ces 2010
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Sherwood's internet-enabled receivers, tabletop radio hands-on
Sherwood has been running with the network connectivity ball ever since it adopted Verismo's VuNow hardware into its receivers. We dropped by their booth before departing CES to get a quick look at the functionality in action (video embedded after the break), plus put our hands and eyes on the company's R-904 NetBoxx, RD-7505 receiver and iNet 2.0 tabletop radio & internet streamer. %Gallery-82720%
Panasonic's 2010 plasma line has much better black levels
While most HDTV manufactures are focused on being thin and 3D, Panasonic still recognizes the importance of having great contrast and deep blacks. Hidden away in the Panasonic booth we pulled back the curtain on a contrast demo and walked away impressed. Now obviously black levels are very hard to compare without being either being very familiar with the content or by having the two TVs next to each other, but one thing is for sure, the 2010 Panasonic plasmas (on the left in the picture above) have better black levels than the previous models (pictured on the right). We snapped a few pictures (second one with a slower shutter after the break) where you can see the difference, and judging by how close the V10 series was to the ultra deep blacks of the Kuro, we wouldn't be one bit surprised if the new Panny sets make us forget about the discontinued Kuro line once and for all -- it might just be wishful thinking.
Gambridge Z line MIDI guitars compatible with Rock Band, sort of sound like guitars
There's always someone that will tell you that you can make the Rock Band experience more "realistic," as if there was something more realistic than pressing buttons on a piece of plastic that vaguely resembles a guitar. And believe us, there was no shortage of companies with Guitar Hero / Rock Band controllers at CES -- including Gambridge, whose Z line of dual game / MIDI guitars are full-sized instruments with built in sound modules that also function as game controllers, compatible with all major music video game titles. And, judging by what we saw at the company's booth, their industrial design assures that no one will ever dream of stealing one from you. Pricing and availability to be announced.
Hands-on with Panasonic's tru2way set-back box
We searched high and low on the show floor for signs of tru2way and in the back of the Panasonic booth we found the new set-back box we told you about. The box uses the VESA mounting holes so it might make it tough to use with some wall mounts. It wasn't a working demo so we didn't get to see how well the integration was with the TV, but the representative from the company seemed to believe that the box would be designed to only work with Panasonic TVs -- we assume it verifies via HDMI-CEC what type of TV it is connected to. With most cable companies still not ready for retail tru2way devices, and almost no manufactures showing tru2way HDTVs at CES, it seems that 2010 will not be the year for adoption, which leaves next year and by then so much can change who knows if anyone will still care. %Gallery-82747%
Sonim's 'unbreakable' handset shattered on the BBC
What happens when you let all comers batter, submerge, and otherwise abuse your so-called "unbreakable" handsets on the show floor at CES? Well, sometimes they break -- as a certain BBC News video makes abundantly clear. Are you ready for the truth? Hit the source link. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Hands-on with XStreamHD, and a video
XStreamHD is going to be launching in a few months so of course we stopped by the booth to get a quick look. The user interface is modern and sleek with a focus on cover art -- it seemed snappy from our brief time with it. One thing we missed when we let you know about the ability to pre-order is that the $399 price tag doesn't include the satellite dish or installation. A self install kit will run you $99 and is easier to install than other satellite services since it is only aimed at a signal bird -- professional install costs will vary by area. After it's setup you'll need to pay $9 a month for the service and we're not exactly sure what's included, but phone support isn't. There will be a self help website setup which hopefully addresses any issues. The system is a 3 tuner ATSC DVR and of course a high quality pay per view movie service. The movies will run you between $3 and $6 each but we're told you'll have exclusive access to some titles, which could include movies that are still at the theater and those that aren't even available on Disc. The problem of course is that there aren't any TV shows offered yet, which means you're still going to need to get your Burn Notice fix another way -- no word if it'll play other content. And even worse for sports fans, there's no broadcast satellite content so even if TV content gets added down the road, you can still forget about watching the big game on ESPN HD -- of course any games available over the air aren't a problem. Overall we like the offerings but don't think it's worth the upfront costs and fees since it doesn't really let you cancel your cable. And at up-to $6 a movie, even though it is supposed to be the same quality as Blu-ray, it's still not very price competitive with Blu-rays via Netflix. Now of course we want to try it for ourselves, and if we happen to receive a unit for review we'll be able to make a final determination. %Gallery-82746%
TCL completes the no-glasses 3D trifecta at CES
Add one more piece of tech to your glasses vs. glassless 3D display battlemap, as TCL was showing off this autostereoscopic display in an odd reflective frame at its CES booth. Around the corner from a conventional RealD shutter glasses setup, it whipped through several animated 3D renderings similar to those from Alioscopy and Magnetic3D. The frame made it hard to tell but it seemed to have a little less pop than the competition, with slightly better clarity. All the glassless displays we saw this year used similar lenticular lens technology applied to 1080p HDTV screens to achieve their affect, with mostly similar results, with so many players, there should be plenty of billboards and in-store opportunities for you to get a look yourself soon enough. %Gallery-82710%
Microvision laser projection gun hands-on
You didn't think CES was over, did you? Saving a true gamer's delight for last, we went along to meet with Microvision's reps today and were introduced to its PicoP laser projector and gun gaming peripheral. The projection tech employed here is unique, as each pixel (848 x 480 resolution) is itself an RGB laser reflecting off a mirror which flips 60 times a second. What that results in is a permanently focused projection, no matter how much you wiggle, jiggle or maneuver the projector. The whole thing fits within 6cc and was designed to be embedded into phones. We snapped a few pics of the standalone projector and then moved on to the rifle gaming controller. Come along after the break to check out our hell-raising skills on video, as well as some more in-depth impressions of the hardware. %Gallery-82625%
OLED becomes art, your bank account becomes empty (video)
We're still on the cusp of an OLED revolution for home entertainment -- or at least we're still holding out hope that we are. We'd planned on having big-screen displays by now but we're instead still dealing with tiny ones along with a never-ending series of concepts. This latest use, spotted at last week's CES, adds a little artistic flair to the technology, staggering a series of displays and synchronizing the video across them to create some lovely results. We're not really into the whole lacquered boat look, but the fan-like array of displays is quite interesting to say the least. As is the cost: from $100 all the way up to $100,000. You could buy a lot of XEL-1 TVs for that money. Video after the break.
Magnetic3D glasses-free 3D eyes-on
We didn't get a chance to check out the whole line of Magnetic3D autostereoscopic displays, but a trip to the International Gateway got us a quick glance of this challenger to Alioscopy. It claims up to 9 viewing angles, an improvement over Alioscopy's 8, plus support for compressed MPEG-4 video and a smaller video player, key for the digital signage market these displays compete in. We did detect a bit more "pop" from greater distances and angles than competing tech, but unfortunately what we didn't see was any indication this technology is any closer to being ready for regular TV watching. The 3D film over the demo 1080p LCD still drops the resolution somewhat and makes 2D viewing a messy blur, so for the time being, these displays popping out ads from streetcorners or slot machines will have to do. %Gallery-82620%
LG Magic Motion gesture control HDTV remote hands-on
Packed in with LG's new top of the line LCD, the 3D capable, LED backlit LE9500 is a new RF remote that users wave, Wii-style, to operate the onscreen menus. There's also a standard IR remote for universal remote compatibility and the very necessary lazy bastards who don't want to lift their arms to change the channel compatibility. Check out a quick demo from the CES show floor after the break. %Gallery-82618%
AirStash wireless SD card reader hands-on
Just as CES is wrapping up, we managed to get some hands-on time with the AirStash wireless SD card reader, which is targeted at iPhone OS devices (but does work with other WiFi-enabled devices). Like many of the mysterious products from Vegas we have no price, release date or battery life, but what we do know now is that it's indeed very light (1.5 ounces), fits nicely in our hands and supports up to 32GB SDHC cards. As for wireless connection the AirStash acts as a WiFi 802.11b/g access point -- a cunning way to dodge the Apple dock connector license fees or the lack of Bluetooth profiles. Sadly, the prototype wasn't working properly due to "some RF interference," but as you can see above, the AirStash is accessed via a browser (UI design not final). Sure, this would mean you'd lose Internet connection via WiFi, but if the AirStash is cheap enough, then we'll live with it. Let's hope they hurry up with the release, though. %Gallery-82619%
Crapgadget Crapdown, CES 2010: the best of the worst
It's that time of the year again, where we round up all the gadgets we found on the CES show floor that help us to reset our gauge for bad ideas and hardware. Following in 2009's footsteps, there seemed to be much less crap this year than before. Still, we're here to recognize those souls who strive harder than most to hit that point of mediocrity -- pick your favorite below, then rest easy knowing that you live in a world that accepts the existence of all kinds of products, no matter how miserable. %Gallery-82654% The nominees Crapgadget CES, round 1: Polar bear TV Crapgadget CES, round 2: The Phubby (wrist-on) Crapgadget CES, round 3: Moneual's $45K HTPC Crapgadget CES, round 4: The Fingerist Crapgadget CES, round 5: Gimme Tunes Crapgadget CES, round 6: Goscam China's Body-worn DV for Police %Poll-39884%
LG's 55-inch 3DTV is 3D (photo) ready too
Taking 3D pictures with Fujifilm's 3D point and shoot is pretty easy -- even if ultimately unsatisfying -- but if you need a place to display them, LG has that covered. Tucked away in its booth was a demo of "the world's first 3D camera compatible HDTV" dutifully taking SD-card stored snaps and putting them on the big screen. Not an entirely complex process, but we figure if a better reviewed 3D camera makes it to market, you might appreciate picking up the right HDTV for the job. %Gallery-82626%
It was Vegas, baby -- Engadget departs CES 2010
Can you believe it? Another CES has come and gone -- and the crew of Engadget was there to capture all the highs and the lows. If you haven't been keeping track of things, this year was an insanely jam-packed frenzy of gadgety goodness. Our team bounced between the towering monuments to 3D TV, a boatload of smartbooks, netbooks, and tablets, an unexpected deluge of "superphones" and smartphones, and the requisite helping of crazy Crapgadgets and mountains of new laptops with the style and grace of a ballerina on opening night. Of course, we captured all of that madness on the pages (and pages, and pages) of Engadget, blowing it out with our biggest CES showing ever and putting a bunch of our new redesign elements into play to get news to you guys faster. But like all awesome things, they must come to an end, and after a week in Las Vegas, everyone is definitely ready to truck it on home. We wanted to leave our readers with a taste of what CES was like for us (including some awesome video of senior editor Thomas Ricker breaking it down). We also want to shout out a big thank you to you guys and girls for coming to the site every day and making this our biggest and best CES ever. You absolutely rule forever. %Gallery-82624%
Ron Jeremy: games 'far worse' for kids than porn
We should warn you guys: The subject of this story is ... well, he's a man named Ron Jeremy. We know you guys probably haven't heard of this man before, but ... well, he's an actor. You definitely haven't seen him in anything, because ... he does adult films. Yes, pornography. We're sorry we had to take this post in such a blue direction, but we felt it important for you to be informed. Mr. Jeremy, the pornographic actor, recently appeared on a CES panel which debated the effects of adult entertainment in the Internet era. As a riposte to an attack on his industry, Mr. Jeremy said, "we don't want kids to watch porn, though if they do, there are far worse influences out there - like video games. Studies have found that violent video games are much bigger a negative influence on kids." Oh, yeah? Then why is it acceptable to enjoy video games in public venues? Game, set and match, sir.
First Else hands-on at CES: 'still alive and kicking'
We caught up with Else at CES to check on how they're doing with the First Else since we last saw them back in November. According to CTO Eldad Eilam, the basic functions of the ALP-based phone are finally done and dusted, so now Else will mainly focus on fine-tuning its snazzy visual effects until beta around the end of March. There's no doubt that it's also finalizing plans -- pricing, content distribution, and remote sync service, etc.-- with various partners in the US and Europe. If you happen to be in Asia, then sorry -- apparently Else has no intention to visit you guys just yet, but you might get lucky if you sneak into Sharp's factories in Japan or China. For the rest of us, we shall continuously gaze at our hands-on videos until First Else's expected end-of-Q2 launch -- we've got a new one for you after the break. %Gallery-82627%
'3-point' USB 3.0 hub is self-referential fun and functionality
Admittedly, at first we didn't get it -- the hub (with actually helpful, twisting ports) was about 90 degrees counterclockwise from the pictured position and we couldn't get past the aesthetic similarities to the Dodge Ram logo. That's when the friendly overseer of the Dun Cheng Technology Corp. booth in the CES International Hall twisted both our minds and the hub itself to reveal an intentionally meta moment -- "3-point," as in USB 3.0. Needless to say, we were very amused.
Savage Cycles unveils custom Resident Evil motorcycle
The badass chopper you see above was custom-built by the team at Savage Cycles for Capcom, and unveiled during the publisher's Dark Void launch party at CES this weekend. It's lovingly crafted, and comes equipped with a shotgun, grenade launcher, grenades, first aid spray and herbs -- all the essentials a zombie genocider needs. Check out this Capcom Unity blog post to see a few more pictures of this undead-slaying hog. Now, that being said -- is a motorcycle really the best form of transportation in the middle of a zombie onslaught? We mean, it's not exactly secure, you know? It also kinda lacks that ramming power we expect from our apocalyptic means of travel. Give us a Volkswagen Type 2 over that two-wheeled crotch-rocket any day of the week -- this is about survival, folks!
Favi RIOLED-Q and RIOLED-V pico projectors launched: the future is bright, wireless
Looks like the world's still got appetite for some more pico projectors, as Favi's releasing a pair some time between late February and early March for prices yet unknown. First is the RIOLED-Q (pictured) which sports a pretty 800 x 600 native resolution at 50 lumens -- supposedly the best brightness in class (like the Optoma PK301), along with built-in SD / MMC card reader, battery, three-watt stereo speaker and an ever-so-handy digital keystone correction. Joining the party is the smaller RIOLED-V which is shy about its display specification, but proudly packs a card reader and WiFi to cater its various web apps for YouTube, Flickr, Picasa, Yahoo News, Weather, Email, Internet Radio and web browser. Too bad it doesn't do phone calls. %Gallery-82610%
