"You can never be too rich, or too thin," said the Duchess of Windsor, and LG has taken her adage to heart with its future line of ultra-slim LCD screens, previewed at CES. How skinny is the new HDTV? At 6.9 millimeters, it’s probably too svelte to even have room for the video inputs that get stuck into the current crop of flat screens—which has gadget blogs speculating that this LG set will rely on wireless technology.
LG
With the billion-dollar box-office juggernaut Avatar proving moviegoers' thirst for 3-D, TV makers such as Sony, Panasonic, and LG, among others, each premiered new 3-D televisions at CES. Despite manufacturers' enthusiasm, however, some are skeptical that the technology will be widely adopted, at least in the near-term, given the need for goofy glasses and the current dearth of 3-D programming.
Paul Sakuma / AP Photo
Last summer, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer unveiled an extraordinary add-on to the company's Xbox gaming system, dubbed "Project Natal." Using a set of sensors, Project Natal will allow users to play games using only gestures and voice commands. (And unlike Nintendo's Wii, Natal will not require a controller, which will allow its wildly gesticulating gamers to look ridiculous completely hands-free.) At CES last night, Microsoft finally dropped the big news for gamers: Project Natal is officially scheduled for release in the holiday season of 2010.
Courtesy of Microsoft
Finally, an e-reader for tough guys. Skiff LLC, a startup incubated by publishing company Hearst, has introduced a new electronic reader that the firm calls the most durable on the market, boasting a display that’s based on stainless-steel foil instead of glass. The Skiff Reader’s enormous 11.5-inch touchscreen makes it an attractive option for subway warriors who want to read newspapers or magazines, and its relationship to the Hearst media empire means that some 53 newspapers will be available over Sprint's wireless 3G network.
Courtesy of Skiff
If you like video-chatting with grandma but feel like you’re talking to a Rothko painting for all the blur and pixilation, wait until you get your hands on Skype's new high-definition software. The Internet chat company, whose pioneering VOIP software was a game-changer for long-distance calling, is upping the clarity and convenience of its technology, bringing HD video calling into consumers' living rooms via LG and Panasonic HDTVs embedded with Skype’s software. Soon Skype users will be able to chat with loved ones and business partners around the world in 720p HD-quality video—which is pretty close to crystal, in case you're wondering.
With speculation running high that Apple is on the verge of announcing a multimedia tablet computer or "slate," rumor had it that Microsoft hoped to steal Steve Jobs' thunder with its own take on a flat computer at CES. While Microsoft showed off a new Windows 7 tablet from HP during its presentation Wednesday night, the device was a far cry from what many tech geeks had hoped to see: the secret tablet project code-named "Courier" that was depicted in stunning photos and video last fall.
Over the past year, the Web has been abuzz over Boxee’s downloadable software: Connect your computer to your television, and Boxee lets you stream free Internet video into a sleek interface on your TV. Now, thanks to the Boxee Box, borne of a partnership with hardware company D-Link, you won’t even need a computer. Just plug this strangely shaped piece of equipment into your television and achieve near-total video interconnectivity between your TV and the Internet—and cancel your cable service—all for under $200.
Courtesy of Boxee
Not only does the coming plug-in Chevy Volt promise to jump-start the American electric-car market, now special smartphone apps designed by the car maker will allow Volt owners to wirelessly access real-time data about their cars on their iPhone, BlackBerry, or Android phone. Drivers will be able to check the battery level, the car’s range on its current charge, and data about their past trips. The app will even let drivers turn on the car remotely, and schedule charging times to take advantage of off-peak electricity rates. It can’t make it fly—yet. Maybe next decade.
Look, sir—droids! AT&T announced it will join the nation's other big wireless carriers in selling phones that run Google's smartphone software, Android, in the first half of this year. It's another win in the mobile space for Google, which just on Tuesday announced its own Android phone, the Nexus One. First up from AT&T will be five new devices manufactured by Dell, HTC, and Motorola; one of these phones, the Dell Mini 3, is a touchscreen smartphone that's presently only available in Brazil and China.
Courtesy of Dell
