Tuesday, 7 January 2020

Dell's Concept UFO is like a Switch for PC gaming

Engadget Email Newsletter

Now available on your smart speaker and wherever you get your podcasts

Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Play | iHeart Radio

It's Tuesday, January 07, 2020.

Hey, good morning! You look fabulous.

If you’d told us a few months ago that Dell would try its hand at a portable gaming PC, I’d have called you a dirty rotten liar. But CES seems to bring out the worst in all of us. In Dell's case, it's the Concept UFO, an 8-inch gaming PC with detachable controllers. It's as if Dell took a look at the Switch and immediately thought it could out-do Nintendo. Instead, the Concept UFO is more like the infamous "Homer" car from The Simpsons -- a bloated monstrosity that might not appeal to anyone.

Of course, it's still just a concept, so there's plenty of room for improvement before Dell actually decides to sell a portable PC. But as it stands, the Concept UFO is bulky to hold, and its controllers feel awkward in almost every way. Oh yah, and underneath Dell's simplistic interface, it's just a tiny Windows 10 PC. Perhaps in a few years, though, when Intel's graphics are beefier, or AMD manages to create usable mobile hardware, Dell could fashion this concept into something we'd actually want to buy.

-- Devindra

(View in browser.)

Surprise!

Sony’s big CES surprise was an electric car

Sony unveiled an electric car at CES Monday. It's the first prototype vehicle under Sony's new mobility efforts, called the Vision-S initiative, and based on what the tech giant said during its press event, it was built to showcase the automotive technologies it has developed over recent years. Sony teamed up with a number of companies, such as Bosch, Continental, NVIDIA and Qualcomm, to create the prototype sedan.

It's loaded with 33 sensors, including ones that enable Level 2 autonomous driving. Inside, the prototype has 360 Reality Audio tech, widescreen displays and more. The company didn't reveal everything about Vision-S during the press event, but we should get an even closer look later this week.

The new TVs include Dolby Vision IQ, Filmmaker Mode and HGiG.

LG's 2020 TVs: Massive 8K screens and the first 48-inch 4K OLED

Samsung, yesterday. LG, today. The company revealed some huge 8K screens, up to an 88-inch model, and a notable smaller addition: a 48-inch 4K OLED with gaming in mind. If your problem with previous models was that they were too big (or perhaps too expensive), the smaller model could be a good way to fix that issue. Plus, with 4K resolution at that size, LG says its pixel density is similar to a 96-inch 8K TV.

LG’s new GX Gallery Series has paper-thin screens that shift all of the processing and inputs to an external box that has to sit close, so mounting any of them can be a bit complicated. The GX model is just 20mm thick, so it can still hang flat on your wall like a picture frame, but without the add-on box. Everything is behind the TV, while a specially designed indent provides space for a wall-mount without leaving any noticeable gap. These will come in 55-, 65- and 77-inch versions.

Grown-up looks for a maturing OS.

Samsung made an utterly gorgeous Chromebook with a 4K AMOLED screen

The Galaxy Chromebook has a 13.3-inch 4K AMOLED screen. It also happens to be pretty darn gorgeous. Now, it might be a little excessive to put such a sharp, high-quality display in a Chromebook, but it's great for people who watch Netflix or their favorite YouTubers from their browser. Cherlynn Low says the Galaxy Chromebook is making a statement -- it’s an expensive laptop, not an entry-level Google PC. Now I need a price confirmation…

Learn these 10 useful skills in 2020.

Weird? Yes. Cool? Also yes.

Mercedes unveils wild ‘Avatar’-inspired concept car

Mercedes has made sure to play up its tech chops during the past few CES events, and this year is no different. Instead of a straight autonomous electric vehicle, the company has gone outside the box with a vehicle based on Avatar. Yeah, the James Cameron film. Even the name is a nod to the movie: the Mercedes-Benz AVTR (advance vision transportation).

It’s an EV and can drive forwards and sideways. And it has clear doors that will, apparently, get the driver closer to nature. During the event, Mercedes spoke at length about how the car is almost a living thing and an extension of a person and nature.

The head of Mercedes-Benz, Ola Källenius, also talked about plans to create a zero-impact car. "This may be in the distance but it's our goal nonetheless," he said. It's that goal, apparently, that got James Cameron on board.

What’s next after TVs and soundbars?

TCL is working on a folding device that costs less than $1,000

At CES, TCL showed off three phones: the 10L, 10 Pro and 10 5G. They’re slick devices with 6.5-inch screens, but there were also a couple of folding prototypes on display, too. One is a RAZR-style folding phone, and the other is a collapsible tablet-like device that it expects to sell for less than a grand.

But wait, there's more...

1. TCL's 8K Roku TV should come out this year

2. The guy at CES who just wants to talk premature ejaculation

3. Dell's 'Concept UFO' is a wild Switch-like portable gaming PC

4. OhMiBod's Nex 3 is a smart vibrating couples ring

5. Hyundai and Uber preview their flying taxi concept

6. Intel used a 17-inch foldable tablet to show off its 'Tiger Lake' platform

7. Samsung made a rolling robot called Ballie that runs your smart home

8. AMD's new FreeSync tiers guarantee display performance

9. THX spatial audio is coming to smartphones

The Morning After is a new daily newsletter from Engadget designed to help you fight off FOMO. Who knows what you'll miss if you don't subscribe.

Now available on your smart speaker and wherever you get your podcasts:
Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Play | iHeart Radio

Craving even more? Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.

Have a suggestion on how we can improve The Morning After? Send us a note.

You are receiving this email because you opted in at engadget.com.

Not interested anymore? Unsubscribe from this newsletter.

Monday, 6 January 2020

Editor's Pick: CES 2020: Prepare to Be Amazed

CES 2020: Prepare to Be Amazed

Rob Enderle Jan 6, 2020 9:34 AM PT
	Every year I look forward to CES being over. That's not because it isn't interesting -- it is. It's because the place is a nightmare to get around, thanks to some incredibly stupid decisions that turn Las Vegas into a gridlocked mess. Coming right after the holidays, it destroys more family vacations than any other event short of a long driving trip with very young children. [More...]

More Picks:

Recommerce: The New Art of Secondhand Sales
Recommerce is booming, with companies meeting consumer demand for more affordable and sustainable alternatives to buying new. "I believe recommerce is popular because there is an alignment amongst people who see that consuming products as we have in the past is creating huge environmental problems, so people want to shop differently," said Nicole Bassett, cofounder of The Renewal Workshop. [More...]

5 Transformational Customer Support Trends to Watch in 2020
"Digital transformation" has taken on multiple definitions, but one thing is for sure: Companies view it as a top priority, so much so that enterprises are projected to spend in excess of $2 trillion through 2019, according to IDC. This insurgence of digital transformation investments and prioritization has led many organizations to reshape their use of technology. [More...]

In 2020, Enterprises Will Unlock Hidden Value in Their Own Workforces
If 2019 was the year we identified the most acute challenges facing various industries -- in the form of macroeconomic trends as well as industry-specific factors -- 2020 will be the year we confront those issues. For most companies, this looks like addressing a skills gap that grows at the same rate technology progresses. This is to say, in the tech industry, it's a gap that grows quickly. [More...]

Follow Us

This Editor's Pick alert is a premium service provided to ECT News Network newsletter subscribers. If you wish to make changes to your subscription settings, please click to manage your account.

Copyright 2020 ECT News Network, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
ECT News Network, Inc. 16133 Ventura Blvd., Suite 700, Encino, CA 91436

Tech News Flash

Tech News Flash: Monday -- January 6, 2020

TechNewsWorld -- All Tech - All The Time
https://www.TechNewsWorld.com
Part of the ECT News Network

Headline Scan
CES 2020: Prepare to Be Amazed
Don't Expect Too Much From Electric Trucks
2010 - 2019: Product of the Decade
Using Technology to Fix the Flawed Impeachment Process
Is Your Health Data at Risk?

Message From Our Sponsor
The State of Customer Service Automation Report
The first and only report of its kind that looks at the impact of
customer service bots on standard contact center KPIs such as
CSAT, TTR and TTFR. We've analyzed 71 million bot interactions
and the findings are astonishing. Download this report to learn
how brands are benefiting from automation at lightning speed.
https://www.ectnews.com/adsys/link/?crid=10300/Helpshift_Report

Today's Story Highlights

CES 2020: Prepare to Be Amazed

Every year I look forward to CES being over. That's not because it isn't
interesting -- it is. It's because the place is a nightmare to get
around, thanks to some incredibly stupid decisions that turn Las Vegas
into a gridlocked mess. Coming right after the holidays, it destroys
more family vacations than any other event short of a long driving trip
with very young children.
http://www.technewsworld.com/story/86433.html

Don't Expect Too Much From Electric Trucks

With the rise of electric cars, it was only a matter of time before
electric trucks hit the market. Several electric vehicle startups --
including Bollinger, Lordstown Motors, Rivian and Workhorse -- have been
working on developing electric pickup trucks for several years, but none
have come to market yet. However, it was Tesla's announcement of the
Cybertruck that ignited interest in the market.
http://www.technewsworld.com/story/86438.html

2010 - 2019: Product of the Decade

As we get to the end of December, I typically pick my product of the
year, but this is also the end of the decade, so I'll go back and look
at the prior products of the year, name my pick for this year, and then
pick my product of the decade. 2010 was an easy choice as the iPad came
out and scared the hell out of the entire PC market. Its release made
the whole "PC is Dead" thing real.
http://www.technewsworld.com/story/86427.html

Using Technology to Fix the Flawed Impeachment Process

When the U.S. president was impeached last week, it surfaced the fact
that impeachment, and particularly the removal of a U.S. president, is a
process that doesn't work. Throughout U.S. history, there have been 45
presidents, and given that no one trains for that job, you'd figure
several would have been removed for cause. However, impeachment has been
attempted three times without a removal.
http://www.technewsworld.com/story/86426.html

Is Your Health Data at Risk?

We've recently seen much breathless news coverage of the Nightingale
Project, Google's half-secret partnership with Ascension, the second-
largest healthcare system in the U.S. The details of the project --
which involves sharing the healthcare data of tens of millions of
unsuspecting patients -- have raised significant concerns. The concerns
have centered around issues that by now are familiar.
http://www.technewsworld.com/story/86428.html

News Alerts From ECT News Network
Get the day's top business and technology news delivered
to your inbox as stories break. Sign up today -- it's free!
http://www.ectnews.com/adsys/link/?crid=2202/News_Alerts

How to Advertise in This Newsletter
To advertise in this newsletter or elsewhere on ECT News Network,
please call our sales department toll-free at (877) 328-5500, or view
our online media kit at
https://www.ectnews.com/advertising/

Subscribing and Unsubscribing
You are receiving the Tech News Flash in response to your request
on the TechNewsWorld Web site for our daily newsletter. If you wish
to make changes to your newsletter subscription, or if you wish to
receive other free newsletters from the ECT News Network, please click
here: Newsletter Management Wizard

If this e-mail was forwarded to you and you wish to subscribe to
this FREE newsletter, please use our newsletter sign-up wizard:
http://www.ectnews.com/perl/newsletter_registration.pl/

Feedback
We welcome your feedback. Contact us online at
https://www.ectnews.com/perl/contact_form.pl?to=editorial

Follow Us

CES 2020 started and there are 8K TVs everywhere

Engadget Email Newsletter

Now available on your smart speaker and wherever you get your podcasts

Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Play | iHeart Radio

It's Monday, January 06, 2020.

Hey, good morning! You look fabulous.

CES 2020 has begun. Of course, it’s hard to tell what that means sometimes -- we’re preparing for a slew of press conferences today, and the show floor won’t officially open until tomorrow. I’m already neck-deep in TVs, we’ve seen virtually every kind of laptop there is and Samsung is teasing the appearance of artificial people.

Keep an eye on the site today for the latest updates, plus liveblogs from Sony’s keynote at 8PM ET, and Samsung’s usually unusual event at 9:30 PM ET.

-- Richard

(View in browser.)

Other TVs are made for art, or viewing vertical videos.

Samsung unveils a massive 8K TV at CES 2020

Samsung’s 99-percent-screen Q950 8K TV has been officially revealed. On three sides, it really has no bezel at all, and there’s only a thin strip along the bottom. The company also said its Sero TV -- the one that rotates 90 degrees so you can watch Snapchat videos as they were intended -- will go on sale outside of South Korea later this year. Its modular MicroLED Wall TV is available in more sizes, and its art-focused The Frame TV is getting bigger in 2020.

SmartCuffs will let you build more muscle while lifting less weight.

SmartTools' updated weightlifting cuffs are cheaper and more durable

SmartTools’ SmartCuffs are blood-flow-restriction training (BFR) cuffs, aimed at increasing the challenge of lighter weight-based workouts. While BFR training is primarily used in clinical settings, the new, more rugged SmartCuffs are meant for consumers, and they'll automatically shut off if the pressure exceeds a recommended range for each person. They're significantly more affordable than past iterations, too. Starting tomorrow, the new model is available for pre-order for $199 -- $100 less than its predecessor.

A cheaper premium laptop from Samsung.

Samsung Galaxy Book Flex Alpha hands-on: Cheaper, with few sacrifices

Samsung figures that more people might be interested in its laptops if it shaved the price down. So it did that with the Galaxy Book Flex Alpha, sacrificing a bit of battery life and graphical capability, but not much else. Cherlynn tested it out at CES and liked what she saw.

Learn these 10 useful skills in 2020.

Its Neon avatars could deliver uncannily lifelike expressions.

Samsung spin-off teases 'artificial human' avatars

One of the most exciting stories circling Samsung at CES comes from a spin-off company that isn’t even part of its booth. A teaser for Neon revealed a project to create lifelike avatars, based on "captured data." Not only that, but they can generate their own expressions, movements and sayings in multiple languages. The effect could be uncanny, but at the moment, we don’t know exactly how it’ll look. The teaser looks to be simply recorded actors. We’re likely to see and hear more later this week.

Not bad for a game that's free to play.

'Fortnite' made a historic $1.8 billion in 2019

Fortnite is a big deal, and now we have a dollar figure to ascribe how big of a deal it is. In 2019, it grossed $1.8 billion in sales, more than any single-year sales total in videogame history. While the game itself is technically free to play, Epic Games offers a $10 per month Battle Pass as well as myriad in-game item purchases. Then there are all the commercial tie ins, with everything from Star Wars to The Avengers taking a turn at an in-game promotion.