Google clearly means business at its first CES 2018 appearance, with a massive booth hosting the reveal of Smart Display, the search giant's take on the Amazon Echo Show devices.
Smart Display is, essentially, a platform for Google Assistant-powered smart speakers featuring a display. Google insists such devices are not mere Android tablets, since they use a full voice interface and actually run on Android Things, a variant of the OS designed for IoT. Smart Display devices cannot run apps and present traditional assistant functionality using what appears to be a card-based UI.
YouTube support comes out of the box-- unlike the Echo Show, following the recent Google-Amazon kerfuffle-- while a built-in camera allows for Google Duo videoconferencing. It can also act as a home automation hub when paired with other Google Assistant-compatible devices, such as Nest cameras or thermostats.
The Xbox One X handles 4K video out of the box-- and after an app update it can also stream YouTube in 4K at up to 60fps, providing owners of 4K TVs to invest the latest Microsoft console.
The kit bundles an XP-3 control processor, Pro Control Pro24.z remote and an unlimited RTiPanel license. The processor features a built-in ZigBee RF transceiver to allow bi-directional communications with compatible RTI and Pro Control remote controls. In addition to control options (including IR, RS-232 and relays) the XP-3 uses two-way drivers to provide uers with feedback from 3rd party devices and event scheduling.
The xPRESS keypad pairs with any Sonos device via wifi. It has play/pause, track forward, volume and Sonos favourites buttons, and can control an entire Sonos home sound system when grouped in party mode. The actual device is portable, and powered via rechargeable lithium battery promising 4-6 months of use on a single charge.
RTI announces a special edition of the T3x handheld system control-- one with a white finish, part of a 25th anniversary celebration allowing dealers to vote on their favourite finish colour.
The Echo Show does everything regular Echo devices do, only with the addition of a 7-inch touchscreen and a camera. Thus it allows for video calls, fullscreen cards for answers to queries and online video viewing (but not YouTube videos, since Google blocked access on the Amazon device for some reason).
A redesigned UI of the initial ProVue web releases simplifies setup and management without sacrificing the power of Ihiji solutions. Meanwhile improved Invision features use the Ihiji device module and identification library for auto-discovery, device identification, setup and deep insights.
