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Philips doubles up with both passive & active 3D TVs, new Blu-ray players in Europe
We got a peek at what the Philips/Funai combo has in store for North America during CES, but at today's Philips Pulse event in Barcelona it showed off even more of its 2011 plans. Most distinctively, while it's using FPR passive 3D glasses technology (calling it Easy 3D) in some of its new TVs just like LG & Vizio, it will break from those two by continuing to offer active shutter displays as well, branded 3D Max. If your main interest is one of those sweet 21:9 ultrawidescreen displays (pictured above) you can get it either way as a Gold or Platinum series product while the regular 16:9 sets are divided with the 7000 series featuring Easy 3D and 3D Max slotted for higher end 8000 and 9000 series products. All of the TVs mentioned here and higher end (7000, 5000 series) Blu-ray players include Smart TV features which means Net TV apps including catch-up TV where applicable, recording to USB, sharing from media from WiFi-connected devices and the ability to control the device with a Philips app on your iOS or Android phone. Check the press site for more details, model numbers and the like, but there's no word yet on pricing or availability.
Samsung's new 3DTVs get an early eyes-on, through $150 shutter glasses
Firsthand impressions outside the CES crucible are flowing in following the worldwide launch of Samsung's new LCD 3DTVs. UK publications have gotten up close with production versions of the new HDTVs, TechRadar observed the Monsters vs. Aliens Blu-ray disc packed in with the new displays over there plus the 2D-to-3D conversion feature, reporting the latter worked better on sports footage of ice skaters but caused "disconcerting" effect on news broadcasts. A video preview from Which? (embedded after the break) gives a good look at the new remote and managed to clear up one of the early worries about new display by confirming the 3D effect continued to work even from a wide viewing angle. For those who have already pressed the buy button, taking advantage of that effect will of course require 3D glasses. While Samsung's already promised multiple models a lone battery powered pair for adults has appeared for preorder on Vanns for $150, which despite the relatively reasonable cost of the displays could make group viewings very expensive for the early adopter. While that may not be out of the price range for some, we'll keep an eye out for pricing info from the competition -- and looking for cheaper 3rd party alternatives. Check out their impressions and decide for yourself how much a 3D World Cup experience is worth. [Thanks, Dave]
Samsung makes Skype for new LED lit HDTVs official
Panasonic and LG won't be the only ones with Skype-enabled HDTVs, though we peeped it in the specs earlier, Samsung has officially announced its new 7000 and 8000 series televisions will also include access. Accessible through the embedded Samsung Apps service, it appears it will work with the new HD video processing webcams just like the others, so users can log in to or create an account with the remote then make video or voice calls away from the PC. We heard at CES those cameras could run as high as $200, check out the CES 2010 demo from Panasonic to see if couch videoconferencing is worth the additional expense.
Dell packs Intel's Lynnfield CPUs into Studio XPS 8000 and 9000 desktops
With the introduction of new Intel CPUs comes the introduction of new rigs, and you can bet that Dell has been champing at the bit to unveil these two beauties. The new Studio XPS 8000 and 9000 machines are amongst the first from the Round Rock powerhouse to include Intel's minty fresh Core i5 and Core i7 processors, with the 8000 aimed squarely at mid-range users who'd prefer a smaller case. Both rigs can be equipped with some pretty decent innards, with up to 16GB of DDR3 RAM, room for dual internal hard drives, eight USB 2.0 ports, an eSATA socket, 350W power supply and an optional TV tuner available. Graphics cards from ATI and NVIDIA are also available (ATI's HD 3450; NVIDIA's GT220, GTS240 and GTX260), and if you're really feeling crazy, a Blu-ray drive can also be slotted in. Both rigs can be ordered up today, with the 8000 starting at $799 and the 9000 requiring at least $1,999 to bring home.
Acer Timeline 8000 series arrives at Office Depot
Well, that didn't take long. Less than a day after Acer announced the new Timeline 8000 series, the 14-inch AS4810T-8480 has popped up on an Office Depot shelf for $699. It's not bad for the money -- you're getting a 1.4GHz Core Solo SU3500, 4GB of RAM, a 320GB disk, and eight hours of battery life -- but we'd wait to buy until next week, when our tipster says it'll be on sale for $549. Anyone planning to pick one up?[Thanks, Mike]
Samsung's latest LED-packing HDTVs get official prices, availability
Finally, we can stop playing hide and seek with Samsung's 2009 lineup of edge lit LED HDTVs, now that its loosed official pricing and availability details for screens hitting shelves between now and June. They've already been busy popping up everywhere -- around the world, in stores near you, on Best Buy's website, and Samsung's made sure to mention how eco friendly the LED scheme is compared to the old power munching CCFLs and local dimming methods in other manufacturer's screens. The list appears to match up with earlier leaks, so if the 8000, 7000 and 6000 series are screens you've just gotta have, click the read link for all details currently available.
Samsung stuns with 6000, 7000 and 8000 Series LED LCD HDTVs
Here we are, folks, finally at the end of Samsung's CES 2009 gauntlet. We've seen Blu-ray decks, a BD-infused soundbar, LCD-equipped refrigerators and even a few HDTVs, but Sammy's clearly hoping you pay the most attention to its new line of LED-backlit LCDs. The 6000, 7000 and 8000 Series sets all ditch traditional CCFLs in favor of the newer, brighter and more energy-efficient LED backlighting. Of note, the 8000 Series is the only one a 240Hz refresh rate; the other lines get stuck with the perfectly acceptable 120Hz Auto Motion Plus. Furthermore, the 7000 / 8000 crew will come ready for the Yahoo!-driven Internet@TV online content service, while the 6000 family will allow access to Sammy's own InfoLink RSS service. More meaningful specs (screen size, brightness, contrast ratio, price, favorite color / date spot, etc.) are sorely missing, but you can peak the linked PDF if you don't believe us.%Gallery-40661%
HP to add SSD options to business-minded laptops
We know that when it comes to a company like HP, you cats hang on its every word, waiting for a juicy tidbit of information, quietly hoping to be privy to another life-altering, ingenious decision. Well listen up folks, because we've got news. According to a report today, HP will be begin offering solid-state drives as an option for all of its professional series laptops, including the HP Compaq 2710p, 2510p, 6910p, and 8000 lines. The company's first NAND flash offering will be a whopping 64GB SSD, adding about $1000 in additional cost to the systems, though the company expects the prices to drop as solid-state proliferation increases. In all seriousness, HP isn't always on the cutting edge, but this is a smart decision, which -- luckily for us -- seems to be cropping up all over the map.
Route 66 enters car GPS market with Chicago series
It seems that yet another mobile electronics outfit is diving head first into the GPS arena, and this time its Route 66. The company's Chicago series GPS units is its first venture into automobile navigation, and although they manage to include a dash of unmistakable Americana in both the company and device's name, these units are strangely and ironically restricted to our pals across the pond. The Euro-only Chicago series sports a 4.3-inch touchscreen display, SD / MMC slot, MP3 player, integrated speaker, 4.5 hour battery life, and a variety of European maps depending on model. The low-end 6000 (€299.95; $384) and 7000 (€349.95; $448) units are tailored for the "regional traveler," and pack mostly major highways, while the 8000 (€399.95; $512) and 9000 (€449.95; $576) flavors house broader, more descriptive NAVTEQ maps. The 6000 / 7000 versions can be upgraded to match their more continental siblings via the Route 66 "Map of Europe" DVD (€79.95; $102), and the 7000 and 9000 units support free traffic information thanks to the integrated RDS-TMC receiver. The foursome also comes with automobile hookups and a (presumably) ho hum carry case, and are slated to hit stores far, far away from Chicagoland in November.[Via GPSLodge]
