ces 2010
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LG Spectrum eyes-on
Sports, sports, sports, sports. Hey, it's LG spectrum, a good phone at sports! LG showed off its 4.5-inch handset today, during its CES kickoff press event -- and when we say "showed off," we mean exactly that, the company had two models on-hand, and it wasn't letting us poor members of the press actually get our paws on the thing. From our vantage point, however, it really does look to be a solid piece of hardware. It's fairly skinny, in spite of that large display. The body of the thing is pretty straight-forward -- it's a large slab, with rounded corners and a border around the edge that forms a bit of a lip at the point of contact. The top bit of the bezel rocks the Verizon logo and a small, front-facing 1.3 megapixel camera. Below the display are three buttons, the menu and back white touch buttons and a silver home button that adds a bit of flourish to an otherwise drab bezel. That 4.5-inch IPS HD LCD is clearly the centerpiece of the thing, and given the company's ESPN partnership, it was keen on using it to show off sports. And we have to say, the tiny basketball players looks pretty crisp -- high-def may be the key to watching video on such a relatively small screen. Well, HD and squinting. Flip it over and you'll see a subtle checkered pattern on the glossy rear. At top, a good deal of real estate is devoted to the 8MP camera, including a large, silver border. A white LG logo is smack dab in the center, and a not-so-subtle reminder of the phone's 4G LTE capabilities graces the bottom, along with two small speaker grills. All in all, this is shaping up to be an extremely solid phone -- sports-lover or no. It'll hit on January 19th for $200.
HP Spectre spotted on CES show floor
What's this here? It's the stuff of CES 2012 legend -- the HP Spectre. Now, granted, we had a pretty good idea that the sexy new ultrabook is headed our way soon, but hey, here it is, in the flesh, spotted by a blurrycammed tipster roaming around the Intel booth on the CES showroom floor. It's nice to know that the thing will be there waiting for us when those doors officially open on Tuesday.
Sanho's bantam CloudFTP puts USB storage devices online, streams on battery power and sheer will
Pogoplug, as they say, just got served. Sanho -- the same geniuses responsible for the HyperMac -- is introducing yet another intelligent box here at CES 2012. The diminutive CloudFTP is a battery-powered file server that takes popular USB devices (thumb drives, hard drives, etc.) and then streams 'em to up to three different devices or serves vanilla files to any WiFi device within range. Better still, it's capable of syncing data with iCloud, Dropbox, Box and a slew of other online cloud storage devices, and it'll churn out files for a solid five hours before needing a recharge. There's an ARM9 microprocessor inside to handle the ins and outs, and considering that it measures just 2.95- x 2.28- x 0.87-inches while weighing 3.8 ounces, it ought not weigh you down too badly when traveling. It'll ship next month here in the States for $99.95, which is $30 higher and a month later than we heard back in November of 2011.
Razer's Switchblade looks real sharp on camera
If you were disheartened by the news that Razer's miraculous, 7-inch PC gaming doohickey, the Switchblade, was just a concept, then G4's video demonstration is only going to sink you further into that dark, dark place.
Olympus' PEN PL-2 touts 'silent autofocus' lens, XZ-1 straddles line between MFT and pocket shooter
A lack of surprise isn't necessarily a bad thing. It seems the best bullet points of Olympus' CES unveils have been leaked in some way, shape, or form, but that doesn't detract from the quality. There is, in fact, a 12.3 megapixel PEN E-PL2 with a new "silent autofocus" lens that should clear the air a bit when shooting 720p HD video. The E-PL1 follow-up also has new creative filters with fine-tuned adjustments, face / eye detection, RAW support, an ISO range up to 6400, a 3-inch LCD, SDXC slot, and a second generation accessory port compatible with both previous E-PL1 dongles and new ones like a MAL-1 macro spotlight or a PENPal Bluetooth transfer. That MSC lens, too, is compatible with various "affordable" conversion lenses (fish eye, wide-angle, macro). Look for this body and lens kit later this month for a cool $599. The other Olympus shooter making its away around the rumor mill, the 10 megapixel XZ-1 (also due out in January), is a pretty interesting device. Though not quite a Micro Four Thirds (that Zuiko lens is firmly affixed), it boasts full manual controls (including focus), 4x optical zoom, RAW support, an SDXC slot 720p 30fps HD video, a 3-inch OLED screen, and support for peripherals like an external mic and electronic viewfinder -- and it's pretty light, to boot. We got only a brief chance to play around with it but walked away mighty impressed with what we saw. The only catch is that $499.99 price tag, which we do understand for its pricing but would also lament not forking over the extra Benjamin for something more versatile like the E-PL2. Hold on, we've got three pocket shooter subcategories to satisfy. There's the $139.99, 14 megapixel VG-120 budget camera due out in January, with 5x optical zoom, 720p video, and a 3-inch LCD. The waterproof / shockproof / freezeproof TG-310 and TG-610 are coming in February with a 14 megapixel sensor, 720p video and a 3D photo mode ($199.99 and $299.99, respectively). Lastly, the 14 megapixel SP-610 wide angle ultra zoom also boasts 3D photo mode, along with a 22x zoom -- that one's marked $229.99 for spring 2011. Okay, now that we have all that out of the way, enjoy our hands-on shots and press imagery below, and a tome of press releases after the break. %Gallery-112613% %Gallery-112621%
The Tivizen, over-the-air TV antenna, coming to iPad
We're live at CES this week, and things are kicking off here in Vegas. The show floor itself opens tomorrow, but electronics manufacturers have already started up with all of their announcements and reveals showing off all of the new hardware for 2011. Here's one interesting gadget: the Tivizen, created by Korean company Valups, is a device that plugs into the iPad's dock connector, and along with a free app, allows for the iPad to recieve digital over-the-air broadcasts of television. That's pretty handy -- depending on standards and availability, you should be able to watch most major broadcast channels in large US metro areas directly on your iPad. The Tivizen is priced at US$99, which puts it in line with something like the EyeTV. Hopefully not for too long, though -- the device requires its own battery, which only lasts a couple of hours. If you've been looking for a way to watch a broadcast show you can't otherwise see, specifically on your iPad, the Tivizen might be just what you're looking for. Odds are there's some other way to watch that video on Apple's tablet, no?
Toshiba shows off glasses-free 3D Qosmio, says technology could hit laptops by the end of 2011
It's no secret that Toshiba's got a thing for glasses-free 3D displays and that it's been putting together 3D concept laptops based on the technology, but according to Toshiba's director of product marketing Phil Osako, the company could be ready to bring a 3D laptop sans spectacles to market by the end of the year. Sounds good to us, but it's a pretty ambitious claim, considering the demo unit Toshiba's bringing to CES, which we got to see a few weeks ago, is very rough around the edges. As you can see in the images below, it had a very large red, chiseled contraption strapped to its lid -- although, we do have to say it gives it a rather Iron Man-esq aesthetic. All that aside, the Qosmio laptop packs some pretty innovative 3D technologies -- not only does it have two parallax 3D LCD, but its webcam has a special eye-tracking feature that knows when you shift your position. The goal of that is to provide "dead-zone free stereoscopic 3D images" or better viewing angles, but we can't really say we experienced that -- while the 3D clips looked, well three-dee straight on, slightly tilting to the left or right threw off the effect and we were stuck watching some blurry content. Like we said, the concept is really just a concept at this point, but it will certainly be interesting to watch what Toshiba is able to improve and put out by the end of 2011. %Gallery-112320%
Multitouch Twitter wall to fascinate onlookers, Engadget staffers at #CES
CES is no stranger to larger-than-life display installations, but as this whole "social networking" thing continues to blossom, it looks as if next year's megawall will be integrating with none other than Twitter. Designed by Finland's own MultiTouch, the Multitouch Twitter Wall will consist of "at least" six MultiTouch Cell 46 displays, each of which checks in at 46-inches wide. The whole shebang will offer onlookers at the show the ability to open tweets, move them around and give them a perfect opportunity to blow off steam while having their minds blitzed by the sheer quantity of news associated with the #CES tag. We'll be sure to give it a look once we touch down in the great southwest next month, but till then, you can get a taste by mashing play below. [Thanks, André]
Eclipse Litetouch wireless touchscreen keyboard clears the FCC, on its way to retail (video)
OK, dudes -- we don't want to freak you out or anything, but the Wireless Litetouch Keyboard has cleared the FCC. Brought to you by Mad Catz, this bad boy (and its wired companion) was first unveiled at CES this year. Featuring an programmable LCD touchscreen with three different sets of "buttons" (number pad, media mode, and the user configurable MyEclipse mode) the latest entry to the Eclipse line has is sure to get admiring looks from the drone in the cubicle across the aisle. Compatible with Mac OS X as well as your many flavors of Windows, this bad boy will be out soon -- wireless for $129, or wired for $99. Jaw-dropping video after the break.
Switched On: Sony's forward Dash
Each week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about consumer technology. In its introductory press release, here's what Sony has to say about the Dash, a "personal Internet viewer" that it announced at CES: "Featuring a vivid 7-inch color touch screen... Dash utilizes an existing home wireless connection to continuously deliver Internet content to its viewers." And according to its SonyStyle.com site, here's what that Dash has to say about itself: "I use over 1,500 free apps and your Wi-Fi connection to deliver the information and entertainment you crave... right to your bedroom, kitchen or office." But Dash also has something to say about Sony, and for the most part, it's an encouraging message. Dash was one of the more distinct category-blurring products to emerge from Las Vegas in January. Its hardware is a hybrid between an alarm clock and digital picture frame and its content is a content mashup between Chumby widgets and Sony's Bravia Internet Video Link offering. Dash was introduced just a few months after HP introduced its DreamScreen, another product that provides "glanceable" information from the cloud.
Unannounced BlackBerry Curve 8910 took CES refuge at Case-Mate's booth?
RIM has an interesting reputation in the trade show world: it rarely makes any announcements of interest or consequence during events, but if you look hard enough, you still might just find something juicy. Last year's CES, for example, briefly saw a Curve 8900 mysteriously running AT&T-branded firmware, which we now know foretold a release several months later. This year's shindig in Vegas proved to be a little less bombastic -- or so we thought, anyway, until a dude cleaning out his camera's memory card noticed that Case-Mate (of all companies) allegedly had an unannounced Curve 8910 chilling in its booth. It's pretty common for manufacturers to give valued accessory partners some prototypes ahead of time to make sure there are plenty of add-ons available by the time a device is released, they just don't usually... you know, put those prototypes out at a booth for everyone to enjoy. We actually stopped by Case-Mate this year and didn't catch the 8910, but we don't know how long it was actually out -- and besides, telling the difference between this and a Bold 9700 takes a Mike Lazaridis-like understanding for the subtle differences in RIM's industrial design. Next year, though, be on notice, guys: we'll be scanning your kiosks with a fine-tooth comb.
3D stole the show at CES 2010
Not sure why we've been putting this off, but we'll just come right out and say it: there's no doubt that this was the year for 3D at CES. We walked the show floor for countless hours and can tell you that just about everyone was showing something related to 3D at their booths. Most of these demos required a bit of a wait to experience them (thanks, hype), and everywhere you went people were talking about 3D. Granted, not all of that talk was positive, but it was talk nonetheless. Whether or not the technology will be seen in history as a success in the market place is obviously still up in the air, and much like a finely crafted episode of Lost, 3D at CES this year was littered with more questions than answers. %Gallery-82768%
Poll: Will you buy a 3D HDTV?
While last year's CES darling -- widget HDTVs --has expanded into full blown app stores built into every display or set-top box around, there's no question that the big news in Las Vegas in 2010 was 3D. Details on prices and exact shipping dates are still at best, sketchy, but we put our eyes into enough shutter glasses to last us until 2011. So, here's this year's question: are you ready to upgrade your HDTV for a World Cup, Avatar or BCS National Championship Game ready 3DTV? Or are you more inclined to wait for more content / lower prices before jumping in? Finally we can't forget those who never intend to buy a 3D ready setup and are perfectly happy with things the two dimensional way they've always been. Get your vote in, and as always, feel free to let us know why in the comments. %Poll-40164%
Pico projectors caught in the wild, one on a camcorder, one in Samsung's W9600 cellphone (video)
Yeah, we know: you haven't bought a pico projector and you really have no plan to do so. Still, it's kind of fun to see them doing their thing, beaming little, dim images onto walls from improbably small boxes. The folks at PicoProjector-info are happy to oblige, posting two videos of DLP picos in action at CES. The first is a Texas Instruments model that's been stuck atop a camcorder (presumably with bubblegum), pointing backward to splay the image of whatever it's filming into the wall -- and to temporarily blind whoever dares pick up said camcorder. Next up is a demonstration of the Samsung W9600, which we spent a bit of time with ourselves at CES. Now you can see how it looks in motion, as both videos are embedded after the break.
Sony WHG-SLK1 iPod shelf system surfaces at CES
Sony doesn't seem to have gotten around to an official announcement for this one just yet, but its WHG-SLK1 iPod shelf system was on hand at CES 2010, and the folks at Sony Insider managed to get a quick peek at it. Designed as much for video as for audio, this one packs a fairly large 9-inch screen front and center, and promises a full 100W of power, along with an iPod dock, a built-in DVD player, a USB port, and accommodations for both Memory Sticks and SD cards. You'll also get video in/out ports to connect other devices or connect the system itself to a larger screen, but there's unfortunately no indication of a price or release date.
Next-gen dashboards get Tegra 2, Moblin, Atom, we go hands-on
Intel Atom processors, capacitive touchscreens, NVIDIA Tegra 2 graphics, Moblin installs... sounds like a suite of hot next-gen ultra-portables, right? Think again. Those are just some of the technologies used in the dashboards of cars that will be appearing on showrooms in the coming months and years, dashes that were largely on display at CES -- minus the cars themselves, usually. There we were treated to mobile glimpses of Google Earth, Pandora, and Slacker Radio on the go, plus the ability to lock and unlock your car via Ye Olde Internets. It's the future, and it's coming soon, so click on through already and get a sneak peek.
Philips Cam, Muse and Ariaz mark a renaissance for the boring PMP
This is soon enough to market that it's hard to blame the iPod nano specifically for its appearance, but either way it seems that the Philips Cam is the newest member to the oh-so-small club of MP3 / camera combos. The new player is joined in its life of crime by the new Muse and Ariaz, which at last offer a higher-end aspect to Philips' long-lackluster PMP lineup. The Cam does up a 1.8-inch screen, 8GB of storage and a 2 megapixel camera for $100, but the Muse has a full 3.2-inches of touchscreen, 16GB of flash, SD expansion and HDMI out for a mere $50 more. The Ariaz finds a simpler calling, with a 2.4-inch LCD, HDMI, 8GB and an $80 tag. We'll have to play with these to see if they're worth taking home from Walmart, but we're glad to see Philips is trying to stay in the game -- we can't all be lucky enough to be Zune HD owners.
Panasonic 2010 point and shoot line hands-on
We're just cleaning out the rest of our memory cards from CES, and we totally forgot this moment of unintentional hilarity while grabbing a quick hands-on with Panasonic's new point-and-shoot line -- that's the new touchscreen DMC-FP3, asking for the name of our baby. Sadly, we were not able to provide it with one, and it responded by continuing to have a somewhat wonky hybrid touchscreen-and-buttons control scheme. We're assuming some of the lag we saw had to do with an early software build -- we'll see if things are cleared up when this guy ships, since we're big fans of touch-to-focus. As for the rest, well, they're Lumix point-and-shoots -- they all seemed competent and sturdy, and we can't wait for the day when Panasonic hires a design team to clean up that straight-from-1983 all-caps interface. Check out the rest in the gallery! %Gallery-83048%
Xbox's Greenberg questions demand for at-home 3D
Over the course of this year's CES, it was easy to get swept up in the fervor around 3D technology. Not Microsoft's Xbox team lead Aaron Greenberg though -- in speaking with G4TV, Greenberg said he thinks "there's a lot of challenges about 3D in the living room." To Greenberg, it's not a question of technology (or lack thereof) that's holding back 3D, it's the home environment. "I don't know about you, but when I play games or watch TV, I've got my phone, I've got all kinds of things going on. I get up, I get down, I'm looking outside at the weather and it's ... I'm not in a dark theater, wearing glasses, staring at a screen. I think it's just a different environment." This isn't to say Microsoft isn't flexible when it comes to consumer demand -- quite the contrary! "As consumer interest for 3D grows, we'll grow with it," Greenberg admitted. "I think right now we're unsure what level of interest there is from consumers to really want a 3D experience in the living room." Currently, only a handful of games ( Avatar, Invicible Tiger, and upcoming XBLA racer Scrap Metal, to name a few) support 3D on Microsoft's console. "If it becomes really important and people want to do more with it, we're absolutely happy to support it," Greenberg assured. Of course, with plenty of resources currently invested in the development and launch of Project Natal and its motion-based technology, Microsoft certainly has incentive to keep interest in 3D at arm's length.
Inbrics' SoIP S1 tries to make videophone converts out of us yet
We saw some incredibly cheap, ill-thought, Android-based videophones at CES this year, but this wasn't one of them. The SoIP S1 from Inbrics is running Android, of course, but it's under that same fine UI skin that Inbrics has coated its M1 Android slider in. The result is a finger-friendly device with nice software for making calls and sending messages -- though it could really benefit from an external text-input device of some sort, and luckily there's Bluetooth onboard to make that a possibility. There's HDMI, Ethernet, USB and an SD slot around back, and the device is designed to sling video calls and media playback to a TV over the HDMI plug or DLNA (there's also WiFi onboard, natch). For VoIP there's a wireless handset embedded in the base of the unit. Unfortunately, we weren't able to see a demo of the video calling in action, and the big hangup with most of these video calling stations is still here: there's no mention of the big standards in video calling like Skype, Google Talk or iChat, so it's hard to see this catching fire with people who actually video chat. Still, at least Inbrics has roughly half of the software problem solved. Check out a video walkthrough after the break. %Gallery-83037%
