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GE's Alexa microwave cooks when you scan a barcode (updated)
Want to know just how connected even a relatively ordinary microwave has become? Just ask GE Appliances. The brand has unveiled the Smart Countertop Microwave with Scan-to-Cook, which touts both Alexa voice control compatibility and its namesake scanning feature to speed up your culinary duties. The Alexa support is fairly self explanatory (you can use an Alexa device to add time or stop cooking), but Scan-to-Cook could be particularly helpful if you hate interpreting instructions on food boxes. You just have to scan a barcode on the packaging with a mobile app and it'll choose the appropriate time and power levels. In other words, you shouldn't risk ruining your macaroni the first time you nuke it.
The best air conditioner
By Liam McCabe This post was done in partnership with Wirecutter. When readers choose to buy Wirecutter's independently chosen editorial picks, it may earn affiliate commissions that support its work. Read the full article here. After six summers of researching, testing, and recommending window air conditioners, we've learned that quiet and affordable ACs make most people the happiest—and we think the LG LW8016ER will fit the bill in most rooms. This 8,000 Btu unit cools as efficiently and effectively as any model with an equal Btu rating, and runs at a lower volume and deeper pitch than others at this price. Little extra features like a fresh-air vent, two-axis fan blades, and a removable drain plug help set it apart, too. The LG LW8016ERis a top choice for an office or den, and some people will find it quiet enough for a bedroom, too. If our main pick is sold out, grab the Frigidaire FFRE0833S1. It's a little bit louder and higher-pitched than our new pick, but it's an equally capable performer that's usually around the same price. The Frigidaire is also a little bit easier to install because it's smaller and lighter. If you're buying an air conditioner for your bedroom and don't mind paying a little extra, treat yourself to the Frigidaire Gallery FGRQ08L3T1. It's the quietest window AC we've tested over the past few years. It's also easy to install, and it comes with plenty of extra foam for insulation. In cooling performance, it's on a par with our pick and runner-up; in price, it's usually higher than our pick by as much as $100. By June 2017, this model had sold out for the season, so you may need to act fast if you're interested in it this year. We're also recommending the Frigidaire FGRQ0833U1 as a backup in case the L3T1 goes out of stock. The 33U1 is more expensive, and we haven't tested it ourselves, but Frigidaire confirmed to us that the two models are essentially the same. Both are 8,000 Btu rated, have Energy Efficiency Ratios of 12, and are designed to cool rooms up to 350 square feet. We think this model's a decent option if our other picks are unavailable—it beats sweating through the summer with a subpar model. The Haier Serenity Series ESAQ406T, our former upgrade pick for the latter part of summer 2017, is a pretty good option if our other picks go out of stock. It's a 6,000 Btu model, so it's meant for small rooms, and it's a lot pricier than our other picks—but it's so quiet that you should be able to sleep easier all summer. This guide also includes our current thoughts on "smart," Wi-Fi–controllable air conditioners (and a smart AC accessory), plus recommendations for other kinds of air conditioners, including portable ACs (in a separate guide), through-the-wall units, and casement-window models.
Smart bakeware tells you when your cheesecake is ready
Temperature is everything when you're baking, but it's not all that fun to keep poking your dessert with a thermometer or toothpick to make sure it's truly finished. You might not have to before long: GE Appliances' FirstBuild community has unveiled a Precision Bakeware concept that alerts you through a mobile app when your baked goods reach their ideal temperature. Instead of hanging around the kitchen out of fear that your cheesecake is overdone, you can walk away and finish watching that favorite show.
Cuba opens its first computer factory
Cuba is slowly opening up to technology, but it hasn't actually been making technology. Its exports are dominated by natural products like nickel, sugar and tobacco. The nation is about to diversify, however: it just inaugurated its first computer factory, which officials claim will "promote technology and digital literacy." It's a modest plant, to put it mildly. The factory is only capable of producing 120,000 devices per year, and Chinese electronics giant Haier is shouldering a lot of the responsibility by supplying equipment, tech and training. The facility is thoroughly modern, however, and will make modern laptops (using Celeron, Core i3 and Core i5 chips, Cuba eagerly points out) as well as 8- and 10-inch tablets.
Microsoft's apps will ship with Android tablets from LG and Sony
If you thought Microsoft's app deal with Samsung was surprising... well, that's just the tip of the iceberg. The Windows maker has reached agreements to bundle its apps and services on Android tablets from 20 companies. Most of these firms are small regional brands, but there are a few global powerhouses that include LG (which will include Microsoft on an unnamed future device) and Sony (starting with the Xperia Z4 Tablet). Yes, this probably means getting the Office suite and other apps you might not use much, if at all. However, it's evident that Microsoft doesn't mind -- it'd rather make its services as ubiquitous as possible than send you straight into Google's arms.
Google reveals budget Chromebooks including a $249 ASUS convertible
Ladies and gentlemen, get ready for some new Chromebooks. Yep, Google has just announced four new Chrome OS laptops, all of which lean toward the budget-friendly end of the spectrum. They are the ASUS Chromebook Flip, the ASUS Chromebook C201, the Hisense Chromebook and the Haier Chromebook 11 (This also comes in an educational version dubbed the 11e). Though it's the priciest model at $249, the most notable one by far is ASUS' Chromebook Flip. Not only is it the slimmest of the bunch with a thickness of only 15mm, it has a 10.1-inch touchscreen IPS display that can be flipped (hence the name) 360 degrees around.
The booth babe is alive and living in Haier's TVs
I can think of hundreds of brands I'd rather write about than Haier. It's a second-tier manufacturer that creates functional, but uninspiring products. But after walking through its booth yesterday on the way to the Engadget stage, I noticed something worth writing about. Booth babes have been a fixture of CES ever since the show started in the '60s, and in recent years they've guided bewildered buyers and journalists through Haier's eclectic mix of HaiPads, TVs and wireless blenders. At CES 2015, there are no alluring women to be seen, but as much as I'd love to be able to praise Haier for halting the practice, I can't. Instead, Haier has found a horrible new way to use attractive women to market its products. Digital booth babes.
Roku TV is gearing up for a future full of 4K
Roku is going 4K! Eventually. The company has announced plans for a 4K reference model of a Roku TV, and that TCL would be the first to partner with the company in the Ultra HD space. What does that mean? Well, it means soon enough Roku will have a board and software capable of spitting out unnaturally hi-res video from the likes of Netflix (one of the first to announce it will deliver 4K through Roku TV), but that it will be up to TV manufacturers to turn that into a consumer product. How long will that take? Who knows? The company isn't nailing down a time frame just yet. But we don't expect anything to hit shelves until the summer at the earliest. (And we're probably being optimistic.)
Could your washer really charge your smartphone from across the room?
Wireless charging is a little bit more convenient than plugging your device in, but was picking up a microUSB lead ever that much of a chore in the first place? White goods and TV supremos Haier believe so, which is why it's signed a development pact with wireless charging outfit Energous. The latter company's WattUp technology promises to deliver power over the same radio bands as a WiFi router and is apparently able to charge a smartphone from distances of up to 15 feet. The idea, at this early stage, is to cram these power transmitters into Haier's refrigerators, washing machines and microwaves, so that you can re-juice your phone while you wait for your dinner and do your laundry.
Haier's new OLED TV is harder to push over than most
Eye control is all well and good, but what Haier was really pumped about at this year's IFA was its new 55-inch OLED set. And, granted, the set is nice and thin at four millimeters, with a 1.5 millimeter bezel. What the company was really excited about, however, was the built-in stand. Yep, it's a four millimeter thick TV that can stand on its own, making it really difficult to push over in one direction, at least. We appreciate the sentiment, but we'll be more excited when we can start controlling the thing with our brains. Follow all of our IFA 2013 coverage by heading to our event hub!
Haier shows off its latest eye-controlled TV at IFA, we go eyes-on, naturally (update: video)
Let's face it, it wouldn't be a proper IFA if we didn't take some time out of our busy schedules to pop by Haier's booth for a little alternative TV action. In past years, we've seen gesture and mind control, transparent sets and, of course eye-control. The company's tweaked the latter a bit, hitting this year's show with the latest prototype. Asked if we'd actually see the set in our lifetimes, the Haier rep we spoke with assured us that the company would have something "soon," so take that as you will. So, what are the changes from last year? For starters, the set is slimmer. More importantly, it's got a new sensor from Tobii, which promises sharper eye detection. We've got to say though, as ever, it takes some getting used to. After calibrating, you move you eyes to different parts of the screen to engage different functions -- like, say, top for menu and bottom for volume. When your eyes drift up there, a menu will pop up. In the case of volume, you move your gaze (and the cursor in turn) to volume up and blink to select. Why this is better than a good old fashioned remote, we're still not sure -- particularly when moving your head can throw the whole thing off. But we've lost our remotes enough times to seriously consider giving it a shot.
A look around Haier's CES 2013 booth: HaiPads, plenty of panels and a wireless blender
Haier had a pretty formidable booth here at CES, so naturally, we had to swing by and cast our eyeballs over anything and everything there. A wall of TVs greeted us, which turned out to be the company's 2013 Roku-ready HDTVs and Android-packing smart models. Screens were everywhere, but there was also a table with some finger-friendly equipment like 9.7-, 7- and 5.3-inch HaiPads, as well as a Windows 8 laptop, touchscreen all-in-one and tab / laptop slider. The slider looked pretty nice, but all the aforementioned hardware was set up in Chinese, so we lost interest pretty quickly. A central hall booth wouldn't be the same without a 4K TV, but not to worry, Haier had a couple on display -- unfortunately, glare from all the other screens dotted around kind of dampened their impact. What we were most interested in was all the prototype technologies on show, but all the Haier reps were from the US sales department, so not a soul could talk about the demonstrations. The eye-controlled TV we saw at IFA last year was getting quite a lot of attention, while the mind-controlled set we've also seen before was almost certainly playing a looping video to give the illusion something was happening. There were also several gesture-controlled models, but one wasn't working and the other was hosting a very basic Kinect-type game. A ping-pong game played with a "Sensory Remote" was also up on one TV, but looked unresponsive and therefore, unfun. A multi-view demo using dual 3D specs did what it was supposed to, and a glasses-free 3D TV prototype showed nice depth as long as you were 12+ ft away (the camera can't really replicate the effect, but there's a quick video of it below anyway). The booth also had a household section which we thought was safe to ignore, until a "wireless blender" caught the eye. "It's just a blender with a battery in it, surely?" this editor asked. "No, there's an inductive coil built into to the underside of the counter," was the reply. Thus was our Haier experience at CES, and to revisit it through our eyes lens, check out the gallery below. Kevin Wong contributed to this report.
Haier HDTVs to get Roku compatibility, HXT series debuts with Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 silicon
Usually, at this time of year Haier rolls out a bundle of new HDTVs, but at CES 2013 it's upgrading some of its existing product lineups instead of hawking all-new gear. Turns out models from Haier's 2013 Core, Encore and Encore+model lineups will be Roku ready, meaning there's an MHL port round the back just for Roku streaming sticks. Of course, you've gotta bring your own dongle to enjoy this new benefit on most of Haier's TVs, unless you spring for Encore+ set bundled with one. Additionally, Haier's HXT 3D Smart TVs will debut packing Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 quad core silicon and running Android 4.2. The MPQ8064 chipset packs an Adreno 320 GPU to provide top-notch graphics, and the TV comes with a WiFi Direct QWERTY remote. Naturally, Haier's not saying how much any of these HD goodies will cost nor when they'll be available, so the info about them after the break will have to do... for now. Follow all the latest CES 2013 news at our event hub.
Haier's Eye-Control TV set, we go eyeballs on (video)
Okay, okay, the transparent TV was neat, but will it actually change the way we watch television? Not likely -- not any time soon, at least. And while the mind-controlled set we saw last year was certainly cool, it didn't offer much in the way of accuracy. This Eye-Control TV, on the other hand, certainly takes a step in the right direction. To use the set, you sit in front of a black rectangular sensor positioned at chest height. There's some calibration involved when moving from person to person, chasing a circle around the screen with your eyes. Once calibrated, you're good to go. You use your eyes for basic TV controls -- changing channels, adjusting the volume, things like that. Switching involves looking at an element of the screen and giving a big blink to select -- the display seems adjusted in such a way that normal blinks won't trigger it, so you're less likely to accidentally set something off. You look down to adjust the volume. A control panel will show up, and from there, you can move the slider left or right by looking at the volume up and volume down icons -- you can also select mute from here. To change channels, look at the top left-hand corner of the screen and blink. That'll bring up a UI featuring large pictures of videos. Look at one and blink at it to select it. The system can also be used to view and toggle between still images. The use of pictures certainly seems the most intuitive method for navigating around videos -- there's a definite learning curve here, and it's hard enough to select pictures -- we couldn't really imagine toggling through small text. As with the transparent television, this doesn't feel quite ready for market -- it's a compelling concept, none the less. And using the human eye to control a display that you're already staring at anyway does seem to have some merits. Check out an eyes-on video, after the jump. %Gallery-163806%
Haier's 46-inch transparent display shows up at IFA, we go eyes-on (video)
After last year's awesome mind-controlled and small transparent television, we made naturally a beeline to the Haier booth on the floor of this year's IFA. While it wasn't yet fully unpacked, we were still pretty impressed with what we saw. The first stop on the visit: this year's version of the transparent TV prototype. So, how's it different than its predecessor? For one thing, it's a lot bigger. At 46 inches, this set feels a lot less like a toy. In fact, it's actually intended for retail usage, and as such, the company had it set up in front a group of mannequins showing off the fashions of Kaska Hass. You can see them quite well through the other wise of the set in the videos and images. The display is connected to a Windows PC at the moment, a tower visible in a nook below the set. You can use touch to control the interface -- it's capable of detecting up to six touch points at once. We used the display to open Quicktime and launch a video, playing, not surprisingly, some footage of Kaska Hass fashion shows. The touch was fairly responsive, the image, on the other hand, is quite dark and not particularly hi-res, particularly when surround by a booth of much nicer sets. Again, keep in mind, this isn't intended to be a consumer technology -- at least not for the time being, and retailers may well not be quite as picky as people sitting in their living room -- and, like a lot of the more forward-thinking products, it's not quite ready for prime time. Still, you can check out a video of what we saw after the break. %Gallery-163805%
Haier celebrates IFA with ultra high def 3D, transparent and eye-controlled TVs
Haier was a bit of a sleeper hit at last year's IFA, and the company looks to be taking on 2012's Berlin-based show in way. For 2011, TV maker showed off its futuristic transparent and brain-controlled TV technologies. This year's selections are set to follow in that vein, beginning with the debut of a new 46-inch transparent TV built on last year's technology, capable of detecting six points at the same time. As before, Haier's seeing business potential in the device, and will be showing it off in the context of a window display at this year's show. Also on the slate is the company's first 3D LED Ultra High Definition set, a 55-incher that will be displaying Ultra High Def footage of booth visitors. Haier will be showcasing even more 3D stuff at the show, including a 55-inch glasses-free LED set with 28 viewing angles and 3D Multi-View, "which allows two people to watch two different images at the same time, on the total surface area of the screen," according to the company. Also on the docket is an eye-controlled set that lets viewers take charge of volume and channels with their peepers and a 3D gesture control system that has a camera built into the set's frame. On a more old school tip is the "high performance sensitive" remote, which has a nine-axis gyroscope inside.
Roku Streaming Stick ready devices will come from Insignia, Mitsubishi, Onkyo, Oppo and others
Roku unveiled its miniaturized Streaming Stick at CES, and while we still don't have an exact release date or price tag, the company has produced a list of manufacturers that will deliver "Roku Ready" hardware. That list is comprised of Element Electronics; GlobalVue International, LLC; Haier; Hitachi America, Ltd.; Insignia / Best Buy (which already tried out this strategy once with the whatever-happened-to-the TiVo-powered cTV); Mitsubishi Electric (TVs); Onkyo and Integra; OPPO and TMAX Digital, Inc.(Apex Digital® TVs). In case you've forgotten, the Roku Streaming Stick plugs into MHL-compatible HDMI ports to not only feed video to the HDTV, receiver or other device, but also accept remote control inputs and power, and brings its own WiFi hookup for internet access. That way, users can add this single accessory to make a "dumb" flat panel into a connected TV all without any extra cords or switching remotes, and, if necessary, easily upgrade in the future. As CEO Anthony Wood mentioned just days ago Roku's current focus is finding companies willing to work together to provide a well integrated experience for the add-on. To make that clear for potential buyers, Roku Ready devices like HDTVs, receivers and Blu-ray players will not only be stamped with a logo to show they're compatible, some will arrive with the dongle packed in. Its due date is set for "the coming weeks" so it shouldn't be long until we nail down the other details about the Roku Streaming Stick -- all currently available information can be found in the press release after the break.
Haier introduces Zing, a waterproof smartphone with Alibaba's Aliyun OS
Zing is right, because you probably didn't see this one coming. Haier, the Chinese consumer electronics company best known for air conditioners, refrigerators, and to a lesser extent, its home theater and mobile phone offerings, has just unleashed a durable phone for the home market with Alibaba's Aliyun OS. The handset is said to be waterproof, dust-proof and shock-proof, and from the looks of it, at least one of those claims is completely legit. The Zing features a 1GHz CPU, a 4-inch WVGA display and a 5-megapixel primary camera. A front-facing VGA shooter is also thrown in for good measure, and the phone will sell for ¥999 (approx. $157) when it hits shelves on June 15th. Perhaps HaiPad owners will consider purchasing a little companion for their tablet.
Haier Brain Wave TV mind-on
We'd all love to be able to control stuff with our minds and seeing as Haier's 58-inch Brain Wave TV was at CES we had to try. To use the mind control, you have to snap a controller on your head which attaches to your earlobe and with a small metal pad on your forehead. Unfortunately, this time around, we couldn't interface with the set to change channels and adjust volume and such but there was a game where you try to fly a bird through a maze. How'd we do? Well, we made the bird float up and down but that's about all. So, for those of you with dreams of never again having to relinquish the remote control because you're wearing it, keep dreaming. Video and pics below the break.
