Ces2007
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Celio's REDFLY platform enables Foleo-like WinMo devices
It's not that we don't see the appeal of using a supplementary keyboard and display with our smartphones, rather, we simply felt that the Foleo was way overpriced for the relatively limited functionality it provided. Well now a new company called Celio seems to be heading down the same risky path as Palm, announcing the REDFLY Smartphone Interface System, a platform that allows Windows Mobile 5 and 6 devices to be controlled using external hardware; sounds promising, except that the first piece of gear to incorporate the technology will cost $499, the same targeted MSRP as the failed Foleo (after its planned instant rebate). Celio wisely claims that it's initially targeting enterprise users with the Bluetooth 2.0, clamshell device, although frankly it seems like they'd have more success concentrating on the software and letting OEMs deal with designing products that offer a more attractive price / performance ratio.
Sony's high-end DR-BT50 Bluetooth cans love your cellphone
Just in case Sony's compact DR-BT21G headset didn't exactly float your boat, or you just like having the best of the best when given the option, the high-end DR-BT50s should fit the bill. Rather than taking the wraparound approach, these cans feature the typical over the head styling, an adjustable headband, 17-hour battery life (200 in standby), and a sleek black / silver motif. As with its little brother, you can answer and end calls with the press of button, and while not conversing via its handsfree profile, you can tune in to your mobile's music as it supports A2DP, AVRCP, HFP, and HSP. As expected, you'll find all the playback controls right on the earcup, and those interested can snag this Bluetooth headset / headphone hybrid for $230 when it lands in April.[Via AkiharabaNews]
Sony's Bluetooth DR-BT21G wraparound headset does A2DP, AVRCP
While Sony's DR-BT21G was given limited facetime during CES, the wraparound stereo Bluetooth 2.0 headset is getting all official on us, and will now join the long list of other A2DP-friendly devices that Sony's known for kicking out. Sporting a behind-the-neck, foldable design, the 63-gram headphones come in black or white motifs, support A2DP, AVRCP, HFP, and HSP protocols, and boast a built-in microphone and control button in the earcup to pull double duty as a handsfree communicator. Aside from the receive / end call button, users can expect to control audio playback functions from the side of their dome, and considering the respectable 11-hour battery life, finding an AC outlet shouldn't become too much of an issue. No concrete information in regard to price or availability just yet, but we're hearing to expect these in April for around the $130 mark.[Via Akiharaba News]
Gibson goes wild, unveils new consumer electronics lineup
While a company not typically associated with consumer electronics can make the leap at any point, it's usually a relatively modest entrance, but Gibson has apparently had a bit too much fun at NAMM, and has thrown its logo on just about every device it could think of in the process. You won't find much of anything new in Gibson's lineup of consumer electronics, but if you're a Gibson purist and live life one riff at a time, these goods are for you. The company announced its own line of USB 2.0 Gibson Signature Series Les Paul flash drives, which currently come in a 1GB flavor and mimics a 1959 Les Paul Standard, and the firm plans to roll out more collectible drives shaped like other classic instruments in the future. Additionally, a 500GB external HDD was released, boasting USB 2.0 and a glowing Gibson logo on the side, and it seems that the firm is looking to snag a bit of that high-end interconnect market by offering up "premium gold" versions of optical audio, USB, and HDMI cables. Also on tap was a 7.1 AV receiver with a built-in guitar input, XM capability, and HDMI 1.3 video switching, various forms of recordable media, a dual-layer DVD recorder, surge protectors, and a few home theater speakers to boot. Although pricing is still up in the air at this point, it looks like you'll have the opportunity to get your external storage, surround sound gear, and a few spare E-strings all at the same place here soon.[Via Macworld]
PEIKER BluetouchMusic links iPod, cellphone to car stereo
While it didn't bring it a massive posse or hundred foot banners, Germany's PEIKER did manage to deliver an "award-winning" in-car connection device during CES last week. The company's BluetouchMusic claims to be the "world's first" system to integrate handsfree calling and music into your car's stereo, but clearly it's missed quite a few other applications that have already graced American soil. Nevertheless, the device is meant to be "professionally installed" into your car's stereo system, and allows you to converse wirelessly on your Bluetooth-enabled phone, stream tunes from your A2DP-enabled device, listen to your iPod via an optional cable, or connect any music device via a 3.5-millimeter aux input. The diminutive device touts an intuitive-looking menu with oversized buttons to navigate from music to your address book and everywhere in between, but interestingly enough the "handsfree" aspect becomes somewhat laughable when many functions need a few button presses to get things in order. Regardless, PIEKER's first device to be sold and distributed here in America should start hitting "aftermarket channels" shortly for a currently undisclosed price.[Via BlueTomorrow]
ZVUE 260 mimics iPod, sports built-in speaker
HandHeld Entertainment is keeping the streak alive, as its latest PMP features about as little innovation as possible, yet still manages to seem mildly attractive if you're interested in just the basics. Making a ripple a CES, the ZVUE 260 sports an unmistakably iPod-esque appearance, rechargeable Li-ion cell, built-in speaker, a pocket-friendly 4.16- X 2.4- X 0.5-inch enclosure, and a 2.5-inch backlit LCD screen. This device plays nice with WMA, WMV, and WMA-DRM, and can reportedly play back 320 x 240 video at 30fps without a hitch; moreover, the ZVUE isn't much of a burden, as the SD-based unit doesn't house any sort of internal hard drive to weigh it down. Possibly the best thing about the otherwise ho hum ZVUE 260 is the price, as it should fit in nearly anyone's budget when it lands in mid-2007 for just $99.[Via MobileWhack]
Samsung offers up DS200 speaker dock for YP-K3
Just days after Samsung's uber-slim YP-K3 DAP got all official on us, here comes news of a docking speaker attachment to give it the built-in sound projection capabilities that the YP-K5 already has. Although Samsung has also announced that the K3 will be landing in lime green and red flavors here shortly, the DS200 apparently only comes in black, and while it's admittedly less sexy that the integrated speaker on its larger sibling, it'll still get the job done when push comes to shove. We wouldn't expect this here horn to deliver anything awe-inspiring, but the battery-powered DS200 should provide your ears with a little rest when you're tired of wearing those earbuds. Reportedly, the speaker adornment should hit shelves sometime in March, but since it'll run you right around $50, it's probably a bit much for an impulse buy.
Konka's leopard print LCD TV / Magic Mirror
While we've seen a variety of magic mirrors in our day, we've yet to come across one with such a nifty premise, only to be completely and utterly ruined by a leopard print motif. Sure, the off-kilter design scheme might attract a few people still stuck in, well, whatever era leopard print was marginally acceptable in, but generally speaking, we're guessing most folks won't give it a second glance. Konka's Magic Mirror isn't a mirror by trade, but its vertically-mounted 42-inch LCD TV is directly wired to a webcam in the bezel, which can display whatever stands in front of it, theoretically accomplishing the same task as a tried and true mirror. Additionally, it can be used as a normal TV for viewing television, movies, etc., but considering its upright alignment, it's probably best reserved for digiframe duty. For the folks (read: one or two) out there wondering about the price, unfortunately we're not sure, but we'd suspect that you could darn near steal these things from Konka if you just let its stockpile collect a little dust for a few months first.[Via Uber-Review]
Pioneer Elite Pro-FHD1 1080p plasma wins Product of the Year
We guess they don't call it "Elite" for nuthin', as Pioneer's Elite Pro-FHD1 has been crowned the "Product of the Year" according to Sound and Vision Magazine and Ultimate AV. The firm's 50-inch, 1080p plasma was deemed a "technological milestone, complete with images that burst off the display for a near 3D effect," which are pretty strong words considering the smorgasbord of fantastic PDPs alone that came out last year. Of course, Mr. Mossberg would probably still argue that his Pioneer Elite PRO-1140HD was the better choice, but hey, he also tried to convince us that 1080p wasn't an important factor when scouting our your next set. Nevertheless, our hats are off to the folks at Pioneer, and while we're sure this beauty deserved its tiara, the $7,999 pricetag will still keep it out of all but the most affluent homes -- and Pioneer, don't count on next year's award coming easy, as you've already got some seriously stiff competition just a fortnight into the new year.
iOPS unveils DMB-equipped N7 NEO navigation system
It looks like iOPS' X11 wasn't the only showstopper at the firm's modest CES booth, as the sexy N7 NEO caught more than a few glimpses with it's sleek, metallic frame and sharp, 7-inch LCD. This NAV sports a 800 x 480 resolution, dual-core CPU (saywha?), "dual touch sensor pad LED light," SiRF Star III GPS module, FM radio tuner, games / car diary manager, SD card reader, wireless remote, and even a rear view camera option. Built on Windows CE 4.2, you'll also find MP3, movie, and photo playback functions, not to mention the MS Office viewing capabilities and turn-by-turn directions. While there's no official word on pricing, we can't envision such a well appointed unit coming in cheap, but you can find out for certain when this lands next month.
odd-i showcases high-resolution P480D PMP
We hadn't heard from odd-i in quite some time, but it was good to see the PMP creator back at CES, bringing the fresh goods along for the ride. The firm's latest, dubbed P480D, bears a striking resemblance to its P11N, bit this rectangle has a spruced up layout and design, and rather than rocking the same ole 4-inch LCD, this thing boasts a 4.8-inch display with a reported 1,024 x 768 resolution to boot. Little is known about the (presumably potent) innards just yet, but we do know it'll sport black / silver or white color schemes, a kickstand, USB 2.0 connectivity, headphone jack, and of course, the obligatory DMB tuner. Per usual, there's no mention of pricing or future availability, but be sure to hit the read link for to gawk a little more at that svelte screen.
Sanyo booth tour
Sanyo had a bit of a twist this year at CES -- it was making a push for the environment. In between displays of HD camcorders and wireless projectors were numerous low consumption devices and solar powered chargers. Keep reading to see what you may have missed among the plethora of products that were on display this year.
Luxeed keyboard goes disco, sports programmable color keys
We can't think of a much better way to compliment your disco-inspired mouse than, you guessed it, a psychedelic keyboard. While we've seen our fair share of colored keyboards, Luxeed's latest elevates the game by letting you program each individual key with one of 512 colors, "be it a single hue, a spectrum rainbow," or your own distinct / tacky creation. Reportedly, users can even download color skins / patterns directly from the firm's website, or you can save your own design for future reference, and actual brightness levels can also be adjusted right alone with tone. Moreover, users can make the keys light up and dim based on the beat of the music surrounding it, sure to create quite the dance-floor experience right in your studio. Of course, Luxeed is marketing this as a way to relieve stress via light therapy, but everyone knows this here is best used with all the lights shut out.[Via CNET]
Casio booth tour
How did Casio, arguably best known for its calculators and watches (and those cool little programmable synths that to this day no church choir goes without), hold its own against its more massive booth brethren? One word for you: bull. Click on for more action from the Casio rodeo tour.
Sharp's 1,000,000:1 Mega-Contrast Premium LCD vs regular LCD
Don't get us wrong, we love our high contrast HDTVs -- especially those among us lucky enough to have a 10,000:1 Sharp set and the like -- but if you've never experienced a 1,000,000:1 picture, you've never seen truly black black-levels. At CES 2007 Sharp was showing off their reference grade 37-inch Mega-Contrast Premium LCD, which had even deeper blacks than most SED sets we've seen to date (but not Sony's OLED set). Granted, this side by side comparison was with a mere 1,200:1 set that didn't exactly put up much of a fight -- we might have liked to have seen it alongside one of their 10,000:1 or 12,000:1 sets, but still, you can see for yourself in our gallery.
iOPS mimics the mini, showcases diminutive X11 PMP
You won't color us surprised to find that another Asian company has knocked off one of Apple's products, and we certainly aren't shocked that this time around it's iOPS (again). The firm's X11 is crafted from white or graphite aluminum, comes in at just 9-millimeters thick, and boasts a very, very familiar click wheel mechanism. Regardless, this PMP offers up 1/2/4GB capacities, and features a 1.3-inch color LCD, rechargeable Li-ion battery, JPEG / text viewer, FM radio tuner, built-in equalizer, USB 2.0 connectivity, and upgradeable firmware. On the audio front, it supports MP3, WMA, and OGG music files, while it plays nice with AVI, MPEG4, DivX, XviD, and WMV video files, and although we aren't certain of how much coinage this thing will require (if it actually makes it to market, that is), this looks like a very functional alternative to Apple's rendition if you get the itch to import.
MSI's GX700 gives way to Intel 965PM and NVIDIA NB8P
It's no secret that CES gave way to a smorgasbord of new kit for us all to drool over, but it seems that MSI showcased two forthcoming technologies that weren't exactly set for public unveiling. NotebookReview happened to take a gander at the innocent looking 17-inch GX700, and in the process of admiring its expansive WSXGA+ display and Core 2 Duo processor, they also noted the strange black line crossing out the Intel 965PM chipset feature, which is supposedly the yet-to-be-disclosed "Crestline" chipset that will support the Santa Rosa (er, Centrino Pro) processor platform. Additionally, the lappie sports a full-size keyboard, dual-layer DVD burner, 4-in-1 card reader, 802.11a/b/g, Bluetooth, an optional DVB-T tuner, ExpressCard slot, audio in / out, and curiously enough, an NVIDIA NB8P graphics card, which also lacks a formal announcement of its existence. Of course, both of these mysterious components could face naming changes or technical revisions before getting official, but it's fairly safe to assume that we'll be seeing a new chipset / graphics card finding homes in laptops here before too long.[Via Laptoping]
Sharp booth tour
Sharp was riding high on the success of its 108-inch LCD TV here at CES, and rightfully so, because it is amazing. However, that was not its only highlight of the show; as you will see in these photos, there were other wonders such as a multitude of displays and next-gen fax machines. Sharp booth tour
CES Zune speaker / dock roundup
While the Zune didn't make a huge presence at CES, DAP accessory makers were out in full force nonetheless, and ClicZune did a commendable job in scouring the floors for Zune-capable speakers and docking stations. Although Apple's gem definitely has a commanding lead in the iPod speaker system market, devices designed for the Zune are slowly catching up, and CES unveiled a trio of speaker apparatuses for those who prefer Microsoft's PMP. Hitting the low-end is eForCity's INSTEN, which rocks a black or white color scheme (sorry, brown fans), dual two-watt drivers, USB connectivity, and can be powered via four AA cells. Although MSRP on this little guy is closer to $40, smart shoppers can snag it for around $10, so don't expect any audiophile-approved tones to be emitted from this. Next up is the Memorex MzW101, which is a wireless docking base station that beams out the Zune's audio to a variety of WiFi-enabled speakers, including the waterproof MzW210 speaker as well as the forthcoming MzW220 indoor and MzW240 outdoor wireless satellites. Closing it out is JBL's dome-shaped system (pictured after the break), which features a slide-out Zune dock, video out port, USB connectivity, and the ability to get juiced by four AA batteries. Unfortunately, details are scant when it comes to pricing and future release dates, but fret not, as this is likely just the beginning of the onslaught to come.[Thanks, Mike]Read - eForCity's INSTENRead - Memorex lineupRead - JBL's dome-shaped system
DisplayLink cuts your monitor's cord, utilizes wireless USB
Sure, wireless USB hubs for your mice, keyboards, printers, and other random peripherals are quite handy in removing that rat's nest of wires you're currently dealing with, but now it seems the "wire free PC" is within our grasp. DisplayLink's DL-120 and DL-160 ICs allow "monitor manufacturers, PC OEMs and PC accessory companies to develop products for multi-monitor computing including USB-connected monitors, video-enabled USB laptop docks, and a host of other goodies for the cordless monitor. These USB chips are the "world's first" to offer VGA over a USB 2.0 connection, and there's reportedly no loss in quality or lag incurred when watching films or performing other fast-moving tasks, but that's a claim we'd have to see to truly believe. The DL-120 supports resolutions up to 1,280 x 1,024, while the more robust DL-160 kicks it all the way up to 1,600 x 1,200. Notably, DisplayLink mentions that these chips could not only be used in LCD monitors, but in digiframes as well, potentially giving users the ability to beam new galleries over wireless USB. While both ICs are current "available in production," we've no idea how much the firm plans on charging folks to integrate the wireless goods into their monitors, but at least the countdown to a cable-less PC (and some real-world wireless USB applications) has begun -- now we're just waiting for a few hundred watts to be channeled sans cabling.[Via EverythingUSB]
