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Crapgadget CES, round 3: Moneual's $45K HTPC
There are some that might challenge the very idea of anything this expensive being a "crapgadget," but closer inspection of this item leaves little room for doubt. Indeed, it looks like Moneual's still around with its jewel laden "luxury" PCs, and we were fortunate enough to come across this delightful specimen on the floor of CES. The 701 Jewelry HTPC is handcrafted with gold and brass and adorned with 3500 Swarovski elements -- as well as HDMI, Blu ray, and Windows Vista Home Premium. Your cost? A mere $45,000. "The price of gold is going up," the helpful chap at the company's booth pointed out. This isn't a media PC, then -- it's an investment. Before you call your broker, take a closer look at the gallery below. %Gallery-82394%
Samsung's 'combo' femtocell for Verizon in the wild at CES
Verizon's current Wireless Network Extender is cool and all, but it's got one huge Achilles' heel: it only does 1X data, which is pretty egregious by 2010 standards (or 2007 standards, for that matter). Enter Samsung's revised 'combo' femtocell, so named because it offers both 1X and EV-DO service simultaneously. It's got support for up to eight connections -- up from the original unit's four -- and sports a decidedly more retro look that we're not sure we love. Really, though, who cares how it looks -- you stuff it behind a bookcase and you've got five bars of 3G around the home. Samsung's placard says we can expect this to launch in the second quarter of the year, so stay tuned. %Gallery-82484%
LG CEO says about half of its new smartphones will run Android
Well, here's a tiny mystery of sorts that's emerged amidst all the hubbub of CES. As the Korea Herald reports, LG CEO Nam Yong reportedly said yesterday that while LG will have smart phones running on Windows Mobile, "about 50 percent of our smart phone models will run on Android." Now, that's not so hard to believe considering the number of LG Android phones we've already seen or heard about, but it is fairly surprising in light of the deal LG and Microsoft announced back at MWC last year, which supposedly made Windows Mobile LG's "primary smartphone OS." Obviously, something doesn't quite add up here, unless by "about half," LG actually means "less than half" -- which seems to be a distinct possibility. [Thanks, Jules]
Qualcomm Mirasol display video hands-on in glorious 1080p
We just couldn't help ourselves. Qualcomm's Mirasol display technology has the potential to upend the e-book reader market, and possibly even do some warfare with the LCD-based slate PCs we've been seeing out and about. We already did a hands-on with the little 5.7-inch prototype Qualcomm is showing at CES here, which we have a hunch could be Kindle-bound, and now we've got a second, closer look with a full 1080p trained on the display to give you as good as possible of an indication. We also pulled away a few more tidbits about the tech: The display could be paired with a capacitive or resistive touchscreen, though it would impair visibility slightly (just as it's been accused of doing with E-ink). A best case scenario is apparently optical touch (like we've see on some all-in-one PCs recently), which has less of an impact. There are edge-lighting methods that would allow the display to be illuminated from lights built into the device that could provide even lighting across the display. The first display to the market will indeed be this very 5.7-inch, XGA version, which is 240ppi pixel density and a 6x power advantage over E-ink in a typical usage scenario (despite the fact that it's doing full color video). Our Qualcomm rep personally views dedicated e-readers as merely a "head fake," and that the category isn't going to be around for long -- which seems to imply that he sees Mirasol being used for a lot more than thumbing through a virtual novel or magazine. Alright, enough facts? Check out the video after the break, or download the full-res video from the link below! Download 1080p file (right click to save)
Microsoft Windows Mobile 6.5.3 shown off very, very quietly
Say, for a moment, that you're Microsoft and you're on the cusp of releasing a version of the much-maligned Windows Mobile 6.5 that actually made it touch-friendly for once -- but like all WinMo versions before it, you're relying on carriers and manufacturers to wage an inexcusably slow, arbitrary, incomplete upgrade campaign. Wouldn't you think that quietly burying its launch amongst a sea of more interesting (and less controversial) products might be a good idea? Indeed, that appears to be the angle Microsoft is taking at CES by discreetly showing off a Toshiba TG01 and Pharos Traveller loaded with the long-rumored 6.5.3 with "tiles" along the bottom and finger-friendly adjustments throughout the UI. As far as we can tell, this truly is what 6.5 should've been -- in our quick look, we're finally comfortable not having a stylus handy, even on a resistive display. It's still not pretty, but this is a case where function is at least earning its money trying to trump form. %Gallery-82478%
Cannondale's mind-blowing Simon electronic suspension system hands-on
If you're a bicyclist or just a tech-minded person with a hankerin' for cool suspension technology, you've got to check out the videos after the break. One is a short demonstration to whet your appetite, the other a rather longer explanation from Cannondale engineer Stanley Song of just how the thing works. What is this thing? It's Simon, a fully electronic and nearly-instantly adjustable suspension system that does away with all the complex mechanical internals of a traditional high-end suspension system (shims, springs, valves, needles, knobs...) and replaces it with an electro-mechanical device that can near infinitely vary not only suspension strength but also ride height instantly based on road conditions. It even has an LCD on the bars. Interest piqued? Click through to see it in action. %Gallery-82462%
Sezmi plans to change the content industry; hands-on and video
The way video and other content is delivered is changing, there's no doubt about it, but what isn't as certain is exactly where we end up from here. So on our journey to the day when we can watch whatever we want, wherever we want, there are plenty of avenues for content like cable or satellite, internet, an antenna or whatever. Sezmi gets this and intends to bring them all together in a way that makes sense. The encouraging thing here is that the company didn't just take an existing platform and paste on some internet streaming, it created a over-the-air DVR from scratch and integrated all the various sources into a unified experience. Ok, so much for the concept, but how does it work? In principle we love the idea: you buy a box, pay a monthly service for a select number of cable TV channels and get a single interface that makes sense. The problem right now is in the implementation. While we really like some of the DVR features included, like profiles catered to each viewer (custom guide listings as well as custom recorded TV etc,) only the major broadcast networks are presented in HD (no ESPN HD for example) -- and the HD VOD content we watched showed noticeable compression artifacts. Sezmi is currently in a limited pilot in LA, but will be expanding and as it does we'll be watching to see if the dream comes true.
Touch Revolution puts Android in a microwave and makes an updated Nimble tablet, we go hands-on
Last year's Nimble tablet was approved by none other than MC Hammer. So this year's version... well, you just have to expect great things, right? Awash in a sea of keyboard-free devices we weren't really expecting anything shocking and we didn't get anything shocking. It's still a seven-inch capacitive-screened tablet intended for use at home, replacing a landline phone and connecting exclusively over WiFi, providing VOIP calling and of course all the goodness that Android provides -- Android 1.5. That's a few versions behind where we'd like it to be, but given the stock OS install here that shouldn't be too hard to rectify if/when this device comes to retail. More interesting? A microwave with Android. Intrigued? Close the door, press start, and click on through. %Gallery-82422%
USB 3.0 SuperSpeed gone wild at CES 2010, trumps even your new SSD
Just in case you didn't notice the arrow, that's a USB 3.0 cable up there, plugged into a USB 3.0 port, running in a Fujitsu laptop that is the first to pack integrated support for USB 3.0. How fast was it? On the other end of this one was a Buffalo external enclosure stuffed with an old-fashioned, platter-based hard disk, which still delivered perfectly absurd transfer rates of about 135MB/sec. When another, similar setup ran with an Intel SSD what happened the results were even more impressive: a few ticks over 200MB/sec. Yes, we're about to enter another dimension. A time when external drives are as fast as internal ones. Where the speed at which you can fill up your MP3 player is limited only by the speed of the storage on that device itself. You are about to enter... the SuperSpeed zone. %Gallery-82425%
Microsoft's Mediaroom 2.0 running on the Xbox 360
Hearing about using an Xbox 360 as set top box for IPTV providers like AT&T's U-Verse is one thing, but seeing it in action is another. As you can see from the video after the jump, the experience is very fluid and isn't what we'd describe as laggy even in the slightest bit. The 360 can act as a full blown client to the Mediaroom DVR which provides a pretty complete multi-room experience. As far as we could tell the entire experience was there as well, but then again we're not exactly experts on Mediaroom. Apparently one thing the 360 can't do is be the only set top box in your house, which is probably a detail lost on many since we'd bet very few people who subscribe to pay TV only have one set top these days.
Toshiba bolsters 32nm mSATA SSD lineup, your future netbook nods approvingly
We like to think of 'em as the SSDs for the little guys, and we couldn't be happier to hear that they're getting bigger and bigger in terms of capacity. Toshiba introduced the first solid state drives to use the mini-SATA interface back in September of '09, and while those 32nm units were made available in 30GB and 62GB sizes, the pack rats weren't satisfied. Now, the company has introduced a 128GB flavor with an mSATA interface, offering up a maximum sequential read speed of 180MB/s and a maximum sequential write speed of 70MB/s. The 128GB modules are said be one-seventh the volume and one-eighth the weight of 2.5-inch SSDs, and in case that's not enough, the third-generation HG SSDs will bring nearly twice the aforesaid speed and will ship in capacities of 64GB, 128GB, 256GB and 512GB. Hit the source link for all the dirt... except for the pricing, naturally.
Samsung launches Jitterbug J in Red at CES
Samsung's handset for your golden years -- though, they're attempting to change that -- surfaced at CES in red to support the American Heart Association's Go Red For Women movement, and Samsung Mobile's support will ring in at $500,000 based on handset sales (though we're really hopeful they don't have to sell 500,000 sets to make that happen). So if you're looking to contribute, and maybe know someone who could benefit, you'll get your chance sometime this month. Pricing wasn't mentioned in the PR, but, the original Jitterbug J launched at about $149 -- so you can set your sights there.
Jinke announces 6 and 9-inch SiPix panel e-readers
We're certainly not wanting for e-readers this week, although we are definitely wanting for one that's compelling enough to shell out good money for -- which is fine, because company's all over God's green Earth seem to be working overtime to give us one. Take Jinke -- the company's switched from E Ink to SiPix panels for the A6 and A9 readers, both of which are planned to sport multitouch, 16 levels of grayscale, WiFi a/b/g, and optional 3G -- as well as the usual compliment of formats (FB2, EPUB, PDF, most image formats, and MP3). The former is a 6-inch (600 x 800) device with 2GB of storage, an SD slot, and an accelerometer. The Jinke A9 features a 9-inch (1024 x 768) panel, and up to 4GB storage. Both the A6 ($275) and the A9 ($330) should be available in March.
GestureTek brings Eyemo gesture control to Android, Momo tracking engine for Windows Mobile
GestureTek was showing off some of its gesture-based options for controlling your TV at last year's CES, and it's now back again with a few more slightly interesting pieces of software. That includes a version of its Eyemo software for Android, which is already available for range of other platforms, and lets developers take advantage of a phone's camera to add gesture control options to various applications -- although that only involves gesturing with the device itself, not your hands. The company's recently announced Momo software for Windows Mobile takes things one step further than that, however, and will indeed apparently let you control a game or other application with hand or body gestures -- although that'll likely work best on a device with a front-facing camera.
ATI serves up DirectX 11-compatible Mobility Radeon GPUs, helps nerds fall in love
DirectX 11 has been chewed up and spit out by desktop GPUs over the past few months, but until CES 2010, laptops at large were left out of the raving. This week, AMD has introduced what it's calling the world's first mobile graphics with DX11 compatibility, and the Mobility Radeon HD 5870 -- which just so happens to be featured in ASUS' recently revealed G73jh -- is leading the way. The HD 5800, HD 5700, HD 5600 and HD 5400 series are all new at the show, and each one comes with baked in support for ATI Eyefinity multi-display technology and helping tech-adoring geeks find their soulmates (as is clearly shown above). Hit the source link for more details on each, and figure on seeing these filter out to new ultraportables, mainstream rigs and gaming lappies in the seconds, days and weeks ahead.
Sennheiser RS170 wireless headphones ears-on
We don't generally run around plucking wireless headphones off their stands, but the CES Innovation Award here drew us in for a quick test job. In spite of the almighty din around us, these RS170 headphones delivered terrific noise insulation. They don't feature any sort of active noise cancellation, but just popping the sealed cans atop our noggin was sufficient to neutralize a vast proportion of the mayhem around us. The sound too was impressive -- certainly nothing unexpected given Sennheiser's reputation. What was pleasantly surprising, though, was the $300 asking price and since these are already available we've been able to find them online for as little as $250. For that you also get bass boost and surround sound functions, but from our limited time with the set we'd say you'll be getting some pretty awesome audio straight out of the box. %Gallery-82386%
Altec Lansing debuts new range of portable, not-so-portable audio products
Altec Lansing has been keeping itself fairly busy since introducing its brand new look a little over a year ago, and it's now back at CES with a new batch of audio products to keep things rolling. Leading things off is the inMotion Compact (iMT320) iPod speaker system, which is a slightly smaller, slightly cheaper followup to the company's inMotion Classic speaker system, and includes some nifty features like a folding leather-like cover that also doubles as a speaker stand -- look for it to be available in February for $80. That's complemented by the Octane Plus 2.1 Speaker System (pictured after the break), which will also run $80, and three new headphones in the company's MUZX DNA line that'll cost just $20 apiece but still promise "a full ranged, balanced sound."
Sony VAIO Z demo video is fully rendered, somewhat dizzying, still worth watching
When three SSDs just won't do, Sony's VAIO Z is the fix. We've had a chance to briefly see one in person, but still found ourselves oddly entranced by the promotional video embedded for your pleasure after the break. It shows a rendered Z floating about in space, flaunting its various assets (backlit keyboard, switchable graphics, side-talkin' power button) before ending with a branding slogan that's so powerful you just can't help but reach for that credit card: The Executive Decision. Yeah, we're getting chills here, too -- but that's probably because someone left the door to the trailer open again.
FaceVsion announces TouchCam N1 Skype HD webcam
In Store Solutions might have been the first to announce the first Skype HD webcam, but it looks like FaceVsion (yes, it's really spelled that way) isn't about to let it get off that easy, with it now introducing its own first Skype HD-ready TouchCam N1 webcam. As with In Store Solutions' cams, this one packs an embedded H.264 video compression chip to help out with 720p video streaming, and it includes dual unidirectional mics to ensure that the video isn't let down by sub par audio. Look for this one to be available sometime next month for $119.
VIZIO's new LCDs (and upcoming iPhone remote app) eyes-on
Since we can't drool over sets without release dates forever, our attention at VIZIO's CES event turned to flat-panels we actually expect to hit shelves in 2010. Still, we couldn't have expected a sneak peek of the company's planned iPhone remote control app (video after the break,) and the shock of seeing a 22-inch VIA & WiFi packing 22-inch LCD nearly overshadowed the massive 72-inch 3D set picture above. Also represented were a new soundbar surround package with HDMI 1.4 / Audio Return Channel due in May, a video-prioritizing wireless router and powerline networking setups, and of just to round things out, some iPod dock / touchscreen clock radios. %Gallery-82384%
