ces-2009
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Eyes-on with Hitachi Super Resolution TV
While unpacking we found this clip (after the break) and these images of Hitachi's latest entry into the Super Resolution arena and figured you might want a look at this attempt to make all things SD into high definition. At least so far, Toshiba has not impressed many with its approach, we'll see if Hitachi has different luck.%Gallery-41955%
Joystiq Podcast CES 2009 Special
With Justin back from CES we can present this slightly belated wrap-up of all last week's events, including the Consumer Electronics Show and the 1UPocolypse that's still producing shockwaves. On that note, thanks to Dan Diemer for his 1UP tribute, which you can find at the end of the show. It's not all sad news, though, as listeners have a chance to win the Joystiq Podcast customized headphones from our friends at iFrogz you can see right after the break. Oh, and HUGE thanks to Louis Senkowsky for our awesome podcast art. Get the podcast: [iTunes] Subscribe to the Joystiq Podcast directly in iTunes [Zune] Subscribe to the Joystiq Podcast directly in the Zune Marketplace [RSS] Add the Joystiq Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator [MP3] Download the MP3 directly Hosts: Chris Grant, Ludwig Kietzmann and Justin McElroy Music: "Get Ready for Love" by Nick Cave, "1UP Song" by Dan Diemer For fans: Joystiq Podcast Facebook group
Team PlayStation wins the Street Fighter challenge
Who's better at Street Fighter? Well, from a very limited sample of people that could make it to Capcom's brawl at CES in Las Vegas this year, we can conclude that PlayStation fans are the Street Fighting champs. Team PlayStation was represented by Joe C., who uppercutted Major Nelson's representative, Josh, to victory. Professor PlayStation (Jeff Rubenstein) awarded him a Star Wars Battlefront PSP and a chance to get obliterated by Street Fighter legend Justin Wong.Kudos to all that participated. As PS3 fans, we have to thank Joe for representing PlayStation and showing Xbox gamers all over the world that we're a force to be reckoned with. At least in Street Fighter.
Crapgadget Crapdown, CES: the best of the worst
We didn't notice nearly as much crap at CES 2009 as we did last year, but what we did see was pretty stunning in its mediocrity -- and then there was the amazing Dragon gamepad, which in our opinion was single best product of the show. Pick your favorite of the contenders below, then hit your local dollar store to see 'em in person.%Gallery-42120%The nominees:Crapgadget CES, round 1: Elvis Presley Plug 'n SingCrapgadget CES, round 2: Stereo Bluetooth SunglassesCrapgadget CES, round 3: The iCapCrapgadget CES, round 4: kinetic energy chargerAwesomegadget CES: Dragon Fire BreatherCrapgadget CES, round 6: New Generation Video Game SystemCrapgadget CES, round 7: the furry phoneCrapgadget CES, round 8: Remote Control CoolerCrapgadget CES, round 9: pimped Segway KIRFCoby's MP836 hands-on%Poll-24983%
Resistance Retribution in your hands March 17th
It feels like it's been a long time coming. Resistance Retribution has a release date at last: March 17th. Other PSP releases in March include Hammerin' Hero, MLB 09 The Show, Dynasty Warriors Strikeforce and Phantasy Star Portable. Resistance may be the best of an already-amazing lineup for March.See this PlayStation.blog video to find out more about the game. It details things we already revealed at TGS: connectivity with Resistance 2 and the ability to play with DualShock 3. A direct-feed version of the story trailer is also included in this video. [Thanks, Hashbrown_Hunter!]
Joystiq hands-on: Dawn of War 2
We learned a valuable lesson at CES last week: Don't demo an RTS game on a trade show floor. Why? Because it's nigh-impossible to hear a developer's instructions over the deafening noise of geek-outs. It turns into something like this dialogue snippet from our hands-on experience with Warhammer 40000: Dawn of War 2:Relic: "So, you'll quickly want to set a rally point here." *taps screen*Joystiq: *clicks on random units* [units march off-screen]Relic: "Okay, so if you look at this icon, you'll see that your character is earning zeal. You might want to build some heavy firepower units for support."Joystiq: *attacks enemy power generator* [cue: bad move!]It was just too darn loud at CES to get good instructions, and Relic only had one demo station on hand, which obviously did not feature any PVP gameplay. Naturally, we had StarCraft 2 in mind as we fooled around with Dawn of War 2, measuring Relic's RTS against what we've played of Blizzard's next blockbuster. We can say that Dawn of War 2 is currently winning in the looks department. As we watched an Imperial Tank literally roll through walls and crush them into powder while Space Marines jumped over the action with jetpacks, we were remiss to have left our drool bib back home in the hamper.We've embedded a pair of videos from our session after the break, including producer Mark Noseworthy blowing stuff up!
Samsung Q1EX tablet shows itself, gets detailed
This unassuming little tablet somehow managed to slip under our radar at CES, but the folks at UMPC Portal did thankfully manage to snap a few pics of it, and dig up a few details. Dubbed the Q1EX, this followup / compliment to Samsung's Q1 series of UMPCs ditches the usual QWERTY keypad in favor of a full-on 7-inch touchscreen, and gets backed up by a VIA Nano processor, along with built-in Bluetooth, GPS, and WiMAX, among other standard tablet PC features. Unfortunately, there's no word on a price or release date just yet, but if Samsung's past track record with the Q1 is any indication, you can expect to see a whole slew of different incarnations before all is said and done.
CES 2009: Mgestyk hoping you'll chuck your controller
We'd like to fault Mgestyk for their painfully edgy misspelling of a well-known actual word, but as a bunch of guys who spell Joystick with a "q", we're cautious about getting into a pot-kettle situation. Instead we'll talk about Mgestyk, a hands-free controller (or, more accurately, a controller-free controller) that we spotted on the CES show floor.With Mgestyk, a specially-designed camera tracks the player's movements with surprising accuracy, and without the perfect lighting required by an EyeToy or Xbox Vision camera (in fact, we're told the camera can work in complete darkness). Also, unlike the other cam controllers, Mgestyk has the ability to detect depth. The possibilities are intriguing, but, as you can see in the video above, the technology isn't perfect yet (lag, it would seem, continues to be an issue). We're rooting for our Brothers in Misspelling, but we're not sure we're looking at a Wii-killer just yet.
Olidata Conte ultraportable makes its shiny debut
It doesn't look like this one was actually on display at CES, but Italy's Olidata does seem to have taken the opportunity to announce its shiny new Conte ultraportable, which takes square aim at the growing ranks of 13.3-inch ultra-thin laptops out there. From the looks of it, this one will be available in two different versions: one with a 16:10, 1280x800 display, and one with a 16:9, 1366x768 display, each of which will come equipped with a small form factor Core 2 Duo processor, optional built-in 3G or WiMAX, and a promised battery life of more than four hours (or seven with an extended battery). The 16:10 model will also add a few bonuses like Intel Turbo Memory, a fingerprint reader, a backlit keyboard, and 3GB of RAM as standard. Sadly, there's no indication of a release' round these parts just yet, but both models will supposedly be hitting Europe in May for "less than €1,000" (or somewhere under $1,300).[Thanks, Faber]
inFamous update: three screenshots, dev walkthrough
Click for high-resolution image. SCEA just released three more screenshots of their PS3 exclusive, inFamous. Sony is starting to reveal more about the game, showcasing the various electric powers and moral choices that are present in the game. Sucker Punch did a presentation at CES this year, and GameTrailers has captured it on video for you to watch. Find out what the main character was before the events of inFamous and what he must fight in the upcoming game. Check it out, after the break. %Gallery-12672%
Light Blue Optics showcases holographic laser projection technology at CES
Light Blue Optics may not be as familiar a name as say, Optoma or Texas Instruments, but it's bringing an equally interesting approach to pico projection at CES. Showcased in Vegas last week was the outfit's holographic laser projection technology, which is reportedly brighter and smaller than existing alternatives. The demo system will also check in with double the brightness and at half the volume as its previous setups, and it's looking to wow with a conceptual rig that features a "table-down mode that allows the user to control the projector simply by touching the projected image." Now, if only these guys could push resolution to 720p+, we'd really consider ourselves fans.
CES 2009: Hands-on with the dreamGEAR WarBeast
There were plenty of fake instruments on display at CES, but none that pulsated with the pure, rock and roll energy of dreamGEAR's WarBeast, modeled after the B.C. Rich axe of the same name. We've never been quite sure what shredding is, but this monster of a PS3 controller makes us want to do just that.As much as we like the form factor, we're not in love with the $130 asking price. But considering how many musicians make unwise decisions with their money, the cost might make the WarBeast even more rock 'n' roll, against all odds. See our impressions of it in the video above.
iCEphone makes trip to CES, remains unwieldy
So, there's good news and bad news. Being that we enjoy handing out the former first, we'll point out the fact that the Windows Mobile-powered iCEphone made the trip to Vegas in order to be showcased at CES. The bad? There's still no pricing nor US availability to take into consideration. Granted, the phone is designed to be used primarily during emergencies, but that doesn't make patience any easier to come by.[Via OnlyGizmos]
CES 2009: Hands (and butt)-on with the SimCraft APEX
We love showing you the pieces of technology that will forever change the way you game. Sadly, they don't show those things at CES, so we're relegated to showing you really cool crap that you'll never own. The SimCraft APEX is just such a device, a simulator designed to give you the sensation of hurtling around a track in a race car or (with some slight modifications) flying a plane.We put the APEX SC830 through its paces at CES and have to admit the effect is pretty impressive, or at least it is on the racing side, the only one available to try at the show. Utilizing roll, pitch and yaw and three wrap-around monitors, it was probably the most fun one could have playing a racing game. But fun's not necessarily the primarily goal here. SimCraft boss T. Christopher Ciesielka told us that they're promoting it as a training tool for law enforcement, military and race car drivers, though they had discovered at the show that there was a high-end audience that wouldn't mind having it as part of their home entertainment setup.What's that? You want one? Oh, well just pony up $45,000 and you'll be off to the races. It may seem a little high, but you should know: That also includes the computer. Tempting, no?
Samsung shows off OLED display collection at CES
OLED displays were out in full force this year, with Samsung bringing plenty of its own to showcase to CES onlookers. We already had a chance to check out a snazzy folding OLED late last week, but CNET was able to capture a few more for good measure. The most notable were the 3.3-inch "3D" AMOLED display (with a WQVGA resolution) and the 7.01-inch AMOLED panel, which was seen sporting a 1,024 x 600 resolution and a 30,000:1 contrast ratio. Flip through the gallery below for a few more looks, but don't get your hopes up too high for any near-term release dates.[Via OLED-Display]
Sharp does the unthinkable, intros slotMusic-friendly sound systems
Whoa, Sharp -- wait just a minute. Did you really just introduce a pair of music systems that get down with slotMusic players? Though it's practically impossible for us to believe that such an occurrence has just, um, occurred, the 160-watt XL-DH258NH and 64-watt XL-DH228NH micro-audio systems actually do include a USB port for syncing up with SanDisk slotMusic players (along with any other USB-enabled PMP, we presume). Of course, Sharp did hedge its bets by including an iPod dock along with a universal auxiliary input, so we suppose we can't harsh on 'em too much. Both units arrive in any color you like so long as it's glossy black, and there's even an AM / FM radio, six-band equalizer and alarm clock tossed in for good measure. Catch the XL-DH258NH this June for $199.99 or the XL-DH228NH in July for $179.99.[Via iTechNews]
Guitar Hero III first game to make $1 billion
You may recall a similar headline from the past, where the Guitar Hero franchise earned over $1 billion. Well, another milestone for Activision comes thanks to the previous title to release in the franchise, Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock. That game alone has generated over $1 billion in sales, making it the first game in history to do so. The news was presented by Activision Publishing CEO Mike Griffith during a keynote speech at CES. We're not sure how much an impact the Wii version itself has had, but consider it to be significant. The Wii version of the game has been very popular for quite some time now. Well, up until World Tour released, anyway.
Sony products invading new Yankee Stadium
Whilst on stage at CES, Sony CEO Howard Stringer announced a partnership with the new Yankee Stadium that will see Sony product placement appear all over the place. 550 HDTVs will be scattered liberally about the stadium, in "luxury suites, lounges, concourses, restaurants and administrative offices." PS3 games will be available to play, such as MLB: The Show and its ilk, along with more surprising titles such as SingStar.Games will be rotated periodically and it's possible that PSP and PS2 games could make an appearance, too. Sony Vaio laptops will also be dotted around for people to try out while theyre visiting. Stringer states that the "new home of the world's most renowned sports franchise -- with its storied history of leadership and excellence -- is the perfect place to showcase all that is Sony. It is thrilling for Sony to be playing a part in this new chapter in Yankee history."[Via Joystiq]
Sony's flexible OLED mockups
Sony hasn't gotten very far along with these units -- they're really just plastic shells -- but we like we're they're headed with it. They showed off a full-screen laptop (pictured), bendable e-reader, and Walkman bracelet concepts, all based around flexible OLED technology and built with "flexible bioplastics," along with the flexible display that going to power them all when they hit the market... in the year 2000.%Gallery-41877%
Engadget HD Podcast 118 - 01.11.2009
Well CES is over and it'll be an entire year until we get to do it all over again. The show was a little slow for HD news this year so we didn't have as much to talk about, but there were some new things to cover like some in depth looks at things like the new DISH DVR software and the usability of Yahoo widgets. We also follow up on a few other things like XStreamHD's unbelievable plans and the new lineup of ZeeVee products. Get the podcast [iTunes] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in iTunes (MP3). [RSS] Add the Engadget HD Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator and have the show delivered automatically [Zune]Subscribe to the Podcast directly in the Zune Marketplace [MP3] Download the show (MP3). Hosts: Ben Drawbaugh and Steve Kim Guest: Richard Lawler Producer: Trent Wolbe Program 05:04 - Yahoo! recaps a day of setting the Internet-on-TV movement on fire with Widgets 10:15 - DISH Network ViP 922 HD DVR hands-on and video 13:02 - Windows Media Center 7 with touch interface 17:46 - Cyberlink's native Media Center Blu-ray player 19:47 - Ceton Corp announces multi-stream CableCARD tuner for Windows Media Center 21:52 - 3D College football is actually quite enjoyable 24:53 - Hands-on with ZeeVee's ZvPro and ZvBoxPLUS 28:05 - Hauppauge HD-PVR now plays nice with PS3 29:50 - XStreamHD still kicking, showing off updated hardware 43:35 - Poll: What HD-related technology stole the show at CES 2009? LISTEN (MP3) LISTEN (AAC) LISTEN (OGG)
