• HD-DVD's Long Walk Back to the Locker Room of Shame
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• It's Finally Time to Pick Blu-ray Over HD-DVD
• Blu-Ray Player Reviews

• High-Def Adult Movies Coming to Blu-ray
• It's Finally Time to Pick Blu-ray Over HD-DVD

The new wireless Panasonic LUMIX will allow you to wirelessly transmit digital photos from the camera to your personal computer as well as directly to a file sharing website by utilizing any open Wi-Fi hotspot or T-Mobile hotspot (at 8,500 locations, or free for the first 12 months) to upload your photos directly to your web album. This is a similar setup to what Kodak has had with its EasyShare cameras for a few years.

By utilizing Google open APIs(Application Programming Interfaces) the LUMIX will be able to upload to specific Picasa Web galleries depending on user settings and can then send the gallery URL to friends immediately via cellular text messaging or e-mail. With a little bit of time and perhaps some hacker help we'll see the same sort of ease-of-use for uploading to Flickr, Facebook, and other photo and social networking sites in the coming months.

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In the beginning, Bluetooth headsets were a bit off-putting. You stuck one in your ear, called a friend on your mobile phone, and watched as people on the street looked on as you had a conversation -- seemingly with yourself. But things have changed drastically since then. These small, wireless gadgets are now ubiquitous, gracing the earlobes of everyone from the guy on the next treadmill to your grandma in her car. So what are the coolest, most innovative we saw at CES that'll find their way to store shelves this year? Take a look at our five favorites:

The market for HDTVs is flooded with competing technologies and not to mention perplexing acronyms and abbreviations -- DLP, LCD, OLED, Plasma, SED. Now you can add Laser TV to your list of display technologies to know. Mitsubishi unveiled a 65-inch laser television at an event during this week's CES -- and people at this week's CES show were buzzing about the incredible color and contrast.

Mitsubishi isn't revealing details about exactly how it works, but we do know it is based on a rear projection system, meaning that this is never going to be as thin as those sexy OLEDs on display. And who knows what the future holds for big and bulky projection TVs, whose stars are falling almost as quickly as those of HD-DVD. But the laser TV does have a leg up in the image quality department. Apparently, colors were so intense and contrast so dramatic that Greg Adler at PC World described it as "artificial" looking.

Pricing isn't available, but Mitsubishi plans to have the displays on the market by fall of 2008.

From Engadget

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Soon it may be easier to list the companies that don't have navigation devices in their roster of products than those who do.

If the 2008 Consumer Electronics Show proved anything about the personal navigation category, it's that finding your way from point A to point B is what manufacturer's think will get you to find your way to the store to buy a new GPS device.

Garmin and TomTom, the two leading personal navigation device (PND) makers, are certainly looking over their shoulders as major brands such as Sony, Panasonic and Pioneer introduce new devices. Rather than being simply test products for a burgeoning market, the new GPS devices by these major cross-category consumer electronics companies are serious contenders, offer a plethora of the latest features.

Nevertheless, even upstart companies such as the one below are adding innovative features into the mix. The result? There has never been a better year to take the plunge and buy yourself a GPS device.

If you're in the market for a new GPS device this year, you should take a look at our roundup. We've compiled a list of the most anticipated new navigation devices coming out in 2008, along with release dates.

Improved real-time traffic data: No new products at the show, but a continued push to get consumers to pre-order its upcoming product launch. What's special about DASH? It offers real-time traffic data based on the position of other DASH-equipped cars (plus data from a host of other sources). If the product works as promised, the extra bulk of the unit on your windshield won't matter because you'll be getting where you need to go in less time. The DASH Express will cost $599.99.

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Gallery: Car Stereo Trends

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Gallery: Shredders at CES

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Canon this week introduced a lineup of new consumer camcorders with the moniker "VIXIA". This line includes a dual solid state (no hard drives or moving parts) unit that on the face of it is quite impressive.

The HF10 Dual Flash Memory camcorder uses both a 16 gigabyte internal flash drive and a removable SDHC memory card to store your captured video and still images. Flash memory is good because unlike a hard drive, optical disc, or video tape, there are no moving parts in that part of the camcorder mechanism, so it requires less energy and has less chance of failure (with normal use). The internal memory can capture up to six hours of high definition video.

The HF10 and another unit, the HF100 (which only has the SDHC card slot), both feature 24p cinema mode for capturing movie-like images and a 30p progressive mode, which is good for capturing fast-motion action like sports.

The HV30 HD camcorder introduced here seems almost quaint in that it uses MiniDV cassette tapes, although its predecessor, the HV20, did a nice job with high definition video capture.

The HF10 Dual Flash Memory will be available in April for $1,099. The HF100 is also coming in April and will carry an $899 price tag. Finally, the HV30 is coming out in February and will set you back $999.

We'll let you know what we think once we get our hands on the set for testing.

Related links:

• New High Speed, High Capacity Memory Cards On The Way
• World's Smallest HD Camcorder from Panasonic
• A Video Cam No Bigger Than a Pack of Gum!

Continue reading Hands-On With Philips' New Dream HD LCD TV

With flavors like marshmallow, kiwi, bubblegum, black cherry and espresso the new line of Fabrik SimpleTech's Signature Mini Drives are ready to be filled up even as they make you salivate. The fashion-forward drives were designed by powerhouse Italian designer Pininfarina (of Ferrari fame) and sport 120, 160, 250 and 320 gigabytes of storage space in a small and stylish form factor.

But the real bonus that comes with these drives is the Fabrik Ultimate Backup, which once activated automatically and incrementally backs up your hard drive either locally or externally via a secure server farm for free (up to 2 gigabytes free or $5 per month for unlimited storage).

The drives will be available next month and range from $119.99 (120 gigabytes) to $229.99 (320 gigabytes).

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Gallery: Green Technology Abounds at 2008 CES in Las Vegas

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Our never-ending search for items at the Consumer Electronics Show that are true statement pieces continues with a visit to KEF, maker of the Muon -- perhaps ironically named since a muon is a smaller particle than a quark, yet these speakers, evidenced by the picture above, are clearly not tiny.

Nor is their price tag. At $140,000 for the pair, the Muon speakers are meant for only the most discerning audiophile, for whom price is obviously no matter.

Only 100 pairs of the speakers will be made, according to Johan Coorg, marketing director for KEF. "The one-hundred and first person who wants one will just have to be disappointed," he said.

Why make speakers like these?

"This actually started as a testbed project for our engineers," Coorg said. "British audio has always been very well respected. These speakers now are the leading edge in real cool design. It's no longer acceptable to buy a square box anymore."

Though they have a somewhat organic shape, these speakers are made of aluminum, shaped and made strong through a process called "superforming."

The result is five-hundred combined pounds of visually arresting listening delight.

From KEF.

Related links:

• The Audio System That Costs as Much as a House
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Most of us never think twice about our car stereos. They come preinstalled in your automobile, and you take it for granted. But there is a whole subculture of people whose greatest pleasure in life is crafting absurd mobile entertainment centers that put many peoples' home theaters to shame.

TVs galore, more sub-woofers than your bowels could possibly stand, and chains of amplifiers that drive volume up to building crumbling levels -- these are some of the specs we encountered while walking the mobile tech areas at CES.

We may well have suffered permanent hearing damage to bring you this massive photo collection of the most intense displays of car audio and video power at CES. A few of them even made this guy's stereo look tame by comparison. Take a look!

Gallery: Car Stereos Gone Wild

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We couldn't stop drooling long enough for the Samsung reps to let us near this lust-worthy beauty. Thankfully, the folks over at Engadget were able pick there jaws up off the floor and snag some photos of this ultra thin, environmentally-friendly display.

It's only a prototype right now, and Samsung has no immediate plans to bring these to consumers, but we're sure plans will be announced soon enough. Samsung won't want to leave Sony alone in the OLED market for long, though. So head on over to Engadget to check out what is most certainly the future of TV.

From Engadget

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Convenience is the name of the game if you plan on using one of Lexar's new wireless SD (Secure Digitalo) memory cards in your digital camera later this year. The new SD card, announced at the Consumer Electronics Show this week, is Wi-Fi capable, using a technology developed by a company called Eye-Fi to wirelessly transfer images from the card to your computer, a photo-sharing Web site or a retail kiosk. Eye-Fi released its own card late last year, but Lexar is the first company we've seen that's using the Eye-Fi technology in one of its own cards.

While some digital still cameras are starting to have wireless capabilities themselves -- Panasonic, for example, announced a Wi-Fi capable camera earlier this week -- most consumers own digicams that don't have this very convenient feature. This wireless SD card essentially turns any compatible camera into a wireless device.

After taking pictures, you go to within range of an open wireless, or Wi-Fi, hotspot, and your photos are automatically uploaded to your computer or to photo sharing Web sites such as Kodak Gallery, Wal-Mart Digital Photo Center, Shutterfly, Snapfish, Picasa, flickr and Facebook. Your computer doesn't even need to be turned on for the process to work.

No word on pricing or availability yet. We've been playing around with the Eye-Fi for a couple of weeks. When we've managed to get it to work, we love it, but as with all things Wi-Fi, it can be temperamental. Still, it beats having to carry a memory card adapter or USB cord around all day.

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• New High Speed, High Capacity Memory Cards On The Way
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Riddle us this: what's better than a laptop with one screen? A laptop with two screens!

eDetail was at CES this week showing off its award-winning dual screened computer tablet.

The unique dual multi-touch screened monster is primarily targeted at professionals and commercial applications, but the company is producing a 14-inch model aimed more at consumers. Professionals can use the laptop to give mobile presentations, showing customers a slide show or questionnaire on the larger front screen while controlling it all from the smaller back screen. The laptop also has a programmable hot key that can be used for launching a presentation.

The laptop has a built-in camera and microphone for video conferencing. One can imagine flipping the top screen up to watch a movie or opening iTunes iwhile using a word processor or browsing the internet on the main screen.

The 14-inch model is expected to retail for about $1,200 loaded with Windows XP, 512 megabytes of RAM, and an 80 gigabyte hard drive. The one questionable decision was going with AMD's Geode processor, the same chip in the OLPC XO. The Geode allows the eDetail computer to stay cool even with-out fans and last all day without recharging, but the Geode is a little underpowered for running Windows.

Gallery: Dual Screen Laptop

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Gallery: The Cadillac Provoq

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In the world of computing, small is in. Be they laptops or desktops, PCs keep getting smaller. And that's not a bad thing. Smaller means a laptop is easier to toss in a backpack without feeling like you're carrying a computer, or that a desktop can be moved to the living room without looking too tacky. Bottom line: Smaller PCs can be hidden completely from view.

We took a walk around CES collecting shots of the tiniest PCs we could find. Including some that make the Mac Mini look downright bulky.

• Wireless Portable PlanOn Printer Holds Paper Too
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Add dMedia to the list of companies that have caught WiMax fever. The company's next-gen WiMax-based cell phone, the F200, is sure to inspire gadget lust in even the most hardened of cynics.

Now that WiMax -- the next-gen, wide-area wireless network -- is beginning to catch fire across the globe, companies like dMedia are rushing to get innovative products to the market that will take advantage of the new mobile broadband technology.

The F200 is candy bar styled phone with dual touch screens that have standard cell phone call and end buttons and a directional pad. The screens can operate independently or in conjunction with each other, meaning you can use the built in GPS on the top screen to get turn-by-turn directions, while browsing the Internet or placing a call on the bottom screen over WiMax or a standard GSM or EDGE cell phone network such as AT&T or T Mobile.

In addition to GPS, the F200 features an electronic compass and a G sensor for aiding in navigation even when GPS satellites are unavailable, such as when driving through a tunnel.

Of course, the phone also has the standard features you'd expect on a high end phone -- Bluetooth, two-megapixel camera, etc. Pricing or launch date are not available, but dMedia claims to have a working prototype, though it was only showing a mock up at CES.

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• The 'WiMax' Computer Revolution is Upon Us
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The AIR 5 is meant for a component stereo system. The screen-less Wi-Fi device has the same USB and Internet radio capabilities as the AIR 3, but also includes a hard drive for storing music locally. The included remote allows you to navigate your media and Internet streams via the LCD display.

Prices were not available, but expect to see the AIR 3 in May, and the AIR 5 in July.

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'Guitar Hero' may be fun and cool, but one thing it certainly can't do is teach you how to actually play guitar. In fact, the connection between playing 'Guitar Hero' and actually playing guitar is tenuous at best. Just ask Slash.

That's where Music Wizard is hoping to one up the gaming phenomena by taking the basic concepts of 'Guitar Hero' and applying them to an actual guitar. 'Guitar Wizard' should drop in August with a suggested retail price of $149.95 when packaged with the Sound Tech Interface that gets mounted on a guitar or $299.95 with student quality electric guitar.

Different colors and shapes are used to represent the different frets on the strings. Slowly the game evolves, from what is essentially an extremely complex 'Guitar Hero, until you're no longer playing a game, but instead reading music. Sadly, Music Wizard's creators dont have the deep pockets that Activision has, so don't expect to jam along to original performances of 'Godzilla' or 'Welcome to the Jungle.' Instead you'll have to make do with MIDI versions of the tracks. Upside, less red tape involved so you can download thousands of tracks from WizardTunes.com. Down side, it's like jamming along to a Super Nintendo.

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Yesterday, PlanOn, the company that brought you the DocuPen scanner writing utensil, released for retail a one-of-a-kind portable printer, called the PrintStik. The tiny, mobile device, oblong and light, is a Bluetooth-enabled development that allows users to print e-mails and images from a smart phone, laptop or PDA. The technology is particularly useful for those of you who get annoyed with wires running wild when you're on the go, or for the professional who hates having to suffer in line behind Larry the Molasses Executive at those business centers just to print out a couple of pages.

The PrintStik is a self-contained unit, meaning you don't have to lug the 20 sheets of paper that fit inside. It prints at a leisurely three pages per minute, with the only other drawback being that you are not going to get a sheet of paper that might have come out of the printer at home. Instead, you will get thin, ticker-type sheets set with ink that looks like it came out of a random cash register.

Obviously, this product is not meant to turn out the annual report while you're driving to work. Instead, it is best suited for printing out things like directions or an E-mail from your handheld device.

We know, we know -- where and when, right? Expect to pay $299 for the PrintStik when you visit planon.com.

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