Podcast Archive

January 20, 2006
CES 2006 Part 2 Plus News!

Listen Now

Topics in this Podcast:

There was so much information out of CES and the Designtechnica coverage was so good, you should really go to the CES special report for the whole enchilada. Below these notes are my show notes in the raw form. Yeah, it’s huuuuge.
 
In the news, find out about the latest cell phone scam. This is pretty nasty, and hopefully the companies involved will get their come-uppin’s.
 
The Sony TX2 will sport LED backlighting – as will most LCDs in the future. But Sony is the first, so they get the credit! You can get a $500 discount is you turn in a working Dell laptop, too! Now you can afford that Blu-Ray Camcorder.
 
Initial Intel iMac benchmarking is revealing that a 1.83GHz Core Duo processor is pretty close to dual G5s at 2.0GHz. Apple fudging the number on the PPC speed? Nahhh… oh wait… iTunes might be spyware, but it’s that kind we don’t care too much about.
 
Gamestop hasn’t fulfilled 30% of it’s backorders for the Xbox 360? Get your money back and keep an eye on Xbox360tracker.com!  Or go old school and grab a Pong clock. They just look so damn cool.
 
Konica-Minolta leaves the camera market, Nikon waves goodbye to film, and Panasonic says analog TV is for sissies. Yeah they said that. What’s the matter, sissy? Samsung enters the DSLR market with a bang. And Pantone asks you to get your colors right. Go Huey!
 
Whirlpool shows off the Body Box. It will be in everyone’s iHome once your ibrains have been converted to be iPod compatible.
 
Toshiba is shipping its 4GB drives. Oh, but these ones are the size of a quarter. Seagate drops the 160GB USB 2.5” drive, with perpendicular technology. Nice.
 
And lastly… Is there a Dell XPS 600 DT, or are these guys on crack? Drop me a line. Crackhead.
 
 
vvvvvvvv--------My CES notes, discussed in the show-------vvvvvvvv
Video (HD and Blu and TiVo)
 
Initial offerings for HD and blue movies posted.
Blu-ray players - Samsung BD-1000 -$1000 end of april and Sony bdp-s1 - $1500
Panasonic Blu-ray recorder - 25 and 50 GB discs
HDDVD players
- Toshiba HD-AX1 $500 - can preorder
- Sanyo HD-s100 - only 1080i
- RCA hdv-5000
1st gen BluRay player not fully functional - interactive layer relies on BD-J (blu-ray java ) interpreters not fully finished
Samsung working on hush hush hybrid hddvd and blu-ray
TiVo Series 3! W00t! - 2 HD tuners - 250Gb internal, optional 320Gb external
 - total 7 hrs HD content - can scale to 1080i - 2 cable card slots
Google video service, free and paid for content. PS and iPod versions
 
---------------------------------------
Camcorders
JVC HDD camcorders (Everio) - 20 and 30 GB - can burn directly to DVD (external)
Toshiba Gigashot - 30 and 60GB - ethernet port and USB 2
Sony DCR-SR100 - Zeiss lens, 5.1 w/ BT center mic, 3 MP, can take stills as well.
Sanyo Xacti VPC-HD1 HD camcorder - 720p, 5.36MP ccd, 10 x zoom
 
---------------------------------------
Audio/mp3
 
Toshiba Gigabeat S PMP - 30 and 60GB - Vongo compatible - 2.4inch screen
Sonos ZP80 for connecting to a larger stereo system
Samsung Yp-Z5 - nano competitor, 2 and 4 GB, 1.8" screen, 38 hr battery
Cowon iAudio 6 - 4GB, 1.3 in OLED display, touch sensitive control-tiny
Moto Music Duo - BT headphone adapter for iPod that pauses if incoming call.
Creative Zen:M, and Zencast site - like podcasting, but 1/100000 the people
Isee 3600i - add on for non video iPods to play video
JBL OnTime alarm clock
Slingbox for Mac
Shure E500-pth – push to hear, 3 drivers
 
XM to go - Samsung XM Hlix - will it be crippled like the Sirius portable player?
XM- offering 2 5.1 surround music channels
Pioneer portable XM 'inno' - 1GB
Xm passport, like SIM card for radio
 
----------------------------------------
Computers/HTPC
 
Sony type M all in one - Japan only 3 colors impressive specs
http://www.akihabaranews.com/en/news-10924-5%20new%20desktops%20from%20Sony.html
And type v all in one - great iMac option for PCs
Type H, small mini tower - 2 tuners
VAIO t laptop with tv tuner
Hitachi - 9 new pcs
-all aimed at media use, couple all in one - PriusAV. Sleek lookign towers, standard components, HMDI
Dell mobile concept PC - concept
Dell XPS 600 Renegade, mentioned earlier. 4.26 GHz, 1TB, quad 7800
Mobile concept computer - monster 20" display laptop
Gateway CX200X - tablet PC in keynote. Full powered laptop
Alienware
- 3550 MCE - Viiv trech
- 5400 MCE AIO - 17" BT camera, under $2k
Samsung tablet only terminal 720TD – 17” - $800
Toshiba Wi-Fi screen tablet pc
 
Centrino Duo laptops everywhere
Dell - Inspiron E1705 - duo - instant on access to media, ispiron 9400 – 17” 7800 go, express card, 6usb
Lenovo T60 and x60 - 14.1" and 12"
Gateway M685-e and NX860 - 17" - Nvidia go
Fujitsu Lifebook and Lifebook n - 15 and 17" - ATIx1400
NEC Versapro VY16E/LV-W
HP DV series - instant access to media too
Toshiba M400 tablet
Sony Fe series 15.4" GeForce 7400
Acer travelmate8200
Samsung x60 – just like MacBook Pro
Toshiba Qosmio G30, adding HDDVD drive later in Feb. Dynabook with 15 and 12” displays
LG-Philips 20.1” laptop panel
 
------------------------
Network/cell/voip
Netgear Skype phone - no pc required - uses Wi-Fi
Skype internet conference phone
Sony VOIP phone in mouse
DLink legacy phone hookup for Skype
IPevo Skype phone - nice size and stand
Panasonic landline with Skype
USRobotics Skype speakerphone
Creative labs pc-less Skype phone
Aliph – Skype headset – looks like BT headset – adjusts sound 868 times per second
 
SE W810 walkman phone - 512 card, up to 2GB - quad band edge enabled, M60 speaker dock
Moto ROKR E2 - no iTunes (bitter over nano?) iRadio dl service - no 100 song limit, SD card, Linux based, 1.3MP cam
 
---------------------------
GPS
 
JVC eavinu - 2G HDD - 7 for music and movies - SD slot - 2D ariel, 3D views
Pioneer AVIOC line - 3 models
3D mapping, netTraffic, 30Gb, music, DVD play, 7" screen, BT - $2200
--------------------------
Sony ebook reader - Acrobat sync and conversion of word docs - no backlight, but = no eye strain, RSS SUPPORT!
 
Xbox 360 could see blu-ray external drive
 
Splitfish game controller for ps2 – just like revolution – no motion detection though, just split
 
SavitMicro S25 USB enclosure for PSP or any w/ micro USB port
-MS pro due hits 8gb
 
EyeBud 800 HMD - for video iPod - yawn - watch crash and burn
Myvu goggles
 
Kodak EasyShare V570 - 2 lenses – wide-angle
 
Seagate 1.8inch W-USB (real W-USB) prototype

Optimus keyboard coming feb 1?
 
Couple flash driver with memory usage indicators
 
Satugo camera ball - throw it and see what it sees!
 
MFUEL power cell, external battery pack for multiple devices
 
Auragrid wireless over wire – Wi-Fi antennae at the end of coax cable.
 
Holographic media demoed - yup, it's real! - 20MB/s -130mm discs=~5inches
Slingbox app for PocketPC