deskthority

Anyone interested in talking about the news at CES 2014? Have you seen anything interesting so far? What are the products you are looking forward the most?

Very interesting of course Valve's stemos and steambox http://store.steampowered.com/news/12175/

But the big thing this year seems to be "wearable", intel revealed Edison: a PC the size of an SD Card



http://www.theverge.com/2014/1/6/528247 ... an-sd-card

I didn't see the unveiling of it (if there even was a stream for it) but I just imagined Intels keyspeaker walk up to the stage and say: "Hello nerds! We are proud to present a reason for you all to get kids other than to please your wifes..."

I just saw the TREWGrip. It's supposed to be the new universal keyboard for your TV, tablet and whatever, where you type on the backside. While the idea is commendable, I think it's just too flat to be comfortable. They should have made it more like a half open book.

that seems very interesting... wondering what would be the learning curve.

According to the dude in the movie I saw on Cesweb.com, it wouldn't have a steep learning curve as the keys are laid out just like a normal keyboard, and so you already have the muscle memory... I am not inclined to agree on that.

Quite silly you have to hold it in the air with both hands:
"hold it" = strain on the fingers because the hands cannot change their position relative to the keyboard,
"in the air" = strain on the arms because they are permanently raised,
"with both hands" = doing anything else than typing (e.g. taking a sip of a drink) requires putting that thing down. If you hold it with only one hand, you have to grip it firmly but at the same time be careful not to hit any key.

Nice thing for a typing competition, but not for normal use.

some more steambox details and photots

http://arstechnica.com/gaming/2014/01/g ... s-variety/

I am not too keen on the prebuild-and-rebadged machines. But some of the more original ones (read: new/custom cases) looks nice, like gigabytes which looks like an honest and cheap well thought out case.

Where are consumer quantum computers? Where is affordable optical computing? I was promised these things years ago, and all I get is this SD card computer I can hide under the folds of my scrotum, just so I could browser Deskthority by fondling my balls. Unless that thing can out-compute my desktop computer I'm not interested.

I remember a newscast from when I was child. A scientist was interviewed about teleportation and he said that it would be possible in 10 years time, 15 if a lot of shit went wrong. That is at least 10 years back and I have come to realise he was a liar, just like every other technology scientist or whatever they are called.

Broadmonkey wrote:I remember a newscast from when I was child. A scientist was interviewed about teleportation and he said that it would be possible in 10 years time, 15 if a lot of shit went wrong. That is at least 10 years back and I have come to realise he was a liar, just like every other technology scientist or whatever they are called.

Or the people who discovered teleportation (him included) have decided to keep it a secret from the world, only using it in the most severe of circumstances in a vain attempt to save humanity from its destruction at the hand of its own inventions...

I'd watch that movie.

Then there are scientists that use the word "teleportation" for transmitting information through quantum entanglement.

BTW, next year is the year that Marty McFly visits the future in Back to the Future part 2. Jaws 19 is showing in movie theatres and cars and skateboards fly.

Findecanor wrote:Then there are scientists that use the word "teleportation" for transmitting information through quantum entanglement.

Marketing!

Very nice little box by Cooler Master



http://www.coolermaster.com/case/mini-i ... /elite110/

Keyboard news:

The aptly named FrogPad 2. The last keyboard you'll ever use? Because you'll saw off your hands in frustration?

The single handed keyboard is a nice idea, but not theirs. I must try making a symmetric one someday, after I've finished this.

Gotta love TidBits. They may be one of the oldest tech news sites of all, but their CES coverage is, uh, nothing like the rest. No need to cover the RGB Corsair when there's this!

Although their layout is QUITE different from Matias's.

Looks like the Half Keyboard in hardware form came out in 2000 (but it was patented in 1989), the original FrogPad in 2002.

that X on the Del key does really need to be that bold?

I get it, I really do. But how on earth do you press space? Doesn't EVERYBODY use his thumb to press space? OK, I understand they wanted FN-like layer "thumb-able", so you can easily reach combos, but why not put space where enter is? You will press space far, far more than enter.

Well 150$ for a scissor switch (I'm guessing, by the looks of it?) keyboard is something I wouldn't pay, not even if it would get me free blow.... anyway.

Is that a real keyboard or just the transparent plastic overlay that is supposed to go on Apple's trackpad?

If I am not mistaken, the original Frogpad came in both a left-handed and a right-handed version.

Madness.



The Lenovo ThinkVision 28 4K Smart Display isn't just a 28-inch 4K monitor—it also has a built-in Android-based computer that allows it to run apps standalone. It can be repositioned, or even positioned flat. It has USB ports, an Ethernet adaptor, and a slot for micro-SD cards. Priced at $1199, it will ship in July.

matt3o wrote:Madness.

The Lenovo ThinkVision 28 4K Smart Display isn't just a 28-inch 4K monitor—it also has a built-in Android-based computer that allows it to run apps standalone. It can be repositioned, or even positioned flat. It has USB ports, an Ethernet adaptor, and a slot for micro-SD cards. Priced at $1199, it will ship in July.

And it's touch-sensitive. You can play Angry Birds on it.

matt3o wrote:Madness.

Spoiler:

The Lenovo ThinkVision 28 4K Smart Display isn't just a 28-inch 4K monitor—it also has a built-in Android-based computer that allows it to run apps standalone. It can be repositioned, or even positioned flat. It has USB ports, an Ethernet adaptor, and a slot for micro-SD cards. Priced at $1199, it will ship in July.

Wow, nice. And the integrated Android device has the power to output 4K res? Does this mean it's touchscreen then?!

It's all about ARM. 4k video is now a must have feature for the chip vendors. Not because it's practical (they're actually aiming this stuff at phones!) but because it's a feature list checkbox that they can tick. Much easier than going 64 bit already. You bolt on another graphics core to your design. Done.

Findecanor wrote:Is that a real keyboard or just the transparent plastic overlay that is supposed to go on Apple's trackpad?

It certainly looks like that! But the price seems even crazier for such a hack, if it is, than the layout.

I have a feeling that they are just upscaling a lower resolution... the android OS outputs something like 1080p and the internal monitor scaler scales everything up to 4k.

matt3o wrote:Madness...

if it features a decent panel the price doesn't seem that odd (says someone in front of a $250 TN TFT)

Muirium wrote:It's all about ARM. 4k video is now a must have feature for the chip vendors. Not because it's practical (they're actually aiming this stuff at phones!) but because it's a feature list checkbox that they can tick. Much easier than going 64 bit already. You bolt on another graphics core to your design. Done.

Totally agreed. When ARM64 SOCs will start to be manufactured, the real revolution will comes. Adding a 4k monitor with such a powerless device is nonsense to me, instead we need not backlighted screens as (colourful) electronic paper with a high refresh rate and no reminiscent : this will be a real improvement.

Waiting for LG real 4k ips (not tn) monitor, then if you want a decent dot pitch it has to be at least 32"

Clio Invisible speaker... http://www.clearviewaudio.com/pages/clio

Oculus rift Crystal cove

http://techcrunch.com/2014/01/09/oculus ... stal-cove/