LAS VEGAS – Blue Microphones announced two new high-end headphones at CES, Sadie and Ella. Sadie is essentially the next iteration of the company’s Mo-Fi headphones that I like so much. Sadie dumps the tension controls in the top band to make them lighter, and the company lightened and tightened other physical elements of the design, too. The company told me the sound profile has been tweaked, too, but until I can test them out, I won’t offer any judgement. Sadie is priced at $399.99. Ella features planar magnetic speakers, but Blue says they’ve been tuned to deliver both the detail inherent to planar magnetic speakers and the kind of impact you get from dynamic drivers. Ella also features the swing arm and hinged band that makes the Mo-Fi (and Sadie) headphones such a pleasure to wear. Ella is priced at $699.99. I’ll be covering these headphones in more detail when I review them. In the photo below, Ella is in the foreground, while Sadie is in the background.
Speck's Presidio CLEAR for MacBook Pro Has 4-Feet Drop Protection
LAS VEGAS – Speck announced a new case for MacBook Pro (13-inch) that features 4-feet drop protection. Considering the lack of a MagSafe connector for charging on Apple’s new MacBook Pro models, drop protection may be on the minds of lots of folks. Speck said the case is made from its Impactium Clear material originally used for iPhone cases. As the name suggests, Presidio CLEAR is see-through, and it has a “no-slip grip” feel to it. It ships in later in the first quarter of 2017 and is priced at US$99.95—it hasn’t yet been added to the Speck website. I’ve never been a fan of cases on MacBooks, but drop protection? Come on, that’s cool.
Robo's R2 and C2 Printers are Easy to Use Out of the Box at CES 2017
LAS VEGAS – Robo thinks 3D printers should be more than just functional, so Coby Kabili tells Jeff Gamet how the R2 and C2 printers are a great experience right out of the box at CES 2017.
Polk Audio Shows Off its MagniFi Mini Soundbar at CES 2017
LAS VEGAS – Polk Audio’s new MagniFi Mini soundbar is small, but it can fill a surprisingly large space. Michael Greco shows Jeff Gamet its features at Pepcom at CES 2017.
myEarlySense Sleep Monitor Explained at CES 2017
LAS VEGAS – The myEarlySense sleep monitor aims to help improve your time in bed without impacting your comfort. Arvin Halperin tells Jeff Gamet how it works at CES Unveiled 2017.
First Alert HomeKit-ready OneLink Environment Monitors at CES 2017
LAS VEGAS – First Alert is ready to join your HomeKit network with their OneLink Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Detector and Environment Monitor. Tarsila Wey shows them off to Jeff Gamet at CES Unveiled 2017.
California Roll Bluetooth Speaker - Solar Powered, Water Proof
LAS VEGAS – I don’t often talk about Bluetooth speakers, but Lemon Tech caught my eye with its California Roll during Tuesday night’s CES Unveiled. That’s because it’s solar powered. It has a 5,000mAh battery in it and 32 solar cells on the back. 7 hours of sunlight will get about 20 hours of playback time. That’s handy, but it also has a USB port on it so you can use that battery to charge your mobile devices. And while you’re charging your mobile devices, it will be recharging the battery if it’s getting light. Right? So, rock on. Plus, it’s water and dust proof, making it suitable for the beach and other messy environments. It’s $249, and it ships in March. There’s a coupon code for 20% off (“5W20”), making it just under $200. It’s available in many different colors.
Sevenhugs Smart Remote Wants to be Your Go-to Entertainment and Smart Home Remote
LAS VEGAS – The Sevenhugs smart remote dynamically changes to be the only remote you need, no matter what you’re doing at home. Simon Tchedikian shows Jeff Gamet how it intelligently controls your home entertainment system, smart home devices, and online services at CES Unveiled 2017.
The Incipio OX Case Brings the Headphone Jack Back to the iPhone 7
Still need to use analog headphones with your iPhone 7? Ditch that puny little adapter and kill two birds with one polycarbonate stone with the Incipio OX case, an iPhone case that brings the 3.5mm headphone jack back to your favorite smartphone. The OX looks like a normal slim hardshell case, except for a bit of extra length at the bottom. There, you’ll find both a Lightning and 3.5mm audio jack, powered by an internal DAC. The Incipio OX will be available for both the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus in the first quarter of 2017 in Black, Forest, and Purple color options starting at $59.99.
This Adorable Home Robot Totally Won't Murder Your Entire Family
Our homes have voice-controlled assistants like the Amazon Echo, self-navigating devices like the Roomba, and networked monitoring devices like the Nest Cam. Why not combine all of this tech into an adorable home robot companion? Mayfield Robotics has announced Kuri, the home robot that will navigate around your house, respond with voice and body language, answer your questions, manage your home via IFTTT support, and monitor your children or pets with a built-in 1080p camera. Kuri isn’t the first home robot design, but at just $699, it’s the first to be priced within the reach of many consumers. What could possibly go wrong?