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Porn doesn't need a XXX hologram
In December, the internet exploded with news of a XXX hologram. CamSoda, a small adult-cam site was bringing a holographic cam girl to the 2017 AVN Adult Entertainment Expo. I had to see it for myself. Decades of work have gone into the pursuit of true, full-color video holograms as sophisticated as Princess Leia's cry for help in Star Wars. I didn't expect a porn conference to be the place where more than a half-century of scientific research would bear fruit. But two weeks after CES, I was on my way back to Las Vegas for porn's premier event. I was fully expecting an industry stuck in the past, but hoping for something more.
Porn is back at CES, but good luck finding it
In the far reaches of the Las Vegas Convention Center's South Hall, beyond booths full of off-brand robots, massage chairs, power strips and hoverboards (presumably not the exploding kind), is a row of conference rooms, marked only by white placards with red numerals signifying you're in the right place. Just beyond the sign reading "S115" is the first porn company to have an official presence at CES since the departure of the Adult Entertainment Expo in 1998.
Sex at CES: An uncomfortable coupling
When I arrived at the Las Vegas Convention Center in January 2012, CES was a sexless desert of 4K TVs, second-tier smartphones and (yawn) Ultrabooks for days. I'd heard stories about scantily clad porn stars commingling with the same dumpy tech dudes who continued to stalk the show floor, their oversize polo shirts tucked into ill-fitting khaki pants. Tech veterans recalled days spent rubbing elbows with adult-film stars and nights stuffing dollar bills into G-strings. But from where I was standing, in a sea of brightly lit displays and airborne illness, there was nothing sexy about the world's biggest technology showcase.
Kia and Hyundai could offer Android-based in-car systems in all vehicles next year
While Tesla is still in the early stages of considering an Android emulator, Korea's ETNews reports that Hyundai and Kia are already bringing the platform (or, at least, a derivative of it) to all their cars by 2014. Kia's Android-based in-car AVN system, UVO 2.0, comes with an app store of its own and connects to iOS and Android smartphones for multimedia. We took the navigation software for a spin as early as 2012, but it didn't debut until Kia started selling the 2014 Sorento earlier this year. After months of keeping a low profile, UVO 2.0 will begin its time in the spotlight on the new Kia Soul and Hyundai Genesis slated to come out in late 2013.
Alpine's INE-Z928HD in-car DVD receiver goes 8-inches in a double-DIN
Alpine's just unleashed its stash of CES paraphernalia, and it's the INE-Z928HD that's taking the lead. It's an in-car DVD navigation device, christened as the first in the category to offer an 8-inch WVGA display that tucks neatly within a conventional double-DIN opening. Moreover, it's equipped with Pandora control and creation from iPhone, Android and BlackBerry phones, a built-in HD Radio receiver, compatibility with SiriusXM (separate tuner and subscription required) and iPod / iPhone playback. There's also Bluetooth and a newfangled 3D WVGA navigation platform, touting over six million points of interest and free lifetime traffic monitoring. It'll land this June, but mum's the word on price. Moving right along, there's the CDE-HD138BT Bluetooth CD / HD Radio receiver (replete with SiriusXM support via an optional adapter). For those who couldn't parallel park if life itself relied on it, there's the VPX-B104R VPASS (Visual Parking Assist Sensor System), which consists of a black box brain and four sensors that mount on the rear bumper, and it works with Alpine rear camera systems such as the HCE-C104 Universal Rear Camera. Head on past the break for the nuts and bolts.
Alpine's NVE-M300 black box brings navigation to top head units
If you've been putting off that GPS purchase in hopes that Alpine would deliver a sleek, fully compatible solution for the head unit that you already splurged on, your lucky day has finally arrived. The altogether simplistic NVE-M300 GPS Navigation Drive is a simple black box that measures just barely more than 4- x 4- x 1-inches and is designed to interface with the company's top two selling in-dash AV head units: the iXA-W404 (4.3-inch display) and the IVA-W505 (7-inch touchscreen). The device features the outfit's own OnPoint Advanced GPS Positioning, turn-by-turn guidance, a solid-state gyro sensor and accelerometer, text-to-speech and pre-loaded NAVTEQ maps of the US and Canada. Unfortunately, all this beautiful harmony will cost you, and by "cost you," we mean "450 bones."
Adult Video Network launches channel for VUDU set-top-box
We'd stop short of calling it inevitable, but we aren't shocked one bit to hear that on-demand porn has landed on VUDU's set-top-box. Adult Video Network (AVN) has developed a channel for VUDU which enables users to rent and purchase SD or HD films just like any other less explicit title. As expected, users would be asked to first "verify their age" and clear parental controls before anything on the channel could be viewed. Interested in pricing details? Try $6.99 / $19.99 for SD rentals / purchases and $8.99 / $29.99 for HD rentals / purchases.[Via CEPro]
(not CES) Because we all know what really pushes new tech, adult entertainment looks at HD
It's well known that the porn industry had spurred adoption of technologies like VHS and DVD, so it's no surprise that this week at Las Vegas' "other" conference, high definition was also a big topic. Adult entertainment companies and their customers usually are well ahead of the curve, and are already set to roll out trailers and content not only in high definition, but also formatted for the PSP and iPod.It's definitely possible that their choice between HD-DVD and Blu-ray could be a deciding force in which format is dominant.
