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Charmin thinks your bathroom needs robots and VR
Charmin, the popular toilet paper brand, has big plans for CES. Its Charmin GoLab will showcase "cheeky" conceptual prototypes all meant to improve the bathroom experience. They're a blend of robotics, sensors and virtual reality, and they're all equally ridiculous.
Greetings from CES 2020!
For Engadget editors, life is just a series of moments while you wait for CES to come back around again. Sometimes it almost feels like we never left. But we did. And now we're back. CES 2020 is about to get started in sunny (and slightly smelly) Las Vegas. As always there will be plenty of cars, TVs and smart (fill-in-the-blanks). But our real job is to separate the wheat from the chaff and bring you only the best of what the world's largest tech conference has to offer. The show floor hasn't officially opened yet, but we've already seen plenty shiny new laptops, a lot of 8K screens, and even a shower head that's also a smart speaker. Of course, you don't want to miss out on our liveblogs for Sony (January 6th at 8pm ET / 5pm PT) and Samsung (January 6th at 9:30pm ET / 6:30pm PT). And as always we are hosting the official Best of CES awards on Thursday January 9th at 8pm ET / 5pm PT.
Vizio's new soundbar rotates its speakers for Dolby Atmos, DTS:X content
Vizio isn't just the brand that makes cheaper TVs with high-end features, over the last few years it's increasingly become known for offering a number of excellent home theater audio options too. For CES 2020 its soundbar lineup is getting a rebranding to match the popular M-Series and V-Series 4K televisions it sells, while a new premium soundbar is made to match the new OLED TVs it just announced. The Vizio Elevate Sound Bar (shown above) has 18 total drivers, with a pair of channels in the main soundbar that point forward when playing stereo or 5.1 audio, but automatically rotate up to increase height effects when they play Dolby Atmos and DTS:X encoded audio. It's made to work on its own with any TV, or to dock "seamlessly" with the Vizio OLED TVs. There's also a wireless 8-inch subwoofer and two satellite surround speakers that add p to 107dB of output. Like everything else Vizio is announcing today, there's no word on a price or release date. Other than that model, instead of simply branding its soundbars by size and speaker configuration, they now have M-Series and V-Series names just like its midrange 4K TVs (the Elevate has a P-Series model number, P514a, just like the high-end TVs). The M-Series and higher models with Atmos and DTS:X will have HDMI 2.1 inputs along with eARC support, so that you can pass through uncompressed Dolby and DTS Audio from built-in TV apps.
Whirlpool's smart thermometer ensures your food is cooked properly
Whirlpool wants to be sure you never serve an undercooked roast again. Its Yummly subsidiary is introducing a Smart Thermometer that uses sensors to check the temperatures of both the oven and your food, letting you know through a mobile app when they reach the right temperature. You won't have to periodically check your turkey to know when it's ready to eat.
CES 2020: What to expect
We're only a few days into 2020, but we're already busy getting ready for the Consumer Electronics Show. The annual event for all things tech kicks off in Las Vegas next week, and we'll be there to check it all out. Here's a sneak peek at what to expect.
Nanoleaf’s next light panels will apparently learn and adapt to you (updated)
Nanoleaf is known for its colorful, modular wall lighting tiles which sync with your music and gaming controls. At CES last year, it showed off its smart home control unit, an illuminated dodecahedron. Now, for CES this year, it has announced an integrated learning lighting system.
Kohler's new showerhead is also an Alexa-powered smart speaker
Morning showers aren't usually thought of as a time for entertainment, but if you're really determined to make use of every minute you could try out Kohler's new showerhead with a built-in smart speaker.
The Morning After: Dell's new XPS 13 stands taller
Hey, good morning! You look fabulous. By the time you read this, much of the Engadget team will be well on its way to CES 2020. After more than a decade of making this annual trip, I'm still ready to check out more massive screens with impossible-sounding numbers of pixels squeezed inside them. Both 1080p and 4K have taken their turn at the top of the resolution heap, and this year, it looks like 8K is every manufacturer's preferred flavor. With the Tokyo Olympics closing in, these TVs will need to be ready soon -- and we'll have to find out how anyone can get a chance to watch 8K at home. There's more to CES than TVs, of course -- Samsung and Dell have already announced a few interesting-looking laptops -- but if you're on the show floor, you'll probably find me looking at a demo reel somewhere, trying to figure out just how real HDR can look. One thing's for sure, though, this year I probably won't get caught wearing any active shutter 3D glasses. -- Richard
Wayzn turns your sliding door into a smart pet entrance
Pet owners who leave their animals at home for long stretches of the day often turn to dog sitters or doggie doors to let their pets in and out of the house. Wayzn thinks it has a better solution. The new Wayzn Smart Sliding Glass Door Opener is an app-powered device that lets you open and close a sliding door, remotely, whenever your pet needs. It will be on display at CES, and according to the company, it's already been named a CES 2020 Innovation Awards honoree.
D-Link's latest routers pack WiFi 6 and mesh networking
It wouldn't be CES without an avalanche of WiFi routers, and D-Link is certainly contributing its share. It's coming to the show with no less than nine (!) offerings, all of which include mesh networking to help set up strong coverage across a whole home. They also have "enhanced," profile-driven parental controls that are reportedly easy to set up, and five models support the added speed of WiFi 6 if you're looking to future-proof your network.
D-Link brings AI-powered person detection to its home security cameras
Ahead of CES, D-Link is bringing new features to its home security cameras. Today, the company announced that its devices can now detect people and breaking glass. The added capabilities are powered by AI that runs on the edge, and D-Link says it's able to provide faster, more accurate results than it would with cloud-powered AI.
Google disables Xiaomi link to Assistant and Google Home (updated)
Over the last day or so, a poster on Reddit has reported that trying to view the feed from his Xiaomi Mijia 1080p camera on a Google Nest Hub resulted in a feed that included still images, apparently showing cameras in stranger's homes. Android Police picked up on /r/Dio-V's situation, as he posted video that flashed stills of someone's porch, and a man sleeping in a chair. The poster reports he purchased his camera new on AliExpress. In a statement, a Google spokesperson responded by saying "We're aware of the issue and are in contact with Xiaomi to work on a fix," without explaining what it needed to fix. Right now Xiaomi's integrations with Assistant and Google Home have been disabled, and it's unclear when they might get access again. We've reached out to Google and Xiaomi for more information, and will update this post if there is more information. Update (1/3 3:30 AM ET): Xiaomi has responded, stating that the issue occurred due to a cache update, which made the stills pop up if a user had that camera and that display under poor network conditions. According to the company, only 1,044 users had this setup with a "few" experiencing the poor network connection that would make it appear, and they have fixed the issue on their end. The full statement is below.
Ring's Chime Pro may get a facelift and Alexa support
A crucial part of many Ring security systems appears to be on the cusp of a major update. Dave Zatz has shared an image of what appears to be a redesigned Chime Pro, Ring's plug-in WiFi extender and speaker hybrid. It's far more elegant, with what looks like a fabric speaker cover and no conspicuous antennas -- in other words, it no longer resembles an old baby monitor. There's also a conspicuous blue light that suggests it might include Alexa, too. While the Amazon voice assistant's presence is far from guaranteed, it'd make sense if you wanted to control your doorbell or camera without having to buy a smart speaker or use your phone.
GE's wireless smart switch works without a hub
It's been a while since we heard from GE about its smart home arm, but today the company announced several new items designed to make its already straightforward lighting ecosystem even easier to use. Most notable of the bunch; a new smart switch and hubless dimmer model. This is an interesting addition to GE's range -- and an industry first -- because there's no need for any additional tech (such as a hub) to integrate them with Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa for voice control.
LG's new rollable OLED TV concept unfurls from the ceiling
Last year at CES, LG was all about the Signature Series OLED TV R, a 65-inch television that rolls up from a brushed aluminum base -- a device we saw the bare bones of a year early courtesy of its screen-manufacturing arm. At CES 2020, LG Display will unveil the latest iteration of its rollable TV line, a 65-inch, UHD OLED display concept that rolls down from the ceiling (though hopefully not only brushed aluminum ones). The company says the screen "can be pulled down when desired and rolled up when not in use," maximizing space.
How home assistants ruined us, an explanation
Our situation became clear when my friend ran through Trader Joe's screaming "ALEXA WHAT TIME IS IT?" This wasn't a cringey mockumentary comedy segment. It's the way we live now. I'm certain San Francisco's sea of terrified Postmates and Prime delivery runners parted for her, trampling an Instacart personal shopper already wallowing in the misfortune of crawling along the baked goods aisle, feeling blindly under tortillas for lost earbuds. Everyone wondering if they should yell at Google or Siri to call 911. Several cameras are trained on everyone, of course, to memorialize and broadcast these special moments forever.
Tech that defined the decade
2020 is just around the corner, and another decade will soon come to an end. A lot has happened over the past ten years, and not all of it was pleasant: 3D television came and went, the headphone jack slowly died and the intersection of tech and politics frequently became front-page news. But amidst the downers, there was still plenty of groundbreaking tech that came about between 2010 and now that have made an impact in our lives. Here's a not-at-all-comprehensive list of a few of them.
Samsung's newest experiments include hands-free typing and a scalp scanner
It wouldn't be CES without Samsung unveiling projects from C-Lab, and the latest batch is once more trying to solve common problems through unusual methods. For some, the most practical may be SelfieType. As the name suggests, it uses your device's selfie camera and AI to translate finger movements into keyboard input. You wouldn't need to grab your phone to reply to a text when your hands are grubby.
LG's first indoor gardening appliance helps beginners grow vegetables
LG wants to hop on the vegetarian bandwagon, and it's venturing into unfamiliar territory to make that happen. The company will use CES 2020 to launch its first-ever indoor gardening appliance. The modular device you see at left grows lettuce, arugula, basil and other plants by matching outdoor conditions through time-sensitive LED lighting, air circulation and fine-grained water control. All you need to do is plant all-in-one seed packages (with fertilizer and peat moss) and keep an eye on your crop through a mobile app. Even a "complete novice" could grow a garden with this device, if you believe LG.
Amazon, Ring face lawsuit over alleged security camera hacks
Concerns over the security and privacy of Ring cameras are coming to a boil. Alabama resident John Orange has filed a class action lawsuit accusing Amazon and Ring of failing to do enough to secure their security systems against hacks, including Orange's. He alleged that a stranger compromised his Ring outdoor camera and spooked his kids as a "direct and proximate" result of the company's inability to protect its devices "against cyber-attack." He pointed to other incidents to support the argument for a class action, including a highly publicized event in December where a remote intruder harassed a Mississippi girl.

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