iris of your eye. Whether this will be used solely for unlocking the device, or if we’ll see it utilized for some form of mobile payments will be closely examined.
And of course, I’m always going to be interested in seeing what Microsoft does with the Surface. As this division has become a billion dollar brand all by itself, the Pro 3 was a very well received product. Will the Pro 4 be a spec bump and minor refinement, or does Microsoft have something craftier up their sleeves?
I’ve only been on the ground here in NYC for about an hour, and we’ll be getting the official answer to all of those questions tomorrow morning! Now I’ve got to hunt down a good slice of pizza!
SomeGadgetGuy on TV! iPhone 6S Launch Day on ABC 7!
iPhone Launch days are a lot of fun! I spent that morning at the AT&T store in Pasadena California to give the reporters at ABC 7 a tour of all the new features on the iPhone 6S! Nothing quite like being camera ready at 5am, to go live on the air with a phone I’ve only used for about twenty minutes!
Major thanks to my pals at Casey & Sayre PR for helping me track down this video clip!
DARPA Robotics Challenge Finals 2015 Wrap Up and Results!
One of the coolest events I’ve ever had the privilege to cover. I’m a robot NUT, and the DARPA Robotics Challenge brought the best teams from around the world to see who could create the best robot for disaster relief and assistance.
More info on the DARPA Robotics Challenge – http://www.theroboticschallenge.org/