CES 2017 – GeekWire Special Coverage

Here are the ‘missed opportunities’ soccer legend Landon Donovan sees with sports technology

LAS VEGAS — Major League Soccer clubs, like many other pro sports franchises, are using data analytics and technology more… Read More

How this reluctant Fitbit investor almost missed a $1.6 billion windfall

Tech investor Brad Feld remembers his first call with Fitbit CEO James Park. It was in 2010, during a major… Read More

Video: What it’s like to use Amazon’s Alexa in a Ford hybrid car

LAS VEGAS — Alexa was the buzz of CES this year, with exhibitors showing integrations of Amazon’s voice-enabled virtual assistant into… Read More

NASA shows off robots, a VR trip to Mars, and more at CES

LAS VEGAS — NASA doesn’t make consumer electronics per say, but it does enough geeky stuff that it was right… Read More

NCAA President Mark Emmert: Technology a ‘very high priority’ for collegiate sports

LAS VEGAS — Utilizing new technology is a “very high priority” for the NCAA, according to the organization’s leader. GeekWire… Read More

The female perspective: Takeaways from my experience watching VR porn made for dudes

LAS VEGAS — Last week, I got to experience something I never thought possible as a woman: sex from the… Read More

The ‘Device Like No Other’ American Greetings showed off at CES was, you guessed it, a card

When we found out greeting card titan American Greetings was exhibiting at CES we thought it was an odd match.… Read More

GeekWire CES Dispatch, Day 4: Spotting celebrities and searching for the next big thing in tech

LAS VEGAS — We’re back with our final video dispatch from the 2017 Consumer Electronics Show, including several celebrity sightings, an… Read More

Former NFL star QB Warren Moon predicts Seahawks playoff game and talks tech at CES

LAS VEGAS — There are tons of big-name sports stars at CES this week checking out the giant technology expo for… Read More

Under Armour CEO Kevin Plank is moving fast, just in case Apple and Samsung step on his turf

LAS VEGAS — “Why is a sports brand at CES?” That’s the question that Under Armour founder and CEO Kevin… Read More

Amazon exec Paul Misener warns that state laws could bog down drone deliveries

A patchwork of state laws governing drone operations would pose a “real problem” for aerial delivery systems like the one… Read More

CES has strict rules on adult content. Why this sex-tech exhibitor has never had a problem

Tucked away in a far corner of the Las Vegas Convention Center, a friendly husband and wife team are waiting… Read More

Ford CEO downplays Trump’s role in nixing Mexican plant, weighs in on tech, globalization and jobs

LAS VEGAS — Ford was the latest company to find itself in the spotlight over issues of jobs and globalization… Read More

Hall of Fame QB Joe Montana loves VR, wishes it was around when he was playing

LAS VEGAS — Former San Francisco 49ers star quarterback Joe Montana is just one of the many attendees at this… Read More

GeekWire CES Dispatch, Day 3: The very busy show floor, an interview with Shaq, and more

LAS VEGAS — For our team in Las Vegas, it already feels like CES has lasted several weeks (or perhaps several… Read More

FAA tests drone defense system to protect against a flying robot uprising

Drone sightings by commercial pilots are on the rise, and so is the Federal Aviation Administration’s research into systems that detect… Read More

USPS at CES? Why the national mail carrier is at the world’s biggest tech expo

LAS VEGAS — One of these things is not like the other. Nestled among drones, audio equipment, and robots on the… Read More

LEGO gives playtime a Boost with robotics kit that will let kids bring their toys to life

Because little geeks are the future big geeks who will make more cool stuff for all of us, it’s nice… Read More

Q&A: T-Mobile execs talk KickBack, elimination of rates and fees, FCC’s future and wireless M&A

LAS VEGAS — T-Mobile announced its latest “Un-Carrier” initiative here Thursday, announcing plans to include taxes and fees in the rates it… Read More

Amazon at CES: ‘We believe there will be an Alexa skill for everyone, for everything’

LAS VEGAS — Amazon said this week that there are now more than 7,000 Alexa skills, third-party integrations that extend the… Read More

Listen up, pet parents — Seattle’s Rover talks wearables and more dog tech trends at CES

LAS VEGAS — In the Pacific Northwest, people love their dogs. The stereotypical Seattle office, with its jeans-and-a-T-shirt dress code… Read More

Amazon Alexa VP throws subtle shade at Google Home exec over Echo’s lead

LAS VEGAS — Amazon’s early lead with the Echo smart speaker left competitor like Google playing catch up. But a… Read More

Video: Former NBA stars Shaq, Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith talk tech, politics, hoops at CES

LAS VEGAS — It was so much fun we had to do it again. GeekWire just reunited with Shaquille O’Neal, Charles… Read More

Cortana in the car: Microsoft launches new automotive tech platform, strikes Renault-Nissan partnership

LAS VEGAS — Can Microsoft put itself in the driver’s seat in the new world of cars? After working for more… Read More

Spotted at CES: Amazon’s funky Treasure Truck makes trek from Seattle to bring deals to Vegas

LAS VEGAS — It’s a long way from home. Amazon’s quirky Treasure Truck, which has delighted shoppers in the Seattle… Read More

Geeks gawk as models rock the fashion runway with Gibson guitars and headphones at CES

LAS VEGAS — This has to beat staring at another drone or smart refrigerator. In a large, white tent in… Read More

Technology brings sports fans closer to their favorite teams than ever before, but they want more

LAS VEGAS — No matter the industry, whether sports, virtual reality, cars or media, people want to be closer to… Read More

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver predicts how we’ll watch basketball in 5 years

LAS VEGAS — Over the past several decades, technology has changed the way NBA fans listen and watch games, from radios… Read More

Media titan Barry Diller discusses fake news, the ‘nasty consequences’ of everyone being a publisher

LAS VEGAS — It didn’t take long for Barry Diller — the outspoken and charismatic chairman of IAC and Expedia… Read More

This is how actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt thinks we can fix education, journalism, and government

LAS VEGAS — Joseph Gordon-Levitt, the lifelong actor who starred in Inception, 500 Days of Summer, and most recently Snowden, thinks online… Read More

Live Blog: T-Mobile introduces ‘KickBack’ data refund, vows to include taxes and fees in rates

LAS VEGAS — T-Mobile this morning announced a new “KickBack” program that will credit customers up to $10/month for unused… Read More

‘I just have to pinch myself’: The Linux Foundation is still adjusting to AT&T’s embrace of open source

LAS VEGAS — “AT&T is an open-source software company now — I just have to pinch myself.” That’s how Linux… Read More

Audi teams up with Nvidia to create an advanced autonomous car by 2020

Nvidia may be best-known for video games, but its deal with Audi to provide the smarts for an autonomous vehicle… Read More

Live blog: CES show floor up and running! GeekWire takes in the weird and wonderful

Massive crowds are gathering at the Las Vegas Convention Center to spot celebrities, connect with key members of the electronics… Read More

Guilty parents will feel good about this $149 exercise bike from Fisher-Price that keeps your preschooler active during screen time

LAS VEGAS — Kids love their screen time, a period to tune out from rest of the world. But for… Read More

GeekWire CES Dispatch, Day 2: High-tech celebrities, Alexa in the fridge, and VR barf bags

LAS VEGAS — The final CES media day was packed with surprises, reveals, and more than anything, Amazon’s Alexa. As… Read More

Ford is turning its cars into Amazon Alexa devices starting this month

LAS VEGAS — Ford will begin rolling out Amazon’s Alexa voice assistant this month, starting by allowing hybrid and electric vehicle owners to interact… Read More

Reddit’s Alexis Ohanian checks out car tech at CES, confirms fiancée Serena Williams is a geek

LAS VEGAS — We know Alexis Ohanian is a geek. The entrepreneur co-founded Reddit and helped start companies like Hipmunk… Read More

Nvidia unveils cloud service that turns your PC into a powerful gaming machine

LAS VEGAS — It’s difficult for many people to play the latest and greatest computer games because they don’t have a… Read More

Intel goes all out at CES media event, gives 260 reporters and analysts VR demos with barf bags

LAS VEGAS — Intel’s event at CES last year was pretty epic, with flying drones and twisting BMX bikers wow-ing… Read More

Sony’s PlayStation 4 hits 53.4M in lifetime console sales, including 6.2M this holiday season

Sony has sold 53.4 million PlayStation 4 consoles worldwide in a little more than three years. Sony CEO Kaz Hirai said… Read More

Actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s 3 problems with the Internet — and how to fix them

LAS VEGAS — Actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt is ready for the Internet to “grow up.” It needs to happen, he told… Read More

Samsung doubles down on smart refrigerators with second generation of tablet-as-a-door technology

Last year Samsung raised eyebrows when it slapped a giant 21.5-inch LCD touch screen on the front of a refrigerator. This… Read More

Intel and New Balance reveal new $299 RunIQ smartwatch; runs on Android Wear and Intel Atom

New Balance is getting into the smartwatch game with a little help from Intel. The shoemaker today announced RunIQ, a new… Read More

The internet of beds? Microsoft exec teases the future of IoT, which could include 50 billion devices

LAS VEGAS — You may have heard about the internet of cows, but we may soon see the internet of beds… Read More

Toyota unveils ‘kinetic warmth’ concept car at CES that uses AI to nurture driver-vehicle relationship

LAS VEGAS — Can technology help our cars behave more like humans? Toyota is betting on it. The company unveiled… Read More

CES: Samsung faces up to Note 7 recall, promises root-cause report ‘very soon’

LAS VEGAS — Opening its news conference here at CES this afternoon, Samsung didn’t shy away from the company’s biggest… Read More

Samsung and Google unveil Chromebooks with built-in stylus, challenging Microsoft Surface and Apple iPad Pro

LAS VEGAS — Samsung today is unveiling a pair of new Google notebooks, the Intel-powered Chromebook Pro and ARM-powered Chromebook… Read More

Say please, kids! Mattel’s new Cortana-powered smart hub can require good manners

LAS VEGAS — A new smart hub announced today by Mattel, targeted to kids and parents, is notable in part because… Read More

Faraday Future FF 91 ‘may not even be a car,’ but whatever this ‘species’ is, it can ‘outrun gravity’

LAS VEGAS — I’ve owned my share of cars and SUVs and Jeeps over the years, and while none of them have… Read More

‘This will put Monster on the map.’ High-end speaker manufacturer launches Amazon Alexa bundle

LAS VEGAS — Monster, the audio company behind Beats headphones, is bringing Amazon virtual assistant Alexa to its line of… Read More

Amazon’s smart assistant Alexa now tops 7,000 skills, a 7X increase in 7 months

Amazon’s digital assistant Alexa is getting more skillful by the day. The brain behind Amazon’s Echo speakers has topped 7,000… Read More

New Alexa skill from Turner Sports helps fans ditch cable guide, find how to watch their teams

Scrolling through a TV guide or surfing around the web to find out which channel, radio station, or website is best… Read More

Indoor drag race at CES: Faraday Future FF 91 vs Bentley, Ferrari and Tesla

LAS VEGAS — Last night, Faraday Future unveiled their FF 91 electric car at CES. They boasted of a 0-60mph… Read More

Talk to the fridge: LG will put Amazon Alexa in a refrigerator, letting users buy groceries via voice

LAS VEGAS — LG Electronics will put Amazon’s Alexa voice-enabled virtual assistant in a new Smart InstaView refrigerator, allowing people to ask questions, play music,… Read More

GeekWire CES Dispatch, Day 1: Fast cars, big dreams and high-tech underwear

LAS VEGAS — The CES show floor doesn’t officially open until Thursday, but the press conferences and technology previews are… Read More

Sticky-note printer could change the way you jot down reminders

LAS VEGAS — Want to create your own sticky note? Mangoslab, which spun out of Samsung Electronics last year, showed… Read More

Hair coaches, anti-pollution scarves, smart canes: 7 ridiculous products from CES Unveiled

LAS VEGAS — TIL “smart” products can be pretty dumb. That was my main takeaway from CES Unveiled, a media… Read More

These high-tech boxers shield testicles from smartphone radiation and protect sperm

LAS VEGAS — While weaving through a throng of reporters and analysts on Tuesday afternoon at CES Unveiled, the kickoff… Read More

Faraday Future unveils their first electric car — the FF 91

LAS VEGAS — With a thumping bass soundtrack in a lengthy airplane hangar-like building in Vegas, Faraday Future unveiled their new… Read More

This underwater drone sports a fish luring light and baiting system to help hook the big one

LAS VEGAS — A revolutionary immersive fishing experience. That was the bait that got me — a novice fisherman whose… Read More

Meet the Jetsons: Smart homes estimated to be $3.5B annual market, says chief CES economist

LAS VEGAS — Smart home devices — like connected lights, security, and appliances — may seem like they’re in their… Read More

More than 700 Amazon Alexa applications may launch in the next 4 days, CES chief economist says

LAS VEGAS —Alexa, will this be the CES show where your dominance is established in voice computing? Shawn DuBravac, the… Read More

Don’t be left in the dark: History promotes Navy SEAL series ‘Six’ with night-vision demo at CES

LAS VEGAS — If you thought talking to your washing machine via Amazon’s Alexa was the most grueling example of… Read More

Meet the Portal: Chrysler’s futuristic bet to get finicky millennials to buy cars

LAS VEGAS — Fiat Chrysler’s newest electric concept car is all about millennials. That much was clear after the company’s… Read More

Qualcomm launches new Windows 10-friendly Snapdragon 835 processor

LAS VEGAS — Qualcomm launched the latest version of its widely used Snapdragon mobile processor line today, laying the foundation for… Read More

Despite a declining market, innovative computers still matter at CES thanks to Intel, Dell, HP, others

What’s old is new again. CES, originally known as the Consumer Electronics Show, was launched in 1967 — well before… Read More

Amazon Fire and Alexa-powered 4K UHD TVs coming later this year

Amazon Fire TV for the first time will come pre-installed on several actual TVs. Previously, Amazon Fire TV came in… Read More

Amazon’s Alexa will soon show up in a new Lenovo smart speaker and work with Dish Network DVRs

Amazon’s digital brain Alexa is growing outside the online retail giant, with PC maker Lenovo and Dish Network both announcing… Read More

Fiat Chrysler set to unveil all-electric car at CES this week

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) is set to unveil a new all-electric vehicle at the big Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las… Read More

Amazon poised to dominate CES, thanks to Alexa and Dash integrations

Amazon doesn’t even have its own CES booth, but the Seattle-based tech giant promises to be one of the biggest stories at the… Read More

Video: What to expect at CES next week, as GeekWire heads to the big tech show

WIll Fiat unveil a new car? Will Amazon Alexa dominate the show? Will VR make GeekWire’s John Cook almost throw… Read More

Sports tech at CES: Star athletes and new products on deck at annual tech-palooza

From Hall of Fame athletes to up-and-coming startups to big tech giants, sports will once again be a focus at CES in… Read More

10 of the goofiest CES pitches this year: The Butt Case, BodyFriend, Tittle, and more

Keeping up with the onslaught of pitch emails sent in the weeks before the Consumer Electronics Show is a Sisyphean… Read More

T-Mobile teases big ‘Un-carrier’ announcement for Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas

T-Mobile has begun hyping its next “Un-carrier” move, which it will announce at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas next month.… Read More

: Actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt delivers AT&T guest keynote at CES. (GeekWire Photo by Monica Nickelsburg).

: Media executive and Expedia chairman Barry Diller, left, speaks at CES. (GeekWire photo / John Cook)

: T-Mobile CEO John Legere. (GeekWire File Photo / Todd Bishop)

: Former NBA Commissioner David Stern looks on as his successor Adam Silver speaks at CES.

: Amazon’s Treasure Truck at CES. (GeekWire Photo ? John Cook)

: Ford CEO Mark Fields at CES in Las Vegas today.

: Intel CEO

: OhMiBod co-founders Suki and Brian Dunham. (GeekWire Photo)

: Naughty America demos porn in VR at CES. (GeekWire Photo / Kevin Lisota)

: CES in Las Vegas in 2017. (GeekWire File Photo / Kevin Lisota)

: Kenny “The Jet” Smith at CES.

: NBA Commissioner Adam Silver (center) speaks at Turner’s Sports Business Innovation event at CES in Las Vegas on Thursday. (GeekWire photos / Kevin Lisota)

: Former NBA Commissioner David Stern looks on as his successor Adam Silver speaks at CES.