One of the more entertaining aspects of attending events like CES is
the chance to meet new companies and to learn about new products that
might not have hit the shelves yet.
This year, one of the more interesting start-ups is British, an Internet of Things platform called WiFithing.
Like
many projects WiFithing was born as a result of solving a problem, in
this case, managing the central heating system in an old home that
couldn't be modified. The result was a simple, easy to manage IoT
platform that offers a secure connection as well as codeless
development.
It's also low power, and while you can power the
control board using a USB power supply, it's also possible to run the
entire system off batteries making it suitable for use where traditional
power isn't available. The WiFithing devices: a controller and an endpoint
Simon Bisson
At
the heart of WiFithing is a cloud-hosted development platform that lets
you group tasks and actions into a basic workflow, which is then
downloaded to the various devices you're using. That means you don't
need to rely on the cloud, you only use the service when you want to
modify a workflow, perhaps changing the time at which it's triggered.
Setting up the
WiFithing system is quick and easy - and you can even do it in a Vegas
hotel room! Devices are registered using a QR code, which sets up an
encrypted connection between the device and the WiFithing cloud service.
Devices pull data from the cloud, so you don't need to open holes in a
firewall or worry about dealing with the complexities of network address
translation; just leave it up to your router. Once registered, you use
Texas Instruments' configuration software to connect the WiFithing
hardware to your network, configuring wi-fi connections.
Once the
WiFithing controller is set up, you can then use the web service to add
wireless-connected endpoints. These use low-power wireless to connect to
controller, and can operate for a long time on just a simple set of
batteries. Endpoints are able to send readings from sensors or trigger
actuators; giving you a low cost, secure, way of building a network of
IoT devices in your home or business.
It's a sensible design
approach, a cloud service, a smart gateway, and a set of low power, low
cost devices. Data is sent to and from the cloud to the gateway, which
then manages the various devices you're using. As the platform is open source, it's possible to write
your own, more complex, code using free tools from Texas Instruments.
The WiFithing hardware is based on TI's Energia system-on-a-chip, and TI
provides tools for writing and delivering C++ code. WiFithing also
provides developers with its firmware, so you can modify code as
necessary and reflash devices with your own version of WiFithing's
firmware.
Too often IoT devices are single purpose pieces of
hardware that can't be modified or used to build custom services. Others
require a significant level of development skill just to get them out
the box! By taking an open approach to its platform, and using a
cloud-based tool to simplify application development, beginners can work
with the cloud to quickly configure and build services (and even work
with third-party devices as part of a WiFithing environment), while
experts can drill down to raw code and build their own custom services.
It'll
be interesting to see how WiFithing progresses beyond CES. It's a big
step going from scratching an itch to building a product. Now the
WiFitthing team has to turn its prototypes into a business - something
that's a lot harder than writing code or wielding a soldering iron.
I
have to admit I never thought I'd utter the words "Accord" and "fun" in
the same sentence, but here it goes: The 2016 Honda Accord Coupe
equipped with the V-6 engine is fun to drive.
My vision of the Accord as the most boring car ever has been completely shattered.
Now
all I picture is a sporty red coupe that actually growls when you step
on the gas pedal. Needless to say, I enjoyed the test week. Design
I've
always thought the coupe was more attractive than the sedan in the
Accord lineup, and in 2016 the styling refresh adds even more appeal.
The lines are a bit more chiseled, and the overall look is more
aggressive. The facelift includes a new grille as well as restyled
headlights and taillights. The interior also gets some upgrades with new
interior trim accents.
The overall appearance of the interior is
clean and simple - with one exception. I absolutely abhor the dueling
info screens - one on the center stack and one bubbling up over the
dash. It's information overload in too little space, and all the data on
the top screen could easily be housed in the center of the speedometer
or on the main infotainment screen.
The seats were well-bolstered
and comfortable. The test vehicle had the black interior, which added to
the overall sporty feel of the vehicle. If you're not a fan of dark
interiors, ivory (which appears more khaki) is available both in cloth
and leather seating surfaces.
As a petite driver, I thought the
coupe was roomy, with plenty of space behind me for a rear-seat
passenger. Taller drivers and passengers, however, will likely find a
tighter fit - but such is the design of a coupe.
Ride & Handling
The
base engine for the Honda Accord Coupe is a 2.4-liter, 4-cylinder
engine that delivers 185 horsepower and 181 pound-feet of torque. While
I'm sure this is perfectly adequate, it should be no surprise that I
prefer the up-level V-6 that came in the test car.
This engine is a
great example of what a V-6 should be, delivering 252 horsepower and
252 pound-feet of torque. It's fast off the line, and does really well
in passing maneuvers on the highway. Plus, every time you step on the
accelerator, the engine gives a deep breathy roar - something I didn't
expect with a Honda. At all.
The test vehicle had the 6-speed
automatic transmission, but a 6-speed manual is also available. In a
time when a lot of automakers are going away from offering a manual,
I've got to give Honda props for offering a 6-speed manual with both the
4- and 6-cylinder engines.
The Accord Coupe was incredibly
responsive, quiet and fun to maneuver. I felt a great connection with
the road without being overly bothered by bumps and potholes. Honda
manages to make this coupe both smooth and sporty - a great combination
for a car that's both fun and reliable. Fuel economy
Depending
on the engine and transmission, there is actually a wide variety of EPA
estimated fuel economies available for the Accord Coupe. So, here's the
city/highway/combined MPGs broken down by bullet point:
4-cyl engine, 6-speed MT: 23/34/27
4-cyl engine, CVT: 26/35/30
V-6 engine, 6-speed MT: 18/28/22
V-6 engine, 6-speed AT: 21/32/25
Across
the board, the numbers appear to be pretty good. But I will tell you,
in my week-long test with the Touring model (V-6 & AT), I only
averaged a measly 16.5 mpg in mostly city driving. Tech & gadgets
The tech news for the 2016 Accord Coupe centers on phone mirroring software and super safety systems.
First,
starting at the EX trim, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard -
no app downloads or software upgrades necessary. Simply plug in your
smartphone, and the primary infotainment screen mirrors approved apps. I
had sat through demonstrations of CarPlay and Auto previously, but this is the first time I experienced it while driving.
I
have an iPhone, so I was using CarPlay. While I was driving, it was
very easy to swipe through the screens, select music or access text
messages. And voice texting was virtually seamless. During one drive, I
experienced a flurry of familial texts over my sister's new kitten, and
with an easy screen tap, I could have all the messages read to me. With
another tap, I could respond via voice-to-text. The system understood my
voice fairly well, and typos were minimal.
One thing I noticed,
however, is that if I had my phone plugged in and I wanted to use
something other than CarPlay - such as if I wanted to use the car's
navigation or listen to SiriusXM radio instead of my iTunes music - the
car would get a little confused when a text or phone call came in, and
it would revert to the CarPlay screen when I didn't want the CarPlay
screen. So, my word of advice here would be if you aren't actively using
CarPlay, don't plug in your phone.
Additionally, every trim is
now available with Honda Sensing - the high-tech safety system that
helps the Accord get Top Safety Pick + honors. This system includes all
the lane departure and crash warning and mitigation systems that are
currently hot safety commodities.
Trims
The Accord Coupe lineup has a wide range of trims, spans $11,000 and proffers two engine choices. LX-S: The
base trim for the Accord Coupe comes equipped with the 2.4-liter,
4-cylinder engine. It comes with standard features such as 17-inch alloy
wheels, dual-zone automatic climate control, cruise control, Bluetooth
phone connectivity and Pandora compatibility. The standard transmission
is a 6-speed manual, and a continuously variable transmission (CVT) will
add $850 to the bottom line. Base price for the LX-S with the manual is
$24,610. LX-S with Honda Sensing: The LX-S has
the same engine, but the base transmission is the CVT. With the addition
of Honda Sensing, it adds high-tech safety features such as forward
collision warning, lane departure warning, collision mitigation braking,
road departure mitigation, lane keep assist and adaptive cruise
control. Base price is $26,460. EX: This trim
also gives the option of a 6-speed manual or CVT (+$850) and adds
standard features such as a remote start engine (CVT only), 18-inch
alloy wheels, Honda LaneWatch, push-button start, Apple CarPlay, Android
Auto, SiriusXM Radio, HD Radio, power moon roof and smart entry. Base
price for the EX is $26,735. EX with Honda Sensing: This trim comes standard with the CVT and adds the Honda Sensing features. Base price is $28,585. EX-L: The
EX-L is the top trim level available with the 4-cylinder engine, and it
is only available with the CVT. It has a LEV3-SULEV30 CARB emissions
rating and adds standard features such as a leather-wrapped steering
wheel, leather trimmed seats, heated front seats and automatic dimming
rearview mirror. Base price for the EX-L is $29,580. EX-L with Honda Sensing:
In addition to Honda Sensing, this trim also adds illuminated steering
wheel mounted controls and a navigation system. Base price is $31,580. EX-L V-6:
This trim switches to the 3.5-liter V-6 engine with variable cylinder
management and, as the base trim with this engine, has a standard
6-speed manual transmission. A 6-speed automatic is a no-cost addition
at this level. The EX-L V-6 also has a LEV3-ULEV125 CARB emissions
rating and adds remote start (AT only), chrome exhaust finishers and
hood struts. Base price is $31,760. EX-L V-6 with Honda Sensing: This trim only adds the Honda Sensing and has a base price of $33,760. Touring: This
top-level trim includes the V-6 engine, 6-speed automatic, Honda
Sensing and navigation, plus it adds 19-inch alloy wheels, body-colored
parking sensors, automatic headlights with on/off, automatic high-beam
headlights and rain-sensing windshield wipers. Base price for the
Touring is $34,960.
The test vehicle was the well-equipped Touring model with all the whistles and bells included in the base price.
Safety
Standard
safety features on the Accord Coupe include vehicle stability assist,
traction control, anti-lock brakes, a multi-angle rearview camera, tire
pressure monitoring and daytime running lights. When equipped with Honda
Sensing, the Accord Coupe adds forward collision warning, lane
departure warning, collision mitigation braking, road departure
mitigation, lane keep assist and adaptive cruise control.
This
coupe gets top marks across the board from both the Insurance Institute
for Highway Safety and the National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration. It earns a Top Safety Pick + (when equipped with Honda
Sensing) from IIHS and an overall 5-Star rating from NHTSA.
Not sure what the safety ratings mean? We break it down for you here. New for 2016
The
Accord was all-new for the 2013 model year, so 2016 marks a mid-cycle
refresh to the ninth generation. In addition to some design tweaks,
Honda Sensing is now available as a stand-alone option at every trim
except Touring, where it's standard. Other changes include the expanded
use of LED exterior lighting, the addition of Apple CarPlay and Android
Auto and the availability of remote start, rear parking sensors and
heated rear seats. A few of my favorite things
The
Accord Coupe was the first vehicle I had that was equipped with Apple
CarPlay, and I really liked how easy and intuitive it was to use. Simply
plug in to the USB port on the center stack and go. The talk-to-text is
both intuitive to use and easy to understand. It reads text messages to
you, and the words never appear on the screen so you don't take your
eyes off the road.
Let's be honest, the V-6 engine in the Accord
is phenomenal. It's fast and fun, and it even emits an aggressive roar
during hard acceleration. More than once during the test week, I had to
stare at the Honda emblem on the steering wheel to remind myself that I
was actually driving an Accord.
What I can leave
I
found the double info screens confusing. One sits atop the dash, and
the other is embedded in the center stack. The top typically displays
car data while the other displays the infotainment. But really, it was
information overload.
The fuel economy in the Accord was also a
bit of a disappointment. I was primarily doing long stretches of city
driving during the test week in an urban environment with stop signs on
every corner, but I certainly expected something closer to the 20 mpg
mark. In fact, for most of the test week I was closer to 13 mpg, and it
was only a long highway trek at very end of my week that pushed me up
toward 16.
Another thing to note: Honda Sensing is only available
with the CVT or automatic transmission models - no manuals allowed. For
manual-transmission enthusiasts, this is a bit of a bummer. You have to
choose fun or safety. The bottom line
I really, really loved this car. And, frankly, I never thought I'd say that about a Honda either.
There
are very few cars I say I'd want to buy, but the 2016 Honda Accord
Coupe makes the list. However, I'd probably ditch the automatic
transmission and opt for the EX-L with the V-6 - even though that means
I'd be giving up some of the high-tech safety features.
_______________________________________
A Volvo logo is seen during
preparations for the 2014 LA Auto Show in Los Angeles, California
November 18, 2014.
Reuters/Lucy Nicholson
Geely-owned carmaker Volvo Car Group
said on Friday it sold a record 503,127 cars last year, up 8 percent
from 2014, boosted by demand for its new flagship XC90 SUV model and
strong growth in the United States and Europe. It was the first year in which Volvo, bought by China's Zhejiang Geely Holding Group Co. from Ford Motor Co. (F.N) in 2010, reached sales above the half million unit mark.
Volvo, which targets sales of 800,000 cars in the medium term as it seeks to take on German heavyweights such as Daimler's (DAIGn.DE) Mercedes-Benz and BMW (BMWG.DE), said it expected sales trends to continue to improve in 2016.
"Now,
with a successful 2015 behind us, Volvo is about to enter the second
phase of its global transformation," Volvo Car Group Chief Executive
Hakan Samuelsson said in a statement.
"Once completed,
Volvo will have ceased being a minor automotive player and taken its
position as a truly global premium car company."
Volvo Cars, one of
Sweden's biggest firms by sales and number of employees, said its U.S
sales grew 24.3 percent in 2015 following years of eroding demand.
Its
sales in Europe were up 10.6 percent, while sales in China were flat
for the year, tempered by slowing growth in the world's second biggest
economy, but up strongly in the fourth quarter with an 11.4 percent
rise.
(Reporting by Johannes Hellstrom; editing by Niklas Pollard)
The Swedish company
is presenting the S90 sedan to the public for the first time next week
at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. Photo –
Bloomberg News
Frankfurt: Volvo
Car predicted its third consecutive record in annual auto sales in 2016
as the Swedish company adds to its lineup of premium vehicles targeting
American consumers.
Buoyed by the new XC90 sport utility
vehicle, deliveries reached a new high last year, rising 8 per cent to
503,127 vehicles, Gothenburg-based Volvo Cars said on Friday in a
statement. It was the first time the 89-year-old automaker has breached
the half-million sales mark in one year.
The company, owned by
Chinese billionaire Li Shufu’s Zhejiang Geely Holding Group, is
retooling its lineup to compete with leading luxury-car makers including
BMW. It’s counting on growing demand for premium models in the United
States, where it’s planning to build a car factory, to propel sales
gains.
The Swedish company is presenting the S90 sedan to the
public for the first time next week at the North American International
Auto Show in Detroit, and it said on Friday that the entire model range
will be renewed in four years.
“Volvo is about to enter the
second phase of its global transformation,” chief executive officer
Hakan Samuelssonsaid in the statement. “Once completed, Volvo will have
ceased being a minor automotive player and taken its position as a truly
global premium car company.”
Demand last year jumped 24 per cent
in the United States and 11 percent in Europe and ended unchanged in
China after an 11 percent gain in the fourth quarter. “These upward
sales trends are expected to continue in 2016,” Volvo said. The company
reiterated a medium-term goal of selling 800,000 cars a year. While
China’s car market in 2015 was “challenging,” the automaker said it
expects to continue expanding there over time
A
fan wears an HTC Vive headset and holds two sensors during a
promotional event held by HTC in Taipei on December 15. Smartphone maker
HTC unveiled to Taiwanese gamers its virtual reality headset for the
first time, as the company pins hopes on the new product to help revive
its struggling business. Photo: AFP
Taiwan-based
smartphone vendor HTC has unveiled a special edition of its Vive
virtual reality headset for developers at the Consumer Electronics Show
in Las Vegas, which officially opens to the public early Thursday (China
time), as it bets big on virtual reality technology finally taking off
in 2016.
Called Vive Pre, the device is essentially a preview of the April
launch of a consumer version of Vive, which HTC hopes will set shoppers’
hearts aflutter to offset its ailing fortunes in China’s overheated
smartphone market.
The company has seen dwindling profits and declining sales figures in
recent years, and is pivoting to become an early investor in virtual
reality headsets to effect a turnaround.
It has invested millions of US dollars in developing Vive and has
spent generously to invest in start-ups like virtual reality platform
WEVR. The HTC Vive is expected to retail at the top end of the market when the consumer version is launched in April. Photo: Handout
The Vive Pre was created in partnership with video game company Valve
Corporation and is an upgrade of the original HTC Vive virtual reality
device.
The consumer edition was originally slated for a late 2015 release
but was delayed after HTC had a “very big technological breakthrough”
with its camera system, according to HTC chief executive Cher Wang.
The game hasn’t even started yet for
[virtual reality]. There’s still a lot of stuff to be worked out, from
content to technology and usage models
Bryan Ma, IDC
The Vive Pre camera comes with a safety feature that displays objects
in users’ physical environment within the broader virtual reality
display. This helps to reduce the risk of people colliding with desks or
chairs while walking around with a not-so-clunky box strapped to their
face.
Other updates include a smaller headset, ergonomic improvements to
the handheld controllers, a redesigned strap that makes for more
comfortable wearing and a brighter, clearer display. The
Oculus Rift headset becomes available for pre-order online this week.
Analysts expect it could retail for US$1,500 including a PC. Photo: SCMP
Pictures
“The headset has brighter, crisper screens with Mura correction,
which makes objects feel like they’re right in front of you,” said Dan
O’Brien, vice president of planning and product management for HTC Vive.
All the improvements found on the Vive Pre will be available on the Vive consumer edition headset, said HTC.
No exact release date has yet been announced but the company said
last year the Vive will have a “slightly higher price point”. In other
words, it’s not going to be as cheap as Samsung’s Gear (US$99) but is
likely to be closer to the new Oculus Rift headset (about 10 times as
much), for which pre-orders begin online this Wednesday.
Should the Vive become available as planned in April, it would rank
among the first high-end virtual reality headsets on the market. Samsung’s Gear VR headset sells for US$99 a pop. Photo: SCMP Pictures
To build up a related ecosystem, HTC has teamed up with PC maker
Hewlett Packard to create a US$1,700, 2-terabyte, virtual
reality-centric gaming computer fitted with Intel i7 K-series
processors. It is due out January 16.
But HTC’s early bet on virtual reality does not guarantee its success
in a market that is still in the early stages, said Bryan Ma, vice
president of client devices research at market research firm IDC.
“The game hasn’t even started yet for [virtual reality]. There’s
still a lot of stuff to be worked out, from content to technology and
usage models,” said Ma, adding that it will take five to 10 years before
the tech goes mainstream.
“Some of the higher-end [devices] require a US$1,500 PC to go with
them, and because of that going mainstream is going to take some time,”
he said.
“Even if HTC is making a long-term bet, virtual reality can take a lot of different forms,” Ma said.
The Oculus Rift, considered one of Vive’s biggest rivals, is on the
cusp of going on sale. Oculus is offering it for pre-order in 20
countries from this week. Analysts expect it to retail for a cool
US$1,500, including a compatible PC.
At CES 2016, HTC has announced an update to their major new virtual
reality headset Vive and a new collaboration with Under Armour
Paul Mallon
CES 2016 is now in full swing which means the tech annoucements are
simply flowing out of Las Vegas. HTC has joined the party with a huge
update and a new partnership.
The first news is all about the HTC Vive, which is set to be one of
the first commercially available Virtual Reality systems when it arrives
in April 2016. We had been hearing rumours of a revamp for the device
and that has proven to be true, with a few major changes on the way. In
fact, the system has been entirely redesigned including a lighter and
sleeker headset and a more comfortable fit inside, with extra room for
eyeglass wearers.
The renamed Vive Pre has a better display with brighter visuals and
also brings new innovation with an integrated front facing camera. This
new addition allows for elements of the real world to be included in
your virtual journey, and also ensures you glimpse objects in the
enviroments if you need to. The controllers have also been improved,
with better buttons and rechargeable batteries which should last for a
good four hours on a single charge.
HTC also announced a major partnership with Under Armour called
Healthbox. This is a suite of products and software which create a
connected fitness system which tracks your sleep, activity and
nutrution.
It's designed to be simple to use but powerful, with iPhone and
Android apps that will bring together all of your fitness information.
Three products have been announced, starting with the Under Armour Band -
a tracker you wear all day which takes note of everything you do and
syncs it back to the app. It features a full display for important
information and metrics.
There's also an UA Heart Rate which is a monitor which uses a chest
strap to keep an eye on how your heart is doing. And finally there's the
UA Scale which is a Wi-Fi enabled smart scale which gives you a reading
for weight and body fat. You can set it to work with eight different
users and it looks pretty fancy to boot.
The millions keep piling up, and there's not much time left to grab a chance to win it.
A surge in ticket sales boosted the Powerball jackpot another $50
million since Sunday, lottery officials said Tuesday, bringing the grand
prize to $450 million.
It hit $400 million over the weekend after another winner-less drawing on Saturday. The next drawing is at 11 pm ET on Wednesday.
Officials estimate 125 million new tickets will have been sold since
Sunday, Texas Lottery spokesperson Kelly Cripe told CNNMoney.
"This is more than 10 times what we see when the jackpot is at the lower levels," Cripe added.
Nobody has matched all six numbers in one of the bi-weekly Powerball
drawings since Nov. 7, 2015. That's 17 drawings with no winner.
The $450 million jackpot is one of the biggest in U.S. history. It's
currently headed for sixth place, but if there's still no winner on
Wednesday night, the pot will keep growing -- and moving up the ranks.
Powerball is sold in 44 states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
by Aaron Smith @AaronSmithCNN January 6, 2016: 8:17 AM ET
Obama lists new gun control measures
President Obama has proven, once again, that he's the greatest gun salesman in America.
Obama's call for more gun control has accelerated the recent surge in gun sales that began last month with the mass shooting in San Bernardino that claimed 14 lives.
"Tremendous, literally tremendous," said Bob Irwin, owner of The Gun Store in Las Vegas, shortly after Obama delivered a speech
on expanding background checks. "It started with San Bernardino but
Obama has just added to it. We can't keep guns in stock. Some of our
major wholesalers are basically out of all the stuff that sells."
Irwin said his gun sales have doubled in the last two weeks. He said
90% of all sales are handguns "that they can grab with one hand and
defend themselves," but he has also "sold a few of what they call
assault rifles."
He believes the "absolute random" nature of the San Bernardino massacre is what freaked people out and drove them to buy guns for self-protection.
"Everybody's vulnerable," said Irwin. "You didn't have to go the wrong
place at the wrong time to get murdered," he said. "It was like the
Paris attacks, but here [in the U.S.]" Wilshire Gun, a gun range/bar/restaurant
in Oklahoma City, has experienced a dramatic rise in students for its
concealed carry courses, according to general manager Brad Carroll.
"The political environment has bolstered that," he said. "A record number of people are doing concealed carry."
The courses required for concealed carry permits have gone from 70% to
full to booked solid through January, Carroll said. Overflow students
are paying extra to schedule private courses. Related: How background checks work
Last year was a record year for FBI background checks, which are conducted for most gun sales. On Monday, Obama called for more resources to bolster the effectiveness of background checks.
He assured gun owners that he believes in the Second Amendment and his
actions are "not a plot to take away everybody's guns."
But
Paul Bastean, owner of Ultimate Defense Firing Range in St. Peters,
Missouri, said every time Obama talks about guns, sales go up.
The most current surge in sales came after Obama made remarks following the San Bernardino attacks, when he mentioned "common sense" gun control. Since then, Bastean has been selling up to 30 guns a day, instead of his usual three to five.
"He didn't say much more, but people are so fearful of what he defined
as 'common sense,'" said Bastean. "They're so fearful that he is going
to restrict their rights."
Ethan Miller—Getty ImagesArms are affixed to a self-balancing Ninebot Segway personal transportation robot during a keynote address by Intel Corp.
It can also follow you on command
The two-wheeled self-balancing scooter
earned its “hoverboard” nickname because it creates the illusion that
the rider is floating on wheels. But if the idea of owning a device that
mimics the feel of a hoverboard doesn’t sound futuristic enough for
you, perhaps this will: During its CES 2016 keynote, Intel showcased a
“hoverboard” scooter that transforms into a personal robot.
The gadget is a type of Segway scooter made by Chinese company
Ninebot. It’s powered by one of Intel’s Atom processors. The robot’s
head retracts into the device’s cylindrical body when it’s being used as
a hoverboard. It can respond to voice commands and stream video, which
means it can do things like see who’s at your front porch when the
doorbell rings. Built with Intel’s RealSense ZR300 camera, the robot can
avoid bumping into objects in your home and follow you on command. Read more:Meet the electric Batmobile that wants to take on Tesla
Developers will be able to brainstorm new use cases and applications
for the robot since it’s an open platform. A pair of arms were added to
the robot during the demonstration on stage, which the device recognized
immediately.
“Are those my arms?” the robot said. “Awesome!”
Segway plans to launch a developer kit for the robot in the second
half of 2016. A consumer edition will eventually follow, according to a press release from Intel.
The new Segway robot comes while hoverboards are being scrutinized over their safety record. More than 15,000 hoverboards were detained in the United Kingdom last month amid concerns about exploding batteries. Many U.S. airlines have banned the devices for similar reasons.
Segway's response: a hoverboard that turns into a robot.
Yup, at CES 2016's opening keynote address, Intel(INTC, Tech30) CEO Brian Krzanich demonstrated a hoverboard built by Segway -- the company that makes electric scooters for mall cops.
The Segway looked like half hoverboard, half Segway. Instead of
Segway's trademark handlebar attached to the wheels, this one had a pole
attached to the wheels that came up to around knee-level. Intel CEO Brian Krzanich riding a Segway Robot. He stepped off, and then -- surprise! -- a robot's head popped out of that mysterious pole. It smiled and waved.
The Segway Robot (that's its official name), has two blinking eyes, and
speaks with a classic monotone robotic voice. It recognizes your voice
commands, and it has an Internet-connected camera on its "face."
When you're not riding it, the Segway Robot can drive itself around.
But it's not totally clear what a robotic hoverboard would be used for.
In the demonstration, the Segway Robot answered the door and guided a
guest into the living room so the host of the party didn't have to get
up. It also followed the presenter around the room, recognizing
obstacles and its leader with its camera.
Curiously, the Segway
Robot's arms come separately, and they have to be screwed onto the
robot's "back." Its hands are pretty simple Lego-man-like hands that are
good for picking up cups -- and not much else.
To build the
Segway Robot, the company partnered with Intel and Chinese smartphone
giant Xiaomi. Segway says the Robot is the first in a line of products
that it plans on jointly engineering with its two partners.
Segway, based in New Hampshire, was purchased in April 2015 by Chinese scooter rival Ninebot, famous for itsone-wheeled
electric scooter. The merged company announced earlier this week that
it would adopt the Segway name and make Ninebot a brand within the
Segway umbrella.
LAS VEGAS — In his third year delivering the CES keynote, Intel CEO
Brian Krzanich finally let his hair down, sort of. He arrived without a
suit, instead wearing a sweater, jeans and sneakers. He still looked
like a CEO, but it appeared he wanted to connect not so much with the
generation attending CES 2016 in Las Vegas, but the next, upcoming
generation, the one that probably doesn’t wear suits.
Oh, and, he rode in on a robot.
CEA President Gary Shapiro rides the new Segway ad Intel CEO Brian Krzanich looks on.
Image: Mashable, Lance Ulanoff
That robot, a two-wheeled number that looked like a hoverboard (the kind the kids love and that occasionally catch fire), is actually a brand new Segway. Yes, thatSegway.
It was just one of a number of Intel-powered technologies the CEO
showed off over the course of a whirlwind, nearly two-hour keynote.
This version of Segway was like a shrunk-down version of the original
personal mobility device introduced by inventor Dean Kamen over a
decade ago. All it lacked was the handle. What was more interesting
than Krzanich’s ride in was when the rider returned onstage and revealed
that it was also a small personal robot equipped with a simple face —
mostly just a pair a glowing LED eyes (not as creepy as it sounds) —
that could follow commands and navigate a home environment without the
need of a rider.
The new Segway is programmable and has detachable arms.
Image: Mashable, Lance Ulanoff
Intel’s
part in all this? Along with partnering with Xiaomi and Segway on the
engineering side, it supplied the RealSense visual system that let it
navigate the home environment stage. When the robot arrives later this
year, it will also come with an open source SDK. They even attached a
pair of arms to the Segway, though it wasn’t clear what it would do with
them.
What’s inside
Throughout the keynote, Krzanich was joined on stage by a parade of
partners using Intel’s RealSense 3D visual system and its chips,
including the tiny system-on-a-chip Curie.
There was a heavy focus on sports. Krzanich showed off a remarkable system, "freeD" powered by Replay Technologies,
that could take live action sports games and turn them into what looked
like a video game where you could stop the action in a basketball game,
shift around perspective and then restart the action.
"It changes the experience of what it means to be a spectator, you
are the director, Krzanich said. Like many of the innovations Krzanich
showed off Tuesday night, it was long on flash but a little thin on the
details. He offered no information on exactly how the video was captured
or transformed.
Sports quantified
Krzanich announced that Curie will ship this year and cost “less than
$10.” At that price point in can be embedded in all sorts of things. He
called it the “Start of a dramatic revolution in sports.”
We saw it in motocross racing bikes (in the seats and handle bars),
as well as in outfit on a parkour expert. In each case Curie was used to
quantify their activity and performance. “We capture and map the riders
in 3D space to understand everything they do,” Krzanich said.
The X Games in Aspen will feature Intel embedded technology to monitor and display performance stats.
Image: Mashable, Lance Ulanoff
“The
real-time data excites the athletes, spurs competition, excites fans,”
said John Skipper, ESPN President and Co-Chairman of Disney Media
Networks, who joined Krzanich on stage to announce another of Intel’s
myriad partnerships. Intel's system will be used as part of ESPN's
upcoming X Games in Aspen.
A Parkour expert jumps over barriers as Intel Curie-powered clothes monitor his performance stats.
Image: Mashable, Lance Ulanoff
Intel also announced a global partnership with Red Bull Media House, which is best known for its energy drinks and myriad stunt videos. They demonstrated how a parkour expert's dynamic moves could be quantified in data.
A smarter drone
Last year, Intel showed off a prototype drone that, thanks to Intel
RealSense was expert at collision avoidance. This year, that product
becomes real in the form of the Yuneec Typhoon H, an intelligent,
consumer drone capable of flying unaided through the woods and around
any obstacle.
Intel's Brian Krzanich holds the Yuneec Typhoon H, which uses Intel Real Sense technology to avoid obstacles.
Image: Mashable, Lance Ulanoff
Krzanich said it ships this year and will cost less than $2,000.
At Work and Play
Intel also proved that the concept of smart glasses is not dead. With
partner Oakley, it introduced “Radar Pace,” sunglasses that act as a
sort of personal trainer during a workout, analyzing what the wearer is
doing in real-time and offering encouragement, advice and direction.
They showed it off on three-time Iron Man champ Craig Alexander, but
said it could be used by those engaging in a casual workout, as well.
Intel and Daqri unveiled a smarter hard hat.
Image: Mashable, Lance Ulanoff
One
of the more intriguing demonstrations was the new Daqri smart helmet,
which combined image recognition with augmented reality to help guide
workers as they navigate complex and dangerous environments. Equipped
with an Intel Core M Process, the Daqri is essentially a computerized
hardhat.
What does this all mean? Intel wants its technology to be everywhere,
not just in computers — which it most certainly is — but in clothes and
robots and drones and bicycles and sneakers. Have something to add to this story? Share it in the comments.
Tuesday began like any other winter morning
under the Gold Line bridge on Avenue 26, except that this was an El
Niño day, and Felipe Flores Lopez had no idea what the rains would
bring.
I wouldn't have known about Lopez if not for Sister Giulii Zobelein, who sent me an email in early December.
"Hi, I photographed this fellow," wrote the nun, who lives in a
convent next to Sacred Heart Church in Lincoln Heights and has been with
the Sisters of Mission San Jose since 1951. "His little 'home' is
unbelievable. Attached are photos."
In an alcove under the train
tracks, Lopez had assembled his furniture as if he were living indoors.
Next to a double bed — with box spring and mattress and a clean white
comforter — was a kitchen table and set of chairs, along with cupboards.
All these items were either donated, he said, or they were discards he
scrounged. On top of his dresser sat a little Christmas tree with red
decorations. FULL COVERAGE: El Niño in California >>
When
I tried to visit in December, Lopez was gone, but a little dish of
candies was on the table, along with some apples, neatly arranged, and a
loaf of bread. He was living a few feet from noisy traffic and across
the street from the Cypress Park/Lincoln Heights train station, with no
privacy whatsoever, but clearly a great deal of pride had gone into his
homemaking.
On
Tuesday, as the first heavy rains rolled in, I thought I'd see how
Lopez was faring. He was asleep on his bed when I arrived, covers pulled
over his head. He was dry, but water had pooled on the dirt floor of
his home, right up to the foot of his bed, where his slippers lay on a
wooden plank.
I announced myself and he popped out of bed. He's a
slight man of 59, with a narrow face and a salt-and-pepper beard. I
asked if he wanted me to make a call and see about getting him to a
drier place to wait out the storms.
No thanks, Lopez said. He'd be
fine. But he did have one concern, and pointed to the small rivers
racing along the nearby gutter.
"The water is splashing onto the bed when cars go by," he said.
Lopez
speaks rapidly, in muffled Spanish and English, and is hard to
understand in either language. He pointed to his head, saying he has
some health issues he couldn't specify, and showed me a healthcare card
from the nearby county hospital.
Lopez said he worked in
demolition, but had been out of work for years and couldn't afford to
keep paying rent, so he took to the streets and had been under the
bridge for several months, at least. He showed me his state
food-assistance card and said he is doing OK on the $230 a month he
receives, along with donations of money and food from passersby.
"I don't have a wife or children" to support, he said. "So it's fine."
The
lunch hour was approaching and I offered to take Lopez out for a bite.
He declined. Ever the gracious host, he decided to prepare lunch for me
and Times photographer Genaro Molina. He set up his propane stove and
went to the cupboard to get some Mazola corn oil, eggs, cheese, peppers
and flour tortillas. As the rains picked up and the water rose, he
whipped up a fine meal of burritos and set glasses of water on the
kitchen table.
As Lopez showed off his kitchen skills, Rebecca
Clendening, who lives in the neighborhood, approached. She's a nursing
student at Pasadena City College and wants to get into public health or
mental health. She had just gotten off a train and wanted to check on
Lopez. She hadn't met him and didn't know his name, but she was worried
about him because of the weather.
Seeing that he was OK, she went
on her way. Soon after, the running water had crashed the curb and began
spilling across the sidewalk and into Lopez's encampment. He stood on a
patch of dry ground and didn't seem alarmed. But the water kept
climbing, and as vehicles plowed through a street that had become a
lake, waves were crashing at my ankles and moving higher.
Lopez
rolled up his pants and began moving his belongings to safety, but it
was too late. His slippers floated in swirling, knee-deep water. I
fished the slippers out and set them on the kitchen cupboard, but was
wobbled by the current and moved to higher ground.
Lopez's boxes
and clothes rode currents as he helplessly watched his encampment get
destroyed. Water moved under the frame he had built to keep his bed off
the ground, the bed he claimed when a nearby resident had put it out for
the trash, and the bed became a raft.
Lopez climbed atop it, a
valiant captain trying to steer his vessel to safety against the curse
of El Niño, but the bed traveled a good 30 feet. It came to rest —
soaked through with filthy water — against a telephone pole. Once Lopez
had done what he could, he went back to rescue his Christmas tree.
As
this played out, a red Nissan stalled in deep water under the bridge,
and three passengers were stuck inside. Someone called 911 and a crew
from LAFD Station 44 arrived on the scene. Firefighter Jose Rodriguez,
59, on the job 30 years, bulled through swift knee-deep currents without
hesitation and carried two women and one young man to safety, one at a
time.
The rain slowed, picked up again, then stopped. The water
slowly receded, and I helped Lopez lug some soaked blankets and the
mattresses to drier ground. He pointed to the 110 Freeway and said he
knew a place near where he could build a new camp that wouldn't get
washed out in coming storms.
His shoulders had slumped, his
disappointment more evident. A woman crossed the street and handed him a
plastic bag with something inside.
"All his clothes got soaked," Rebecca Pimentel, 24, told me.
Pimentel
said she lives across the street and has watched Lopez make a home for
himself. When she saw him get swamped, she called her mother and asked
her to get something out of the closet. Inside the bag she handed Lopez
was a dry jacket.
As promised, you can now preorder Oculus Rift, the company’s virtual reality headset, from shop.oculus.com.
The price and timing have also been revealed: The Rift will set you
back $599 and will start shipping on March 28. Oculus also plans to make
the Rift available “in limited locations at select retailers starting
in April.”
Rift preorders are only available in 20 countries:
Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Japan,
Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland,
Spain, Sweden, Taiwan, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The
Facebook-owned company says more countries will be added “over time.”
Preordering the Rift will also secure a place in line for Touch
preorders, which the company last month delayed to the second half of 2016.
The Rift is one of the most anticipated gaming gadgets in recent
memory. Many expect that it help kickstart a new VR trend in the
industry, assuming it is successful.
Oculus recommends the following PC specifications to use with the Rift (Mac users are out of luck):
In February, bundles that include an Oculus Ready PC and a Rift will be available for preorder. Pricing starts at $1,499.
Oculus Rift ships with two games, the third-person platformer Lucky’s
Tale and the cockpit-simulating space fighter Eve: Valkyrie. Oculus
Studios is promising “more than 20 games” coming exclusively to Oculus
this year, including Rockband VR by Harmonix, Edge of Nowhere by
Insomniac, and The Climb by Crytek.
Games aside, an Xbox One controller is also included with the headset, as are the built-in headphones, mic, sensor, and Oculus Remote.
The Oculus Remote lets you browse the Oculus store, explore 360 video
content in Oculus Video, and navigate VR games. Oculus claims it “is
the easiest way to introduce non-gamers to VR.”
Oh, and the wireless adapter is also bundled within:
Wireless adapter is included with controller, forgot to mention in blog posts. Have at it, press people!
If you were one of the thousands of people who got an Oculus Rift DK1 from the company’s original crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter, you’re going to get the consumer version free. In other words, don’t spend $599 unless you want to have two units of the new gadget.
Rift was one of the earliest big successes on Kickstarter, with 9,522
backing a total of $2.437 million. Facebook then acquired Oculus in
March 2014 for $2 billion. Update: And, the initial batch has already sold out. The shipping timeframe has already been pushed back to May, meaning only a handful of preorders will arrive on March 28.
Facebook
Inc.’s Oculus Rift, set to go on sale Wednesday, is intended to usher
in a new era of virtual reality computing. But if Wall Street’s
expectations hold true, that will happen very slowly.
The Oculus Rift costs US$599 and is expected to ship by April, according to the company’s website.
Most analysts with estimates for the Rift expect sales in the low
hundred-thousands while just a few said sales may top 1 million. The
majority declined to estimate, saying the device isn’t a big deal for
Facebook.
Oculus “would almost certainly be a rounding error inside of Facebook
for now,” said Brian Wieser, an analyst at Pivotal Research, who said
he’s not estimating sales yet. Gene Munster, an analyst at Piper
Jaffray, called Facebook’s investment in Oculus a “non-event in 2016.”
He expects them to sell a few hundred thousand units at a loss.
The Oculus Remote, a small input device that we saw in leaked renders earlier this year, is shipping with the Oculus Rift. Oculus announced the news in a blog post this
morning, along with a picture of the remote, which looks pretty much
like what we've previously seen. It's described as "a new input device
we designed to make it simple and intuitive to navigate VR experiences,"
a small black trackpad with back, home, plus, and minus buttons. Oculus
has confirmed that it's newly announced, but we have very little detail
beyond that.
The remote is a great idea, and something I asked for in the Gear VR
last year — it'd be great to see it ship with later versions, or as a
separate unit. An Oculus spokesperson says that the device is Rift-only
"for now."
Oculus preorders opened about half an hour ago, and the first month
of preorders is already sold out — units will now ship starting in
April, which is also when they'll apparently appear in some retail
stores. If you do manage to order the Rift, Oculus promises that "more
than 100" titles will be available by the end of 2016.
4:54:00 AM
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