Tech Highlights of CES 2014

CES 2014 was amazing! I can’t believe that it’s already over!

There are so many things to talk about from CES 2014, much of it being about the technology leaps that each powerhouse company took on their products. Here are my favourites from the show.

4K TVs, UHDTVs and Curved Display

Seriously, we cannot seem to get enough of this. Television sets are once again becoming significant in the living room. Remember when there was a downfall in television sales because the Internet took the world by storm (I don’t remember either, but it felt like it). At some point, people were less likely to watch and use their TVs and much rather just sit down and use their PCs. Of course, that doesn’t mean TV is dead. With the latest display resolutions, possible future standards and other unique capabilities TVs will get (I’m talking about Smart TVs), I’m sure we’ll be back sitting on our couch watching the latest episode of the Big Bang Theory.

GAMING

I can’t stop talking about gaming! CES 2014 became a gaming hub this week, with companies like Sony and Valve showing up at the party. Sony revealed Playstation Now, a game stream service for their consoles and Valve opens up the information about the Steam Box, specifically about all the companies that will be making their own Steam Box with their own specifications and modifications. Razer also revealed Project Christine. It’s a modular design PC that makes it easy for the average consumer to change and switch out any hardware. Oculus Rift also made a big splash at CES 2014 with other makes of their already awesome device. 2014 will definitely be a gaming year. Definitely!

Wearables

Wearable technology also took off this year. Although wearables like the Samsung Galaxy Gear and the Pebble came out last year, the attention towards the idea has only increased a during CES 2014. Intel and Sony are getting into the game, with Intel’s idea of wearables already in the works and Sony’s Core revealed in their keynote. Although the presence of wearables in this year’s CES was weak and disappointing, the technology surely has gotten a lot more attention than before.

Google Chromebook

I didn’t really talk much about the Google Chromebook only because I’m not really a big fan of it, but nonetheless they made a statement at CES. Dell and Toshiba wanted to tell the world that they’re putting their full support on this young project. The Chromebooks are nothing compared to what we currently have, but I guess that’s the point. It’s not for everyone, but it can be for someone.

Playstation Now

I’ve been waiting for Sony to talk about their plans for Gaikai since they bought it. Playstation Now is their online cloud streaming service for the Playstation consoles. They’re planning to start a closed beta and hoping to open the service this coming summer. I can’t wait!

The Consumer Electronic Show was a success! Everyone enjoyed the information, previews, sneak peeks and reveals. It was a great way to celebrate technology at its finest.

Keep Chewing!

The Presence of PC Gaming at CES 2014

PC gaming has always been an interesting topic. This year at CES 2014, it became even more interesting. Companies like Alienware and GIGABYTE are making their own Steam Boxes and making a name for the flag of PC gaming. The Steam OS is getting high praises for its implementation of gaming into the modern PC gamer’s arsenal.

There are a few interesting concepts that have been introduced in CES. All of them are related to PC gaming.

“Project Christine”

 

A suitable name, really.

Razer unveiled “Project Christine on the first day of CES 2014. It’s a modular design for a PC. It looks sleek, yet over top considering how the design is “out of this world.” I really like the performance screen on the front. It will be useful, especially for me who is obsessed on the perfomance of my PCs.

To be fair, the idea is genius. It targets the typical consumer who knows nothing about computers. They can simply buy a some sort of capsule and simply switch out their hardware with a different one. Of course, this would call upon the term “proprietary” in the hardware department, but nonetheless, a great idea

14 Companies To Make Steam Machines

Whatever you call it, a Steam Box or Steam Machine, this is exciting news!

There are 14 companies (and probably more in the future) that have revealed that they will be making their own Steam Box/Steam Machine hardware packed with the Steam OS. Here are the 14 companies:

• Alienware
• Alternate
• CyberPowerPC
• Digital Storm
• Falcon NW
• GigaByte
• iBuyPower
• Maingear
• Material.net
• Next Spa
• Origin PC
• Scan
• Webhallen
• Zotac

Interesting, Razer isn’t in the list. I guess they’re too busy working on crazy projects like Christine.

CES 2014 ends tomorrow, January 10, 2014. Who do you think will have a last minute “breaking news” moment? Which company do you think will reveal something on the last day to “save the best for last” and show some amazing innovation? Maybe a 12 day battery?

CommitStrip: The real Innovation that we’re wating for at CES

Keep Chewing!

TVs at CES 2014

CES 2014 features some of the best looking TV sets I’ve ever laid my eyes on — specifically from Samsung and LG. Both of these companies are well known in the industry, and are making remarkable leaps of faith into the future.

LG’s Controllable Curve OLED 4K TV

When I first saw this, I thought “wow, who needs this?” Then, after a good minute or so of thinking, I realised that “I need this!” LG says that having a curved TV allows a more “immersive experience” for the viewers. Not only are these TVs curved, they are also controllable. With a simple press of a button, you can simply turn the TV from its curved design to the classic flat layout. It will definitely change the way the we look at TVs and how we experience watching moving pictures in an isolated rectangular space.

Samsung’s Curved Ultra HDTV

Samsung also entered the curved TV competition with their Ultra HDTV. They also have the same vision as LG does, giving you a “cinematic feel” to in your own home. The curve display also acts like an anti-reflection mechanism so that light does not have to be concentrated. Say goodbye to those annoying window reflections! They also boast their largest display yet — a 105” UHDTV curved display.

What we can extract from this is that the product will not be cheap and will not be accessible to the majority of people. It’s a concept worth talking about and a concept that will definitely revolutionize the way we watch.

Keep Chewing!

 

The New Samsung NotePro is New

Samsung showcased their new Samsung Galaxy NotePro. It’s a tablet with, in a lack of better terminology, freakin’ amazing specifications. Here they are 12.2 inch Super Clear LCD screen with a 2560×1600 resolution

• LTE Version: 2.3 GHz Quad Core Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor
• 3G Version: 1.9 GHz Exynos 5 Octa processor
• RAM: 3 GB
• 32/64 GB storage
• Up to 64 GB microSD storage
• 8 MP back camera with LED flash; full HD video recording and Zero Shutter lag
• 2 MP front camera
• Bluetooth 4.0
• USB 3.0
• WiFi ready: 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac; MIMO technology
• GPS and GLONASS enabled
• 9500 mAh battery
• Android 4.4 KitKat
• S-Pen Stylus; dedicated software such as Remote PC, Samsung e-Meeting etc.

The OS is Android KitKat 4.4 running, what Samsung calls it, a “Magazine UX” environment. The GUI is different with the typical Android GUI. It feels very much like Windows with stacked tiles of up to six gathered and organized. The leather backing gives it a nice, professional look. The stylus is proprietary, meaning other S-Pen styluses will not work. Notice that there are two versions of the tablet: a 3G version and an LTE version. The LTE version has a more powerful processor compared to the 3G version, but both offer tremendous processing. There are other screen sizes of the Samsung Galaxy NotePro: a 10.1 inch and 8 inch display – both bragging a sharper display. The price has not yet been announced, but it’s projected to be around the $300 – $400 range.

I’m sure Samsung has more up their sleeve, and I cannot wait to hear more.

Keep Chewing!

Playstation Now

Sony has been teasing their cloud service since the announcement of the Playstation 4. After a long wait, Sony finally announced Playstation Now at CES 2014. It’s functionality is quite superb, letting users to stream games “across multiple platforms.”

This allows Sony Entertainment Network users to have the following uses:

• Stream your video games onto any device.
• Stream full games between Playstation and non-Playstation devices.
• Play games on the cloud.

Does this mean that the Playstation 4 can play Playstation 3 games and vice versa? We know that the Playstation Vita can play Playstation 4 games, but can the Playstation 3 do so as well?

It’s a great deal for Sony and it was worth waiting for.

A closed beta is set to begin in the US at the end of January. They will be implementing the service this coming Summer 2014.

Are you excited? Is it just me or did they get the name idea from Google Now? I don’t know. Two different services, similar names. Well played, Sony.

Keep Chewing!

CES 2014 Coverage

It’s that time of the year again: CES 2014!

CES 2014 celebrates the amazing achievements of technology. It is not just a place where companies can market their products, but also a place where they can reveal new things, show their sales reports, brag about new technologies that are in the works and showcase first looks on never before seen (or heard) products.

I am very excited to cover CES 2014 (as much as a one man administrator can) and report about my personal favourites.

What I’m excited for?

• Good stuff from Valve, maybe an actual announcement regarding HALF LIFE 3 (seriously, according to tPenguinLTG, Valve can’t count to three).
• Intel and dualOS implementation.
• Intel wants to join the wearable tech competition
• The Avegant Glyph, a wearable “home theatre” headset that doesn’t want to compete with the Oculus Rift.
• Sony’s new Core and the announcement of the new Xperia smartphone.

CES 2014 will begin tomorrow, from January 7, 2014 to January 10, 2014. The schedule will be thrown out of the window this week and a post spam will be initiated for the CES 2014 coverage.

Keep Chewing!