ces 2010
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Paradigm Shift intros 5- and 7-inch readers with color (LCD) displays
It looks as if we're still waiting patiently for color e-ink to become a reality (at least in a mass produced shipping product), but if you're kosher with low-energy consumption LCDs, Paradigm Shift has the ticket. Similar to Sungale's Cyberus ID700WTA, the outfit's 5-inch EER-051 and 7-inch EER-071WF are both e-readers with color, but neither boast e-ink displays. The former includes 1GB of built-in memory, an SD expansion slot, an integrated MP3 player and support for just about any kind of ebook file (non-encrypted EPUB included). The latter steps up to 2GB of memory, and thanks to the Windows CE operating system, it'll also handle Office files and the like when it's not flipping text. Both devices are expected to ship in February through Delstar here in the States, with the 5-incher available in a rainbow's worth of hues for $149.95 and the big boy in black or white for $50 more. The full release is after the break. %Gallery-81074%
Capcom takes its Fight Club to Las Vegas
If you weren't lucky enough to be in New York for the last Capcom Fight Club, you'll have another opportunity on January 7 to play Super Street Fighter IV, win prizes, and maybe -- just maybe -- see Seth Killian from a distance. Capcom is bringing its exclusive fighting celebration to Las Vegas for CES, filling its Planet Hollywood suite with as many hadoukenthusiasts as it can. Which, it turns out, is not many. If you want to try out Guy, Cody, or Adon in a tournament, the only way to get in is to follow the instructions in this post and hope you're one of the few chosen to attend. We feel bad for all those people in Las Vegas that day who won't be at the video game party. What are they going to do?
Engadget: The Official Blog Partner of CES 2010!
Just like last year, Engadget has once again been chosen as the Official Blog Partner of CES! As you probably already know, CES is one of the craziest and best times of the year for Engadget, and while we typically shy away from industry partnerships, this combo is a rare distinction we wholeheartedly embrace. Of course, for you (and us) nothing much changes when it comes time to hit the floor at CES 2010: we don't accept any hookups or editorial privileges from the CEA. Don't get all worried that we've "sold out" or let "the man" take control of us, and don't fret that we're not "keeping it real" or "coming correct." Just as usual, Engadget will be hammering away at CES coverage with the kind of unchecked ferocity you're used to experiencing. Our crack team of gadget geniuses will -- in fact -- be storming the floor, bringing you the first and best product news, and generally wreaking havoc on the gadget-loving public just like the CESs of years past. One more note -- as you may have heard, we were voted Blog of the Decade in Adweek's "Best of the 2000s" poll. We wanted to take a minute and thank the voters, as well as all of our readers (voters or not); without you guys, we couldn't do what we do, and we'll be working hard to make sure the next decade is even better!
Pocket Radar promises to be world's smallest speed radar
We've seen plenty of pocket-sized speed radar detectors, but it looks like this new so-called Pocket Radar may just be the first actual speed radar that will fit in your pocket. While you might expect that means quite a few trade-offs, the company behind it actually promises that it "forges a new standard in speed radar performance," and that it's able to track speed of everything from a fastball to race car within one mile per hour. Still no word on a price, unfortunately, but it should be available sometime this Spring -- and, of course, be on display at CES next week.
Easy Shot Clip camcorder is pretty small, pretty cheap, but not very pretty
The last time we saw Concord Keystone around these parts our minds were collectively blown by something called the QuantumGravity watch. It looks like its newest product, however, is a little more... conventional. The Easy Shot Clip is a plain-looking, 2-inch long camcorder with 2GB of storage (for up to 2 hours of 640 x 480, 30 fps video), mounts for a neck strap, stand, shirt clip, bicycle mount, and a helmet, and one solitary button. But the best thing? Even if it does retail for $70, we're sure it'll be hitting bargain bins and dollar stores in short order. Look out for it at CES next week, or everywhere else in February.
Palm Pre plays Need for Speed, undercover (video)
While Palm's Pre is many things to many people it still can't game. Oh sure, it'll play Magic Fortune Ball like a champ but when it comes to intensive 3D action the Pre is as helpless as a would-be terrorist trying to ignite his underwear. See, webOS and the Mojo SDK currently can't exploit the GPU the way other smartphone platforms can. Rewind a few weeks, however, and we're reminded of a video showing EA's Need for Speed Undercover running impossibly smooth on a Pre. At the time, the video and claims of the device running Flash were shot down as fake largely due to the accompanying screen caps of the purportedly new App Catalog. Well guess what? Those screen caps were vindicated today with the webOS 1.3.5 update that just so happened to launch a new App Catalog matching the leaked images, exactly. That lends credence to the video then doesn't it, while hinting at future apps and games with full OpenGL graphics support. Is that the big reveal at CES alongside enhanced Pre+ and Pixi+ handsets headed to Big Red? We'll find out shortly enough -- until then check the gameplay after the break. [Thanks, Brian K.]
LG goes nouveau nostalgic with first US Mobile DTV devices
LG just announced its first commercial products for the fledgling US Mobile DTV standard approved in October. First up is what appears to be a DTV-ified LG Lotus clamshell -- a phone first introduced in 2008 but now capable of extracting digital TV from the aether with an assist from that telescoping antenna. Also set for a CES launch is that DP570MH portable DVD player that lets viewers watch up to 4-hours of ATSC-approved Mobile DTV broadcasts before heading back for a charge. LG's also promising more ATSC Mobile DTV devices from Dell (laptops), Kenwood, and others including in-car receivers all using LG's LG2160A ATSC-M/H tuner chip. Still, mobile antennas and DVD players... how can something so new feel so retro?
Ford becomes first automaker to offer HD Radio with iTunes tagging
If you thought the automakers would be leaving CES to the TV and PMP makers, Ford would like to have a word with you. A few words, actually. Aside from announcing that in-car WiFi will be available next year, the iconic blue oval is today calling itself the first car manufacturer to offer factory-installed HD Radio with iTunes tagging capabilities. Slated to become available on select 2011 Ford models sometime next year, the implementation will enable listeners of HD Radio to "tag" songs they like via a single button press; from there, the song information will be logged within the radio's memory, and up to 100 tags on Sync can be stored until an iPod is connected to suck them down. Once that data hits the iPod, users can then preview or purchase them conveniently through iTunes. There's no word yet on pricing (we're being forced to wait until CES), but we're guessing it'll demand quite the premium.
DirecTV 3D broadcasts coming in early 2010?
Finding itself with a wealth of a additional bandwidth thanks to a new satellite going up today, DirecTV may have already decided its first big addition will be 3D. Citing the always popular unnamed sources, HD Guru says we should prepare for a CES announcement that the bird will be up and running by March beaming down a collection of movies, sports and TV shows in 3D HD, requiring only a firmware upgrade on existing set-top boxes to tune into the new stations. UK satellite provider Sky has already tipped its hand about 2010 3D plans, with a newly freshened HDMI spec expected to ease things along and nearly every manufacturer either already producing compatible displays or planning to announce them in less than a week there's very little doubt remaining about whether broadcast 3D is coming home this year, only how and when.
Logic Wireless 150LGW projector phone reminds us of that Bolt we once saw
Remember the Bolt from CES 2009? Man, that was ages ago. If you'll recall, projector phones were actually all the rage for around 4.67 minutes at this year's Consumer Electronics Show, and ever since we've been dealt months of nothing alongside one lone ranger of something in the LG eXpo. Evidently Logic Wireless is hoping that we'll forget all about the Bolt that never shipped and instead focus on the next best thing: the 150LGW. Available for order now at Skymall (of all places), the projector phone looks significantly slimmer and more stylish than the company's first crack, and aside from the inbuilt PJ, there's also twin SIM card slots, dual cameras, an Office file viewer, quad-band GSM radio, Bluetooth and Symbian running the show. We aren't too sure we'd be willing to shell out $499 without any proof that this thing is worth its salt, but you can bet we'll be on the hunt for it once CES 2010 opens up next week.
Notion Ink's Adam gets a name, June 2010 release
Well, the first bit of news here is immediately apparent -- the heretofore untitled tablet device coming out of India has now been given the name of Adam. After ruffling a few feathers a week ago with its extremely ambitious battery life projections and admittedly mouthwatering Tegra plus Pixel Qi combo, Notion Ink is back with more details on the project. We understand the company is now discussing 3G testing with Indian and US operators (its 3G bands are compatible with AT&T's networks), and there's also a planned landing date in June. Can't say we're too excited about a launch six months from now -- other Pixel Qi devices may well beat the Adam to market -- but there's also the pleasantly small matter of the price, which in this case is projected to be an aggressively low 15,000 rupees (about $321). CrunchPad part deux? Only time will tell. [Thanks, bala]
USB 3.0-infused DisplayLink products coming in 2010
DVI, HDMI and DisplayPort may be enjoying the spoils right now, but the world's most popular port may just give 'em a run for their collective dollars by the end of next year. DisplayLink, which enables monitors to receive signals via USB instead of through one of the more conventional cables, has been mildly successful with USB 2.0 at the helm, but a whole new world is about to open up with the introduction of USB 3.0. As you've no doubt seen by now, the third iteration offers up over ten times the bandwidth of v2.0, which would obviously allow for great resolution support when channeling video. In reality, USB 3.0 is the first USB protocol that could support a legitimate high-def video stream, and it's expected that a prototype device will be shown at CES next month transmitting content at up to 4.8 gigabits per second. In theory, at least, USB 3.0-enabled DisplayLink would allow vast 30-inch panels to be connected to netbooks via USB without having to rely on a sub-native resolution, but then again, said netbooks will probably need a GPU with a bit more oomph than the current Ion can provide. Not like that'll be an issue for long, though.
MSI teases Wind Top AP1920, Wind Box DE220 and DC500
There ain't much to go on just yet, but one thing's for certain: MSI will be unveiling a trio of new machines at CES in just a few weeks. Over on the Wind Top side, it'll be introducing the all-new AP1920 all-in-one PC, which will measure in at 35mm thick and sport an 18.5-inch display, Atom D510 or D410 CPU and a power-sipping attitude. The nettop lovers will be thrilled to know that a new duo of mini PCs will also get unwrapped, as the Wind Box DC500 and DE220 step in with Intel's newest Pine Trail processors and a whole slew of companion components that we're still waiting to hear more on. Hey, we told you it was just a tease.
ASUS prepping 17.3-inch Core i5-powered X77 gaming laptop?
Details are still fuzzy at best, but word on the street has it that ASUS is preparing to unveil a new mobile gaming rig in short order. The biggest news is the powerhouse within: it'll purportedly be based on Intel's dual-core Core i5-430M processor. In addition to that, the rumored GPU will be a potent ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5730, which is likely to feature DDR3 memory. You'll also find a pair of 500GB hard drives, 4GB of RAM, an eSATA and HDMI port and a 1,600 x 900 LED panel that spans 17.3-inches diagonally. There's no official availability or pricing information to speak of, but Fudzilla is reporting that it should show up in just a few weeks for around€1,000 ($1,435). [Thanks, Karl]
Viliv N5 MID set to debut at CES
We've already gotten up close with the S10 Blade that Viliv is promising to show off at CES, but this invitation is the first we've heard of the company's N5 mobile internet device, which is also slated to debut at the show. As you can see above, this one is a clamshell MID, and packs a 4.8-inch multitouch display, a fully QWERTY keyboard, and 3G, WiFi, and GPS capabilities. Also on track for an official launch: the dual-boot Windows CE / Android Viliv P3, and the Windows CE-based, 1080p video-playing HD5 PMP.
NVIDIA Ion 2 coming in early 2010, compatible with Pine Trail
Well, here we go: NVIDIA just gave us the heads-up that the next generation of Ion chips (which we'll be calling Ion 2 until it gets a proper name) will be compatible with Intel's new Pine Trail platform and arriving in Q1 of 2010. That's good news, seeing as the Pine Trail-based Eee PC 1005PE we just reviewed didn't offer much of a performance benefit over the older Diamondville chips and definitely couldn't bust through the first few seconds of a YouTube HD clip. Though we got NVIDIA to confirm that it'll improve some of the battery life concerns we've had, we couldn't get much out of them in terms of how Ion 2 will play with the Intel GMA 3150 GPU that's now integrated into the Atom N450 die. NVIDIA also didn't hold back when it came to Intel's reliance on third-party HD accelerator chips for video duties -- they think customers want richer gaming and multimedia experiences on netbooks than Atom alone can offer, and they don't seem to care that Intel keeps calling Ion "overkill." All drama aside we're looking forward to just getting some YouTube and Hulu HD playback on our netbooks -- we'll see what NVIDIA has to show off at CES.
Fujitsu MH380 netbook features Pine Trail, secondary scrolling trackpad
Looks like we're going to see a steady trickle of Pine Trail Atom N450-based netbooks before the dam bursts wide at CES 2010, and next up today is Fujitsu, which just officially announced the MH380 that hit the FCC last month. Basic specs are slightly better than usual, with 2GB of RAM, a 250GB drive, built-in Bluetooth and a standard six-cell battery under a 10.1-inch 1366x768 screen, but we're most intrigued by that little divot next to the trackpad, which functions as a scroll wheel. We'll definitely have to check that out in person when we get to Vegas -- hopefully Fujitsu will have some pricing and availability details for us then as well.
New Dell Inspiron Mini 10 debuts, features Atom N450
Looks like Dell's trying to jump out ahead of the CES Atom N450 netbook rush by announcing a new version of the Inspiron Mini 10 a couple weeks before we all head to Vegas -- and we can't say we blame them, since there's a lot here to like. The newly streamlined case can accommodate a six-cell battery good for nine and half hours of use without the usual netbook bulge, and inside that next-gen Atom can be paired with an optional Broadcom Crystal HD video accelerator for HD video playback. Also on the options list: four case colors, Bluetooth, WWAN, GPS, a TV tuner, and a 1366 x 768 display, in case you actually want to see some of those accelerated video pixels. Prices will start at $299 when this guy hits in early January, but we'll see how much all these options add to the final pricetag. Press release after the break. %Gallery-80690%
LG announces "world's thinnest" 42-inch LCD panel
We're gearing up for CES 2010, which means the race to show off an even thinner "worlds thinnest" LCD TV panel is heating up -- and it looks like LG's taking an early lead by announcing a new 42-inch 1080p panel that's just 2.6mm (.1 inch) thin. The prototype LED-backlit 120Hz display weighs just under 8.8 pounds , but we don't have any other specs on it just yet -- but we're sure we'll find out far more 17 days from now in Vegas. Press release below.
Intel's next-gen Pine Trail Atom processors officially announced
Get ready for the next generation of netbooks and nettops: Intel's just officially announced the Pine Trail Atom N450, D410, and D510, along with the NM10 Express chipset, and we should see over 80 machines with the 45-nanometer chips at CES 2010. Nothing too surprising about the 1.66GHz chips themselves, which integrate the memory controller and Intel graphics directly onto the CPU die: the N450 is targeted at netbooks, while the single-core D410 and dual-core D510 are designed for nettops, and each chip should use about 20 percent less power than its predecessor. That was borne out in our review of the N450-based ASUS Eee PC 1005PE, which got 10 hours of battery life in regular use, but unfortunately we didn't experience any performance improvements over the familiar N270 and N280. That jibes with other reports we've heard, but we'll wait to test some more machines before we break out the frowny face permanently -- for now, check out the full press release below.
