ces-2009
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Sapient's touchscreen Coke machine brings pop into the 21st century
Man, it just isn't fair -- we keep seeing all these kick-ass new vending machines, but when we want a can of Mr. Pibb or RC Cola we're stuck feeding quarters into something that looks like it was last serviced whenever Pac-Man Fever went storming up the charts. Then again, that's probably what we get for spending all our time in pool halls and bowling alleys. If you're lucky enough to head to one of the 190-plus (and growing!) malls owned by the Simon Property Group sometime in the not too distant future, you just might have the pleasure of getting your cold, satisfying beverage from one of the new-fashioned touch screen Coke machines from Sapient. The screen is pretty much the entire front of the machine, and the interface is simple (as you'd expect), but pretty cool nonetheless -- select your pop bottle, spin it around, take a look at the ingredients, and vend -- quasi-Minority Report-style. "Futuretistic," no? This thing takes cash and plastic, and it should be out in the US soon enough -- readers in Europe and the UK will have to wait until sometime in 2010 to get in on the action. Video after the break.%Gallery-42386%[Thanks, Trent]
'Minna no Theater' streaming video service could come to the US this year
Fujisoft's Minna no Theater Wii was the first Wii-exclusive video content delivery service to be announced -- and it'll be the first to be released, if it makes its January 27 date. The service is set to provide animated content like Astro Boy and Transformers, on a rental basis in which Wii Points buy a certain title for a certain amount of time.Fujisoft was at CES (!) and told GameCyte that they are planning on bringing the WiiWare video service to the US. "We can't quite tell at the moment," he said, "But if the negotiations are a success, maybe within the year." Of course, they'll have to compete with Nintendo's video service here like they will in Japan -- and, as GameCyte points out, it's Nintendo of America they're negotiating with. They'll have to convince Nintendo that Minna no Theater isn't a threat to their own offerings. However, since Nintendo plans to produce original content, and Fujisoft's is based on licensed anime, it seems like there is plenty of room for both.GameCyte also got a demo of the service at CES -- read their impressions, and see video of the service in Ultra-action, here.
Tensilica proves Blu-ray audio decoding can be done on a single core
Traditionally, Blu-ray decks have relied on multi-core chips to process and decode that succulent audio that tickles your eardrums, but Tensilica has a better idea. In an effort to shrink the amount of components within a BD deck and to offer up "significant cost savings and a simplified programming model," it has recently demonstrated DTS-HD Master Audio Lossless decoding on a single-core SoC. The outfit's HiFi 2 Audio DSP can handle codecs from both DTS and Dolby, and apparently it's already filtering into select players. Too bad you'll probably never know if your deck has one without rolling up your sleeves and breaking out the screwdriver.
DS2 shows off embedded powerline module
While powerline as a whole still has quite a ways to go before it's considered mainstream, DS2 is apparently hoping to bring it a touch closed by embedding it in places we'd least expect. At CES last week, the company was spotted showing off an embedded PLC module which gave powerline capabilities to whatever item it was integrated into. Now, let's see DS2 convince router companies and the like to follow suit.
Seagate's Showcase HDD turns DISH Network receivers into DVRs
There ain't much new here outside of marketing hoopla, but for those who missed Seagate's announcement early last year, we've got a revised one ready for publishing this year. The Showcase external HDD line has now been certified for compatibility with the Solo ViP 612 receiver, ViP 622 / 722 DuoDVR and the ViP 211 / 211k receivers. In essence, this here hard drive converts the receivers in the bunch into full-fledged DVRs, giving you one less reason to spend haphazardly on a new set-top-box. No need to thank us, we're just doing our jobs.
PSN's '17 million' statistic includes PS3, PSN, official forums
When Sony rattled off at last week's CES that 17 million PlayStation Network accounts had been registered, we were at once both impressed and skeptical. That number happens to match Xbox Live's data that was released days prior, despite its one-year lead and more aggressive push in the field. The Doubting Thomases over at MTV Multiplayer got in touch with Sony to clarify the figure and gain some more perspective on the issue. As it turns out, that number includes people who have created accounts via PS3, PSP or the official website, which requires a PSN ID to access the forums. While still impressive, we're happier to have some more context on this one.
Strike First. Strike Hard. New Dynasty Warriors trailer
Koei's Dynasty Warriors: Strikeforce is only two months away. At CES, the company projected its new Strikeforce trailer for the masses to see. Now, you can see it too. This trailer showcases the high-flying action of the button masher. It's predictably Dynasty Warriors, but that's not such a bad thing -- especially when you can take it on the go.Check out the video and the new screens, uploaded to our gallery: %Gallery-34535%
Philips revamps Blu-ray lineup with three new players
In all the announcements at CES we somehow managed to miss these new Blu-ray products from Funai Philips. The three new players consist of two that can do BD Live and the entry level BDP-3010 which is still profile 1.1. Both the BDP-5010 and the BDP-7310 have an SD slot for BD Live, but the higher model includes a 1GB SD card. The 7310 will also include support for more audio codecs as well as AVCHD and DivX. Both the 3010 and 5010 will be available in April for $229 and $249, while the 7310 is expected in May for $299.
Future Arcam Blu-ray player spotted at CES
Arcam may not be at the top of your list of must-have brands, but it's about to join the flourishing Blu-ray player market in the near future, regardless. Sadly, the only details about the deck you see above -- which was seen sporting a high-end-signifying FMJ-xxx logo at CES -- are that it's likely to be staggeringly expensive and it should ship next month. 'Til then, it looks like you'll be testing your patience.
Aiptek PocketCinema V10 hands-on
This is it! We just received video of the only pico projector endorsed by Russell Crowe (if by "endorsed" you mean "absolutely not endorsed," and by "Russell Crowe" you mean "the poor target of our Photoshoppery"). For a handheld VGA projector, the thing seems to handle itself pretty well. It's small and simple to use, but then again it doesn't really seem all that bright (something you might notice if you ever need it to, we don't know, "project" something). This bad boy has 1GB internal memory, an SD slot, and miniUSB, which should handle most of your I/O needs. Be sure to check out the explosive videos -- generously provided by Engadget Spanish -- after the break.
CES 2009: Mattel's MindFlex gives you Jedi mind powers
The author burnt out several synapses levitating the ball for this photo. Mattel had a booth at CES pimping out things like U.B. Funkeys, a Barbie nail design automatic applicator contraption, and Mindflex, a game that claims to harness the untapped power of your brain's beta waves. These are waves that the brain generates when you're busy solving problems, concentrating, or trying to decipher what the sales chart trends on Joystiq are pointing toward.Mattel wants to channel said waves into a franchise of games under the Mindflex banner, the first of which offers a "float the ball with your brain" challenge. To play, you slap on a funky headband, attach little butterfly clips to your earlobes and then concentrate really hard. If you do it well enough ... the ball floats. Relax your brain or close your eyes, and it hovers down.%Gallery-42015%
Motorola's CES 2009 booth tour
HelloMoto indeed, we came expecting that we'd likely have to give Motorola a pass, but were kinda chuffed to actually love what they've got going on. We were absolutely wowed by the stainless and svelte Aura, and just couldn't keep our hands-off it. Also on hand were the SURF A3100 and the green-and-made-from-recycled-stuff W233 Renew, with the A3100 being the cooler of those two offerings. A decent showing from a company that really needs it right now, here's hoping we catch more from them at Mobile World Congress next month.%Gallery-41712%
Sony shows off flexible OLED Walkman concepts on video
Looks like Sony Insider caught some footage of those flexible OLED Walkmans in action during a CES promo video hidden away in the booth. Looks like a pretty sweet riff on the Cover Flow-esque interface that's due to arrive on the NWZ-X1000, but there's not much else to go on -- let's hope Sony's spending more time getting the X1000 ready to leave that impenetrable glass housing than it is mocking up videos of fantasy tech. Video after the break!
Video: Yahoo's new widgets in action
The theme of CES 2009 for the HD industry was the mass adoption of Yahoo Widgets. Never before have we seen so many manufacturers adopt the same technology, and now that we've had a chance to play, we understand why. For the first time ever we've experienced interactive internet TV in a way that is actually useful. Sure you could get the weather or a stock quote on your TiVo for years, but it's always been like six clicks away. And now since everyone decided to use Yahoo's widgets, no matter what kind of TV you have, you'll have the same access to the same great widgets. And best of all they'll be available at the touch of a button. So if you aren't sold on the idea yet, spend a few minutes watching and then tell us it isn't cool.
Blaupunkt shows off miRoamer-powered internet car radios
We'll be honest: apart from the ridiculous custom cars and the Viliv S7, we pretty much avoided the car audio-oriented North Hall at CES this year -- which means we sadly didn't get any facetime with Blaupunkt's miRoamer-powered TravelPilot New Jersey 600i internet car stereo. (Apparently double-DIN is big in the Jerz.) The prototype head unit connects to a cellphone over Bluetooth to access the internet, and uses the miRoamer service to stream "tens of thousands" of stations on the service -- which the company estimates will consume about 2GB of data a month, so you'd better hope your data plan doesn't cap you off or charge you for overages. The radio is expected to arrive in the second half of the year for $399, which isn't bad, but doesn't do much good for the squares like us who never swap out their car stereos -- which is probably why miRoamer is targeting 2010 for placement in OEM head units. One more pic of the single-DIN sized "Hamburg" model after the break.
More details on D-Link's upcoming 7-inch SideStage USB monitor
We swung by D-Link's booth at CES to check out its upcoming SideStage USB-powered monitor, hoping to see the thing in action and get some more details ahead of its release. What we found was quite familiar looking, to say the least. D-Link was disappointingly just demoing a Nanovision, but was quick to point out this would not be the product destined for a full US release sometime this summer. That new display will still be produced by Nanovision, but will be modified to better suit our market, graced with a different logo, and cheaper, too. No firm price yet, but the company is targeting sub-$100, which sounds good to us.
CES 2009: Zapper crossbow lets you shoot Gorons in style
We were impressed by the "WeeP 5" Zapper mod, but did have one reservation: Link would never use an MP5 to mow down a herd of Stalfoses (Stalfi?). Enter CTA Digital, who were displaying this Zapper crossbow shell at the recently finished CES 2009 (which is strange, because apparently this has been around for a while, but it's the first we've seen of it). This bad boy comes equipped with a laser sight (we seriously question the historical accuracy of this) and, as you can see, a fetching "woodgrain" finish. It looks way, way nicer than the fugly crossbow peripheral we previously covered, and is roughly the same price: a rather eye-watering $29.99. %Gallery-42051%
Shuttle's X50 all-in-one desktop pulls up alongside the Eee Top
While the Eee Top may get a lot of zombie-hand loving, it's not the only game in town when it comes to cheapo all-in-one PCs. Shuttle announced its X50 desktop at CES as well, a system with more than just a few similarities to the competition, namely its CPU, base RAM, display size and resolution, chipset, GPU, and OS. In case you don't know those by heart: 1.6GHz Intel Atom 330, 1GB of RAM, 15.6-inch,1366 x 768 resistive touchscreen display, 945GC mainboard, GMA 950 graphics, and Windows XP. The real difference is the hard drive -- the Eee Top sports a 160GB, the X50 just 80GB -- and the price point, with the Shuttle clocking in at $499 ($100 cheaper). Our take? We're starting to see the emergence of what amounts to the netbook desktop -- a one piece, low power system meant for the kids' room, the kitchen, or grandma's rest home suite. The Shuttle wins in the looks department, but don't make any fast decisions -- come its March launch, you'll be seeing plenty of these.[Via Fudzilla]
NVIDIA Ion platform gets demonstrated at CES
We've been hearing an awful lot about NVIDIA's Ion platform, but up until now, we haven't seen an awful lot. HotHardware and PC Perspective were both able to swing by NVIDIA's booth at CES and get an up close look at the diminutive system. On hand was a half-liter PC that utilized a 1.6GHz Atom 330 CPU and NVIDIA's GeForce 9400M GPU, and it was reportedly being used to push some pretty stellar video on the monitors behind it. Have a look past the break for a couple demonstration vids -- if this is the kind of graphical prowess we can expect from nettops of tomorrow, you can color us interested.Read - HotHardwareRead - PC Perspective
CES 2009: Best. Controller. Ever.
"Before the age of man, there was the dragon,fire breathing, fierce and ruthless. Long since dormant, the dragon arose hungry for modern dap knights to re-establish dragon superiority over all mankind."More than a control pad,,,a legend!"<disclaimer> The previous and following (after the break!) text was copied verbatim -- odd spacing and all -- from the back description and product manual of the Dragon Fire Breather game controller, which we and our friends at Engadget found and bought for $1 at the CES international hall. We are not transcribing this to try to offend anyone and, yeah, we know this is probably not the manufacturers' first language -- probably not its language at all -- but we are in fact very fascinated with how the translation process works. Every chosen word does make sense, just not in the context we are used to. Plus, "mucilanginous" is a very funny word, and if you look carefully, you'll notice World of Warcraft's title screen art.The official US name is "USB Dragon Dual Shock Scary Gamepad" (with 12-button and 2 analog sticks) and is available from DealExtreme for $27.37. It also comes in ninja and pirate variants. </end disclaimer>
