Computers, Google, TV, CES 2009
CES Day One Roundup
CES is underway, and we've had a chance to check out a number of hot new products that could very well change the way you play your tunes, call your friends, or make videos of your kids. There's plenty more to see as the show picks up speed, but here's the best of what we've seen thus far.
- Motorola's SURF A3100 Touchphone - There's absolutely no shortage of smartphones here, but Motorola's SURF A3100 caught our eye early. The thing feels incredibly solid to the touch, and while Windows Mobile isn't exactly the most finger-friendly operating system in the world -- it was initially designed for use with a stylus -- Moto has managed to make this one quite usable and a solid competitor to the current WinMo handsets by HTC.
- Samsung's Tiny MBP200 Projector - Tiny, or "pico," projectors are definitely a hot topic this year, and Samsung is one of the few companies previewing a product that looks ready for retail. Its MBP200 projector is slightly bigger than a deck of cards and not only can project a decent sized image onto a sheet of paper or a wall, but also has an integrated LCD screen and, impressively, can read many file format types, like Word and PowerPoint documents, without needing an external laptop. It should be released sometime this year and we can't wait.
- GiiNii's Movit Mini Mobile Internet Device - Accessing the Internet from anywhere is getting easier and easier and GiiNii's upcoming Movit Mini promises to make it even more engaging. Why? For starters, it's powered by Google's Android, which looks very interesting itself. It also has WiFi connectivity and integrated Web browsing, media playing, and an interface that's just as user friendly as the iPhone's. Pricing and availability haven't been announced yet, but we were told that it should be cheaper than an iPod touch, which is quite appealing indeed.
- Sony's 1080p GPS-Supporting, High-Definition Cameras - The highest level level of HD content you can find in most consumer-level sets is 1080p, and Sony's latest camcorders all support it. The HDR-XR520V is the highest quality, with 240GB of integrated storage, and the HDR-XR500V and HDR-XR200V, with 120GB, are the more mid-level models. All three support GPS (letting you know where you took your pics and vids), have 3.2-inch touchscreens and will be priced between $1,500 and $750. It's definitely not the cheapest way to make your home movies, but it may be one of the nicest.
- Biggest and Best HDTVs Roundup - CES is always the time of year when manufacturers bring out their biggest and bestest sets. This year's event is no exception, with luscious sets sitting on the floor, mounted on the walls, and hanging from the ceiling. We snuck around before the show opened to take pictures of what was out there to see, the largest so far being a massive 82-inch set from Samsung. We'll have more updates on these sets soon.
- Turn-by-Turn Directions and Traffic Coming to Sync - Ford's Sync in-car integration system is interesting, but not quite a revolution. The company is changing that on a number of 2010 Ford models by adding turn-by-turn directions, traffic reports, even news and weather forecasts directly through the system. It'll all be free for the first three years, which is great news for those who trade up regularly.
- Sony's Howard Stringer Trumps Up 3D - 3D is big news at CES this year -- we figure everyone's finished buying HDTV's and now manufacturers need a new reason for you to upgrade. Regardless of the intentions, Sony's announcing that Dreamworks will be creating all its films in 3D going forward, meaning that, in the not too distant future, we might just have some Hollywood content to go with all of the new 3D LCDs being announced.
- IPEVO's Kaleido R7 Wireless Digital Photo Frame - We like the idea of digital photo frames, but so few of them get it right. IPEVO's might just hit that sweet spot between aesthetics and functionality, presenting a slightly chunky but nice look, but also featuring compatibility with Macs, PCs, and even the iPhone, meaning getting your pics on there will be a cinch. It's not cheap at $199, but is worth it for those who love showing off their pics.
- Palm's Pre, the Latest (and Greatest?) iPhone Killer - Many (including us) were about ready to write off Palm, but little did we know they've been quiet because they've been working so hard. They surprised us all with the Palm Pre, an excellent looking multi-touch phone that also has a slide out QWERTY keyboard. We got some time with it and absolutely can't wait for this to hit Sprint sometime this year.
- Creative Unveils Zii - Creative was teasing with so-called "stemcell computing" platform called Zii, saying it'd change our lives, etc. They've announced it and, sadly, it doesn't quite live up to expectations, as at this point it's just a framework. It's a hardware platform similar to Sony and IBM's cell, and while the potential here is great, we're not so sure it'll rock our worlds in the long run. Sony's Cell certainly hasn't yet.
- Chumby Finds Way Into Samsung Frames - Chumby's an odd little device; basically a cuddly, Internet-connected ... /thing/ that does ... /stuff/, like checking e-mail and playing videos. Soon you'll also be able to do those /things/ on Samsung digital photo frames as well, turning them from simple image viewers to something capable of checking news, etc. We can't wait to see what comes of this.
- Pioneer Pushes iPod/iPhone Integration, Blu-ray - Pioneer is one of the leaders in home and mobile audio, and announced a slew of new products ranging from high-end home receivers, car head units, and Blu-ray players as well. Many of the devices offer iPod and iPhone integration, which seems to be becoming standard fare on many similar devices. There's nothing revolutionary here, but a slew of great looking offerings.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
dpil1 said 10:53PM on 1-08-2009
cool
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