Ces2011
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Amazon promises tablet-specific Kindle apps for Android and Windows slates
You can read your Amazon-bought ebooks on your Kindle, your PC, your Mac, your mobile, and even on your iPad. Now, it's time to have them, contained in a tailor-made application, on your Android and Windows tablets as well. Amazon has just announced its intention to introduce a free app for reading Kindlebooks on devices running Google and Microsoft's operating systems, which will expand its device compatibility list as the year goes on. Amazon specifically notes that these apps are intended for upcoming devices, which probably foreshadows the sort of tablet-heavy year we're going to be having. Skip past the break for the full announcement.
Samsung, RealD announce RDZ tech that puts active shutter 3D into the TV instead of the glasses
Just when we were getting used to the introduction of passive glasses 3D into the formerly active shutter-only home arena Samsung LCD Business and RealD will show off another option at this year's CES that is apparently based on the ZScreen technology RealD licensed last year. According to the two, RDZ LCD HDTVs are compatible with the cheaper RealD glasses already in use in theaters, by making the panel itself an active switching LCD instead. Compared to the patterned retarder passive 3D we expect to see from Vizio and LG, this has the advantage of not cutting the resolution of whatever you're watching in half, although they would likely still claim advantages in brightness and lack of flicker. We'll have to let our eyes tell us which is the best approach but the fact this is coming from Samsung's business LCD division instead of its consumer arm suggests the price of any displays that are eventually released will be something beyond the 3D capable TVs we're used to so far.
Netflix 'one click' remote button coming to nearly every device it streams to
We got a hint of this when Boxee announced one, but it's clear now that Netflix's plans are much larger as many of its hardware partners including Panasonic, Samsung, Sharp, Sony, Toshiba, Dynex, Haier, Memorex, Iomega and Roku will also offer one-touch Netflix buttons on remotes for TVs, Blu-ray players and media streamers. It's pretty obvious, Netflix Watch Instantly is a killer app for any connected TV platform at this point and one of the most used features, making access quicker and easier is a no-brainer.
Verizon teases 'suite of Android-based LTE consumer devices' this week
Surprised? Nah, neither are we -- Verizon's LTE-based Android smartphones have been leaking like the sweet, Cortex-A8 sieves that they are for weeks now -- but Big Red's using stronger language than ever before to say that we can expect multiple Android devices running on Verizon's fresh LTE network here at CES this week. Specifically, the press release says that "the company will also offer a sneak peek at a suite of Android-based LTE consumer devices" at its January 6th event here at the show, echoing Twitter teasers last month -- but with the key addition of the word "suite," which hopefully means we'll have an LG, an HTC, a Motorola, and a Samsung (at the very least) to toy with by the time this week is out. Stay tuned, folks. Follow the break for the brief press release.
MMT's DisplayLink-equipped 15.4-inch USB Monitor2Go given a $279 price
Both DisplayLink and MMT seem pretty darn proud to be revealing the 15.4-inch Monitor2Go here at CES, but in reality, this unit has already been around the block. If you'll recall, the Field Monitor Pro was first spotted a few weeks back, and now MMT is introducing a rebadged version in Vegas. The good news, however, is that we finally have a price to pore over: $279, and it'll ship to consumers later this quarter. For those that missed last month's slip, this fold-up monitor can be used alongside any machine (PCs are green-lit, Mac support is in beta) with a USB port, offering a 1280 x 800 screen resolution and a number pad to boot. Of course, since DisplayLink is behind the pixels, up to six screens can be daisy-chained off of a host computer's single USB port to create a massive video wall -- something we strongly encourage, of course. %Gallery-112226%
Sprint trots out HTC EVO Shift 4G and new 3G / 4G MiFi from Novatel
It's been leaked all over the place, but Sprint has just confirmed its second EVO: the EVO Shift 4G. The big new addition is obviously the slide-out keyboard, but otherwise, while specs are solid, there's nothing as revolutionary as the original EVO. The Shift has a 3.6-inch 800 x 480 LCD, Android 2.2 (with HTC Sense), and the same great 800MHz Qualcomm MSM7630 processor that's in the G2 and myTouch 4G. Naturally there's WiMAX 4g, in addition to EVDO Rev A., and HTC hopes to keep those radios alive with a 1500mAh battery. There's a 5 megapixel camera around back, capable of 720p video, but oddly no front-facing camera -- something we assumed was part of the definition of EVO. The phone will be available on the 9th for $150. Meanwhile, Novatel Wireless is cooking up its own WiMAX goodness, putting 3G and 4G in a brand new MiFi device, the MiFi 3G / 4G Mobile Hotspot. It includes a display for tracking status of the device, unlike Novatel's 3G MiFis, claims 4 hours of active use and 60 hours of standby, and can share storage from its microSD slot with connected devices. It should be out on February 27th for $50 with a two-year contract. %Gallery-112467%
Mitsubishi's 'big year' at CES includes 92-inch DLP, 155-inch OLED displays
As we mentioned in our 3D roundup, the advantage of Mitsubishi sticking to DLP technology for its HDTVs is easily seen in square inches per dollar spent, and they're going to push that even further by introducing a 92-inch HDTV in 2011. We should get our eyes on the monster and its new "Clear Contrast" screen at the CES Unveiled event tonight, but you'll excuse us if we're slightly distracted by the 155-inch OLED that will apparently be on hand from its business division. No word yet on price or release date for the 92-incher, check out another picture and all available details in the press release after the break.
Warpia's wireless StreamHD USB-to-HDMI adapter supports 1080p, 5.1 surround sound
Let's try this again, shall we? We were none too impressed with the first iteration of the device you see above, mostly because it failed to support audio. A few generations later, and seems as if Warpia may finally have its ducks in a row. The StreamHD is a USB-to-HDMI adapter, presumably relying on Wisair technology to whisk 1080p content from one's USB-enabled laptop or desktop onto your HDMI-equipped television. It'll handle material with resolutions as high as 1920 x 1280, and we're told that both Hulu and Netflix content will be passed along sans issue. Hooking things up is a lesson in simplicity (in theory, at least) -- just plug the USB dongle into your Windows PC, and the transceiver dock into your HDTV. High-def content and 5.1 surround sound should be transmitted, and there's a reported range of 30 feet. It should be popping up any moment now on Amazon for $169.99, and yeah, that does include an HDMI cable and a S/PDIF cord. How thoughtful.
Lexar reveals Echo MX and ZX USB 'no-touch' backup drives
One-touch backup? Pssh. That's so 2010. Lexar is revealing its second CES introduction this morning with the uncovering of its Echo MX and ZX high-speed backup devices. Both units provide 'no-touch backup' along with 128-bit AES encryption, with the MX offering an always-on capacity meter, built-in Echo backup software and speeds of up to 28MB/s (read) and 10MB/s (write). It'll play nice with both Mac and PC platforms and will ship later this quarter in capacities of 8GB, 16GB, 32GB, 64GB and 128GB (priced from $44.99 to $499.99). Taking things down a notch (from a volumetric perspective, anyway), the ZX USB nub is designed to remain plugged into your system at all times, continually backing things up in the event of an all-too-sudden disaster. This guy should ship prior to the summertime in capacities of 8GB, 16GB and 32GB, with prices ranging from $44.99 to $139.99. The full release is after the break.
Eye-Fi's Direct Mode unites phone and camera in holy matrimony
The WiFi-enabled SD card wizards at Eye-Fi already have a mobile app kicking around that lets you upload shots from your phone to the cloud, but their relationship with mobile is about to get a whole lot cozier with the introduction of Direct Mode. Basically, Direct Mode lets the Eye-Fi card in your camera communicate directly with your tablet or phone -- with Eye-Fi software installed, of course -- giving you direct and immediate access to the photos that are on your camera without the need to either cable up or first allow the card to upload the images to a photo sharing service before they can be pulled back down on the mobile device. Granted, the cameras inside phones are getting better by the day, but most of them still don't come anywhere near serious point-and-shoot quality -- and that seems to be the angle Eye-Fi's trying to attack here, making it dead simple to share your "real" camera photos just as quickly as you would had you taken them with your phone itself. Look for it as a free upgrade for Eye-Fi's existing line of X2 cards "later in 2011." Free's nice, eh? Follow the break for the press release.
Turtle Beach adds dual radios, customizable presets and voice morphing to 7.1 Ear Force PX5 gaming headset
Hear that? That's the sound of a million new products being introduced here in Vegas... in glistening 7.1 Dolby surround sound, no less. Turtle Beach has just ushered out its new flagship device, the Ear Force PX5. Designed for use with Sony's PlayStation 3 (but perfectly usable with the Xbox 360 or any other audio source), this here gaming headset is wireless in nature and is the company's first to incorporate dual radios -- one for surround sound, and another for chatting on the PlayStation Network via Bluetooth. This is also the first of its kind to incorporate customizable presets; there's a DSP chip that lives inside, and the bundled software interface allows you to program voice prompts, custom EQ, compressors, Bass Boost, etc. Then, those settings are saved right on the headset, enabling your CPU to take a breather while the cans themselves handle the math. Moreover, the BT feature can be used to accept mobile phone calls or listen to audio streams, and if you needed any more reason to invest, it also supports voice morphing. You heard right -- it can be programmed to disguise a gamer's voice, which is partially awesome, and partially the worst thing ever to happen to online chat. Hop on past the break for the full feature list, and look for this one to land in the Spring for $249.95.
Toyota Entune in-car infotainment system interfaces with your smartphone, does everything but drive
Ford and Microsoft have been all over the smartphone-car integration scene with their SYNC system, but now it's Toyota's turn. The outfit is launching a major initiative here at CES to make your vehicle more than just a mode of transportation, with the Entune infotainment system offering Bluetooth, a host of mobile apps and the ability to read-back and replay text messages. Entune is expected to launch as an option on "select models" later this year, with featured apps including Bing, iheartradio, MovieTickets.com, OpenTable and Pandora, not to mention location-based services such as personalized traffic, fuel prices, stock alerts, weather reports and sports scores. It'll rely on voice commands and in-vehicle controls, enabling users to be informed and empowered while traveling. Aside from giving motorists the ability to reserve a table as they're en route to an eatery and order a movie ticket for later, it's also a fully-featured entertainment center -- you'll get access to HD Radio, a CD player, USB connectivity and Bluetooth audio streaming. Best of all, the entire setup is firmware upgradable via OTA updates, so the risk of obsolesce is lessened a good bit. We're hoping to get some hands-on time with an Entune-equipped whip here on the show floor, and we'll be sure to share our impressions just as soon as we do. For now, feel free to get a closer look in the gallery below and the video after the break. %Gallery-112384%
Kodak adds Quick Comment option, activity sensor to refreshed Pulse digiframe
We've been talking a lot about second generation hardware at CES this year, but it's not just Intel and AMD who are unveiling their next iterative step toward consumers' pockets. Kodak has disclosed plans to update its Pulse digital photo frame -- you know, the one that can receive images via its very own email address -- with a new Quick Comments feature plus an activity sensor that switches the display off when no humanoids are moving about in front of it. It doesn't seem like you'll be able to author your own comments when responding to the sender of your latest pic, though you will be able to communicate via a selection of gorgeous pre-canned proclamations like the always popular "OMG!" and the ever-versatile "LOL!" The new Pulse will be arriving in the spring, costing $130 for the 7-inch variety or $200 for its 10-inch SKU. Skip past the break for the full press release.
Vizio shows off its full 2011 HDTV lineup: ultrawidescreen, 3D, Google TV, widgets & all
No more dribs and drabs of information leaking out as Vizio has finally listed its entire 2011 LCD lineup, again featuring LED back & edge lighting across all models. That includes two ultrawidescreen 21:9 Cinema models in its Theater 3D line in 50- and 58-inch sizes, two VIA Plus TVs with Google TV in the XVT3D476SP and XVT3D556SP, and continuation of its existing Yahoo! Widgets based Vizio Internet Apps features including WiFi and Bluetooth QWERTY remote across TVs sized 22-inches and above. Check the press release after the break for all the models and what they offer, perhaps wisely there's no detailed information about when and for how much they'll be available just yet, so we'll still have to speculate about which models will represent the sub-$300 3D portion of the lineup.
OnLive turns into Vizio VIA Plus app, destined for TVs, tablets and phones
The OnLive MicroConsole is one way to get your streaming game fix, but here comes Vizio with four more -- the bargain television company just revealed that those brand-new VIA Plus HDTVs and Blu-ray players (as well as that VIA Tablet and VIA Phone) will come with OnLive on board. Despite running as an internet app on top of the existing Vizio hardware, we're told the service will support full 1080p resolution, stereoscopic 3D images, and OnLive's low-latency wireless gamepads too -- as Vizio's units will apparently support IEEE 802.15.4. While the jury's still out on when OnLive will actually be playable on touchscreens, CEO Steve Perlman says some games are being adapted to support touch right now, and that tablets that support external game controllers could also use OnLive normally. We've also got more good news for the home theater crowd, as OnLive's signed a deal with SRS, bringing 5.1 surround sound as a free update to all OnLive users early next year. Because there's nothing quite like having ears bombarded from all directions with digital explosions. PR after the break.
Clickfree Wireless takes the Time Capsule approach, automates backups over WiFi
Tired of the power supply going sour in your Time Capsule? Join the crowd. Clickfree is making its annual CES introduction today from Las Vegas, and for those familiar with the aforementioned Apple product, you'll understand exactly how the Clickfree Wireless works. Put simply, it's an HDD-infused box with an 802.11n radio within, and it's designed to automate the backup of an unlimited quantity of Macs or PCs without any wires whatsoever. Sort of. You'll still need to plug it directly into each machine you're hoping to duplicate as the initial backup takes place, but after that, all settings will be found and configured, and all future backups will happen without wires. Sadly, only two models are available at launch -- a 500GB box for $179, and a 1TB unit for $249. If you've more than one machine in your house, you'll probably need to wait for larger capacity units to surface later in the quarter, but hey, at least they're en route.
Pandigital's Multimedia Novel gets AT&T 3G, still cheap
Here are some facts we know about this subject: This is a tablet called the Multimedia Novel, built by Pandigital. It's very much like another Multimedia Novel tablet Pandigital sells at CVS for $214, except now it's $280 because there's a 3G radio inside. We really disliked the 7-inch version. It's on AT&T but it's contract free -- you pay as you go. The 9-inch screen is resistive, which sucks even if there's contract free AT&T on it. That's just our opinion, though. Android 2.0 is the OS. Barnes & Noble's Nookbook Store is pre-loaded. You can't access the Android Market by default. There's an unspecified 800MHz ARM11 processor running everything. It's probably slow. The 800 x 480 resolution will probably make your eyes bleed at this size. But hey, it's cheap. %Gallery-112444%
iHealth blood pressure iPod dock: another sort of Apple to keep the doctor away
Back in March 2009 at the iPhone OS 3.0 debut event, Apple's Scott Forstall pointed out medical devices specifically as one of the more interesting class of peripherals that could leverage the new custom app interface capabilities. And while it's certainly an interesting concept -- keeping tabs on your general health from the comfort of your own home -- we haven't really seen it catch on (only a couple of products come to mind). That isn't stopping iHealth; the company's blood pressure dock, available today from its online store (we're told it should be filtering through Apple's own channels later this month) ties in with a specialized iPhone / iPod touch / iPad app to monitor and track blood pressure from the comfort of your home, where theoretically there shouldn't be a stranger in a white coat making you extra nervous. In our brief time with the device, the interface seemed fairly intuitive and the whole process simple and not at all intimidating. The cost of entry is $99.95 for the hardware; the free app should be hitting iTunes today. Press release after the break. %Gallery-112421% %Gallery-112422%
Spiderpodium Tablet stand will haunt your desktop on January 12th
Breffo chose CES to announce a big nasty friend for its existing Spiderpodium grip for handheld gadgets. Spiderpodium Tablet features eight flexible "secured and assured hold" notched legs designed to hold small- and medium-sized tablets including the iPad which we assume fits into the latter category. Otherwise, it folds down compact for toting about in a jacket pocket or bag when not in use. It'll be on sale starting January 12th for an undisclosed price. Don't worry though, we'll grab a hands-on when the show opens and get back to you with the details.
Sigma finally brings 'professional grade' VXP video scaling to consumer boxes
After buying up Gennum and its VXP video processing technology back in '08, Sigma Designs has finally managed to shoehorn its "professional grade" scaling (previously sen in high priced boxes from Kaleidescape and Mark Levinson) into a chip destined for consumer set-top boxes. The SMP8910 system-on-chip claims to have enough power for all manner of over the top application or middleware, while the VXP processing cleans up video well enough for it to claim Netflix streams of higher quality than on competing hardware and reduced ghosting on 3D content. We'll need to actually see the chip at work in a Blu-ray player, IPTV box or similar device to judge its capabilities for ourselves but if it was good enough to make some people consider a $4,000 DVD player and is available for more reasonably priced applications, then we're all ears.
