Seagate announced a pair of external solid-state drives with looks to match their performance at CES 2020 on Monday.
First up: an external Thunderbolt 3 FireCuda Gaming SSD designed as a companion to Seagate’s FireCuda Gaming Dock. Styled similarly to the dock, with RGB lighting that can be synced with the dock’s LEDs, the drive was purpose-built for gamers. Regardless of marketing speak, it contains a standard Seagate FireCuda NVMe 510 SSD that easily earned our praise (and our Editors’ Choice award). The Thunderbolt 3 FireCuda Gaming SSD can deliver data at up to 2GBps and will be available in $190/500GB, $260/1TB, and $500/2TB flavors soon.
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Seagate BarraCuda Fast external 3.1 10Gbps SSD
Also new is the external USB 3.1 Gen2 (10Gbps) BarraCuda Fast SSD which will be available in the same 500GB, 1TB, and 2TB capacities, albeit with cheaper $95/$170/$300 pricing. Not necessarily for gamers, the BarraCuda Fast can write and deliver data at more than 500MBps and sports simple but classy Seagate green LED lighting. The connector is Type-C.
Both drives include Seagate’s Toolkit with simple backup and sync, and the BarraCuda Fast includes a complimentary two-month subscription to the Adobe Creative Cloud Photography Plan.
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If 2020 didn’t already seem like it was going to be the year of foldable devices, Lenovo is making it seem even more likely with the official introduction of the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold at CES 2020. Many of the key details of the new device have been shared by our sister site, Tom’s Hardware.
The ThinkPad X1 Fold isn’t exactly new, as we’d already had a hands-on with an early prototype of the device in May 2019. The device is the next logical evolution for the Lenovo Yoga Book C930, taking what was a two-screened device and eliminating the gap in the middle where the hinge is.
This new ThinkPad X1 Fold is effectively similar to the Samsung Galaxy Fold, but on a larger scale. It has a 13.3-inch 4:3 OLED display that can fold in half. When it’s shut, the device is made to look like a classy, leather-backed notebook. When it’s open, it can sit in a variety of positions.
A kickstand on the back of the ThinkPad X1 Fold lets it stand up like a Surface Pro tablet, so you can use the full size of its display with a keyboard for a laptop-like experience.
The display can also fold into a semi-open position. This lets you use it with the keyboard docked on the lower portion of the display, giving you more of a mini laptop to work with. In this position, you’d have about a 9.6-inch display space.
Not the foldable for just anyone
Among the new details to come out is the price. The ThinkPad X1 Fold will start at a stunning $2,499 (about £1,900, AU$3,600). It comes fitted with an unspecified Intel Core processor with Intel Hybrid Technology, which may be Intel’s stacked Lakefield design.
That’s a high starting price for a laptop or tablet, especially one that only comes with 8GB of RAM. This is definitely going to start out as a business-class laptop. The leather and carbon fiber trappings are also suggestive of this. Given the uncertainties about flexible displays that have only been made worse by the Galaxy Fold’s issues, the ThinkPad X1 Fold is likely only going to be in demand for people who have the money to risk on a product that may run into design faults.
Lenovo has put extra efforts into testing the hinge for durability. But, the plastic display that enables its flexibility will be more scratch-prone than a standard glass display. At least we can count on Lenovo avoiding any unsightly hinge crease, as we’ve seen accomplished on the new Motorola Razr.
The ThinkPad X1 Fold will launch in Q2 2020, per an earlier announcement from Lenovo.
Check out all of TechRadar’s CES 2020 coverage. We’ll be live in Las Vegas to bring you all the breaking tech news and launches, plus hands-on reviews of everything from 8K TVs and foldable displays to new phones, laptops and smart home gadgets.
Royole’s Mirage smart speaker takes folding screens in a new direction: It wraps an entire OLED screen around the outside of a cylindrical smart speaker.
Remember Royole’s FlexPai, that folding phone, shown off last year at CES? It garnered a lot of press for the new folding phone craze. Well, Royole has done it again this year, wrapping an 8-inch AMOLED touchscreen around an Amazon Alexa-powered smart speaker, the Mirage Smart Speaker.
It’s not entirely clear how Royole will use the Mirage’s touch capabilities—in general, most smart speakers are hands-free, voice-operated devices. However, the Mirage will be more than just a smart speaker, as there’s a 5-megapixel camera embedded in it, allowing you to beam your face as well as your voice to friends. The camera has a physical mute switch, though Royole didn’t give any confirmation that there’s a physical shutter to hide yourself. A T-shirt or towel will probably do just as well.
Inside the Mirage are three full-range drivers and a passive bass radiator. A pair of far-field mics will serve to pick up your voice and allow you to order more pizza rolls from Amazon from the comfort of your recliner.
If you’ll remember, there were questions over whether Royole was serious about shipping devices like the FlexPai, or whether the company was simply searching for partnerships with American manufacturers. At this year’s CES, Royole has tried to put questions to rest with an actual price and ship date: The Mirage will cost a whopping $899 when it ships in the second quarter. That’s about the price of eight Echo Show 8s, but who’s counting?
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Last year, Royole stole the spotlight by revealing the first foldable smartphone, the Royole Flexpai – and at CES 2020, they’re following up with a pair of devices that bring folding screens into new arenas: a smart speaker with a wrap-around screen and a refined smart writing pad.
The first and arguably more exciting device is the Mirage Smart Speaker, which features an 7.8-inch (1,920 x 1,440) Royole AMOLED flexible touch display wrapping about halfway around the device’s cylindrical body. With Alexa integration, this speaker is set up to be an alternative to smart screens like the Amazon Echo Show – except, of course, for folks who want a majorly curved screen instead.
There are simple volume and microphone controls on the top in a transparent disc (you know, for looks). The Mirage Smart Speaker packs a 5MP camera – presumably for video chatting – and two far-field microphones that have a physical mute switch for privacy.
And for audio, the Mirage has three 48mm full-range drivers and a passive bass radiator for 360 audio, per Royole. With its glossy tubular body looking like an old trashcan Mac Pro squeezed into a thinner profile, the Mirage is certainly a different look than the typical ‘airport carpet’-covered smart speakers.
Which makes for an interesting product, but the price might scare away early adopters: the Mirage will retail for $899 / £799, far above even the pricey Apple HomePod and Google Home Max. It will be available in the US and UK (no other region or pricing info currently available) in Q2 2020.
A smaller, slimmer smart writing pad
Royole released its first smart writing pad at last year’s CES, and this year we get the refined version. The RoWrite 2 is nearly half the weight (420g, down from 775g) as its predecessor, and smaller, too, dropping down from 8.5 x 11 to around the size of a standard iPad.
Like the original, the RoWrite 2 uses flexible sensors embedded in its case to transfer text written with the included wireless pen from mundane paper to digital devices. Battery life has been extended to 30 days of standby (lower depending on your use).
The RoWrite 2 will be available in April 2020 for $129 / €129 (around £98 / AU$185) andwill ship in APril 2020, while it will be available in China a month earlier in March 2020 for ¥799.
Check out all of TechRadar’s CES 2020 coverage. We’re live in Las Vegas to bring you all the breaking tech news and launches, plus hands-on reviews of everything from 8K TVs and foldable displays to new phones, laptops and smart home gadgets.
The latest addition to the Origin PC Big-O family brings in a few changes this year. Recently launched at CES 2020, Big-O is smaller and more affordable than any of its previous builds, and well, just accessible to the public in general.
Though unfortunately for Nintendo Switch users, the 2020 Origin Big-O only comes with a choice of two consoles. Whereas its 2019 predecessor came in three console choices – PlayStation 4 Pro, Xbox One X and Nintendo Switch – the 2020 model of this hybrid gaming desktop only comes with PS4 Pro or Xbox One S.
Not that we’re complaining. After all, when the manufacturer released all those exciting details about Big-O in 2019, they also told us that none of the models were up for purchase. This time around, these highly coveted hybrid gaming desktops, which combine a liquid-cooled PC and a liquid-cooled gaming console in one chassis (that of the CORSAIR Crystal Series 280X), are very much available for purchase, so long as you’ve got the cash to spare. In fact, you can order one of these babies now starting at $2,499 (about ₤1,900, AU$3,600).
The Origin PC Big-O for 2020 is also highly customizable, especially its PC side, so you can choose your components – from the processor and graphics card down to the motherboard and cooling system – and build your own Big-O. Well, that is, based on the options on hand. Just know that you’ll be spending a lot more than the aforementioned price.
How exactly does this hybrid gaming desktop work?
We have yet to test the Origin PC Big-O ourselves, but according to the company, the both the PC side and the console side have separate power connections and HDMI outputs. So basically, you can use both sides at the same time, as long as you have two displays or a multiple input monitor.
You can also decide to get an Elgato 4K60 Pro capture card, which allows you to stream and capture any of your console gameplay – up to 4K – to your PC. With this Frankenstein-level gaming contraption, you’ll never have to leave your chair again.
The Origin PC Big-O may be configured to boast up to 2TB storage drive (for both PC and console), Intel Core i9-9900K or AMD Ryzen 9 3950X processor, NVIDIA GeForce RTX Titan graphics card, and 64GB of memory.
Check out all of TechRadar’s CES 2020 coverage. We’re live in Las Vegas to bring you all the breaking tech news and launches, plus hands-on reviews of everything from 8K TVs and foldable displays to new phones, laptops and smart home gadgets.
An instrument, a conference room, and an entertainment center. According to Continental, the cars of tomorrow will be all these things and more.
At CES 2020 in Las Vegas, the German car software and hardware manufacturer presented its vision for the automotive industry, in which consumer technology blends seamlessly into our cars, making our journeys more personalized, holistic, and ultimately, connected.
Speaking to press, a spokesperson for Continental said that “this is the largest transformation the automotive industry has seen since its birth”, as the company announced a number of innovative new technologies it would be bringing to the table.
More than a vehicle
One of the most exciting new technologies comes as part of a new partnership with Sennheiser, which brings immersive Ambeo 3D audio to your car – and in turn, transforms your humble vehicle into an instrument, negating the need for space-consuming speaker systems.
Continental’s Ac2ated Sound system uses specially designed actuators to “excite” specific surfaces in a vehicle, using the resonant areas of the car to amplify sounds being created by vibrating the vehicle’s interior. In theory, this will create a bespoke, immersive audio experience, all in the comfort of your car.
Another new technology shown off at the tech show was Natural 3D Centerstack, which turns the display on your car’s dashboard into a 3D experience – without the need for special glasses or head tracker cameras.
It works by emitting a lightfield that gives a 3D impression of the information on the center console display in your car, in 4K resolution – for example, accepting a call could generate a 3D hologram-like avatar of the caller.
According to Continental, the display board can also be operated by touch and provides haptic feedback, increasing “convenience and safety”.
(Image credit: Sennheiser)
Is it safe?
While the idea of a car that doubles up as an entertainment center admittedly sounds cool and futuristic, it does raise questions around safety – driver distraction is already a big problem, accounting for 8.5% of fatal crashes in the US in 2019.
With bleeping smartphones, crying children, and confusing sat-nav directions, our vehicles are already driving us to distraction. So, do we really need more sensory overload with immersive sound systems and holograms bursting from our dashboards?
For its part, Continental is confident in the safety of these new technologies, and believes that they will improve transportation for the better – not just for the individual either, but for entire communities with truly connected cities and mobility solutions that work for everyone.
It’s even launched an Automotive Security Operations Center, which monitors data sent by cars to the cloud, looking out for cyber attacks, and enhancing the security of our increasingly connected vehicles.
Continental is shaking up the automotive industry for sure, but it’s arguably long overdue – since its invention in 1886, the car arguably hasn’t truly evolved from a simple mode of transportation to get us from A to B, innovations in safety and functionality aside.
However, if Continental’s vision of the future turns out to be accurate, it could soon be so much more.
Check out all of TechRadar’s CES 2020 coverage. We’re live in Las Vegas to bring you all the breaking tech news and launches, plus hands-on reviews of everything from 8K TVs and foldable displays to new phones, laptops and smart home gadgets.
TCL’s first Dolby Atmos soundbar made waves at the IFA technology conference in Berlin last fall for delivering impressively immersive audio without the need for upfiring drivers, and now comes word that the new soundbar is almost ready to ship.
The newly dubbed TCL Alto 9+ soundbar is slated for release “early” this year, TCL reps said during a demo at CES in Las Vegas, with the retail price likely to hover in the $400 range.
The 3.1-channel soundbar sets itself apart thanks to TCL’s Raz-Danz technology, which employs side-firing drivers and a pair of acoustic reflectors to bounce sound around the room.
The sound-spreading acoustic reflectors allow for a much wider sweet spot when it comes to immersive Dolby Atmos soundtracks, TCL says, while also boosting the overall power of the audio by using “old-fashioned” acoustics to deliver such a wide soundstage, rather than audio processing.
Ben Patterson/IDG
The TCL Alto 9+ soundbar uses acoustic reflectors to deliver immersive audio, while Dolby height virtualization fills in for the missing upfiring drivers.
Virtual height effects on the Alto 9+ are achieved with help from Dolby’s height virtualization technology, while low-frequency effects come courtesy of a wireless subwoofer
I was able to listen to a demo of the Alto 9+ in a Las Vegas hotel suite, and the sound was indeed impressive. Standing to the far left of the room, a far from ideal listening position when it comes to a home theater, I could nonetheless hear flapping wings whoosh around the room and plopping raindrops overhead during the Dolby Atmos “Amaze” trailer, as well as fluttering seed pod from Dolby’s more subtle “Leaf” trailer.
While TCL reps admit that upfiring soundbar drivers deliver “slightly better” performance for a listener who’s sitting precisely in the soundbar’s center sweet spot, they argue that the Alto 9+’s virtualized, acoustically reflected audio will sound better for those sitting in other areas of the room.
It’s worth noting that while the Alto 9+ supports Dolby Atmos, it does not support DTS:X or DTS Virtual:X, nor will it support eARC, an enhanced version of ARC (Audio Return Channel) that allows for lossless audio formats such as Dolby TrueHD or (moot as far as the Alto 9+ is concerned) DTS-HD Master Audio.
Besides its enticing Ray-Danz audio technology, the TCL Alto 9+ also marks the first “Roku TV Ready” soundbar.
Ben Patterson/IDG
The TCL Atlo 9+ marks the first “Roku TV Ready” soundbar, which means you’ll be able to access all its settings using a Roku TV’s on-screen menu.
A new program that Roku is announcing at CES, Roku TV Ready means that a certified soundbar or A/V receiver will be fully controllable via on-screen menus on a Roku TV or using a Roku TV remote.
A Roku rep demonstrated how the Alto 9+’s sound modes, bass and treble settings, and more could be controlled directly from the menus of a connected Roku TV.
Roku TV Ready soundbars and A/V receivers will work with all Roku TVs following a firmware update this spring.
Besides TCL, Sound United-owned Denon will also be coming out with a Roku TV Ready soundbar later this year. A Denon A/V receiver with Roku TV Ready certification is also on the way, although no release date has been set.
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