CES 2019: Kano Teaming Up With Disney for New Star Wars-Themed Coding Products

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Kano, the company known for its range of products designed to teach coding to kids and adults like through innovative coding projects, today announced a new two-year partnership with Disney.

Under the terms of the partnership, Kano plans to developed a Star Wars themed experience and product system, which is set to launch during the second half of 2019. Additional details will be forthcoming.


Kano is also planning to incorporate additional Disney intellectual properties into its products during the length of the partnership, so we could be seeing additional Disney-themed coding projects.

Kano is known for devices like the Harry Potter Kano Coding Wand, which uses the Harry Potter universe to teach coding techniques. With the Harry Potter kit, kids and adults build their own wand and then use it within the Kano coding app to create magic.

Kano customers who are interested in the upcoming Star Wars products can sign up to receive additional details on the Kano website.


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CES 2019: Nanoleaf Shows Off New Hexagon-Shaped Canvas Light Panels, Upcoming Grid Mounting Option

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Nanoleaf, the company that makes lighting panels designed for walls and ceilings, is showing off an upcoming product at CES -- hexagon-shaped light panels.

Nanoleaf currently offers triangle-shaped light panels and square-shaped Canvas panels, a new product introduced in December. The six-sided Hexagon tiles are similar to the Canvas, but come in a unique hexagon design.


Like the square Canvas tiles, the Hexagons are touch enabled, so you can use taps, swipes, and other gestures to do things like swap scenes, turn the tiles on and off, adjust brightness, and more. Up to 500 Hexagons can be connected together and controlled with a single Control Hexagon, though additional power supplies are required for each group of 25.

The Hexagons are in the early stages of development and are set to be released in the fourth quarter of 2019. Pricing is not available for the Hexagon setup, but the Nanoleaf Canvas, which has similar capabilities, is priced at


Nanoleaf is also showcasing its Mounting Grid solution for the Nanoleaf Canvas, which is designed for commercial installations and lets users snap the light squares into place for a secure setup. The Nanoleaf Canvas Mounting Grid will be available in the third quarter of 2019.


For those attending the show, Nanoleaf has an Infinity Lights Room on display, which it calls an "explorative journey through sight, sound, and touch." Nanoleaf Canvas games like Whack-A-Mole, "Canvas" Crush, and Pacman will also be shown off.

Tags: Nanoleaf, CES 2019

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CES 2019: Kenwood Debuts Lineup of Wireless CarPlay Receivers

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Following in the footsteps of Alpine and Pioneer, Kenwood today at CES 2019 introduced its first in-car multimedia receivers with wireless CarPlay.


Kenwood is offering seven new receivers with wireless CarPlay support, many of which are part of its eXcelon series. The model numbers include NX996XR, DDX9906XR, DDX8906S, DMX906S, DNR876S, DDX8706S, and DMX9706S.

Wireless CarPlay enables drivers to connect an iPhone to the receiver via Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, whereas most factory-installed CarPlay receivers still require connecting an iPhone with a Lightning to USB cable to access CarPlay functionality — the exception being select new vehicles from BMW or Mercedes-Benz.

The new Kenwood receivers also feature wireless Android Auto and Google Assistant, according to the car entertainment company.

CarPlay is Apple's in-car software that enables iPhone users to access a range of apps from a vehicle's dashboard display, such as Messages, Apple Maps, Apple Music, Podcasts, Overcast, Spotify, SiriusXM Radio, Pandora, WhatsApp, Downcast, Slacker Radio, Stitcher, and as of iOS 12, Google Maps and Waze.

Related Roundup: CarPlay

Tags: Kenwood, wireless CarPlay, CES 2019

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Unreleased iPad Mini With Redesigned Cellular Antenna Appears in Photos

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Photos of an unreleased iPad mini with hardware different than that of any previous generation of the tablet were shared on Twitter today by a person using the pseudonym Mr. White. The same user has shared many photos of what appear to be early prototypes of Apple products along with components in recent months.


The photos, spotted by 9to5Mac, depict a rose gold iPad mini with an antenna band that forms the shape of a rounded rectangle. The current iPad mini 4 has a similar antenna design, but the rounded rectangle is filled in with plastic to ensure proper transmission of signals from the wireless chip inside.

Apple later improved its antenna design and only required a narrow band for cellular connectivity on 2017 iPad Pro models. This suggests the iPad mini in the photos could be a new model in development.

Beyond that, the iPad mini in the photos looks identical to the iPad mini 4, with a headphone jack, side volume controls, Lightning connector, two speakers along the bottom, and so forth. The tablet also lacks a LED flash next to the rear camera, consistent with every previous iPad mini generation.


Last month, an alleged case for the so-called iPad mini 5 surfaced with a vertical cutout for the rear camera, suggesting the new model might have a rear camera, LED flash, and center microphone cutout. The case also had cutouts for four speakers, however, a feature that feels too premium for the lower-priced iPad mini. In other words, the case might not necessarily be for a future iPad mini.

Back in October, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said Apple plans to launch a new iPad mini, and the China Times reported that the tablet will launch in the first half of 2019. If true, the new model will likely be a modest upgrade to the iPad mini 4, perhaps with a faster processor and a few other minor improvements.

The iPad mini 4 was released in September 2015 and remains available for purchase for $399 and up in the United States.

The anonymous Mr. White shared photos of an alleged iPad mini 5 logic board a few months ago along with a diagnostics report indicating that the tablet will have a TSMC-manufactured Apple A9 chip used in iPhone 6s models. The iPad mini 4 is powered by the Apple A8 chip found in the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus.

iPad mini 5 / 4 A9 Chip pic.twitter.com/7ZGdEhujC6

— Mr·white (@laobaiTD) November 17, 2018

All this said, the iPad mini shown in photos today could be an older prototype that may or may not ever be released. Apple prototypes all sorts of different devices and configurations internally that don't always see the light of day.

If a new iPad mini is on the horizon, though, March has been a common release month for iPads in recent years.

Related Roundup: iPad mini

Buyer's Guide: iPad Mini (Don't Buy)

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CES 2019: Satechi Launches New Multi-Port USB-C Chargers Ideal for Latest iPad Pro, MacBook Air, and More

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Satechi today at CES 2019 announced it has released two new power adapters, including a dual-port wall charger and a four-port travel charger.


The wall charger features one 18W USB-C Power Delivery port and one 12W USB-A port, while the travel charger features a pair of 60W and 18W USB-C Power Delivery ports and two USB-A ports with a total max output of 12W.

The 18W USB-C port on the wall charger is ideal for charging a 2018 iPad Pro or fast charging the iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, iPhone X, iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, or iPhone XR with a USB-C to Lightning cable. Fast charging an iPhone provides up to 50 percent battery life in just 30 minutes, according to Apple.

The four-port travel charger is ideal for not only the latest iPhone and iPad models, but larger devices such as the newest MacBook Air and Nintendo Switch.


The dual-port wall charger is available for pre-order for $29.99 in space gray on Satechi's website in the United States, with orders estimated to begin shipping on January 31. The four-port travel charger is available now for $69.99 on Amazon and Satechi's website and ships in an estimated one to two days.

Satechi does not include charging cables with either power adapter.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon and Satechi. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a commission, which helps us keep the site running.

Tags: USB-C, Satechi, CES 2019

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CES 2019: Sony Unveils New 6.9-Inch CarPlay Receiver With Improved Sound and Dedicated Voice Button

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Sony today at CES 2019 introduced its latest aftermarket CarPlay receiver with improved sound quality and a dedicated voice button.

XAV-AX7000 Car AV Receiver

The new XAV-AX7000 has the same 6.95-inch capacitive touchscreen as the current XAV-AX5000, but features a higher-power 100W class-D amplifier for more impactful sound and a higher-power 5V pre-out for clearer sound with less distortion when the receiver is connected to an external amplifier, according to Sony.

By comparison, the XAV-AX5000 has a 55W class-D amplifier and a 2V pre-out.

Beyond the dedicated voice button, the design of the XAV-AX7000 is identical to the XAV-AX5000, including slim bezels with physical buttons for volume and playback controls, settings, and returning to the home screen. Both receivers have dual USB-A ports for wired CarPlay. Android Auto is also supported.

The rear chassis of the XAV-AX7000 is designed with space-saving single-DIN dimensions, according to Sony.

Like the XAV-AX5000, the XAV-AX7000 can be connected to a vehicle's rear-view camera with adjustable parking guidelines. Both receivers also have Bluetooth, SiriusXM compatibility, and boot approximately 2.5 times faster than Sony's lesser-end XAV-AX100 receiver after the vehicle is turned on.

Sony says the XAV-AX7000 will be available in North America starting in summer 2019, with pricing to be announced at a later date. The XAV-AX5000 retails for a suggested price of $399.99 in the United States.

Related Roundup: CarPlay

Tags: Sony, CES 2019

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Apple Shares List of AirPlay 2-Enabled Smart TVs From Samsung, LG, Sony, and Vizio

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A few days ago, Apple announced that AirPlay 2–enabled smart TVs are coming soon from leading manufacturers, and we've since seen a series of announcements from Samsung, LG, Sony, and Vizio at CES 2019.


Apple has now shared a list of AirPlay 2–enabled TVs announced to date:

• LG OLED (2019)
  
• LG NanoCell SM9X series (2019)
  
• LG NanoCell SM8X series (2019)
  
• LG UHD UM7X series (2019)
  
• Samsung QLED Series (2019 and 2018)
  
• Samsung 8 Series (2019 and 2018)
  
• Samsung 7 Series (2019 and 2018)
  
• Samsung 6 Series (2019 and 2018)
  
• Samsung 5 Series (2019 and 2018)
  
• Samsung 4 Series (2019 and 2018)
  
• Sony Z9G Series (2019)
  
• Sony A9G Series (2019)
  
• Sony X950G Series (2019)
  
• Sony X850G Series (2019 85", 75", 65" and 55" models)
  
• Vizio P-Series Quantum (2019 and 2018)
  
• Vizio P-Series (2019, 2018 and 2017)
  
• Vizio M-Series (2019, 2018 and 2017)
  
• Vizio E-Series (2019, 2018 and 2017)
  
• Vizio D-series (2019, 2018 and 2017)

We've yet to see any AirPlay 2 announcements from smaller brands such as TCL, Hisense, Panasonic, or Toshiba.

AirPlay 2 support will allow users to stream video, audio, photos, and more directly from an iPhone, iPad, or Mac to supported smart TVs. HomeKit support is also coming to many of these TVs, enabling users to control volume, playback, and more using Siri or the Home app on an iPhone, iPad, or Mac.

Samsung announced that its latest smart TVs are also getting an exclusive iTunes TV and movie app for accessing the storefront.

Apple is widely expected to launch a Netflix-esque streaming video service later this year, and AirPlay 2 support on leading smart TVs would make it easier for users to stream Apple's original content on the big screen without an Apple TV. Rumors suggest Apple could introduce the service within the first half of 2019.

Tags: Samsung, Sony, LG, AirPlay 2, Vizio

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