Samsung monitors go 3D, multi-display and over IP
In addition to its standard bevy of monitor upgrades, this time with LED backlighting, Samsung rolled out a trio of new monitor products with interesting capabilities.
First up is a 22-inch display that is compatible with Nvidia's 3D vision graphics card. At a price tag of only $349, we don't expect a super high quality screen, but the Samsung 2233RZ is a useful offering for 3D modeling and some video games. If sports a resolution of 1680x1050 pixels, 300cd/m2 brightness, 160 degree viewing angle and 5ms response time in 2D.
Dell's new Studio XPS laptops get aluminum accents, leather
They're still made of plastic, but Dell's new Studio XPS laptops -- unveiled today at CES 2009 -- are quite the lookers, featuring aluminum and leather accents atop their glossy piano black finishes.
Available in a 16-inch model and a more-portable 13-inches, the new Studio XPS is Intel Centrino 2 based, sporting a 2.0-megapixel webcam and USB ports that can power devices even when the laptop is turned off.
Sony expands the IPTV connection for its latest Bravias
Like Vizio, Sony announced at CES 2009 that its Bravia line of LCD HDTVs would include built-in streaming Internet capability without a set-top box.
The capability will be present in the XBR9 and Z-series models, which will include an Ethernet connection.
Gateway's MD series tries for the multimedia mid-range
Gateway is announcing two new lines of notebooks: the MD Series, intended for entertainment and multimedia, and the UC Series, intended for "all-around mobility."
The MD Series has a 15.6-inch display with a 16:9 aspect ratio. It has an integrated webcam, as well as built-in wireless Internet and gigabit Ethernet. In addition to black, it also comes in burgundy.
LG: 'Life's Good When It's Green'
Jumping on the green bandwagon, LG Electronics said it, too, was taking steps to make its products easier on the environment, a project it calls "Life's Good When It's Green."
The company did not offer specifics on how much energy would be saved or how much packaging would be reduced, but listed a number of components, including design, manufacture, reduced use of hazardous materials, improved recycling, reduction in greenhouse gases by 150 kilotons per year by 2020 in manufacturing and 30 megatons by 2020 in products, imposing similar standards on its vendors, and initiating a labeling program so consumers know about the programs.
Live from the Blu-ray press conference
Last year, the Blu-ray press conference was all about how the format was beating HD DVD. With its direct rival now gone, the format needs to show at CES 2009 how it will overcome other adversaries: price and streaming content.
Buyers still aren't snapping up Blu-ray movies in droves, although the format is making considerable inroads. And prices of Blu-ray players are finally hitting that much vaunted sub-$200 mark that HD DVD reached more than a year ago. So what's next for Blu-ray? We'll be reporting live from the press conference, which is scheduled to begin shortly.
Panasonic's latest Blu-ray player is a tag-along
Panasonic announced what it said was the first portable Blu-ray Disc player, which will be available in May for an undisclosed price.
The company said the DMP-B15 will have the same functionality as other Panasonic Blu-ray players such as the DMP-BD60, the DMPBD80, and the DMP-B70V, but would include a three-hour rechargeable battery (okay, no epics), and an optional headrest mounting bracket for use in a car (by the passengers, presumably).
Hauppage takes Pinnacle off of Avid's shoulders
Hauppage Digital Inc., a developer and manufacturer of analog and digital TV tuner products for PCs, has eliminated a competitor by buying the Pinnacle PCTV product line from Avid Corp.
Avid is best known for its video editing hardware and software.
A glimpse at a new desktop Google Android device
Touch Revolution, a year-old California company that specializes in custom touch-based devices is showing off a desktop Google Android device similar to one that will be released nationwide through service providers later this year.
The desktop TFT LCD touch device is not the exact device that will be released later this year, since "Our customers wouldn't be so happy about us showing it off before they do," according to CEO Mark Hamblin.
Photos: Palm's new Pre smartphone takes a few cues from Apple
Palm on Thursday at CES 2009 unveiled its effort to rejoin the battle for a stake of the mobile smartphone market with a completely new device running Palm's new webOS. The company seems to have learned a thing or two from Apple's iPhone. Click below for images of the Pre and tell us what you think: Is Palm back in the game?
HTC unveils Windows phones for T-Mobile and unlocked use
At CES today, HTC is announcing another mobile phone for T-Mobile's US wireless network. Unlike HTC's G1, the new phone isn't Android-based.
HTC, however, is continuing to work toward a second Android device, a spokesperson told Betanews yesterday evening.
Obama transition team suggests delaying DTV transition
With the latest technological countdown for change still in progress, the incoming President-Elect may try to call a halt.
While the February 17 switchover date to a new, principal broadcasting format is looming, another huge switchover is even nearer: January 20. And all of a sudden, the transition team that had until recently suggested that there is only one administration in power at any one time, is suggesting that the US government may not be doing enough to help citizens through this difficult change.
SD Card, Memory Stick formats to reach 2 terabytes, but when?
The two major flash memory card formats for consumer electronics devices both announced plans to launch versions of their technology that expand capacities to up to 2 terabytes, but neither specified an expected release date.
The SD Card Association said yesterday that it would be rolling out the SDXC (SD eXtended Capacity) standard to succeed SDHC and become the format for capacities greater than 32GB. Eventually SDXC cards will be able to hold 2 terabytes of data and offer transfer speeds of 300MB per second.
Dell follows competitors with LED flat panel monitors of its own
Dell on Thursday took the wraps off a new line of flat panel displays that feature LED backlighting and consume less than half the power of comparable monitors, the company claims. But the G2210 and G2410 use lower-quality screens than Dell's top-of-the-line UltraSharp models.
Both LED displays feature contrast ratios of 1,000:1 and a brightness of 250 cd/m2. Dell says the response time is 5ms, and has included VGA and DVI-D connections, with HDCP supported on the latter. The resolution of the G2210, a 22-inch widescreen, is 1680 x 1050 pixels, while the 24-inch G2410 is 1920 x 1080 pixels.
New Pioneer Blu-ray players turn up the RAM for Blu-ray
One of the most venerable names in consumer electronics, Pioneer, showed that it was still a player. No pun intended.
Like a TiVo for XM radio, Pioneer Electronics' GEX-XMP3 portable XM Satellite Radio with MP3 provides more than 170 channels of XM content, with the capability to schedule recordings of up to 75 hours of XM programs, and automatic recording of 15-30 hours of XM programs -- five channels at a time. It can also replay up to 30 minutes of live XM. In addition, it includes a microSD card slot for playing recorded music. It is available now for $279.
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