Tuesday, January 8, 2013

Mashable: Latest 29 News Updates - including “This Pillow Has Built-in Speakers For Listening in Bed”

Mashable: Latest 29 News Updates - including “This Pillow Has Built-in Speakers For Listening in Bed”


This Pillow Has Built-in Speakers For Listening in Bed

Posted: 08 Jan 2013 03:34 AM PST


LAS VEGAS -- A new pillow from Brookstone is looking to revolutionize how you watch TV in bed.

At first glance it may look like an ordinary pillow, but inside this memory foam pillow is a set of speakers you can use to listen to music while you're on your way to dreamland. The pillow connects using a wireless transmitter.

Controls on the side of the pillow can adjust the volume, and you can set a sleep timer to have the tunes turn off when you think you'll be asleep. The battery pack can be removed from the inside of the pillow for charging, and the outside cover can be removed when it needs a wash.

I had the opportunity to spend a little time with the pillow at a press event Mo…
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More About: CES, CES 2013

Kingston Introduces “World’s First” 1TB USB 3.0 Flash Drive

Posted: 08 Jan 2013 02:14 AM PST


Remember when USB flash drives had the capacity of a couple megabytes? Those times are long gone, as Kingston introduced what they claim is the world's first 1TB USB 3.0 flash drive.

The DataTraveler HyperX Predator 3.0, as it's called, has read/write speeds of up to 240MB/s and 160MB/s, boasting SuperSpeed USB 3.0 certification.

The drive is available in 512GB capacity right now, while the 1TB version is expected to hit the market in Q1 2013.

The price for the 512GB is a whopping $1,750, meaning the 1TB variant will likely be too expensive for, well, almost everyone.

For less demanding users, Kingston has also launched slower and smaller USB drives, with capacities of 32GB an…
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More About: Kingston, USB flash drive

Rest Your Smartphone On iFrogz’s Bluetooth Speaker to Amplify Music

Posted: 08 Jan 2013 01:56 AM PST


The iFrogz BoostPlus speaker magically amplifies sound when you rest your smartphone on top.

More About: Bluetooth speakers, CES, CES 2013, Gadgets, smartphone

Brad Pitt Joins Sina Weibo, Sends Surprising First Message

Posted: 08 Jan 2013 01:30 AM PST


Brad Pitt joined China's Twitter alternative Sina Weibo this week, gaining thousands of followers after sending a message that raised some eyebrows.

More About: Brad Pitt, celebrities, Entertainment, mashable video, sina weibo, Social Media

Vizio Unveils Windows 8 Tablet Powered by an AMD Chip

Posted: 08 Jan 2013 12:58 AM PST


LAS VEGAS -- There are already dozens of different kinds of Windows 8 tablets -- from hybrids to super-slim models to the Microsoft Surface -- but here's a new one: Vizio's new Windows 8 tablet, which is powered by an AMD processor.

So far, pretty much every Windows tablet has packed either an Intel or ARM-based chip, but Vizio is one of the first to have its guts running tech from AMD, which markets processors that are based on the same architecture as Intel's, but typically cost less. The chip is the Z60, and it's a dual-core 1GHz design.

The Vizio tablet (product no. MT11X-A1) has an 11.6-inch screen with full HD resolution (1,920 x 1,080). It comes with 2GB of RAM, and packs a 64GB…
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More About: AMD, CES, CES 2013, vizio, Windows 8

Slick New Bravo App Personalizes Your Smart TV Experience

Posted: 08 Jan 2013 12:32 AM PST


Bravo unwrapped a new app for connected TV devices on Monday. The app supplements Bravo programming and lets people -- who use Samsung smart TVs, Samsung Blu-ray players, Yahoo Widgets or Google TVs -- personalize their viewing experiences.

"The app provides Bravo fans with a video-rich destination, where they can explore more content and catch up on their favorite shows and Bravolebrities," Lisa Hsia, executive vice president of Bravo Digital Media, tells Mashable.

Users also can see show schedules, read episode descriptions, view photos, play games, vote in polls, dive into Bravo personalities' bios, share content, manage an inbox of arriving content and build video playlists based…
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More About: bravo, connected tv, Entertainment, Smart TVs, social tv, TV

Ibitz Uses Your Child’s Physical Activity To Power Games, Earn TV Privileges

Posted: 08 Jan 2013 12:00 AM PST


LAS VEGAS -- What if your child had to walk 5,000 steps in a day before she was allowed to watch cartoons? What if an hour-long bike ride could earn your child an hour of video games -- and a few new levels in that game -- on his Nexus 7?

That's the idea behind ibitz, a new fitness tracker that not only keeps track of how active your child is, but lets him or her earn access to new levels in a favorite video game, or time in front of the television based on how active they've been during the day.

Available for both children and adults, the ibitz tracker snaps on your shoe and keeps track of your physical activity throughout the day. The device syncs with Bluetooth 4.0 devices such as…
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More About: App, CES, CES 2013, fitness

Sony Unveils World’s First 4K OLED TV

Posted: 07 Jan 2013 11:31 PM PST


LAS VEGAS -- Plenty of manufacturers have 4K (a.k.a. Ultra HD) TVs here at CES, and plenty also are showing large-size OLED panels. Only one company is combining the two technologies, however, and that's Sony, who just unveiled the world's first 4K OLED set.

Big caveat: The TV is just a prototype right now, with no price, release date or even a release year. However, Sony did show at least two prototypes at CES, so it's well beyond the concept phase.

The screen is 56 inches, so it's a little smaller than most 4K TVs, but it's about as big as the big-screen OLEDs that have been unveiled at the show. To pack the enormous number of pixels required for 4K in such a (relatively) small area,…
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More About: 4k, OLED, UHDTV, Ultra HD

Dish Network’s Hopper Adds Sling Player, Ability to Stream to iPad

Posted: 07 Jan 2013 11:04 PM PST


Dish Network CEO Joe Clayton likes to ruffle feathers.

Last year, Dish launched the Hopper and Joey DVRs, which sent entertainment content throughout every room in your house. Then, it announced AutoHop, giving consumers the ability to skip commercials on content they recorded through scheduling program PrimeTime Anytime.

That didn't go over well with the broadcasting industry, but Clayton doesn't mind. Instead, he did what he said his customers wanted, and gave them the ability to watch content whenever and wherever they want.

At the International CES on Monday, Clayton unveiled Hopper with Sling built in, allowing you to send your content anywhere -- including tablets and smartph…
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More About: CES, CES 2013, DISH, Hopper DVR

Inside ZocDoc’s Quest to Reinvent Health Care

Posted: 07 Jan 2013 10:27 PM PST


Shane Snow is a Mashable contributor and co-founder of Contently, a marketplace that helps journalists and brand publishers build their brands. Follow him @shanesnow.

It's 3:30 a.m., and the only thing keeping me awake is the bonfire in my throat. It feels like I'm breathing lava through a coffee straw while Bobby Flay dices my esophagus like a yellow pepper.

I roll over and drag my iPhone 4 from the headboard.

Seven hours later, I'm in a doctor's office. I could have made it four, but I'm not much of a morning person, sick or no. The receptionist, a well-dressed young man with a cacophony of earrings, greets me by name as I walk in, motioning me to relax in the stylish waiting are…
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More About: contributor, features, health, Lifestyle, Startups, zocdoc

Qualcomm Launches Flagship Snapdragon 800 Processor

Posted: 07 Jan 2013 09:45 PM PST


LAS VEGAS -- Qualcomm used its first CES keynote to launch its new flagship mobile processor, the Snapdragon 800. Designed for the demands of high-end smartphones and tablets, the new chip boasts 75% better performance than Qualcomm's previous top-of-the-line chip, the Snapdragon S4.

Qualcomm created the 800 to deliver the best mobile experience possible while still maintaining good battery life. Said to be capable of speeds up to 2.3 GHz, the 800 is built around the company's quad-core Krait 400 CPU.

If your phone packs a Snapdragon 800, it'll be capable of capturing, playing or even displaying 4K video. It can support phone cameras with resolutions up to 55 megapixels, as well as HD…
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More About: CES, CES 2013, qualcomm, snapdragon

GM Encourages Developers To Create Apps For Chevy Cars

Posted: 07 Jan 2013 09:06 PM PST


GM's Chevy cars will be able to function with your smartphone apps to help you stay connected while driving in 2013.

The car maker announced at International CES the launch of the Flexible App Framework. The framework will allow developers to access a new set of vehicle application programming interfaces, or APIs, and build on the infotainment systems in GM vehicles. Consumers will see the framework on GM cars later in 2013.

Scott Fosgard, infotainment communications manager for GM, told Mashable that customers these days have smartphones, so there isn't much use for "a lot of processor speed and a fancy head unit."

"We showed, in a Chevy Spark and also a Chevy Sonic, a way that we…
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More About: app developers, apps, cars, CES, CES 2013, GM

Ford’s ‘MyEnergi Lifestyle’ Products Aim to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint

Posted: 07 Jan 2013 09:03 PM PST


Are you looking for more ways to be green in 2013?

On Monday at International CES, Ford announced it is collaborating with Whirlpool, Eaton and SunPower to provide the average American with easy tools to live a more eco-friendly life. Other featured companies include: semiconductor provider Infineon and Nest Labs.

For the partnership, called MyEnergi Lifestyle, each company offers products that help people reduce their carbon footprint, and to consume less electricity at home and while commuting.

The project began when Ford realized it had information that would be useful to other companies striving to be eco-conscious, according to Mike Tinskey, Ford's manager of Vehicle Electri…
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More About: CES, CES 2013, electric cars, environmentally friendly, ford, home appliances

Qualcomm’s First CES Keynote is Star-Studded

Posted: 07 Jan 2013 08:30 PM PST


Producer, Writer, and Director Guillermo Del Toro




Click here to view this gallery.


Qualcomm may have taken Microsoft's place as keynote speaker at this year's International CES, but that didn't keep CEO Steve Ballmer from taking the stage.

Ballmer was invited on the stage early in Qualcomm's presentation in order to show off some existing Windows 8 and Windows Phone devices. Such as the Samsung Ativ tablet, Nokia Lumia 920, and HTC 8X.

Also taking the stage at Monday's event was Producer, Writer, and Director Guillermo Del Toro, Nascar Sprint Cup Champion Brad Keselowski, and everyone's favorite 8-foot yellow bird, Big Bird.

Big Bird showed off a new app called Big Bird's Words, which helps children learn to read by having them search for words wherever they are.…
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More About: celebrities, celebs, CES, CES 2013, qualcomm

Betterific is Like Reddit for Customer Feedback

Posted: 07 Jan 2013 07:55 PM PST


Have you ever had a great idea for how to improve something, but don't know how to get it out there? That's what Betterific hopes to change.

More About: startup, The Launchpad

Videographer Tops Reporters in CES Challenge Day One

Posted: 07 Jan 2013 07:29 PM PST


Who can log the most activity at CES 2013? We're challenging Mashable reporters to track their movements around the world's largest technology trade show. Equipped with Nike+ FuelBands, they began monitoring their respective distances covered while reporting at Sunday's CES Unveiled.

After day one of Mashable's CES challenge, the standings are as follows:

The starting champion is video editor Evan Engel, who rounded up 5.59 miles. He ran around recording video of the Lenovo table PC, a zombie-killing iPad-controlled device, a tool that helps you keep your plants alive and an update to the AR Parrot Drone.

Reporter Samantha Murphy, who put in an impressive 4.67 miles, introduc…
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More About: 2013 CES, CES, CES 2013, fitness, fuelband, Nike+ FuelBand

Ford’s Open Developer Program Brings Smartphone Apps to Your Car

Posted: 07 Jan 2013 06:57 PM PST


LAS VEGAS -- Ford unveiled its new Ford Developer Program at CES 2013 on Monday.

The program will give app developers access to its SYNC system alongside its AppLink API.

For the last three years, Ford has allowed developers to access various portions of its API, and has offered a host of AppLink apps. But the barrier to entry to gain access to the APIs was still fairly high. On Monday, Ford changed that by opening its Ford Developer Program to developers at large.

This will give developers of all sizes the ability to add commands that enable hands-free voice control over their smartphone. It will also let developers access in-car controls and the display from within the app.

Of…
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More About: autos, CES, CES 2013, ford, ford sync

Sony to Deliver Ultra High-Def 4K Movies This Summer

Posted: 07 Jan 2013 06:25 PM PST


LAS VEGAS -- Ultra HD, the format also known as 4K, is definitely a trend here at CES. But the oft-asked question is: How will consumers get the content?

Now Sony has an answer. The company announced Monday it'll debut the world's first 4K distribution service this summer. All the content will be native 4K, from Sony Pictures and other studios. Customers will download (not stream) the content via the Internet.

In addition to the coming service, Sony is pairing its 4K TVs with a media server with preloaded 4K movies. When you buy a Sony 4K set, you'll get a unit that hooks up to one of the set's HDMI ports and contains Sony movies such as The Amazing Spider-Man and Total Recall.

O…
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More About: 4k, CES 2013, sony

Hot Chocolate Tastes Better in Orange Cups, Study Says

Posted: 07 Jan 2013 06:20 PM PST


Like hot chocolate? According to a new study, you'll like it even more if you drink it from an orange mug.

More About: Newsy, study, videos, Watercooler

This Heart Rate Monitor Sends Stats to Your iPhone

Posted: 07 Jan 2013 05:46 PM PST


There are four "i"s in this latest fitness gadget's brand name. It might be hard to remember the oddly spelled Viiiiva by its name, but the heart rate monitor's features are definitely memorable.

Unveiled at CES International 2013, this monitor lets ANT+ devices communicate with an iPhone or iPod touch in real-time without using an adapter to sync information. This means that you can jog, bike, kickbox (or whatever your workout) while monitoring stats like heart rate or calories burned on your iPhone.

Company 4iiii, which created the Viiiiva, used its Liiiink technology to create an ANT+ to Bluetooth Smart bridge. Using Viiiiva, athletes everywhere can see their fitness results o…
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More About: ANT+, bluetooth, CES, CES 2013, exercise, fitness, health and fitness, runners, running, Sports, Viiiiva

Posting to Facebook Makes You Less Lonely

Posted: 07 Jan 2013 05:36 PM PST


The simple act of posting a status update on Facebook can make you feel more connected, researchers have found -- even if no one pays attention to your update.

The study, conducted by the Universitat Berlin, focused on the Facebook posts of 100 student volunteers at the University of Arizona over the course of a week.

The students were asked to do two things: fill out forms assessing their mental health and well-being throughout the week, and post to Facebook more than they normally would. A control group wrote exactly their regular amount of updates.

Now if you're expecting some sort of cathartic, joyful end to the experiment, you're going to be disappointed. The students posting…
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More About: Facebook

Sisters Reunite After 72 Years With the Help of Facebook

Posted: 07 Jan 2013 05:25 PM PST


Have you ever searched for someone from your past on Facebook? Perhaps you've taken to a social networking site to locate a long-lost relative?

There's never been a better way to find people from your past than with the help of Facebook. We've seen dozens of cases where family members were able to finally connect through the use of social networking websites -- most commonly, Facebook.

There are a billion users on the social networking site, with billions of connections, and numerous Facebook pages are dedicated to family searches. That makes it a one-stop database of people you might know.

SEE ALSO: Google Earth Helps Reunite Man With His Mother After 25 Years [VIDEO]

The m…
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More About: Facebook, family, reunion

Sony’s Egg-Shaped Bluetooth Speaker Is Insanely Cute

Posted: 07 Jan 2013 05:01 PM PST


LAS VEGAS -- Sony may have just debuted the cutest Bluetooth speaker in the world. About the size of an apple, the SRS-BTV5 is a tiny speaker that produces big sound. And it comes in pink.

Manly men, be informed it also comes in white and black, but what you'll like most is the audio. We got a little ears-on time with the SRS-BTV5, and we liked what we heard, with the little ball speaker filling a conference room with impressive sound for its size.

Sony calls the sound tech "360-degree Circle Sound," which is said to give a more diffusive sound field than, say, your typical Jambox. The speaker's rechargeable battery is rated for five hours of wireless playback.

Even better: The ball
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More About: bluetooth, Bluetooth speaker, CES, CES 2013, nfc, sony

Sony Waterproof Walkman Lets Swimmers Listen to Music Underwater

Posted: 07 Jan 2013 05:00 PM PST


LAS VEGAS -- The idea of the "power song" or playlist has been around ever since music has been mobile, with runners and cyclists enjoying inspiring music during their workouts for well over a decade. Swimmers, however, have been left out of the sports-music movement, at least until now.

Sony is debuting a waterproof digital Walkman at CES, the NZW-W270, which contains a 4GB music player inside a pair of earphones. The two ear units are connected by a single cable, with controls on each site -- power and track selection on right, playlist selection and volume on the left.

Sony was nice enough to let me check out a water-repelling Walkman in advance of CES, and it definitely does what i…
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More About: CES, CES 2013, sony, walkman, waterproof

Answer Calls in the Shower With Sony’s Flagship Android Phone

Posted: 07 Jan 2013 05:00 PM PST


You don't have to worry about Sony's newest flagship smartphone getting wet in a rainstorm. Called the Xperia Z, the Android handset is both dust and water resistant -- IP55 and IP57, specifically -- and can survive the rain or even an accidental swim in your local pool.

In addition to its durable design -- the phone used tempered glass on its front and back as well as an anti-shatter film -- the Xperia Z is also packing a punch under the hood. The 5-inch smartphone has a quad-core Snapdragon S4 Pro processor, 1080p display, and a 13-megapixel camera.

Sony isn't quite ready to announce carriers for the handset but, when it does launch in the next few months, the phone will run on 4G L…
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More About: CES, CES 2013, sony, Xperia Z

Hisense Launches Ultra HD TV Line

Posted: 07 Jan 2013 04:57 PM PST


LCD Manufacturer Hisense has unveiled its ultra-high definition TV flagship series -- the XT900 -- available in 65-inch, 84-inch and 110-inch sizes.

More About: 4k, CES, CES 2013, Smart TV, TV, UHDTV

Headphones With Spikes and Feathers? Monster Gets Funky With Clip-Ons

Posted: 07 Jan 2013 04:54 PM PST


Spikes!




Headband accessories will be able to clip on to Monster headphones.

Click here to view this gallery.


Would you wear a heapdhone hairband with an attachable hat that looks like you walked out of the Kentucky Derby?

More About: CES, CES 2013, Headphones, monster

Music Monday: The CES Soundtrack

Posted: 07 Jan 2013 04:29 PM PST


What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas -- Unless it's part of the International CES, in which case it's covered in news outlets and social media sites across the globe.

CES, hosted by the Consumer Electronics Association, is an international technology trade show that is hosted in our very own Sin City. At CES, companies show off their most innovative gadgets and mobile apps, from a stress-relieving iPhone app to a fork that alerts you when you're consuming calories just a little too quickly.

SEE ALSO: Mashable's 35 Top Songs of 2012

The top tech gurus are in attendance, so for today's Music Monday we've compiled a list of Vegas-related tunes to help get everyone ready for the media-m…
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More About: CES, CES 2013, music monday, soundtrack

Hands On With In-Car Siri

Posted: 07 Jan 2013 04:22 PM PST


LAS VEGAS -- Drive on any highway and you're bound to see people talking to themselves in their cars, but soon that random chatter may be more purposeful as drivers start giving commands to their in-car digital assistant: Siri.

Even if you don't use her, you know who (or what) Siri is: Apple's intelligent assistant for iOS devices that arrived with the iPhone 4s. Late last year Chevrolet announced Siri would make the leap to your car and, finally, at CES 2013 we got a first-hand taste of the in-car experience.

General Motors brought its all-electric Chevrolet 2014 Spark EV to CES Unveiled and showed us how in-car Siri works. First, you have to have a device that uses Siri, like an iPho
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More About: apple, autos, CES, CES 2013, Chevy Spark, siri

Vuzix Smart Glasses Hope to Steal Some Google Glass Thunder

Posted: 07 Jan 2013 04:13 PM PST


Can't wait for Google Glass? Vuzix hopes you'll want to give its Smart Glasses wearable computer a try.

More About: CES, CES 2013, Wearable Tech

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