CES 2019: Forget hoverboards, Swagtron's off-road electric skateboard is the new pipe dream

Swagtron was an ealry innovator in the electric hoverboard craze at CES years ago, now the company is back with an astonishing list of new electric bikes and scooters. While these make for convenient and efficient transportation, what stands out most is their beefy Swagskate off-road electric skateboard.

This looks like the love child of Batman's Tumbler Batmobile and an electric skateboard and it is glorious in its ruggedness. "Rolling on 9-inch knobby pneumatic tires and suspension trucks front and rear, this beast is boosted by dual 800-watt motors capable of 25 mph for up to 18 miles per charge. A responsive, durable 10-ply maple and bamboo deck ties it all together."

Swagskate can be used in urban and off-road environments and we can't wait to see what it can do in demos as well as find out how much it costs. 

CES 2019: Lenovo's X1 Yoga is first ThinkPad to receive aluminum enclosure

As competition in the premium laptop and notebook segment heats up, it is not enough for manufacturers to rely on processor and performance upgrades, bezel-reduced displays and thinner form factors to remain competitive. Lenovo gets this and has imbued its ThinkPad X1 Yoga line with aluminum enclosures. ThinkPads are premium devices and usually come with metal frames but polycarbonate plastic enclosures which, while sturdy, felt less than completely premium.

The skinny ThinkPad X1 PCs are the first aluminum ThinkPads which is quite surprising since there are more premium models geared towards enterprise that could have used the upgrade. 

“Creating the 2019 ThinkPad X1 Yoga required us to completely go back to the drawing board and develop all new approaches,” said Jerry Paradise, vice president, Commercial Product Portfolio. “The challenge of reimagining our engineering, design and materials while achieving the reliability, quality, and usability required of a ThinkPad was massive, but the end result will provide a delightful customer experience.” 

Source: NeoWin

CES 2019: Sony debuts massive 8K TV model

8K is the new big thing at this year’s CES. And the big manufacturers seem to all have their take on it. Sony’s model—the Master Series Z9G 8K LCD—is certainly a big one. It comes in two gigantic sizes—85 inches and 98 inches—and is updated with Sony’s Picture Processor X1 Ultimate image processor as well as X-Reality PRO optimized for 8K. This promise you get great-looking content no matter what the native resolution is, which is important as there isn’t any 8K content available at the moment. It also offers Netflix Calibrated Mode, which means the content is shown as the creators intended, and it’s also part of the IMAX Enhanced certification program. The Z9G comes with four front-firing speakers (two at the top and two at the bottom) to make it seem like the actors on-screen are speaking instead of the sound just coming through the speakers, which is what Sony tried to achieve with its OLED Acoustic Surface Audio. The tech couldn’t be brought to LCD, thus the use of speakers. This 8K model is also an Android TV model with Google Assistant and it’s compatible with Google Home and Amazon Echo smart speakers. No word on price or availability just yet.

Source: Digital Trends

CES 2019: Harley-Davidson release more details about its electric motorcycle, opens preorders

Harley-Davidson’s highly anticipated electric motorcycle gets a bit of exposure at CES. The motorcycle manufacturer announced the LiveWire is now available for preorder and will be delivered to those who preorder later in the fall. It’s going to cost a pretty penny, though, at US$29,799. The electric bike is capable of going from 0 to 60mph in under 3.5 seconds and it requires no clutch or gear shifting, making it simpler for new riders. Harley says it can travel 110 city miles on a single charge, but the company didn’t specify how this translates on the highway. It can be charged from a standard household outlet with Level 1 charger and power or riders can visit public Level 3 DC Fast Charge stations for a quicker top-up. The bike has seven riding modes to choose from—four are standard and three are customizable.

It has a tiltable, colour touchscreen above the handlebar. The LiveWire also comes with a telematics system called H-D Connect, which has data on the bike’s vital stats such as battery charging, service reminders, and even tampering. These data can be sent to the owner via Harley’s connected app, making this the brand’s first mass-market, cellular-connected electric motorcycle. It comes in vivid black, yellow fuse, and orange fuse.

Source: Geek.com