2012

CES not always the greatest guide for commercial success

LAS VEGAS--We've seen it more than a few times.

A company at the Consumer Electronics show wows the tech crowd in Las Vegas with its new product. It's sure to be a hit, the tech press concludes. Then everyone heads home, gets some sleep, and months later we ask ourselves, "Whatever happened to (fill in the blank)?"

Despite the massive size and reach of CES, the show can actually be quite insular. With so many companies looking to display their latest and greatest products, the media is left scrambling to cover as much as they possibly … Read more

OnStar gives the green light to third-party apps

LAS VEGAS--Remember when I said that CES 2012 would be a veritable car show?

Well, it looks like I was right, because one of the first press conferences of the big show was held tonight by none other than General Motors for its OnStar telematics and vehicle concierge service. OnStar announced that it is opening its service to third-party developers--with the car-sharing service RelayRides the first of them.

Following is the live blog of that press event. You can also check out our recap of the OnStar news for further details.

CES 2012: What we know so far

LAS VEGAS--The 2012 Consumer Electronics Show doesn't officially open until Tuesday--after a marathon of press conferences on Monday--but that hasn't stopped a flood of product announcements and leaks in the days leading up to the show.

While many of these products don't have full details--such as the ever-elusive pricing and availability--the 2012 preshow news slate is longer and more impressive than any year I can remember. The two main reasons for that are the late start of the show (sometimes it begins right after New Year's Day; this year it's a week later), and the … Read more

Nokia's CES signage remains coy, for now

At this point, Nokia has little to hide.

Rumors, leaks, and an anonymous confirmation from two New York Times sources has let the Nokia Lumia 900 "Ace" come rushing out of the bag.

In truth, the proverbial bag was pretty wide open anyway. The global release of the Lumia 800 at Nokia World last fall set the expectation of a CES announcement for the U.S. version; its absence at this show would result in shock and disappointment.… Read more

Samsung Galaxy Note megaphone a sure thing for CES 2012

Big phone or small tablet? That's the question we originally asked of the Samsung Galaxy Note when we first beheld it last September. If you believe the signage festooning the entrance to the South Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center, Samsung isn't quite sure, either.

Even if a strip missing from the giant poster leaves a gap in the name of the Android device, it's clear from the branding of the phone/tablet hybrid, and from the hardware design itself, that this is none other than the fabled device introduced in Europe earlier this year. Rumor … Read more

Bluetooth 4.0-powered Cobra Tag G5 needs only biannual recharges

LAS VEGAS--As helpful as the original Cobra Tag was for a forgetful guy like me, it had one fatal flaw: I kept forgetting to recharge the darn thing!

The new Cobra Tag G5, set to be unveiled at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, now only needs charging twice per year. Cobra is claiming more than six months of monitoring between recharges of the new Tag G5 thanks to its implementation of Bluetooth 4.0 technology. However, in order to achieve this astronomic battery life, the phone the Tag G5 is paired with will also need to support Bluetooth … Read more

Motorola prepping wireless power tech for smartphones?

Motorola just released a brief video that cryptically hints at a new wireless power solution the company may announce at CES 2012. … Read more

$100 OLPC tablet to debut at CES

One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) will show a $100 tablet at CES, a follow-on to the organization's low-cost laptop, which has been distributed to over 2 million children globally.

OLPC's mission is to provide one connected laptop or tablet to children who have little or no access to education because of insufficient resources.

"We're proud to introduce the XO 3.0 tablet, showcasing the design, durability and performance features that make it a natural successor for our current laptops, which have been distributed to more than 2.4 million children in 42 countries and in 25 languages," said Edward McNierney, chief technology officer of One Laptop per Child, in a statement. … Read more

Vizio jumps into the laptop and desktop game

A slate of laptops and desktops from TV-maker Vizio was reportedly expected at CES 2012, and now it looks like that news has dropped a little early.

Update: We've updated the gallery below with new official product shots from Vizio. The company also says the current names of the systems are as follows: 24-inch All-in-One PC, 27-inch All-in-One PC, 14-inch Thin + Light Notebook, 15.6-inch Thin + Light Notebook, 15.6-inch Notebook.

The Verge notes a Financial Times story detailing the basics of this new PC lineup. According to FT.com:

[Vizio] will be showing two Windows 7 all-in-one PCs and three notebooks at CES, notable for sleek, aluminium-styled designs that pay due homage to Apple's MacBook and iMac products.

Few details on the actual systems or specs are available, but the systems are said to be targeting a May 2012 release in North America. The systems mentioned include 24-inch and 27-inch all-in-one PCs, each with a subwoofer in its audio system, a media remote, and a matching wireless keyboard and mouse.

Three laptops are planned. Two are ultrabook-style thin systems, with 14- and 15.6-inch screens. The third is a 15.6-inch performance system. … Read more