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Daily Crunch: Into The White

Posted: 14 Jan 2012 01:00 AM PST

LG Styler Refreshes Your Stinky, Wrinkly Clothes With Steam

Posted: 13 Jan 2012 03:29 PM PST

If you needed any more proof that the future is already upon us, take a gander at the LG Styler. It looks like a refrigerator at first glance, but opening the door reveals that it isn’t meant for food — rather, it’s your clothes are meant to go inside.

While we first thought the Styler was just a concept design, it turns out that the handsome clothing refresher has been on the market in South Korea for a while now. Still, LG spent these months wisely by making sure the Styler is ready for a stateside debut.

Here’s the Styler in a nutshell — if you have some clothing in need of some gentle de-wrinkling, throw it in the Styler and wait until the 39 minute cycle is complete. While you’re having lunch and reading TechCrunch Gadgets, the Styler will gently steam your clothing to get rid of any unwanted wrinkles and odors. It even has a depository for what our LG rep refers to as “aroma sheets” that imbue your clothing with certain scents, though it also seems like users will be able throw in their own scented materials.

Everything is controlled by a lighted touch UI on the front of the Styler, which actually helps tie together the Styler’s minimalist design, with settings a plenty for different materials and items. The Styler certainly lives up to its namesake, and with any luck it’ll soon pop up in a hotel (or a Home Depot) in the near future.

Droid RAZR MAXX To Launch On January 26th?

Posted: 13 Jan 2012 03:24 PM PST

Droid RAZR Maxx

While there wasn’t much to say about the recently announced Droid RAZR MAXX to begin with (it’s essentially the Droid RAZR with a bigger battery and more storage), Motorola and Verizon decided to leave out one key bit of detail: the launch date.

While it’s still not 100% confirmed, Motorola’s own RAZR MAXX product page now pinpoints the big day as January 26th.

Don’t go lining up outside of the Verizon store on the 26th or anything (this could very well be a placeholder, or a lingering detail from before the date went all tentative), but would-be MAXX buyers should keep it in mind.

[Via DroidLife]

A Million Developers On A Million Keyboards: Ecosystems Require R&D Density

Posted: 13 Jan 2012 02:53 PM PST

shutterstock_58664

Walking around CES this week it’s easy to see the future: just look at the components being sold in the nether regions of the show. These include specific things – Bluetooth powered electrical cords, for example – and “pieces” like smaller motherboards, cases, and materials. When planning a launch line-up, major manufacturers peruse catalogs of potential hardware and materials solutions to decide what to create next, then task their hardware designers to choose the proper parts in order to build in the features that meet their initial requirement. Does this TV need a 64-inch LED backlit screen? Four HDMI ports? A blue bezel? Designers figure out which parts fit where and place their assembly order with a factory. It’s been like this for decades.

When I write that Samsung could be the next Apple, I meant that Samsung seems to have finally bucked this trend, at least in part. The problem with the above shop-design-build process is that there is little synergy among various business units. The mobile guys have a certain menu from which to pick while the TV guys have a different menu. The phone OS has always been different than the TV “OS” (really UI, but TVs need a little code in them). Work may be duplicated multiple times, even from year to year.

Trade dress (the case and “looks” of a device) aside, most hardware is the same. A TV is a TV is a TV just as a phone is a phone is a phone. Sure there are special audio and video design issues and special tweaks manufacturers do to maintain their own levels of quality, but, to paraphrase my uncle, it all comes out of the same pipe.

So the real differentiator, the real money maker, is ecosystem and consumer lock-in.

For years, we gadget bloggers have had a common refrain: lock a bunch of developers in a room and make them build a great product. Ignore everything that came before and everything that will come after. Make something that works great, looks great, and matches consumer expectations and surpasses them.

The problem is that this model does now allow for the standard lock-step design process. It’s a complete anathema to the standard iteration model of product design and, as such, is very expensive and resource intensive.

But a few things are happening that are changing this. First, hardware is becoming easier to build. Kickstarter, for example, shows us that one-off manufacturing isn't as hard as it sounds while companies like Apple have shown that ecosystem matters more than iterative improvements. If it all works together, you’ll see more hardware.

Manufacturers have known this for a long time yet they never truly wanted to pay the cash required to pull off a real ecosystem. It was always easier just to say “Me too” instead of “Me first.”

What seems to be happening – and discussions I’ve had bear this out – is that R&D investment is up and the ecosystem requirement is finally important. A million developers in front of a million keyboards will eventually build something that works correctly. Samsung, with their coffers of Galaxy Cash, are in the right place to attempt this and I think they pulled it off (we shall, however, have to see).

In the end these developers may be forced to go back to the iteration model. But once you have an ecosystem, it’s not hard to keep it going. It’s hard to improve it (witness the overwhelming “Meh” of iCloud) but it’s easy to keep it going once it’s in place.

It seems that 2012 is finally the year that hardware manufacturers understand lock-in. As we approach an era of connected devices, the benefits will be clear: easier content sharing, better device interaction, and improved remote control. What we lose, however, is the single-purpose computing device and, to be honest, I’m fine with that.

[Image: ChipPix/Shutterstock]



All The Little (But Awesome) Things You Definitely Missed At CES

Posted: 13 Jan 2012 02:04 PM PST

All the things

It’s true. CES is out of control. I have no reference point since this was my first show, but from the first second you disembark the monorail and look down over the sprawling campus of the LVCC, you know you won’t see everything. The inkling gets stronger as you enter the building, and find that the Samsung booth is about as big as a mall.

Luckily for you, John Biggs and I ventured into the deepest corners of the show to find the little booths you most certainly missed.

Enjoy!

OhMiBod:

G-Form

The LightPad

iShower

NEC Robot

Party Animals

Bloomberg: iPad 3 To Have Quad-Core CPU, LTE, High-Def Screen

Posted: 13 Jan 2012 02:00 PM PST

ipad 2

You’ve just got to love the timing. First, Apple announces their education-focused media event smack dab in the middle of CES. Now, just as CES is winding down, Bloomberg has “three people familiar with the product” spilling purported details on the next iPad. Whether or not Apple won CES without even being there, they’re certainly trying.

None of the leaked details are particularly new, but that it comes from Bloomberg and they’ve seemingly got full confidence in their source(s) makes them a bit more credible than rumors prior.

Here’s the gist of it:

  • The next iPad (Bloomberg calls it “iPad 3″, though even that detail is of course unconfirmed) is said to have gone into production this month, with production ramping up until February, with a launch in March.
  • It’ll have a quad-core CPU (as opposed to the dual-core A5 found in iPad 2)
  • It’ll have a “high-def” screen
  • Support for LTE (4G)

The most curious bit? The use of the phrase “high-def” instead of “Retina” with regards to the display. If Apple was throwing around the “Retina” term internally, at least one of Bloomberg’s three sources presumably would’ve thought to mention it. If the sources mentioned it, Bloomberg would have squeezed it into the article somewhere — and they didn’t. With leaks like this, what’s not said can be as important as what is. Higher-res screen? Yes. But the absurdly high-resolution that a “retina” iPad would require (something like 2560 x 1920, higher than any monitor Apple has ever made regardless of size)? Probably not.

Hands-On With Blue Microphones’ 2012 Lineup

Posted: 13 Jan 2012 01:31 PM PST

Blue Mics showed up to CES 2012 with three swanky mics. No, really. They look great but that’s because Blue Mics knows how to make a good looking mic. Brian Biggott, Blue Mics’ CTO, sat down with me on the TechCrunch CES couch for a quick chat about the company’s upcoming mics.

The $199 Spark Digital is a digital version of the analog Spark and features a studio-grade mic and USB/iOS connectivity. It’s a tad on the heavy side as well. Blue Mics expects to ship the Spark Digital this spring.

Blue Mics also introduced two smaller mics. The Mikey Digital connects to an iOS device and sports a stereo mic. Plus, there’s a 3.5mm multi-input jack for additional audio sources. The even smaller Tiki mic connects to a computer through a USB port for improved Skype-ing and the like. Look for the Mikey Digital and Tiki also this spring for $99 and $59, respectively.



Hands-On With The LG Spectrum: So Last Year

Posted: 13 Jan 2012 01:04 PM PST

Here at CES 2012, phones are a bit in short supply. At least, new phones are. LG is one of the few companies to officially announce a new smartphone at the show, and I have to say it’s one of the best phones we’ve seen out of LG. Unfortunately, that still leaves the Spectrum quite a ways behind some of the other new phones we’ve seen recently like the Xperia S, Titan 2, or the Galaxy Nexus (of course).

The real stand-out feature here is the 4.5-inch 720p display with a True HD Graphic Engine and Corning Gorilla glass, boasting 326ppi. The phone also touts Verizon’s 4G LTE, which is mostly solid unless it’s December.

The Spectrum has a .4-inch waist line, and a glossy back panel which is a far cry from the more premium feel of the LG Nitro HD. What’s odd is that the Spectrum is actually meant to be an equally high-end phone, but takes prints so poorly and is so obviously plastic that it feels kind of cheap.

Under the hood you’ll find a 1.5GHz dual-core processor, 4GB of on-board memory, and 1GB of RAM. The phone also comes with a 16GB microSD card, but the slot itself can handle a card up to 32GB.

The 8-megapixel rear camera shoots video in 1080p, and there’s a 1.3-megapixel front-facing camera for video chat if that’s your style.

What’s perhaps the worst news of all is that the LG Spectrum will ship with Android 2.3.5 Gingerbread, and won’t get Ice Cream Sandwich until the second half of 2012. At the same time, most phones we’re seeing with these specs go for around $250 or $300 and the Spectrum can be had for $199 on a two-year contract.

Like most things with LG phones, you win some and you lose some.



Razer CEO Min-Liang Tan Shows Us Project Fiona And The Blade Notebook

Posted: 13 Jan 2012 12:22 PM PST

razer

We couldn’t go to CES and not see what Razer had on display, and fortunately, CEO Min-Liang Tan was on hand to take us on a quick tour through the company’s booth. In between talking about the company’s new gaming accessories and their Synapse cloud storage system for game settings, we were (thankfully) able to get our hands on the Project Fiona tablet and the Razer Blade gaming notebook.

For the second year in a row, Razer has come to CES with the aim of disrupting mobile PC gaming, but the Project Fiona tablet couldn’t look any more different than its predecessor. It’s a surprisingly light machine, but Fiona was more than enough to handle traipsing through the world of Skyrim with its Core i7 processor. Even so, Devin the indie game maven was particularly enamored that he was able to demo a bit of Terraria on camera.

Razer is testing the waters with the Fiona, and Tan tells us that it could enter production in one form or another if it gets enough of a positive response. Look at the Switchblade for example — though the actual handheld never quite materialized, the concept was integrated into the company’s insane Blade gaming notebook.

We’ve covered the Blade before, but actually seeing it in person is a completely different experience. The computer itself is remarkably thin and light (not to mention incredibly spec’d) but people’s eyes are understandably drawn to the Switchblade UI embedded to the right of the keyboard. While the Switchblade LCD keys don’t depress as deeply as those on the regular keyboard (I’m decidedly picky when it comes to that stuff), the overall experience was one has a lot of potential.

Razer is courting developers with an SDK that will launch alongside the Blade itself in an effort to drive interest in creating apps for the platform, and to that end the company will also be distributing a standalone USB version of their Switchblade UI available to developers. It’s not out of the realm of possibility that a consumer model could eventually hit store shelves — Tan wouldn’t comment on products in production, but he admits that it would be totally doable.

Anyway, this is one of our longer hands-on videos since it encompasses most of Razer’s booth, so sit back with some popcorn and enjoy. Trust me, if you’re a gamer, you’ll want to stick around for the whole thing.

ESPN Feels Lonely: A Chat Regarding ESPN’s Role In The Barren 3D Landscape

Posted: 13 Jan 2012 11:40 AM PST

ESPN, the Worldwide Leader In Tim Tebow news, attended CES this year in the name of 3D TV. The network is fully committed to providing content in 3D and in fact hosted a live boxing match here at CES, which was broadcasted in 3D. I sat down with Bryan Burns, ESPN’s VP of Strategic Business Planning to talk about ESPN, lack of 3D content and the boring 2012 BCS Championship game.

Burns revealed that ESPN has an emerging technologies division that starting exploring 3D broadcasting early on. He relates the lack of 3D content to that of high definition. However, as Burns points out, 3D has the advantage of having more friends in the industry where it took a while for broadcasters and producers to latch onto 3D.

Still, as anyone that owns a 3D TV knows, there still isn’t a lot of 3D content. ESPN feels lonely out there, Burns said. There’s Discovery, too, with 3D films about penguins and such. Since 3D is still struggling to gain traction, the two content powerhouses aren’t so much in competition but rather fighting the good fight together. But more friends would be nice.



Health Sensors Are Everywhere: Up Close With Striiv And Fitbit

Posted: 13 Jan 2012 09:51 AM PST

This was the year of the sensors. From Fitbit’s new Aria Wi-Fi scale to the Basis sports watch, I saw more devices to keep you healthy and lean than ever.

I sat down with the folks from Fitbit and Striiv who both saw the power of self-reporting and mindfulness when it comes to weight loss. Striiv, for example, has a new feature that allows you to connect to your friends wirelessly to compete in contests like walkathons and races. For example, you and the wife can compete to get to 5,000 steps first during the day and the winner has to do chores or gets some of the losers “energy.”

Fitbit, on the other hand, is closing the loop when it comes to health data. The Aria scale sends your current weight and BMI to the Fitbit web app and lets you figure out what’s working and what’s not.

In the end, these products are only as good as their users. However, with a little bit of data you can go a long way towards getting on track to health and/or weight loss. That’s the plan, at least. Whether it works in practice is another question.

Smart TVs: How Do They Work?

Posted: 13 Jan 2012 09:28 AM PST

smartTV

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?

Here's what they said:

Samsung defined Smart TVs as sets that can run apps, have web browsing capability, smart search (meaning easy ways to locate content), and social media connectivity.

Their future vision of Smart TV technology includes a convergent content model—content distributed across multiple device touch points. For example, what if you could start watching a movie on your smartphone during your cab ride home from work but then could easily and seamlessly pick up where you left off on your larger screen the minute you arrive home. (Wait, doesn’t Netflix do that already?)

Sony defined a Smart TV as one that is “connected” for content consumption (e.g apps, entertainment network, etc) but also for interaction with social networks. Additionally, internal or external integration with other content systems (like Google TV) is a must.

At Sony their vision for the future of Smart TVs also has to do with convergent content experiences. According to their spokesperson Sean Cassady, that vision is not limited to TVs alone but instead is more of a company-wide attitude.

LG defined a Smart TV as one that is interactive, connected to the internet and capable of running apps. No one was available to comment at the time about their future vision.

Overall, few of these responses surprised me. How about an external opinion though?

Smart TVs could be somewhat of a misnomer according to Dan Shust, Vice President of the RI Lab at Resource Interactive. "'Smart' would imply some kind of intelligence or predictive behavior. While we are starting to see bits of that functionality, these TVs still aren't totally there yet. What if my TV is not only connected to my social graph, but is making show recommendations based on things I've 'liked' or commented on in my social network of choice? “

Mr. Shust continued by saying “To me, the perfect TV would be one that takes content from any source (TV, movie, podcast, whatever), then watches my consumption habits, and can make intelligent recommendations deeply within the content I consume. For example, if the TV recognizes that I watch Jimmy Fallon clips on Youtube a lot, it should just start recording the regular show for me in the background. It could connect the dots and even notify me that a band I 'liked' on Facebook is going to be performing on Jimmy Fallon. That would be truly Smart."

I think I agree. This potential view of Television would have seemed scary or like science fiction a mere 15 years ago but when viewed within the lens of the current capability of social and content networks, it seems to me more like a question of "when" not "if" .

When we do reach a point where TVs are equipped to handle preference management, I'm sure those kind of intelligent features will be able to be disabled, for those with privacy concerns.

Where does that leave us though? It still leaves us with some pretty fabulous displays, that are more powerful than ever and increasingly laden with features that increase the viewing experience.