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CES 2008: Fugliest headphones awards
These cans are just the ticket for some tunes while hunting. The selection committee had an extremely difficult time arbitrating this one, so if you're affronted by what we've relegated to runners-up after the break be sure to cast your vote.
Hands-on with Altec Lansing's T612 iPhone docking speakers
Yeah, yeah, we know -- another iP** dock -- but this is actually one of the first docking audio speakers approved to work with the iPhone without either dropping into airplane mode or assaulting your ears with janky GSM signal noise (it also docks regular old iPods, of course). To boot, it charges the thing and has incoming call support -- more than slightly mitigated by the fact that you still have to actually remove the phone from the dock to take the call, a drawback the Altec Lansing rep said was because Apple neglected to include support for passing call audio across the docking interface. Still, if you happen to use your iPhone as jukebox at home or work, you can pick up this quite decent-sounding speaker system in February if it's worth $200 to you.
Toshiba's "short-throw" TDP-EW25U projector still requires three feet
It's amazing what a breakthrough does for perception (and competition), eh? Shortly after taking a look at the impressive PLC-XL50 from Sanyo, Toshiba has announced an "extreme short projection" offering of its own. This one, however, requires three whole feet in order to toss up a 60-inch image, which seems sort of ridiculous compared to the three inches needed by the aforementioned Sanyo. To its credit, the TDP-EW25U does boast a higher resolution (1,280 x 800), and it also features a 2,000:1 contrast ratio, DLP technology, 2,600 ANSI lumens, USB / RS-232 ports, integrated 802.11b/g WiFi, VGA, a built-in mono speaker and jacks for audio input. You'll also find password protection and a bundled remote, which may or may not push you to throw down $2,369 to claim one as your own.[Via AboutProjectors]
Intel explains: MID vs. UMPC
Today we had a chance to finally bring to rest the following question: what the hell's the difference between a UMPC and a MID. Fortunately, Dan Monahan, Intel's Global Internet Segment Manager of Ultra Mobility and the man who showed us (and the world) the UMPC for the first time at CeBIT took the time to set us straight. This is how it breaks down.UMPC Business-class device for enterprise users Runs a "heavy" OS like Vista Optimized for office-use applications like Excel, Word, etc. MID Consumer-class lifestyle device Runs a 'lightweight" OS with quick startup like Linux Optimized for things like media playback and web surfing In 2009 (or so) Moorestown-based devices will be classed as MIDs only So there you have it from the man who knows. Now use the term correctly please, especially you dear OEM/ODMs.
LG shows off AF115 SXRD 1080p projector at CES
Among the outpouring of new projectors at CES comes a stately one from LG. The AF115 SXRD projector offers up a native 1,920 x 1,080 resolution, DSP HQV Realta, 1,300 ANSI lumens, a 30,000:1 contrast ratio, twin HDMI 1.3 connectors, ISF calibration and ultra-quiet operation. Unfortunately, that's all the details we've received, but prospective buyers should take note of this thing's girth before choosing to wait diligently for information on a price / release date. [Via AboutProjectors]
Hands-on with iriver's Lplayer PMP
We can't say too much about iriver's tiny, tiny, tiny Lplayer except that... well, it's tiny. We can't stress how small this is. Despite its size, they still manage to cram up to 8GB in this guy, and top it off with a 2-inch screen. Check the gallery below and witness the micro-sized wonder. P.S. -- It's tiny.%Gallery-13316%
Engadget HD destroys Format War Central in AVP challenge
As much as we love CES for all the HD gear, we also really enjoy meeting fellow tech bloggers. But as you might expect, there's some friendly competition between us and those who cover the same beat. So to prove that we were the ultimate HD experts once and for all, we challenged Tyler from Format War Central to a friendly game of Alien Vs. Predator's BD Live game. We'll save Tyler from the embarrassment of the final score, but rest assured we killed a lot more aliens.
Blu-ray's CES 2008 booth tour
Blu-ray's booth was a drastic change from their red neighbors; people were in line for swag, watching demos, playing with BD Live, and taking pictures with Homer and the huge pirate ship. We tried a little BD gaming as well, but we think we'll stick to just watching the movie. We did catch a glimpse of Panasonic's automotive Blu-ray player and 7-inch HD in dash display and let us tell you, we were impressed -- seriously you can see a difference even on a 7-inch screen.%Gallery-13361%
HD DVD's CES 2008 booth tour
HD DVD and Blu-ray had their booths right next to each other and as you might expect the amount of traffic was night and day. As you can see in the pictures, the HD DVD booth was pretty desolate, but the seating at the stage was full of people watching the demonstration. We also tried to say hello to our friends in press relations, but like many people this late in the show, they already left. Gallery: HD DVD booth tour
CES 2008: Conflict Denied Ops aims at non-existent 'casual FPS' market
Just a few months ago we brought you impressions of an early build of Conflict: Denied Ops. As the newest chapter in the perpetually-lackluster Conflict series, our opinion then was that the game was following in the footsteps of its 4.0 kindred. We were frustrated with the flat look, boring linear gameplay and the use of a needless buzzword – "Puncture-Tech" – to describe destructible environmental elements. In checking in on the game's progress in a near-release state today at CES, we found that many of these same concerns are still applicable. Eidos and Pivotal Games have stopped using that meaningless marketing buzzword and thrown in a few twists on the A-to-B gameplay, but Denied Ops is basically the same flawed game we saw in October.So what's the solution for a game company that has an overly-linear title on their hands? Apparently, you start calling it a casual game. That's right: Conflict: Denied Ops is now a "casual first-person shooter." You know: for all those grandmas who have been itching to break into the 'killing things' genre.
Optoma to ship three XVGA DLP projectors in March
Optoma announced a trio of DLP projectors due to be shipping over the next few months: models TX776, TX782 and TX783. The projectors pump out 4000, 4500 and 5000-Lumens, respectively. Each of these PJs put up a 3000:1 contrast ratio on the 1024x768-pixels. If you pick up the TX776 , we're guessing you'll use the DVI input; otherwise you can take advantage of HDMI input on the TX782 and TX783. Look for these models to show up in the "professional" (government/education) lineup in March.
DISH Network's CES 2008 Booth tour
Although DISH network's press conference is a little boring because they don't over sensationalize their news, we were impressed with their announcements. More HD channels and more local HD markets are always a good thing and although there were only eleven markets announced at the show, the map at the booth shows many more markets, that we hope is accurate. We also snapped a few pics of the new hardware.%Gallery-13355%
Kopin lays claim to world's smallest color SVGA display
It looks like the various companies that rely on Kopin displays for their gear could soon be soon be dishing out a round of upgrades, as the company has just unveiled what it claims is the world's smallest color SVGA display. Those possible upgrades are made all the more likely by the fact that Kopin's new so-called CyberDisplay SVGA LVS boasts exactly the same 0.44-inch diagonal size as its current VGA model, which allows it to use the same optics and housing, with the size of the connecting cable the only difference. While there's no word on any eyewear or other devices set to use the new display just yet, "select customers" looking to put it to use can apparently get their sample units for evaluation from Kopin right now.
Video: Demoing the multitouch trackpad
There's a lot of noise about MacBooks with multitouch trackpads coming out at Macworld, but we're wondering why there's no similar frenzy over Taiwanese ODM Elantech, which is tucked away in the International Pavilion at CES demoing a multitouch trackpad technology called "Multi-fingers Smartpad." The prototype is actually in an older Asus laptop, but it's got all the pinching and spinning action you'd expect -- check it out after the break!
Jawbone whips CES into a nerd frenzy with free headsets
Jawbone's giving away free headsets to anyone willing to trade in their old one here at CES -- which means they've accumulated an impressive collection of busted old headgear from nerds around the world. Check a few more pics of dudes waiting around for free stuff at the read link.
Asus shows off GeForce 9500M GS-equipped G1Sn laptop
Asus already let out word of at least one new laptop that'd be packing NVIDIA's new GeForce 9500M GS graphics chipset, but it looks like the company's already busy spreading that welcome addition to some of its other offerings, as evidenced by this familiar-looking model HotHardware spotted at CES. Dubbed the G1Sn, the laptop's an update to the company's G1S gaming laptop, and it apparently boasts mostly the same specs, with the exception of those graphics, of course (a 512MB version in this case). No word on a price or release just yet, but we wouldn't expect Asus to sit on this one for too long.
NBC Universal's CES 2008 booth tour
When we heard NBC would be recording NBC Nightly news on the show floor of CES, we wanted to stop by and learn what it takes to produce a remote HD newscast, but unfortunately the PR team never got back to us about access, so instead we took a few pics -- including pictures of Brian Williams preparing for the show. In addition, they had kiosks setup, and using a free 2GB USB memory stick you could download NBC Universal content -- locked down with WM DRM of course.%Gallery-13351%
CES 2008: Hands-on with first public showing of Space Siege
The last Dungeon Siege update came out almost 18 months ago. Chris Taylor and his Gas Powered Games have had plenty of time to mull the next move, reflecting on half a dozen titles in the fantasy world, and even a major motion picture. The move they've made – a quick hyperspace jump away from the fantasy setting – shouldn't surprise anyone. With the Games for Windows initiative ramping up to full power it's the perfect time for the unveiling of Space Siege. Even in pre-alpha state, Space Siege is already exactly what you'd expect. Instead of a hard-jawed warrior wading through waste-deep goblin blood with sword clenched, the protagonist is a hard-jawed space marine wading through waste-deep alien blood with a big gun clenched in his hands. There isn't a lot of game to actually play on the CES show floor, but what there is reminds us of how much fun it is to mindlessly click creatures to death. Despite the similar-sounding nature of the game, there were actually a number of changes to the formula on display; enough that we think some folks are going to be surprised.
Samsung's GX-20 DSLR leaked
Apparently, Samsung is about to drop some extra-hot DSLR action on the world -- the 14.6-megapixel monster that is the GX-20. The camera -- which was apparently leaked on a Norwegian website (though later removed) -- features sensor-based image stabilization, a 2.7-inch LCD, one-press RAW formatting, and ISO up to 3200. The camera appears to sport some ruggedized components as well, with resistance to rain, sand, and dust, as well as something called "double dust removal" on the image sensor. There's some speculation that this camera is the product of the unholy union between Samsung and Pentax, and that this model may in fact be the Pentax K20D which is set to be released. Stay tuned to this space for more info.
Crazy curved Alienware monitor perfect for Crysis
Many uses come to mind when thinking of a curved, 2,880x900 resolution (16:5 aspect ratio) monitor - multitasking aside, we'd have quite a fun time opening every Photoshop panel simultaneously, or created the most complex, intricate World of Warcraft user interface imaginable. Alienware decided to show off its arcing display at CES with Crysis, the apparent benchmark for all technology of the future.Our friends at Engadget who are attending the show noticed three faint vertical lines, indicating the curved illusion is assisted by four sub-panels. The DLP display with LED illumination is due out the second half of this year for a currently-unknown price. Check out their gallery of the monitor; we also have video of the display embedded after the break.