CES

CES Stories

Price Impact: OLED TVs versus LED-backlit LCDs


 LG 55-inch OLED TV

It's a well-known fact that new technology ushers in a barrage of deals on the previous-generation tech it replaces. We've seen that occur with processors, smartphones, laptops, and even tablets. But this year the stakes are higher as the TV industry braces itself for one of the biggest debuts we've seen since the introduction of high definition.

At this year's Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, both LG and Samsung showcased their next-generation OLED HDTVs. As CNET succinctly puts it, OLED has the potential to be the best TV technology ever. And as the waiting game begins for the first big-screen OLED HDTV to hit the U.S. market (CNET estimates LG's 55" 55EM9600 will debut first in Q3), we can't help but wonder how OLED will affect prices of other TVs, specifically LED-based LCDs.Read more

FUJIFILM's X-Pro1 Interchangeable Lens Digital Camera Gets Priced


 X-Pro1

FUJIFILM unveiled the X-Pro1 interchangeable lens digital camera at CES last month, and now we know just how much this bad boy will cost. Available at the end of February 2012, you can pick up the FUJIFILM X-Pro1 (body only) for a hefty $1,699.95.

The FUJIFILM X-Pro1 boasts a brand new, custom developed 16MP APS-C X-Trans CMOS sensor, new color filter array and Fujifilm's EXR Processor Pro technology which work together, as the company says, "to deliver superlative image quality that will rival currently available mid and high-end DSLR models."

The camera also features a new 2nd Generation Hybrid Multi Viewfinder and three prime interchangeable FUJINON lenses – the 18mm (27mm equivalent) f/2.0, 35mm (53mm equivalent) f/1.4 and 60mm (90mm equivalent) f/2.4. Read more

iharmonix Q-i-sound Wireless Bluetooth Speakers Arrive in April 2012


 iharmonix Q-i-sound Wireless Bluetooth Speakers with laptop

Over 20,000 new products were announced at the recent Consumer Electronics Show (CES), making it impossible to cover each and every product the week of the show. One little gem we wished we would have experienced hands-on is the iharmonix Q-i-sound Bluetooth speakers by Qmadix. Not your typical boxy design, these ultra-portable wireless speakers deliver stereo sound for a better music listening experience and also feature microphones for hands-free calling.

Great for use with laptops, tablets, smartphones, or any other Bluetooth-enabled device, the speakers – once paired with the device – can be separated from each other by up to 15 feet, and can be placed up to 33 feet away from the tablet or smartphone itself. Each speaker is equipped with a rechargeable lithium polymer battery which charges in 3 ½ hours and lasts for up to eight hours of continuous playtime, 240 hours (10 days) on standby.

A handy zip-up carrying case makes traveling easy and keeps the iharmonix Q-i-sound speakers protected when you're on-the-go.Read more

ASUS B23E 12.5-inch High-End Ultraportable Announced


 ASUS B23E

A lot of new notebooks are coming out of CES 2012, and ASUS seems to be leading the pack with their new Ultrabook line. But it's also got a high-end ultraportable ready to go for business users as well. This device is known as the B23E and will be available with Intel Core i3, Core i5, or Core i7 processors under the hood, complete with a 12.5-inch 1366 x 768 pixel LED backlit anti-glare display. Its ultra-simple profile and black hood look the part for your everyday computing action in the office or in the home.


 ASUS B23E

The ASUS B23E business Ultrabook also features 8GB of RAM and a maximum 750GB hard drive in a magnesium-aluminum alloy case. Other expected Pro-series niceties are also in tow, including a spill-proof keyboard and an anti-shock mounted hard disk. Additionally, it will connect along 802.11n WiFi, Bluetooth, and gigabit Ethernet. Of course there's also a single USB 3.0 port, one USB 2.0 port, and a USB/eSATA combo port. Inside you'll find such business oriented gems as LoJack, BIOS password protection, and a fingerprint reader. The whole package comes with a magnesium alloy case and the contents are protected with an anti-shock hard drive. It also has a three-cell 4,400mAh battery, which should provide plenty of juice.Read more

CES 2012 and Consumer Robotics: Informative yet confusing... and bad food!

by Frank Tobe, Editor, The Robot Report

 CES Show Floor

CES 2012 was a mammoth display of the trend toward smart, connected devices for every form of consumer activity: toys, appliances, entertainment, health, mobility, etc. More than 20,000 new products were launched at this year’s CES and a large portion of them could be considered "smart."

"Smart" (robotic-like) products profess to add value, assure safety, and provide convenience through connectivity... claims that in many cases are true, particularly with in-car infotainment systems.

3,100 exhibitors, 1.86 million sq ft of exhibition space, 153,000 attendees of which 34,000 were international and only one good food stand (Nathan's hot dogs – you can't ruin a Nathan's hot dog). Massive crowding, slow moving, loud, extravagant and wonderful. Thin TVs – so thin they looked like they couldn't stand up by themselves without bending – 3D with and without glasses, projectors, smart appliances, and apps for everything from TVs to refrigerators to scales.Read more

VIZIO Getting into the PC Business this Spring


 VIZIO All-in-One PC

VIZIO has officially entered the computer market and will be releasing their all-in-one PCs and laptops this spring. Their all-in-one PCs will come in two sizes—24-and 27-inch versions—and feature a very sleek design (that's sharp and elegant at the same time) with an ultra-thin keyboard, touchpad and a base unit. The screen is said to be thinner than the iMac, only because the computer's guts are sandwiched on the aluminum base. It also features stereo speakers that are located on each side of the base and a subwoofer in the power supply. There's also an HDMI input, which allows users to use the display as a TV, but VIZIO isn't including a TV tuner with this device. VIZIO also hasn't released info on what Intel processor it'll use in its new all-in-one PCs, but more info will probably drop closer to its ship date, which is said to be around May or June.Read more

CES Show Wrap: It's a Show, It's Biz, Live with It


 2011 CES Show Floor

Open the Gates – With more than 31 football fields of show space, CES attendees have to crowd in opening day and walk themselves ragged in hopes of not just seeing all the show but seeing what will win/fail big in the coming year.

While a few folks have said CES is on its last leg, we wonder if they were at the same show we were this month.

More than 3,100 exhibitors squeezed into a mere 1.861 million net square feet (31+ football fields) of exhibit space and the show drew more than 153,000 attendees.

There was the urban sprawl of the big boys trying to out-glitz each other (even as they experienced record losses or marginal profits).

Microsoft announced that this was their last keynote, last time of exhibiting; and folks immediately said, "See the show is losing its relevance in a real-time world."

These same folks probably said Ballmer couldn't get out of his own way.

Suddenly he's brilliant?

Folks pointed out that really big things in the past have gone on to bomb, die.

You know Palm/WebOS, netbooks, 3D TV, etc.Read more

Oregon Scientific Announces a Hinged Portable WiFi Projector


 Oregon Scientific Portable WiFi Projector

Oregon Scientific announced a new DLP pico projector last week at CES. The Portable WiFi Projector can display FWVGA 854 x 480 at 1,000:1 contrast and a 80 lumens of brightness. If it's plugged into the USB alone, it only shines at 50 lumens. At about 3.2 meters from the wall, it will display a 120-inch wide picture in total darkness. The Oregon Scientific projector will also have a 90-degree hinge, a focus slide, a 3.5mm headphone jack and controls for brightness and power.

The top of the base acts as a touch-based controller for the brightness and volume. You simply slide your fingertip towards the center to reduce both, and slide outwards to increase the volume and brightness.Read more

New CES Tech That Could Make Your Gear Obsolete

We're just back from the consumer electronics extravaganza in Las Vegas where we saw some amazing new gadgets and gear including new TVs, tablets, smartphones and new high tech automobiles. Much of the technology we saw may not be available for some time (if at all) but we did see some trends that will sooner or later make many of your high tech possessions obsolete.

Future TVs Will Be Sharper

 4K HDTVs A year ago at CES 2011 we saw just a few 4K resolution HDTVs but at this year's show we saw lots more. Full HD is defined as 1920 x 1080 but he next generation standard will double that to 3840 x 2160 which they are calling 4K (4K x 2K). Just as everyone who saw HD when it first came out could see a big difference between its higher resolution and older standard definition TVs, once you see 4K TVs you'll want one. Yes, it will take new production equipment, new distribution methods and present all kinds of challenges but isn't that what the industry thrives on?Read more

Turtle Beach Announces their XP400 Wireless Gaming Headset


 Turtle Beach XP400

Turtle Beach announced some of the new XBOX 360 and PS3 gaming headsets at CES last week, one of them, the XP400. It's Turtle Beach's flagship gaming headset, featuring adjustable Dolby 5.1 virtual surround sound, a non-AD2P dual-pairing Bluetooth radio for picking up phone calls during gaming sessions, a 15 hour rechargeable battery and dual-band 2.4/5GHZ built-in WiFi. The actual over-the-ear pieces have a much better layout from previous models, though there are almost as many buttons as there are on the controller with volume up / down, chat volume up / down, mute, Bluetooth pairing, limiter button and tone buttons. The included dual-band WiFi adapter that connects to your gaming console of choice is small and pretty minimalistic in design. The adjustable surround angles feature is a nice edition.

The XP400 has a crisp and loud sound, and noise-cancellation also worked well. Turtle Beach also announced the XP300, a stereo version of the XP400. They're essentially the younger siblings of the company's PX5-rooted XP500, featuring a similar design with totally wireless connection to the Xbox 360, thanks to TB's Xbox Chat Adapter, and a dual-pairing Bluetooth radio for taking calls while gaming. Both headsets improve upon the XP500's in a few key areas including better button placement on the earcups, a new 2.4/5GHz dual-band WiFi 2.4GHz transmitter to avoid interference from nearby wireless devices and an included 15-hour rechargeable battery.Read more

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