Hands On With Alcatel's Giant Kitchen Tablet

Alcatel's Xess wants to conquer the kitchen. That's traditionally been a tough locale for consumer electronics, in part because it's a locale that's tough on consumer electronics.

But the successful phone and TV maker (it's part of TCL) thinks it's time for a home hub. The trick with this 17.3-inch, luggable tablet is that it's supposed to come loaded with a dashboard of home-friendly software that connects to a family's Android phones. It would summarize the weather, everyone's fitness trackers, and serve as a central location for connected family group messaging.

Pick it up by the handle on the back and pull it into the living room, and it becomes a streaming video box. Drag it into the kitchen, and custom software (once again) shows you recipes. You don't need to touch it with greasy hands, as it has a built-in stylus and air-gesture control. Plug in a keyboard and mouse into the built-in USB ports, and you can do some work.