Acer Adds 3D Camera to Aspire V 17 Nitro

At CES in Las Vegas today, Acer revealed the new Aspire V 17 Nitro notebook, which includes support for Kinect-like gestures.

The PC is equipped with Intel's RealSense technology, an evolution of the webcam that can sense depth and dimension, allowing neat tricks like 3D scanning of objects, gesture controls in mid-air, and more. As a result, Acer said, those with the new Aspire V Nitro will be able to play games, open Web pages, or use apps without touching the notebook's keyboard or mouse.

The PC also supports 3D scanning, 3D model generating, and printing.

"Acer believes three dimensional computing offers unlimited potential for both professional and consumer uses," Jerry Kao, president of Acer Notebook Business Group, said in a statement. "Business applications include 3D modeling, mapping and architectural design, while the most popular consumer uses will likely include augmented reality gaming, and simple PC navigation and control."

Acer Aspire V 17 NitroIntel's RealSense 3D camera has a conventional camera, an infrared camera, and an infrared laser projector. Other PCs to take advantage of the technology include the odd but intriguing HP Sprout.

Acer pointed to two apps that will support the hands-free action, including the Greek-themed Warrior Wave game, which lets you control characters with your hands. The 3DMe app, meanwhile, will enable 3D scanning right from the notebook. Scan your profile and preview it on different 3D characters. The idea is that you can insert yourself into virtual settings or 3D print a mini-me figurine.

"Whether it is controlling a game with your gestures or easily scanning your face or an object for 3D printing, the Acer Aspire V Nitro featuring Intel Core processors and Intel RealSense is an exciting step forward for consumers looking for a high-performance notebook," Kirk Skaugen, SVP for Intel and General Manager of the Client Computing Group, said in a statement.

Acer Aspire V 17 NitroAs for the specs, the Acer V 17 Nitro sports a 17.3-inch Full HD display with IPS technology and runs a fourth-generation Intel Core i7-4710HQ quad-core processor and the Nvidia GeForce GTX 860M graphics, up to 4GB DDR5 VRAM, and up to 16GB of memory. Select a 128GB or 256GB solid state drive and up to 1TB of hard disk storage. It also supports 802.11ac and 2.4GHz and 5GH frequencies via its dual wireless antennas.

The Acer Aspire V 17 Nitro will be available in January; price and exact launch dates have not yet been announced. (The Aspire V17 Nitro Black, which arrived in November, retailed for US$1,499.99.)

Also at CES, Acer said it will give its Aspire R 13 convertible notebooks and Aspire S7 ultrabooks an upgrade to fifth-generation Intel Core processors.

The Aspire R 13 made its debut at IFA in the fall and can transition between various notebook and tablet styles of operation. The R 13 series comes in either ultra-sharp 2,560-by-1,440 or 1,920-by-1,080 resolutions, and features a hinge that allows the display to rotate into six different positions.

Acer Chromebook 15Meanwhile, Acer also revealed a larger, 15.6-inch Chromebook. Buyers can select a fifth-gen Intel Core i3 or Celeron processor, 16GB or 32GB SSD drive, and either 2GB or 4GB or RAM. In the U.S., pricing will start at US$249.99; an exact launch data was not announced.

For the gamers, Acer also has two new 27-inch, 2,560-by-1,440 resolution monitors. The Acer XB270HU is the first Nvidia G-SYNC 1 gaming monitor with IPS technology, while the Acer XG270HU is the first gaming monitor with an edge-to-edge frameless display, Acer said.

Samsung Shows Off Curved Monitors, Portable SSD

In advance of CES, Samsung last week unveiled a new all-in-one desktop with a curved display and a new ATIV Book 9. But it's back for more with some new display and storage products.

Samsung Portable SSD T1

Samsung is leveraging its storage components for a new consumer product, the Samsung Portable SSD T1. This compact external drive offers capacities of 250GB, 500GB, and 1TB, all in a compact design that's smaller than most smartphones, measuring just 2 by 2.8 by 0.4 inches (HWD) and weighing less than an ounce.

This pocket-friendly design is possible thanks to the drive inside, one of Samsung's 850 Evo line of laptop drives, which uses 3D V-NAND flash memory to offer a smaller overall size with stacked memory cells, offering higher storage density. This has been shrunk down further by removing the 2.5-inch drive housing used on the commercially available drive, leaving just the smaller circuit board to fit into the small enclosure of the Portable SSD T1.

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In addition to compact size and minimal weight, the drive also offers speedy data transfer with USB 3.0 and transfer rates of up to 450MBps, as well as optional AES 256-bit encryption for securing all of your data. Pricing starts at US$179.99 for the 250GB model, with the larger 500GB model selling for US$299.99, and 1TB for US$599.99, with a standard three-year warranty. Samsung expects the Portable SSD T1 to be available in late January.

Samsung Curved Monitors

We also got a look at Samsung's new line of monitors, a full range of full HD and WQHD+ models. For our briefing we got to see the new Samsung SE790C, a 34-inch monitor with 3,440-by-1,440 resolution and a wicked curved display. The display has an extra-wide 21:9 ratio panel, 3000R curvature, and 3000:1 contrast ratio.

The display comes with a removable stand that offers height and angle adjustment. The stand can be removed, with a VESA mount for attaching the monitor to a wall or other mount. The monitor has a built-in USB hub, letting you run up to four USB devices through the monitor, and DisplayPort input and two HDMI inputs, for connection to your PC and a second HDMI source, like a cable box or gaming console. The extra-wide display is meant to take the place of two or even three monitors in a current multi-monitor setup, and offers extra features to that end, such as Picture-by-Picture mode, which lets you use two inputs simultaneously, sharing the display like two side-by-side monitors.

The 37-inch SE790C (the C is for "Curved") will sell for US$1,199, and will be available to order starting Jan. 6. Though we only had the chance to see the 37-inch model, Samsung will be launching a total of nine curved monitors, with accompanying 29- and 34-inch models featuring WQHD+ resolution, and several full HD models, too, with prices starting at under $400.

Samsung ATIV Book 9 Plus Refresh

Not everything we were shown by Samsung was completely new. The Samsung ATIV Book 9 Plus, the 2015 update to the Editors' Choice Samsung ATIV Book 9 Plus keeps the same look and design of the previous model, but updates the system to Intel's new fifth-generation Broadwell processors.

Note that this is not a switch to the Core M processors that are cropping up in many thin and light systems, but an upgrade to the newer Core i5 and Core i7 CPUs coming from Intel. Other aspects of the Book 9 Plus remain the same, such as the 3,200-by-1,800 Quad HD+ touch screen, the slim aluminum chassis, and an identical port selection. The ultraportable will also see a price drop, with the starting price dropping from US$1,399 to US$1,299. The updated ATIV Book 9 Plus will be available in January.

Last week, Samsung tipped a fully redesigned ATIV Book 9. The new ultrabook has some of the same visual elements of past ATIV Book 9 models, but opts for a flatter, "blade-thin" profile and a smaller overall size thanks to a 12.2-inch display. The company also revealed the Samsung ATIV One 7, a 27-inch all-in-one PC with a curved display.

Apple's HomeKit Requires Apple TV to Use Siri Remotely

Well, that's one way to push adoption of the Apple TV. If you've been reading all sorts of interesting things about Apple's HomeKit platform, and have caught yourself dreaming about having your little not-quite-an-A.I. friend Siri control the various devices around your home on your behalf, you might want to set aside a little extra money for an Apple TV. Yes, an Apple TV. It's not going to be a required element for you to access your HomeKit devices most of the time, but it will be required if you want to be able to tell Siri what to do when you're away from your home.

We realize that's a pretty specific use case, so it might be a bit overkill to condemn early versions of HomeKit just yet for the requirement. However, numerous reports from those who spoke with HomeKit partners and device manufacturers at this year's Consumer Electronics Show all said the same thing: If you want to use Siri to control your home devices when you aren't at home, you'll need an Apple TV (of all things) to do it.

However, that's the only instance right now where you'll need extra Apple hardware to do things with your HomeKit-enabled devices. Otherwise, if you're at the airport, you can still access your HomeKit devices using a related app. And you can use Siri to control your HomeKit devices when you're inside your home. So long as you're on your home's Wi-Fi network, which your various other smart devices are likely also connected to in some capacity, Siri will work just fine sans Apple TV.

And, no, you can't run an oldschool Apple TV, either. The device has to be at least Apple's most recent, third-generation Apple TV in order for the remote-Siri bit to work out. And, of course, the Apple TV has to be running at least version 7.0 of its software—the update that officially added support for HomeKit to the device.

As you might expect, Apple hasn't offered up any comment regarding the HomeKit, Siri, and Apple TV connection. And few Homekit partners or manufacturers seemed willing to talk about it either, when asked. Expect to see the first HomeKit devices launch during the first quarter of this year—perhaps Apple will figure out a new way to tackle remote Siri commands if enough users complain about the extra Apple TV add-on.

4K HDTVs Will (Finally) Arrive in 2015

If it's rectangular, glows, and has a moving picture on it, it's going to be at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) next week. Las Vegas is again hosting the biggest trade show for home entertainment devices, which will offer us a glimpse into the future of HDTVs.

Specifically, be on the lookout for the finally-here future of ultra-high-definition televisions (UHD or 4K). HDTVs are well-established and commonplace, and most users are accustomed to 1,920-by-1,080 resolution. Well, 2015 could be the year a good number of us finally quadruple that resolution (hence the "4K" designation) to 3,840 by 2,160.

4K televisions have been around for a few years, but they haven't quite clicked with most consumers for two reasons. First, they have been much more expensive than 1080p televisions. Second, there simply hasn't been much content available in 4K. HDTV manufacturers have been steadily chipping away at the first problem, and streaming media services are working hard to fix the second.

You'll still have to pay a premium for 4K next year, but expect that price to stabilize around $2,000 to $3,000 for big screens from major manufacturers, and a few to even squeak into the $1,500 to $2,000 range. With more companies making more 4K panels in more sizes, the technology has steadily become more affordable across the board. It's no longer just a small handful of display manufacturers carefully rolling a few UHD panels off of freshly built and configured assembly lines. Every major HDTV brand either already has 4K televisions in their lineup or will announce them at CES, and in either case case they'll be showing off new and more affordable 4K screens at the show.

Streaming Is the Future
That leaves the problem of 4K content (or lack thereof). We need a reason to invest in 4K, even if that investment is becoming more affordable. Sony and Samsung have tried offering their own proprietary sources of 4K movies and shows (Sony's UHD 4K streaming player and Samsung's hard drive full of 4K movies), but we haven't seen a physical media format to actually let us buy and play higher-resolution content.
We probably still won't at CES 2015. That's where YouTube, Netflix, Amazon Instant Video, Hulu Plus, Vudu, and other streaming-video services come in. YouTube has supported 4K content for over a year, Netflix began streaming some shows in 4K earlier this year, and Amazon Instant Video started offering 4K programming just last month. Expect that trend to continue not just with those three, but with other major streaming services, too.

Beyond 4K
4K is the forseeable future for HDTVs, but expect new numbers followed by K to be peppered through CES. Some manufacturers will show 8K or higher resolution HDTVs, but these aren't displays you need to worry about for the next few years. 4K hasn't really made its mark, and higher-resolution televisions are proofs of concept designed to show off what the future will be like. They can carefully build the panels to demonstrate at CES, but don't expect any of them to see retail release until at least 2017. And they won't be affordable until at least 2020.

Not Just 4K
Besides 4K, expect a continued push for curved displays as an alternative to flat panels. Curved screens are certainly eye-catching, but we're still not sold on them being worth the premium they currently demand. With 4K becoming more prominent among consumers, curved screens might see less emphasis this year than last year since the higher resolution is a more compelling feature for users. At the very least, though, Samsung will keep pitching curved HDTVs.
More importantly, we'll see new OLED displays come out. With plasma now officially dead, OLED is stepping in to become the future of high-end HDTVs. The new technology (which is not remotely like regular LED-lit LCD technology, despite the similar name) can offer perfect blacks and excellent colors in thinner panels than the LCDs now used in nearly all HDTVs on the market. Keep an eye out for new, bigger, and more affordable (at least, some combination of those three) OLED HDTVs for 2015.

Montblanc Makes Mechanical Watches Smarter With New e-Strap Band

Here's a dilemma: You're a big fan of the look, feel, and design of super-expensive mechanical watches, but you're also a bit intrigued by all the potential of the new smartwatch era. You previously plunked down thousands for a super-fancy watch, however, which makes you a bit less interested in buying yet another wrist adornment that will cut into the amount of time you can show off your main piece.

Montblanc, maker of expensive fancy mechanical watches, hopes to have found an issue for your dilemma. The company has announced a brand-new "e-Strap band" that keeps your watch's face all mechanical, pristine, and sexy, while packing all the electronic fun bits into the watch's actual strap. Would one call this a hybrid watch, in that case?

Suffice, the leather strap—with a "carbon fiber texture," as A Blog to Watch describes—comes with a little electronic module at the bottom that you can get in either coated steel or gray steel. Yes, you can customize the band itself a bit.

The little module has a small 128x36-pixel OLED screen on it, which you can use to view notifications whenever you flip your wrist around. The module also pairs with a related smartphone app which gives you more access to said notifications as well as a built-in activity tracker. The e-Strap band tracks your footsteps via a built-in accelerometer, but that's it; don't expect any fancy pulse rate measurement or other health-themed items from Montblanc's band.

Said e-Strap will come packaged with a few of Montblanc's Timewalker Urban Speed watches, but you can also purchase it separately. It'll be compatible with any other 42mm- or 45mm-wide Timewalker watch and, as A Blog to Watch notes, it'll probably work with any other watch with a similar lug-to-lug size. It is, after all, just a band—a smarter band, but a band nevertheless. It's also a band that retails for 250 Euros or so, which is more than the cost of most simple smartwatches it's designed to imitate.

Android Lollipop Benchmarked: Faster Than 4.4

Call it the state of the ART. With two Google Nexus 5 phones at PCMag, we were finally able to benchmark an Android 4.4 device with the older Dalvik runtime against Android 5.0 Lollipop's new ART runtime, and we found a bit of a difference.

Android 4.4 introduced ART, but it was hidden behind a panel of developer settings. Lollipop makes it mandatory. As Jason Snell (not that Jason Snell) recounts at New Relic, the ART runtime compiles applications when they're installed, as opposed to on each run. That makes execution dramatically faster. Snell found application performance sometimes tripled. We didn't find results that dramatic on our various benchmark tests, but we did see a bit of a performance boost:

Google has done a good job of filtering Material Design and new features down to Android 4.4; the new calendar, maps, and Chrome 39 are all available to earlier versions of Android. So browser improvements in Chrome 39, as you can see from the Browsermark score above, carry over to both 4.4 and 5.0 devices.

RAM, graphics, and database I/O scores all stayed almost exactly the same from Android 4.4 to Android 5.0. But apps will probably launch more quickly and run more smoothly because of that boosted compilation speed.

This all comes at a cost, though. Adobe confirmed that its Air software isn't yet compatible with Android 5.0, affecting a slew of third-party apps built with Air. The site AndroidPit has a list of other current Lollipop bugs.

We still think Lollipop is a huge step forward for Android users, and you should look forward to when it arrives on your device. Read our full review for more details.

Find Missing Phone, Keys With Motorola Keylink

Lose your keys? If so, Motorola is hoping to save you the trouble of searching with the Motorola Keylink.

The tiny little device attaches to your keychain and pairs up to the Motorola Connect app for iOS or Android. If you lose your keys, you can use the app to trigger the Bluetooth-enabled Keylink, which will emit a ring so long as your keys are within 100 feet or so of your smartphone.

Another fun trick: If you happen to lose your phone, but have your keys, you can also press a button on the Keylink to make your phone ring. And that's not all.

"If you own a [second-gen] Moto X (video below) Droid Turbo (slideshow above) or a phone running Android 5.0 Lollipop, you can use your trusted device settings to enable the added ability to keep your phone unlocked when your keys are nearby. This way you don't have to enter your password to use it. Just enable trusted devices by going into settings and then security," Motorola said.

The Keylink's battery isn't anything fancy, just a standard coin cell battery available in most stores. With it, the Keylink will remain active for just around one year. Motorola and T-Mobile are currently selling the KeyLink for $25, and it'll work with any Android phone running version 4.3 of the OS or later (Jelly Bean) and any iPhone running iOS 7.1 or later.

And, yes, the Keylink can even "get a little wet," as Motorola describes.