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Engadget Podcast 178: CES 2010 Day 4 - 01.09.2010 [Chopped n' Screwed Remix]
I hopped off the plane at LAS with a dream and my MacBook ProWelcome to the show of tech and glow, whoa will I make a big win?Jumped in a cab, here I am for the third timeLook to the right, and I see the CES signThis is all so crazy, everybody seems so nerdyMy tummy's turnin' from some cheese I ate at DigExToo much e-ink and I'm wiredThat's when the podcast man turned on the radioAnd the Miley song was onAnd the Miley song was onAnd the Miley song was onHosts: Joshua Topolsky, Nilay Patel, Paul MillerProducer: Trent WolbeSong: Party in the U.S.A. (Chopped and Screwed)Hear the podcast05:00 - Pixel Qi screens to be used by a major manufacturer in 201015:30 - Qualcomm Mirasol display video hands-on in glorious 1080p19:35 - Live from Nokia CEO Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo's CES 2010 keynote32:43 - Andy Rubin on multitouch in Android: 'I personally don't like two-handed operations'33:20 - Live from All Things D at CES 201040:01 - Dell divulges Mini 3 details, tablet (Mini 5?) caught running Android 1.6 (update: video!)46:20 - Windows Mobile 7 coming to MWC in February, not just 'evolutionary'59:15 - Boxee Box interface demo video Subscribe to the podcast[iTunes] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in iTunes (enhanced AAC).[RSS MP3] Add the Engadget Podcast feed (in MP3) to your RSS aggregator and have the show delivered automatically.[RSS AAC] Add the Engadget Podcast feed (in enhanced AAC) to your RSS aggregator.[Zune] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in the Zune MarketplaceDownload the podcastLISTEN (MP3)LISTEN (AAC)LISTEN (OGG)Contact the podcast1-888-ENGADGET or podcast (at) engadget (dot) com.Twitter: @joshuatopolsky @futurepaul @reckless @engadget
Synaptics Fuse concept hands-on
Good news and bad news: the good news is that we got to look at Synaptics' Fuse concept phone, which pairs capacitive touch overload with tilt sensing, squeeze sensing and a fair bit of haptics. The bad news is that Synaptics is holding off on showing the actual UI until MWC in February. So for now we've got a working prototype that demonstrates that the sensors really do work. It's an abstract affair, involving the formation of little 3D spheres that roll around on the screen and can be tweaked, pushed and generally confused by the various input methods. Everything works great, with wonderful touch sensitivity on the back of the "phone" being one of our favorite elements we'd like to see in more devices. One thing that became clear while playing with the phone is that while it's targeted at improving one-handed operation, it's actually impossible to actuate all the various sensors simultaneously with one hand, which we suppose Synaptics should see as a mark of distinction. Check out a couple videos of the demo in action after the break. %Gallery-82499%
The e-Reader story of CES 2010
One major trend dominating CES 2010 is the massive uptick in manufacturers showing off e-reader devices, software and technology. Vendors of all sizes are here in Las Vegas introducing products they hope will capitalize on piqued consumer interest and the predicted growth in the e-book market in the year ahead. The biggest (literally) and most impressive electronic ink devices at the show are easily the 8.5 x 11-inch 10.5-inch Plastic Logic Que proReader and 11.5-inch (displays measured diagonally) Skiff Reader. Two touchscreen devices with integrated 3G targeting two totally different audiences. The Que proReader's gunning to replace bulky stacks of business papers with support for truVue PDF files, MS Office docs, e-mail, and Outlook calendar support. The Skiff Reader, on the other hand, is being pitched as a consumer device with a compelling value proposition for publishers (by publishers) and content owners that will ultimately deliver multimedia on a wide range of devices and display types hooked into the Skiff Store -- just not the flagship Skiff Reader with traditional e-paper display. Otherwise, the CES show floor is absolutely littered with electronic ink also-rans, hybrids, and new screen technologies looking to knock-off the incumbent Kindle, underlying E Ink technology, and Amazon juggernaut. If we're lucky, that's exactly what's going to happen later in the year. Read on to find out why.
Airnergy WiFi power system gives RCA a reason to exist (video)
We don't usually associate RCA with new and innovative technologies, but we think know they're on to something with its Airnergy power system, which harvests energy from WiFi signals. Shipping this summer, the pocketable dongle picks up WiFi signals from the air and manages to charge an internal battery through some magic inside. You don't have to connect to a network, you just have to be in a place that has signal, and it will automatically charge up. As if we weren't intrigued already, they told us that they're planning on building the tech into actual cellphone batteries, so you would theoretically never need to plug in again and your device would always be topped off. Yeah, we want. %Gallery-82487%
MSI rolls out U135 netbook pre-loaded with SUSE Moblin
Dell may have been the first to experiment with Moblin on an Atom-based netbook for developers, but it looks like MSI is the first to actually get one intended for regular consumers out the door, with it now announcing that it's shipping a version of its U135 netbook pre-loaded with Novell's SUSE Moblin OS (version 2.1, of course). Apart from that, the netbook itself apparently remains the same as the U135 we got our hands on last month, which packed a 10-inch screen, a 1.66GHz Atom N450 CPU, 1GB of RAM, and a 250GB hard drive. No word on any difference in price just yet, but it should be available sometime next month.
Blu-TV brings interactive IPTV to disc players, starting with the BDP-83
Dreamer has finally found a partner in its Blu-ray powered IPTV fantasy now that Blu-TV has debuted on the OPPO BDP-83. As the company envisions it, once loaded, it turns your BD-Live capable Blu-ray player into a video and interactive content gateway anyone can develop apps for once the SDK is released. Already powering an IPTV service in Korea, we got a quick demo of the software running on a PS3 in Dreamer's CES booth and flipped through a quick selection of online marketplaces, simple games and video services. We're not sure how many manufacturers will warm to the idea of opening up players currently limited to their choice of streaming services, but if the apps start to flow, having this as an embedded option could be a differentiating feature as player prices dive.
UMID mBook BZ two-fingers on
Oh UMID mBook BZ, it's not easy being the unwanted offspring of a netbook and a MID, is it? Well, it sure isn't easy on us either. After spending a bit of time with the hand-sized device, we just don't really see how anyone could use the small clamshell for more than a few minutes at a time. But hit the break for some hands-on impressions and a video of the $549 lilliputian laptop and decide for yourself. %Gallery-82385%
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.
