CES 2010: Haier demos 'completely' wireless HD video
![A prototype of Witricity's wireless power system. [Photo credit: Witricity]](https://betanews.com/wp-content/uploads/media/43/4316-150x150.jpg)
We've seen prototype wireless HDTV at both CES 2008 and CES 2009, but this year's upped the ante: It uses wireless power as well.
Haier America Digital Products Group demonstrated what it said was the first completely wireless television: a 32-inch LCD powered wirelessly from up to six or seven feet (according to the NBC Today Show's Al Roker, who got a demo of the device on this morning's program), and which received content via a wireless link from a Haier prototype Blu-ray player.
CES 2010: Samsung invests more in 3D technology, partners with DreamWorks
Could Samsung be the next manufacturer with a Droid-quality smartphone on Android 2.1? And what are Samsung's plans to include Internet connectivity -- including a possible PC -- in its newest line of HDTVs? Betanews' Tim Conneally is on the scene with Samsung's press conference at CES 2010.
2:59pm PT: That concludes Samsung's presentation...and now it's off to Panasonic for us.
iPhone to get FLO TV, needed a bigger battery to make it work
Qualcomm's FLO TV mobile digital television platform is finally coming to Apple's iPhone and iPod Touch, but through an extraordinary and most unusual vehicle: a popular slip cover / battery pack combo that also doubles the unit's battery life.
It's an already existing iPhone add-on called the Mophie Juice Pack -- a slip cover that fattens the iPhone and iPod Touch a bit, but also lets it run long enough for you to watch a movie in its entirety, and leave some juice left over for conversations. At CES this afternoon, FLO TV announced an agreement with Mophie to integrate its service into Juice Pack.
Hands-on with Toshiba's Cell TV that can convert 2D to 3D
Toshiba's new Cell processor-powered LEDTVs look to be fierce machines. They take the current trends in connected set-top boxes and home theater appliances and roll them up into a single package that is as much computer as it is TV. Packed with 8 core Cell processors capable of 3.2GHz each, Toshiba says its new TVs will be ten times more powerful than your average desktop computer.
It's also equipped with Wireless HD, 802.11n wireless networking, DLNA digital media server capability, a 1GB internal HDD, internal BD drive, USB playback for handheld and mass-storage devices, a built-in camera, mic, and videophone software, and integration with Web-based video services such as Vudu, Netflix, and Cinemanow.
Pioneer in-car multimedia center will leverage iPod, iPhone platform
At this moment at CES 2010 in Las Vegas, Pioneer is debuting an in-car entertainment platform designed to provide a full-color console and controls to users of Apple's iPods and iPhones.
It's called the "AVH" series, and Pioneer's top-of-the-line model (designed to replace the standard-size electronics consoles featured in some vehicles) is called the P4200DVD. Those latter letters are there for a reason: The system will playback DVD video, evidently using the audio system and layout of the automobile (if there's six speakers, it'll use them).
CES 2010: New Sharp HDTVs will be the first with four-color optics
It's a busy morning before the CES show floor opens, and it's the one day of the year when you're guaranteed lots of exciting news from the biggest names in consumer electronics. Tim Conneally reports live from Sharp's press conference.
12:40pm PT: lower budget version of the Quad pixel Aquos comes out in spring as well in sizes ranging in 60in, 52in, 46in, and 40in
TomTom rolls out low-cost GPS navigation in the US called EASE
The TomTom Start, available in Europe, is now coming to the United States as the TomTom EASE, which will serve as the company's entry-level device. The EASE features a simple two-icon touch screen, text-to -speech capabilities for street names, and TomTom's Easy Port mount that makes it the most compact navigation device the company sells.
In order to keep costs low, the screen is only 3.5-inches and the EASE includes maps for only the United States, so those driving to Canada or Mexico are out of luck. The EASE will be available soon in both black and white color options. Pricing was not announced.
AT&T to get HTC, Motorola Android, and Palm webOS phones
Ralph de la Vega, the CEO of AT&T Mobility (the company's wireless arm) announced at the AT&T Developer Summit in Palm Springs today that the carrier will be selling two phones running Palm's Linux-based webOS. De la Vega did not specify which devices from Palm AT&T will be carrying -- whether the Pre, Pixi or new models -- but he said they would come later this year.
Palm's webOS phones will join multiple Android-based models from Dell, Motorola and HTC. AT&T has not said which Motorola or HTC phones it will sell, but it's a major step forward for AT&T, which has had exclusive rights to Apple's iPhone for the past two and a half years and has shied away from promoting other smartphone platforms.
CES 2010: How soon will Nexus One be eclipsed?
The reviews are mixed on the Nexus One, the new smartphone -- or, as Google puts it, "superphone" -- announced by Google yesterday. It's an Android 2.1 phone for the T-Mobile network, for now, with availability on Verizon Wireless in April. On Betanews, the decision is split between whether Google has signaled the next revolution, and the revolution having already started without Google. The question today is, how long is Nexus One going to be the model of everyone's dreams, and by "how long," I mean, how many hours? That's the subject of my conversation this afternoon with Betanews contributing analyst Carmi Levy.
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AT&T to sell Dell's Mini 3 Android smartphone in H1 2010
Dell's Mini 3 Android smartphone is coming to the United States via AT&T after the computer maker previously forged deals with China Mobile and Brazil's Claro. The Mini 3 sports a 3.5-inch touchscreen, 3G and Wi-Fi, and runs Google's Android operating system, although it's not clear which version.
Pricing was not announced, although Dell says AT&T expects to make the phone available in the first half of 2010.
LG's latest Blu-ray player adds in 250 GB hard drive, can download VUDU movies
With the HD format war two years gone, we're starting to see innovations in the Blu-ray space that are turning the high-definition DVD players into full-blown home media boxes. BD Live brought Netflix streaming, in September LG introduced on-demand movies through VUDU and the latest player from LG -- the BD590 -- includes a 250 GB hard drive.
That means users can download and store movies, pictures and photos directly on the Blu-ray player. In addition, content can be copied to the BD590 over a home network from a PC. New partners for LG in 2010 include Picasa and AccuWeather.
Apple and Microsoft beware: Google will be an unstoppable force in mobility
Microsoft and Apple seem to underestimate how quickly Google is consolidating its mobile platform -- clearly so do geeks reviewing Nexus One. Google isn't just going for one piece of mobility but the whole shebang. Goggle is putting together the pieces to offer a single mobile lifestyle, with no PC required, supported by search and other Google informational services. Like everything else Google does, free is the glue sticking everything together.
Google's decision to sell Nexus One direct, even the carrier subsidized model, is part of the strategy. Open-source licensing has its limitations and risks fragmenting Android. As I explained in March 2009 post "There's an App for That," Apple changed the rules for mobile operating systems by breaking carrier control over updates. Apple distributes iPhone OS updates, preventing the kind of fragmentation typically caused by carrier distribution. By selling a handset direct, Google takes control of Android updates for a flagship phone that also acts like a baseline design model for handset manufacturers licensing the mobile operating system.
CES 2010: Toshiba uses PS3's Cell processor for new Cell TVs
It's a busy morning before the CES show floor opens, and it's the one day of the year when you're guaranteed lots of exciting news from the biggest names in consumer electronics. Betanews' Tim Conneally reports live from Toshiba's press conference.
10:36am PT: That's it...Toshiba's big announcement is the Cell TV...pics pending!
Sony launches line of SD memory cards, but says it still prefers Memory Stick
Joining Lady Gaga in the "strange news from CES 2010" department, Sony has unveiled a new line of SD/SDHC and microSD/microSDHC cards it will be selling in sizes ranging from 2GB to 32GB. The memory cards are rated Class 4 and will begin shipping later this month.
Sony has long offered a rival memory card standard called Memory Stick, which has somewhat fractured the industry and given headaches to consumers. However, Sony says the launch of SD cards does not mean it is abandoning Memory Stick, which it still feels offers "a range of unique benefits." Rather, the company simply didn't want to miss out on selling a product most everyone needs these days, whether in digital cameras, cell phones or media players.
DivX drops the set-top box, wants to embed DivX TV into your devices
DivX has a long history of trying to reinvent itself and this year at CES 2010, the company is attempting yet another shift: becoming an Internet TV platform for the living room. DivX TV will stream online media content to any connected device, including TVs, Blu-ray players and game consoles without requiring a separate box. Instead, the platform will be embedded directly into the device.
DivX TV content will come from the AP, blip.tv, Break, CNET, Dailymotion, Revision 3, TED, Twitter and more. The software will also be able to stream music from Rhapsody and Pandora, as well as display pictures from Picasa.
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