Consumer storage is being revolutionized by cloud storage, and CES reflected that fact. But blockchain also made an appearance, much to my surprise.

Here's the rundown:

FILEGEAR

A small, $299, router-sized box with 4 USB ports and an Ethernet port to connect to a router, Filegear promises to connect to all your local drives and cloud storage, and then automagically organize all the files so they all appear in one place.

This has a lot of potential - I've got three cloud storage providers and way more than 4 USB drives - so I've asked for a review copy. Stay tuned.

MONUMENT

Monument is similar to Filegear, but optimized for photos (it has an SD card slot for ingest and HDMI for display). Also like Filegear, Monument promises to organize your photos, using AI. It will also back up your content to a remote Monument if you buy two.

One big plus for Monument: while it does less than Filegear, it is also almost half the price, $169. I've also asked them for a review copy so we can all learn more about it.

SKEEP

Skeep is an iOS and Android app that is designed to put you back in control of your social network data. Manage which apps - including Facebook and Twitter - access your data. Manage permissions. Unsubscribe from unwanted newsletters.

I'm not on Facebook, but I like what the Skeep team is attempting. My only question for them, which I've asked, is how will they make money? I hope they figure it out. In the meantime I'm going to try their app and will report back.

PIKCIO

Pikcio is aimed at enterprises like banks, insurers, and healthcare providers. It uses blockchain to allow customers to transfer validated data, without forcing re-authentication and re-verification.

Enterprises will buy the technology, but it should benefit consumers by reducing the friction of highly personal data while keeping it secure. My major question is how well the blockchain infrastructure will scale.

QNAP

QNAP is a long time player in prosumer storage, but they're jumping on the the AI bandwagon with QuAI, an AI developer package. It is intended to allow data scientists and developers to build, train, optimize, and deploy machine learning apps directly on QNAP's NAS storage.

Artificially intelligent storage? It's about time! And speaking of time, QNAP was a little murky on when QuAI will be released.

THE STORAGE BITS TAKE

Since the Universe hates your data, figuring out how to preserve it is a constant battle. The cloud can help, but the surest strategy is multiple copies in different places on different media, including the 1,000 year DVD.

But with your data spread out, how do you access it? That's the question Filegear and Monument are attempting to answer, and I hope they succeed.

But not only does the universe hate your data, there's an entire planet of hackers trying to steal it for commercial or nefarious purposes. Entropy is like a constant wind in your face, while hacking is a gusty storm of different threats.

I'm pleased to see young companies taking on these challenges. We need all the help we can get.

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ULTIMATE GAMING CHAIR

A Ukrainian company, MMOne Project, is offering a robot arm with a gaming chair on the end. The arm can flip you over and extends up to 12 feet high. Great for dogfighting in virtual reality. Watch their short trailer here.

CINEMA SNOWGLOBES

Do you like snowglobes? What if they showed movies? Cinema Snowglobes has married the traditional snowglobe with a small projector so the globe can present a video, with snow!

WIRAL CAM

Wiral - pronounced "viral" - was promoting their low-cost cable cam for small camcorders and stabilizers. It's motorized and can go where drones can't, such as through a forest. Makes incredible shots easy.

MODULAR CAMERA SLIDER

Most camera sliders are pretty clunky, and not something you'd pack into the mountains to get a great timelapse shot. But Dyno has built a modular slider that snaps together in seconds and, being plastic, is light enough to carry anywhere. And it's affordable!

OPEN SOURCE DRONE

Zano has taken a defunct Kickstarter project and is turning it into a Raspberry Pi for drones. It isn't a product - yet - but they're looking for people to help develop the technology.

THE STORAGE BITS TAKE

Evolutionary biology has a theory called punctuated equilibrium, which posits that ecosystems remain stable until a major shock - asteroid impact, volcanism, global warming (or cooling) - punctuates the environment. In response, evolution creates lots of new creatures, many that go nowhere, until a relative few emerge as dominant.

Technology seems to follow a similar trajectory. The newest shocks are AI, the blockchain, and IoT. Despite the hype around all three at CES, I'm sure that we have yet to see the vendors and applications that will become dominant around these technologies.

When the PC revolution started in the 70s, dozens of now-forgotten firms began and, for a while, flourished. Ohio Scientific, Cromemco, and Processor Technology were all innovative PC companies who got rolled by Apple, Commodore, and Radio Shack.

CES is the world's largest toy show, and I've only scratched the surface of what the startups were doing. Smart furniture? Check. Smart glasses? Check. Smart clothing? Check. Smart pet bed? Yup.

Many of these will fall by the wayside, for reasons of cost, ease of use, or failing to find a niche. But the ones that succeed, even in a niche, will make our world a better place.

To the optimistic ones, I salute you. Good luck!

Garmin improved on its Speak device with a camera that will serve as a third-party witness while also adding driver assistance features.

Garmin GPS devices have been used in cars for a long time and the new Garmin Speak Plus takes the in-car experience to the next level. Amazon Alexa integration provides voice control for music, news briefings, sports scores, GPS navigation, and more. The dash cam adds features to any car that may be found in high end newer model vehicles.

The integrated dash cam provides forward collision avoidance assistance, lane departure warnings, and go alerts if stopped traffic ahead begins to move forward. It will automatically record and save files when an incident is detected.

The Garmin Speak Plus is only an inch and half in diameter, with a LED light ring and bright OLED display showing lane guidance arrows to guide you to your destination. It mounts to your windshield with a magnetic mount so you can easily pop it off and secure it when you leave the vehicle.

Garmin GPS turn-by-turn navigation is provided through Alexa and the connection to your smartphone through Bluetooth and the Garmin Speak app. All of the great Alexa skills are supported on the Garmin Speak Plus too.

The Garmin Speak Plus will be available starting mid-February for $229.99 from Garmin, Best Buy, Amazon, and other retailers. There will be a special pre-order price of $199.99 from January 8 - February 10.

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Minimalist tablets that relied exclusively on-screen input were once the "it" gadget at CES. But while major Windows vendors are announcing more Surface-like detachable, the market is dominated by convertible clamshells.

If Apple's keynotes represent the tech world according to one company, CES often represents the rest of the world's reaction to them. After the launch of the iPad in 2009, the following CES events were awash in so many tablets that you couldn't elbow your way around an aisle corner without bumping into one.

At CES 2018, top-tier corporate PC makers HP, Lenovo, and Dell all announced new PC models. But while their output provides no shortage of highly mobile computing devices, you won't find any slates in the mold of the unadorned iPad.

In one respect, the big three PC makers' move away from slates is unsurprising given that two of the three have entirely dropped devices using Android, the default operating system for such products.

But it also reflects how business people, in particular, have largely clung to the advantages of the clamshell despite a multi-year assault on the benefits of touch and the optimization of computing for it. Even Samsung, the most successful Android tablet maker, particularly for businesses, showed at CES how it's shifting more of its pen-enabled functionality into its notebooks.

The iPad's initial rocket launch spurred Microsoft to create an isolated tablet experience within Windows 8, one it has integrated much better into Windows 10. Convertibles like the Lenovo Yoga that allow the keyboard to fold behind the screen create extra thickness make for a thicker, heavier tablet experience. Detachable like the Surface Book that allow the screen to separate from the body need heavier keyboard bases or Surface Pro-like kickstands to counter the electronics -- primarily the battery -- that must live in the screen for independent operation.

Even as the cost of detachable has come way down, though (products like the Nextbook Ares available for less than $200 provide basic productivity and content consumption), the market has been turning more toward convertibles.

At CES 2018, HP has introduced an Intel-based version of the Envy x2 Always Connected PC it bowed with Qualcomm just last month and Lenovo has announced the third generation of its Thinkpad X1 tablet as well as its Qualcomm-based Miix 630; both are kickstand-brandishing affairs that have followed the core design of the Surface. And while Lenovo still sells Android tablets, the closest thing it has announced to a traditional tablet form factor at CES has been a Google Smart Display.

But most of the attention has focused on convertibles such as the Dell XPS 13 and the Lenovo X1 Yoga. There are a few reasons for this, including what remains the superior lap stability of clamshells and Windows' app catalog favoring traditional interfaces to touch ones. Also, the iPad, particularly with a Bluetooth keyboard case or cover, is a stronger competitor to a Windows-based slate or detachable than a clamshell or convertible.

It may be little more than symbolic but, ten years after the launch of the iPhone that ushered in the modern touch era, we are seeing a retro effort to integrate a clamshell keyboard into an Android smartphone by the developer of the Psion 5 PDA and a first credible attempt to turn an e-reader into a fancy typewriter via an integrated (albeit detachable) keyboard.

The Windows resistance has come full circle. Apple still ships iPads without keyboards or kickstands. While it has been adopted by many as a primary computing device, though, it is often done so with a detachable keyboard, making the difference between it and a Windows detachable semantic at least as far as purpose-driven functionality is concerned.

Last summer, I wrote about how the iPad's evolution resulted in an identity crisis before Apple did more to make iOS on the iPad more competitive with the workflow of windowed interfaces. As Windows' tablet appeal has failed to take off, the iPad's laptop competitiveness has improved as it has an increasingly diverse and deeper set of apps. Microsoft's own Surface product family evolution reflects the evolution -- moving from the Surface Pro slate to the Surface Book detachable to the traditional clamshell of the Surface Laptop which lacks even a wraparound mode.

The bottom line is that, while the iPad has moved the needle, its biggest net impact on the bulk of the mobile computing market has been mostly confined to allowing a hinge to rotate fully so as not to disrupt the intractable clamshell experience. For now, anyway, the idea of the original iPad as a clean sheet of glass as an ideal to which computing is navigating has been, at best, pre-empted.

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Intel's CES 2018 keynote concentrated on its 49 qubit quantum processing chip VR Applications for content its AI self-learning chip and a self-ruling vehicles stage.

Intel has declared a 49-qubit quantum chip at CES 2018, with CEO Brian Krzanich calling it a noteworthy achievement in quantum processing and the following stage to "quantum matchless quality". 

Amid the Intel keynote, Krzanich said Intel's labs and scientists are "submitted" to propelling quantum processing, with a Netherlands-based lab particularly testing and building quantum registering frameworks. 

Intel did not uncover any course of events points of interest for the quantum chip. 

Other propelled processing frameworks being tried by Intel incorporate neuromorphic registering the type of its manmade brainpower (AI) test chip Loihi, which was declared in September. 

As per Krzanich, Intel now has a completely working neuromorphic chip that following fourteen days is as of now performing straightforward question acknowledgment in the labs. In the coming years, Krzanich said Intel will place Loihi in the hands of accomplices to investigate utilize cases. 

Krzanich had commenced his CES 2018 keynote by tending to Meltdown and Specter, saying it is "really noteworthy" in what way numerous tech organizations have met up to research and resolve these issues. 

"Starting at now, we have not gotten any data that client information has been ruptured," he included. 

"We expect a few workloads may have a bigger effect than others, so we'll keep working with industry to limit the effect on those workloads after some time." 

Krzanich additionally examined Intel's part as innovation accomplice for the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympic Winter Games, saying it would give the biggest ever VR encounter over an aggregate of 30 occasions both live and on-request utilizing its Intel True VR arrangement. 

The arrangement includes the position of various 360-degree cameras along the border and inside of playing fields and ski runs. At the point when sewed together with programming, the recording enables fans to check out the field and pick what camera position they need to see occasions from. 

This "immersive media" seeing background is likewise being extended by introducing cameras in players' head protectors in the NFL to furnish watchers with their points of view, Intel reported. 

Intel is furthermore stretching out this volumetric innovation to content creation, for example, motion pictures, where watchers can "be the performing artist". By utilizing many cameras, a scene can be seen from any perspective or edge after only one take. 

Krzanich said this will enable gatherings of people to pick which character they need to see the film from, and can be stretched out to such utilize cases as TV, promoting, and gaming. 

As a major aspect of this, Intel declared an "exploratory organization" with Paramount Pictures, with the last organization's seat Jim Gianopulos saying that such innovation is "the way to our future" in the making of another type of amusement. 

As gatherings of people move from level screens to immersive encounters including VR, Gianopulos said Paramount will have the capacity to make content that is nearer to reality than has at any point been conceivable before by putting groups of onlookers inside the motion picture itself. 

Krzanich additionally quickly tended to Mobileye's new independent driving stage, which he said brings self-governing vehicles "nearer to reality than anybody understands"; the Volocopter ramble taxi benefit; and the utilization of its Shooting Star small automatons to make light show without the utilization of GPS. 

Intel likewise stretched out its guarantee to utilize just clash free minerals in its smaller scale processors to incorporate each item being named strife free. Its guarantee to burn through $300 million more than five years to enhance decent variety in the working environment will likewise achieve realization before the finish of 2018 as it achieves "full portrayal", two years sooner than its unique duty. 

Intel additionally utilized its CES 2018 keynote to grandstand how its Location Technologies SDK 1.0, Shooting Star quadcopter rambles, RealSense Vision Processor D4 arrangement cameras, eighth gen center processors, Movidius Myriad X VPU running an AI motor, and SoundVision programming can be joined to make a showy execution 

Amid the execution, performers "played information" by means of motion control while wearing savvy gloves; automatons and AI artists played music learned progressively; and area innovation was combined with sensors and cameras to show information gathered from moving and trapeze artistry. 

Different innovations utilized for the show were the Unity3d amusement advancement stage for AI playback; Intel information empowered StretchSense gloves and drumsticks; Intel processor-based servers for music age and information perception; the Yamaha DC5Z Disklavier; the Derivative TouchDesigner for visual improvement stage; Cycling 74 Max MSP for information steering; Autodesk Maya for 3D character creation; Ableton for sound example work process and playback; and the Pixologic Zbrush computerized chiseling device for symbol creation. 

Intel likewise utilized CES 2018 to declare its eighth era center processor, joining AMD's Radeon RX Vega M Graphics and 4GB of second-age high-transmission capacity memory (HBM2) and its new smaller than usual PC NUCs amid CES 2018, which pack its eighth gen center i7 processors and are gone for VR applications.

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Mobileye has said its obtaining by Intel implies it can bring both equipment and programming together as a separation to match Nvidia's equipment centered self-sufficient driving arrangement

Mobileye's obtaining by Intel given it the capacity to deliver a more entire independent driving arrangement than Nvidia, as indicated by Mobileye senior VP and boss correspondences officer Dan Galves, on the grounds that it has possessed the capacity to bring both equipment and programming together. 

Addressing media amid CES 2018, Galves said programming is the most essential bit of the astound. Once that it thought of, it at that point needs to keep running on a capable process design - and Mobileye now has both because of its work with the greatest chip producer on the planet. 

When the $15.3 billion obtaining shut in August, Galves said the organization brought various Intel engineers onto its group. 

By examination, Nvidia is to a great extent "an equipment play", he stated, and keeping in mind that it is a solid rival as far as having "extremely refined processors", despite everything it requires another person to compose the product. Delivering the equipment without recognizing what programming will go over it in this way implies it is less productive, he asserted. 

"On the off chance that you just have equipment ... it's more hard to make a productive bit of equipment since you don't realize what programming will be on it," Galves contended. 

"We bring the equipment and programming together." 

Mobileye is likewise separating its offering through the group sourced high-determination maps being made for the current year in association with BMW, VW, and Nissan from vehicles as of now out and about at "basically zero cost" to the organization. 

By utilizing cameras - a reasonable, develop sensor innovation - as its essential wellspring of data, Intel is additionally guaranteeing that it keeps the valuing of its framework down, as does its utilization of only two Mobileye EyeQ5 framework on a chip (SoC) and one Intel Atom chip for the whole self-governing driving stage, bringing about low power utilization. 

Relatively, Galves said Nvidia declared that its L5 framework will require two Pegasus chips at 400 watts every, which will include high expenses crosswise over both power and the chips themselves. 

"We're in a decent position to rival them," he closed. 

Nvidia reported its L5 AI self-governing driving stack, named Xavier, amid CES 2018 this week, calling it the "world's most intense SoC". 

Xavier utilizes information from a vehicles radar, lidar, cameras, and ultrasonic frameworks with what it said is more vitality proficiency than some other arrangements available, with more than 9 billion transistors and a custom 8-center CPU, 512-center Volta GPU, 8K HDR video processor, profound learning quickening agent, PC vision quickening agents, and the ability to perform 30 trillion operations each second on 30 watts of energy. 

It now frames the establishment of two programming stages, Drive IX and Drive AR, which are a piece of Nvidia's Pegasus AI registering stage. 

"We built up the whole pile of self-sufficient vehicle programming," Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang said amid his CES 2018 keynote. 

"Today we have more than 300 clients creating on Nvidia Drive." 

Mobileye this week revealed its item guide out to 2020, reporting that it would dispatch 15 self-sufficient driving ventures amid 2018 crosswise over 14 auto producers. 

Mobileye said its "ground breaking strategy" for 2018 includes chipping away at its L4 improvement organizations; stretching out its L2+ program to build the level of self-governance of underway vehicles; taking a shot at street encounter administration (REM) as an information methodology; and framing security measures with industry and administrative bodies. 

New highlights being propelled amid 2018 by Mobileye for its self-sufficient vehicle innovation incorporate REM, 3D vehicle location (3DVD), activity light identification and acknowledgment, and propelled street highlights including free space and way expectation. 

The building pieces of REM include reaping information, collecting it, and limiting it, with Mobileye participating with NavInfo and SAIC to bring REM into China, with progressing gathering manages worldwide OEMs set for 2019 and past. 

Mobileye will this month dispatch its new reseller's exchange gadget Mobileye 8 Connect, which Shashua said is also REM bolstered. 

The organization's 28nm EyeQ4H SoC, which will highlight 6x VMP, 2x PMC, and 4x CPU, is going into arrangement generation from March 2018, and propelling with four OEMs later in 2018 and 12 OEMs in 2019. 

Shashua said Mobileye is right now using Intel's ability and assets while dealing with the EyeQ5 SoC by opening it up to outsiders as an open register stage with SDKs and libraries interestingly. Intel is further making an armada of 100 vehicles for testing, information accumulation, approval, and client bolster; and giving 250Pb in datacentres to help armada, approval, and client bolster. 

The primary silicon of the 7nm EyeQ5H SoC is set to be created in August 2018, with arrangement generation from March 2020 and four OEMs propelling with it from 2020 onwards. 

It is likewise cooperating with Audi, BMW, Fiat-Chrysler, Honda, NIO, Nissan, and SAIC on L3 generation from 2019; with BMW, Fiat-Chrysler, SAIC, NIO, and three OEMs on continuous L4 sourcing choices from 2020; and with Delphi Automotive on a L4 turnkey arrangement and focal detecting localisation and arranging (CSLP) stage.

As the DIY home security market gets crowded, SimpliSafe gets serious about design.

If you've ever looked into a DIY home security solution, you've likely come across SimpliSafe. The company has made a name for itself by providing a base system, allowing users to add ad hoc sensors and components, and pay a monthly fee without any sort of contract.

Starting Wednesday, SimpliSafe will begin selling a completely redesigned system. The new design comes from a partnership between SimpliSafe and IDEO.

A more streamlined keypad, key fob, sensors, and home hub each have a more appealing look -- some of which reminds me of something I'd expect to see from the likes of Ring or Nest -- starts at $229 for a basic kit, and it goes up to $539 depending on number of sensors and components.

SimpliSafe's new system boasts a cellular and Wi-Fi connection for added peace of mind, along with a backup battery capable of running for 24 hours. A new processor makes the new system up to five times faster than the previous model.

Following an expansion of ADT's services outside of the home, and the announcement that Ring Alarm will ship this spring, SimpliSafe's announcement shows just how competitive the DIY home security market is becoming.

In addition to its redesigned system, SimpliSafe also plans to release a video doorbell, outdoor camera, smart lock, and add voice support through Amazon's Alexa in 2018. The new hardware products don't currently have pricing or a firm release date.

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Samsung's new 85-inch QLED TV is capable of converting low-resolution videos into 8K resolution.

Samsung Electronics will show off a new 85-inch QLED TV that uses artificial intelligence technology to convert low resolution videos into 8K at CES this week, the company has said.

The new model of Samsung's flagship TV line will automatically correct the brightness, contrast, and blurring of low resolution videos using the optimal filter to convert it to high resolution.

The company will use a database of millions of videos it studied that allowed the process to be achieved. There is also no gradation loss that conventionally happens in the conversion process, the South Korean tech giant added.

The technology also automatically optimizes sound; for example, in live sports matches the sound of spectators will increase, and for music concerts the sound from the stage will be optimized.

Samsung said while 8K TVs exist, the amount of 8K content available didn't back them up, but this technology will overcome such obstacles.

The company said 8K QLED TVs that uses the technology will come in over 65-inch sizes and go on sale in the second half of this year.

Rival LG is set to show off an 88-inch 8K OLED display at the tradeshow.

Samsung will also reportedly unveil a 150-inch Micro LED TV for the first time at CES

Seagate has reported another high-thickness walled in area that it said will be fueled by its most recent information insurance centered working framework to enhance execution, unwavering quality, and security. 

The 5U84, reported at CES 2018, gives 1PB of capacity limit for each unit and possesses only five datacentre rack units. It can stack up to in the vicinity of 8PB and 10PB for every rack, with up to 84 3.5-inch SAS hard plate drives or strong state drives per fenced in area. 

"What we reported today was this variant with information assurance, and a few one of a kind things about it: It's entirely thick, so you get about a petabyte for every cabinet, and I can stack up a cluster of drawers behind each other," Seagate told ZDNet.

"We've initiated a couple of new technology features; one is a new version of the operating system, and the way it stores the data it allows for very fast access, and then if a device fails, the time it takes to rebuild information that was on the failed device onto other devices is very fast.

"If we rebuild faster, we reduce the exposure window, and the performance in the meantime is very strong to people requiring access to the data. So it's a new version of our OS on this high-density enclosure."

According to Seagate, it has seen "quite a bit of interest" across multiple industries, with some having used it since Q3 last year and the version available generally as of today.

"The 5U84 enclosure and firmware technology will enable businesses to store massive quantities of data in a high-availability enclosure that provides high-performance access to data," the storage giant said.

"Using next-generation data protection technology, Seagate's Advanced Distributed Autonomic Protection Technology (ADAPT) can eliminate up to 95 percent of performance degradation during a disk drive rebuild when compared to traditional RAID solutions, meaning the 5U84 is essentially 'self-healing'."

"The technology disperses data across multiple drives, allocating more resources to rebuilds, thereby reducing the time needed, minimising the risk of a data unavailability issue and giving the end user uninterrupted access."

It hosts 84 drive bays that function with 8TB, 10TB, and 12TB drives, and has the expansion capability of up to 336 drives.

"Traditional data protection approaches in a high-density enclosure often result in unmanageable rebuild times in the event of a device failure," Seagate Systems VP Ken Claffey said.

"With this new operating system release, we are enabling customers to use high-density enclosures with high-capacity drives more confidently, as we have dramatically reduced the rebuild window required."

The new OS also has multi-core functionality, enabling several cores to share workloads while specific processing tasks are distributed to individual cores.

Dual 12Gb SAS I/O modules provide redundancy to increase reliability, while a dual controller configuration supports multiple chassis. Performance is around 600K IOPS at 1ms latency for 2U24 AFA, allowing "near instantaneous" data access, Seagate said.

Seagate also used CES 2018 to announce its new mobile data storage solutions, as well as the joint launch of Joy Drive with Chinese online retail giant JD.com, the latter of which it said will expand the storage and battery capacity of mobile devices.

"Creating, transferring, storing, and accessing data quickly and reliably is critical to unlocking the potential of everything -- from data created in the field to data powering self-driving cars, AI personal assistants, or virtual and mixed reality experiences," said Tim Bucher, senior vice president of Seagate consumer solutions.

The new Seagate Fast SSD flash drive is capable of 540MBps transfer rates, has USB-C connectivity and new software for file backup and sync. It will sell from spring in the US in 250GB capacity for $99, 500GB for $169, and 1TB for $349.

Seagate has also partnered with unmanned aerial vehicle manufacturer DJI to create the LaCie DJI Copilot, which enables drone users to play, copy, and manage drone footage from their mobile device. Direct file transfer from an SD card to the LaCie DJI Copilot removes the need for a PC or mobile coverage, Seagate explained.

LaCie's Copilot Backup On-set Solution (BOSS) app then allows full-resolution video playback and file management and organisation via smartphone or tablet, with a built-in power bank to recharge mobile devices.

"It's a standalone drive that's battery powered," LaCie product manager Gaspard Plantrou told ZDNet, explaining that it solves the problem of how to transfer footage while in the field from the camera to a drive in order to check and rename footage without needing to take a laptop.

The LaCie DJI Copilot comes with 2TB storage and is priced at $349, available in the northern hemisphere's spring.

Seagate has also added its Seagate Secure hardware encryption technology and new Toolkit software to its LaCie Rugged drive, which will now cost $139 and become available in the US spring season.

Seagate additionally announced partnering with Adobe to offer free access to Adobe applications as part of Seagate and LaCie drive bundles.

Lastly, the Seagate Joy Drive, a portable power bank and mobile capacity expansion unit for Android phones and tablets, comes with 1TB of capacity. It allows access to videos and content without needing Wi-Fi or mobile coverage by connecting them directly through microUSB or type-C interfaces for file transfers and 4K video playback.

Users can also free up space on their devices through the batch offload capability in the Joy Drive app.

"This product will actually connect your phone to back up your data, so we have built an app so when you connect this to your phone, you can very quickly back up your data and at the same time it has a battery integrated so you can power your phone," Plantrou told ZDNet.

Available to consumers in China in March for $99, Plantrou told ZDNet that it will be released with different partners to different countries and channels throughout the year.

While Seagate cut 500 jobs in December after revealing that its September quarterly revenue fell by $165 million due to "price erosion partially offset by an increase in exabytes shipped", it also joined the consortium purchasing Toshiba's memory division.

Seagate at the time said it is set to provide $1.25 billion in funding to the group, expecting to sign a long-term supply agreement with Toshiba Memory as a result. The deal would be positive for its earnings, Seagate said.

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After a long pause, Wemo clients can at long last utilize Siri and HomeKit for home robotization.

Belkin on Sunday reported it is at long last prepared to start transporting the Wemo HomeKit Bridge. The little frill will permit the greater part of its Wemo home robotization gadgets to cooperate with Apple's HomeKit stage. 

The Wemo Bridge deals for $39.99, and is accessible beginning today on Belkin's site and through Amazon, with orders shipping January 14. 

A help report on Belkin's site records the items the Wemo Bridge will right now work with. Those Wemo gadgets include:

For those who own a Wemo coffee pot, it looks like "Hey Siri, make me some coffee" isn't an option right now. Bummer.

The Wemo Bridge connects to your Wi-Fi network via an Ethernet port on your wireless router. After plugging the Bridge into your router, your Wemo devices will appear in the Home app on your iOS devices.

As a Wemo user myself, I received an email with a discount code for 40-percent off of the Wemo Bridge, which I promptly used. If you are a Wemo user and have long wished you could tell Siri to turn off your lights, check your inbox.

TCL made a couple of announcements this morning regarding its Alcatel and BlackBerry product offerings for 2018. More details on new devices will be announced at MWC.

TCL is a top three LCD panel maker and will provide the Alcatel business unit with these new, modern displays. In addition to the display improvements, Alactel will also bring flagship-level features to its affordable devices.

These features include face unlock, dual cameras, and unibody design made with premium materials. Details on the specific new smartphones coming in 2018 will be revealed at MWC in Spain.

TCL also announced that the BlackBerry Motion (see Steve Ranger's full review) will be sold in the US starting next week on Jan. 12 for $449.99. You may recall that the BlackBerry Motion is a full-screen version of a modern BlackBerry Android device.

The BlackBerry Motion improves upon the KEYone with an IP67 dust and water resistant rating and an improved customizable Convenience key.

BlackBerry will be working closely with TCL Communication to release the Android 8.0 Oreo update for the BlackBerry Motion and KEYone in 2018.