We’ll be honest: if you told us a big company was going to buy Nest , we wouldn’t have guessed Google. After all, the home automation company was founded by Tony Fadell and Matt Rogers, both ex-members of the original iPod team at Apple. But whaddya know? Google just scooped up the outfit for a cool $3.2 billion. That bit of inside baseball aside, Google is being quick to assure users that Nest will run fairly independently within Google — not unlike Motorola, it would seem. Quoth Mr. Fadell: ” Google will help us fully realize our vision of the conscious home and allow us to change the world faster than we ever could if we continued to go it alone. We’ve had great momentum, but this is a rocket ship.” Also, to answer the obvious question you’re all asking, Nest will continue to offer apps for both iOS and Android, meaning Apple fans will still be able to tinker around with their Nest Thermostats and Nest Protect smoke detectors even after the acquisition goes through. Developing… Filed under: Household , Google Comments Via: Nest (Twitter)

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Google acquires Nest for $3.2 billion

Virtual reality has captured the imagination of developers, consumers and businesses for decades, but most VR headsets produced so far have been notable more for their limitations than their capabilities. With its latest prototype, code-named “Crystal Cove, ” Oculus VR has taken a massive leap forward, eliminating the stomach-churning motion blur that has plagued previous generations of VR headsets, and adding sensors and a camera to track the position of both your head and body and provide more accurate simulated movement. With the latest Rift, Oculus has created a device that may usher in an era of truly immersive gaming and entertainment, and even create new opportunities for businesses to use virtual reality in everything from manufacturing to medical environments. Of all the exciting, innovative products we’ve seen at CES this year, the Oculus Rift “Crystal Cove” prototype is unquestionably the best of the best. In its short history, Oculus has already gone from being a promising startup to becoming a market-moving creator of innovative technology. The first time we saw a version of the Rift, in mid-2012, Oculus had already raised more than $2 million on Kickstarter and caught the attention of legendary game developer John Carmack, who was so impressed with the company that he joined up as its CTO. In our first hands-on — playing a Rift-optimized version of the Carmack classic Doom 3 — we found ourselves “raving about it.” Since then, Oculus has raised more than $90 million, grown to almost a hundred employees and has sold 50, 000 units to developers. And, of course, the company has continued to refine the Rift, with every update dramatically improving the device. The Crystal Cove version’s 1080p OLED display is amazingly sharp and bright. However, what really sets it apart is its positional-tracking capabilities, accomplished thanks to an array of sensors mounted around the edges of the unit, which are monitored by an external camera. It’s no longer just your head that controls movement; lean forward or back, and the virtual environment moves in sync, providing an unparalleled, fully immersive experience. Use the new Rift for a few minutes, and you may never want to take it off; at the very least, it may change the way you think about gaming, and make that 55-inch TV hooked up to your console feel small and constricting. When I tried it out here at CES, in an all-too-brief demo session, I didn’t want to take it off, and only reluctantly returned it to the Oculus execs helping with the demo. The Rift has broad applications beyond gaming, and Oculus VP Nate Mitchell tells us that the company has sold developer kits to companies in virtually every industry, from auto manufacturers to the movie business (and, yes, Mitchell admits that there are military applications for the technology). NASA is already using the Rift to create virtual tours of Mars and the International Space Station, and Mitchell points out that the Rift is getting a lot of interest from the training and educational communities. Virtual reality, says Mitchell, is a “new disruptive medium that can revolutionize the way we do a lot more than just games.” Forbes is already referring to the way businesses are looking to capitalize on VR as the “Oculus Rift effect.” The biggest challenge for Oculus is getting the Rift in the hands of consumers, and the company remains quiet about a release date, with Mitchell saying only that “2014 is going to be a big year for VR.” It already is, now that Oculus has started the year as the winner of the official Best of CES Award for 2014. Filed under: Announcements Comments

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The Oculus Rift ‘Crystal Cove’ prototype is 2014’s Best of CES winner

Curating the Best of CES Awards as an official CEA partner is not a responsibility we take lightly. Finding plenty of worthy finalists was easy, but narrowing down each category to just one winner? Not so much. Nevertheless, we spent two nights in the Engadget trailer considering products against our criteria and arguing the list down to 14 killer, innovative picks. Congrats to all our winners — head past the break to check them out! Best Startup: Airtame The Airtame is a surprisingly intuitive and refreshing solution for wireless PC screen-mirroring. It’s easy to set up and responsive, and the software (available for Linux, Windows and OS X) even supports beaming one PC to multiple screens. It’s a Miracast dongle on steroids. — Richard Lai , Senior Editor Best Digital Health & Fitness Product: JayBird Reign In a sea of activity-tracking wearables, the JayBird Reign stood out not only for its attractive design, but also its innovative software. Android and iOS apps log your movements and display related stats, like calories burned and activity duration, then offer up suggestions based on your physical history. If you’ve spent your days exploring the convention center halls and your nights at Vegas clubs, for example, Reign will suggest that you add a few hours of sleep. Meanwhile, the morning after Super Bowl Sunday, the device may offer up some firm guidance to head to the gym. — Zach Honig , Deputy Managing Editor Best Automotive Electronics Product: Corvette Performance Data Recorder The original Corvette Stingray is a legendary car, revered for its stunning (if aerodynamically dangerous) design. After a long hiatus, Chevrolet has once again begun building Stingray Corvettes, and the 2015 model (though still a looker) may be legendary for a whole new reason: the Performance Data Recorder (PDR). For track day aficionados, the PDR is the holy grail, a way to both record video of their racing exploits and have their driving telemetry overlaid on top of it. We’re talking the kind of experience that was previously reserved only for pro racing drivers and those playing video games like Forza or Gran Turismo . — Michael Gorman , Senior Editor Best Audio Product: ClearView Clio The Clio from ClearView is a Bluetooth speaker with a difference: It’s almost invisible. Audio is generated using a patented “Edge Motion” system to “activate” a transparent piece of acrylic and produce full stereo sound. The Clio’s combination of innovative ideas and practical application make it our standout audio product from this year’s CES. — James Trew , Senior Editor Best Video Product: Dish Virtual Joey For years, we’ve come to CES and heard about technology that would let us watch TV without a box directly connected, and Dish has finally delivered on that promise. Its Virtual Joey app is coming first to LG smart TVs and PlayStation consoles, and is expected to reach other platforms soon. Subscribers will still need the main Hopper DVR set-top box, but multi-room access to live TV or recordings is possible just by connecting to your network and then installing the app. We thought the experience was exceptionally well-designed, with control possible via the device’s remote/gamepad, or by using a Dish RF remote to operate the DVR from another room. — Richard Lawler , Senior HD Editor Best Software: Sony PlayStation Now This is how your PlayStation will look in five years. It’s not a box — it’s just out there. With a connectivity speed that’s possible on the majority of broadband connections, and entire PS3 games coming at launch in summer 2014 (PS4 content and older titles are also coming in good time), it’s the future of console gaming. — Mat Smith , Senior Editor Best Emerging Technology: Oculus Rift ‘Crystal Cove’ prototype It wasn’t too long ago that virtual reality headsets were nothing more than a punch line (remember the Virtual Boy?). But thanks to wunderkind Palmer Luckey, the wearable tech has resumed its place as a promising technology of tomorrow. The Crystal Cove prototype shown off at this year’s CES adds depth sensing via an external camera, a 1080p OLED display for improved clarity and shucks off possibly one of its worst cons: motion blur. With Crystal Cove, Oculus is bringing VR that much closer to reality. — Joseph Volpe , Senior Editor Best Mobile Technology: Sony Xperia Z1 Compact The vast majority of small Android smartphones are merely stripped-down versions of their flagship counterparts, which means that if you don’t like large devices you typically have to settle for something that’s lower-quality. Sony’s addressing this pain point with the Xperia Z1 Compact, a smaller version of the company’s flagship device that features most of the same powerful components in a 4.3-inch waterproof chassis: You’ll get a 20.7MP camera, a top-of-the-class quad-core processor, high-resolution Triluminos display and a variety of color options. — Brad Molen , Senior Mobile Editor Best Gaming Product: Valve Steam Machines As Google is to Android, Steam Machines are to PC gaming. Valve’s initiative is bold and innovative, and it stands to impact several industries: gaming, computing, television and who knows what else. It offers an open standard for moving the gaming PC from the home offices of the world into the living room, and it comes from the folks behind Steam — by far the most important digital storefront in the game industry. It’s still early days for Steam Machines, but the future is very bright. — Ben Gilbert , Senior Editor Best Offbeat Product: Sen.se Mother Mother’s product description includes the phrase “the internet of things” and its soulless visage gives us a serious case of the willies, but it still handily took home top honors in our offbeat category. Why? Because the smart, wireless nesting doll base station and sensor-laden cookies are surprisingly versatile and user-friendly. Rather than picking up multiple modules for different tasks, you can repurpose those tags to monitor everything from distance walked to how many cappuccinos you make in a day. Are there systems like Mother out there? Sure. But most are confusing and really meant for the DIY enthusiast, not your average consumer. — Terrence O’Brien , Deputy Managing Editor Best Kid-Friendly Product: Mimo Baby with Intel It’s a smart baby onesie — what else do you need to know? In all seriousness, the Mimo Baby (made by Rest Devices with Intel tech inside) is quite innovative; it’s essentially a wearable baby monitor. It’s not kid-friendly in the sense that they’ll get a ton of enjoyment out of wearing it — though maybe the company should consider a built-in binky — but it lets parents know a baby’s vital stats, such as activity level and skin temperature. And in the grand scheme of things, what’s more kid-friendly than safety? — Sarah Silbert , Senior Editor Best Maker-Friendly Technology: MakerBot Replicator Desktop 3D Printer While we’ve had a love affair with 3D printers for some time, consumer models haven’t quite reached the level of polish and sophistication that we expect from most of our gadgets. With MakerBot’s third Replicator, however, it’s clear that things have changed. With a nearly automated setup, easily replaceable cartridges and a sleek design, this marks the beginning of truly consumer-friendly 3D printing. — Christopher Trout , Managing Editor Best PC: Razer Project Christine With a field that mostly included refreshes of existing models, it was tough to get excited about PCs at this year’s CES. But Razer’s Project Christine is an important exception: It’s so innovative, in fact, that it doesn’t even look like a computer. In addition to its futuristic digs, we were instantly smitten with its modular design, which makes replacing the GPU as simple as inserting a pod into one of the many, many expansion bays. Project Christine could mark the beginning of plug-and-play PC upgrades for gaming machines and, with time, it could change the way OEMs design regular computers, too. — Dana Wollman , Managing Editor Best of the Best: Oculus Rift ‘Crystal Cove’ prototype Virtual reality has captured the imagination of developers, consumers and businesses for decades, but all VR headsets produced so far have been notable more for their limitations than their capabilities. With its latest prototype, Oculus VR has taken a huge leap forward, eliminating the stomach-churning motion blur that has plagued previous generations of VR headsets, and adding sensors and a camera to track the position of both your head and body and provide more accurate simulated movement. With the Rift, Oculus has created a device that may usher in an era of truly immersive gaming and entertainment, and even create new opportunities for businesses to use virtual reality in everything from manufacturing to medical environments. Of all the exciting, innovative products we’ve seen at CES this year, the Oculus Rift “Crystal Cove” prototype is unquestionably the best of the best. — Marc Perton , Executive Editor Comments

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Presenting our Best of CES 2014 Awards winners

Among the announcements Sony dropped during Kaz Hirai’s CES keynote , the Life Space UX project seemed to be most outrageous, pushing an entirely new vision for projectors. We checked out the company’s CES demo booth and found out it actually goes even further than that. The prototype 4K Ultra Short Throw Projector shown on stage and in the demo is expected to cost between $30, 000 – $40, 000 when it launches later this year. Similar to the pricey Cinema Beam projector released by LG last year , it can sit very close to a wall even in high-brightness settings and beam a large, clearly visible image. The combination of zoom lenses, 3 separate SXRD microdisplays and a laser diode light source make it powerful and sharp enough to put out a 147-inch 4K image that’s visible even with the lights on. Its low sleek design and modular setup (it splits apart to reveal speakers and cabinet space within) is made for flexibility and to be “harmonic” with the room when it’s off. Other prototypes included in the demo (check out the gallery for a better look) put a projector in the lamp over a regular kitchen table for Surface-style interaction, a mirror that turned into a high-res, touchable display and ceiling projectors that shot upwards. Filed under: Displays , Home Entertainment , HD Comments

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Sony’s Life Space UX demo envisions projectors, screens everywhere

When designing a smartwatch, the general trend is to start with a basic timepiece and add features until physics or budgets get in the way. That’s not the approach taken by 19-year-old Canadian Simon Tian when he developed the Pine by Neptune. Instead, he took to Kickstarter with the idea of just shrinking a last-generation smartphone down to watch-size proportions. The result isn’t really a watch in any sense of the word, but considering that the Pine raised eight times its goal on Kickstarter, there’s clearly a desire for this sort of hardware. We got to spend some time with it at CES and want to share some impressions with you. Even with the pictures, it’s hard to get a sense of the scale of this thing. Imagine something the size of a deck of cards that’s strapped along your wrist and you’re almost there. The three Android navigation buttons run down the right side of the 2.4-inch, 320 x 240 TFT screen. Powering this thing is a 1.2GHz Snapdragon S4 paired with 512MB RAM and when using it, it’s certainly swift enough to play Angry Birds without any stutter or lag. Considering that it is a smartphone that’s been shrunk in the wash, you’ll also find a microSIM card slot, speakerphone and forward and rear-facing cameras. The VGA forward-facer is fine for video calls, but to use the primary lens, you’ll actually have to unclip the device from the wrist clip to use it. Because of the size of the display, it’s entirely possible to use a full size software keyboard, meaning that it’s feasible, if not comfortable, to use this for email and texting. In fact, the phrase “feasible, if not comfortable” probably sums this device up in its entirety. While we’re sure there are plenty of people who will overlook its size in favor of having full smartphone functionality attached to their wrist, we can’t imagine this selling beyond its niche. Still, if you remain determined to snaffle one, the 16GB edition will cost $335 and the 32GB edition will set you back $395 when they launch in March. Filed under: Cellphones , Wearables , Mobile Comments Source: Neptune Pine

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Neptune’s Pine isn’t a smartwatch, it’s a smartphone that sits on your wrist

Despite announcing plans to flood the market with a number of new HD and Ultra HD TVs , Samsung still found room in its CES booth for the first 8K TV we’ve seen from the manufacturer. Labeled as QUHD or Quad Ultra HD, it’s also only the second flatscreen with 7, 680 x 4, 320 pixels that we’ve seen, period. Still, our eyes may be getting jaded as a result of all the super high-res displays we’ve seen lately because this one didn’t have the shock value Sharp’s 8K Super Hi-Vision screen garnered with its debut a couple of years ago. Another reason could be the demo content, as Samsung opted for a Robin Sparkles-ish mall scene that was impressive in its sharpness and realism, but didn’t exactly draw us in as viewers and the crowded booth gave little room to take it all in. The demo video even magnified specific sections at time to emphasize the 8K res, but we’d prefer a reel with more action. Check after the break for a few more close up pictures and let us know if you can see the 8K difference. Filed under: Home Entertainment , HD , Samsung Comments

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Samsung’s 98-inch 8K TV lets us go to the mall without leaving CES

Mophie ‘s line of Juice Packs and Powerstations have proven invaluable to anyone who needs their handsets to keep on ticking from dawn ’til dusk, especially at a show like CES. Now the company behind those popular external batteries have introduced the Space Pack, a battery case for the iPhone that also incorporates built-in storage. Designed for the iPhone 5 and the 5s, the Space Pack not only packs a 1, 700mAh backup battery, it also comes in either 16GB or 32GB iterations that could potentially double or triple your iPhone’s storage capacity. Any file type can be stored and managed on it, from photos and videos to your iTunes library. Mophie also introduced a free iOS app called Space that organizes the files into easy to view Collections so you can see what’s stored in your Space Pack. The 16GB version retails for $149.95 while the 32GB version will cost you $179.95. So if you’ve ever been stymied by your iPhone’s poor battery life and fixed storage, you can go ahead and pre-order Mophie’s Space Pack today as it starts shipping on March 14, 2014. Filed under: Cellphones , Peripherals , Storage , Mobile Comments Source: Mophie

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Mophie Space Pack for iPhone is a battery case with built-in storage

You can tell the veterans from the young upstarts at CES simply by how they announce products. Simply putting a new device on stage and feeding you specs is pretty much amateur hour. (Though, it does make the lives of tech journalists much easier.) The big boys know that you’ve got to bury a product launch among piles of hyperbole and abstract concepts that will (supposedly) improve your entire state of being. Enter Life Space UX. Sony’s concept for a world where your walls become virtual windows into the world around you. You could, for instance, project the sky at various points of the day across your living room walls. (Now, why you’d want to do that, is a different question.) At the heart of the concept is a new Ultra Short Throw Projector that can fill a wall with a bright moving image from an extremely close distance. Filed under: Home Entertainment , HD , Sony Comments

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Sony’s Ultra Short Throw Projector will enable an immersive world of video it’s calling Life Space UX

It’s not very often that a light switch really catches Engadget’s eye, so you know it has to be something clever to show up on our virtual pages. This particular lightbulb activation device (as demonstrated by NXP ) is not only wireless, it’s powerless — we were able to turn on a wireless lightbulb simply by tapping on the switch itself, without requiring an external power source. This one single action alone actually generates just barely enough power to push a signal to the bulb. The unit we played with also utilizes NFC to pair wirelessly with a light source. All told, it worked without a hitch, and the tech is currently being sampled out to manufacturers. This means we’ll likely start seeing devices take advantage of this setup sometime this year, so be on the lookout for more details as they come out. Comments

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Finally, a light switch so green it doesn’t need electricity