Smart TVs were everywhere at CES. I must have seen two hundred of them while I was there. I could report on specs, resolution or 3D screens, but really, I am more curious about that word “smart” than I am about the raw specs. Is it merely the sum of new features that defines what a Smart TV is or should be? Just what exactly is it that makes a Smart TV, well…smart?
It probably has something to do with apps right? Maybe. Internet connectivity? Likely. Gesture controls? Possibly. Rather than speculate, I decided to visit a few people at the CES booths of Samsung, Sony and LG in order to get their take on Smart TVs. Basically, I asked them all the same 2 questions: How do you define what a Smart TV is today and what is your company’s vision for Smart TVs in the future? → Read More
From a great distance, a massive waterfall is a beautiful thing. From a lesser distance, it’s deafening. Directly beneath it, it’ll crush your bones to salt.
Each year, we make our voyage through the waterfall that is CES. Each year, the noise gets a bit louder, the water a bit more torrential. This year is the first in which I’ve felt my bones begin to give.
Enough metaphor? Fine: CES, which has long been the biggest consumer tech show in the world, has gotten too big for its own (or anyone else’s) good. → Read More
Our coverage of CES is coming to a close, and we’re finishing it off with a third and final video podcast from the show floor. We’ve got some really great stuff to give away, both for viewers and our audience here at the booth. After this, our live CES coverage is concluded and we’ll be focusing on posting some of the highlights from it, as well as our lists and editorials relating to the show. Then, sadly, it’s back to business as usual.
The show starts at 4PM sharp! Read on for details on the giveaways. We’re talking cameras and helicopters here. → Read More
Ah, so close yet so far. Nokia’s new flagship Lumia 900 handset was on display here at CES 2012, and though we couldn’t quite get our hands on it, we did the next best thing — we shot some video.
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TechCrunch TV is using a LiveU mobile pack provided by our partner Ustream for our live streaming coverage from CES. Our camera connects to the pack via a HDMI connector cable. But at the end of our evening Showstoppers coverage, the HDMI plug snapped and broke. At 10pm in Las Vegas, how do you find a replacement HDMI plug? Actually, of all the places in the world to have this happen, we were in the right place. → Read More
Boxee is one of the rare success stories of a software company making the leap to consumer electronics. The formula is simple: a clear message combined with a solid product. Having smart and passionate people help too. And as shown by this video shot at TechCrunch’s CES booth, Boxee has both. → Read More
I’ve never been a huge fan of Sony Ericsson. The phones are fine, I guess, and I certainly commend the company’s drive to differentiate. The Xperia Play is a great concept but it failed to really take off.
Today, however, I was very impressed after taking a good hard look at the new Xperia S. It’s not the thinnest phone at .4 inches, nor does it have the biggest screen, but it is something fresh which is more than I can say for most Android Gingerbread phones. → Read More
We got a great look at the new Makerbot Replicator and, more important, we sat down with founder Bre Pettis to talk about the future. His take? The future is here and 3D printing is one of the things that will change the world.
Pettis built the first Makerbot at NYC Resistor, a hackerspace in Brooklyn. He realized the potential was, in a sense, infinite and, thousands of sales later, Makerbot is now selling new 3D printers entirely assembled that can make objects about “the size of a loaf of bread.”
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IntoNow stopped by our little spot of heaven at CES 2012 to talk about their new iPad app and life with Yahoo. Adam Cahan, CEO and Co-founder, was happy to show off the amazing new app that turns the iPad into the ultimate TV companion — at least that’s what it seemed like to me. → Read More
If you’ve been Tweeting or Facebooking or G+ing at all this week, you’ll notice that there is something called “CES” happening in Las Vegas. CES is clearly overwhelming the tech news cycle – it can’t be helped – but this seems to be the first time it’s started overflowing in social media causing one TC writer to quip: “Wish what happened in Vegas actually would stay in Vegas. #CES”.
Topsy is seeing 77,000 #CES2012 and #CES Tweets in the past 7 days, plus countless Facebook messages. → Read More
When RIM first launched the BlackBerry PlayBook last spring, we were all rather shocked to find that RIM’s stand-out core services — secure messaging and productivity related apps like calendar and contacts — were… absent. The company promised an update to fix it, and after eight months said update has finally been unveiled here at CES. → Read More
It’s day three of CES, and our last one here. The show goes on for one more day, but we’re taking off, since after today we’ll have gone through all the major sections of the show. Day one was the central hall, with the major CE companies’ building-sized “booths,” then day two was the cavernous south hall, populated with smaller vendors. Now we’re off to the north hall, where we’ll find car tech, health gadgets, and tons of accessories for the devices many of us have. Live coverage starts at 9:30!
And in the afternoon, we’ll be starting things off with a nice hot shave. Yes, you read that correctly. → Read More
The Consumer Electronics Show (CES) is packed this year, yet its relevance seems increasingly in decline. Microsoft is bailing, no iconic products launched this year, and Apple’s presence can be felt everywhere even though they don’t exhibit at the show. In this episode of Fly or Die, TechCrunch Gadgets editor John Biggs (who is running our CES coverage) joins me remotely from Las Vegas to discuss the big question: Does CES have a future? → Read More
One of the first things I was told when I ducked into one of Nintendo’s suites to play with the Wii U was what they wouldn’t tell me. Price, release date, technical specs, games in development — all of these were taboo topics that would be (and were) met with a gentle dismissal if I broached the subject.
Great. With that load lifted, I picked up the Wii U controller and dove in. → Read More
It’s 4 o’ clock in Las Vegas at CES 2012, and you know that that means: it’s time for the second of our daily live podcasts straight from our stage in the Grand Concourse. We’ve got demos, interviews, and giveaways. You can win just by tweeting, or if you’re in the area, by dropping by and entering in person. Or both, why not?
We’re all footsore, throatsore, and after a day of hard CES action we’re probably an eyesore, but you should join us anyway. → Read More
Apple users probably have more than enough media on their iDevices to keep them entertained on the go, but Sony Network Entertainment President Tim Schaaff thinks there’s room for another media service on iOS. According to VentureBeat, the company’s Music Unlimited streaming service will land on iOS some time in Q1 2012.
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50 Cent took the stage with our very own Matt Burns to talk about his line of SMS headphones, but that’s not all he felt like chatting about. In between giveaways, the tech-savvy musician/businessman took a moment to talk about some of the cool things to be seen at CES as well his stance on philanthropy.
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The story about Vuzix’s new AR/holographic enabled concept glasses broke last week, but I had a chance to catch up with Clark Dever from Vuzix (with my rogue TechCrunch ghetto cam) for a brief video explanation and demo of the technology.
The short of it is that it involves some highfalutin’ technolgy to get the displays to accurately display into the lens material. Their displays were quite clear and the demo devices show that accurately. Additionally, the displays will ultimately be able to work with a series of wearable gyroscopes for truly “hands on” interface interaction. → Read More
You can view our interview with 50 Cent live at CES today at Noon Pacific/3pm Eastern. Why Fiddy and why at CES? Because the musician is now moving into electronics, following Dr. Dre with his Beats line and, in another sense, the ease with which smaller companies (and individuals) can actually build and market interesting hardware.
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For most of the ten years I’ve been coming to CES, every presentation, every booth, has had one goal: to create an ecosystem in order to encourage consumer lock in. Year after year, presentation after presentation, someone has come out to show how the phone will connect to the fridge which, in turn, will connect to the TV. And year after year, they failed.
Until now.
Samsung, and to some extent the other vendors, have finally cracked it. For most of the past few years they’ve watched as Apple ran circles around them in terms of media sharing and remote control. Obviously Apple’s systems have been limited to iPod/iTunes/iPad/Mac but Samsung, a major player in both the white goods and the mobile markets, can now have it all. → Read More
