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CES 2009: Sony's Web Browsing Camera

admin — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 19:02:18 +0000

This camera has everything; the picture even has a snazzy “web2.0″ reflection. Manufactures have been adding features and gizmos to mobile phones for years but this could be the first sign that cameras are going to get the same treatment. We have been moving towards the one device to control them all for sometime but it has always been MP4 players and mobile phones which have received the attention and had cameras added, and been internet enabled but now it is the digital camera’s turn.

Sony has pulled one out of the bag with its new Cyber-shot DSC-G3 digital camera, the world’s first camera with a Web browser. We are still reeling from the announcement that cameras come with Wi-Fi but the G3 has taken it up a notch by providing a web browser so you can, among other things, upload your photos and videos to popular sites such as YouTube and Picasa.

And because the Cyber-shot G3 is a camera you get also the usual suspects: 3.5in display, 10MP with 4x optical zoom and a very generous 4GB of internal storage. Digital cameras usually come with so many features that you can spend a year just playing with them all and this one is no different among the plethora of snazzy options and features you get face detection, DNLA support and intelligent scene recognition. As I was looking through the specification, one of the features did catch my eye and so I had to look it up, smile shutter. Now face detection and scene recognition is one thing but smile shutter is built around the intriguing notion that the camera will automatically take a picture the instant your main subject smiles. All I can say is nice. Here is the smile shutter feature in action (not on the G3 but gives you the idea):

With a price tag of $500 it is a little steep but it is available now and Sony even throw in a few years of free AT&T Wi-Fi access (the kind you

Pioneer confuses Engadget, fans set 'em straight

Mike Evans — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 23:42:03 +0000

Pioneer has announced the Pioneer DV-420V at CES 2009, an upscaling DVD player that has two tricks up its sleeve: the ability to rip tunes from a CD and store them as MP3 files onto a USB device (including an MP3 player or external hard-drive); and the ability to confuse the hell out of Engadget!

Pioneer DV-420V overview

Firstly, the DVD player itself. It’s from Pioneer, which means it’s going to be good. The sound quality is apparently the best feature,with 24 bit DACs doing their best to make your tunes and your DVDs sound even better than the real thing (not sure why I’m quoting U2 there – it is late, though!)

The picture quality should also be top rate, as the DV-420V replaces the DV-410V, which was already a bloody good DVD player.

My personal favourite, though, is the CD ripping feature, whereby the DV-420V will rip tunes from a CD, turn them into MP3 files and then dump them on the USB-equipped device of your choice. Certainly not what you’d expect from a DVD player, but a welcome addition nonetheless.

Confusing Engdaget

In its write-up of the DV-420V, Engadget completely missed its ability to rip tracks from CDs, and concluded that:

“…the front-panel USB port enables playback of DivX files and JPEG shots if you find that of interest. We’re thinking not, so you can feel free to save your $90 when it ships this summer.”

This implies a cursory scan over the DV-420V at best, which isn’t what you’d expect from Engadget. Thank gods for the concept of blogging, though, as several fans of Pioneer not only corrected Engadget, they added how great they thought the previous versions of this DVD were.

The moral of the story – sure you may only have ten minutes to write a post, but if you’re not sure about a DVD player that’s standing there in front of you, at least ask the kind gentleman or lady who’s there to answer your questions! Really, Engadget, you should know better by now

[Source: EngadgetHD]

CES 2009: JVC launch cat-controlled Hi-Fi with iPod dock

Mike Evans — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 00:35:20 +0000

JVC have been showing off a range of new Micro Audio Systems that integrate nicely with an iPod. I say nicely – the iPod simply slots into a slot at the top, and just sits there looking gormless against the giant black behemoth beneath it! The JVC system might be micro in Hi-Fi terms, but it looks anything but when it’s got an iPod sticking out of its head!

Anyway, onto the system itself. There are three that JVC were showing off – the JVC UX-GN6, UX-LP5 and UX-G200. Of these, the GN6 looks the most interesting, as it seems to be cat controlled. Allow me to explain…

In the spirit of ever-tedious eco-friendliness, JVC has endowed the GN6 with a standby mode, whereby the Micro system falls into a power saving sleep when it’s not been used for a while. No problem there. However, rather than instantly waking up whenever a button is pushed, JVC have incorporated a motion detection system into the GN6, so it wakes up whenever it detects movement directly in front of you.

So, how often do you think the GN6 will wake up each night when your curious and somewhat bored cat decides to spend the whole night running around the room?! Nice idea, but it does smack ever so slightly of badly-thought through gimmick!

The system itself looks pretty good, though. Aside from its physical good looks and its obvious integration with the iPod, it also connects to a variety of other devices through a USB port in the front. Its controls are operated by a ‘laser-touch’ system, which simply means you only have to breath on them for them to operate.

Again, the cat’s going to have a field day – it can wake up the hi-fi by walking in front of it, and then start playing tunes and turning the volume up with just the swish of its tail! What were you thinking of, JVC?!

[Source: Akihabara News]

CES 2009: Samsung P3 – a touchscreen haptic MP4 player

Mike Evans — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 00:12:08 +0000

Samsung have announced the Samsung P3 at CES 2009, a brand new MP4 player that features a new touchscreen haptic user interface that’s designed to take on the iPod Touch at its own game.

The iPod Touch made existing MP3 players look as outdated as mobile phones when the iPhone came out, but this may not be the case much longer. The Samsung P3 is just one of a new generation of MP3 and MP4 players that offer a brand new touch-based user interface that brings them far closer to the iPod Touch than ever before.

Samsung P3 MP4 player in detail

So what does the Samsung P3 offer? Well, obviously an MP3 player, and a nice set of features for organizing your music. You can access your favourite tunes instantly, for example, through the use of a Music Hot Touch Key, while the touchscreen user interface lets you choose tunes by pushing virtual keys and swiping your finger across the screen. As its a haptic interface, the device vibrates whenever you push a virtual key, giving you instant feedback of your actions.

The screen itself is a 3″ widescreen 16:9 format, which is useful for watching videos on, which you can watch in MPEG4, WMV and SVI formats.

The P3 also sports integrated speakers with Samsung’s amusingly-named DNSe 3.0 sound enhancement technology, and comes with storage of up to 32GB.

As you can see form the pictures of the P3, it also offers a variety of other features, including FM radio, several games, address book, alarm, calculator – in fact, the types of thing you’d find in a mobile phone.

Indeed, the P3′s user interface is called the EmoTure touch interface, which by the looks of it, seems very similar to the Samsung Tocco touchscreen mobile phone. Looking at the P3, then, I can’t help but feel it’s a top-end Samsung phone that’s had its mobile phone internals ripped out – but then, that’s no bad thing!

The user interface certainly looks good, and the brushed aluminium of the device’s body makes it exude a cool and stylish look.

No pricing or release date has yet been announced, which is annoying, as the price will surely dictate how successful the Samsung P3 will be compared to the iPod Touch.

[Source: Electronista]

CES 2009: SanDisk Sansa slotRadio

admin — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 20:27:05 +0000

SanDisk showcased a rather usual mp3 player at the Consumer Electronics Show this year. It is called the Sansa slotRadio, priced at around $100 and doesn’t have its own internal memory to store the music. Instead it relies on a partner in crime, the slotRadio music card that was specifically designed for the casual music connoisseur. The slotRadio cards hold all the music for the player, and to wet your appetites SanDisk gives you a card preloaded with

The lazy reader's guide to the best HDTVs at CES 2009

Mike Evans — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 00:43:39 +0000

Which are the best HDTVs out of the hundreds that were shown off at CES 2009? After spending hours hoovering up all the HDTV-related news, it seems an impossible question to answer, but the following posts provide an overview of the best that the big guns had on display.

There’ll be more coverage of these and many of the other gadgets on display at CES 2009 over the coming days (and probably months given the amount of new gadgets on show!)

CES 2009: Samsung HDTVs with wireless DLNA, YouTube, LEDs, ktichen sinks

Mike Evans — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 00:14:54 +0000

Last, but by no means least in this little round-up of HDTVs at CES 2009, comes the biggest gun of all – Samsung, the world’s biggest gadget manufacturer, who’ve launched a seemingly endless number of new HDTVs. Joining LG, Samsung have also been showing off a new range of Internet TV-equipped TVs that also feature Yahoo!’s new Widget Channel technology for direct access to YouTube, Yahoo! and Web content and Flickr images direct to the TV.

Wireless DLNA

Not content with Internet TV, though, Samsung have also equipped its Series 6 and 8 Plasma TVs with wireless DLNA, which means you can access all the content from any of your DLNA-equipped devices (mobile phones, cameras, PCs, etc.) wirelessly. You can view, browse and control the content directly through the TV without any wires whatsoever. And if your device doesn’t have DLNA, that’s OK too, as the TVs come with a USB 2.0 port!

These incredible TVs come equipped with 3GPP, MKV, WMV9 and DivX codecs, meaning you can watch videos from your devices in a wide variety of different formats.

LED TVs

As if all that wasn’t enough, Samsung also released a new range of LED TVs. Yes, you read right, not LCD TVs, but genuine LED TVs, which give a much greater contrast ratio than LCD technology (which itself is currently capable of 2,000,000:1) for much deeper blacks, while consuming 40% less power than their LCD equivalent.

[Source: EngadgetHD]

CES 2009: LG launches wireless YouTube-equipped HDTV

Mike Evans — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 00:12:38 +0000

As ever, LG pulled out all the stops in the HDTV war at CES, offering HDTVs that combined a wealth of new features with some stunning specs for superb picture quality.

LG Wireless TVs

Yes, you read right, LG were showing off a number of wireless TVs, including the LG LHX Slim and the LG LH85 Wireless. These models are so thin, they need a separate box to receive the media, which is then transferred wirelessly to the TV itself. The advantage of this is that you can put the HDTV anywhere you like in the room – you’re no longer tethered to wherever your TV or video input source is. Your PS3, XBox 360, camcorder, Blu-Ray player and TV input all plug into the Set Top Box, leaving the TV itself completely free of wires save for the power cord.

The downside, of course, is that you’re left with yet another Set Top Box to find a home for, but the convenience of a super-thin wirefree TV must surely outweigh this.

The specs aren’t exactly bad either. Check the specs out for the LG LHX Slim:

Full HD 1080p via Uncompressed Wireless Transmission from media box
TruMotion 240 Hz
LED backlighting with Local Dimming
2,000,000:1 Dynamic Contrast Ratio
24p Real Cinema (5:5 Pulldown)
Intelligent Sensor
ISFccc Ready
Four (4) HDMI V. 1.3 with Deep Color
USB 2.0 for access to digital music and photos (MP3, JPEG)
LG SimpLink

CES 2009: Toshiba PS3-powered HDTVs with Wi-Fi

Mike Evans — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 00:04:39 +0000

Not to be outdone by Sharp, Toshiba were showing off a range of LCD TVs that also featured integrated Blu-Ray players (which really must have hurt given the amount of money they spent on their now dead competing technology, HD-DVD). In addition to Blu-Ray, their new HDTVs also featured access to Internet content through Yahoo!’s Widget Channel application that LG have also bolted onto one of their TVs.

Apparently, there will also be wireless connectivity between the TV and your PC as well, enabling you to stream content from your PC directly to your Toshiba TV. No word on specs or pricing yet though.

More intriguingly, Toshiba will also be showing off a prototype of a new range of HDTVs featuring the Cell processor that powers the PS3. This stunningly powerful chip will give Toshiba’s new TVs the ability to record six HD broadcasts simultaneously and upscale full HD (1080p) to an incredible resolution of 3,840 x 2,160p. Apparently, they’ll be showing off a 56″ prototype tomorrow – can’t wait!

[Source: ElectricPig,TechDigest.tv]

CES 2009 preview

Mike Evans — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 23:22:34 +0000

Happy New Year all, and welcome to 2009! And welcome to the week of CES 2009, the annual consumer electronics tradeshow, which provides the first insight into the glorious gadgets that are on their way in 2009.

To give you a taste of what’s to come, we’ve compiled this little preview of CES 2009.

1. HDTV technology goes 3D and LED

HDTV technology had one of its most important years ever in 2008. Prices crashed, enabling HDTVs to penetrate even more people’s homes, while the quality of the TVs improved inexorably. They got much thinner, too, down to an unbelievable 10mm thin.

2009 is set to be an even bigger year for HDTV technology. LED TV’s are starting to make an appearance, offering even better resolution than their LCD-based brethren (but for a considerably higher price). LG, for example, will be showing off the LG W2486L LED BLU, a 24″ LED TV that offers a contrast ratio of 1,000,000:1. Not to be outdone, Samsung will be showing off its new LED TV that’s just 6.5mm thin – that’s as thin as the world’s thinnest phone was in 2006!

More intriguingly, NVIDIA are predicting that 3D technology will finally take off, helped in no small part by Sony, who will be broadcasting a US college football team in 3D using technology from Cinedigm and 3ality. Another company, iZ3D, will also be showing off prototypes of their 3D TV technology, based on their existing 3D monitors.

2. Blu-Ray goes mass-market

Sony’s Blu-Ray technology had a massive year in 2008, officially beating Toshiba’s rival HD-DVD technology to become the de facto winner of the high def video wars. Now that the format wars are over with, expect many more Blu-Ray players from many different companies on the stands at CES.

2009 should see Blu-Ray players come down massively in price, too, which, combined with the decreasing price of HDTVs, should enable more households to see films and video in much higher fidelity than before.

3. Internet TV appears everywhere

Internet TV has been threatening to arrive for some time, but has usually been sold by PC manufacturers, with traditional PC-based software and hardware companies, such as Microsoft, Intel, Apple and HP, all releasing a variety of different Internet TV platforms and boxes that were built around the concept of the “media PC”.

For 2009, though, CES should see a plethora of Internet TV-equipped devices that come from anywhere but the PC.

For example, Blu-Ray boxes will expand beyond the solitary Set Top Box model, and will start to offer content from the Web in addition to Blu-Ray discs. LG is expected to show off a variety of Network Blu-Ray Disc players at CES that access Web-based content from CinemaNow.

“As millions of U.S. consumers view and download movies or TV shows through the Internet, they are demanding easier ways to access content and more home entertainment options,” said Tim Alessi, director of product development, LG Electronics USA.

“From Blu-ray to instant streaming from Netflix to CinemaNow and YouTube, LG is bridging the gap between packaged media and video-on-demand services to provide entertainment solutions for consumers’ demand for content,” he said.

Another company offering Internet TV is Yahoo!, who, in a partnership with Intel, have developed an Internet TV platform that can display content from across the Web, including Flickr (images), TV shows (Hulu) and YouTube videos, all through the TV, via a dedicated channel called the Yahoo! Widget Channel. TV models featuring the Widget Channel will be on show from companies such as Samsung and Toshiba.

By including Internet TV directly into the TV itself, Yahoo! and Intel have removed the need for yet another Set Top Box or an ugly PC in order to get web content onto your TV. As such, the Yahoo! Widget Channel may just succeed where many many others have failed!

4. What about audio?

Finally, lovers of audio may be a little disappointed at CES, as manufacturers of MP3 players tend to leave their announcements until after Apple have shown off their new iPods at MacWorld. This tends to leave the audio news restricted to new iPod accessories, which isn’t the most exciting news to report on!

iRiver are rumoured to have a few new things up their sleeve, though, so we’ll keep an eye on them.

Summary

CES 2009 is going to be a little bit different this year, given the credit crunch that the world is currently in the middle of. Although the major manufacturers will all be their with their latest all-signing all-dancing technology, serious doubts exist as to how many people will be able to afford all this shiny new gadgety goodness in the coming months ahead.

CES itself might suffer, too, as the number of people who normally attend the exhibition are expected to be well down on last year. Individual bloggers won’t be able to afford to go, and even the bigger newspaper, media, and blogging outfits are sending fewer people in an effort to cut costs.

There may, therefore, be a bit of a gloom hanging over CES this year as the realities of the new economic conditions start to kick in.

However, my advice is to ignore it and focus on the gadgety goodness as a form of escapism. There’s far too much bad news in the press already, without people getting gloomy over CES as well. We’ll cover as much of the new announcements as we can over the coming week (CES runs officially from 8th Jan – 11th Jan 2009), and we’ll revel in the shiny gadgets like we always do!

[Source: Geek, Mercury News, CNET, eHomeUpgrade]