Category Archives: Entertainment

Philips Fidelio E6 Provides Surround On Demand

March 11, 2016CES 2016, EntertainmentTodd Cochrane

Philips Logo Watching movies at home is nicer when you have surround sound. However, it is not easy to put together a surround sound system. You have to plan ahead, mount speakers, and figure out how to hide all those unsightly wires. Philips Fidelio E6 provides an extremely simple way to get surround sound on demand.

Scott spoke with Senior Manager of Philips Electronics, Ken Chan, at the Gibson Brands Booth at CES 2016. They talked about the Philips Fidelio E6 Surround on Demand speakers. What might look like one speaker is actually two detachable speakers.

The speakers sit next to your TV. When you are ready to watch a movie, remove the top speakers and place them in the back of your living room. After the movie is over, you can easily put the detachable speaker back where it was. Philips gives you a very clean and tidy solution for true surround sound without any wires.

The Philips Fidelio E6 Surround On Demand speakers have internal Wi-Fi. The detachable speakers have a battery inside them that charges when the speaker is attached. It can be fully charged in two hours. You can watch ten hours of movies, with surround sound, on a fully charged speaker.

The Philips Fidelio E6 is not yet available in the United States, but may launch in Spring or Summer. The retail price $799.

Scott Ertz is a software developer and video producer at F5 Live: Refreshing Technology.

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Pioneer Brings CarPlay and Android Auto to the After-Market

February 20, 2016Auto, CES 2016, EntertainmentAuto, ces, CES2016, entertainmentTodd Cochrane

Pioneer is a brand for well-known for its in-car audio and entertainment systems so it comes as no surprise that the company is bringing a range of after-market units with Apple CarPlay and Google’s Android Auto. Todd and Marlo get a demo of the latest product with Ted Cardenas from Pioneer.

On show here is the freshly-announced Pioneer AVH-4200-NEX, which is one of three products which incorporate both CarPlay and Android Auto. As a result, the display and user interface will take on the persona of the connected device. The in-dash receiver connects to the smartphone using a wired connection as the phones contribute heavily to the running of apps. Plugging in the phones avoids issues with data speeds and keeps the battery charged, though Bluetooth is used in Android Auto for calls.

Voice is heavily used by both the driver to control the NEX and for the system to respond. Voice can be used to compose and listen to text messages, to navigate and to talk to Siri or Google Now. This keeps the need to look at the screen to a minimum and enhances safety.

If your current vehicle’s in-car entertainment system doesn’t support CarPlay or Android Auto, the Pioneer NEX range offers a great way to upgrade to the latest auto technology. Priced at around $700, the AVH-4200-NEX will be available in March.

Todd Cochrane is the host of the twice-weekly Geek News Central Podcast at GeekNewsCentral.com and Marlo Anderson rounds up the latest technology news at The Tech Ranch.

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Motion Capture with a StretchSense Glove

January 31, 2016CES 2016, Entertainmentces, CES2016, interview, motion capture, videoTodd Cochrane

The fantastic performances of Andy Serkis as Gollum brought the concept of motion capture to a wider public audience but the filming technique usually involves dark skin-tight leotards covered in reflective balls with multiple cameras and sensors gathering data in three dimensions. Unless it’s a multi-million dollar production or a top-end athlete wanting to hone their skills, it’s a lot of effort.

StretchSense have a much easier method in mind. By using lightweight stretch sensors with gloves or other form-fitting clothing, StretchSense can get real-time tracking and motion capture without expensive equipment. Jamie Davis chats to Ben O’Brien, CEO of StretchSense.

StretchSense make the soft precise sensors that can be embedded into gloves and clothing to measure the human body’s movement. With the sensors, the movement and motion of the wearer can be tracked for animation and gaming, with other applications in sports training, physiotherapy and physical rehabilitation. Within VR, it can provide presence, positioning hands and legs within the field of view as in reality. It’s all pretty cool stuff – expect products to come to market in the new few years.

Jamie Davis is the host of Health Tech Weekly at HTWeekly.com. He is a nurse, paramedic and health journalist.

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CES 2016 Primer

December 28, 2015Accessories, Auto, Back Channel, Cameras, CES 2016, Computers, Entertainment, Gadgets, Health, Home, Images, Live Show, Mobile, Partner, Special Events, Toys & Gaming, TVs, Video, WirelessTodd Cochrane

Todd Cochrane of Geek News Central gets our CES channels fired up with a primer of what is to come in the coverage department from the 20 team members of the Tech Podcast Network who start preparing to head to Vegas in a couple of days.

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DXRacer Showcases Six Unique Chair Designs, Tailored to You

February 26, 2015CES 2015, EntertainmentPLUGHITZ Live

The most comfortable interview of the International CES found us at the DXRacer booth, talking about their recent line of gaming and productivity chairs. Before making DXRacer chairs, the company’s roots were in manufacturing high-level racing seats, which is where the attention to quality, comfort and detail came from for these chairs. The company also owns its own factory and has some of the oldest patents for a style of chair that they create.

There are six different series of chairs, starting with the Formula series, then the Drifting series, the Racing series, the Max series, the Universal series and lastly the King series. With so many choices, DXRacer goes above and beyond to understand their customers and tries to tailor the purchase to the body type of the customer and the use of the chair. Because a premium chair like this is an investment, it’s important to make sure you get the right one that fits your needs.

DXRacer has also partnered with Major League Gaming and debuted the design for the MLG chair at CES. The company is diversifying its reach by getting involved in a new line of desks, to create a whole home office solution. After this interview, it was hard to get to the next one because after five minutes in the chair, Nick did not want to get up.

Interview by Nicholas DiMeo of F5 Live: Refreshing Technology for the Tech Podcast Network.

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Stern Pinball Reinvents the Internals of the Pinball Machine

February 26, 2015CES 2015, Entertainment, GadgetsPLUGHITZ Live

Pinball is as American as apple pie and baseball cards. Sure, it might have originated in England, but there’s nothing like visiting an old school arcade and seeing a classic Stern Pinball machine sitting in the corner, waiting for you to put a quarter in. Since 1986, Stern Pinball has been constantly coming out with new and exciting tables and at CES this year, the goal was to show off the latest innovations in pinball games.

In the past, pinball machines could be a diaster to fix. If something went wrong, and you weren’t an expert, that machine was never going to get fixed. The old systems had a motherboard, and a bunch of wiring that ran through the entire game. The units were extremely heavy and plus, there was always this old, dusty LCD display that never really “popped” into today’s world.

Now, with Stern’s new technology, the machines feature a bus system, eliminating the giant wiring harnesses. There’s also all LED lights, a much lighter power supply and it’s now easier to maintain. Moreover, you can have a multi-colored LED display to really brighten a room, making the machine more noticeable. New machines even come equipped with WiFi, allowing multiple machines to sync up and communicate with one another for a more multiplayer experience. As you can see, with Stern’s new innovations to an old classic, pinball is back with a new facelift and is ready to win over the minds and heart of the next generation of gamers.

Interview by Nicholas DiMeo of F5 Live: Refreshing Technology for the Tech Podcast Network.

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Razer Looks Sharp in the Living Room with New Gaming Devices

February 26, 2015CES 2015, Computers, EntertainmentPLUGHITZ Live

Razer, the hardcore gamer’s favorite peripheral company, has leapt from just the standard mouse and keyboard and is moving into the living room for your entertainment. Whether casual or enthusiast, Razer has something lined up for both of those gamers with their latest products.

Razer’s mission was to bring PC gaming into the living room without needing an expensive and high-end computer. Razer’s newest product, the Forge TV, an Android TV-powered microconsole that allows games, music, movies and PC gaming all from the device. For the skeptics out there, what’s different about the Forge TV’s Android box is the buy-in from developers. Razer is working with top-level game studios to have popular and well-known titles show up on the Forge in order to entice gamers to try out the platform.

Further enhancing the living room experience for gamers is Razer’s PC game-streaming technology, called Cortex Stream. Coming later this year, you’ll be able to stream desktop PC games to the Forge TV at only $99.

Lastly, Razer introduced their newest peripheral, made for the living room, called the Turret. The wireless mouse and keyboard combo will run you $129, and really makes living room gaming comfortable. The lapboard features a magnetic mousepad to keep the mouse from falling to the floor, and the keyboard has anti-ghosting technology to keep your keystrokes sharp and intentional.

Interview by Nicholas DiMeo of F5 Live: Refreshing Technology for the Tech Podcast Network.

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Gaming Gets Real, and Physical, with the Omni

February 26, 2015CES 2015, EntertainmentPLUGHITZ Live

There’s been a push in the gaming industry lately for a more immersive experience while you play. Sure, the Kinect does a great job and the 3DS makes looking at games a little more enticing, but what if you could get your whole body into it? Well, get ready to “enter a new world” with Omni.

Omni is an omni-directional treadmill-like device that allows a player to run, jump and walk in 360-degree virtual environments. With active sensors attached to the bottom of a pair of specially-designed shoes, the software and hardware detect what the player is doing, and based on how fast they move, it reflects that in the game. The player is also secured to an Omni Harness, which allows the user to stay within the confines of the walking surface.

The experience is further enhanced by a virtual reality headset, like the Oculus Rift. The Omni, however, is not tied down to one VR device, and instead can work with many of the devices currently in the market.

Out of the box, two games that were both developed in-house comes with the Omni. One of them is a training simulator, not only prepping you to take on the real baddies in Omni’s Shadow Ops game, but also teaching you how to actually use the hardware. Popular games also work with the device, as the Omni is just a game controller. It only takes ten minutes to put the handful of pieces together and you can be off and running, literally, in no time.

The Omni is currently available for pre-order at $699 and comes with everything you need to get started. All you have to do is enter shoe and harness size and the Omni, upon release, will be delivered to your doorstep.

Interview by Nicholas DiMeo of F5 Live: Refreshing Technology for the Tech Podcast Network.

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A Unique Smartphone Makes Snail Games a Group to Keep an Eye on

February 26, 2015CES 2015, Entertainment, MobilePLUGHITZ Live

Snail Games first started in 2000 in China as a software developer that made several popular games. With the popularity of mobile, it made sense for the company to also get into the mobile space, becoming a telecom in China as well. Snail then bought a hardware manufacturer to round out the trifecta of logical endeavors to make a platform in which to have their games play on their own phones, all on their own network. Snail’s focus at International CES was to spread its reach into Europe and naturally, the United States.

Snail’s mobile device, the W3D, has four shoulder buttons, four face buttons, dual analog sticks – everything a normal gamer would expect to have on a controller. This takes mobile gaming to a new level, by building the controls into the phone and not requiring add-ons to play while on-the-go.

Moving into the home console, Snail Games also is launching an Android-powered gaming system. The company already has interest from a large number of developers and publishers to set the console up for success. With the console launching in China this year, Snail looks to bring its device to the US as soon as they can.

Interview by Nicholas DiMeo of F5 Live: Refreshing Technology for the Tech Podcast Network.

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A Glasses-Free 3DTV and Gaming Experience with Ultra-D

February 26, 2015CES 2015, Entertainment, TVsPLUGHITZ Live

One of the things that were considered a “sleeper pick” in this year’s CES trends was 3DTV and gaming combining on the big screen in your living room. Up until now, the implementation hasn’t really been great and the technology used has caused eye strain for many who have used it. Luckily StreamTV Networks’ Ultra-D product looks to alleviate all of that with their latest announcement.

Introducing a glasses-free 3DTV experience for gamers and TV-watchers alike. For the TV, standing in a certain spot isn’t required. The 4K TV’s cones overlap, giving 140-degrees of viewing angle, and comes in different sizes all the way up to 89″. You can also set the depth of the 3D, so for sports you can tune down the 3D effect but can turn it up when you want to. This is one of the few on the show floor where my eyes different hurt when I was viewing the TV.

For gamers, the company has partnered up with a bunch of different game developers in order to create a gaming experience unlike any other. On that list of dev studios is Epic Games, who you may know as the creators of the Unreal Engine. The company also wants to target any developer who wants to use the Unreal or Unity engine and also wants to add in a 3D experience via the SDK. All five companies that have partnered with Ultra-D so far had the 3D up and running in 25 hours or less.

The key here is the zero-latency method that is used in order to not frustrate gamers, especially those who play first-person shooters or other “twitchy” game titles. Game developers, like you, also hate lag. So to make 3D work, it’s all done through algorithms that create a real-time depth map of the camera that is already in place, leaving essentially no extra work for the developer. This conversion process causes 4 milliseconds of lag, however, the SDK eliminates the lag entirely. It just needs a little bit of information from the video game and puts little stress on the GPU in order to make that happen.

If you’re a developer and want to get a hold of this, you can visit www.movebeyond3d.com. They are also working on launching some hardware in a style similar to the Oculus Rift, just to get it out there and get people to use it.

Interview by Nicholas DiMeo of F5 Live: Refreshing Technology for the Tech Podcast Network.

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