Filed under: Computers, Green Tech, CES 2008The fact that Intel has started using a 45-nanometer manufacturing process may not mean much to you. In fact there's a chance you're staring at your computer screen right now, head titled, with a perplexed look on your face. But it's ok, we at Switched are here to help clear up what the new processors mean for you.45 nanometers refers to the smallest possible features a processor can have. This is made possible by a new manufacturing technique. By comparison, the human hair can be as thick as 181 micrometers, or about 4000 times larger than the smallest features on the new Intel processors. Intel also introduced new a new transistor technology called high-k which reduces the amount of leakage, or wasted electricity. This new technology has been applied to processors across the Intel lineup, from laptop chips, to servers, to the company's new Menlow processors (pictured above) for tiny Ultra Mobile PCs (UMPC) and Mobile Internet Devices (MID).So what exactly does this mean for you, the consumer? It means faster, smaller, cooler computers that use less energy. Laptops that you can actually use in your lap because they no longer get hot enough to cook an egg on, MIDs that will approach the iPhone in size, and computers so fast that most current games won't put a strain on them are all on their way. Intel started shipping processors based on the new manufacturing process back in November, but many companies waited until this week's Consumer Electronics Showcase to unveil products based on them. The bottom line is that this new technology is good for the consumer, but bad for AMD, Intel's main rival.Related links:World's Tiniest ComputersGraffiti Splotched Gadgets All the Rage in 2008Apple's New Super Fast Mac Pro Costs Up to $20,000 Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

  Filed under: Audio/Video, CES 2008Binghamton, N.Y.-based McIntosh, maker of high-end home theater equipment for some truly demanding audio aficionados, is showing a $190,000 home theater system here at the Consumer Electronics Show -- a set up which they call, simply, "The Reference System." That $190,000 is just under the $240,000 national average for the cost of an entire home in the United States.Each tweeter (the speakers that produce higher frequencies) in this system has 110 drivers, for example. Spreading the sound output among so many gives a much sweeter tweeter, so to speak. But that's hard for a system to manage, and creates the need for some seriously complex (and expensive) components."It takes a lot of power to produce sound that gives you the same type of experience you'd have if you were in a concert hall," said McIntosh's James Ludoviconi. "Despitethis, the system itself is extremely quiet, so the only sound you hear is from the source content." Each 2,000-watt amp utilizes something called "quad-balancing" to eliminate the noise a powerful piece of equipment might otherwise make on its own. Quite a feat of engineering.Frankly, we were impressed just looking at the set up.Better get a bigger piggy bank.Related links: Volcanic Rock Makes Light and Durable Pioneer SpeakersJust Tell Me What to Get: Home TheaterEpson's Home-Theater-In-a-Box Comes with 100-Inch Screen, Projector Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

  Filed under: Car Tech, Green Tech, CES 2008General Motors Chairman and CEO Rich Wagoner used his keynote address at this year's CES in Las Vegas to outline his company's vision of the future of car technology. The presentation was the first ever by an automobile manufacturer at CES. The most significant item Wagoner touched upon was GM's answer to environmental concerns and the need for alternative sources of energy to power automobiles in the coming years. The answer, Wagoner declared, could be found in the 5th generation fuel cell concept vehicle that rolled out onto the stage with him, a sleek SUV called the Cadillac Provoq.The Provoq, an impressive looking silver specimen, relies on EFlex technology, using GM's latest generation of hydrogen fuel cells and an Advanced Lithium Ion Battery to power it. The result is a vehicle that can achieve top speeds of 100 miles per hour, go from 0 to 60 mph in 8.5 seconds, get 300 miles per tank of hydrogen and produces no emissions. In addition, the car comes complete with a solar panel on theroof to power accessories and a front grill with louvers that optimize the vehicle's aerodynamics.EFlex technology - that is, electronically driven cars that have flexible power-deriving capabilities, will function by charging from an electronic source, combining that with a small ethanol or diesel engine, or a hydrogen fuel cell. EFlex allows vehicles to drive up to 40 miles with a single charge from an electronic source. Since most commuters only drive within that range on a daily basis, the zero emission product is astounding. Should the car owner need to travel further, the engine generator uses the other flexible sources of power to allow the car to run at a ridiculous 150 miles per gallon! Until such cars are available, Wagoner pointed to the FlexFuel models that run on up to 85% ethanol, whose production GM will increase to 50% of all of its cars by 2012. The country will need to have more E85 fuel pumps, however, if the ethanol-based system is to be effective nationwide. Over the next four years, GM also plans to introduce 16 new hybrid models. Wagoner dished out another hint of the future when he discussed the potential for cars to drive themselves. He shared that GM recently won the DARPA competition, a challenge in which the Chevy Tahoe "Boss" navigated on its own a 60 mile course that simulated urban conditions in under six hours.OnStar, GM's telematics system, also had its share of developments. The 8th generation of OnStar will soon provide vital information to rescuers following a collision, such as what part of the car was hit and how hard, as well as whether it rolled over. Furthermore, OnStar will also feature Turn By Turn Navigation, a new directions service. Another service coming includes a partnership with MapQuest to add a "send to OnStar" function. Perhaps the most important OnStar upgrade, however, was the "stolen vehicle slowdown" feature, which will gradually decrease power to suspected stolen vehicles upon a request by law enforcement. GM also plans on introducing OnStar in China this year. Finally, Mr. Wagoner introduced V2V technology that will allow cars to communicate with each other in order to avoid collisions. Using transponders and GPS technology, one car will alert another behind it to a sudden stop, allowing the second car to automatically begin slowing down even if the driver is unaware of the situation. %Gallery-13237%Related Links:Smart Tires Tell You When They're About to BlowHonda Testing Clean Hydrogen Fuel Cell CarGM Prepping Electric Car for 2010 Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

  Filed under: Computers, Top Lists, Slideshows, CES 2008 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.Next >>Related Links: Wireless Portable PlanOn Printer Holds Paper Too Graffiti Splotched Gadgets All the Rage in 2008 OQO's Tiny PC Is First Computer On Sprint's New Wi-Max Network  Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

  Filed under: Audio/Video, Computers, Video Games, TV, Switched Video, CES 2008 There are big monitors. There are bright monitors. There are dual, even triple-monitor setups. But none are this: the wrap-around, curveddisplay from Alienware. This new monitor wraps around the viewer, immersing him (or her) in all the action, resulting in what feels like a complete 180-degree field of vision. Learn all about it in the video above, and see this thing in action.Related Links:The World's Biggest, Thinnest, and Weirdest TVsSwitched Video Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

  Filed under: Video Games, CES 2008Back before Atari and Nintendo, when kids had to use their darn imaginations to play a game of football (we say while holding our canes outstretched), there was a game called vibrating (or "electric") football. All you older kids will be glad (or horrified) to learn that a company called Excalibur is bringing back the electric, buzzing table-top game, complete with an NFL license.For you young'ns, electric football was originally created in 1947 when it was, clearly, one of the most high-tech games a kid could have. It was an electric game that consisted of a plug-in tin football field and a bunch of little football player figures. The vibration made the players move in all sorts of random directions, and the outstretched arms of the players made them "lock" in what we pretended was a tackle (though it looked more like a do-se-do). Yes, that's pretty much all it did. We got a chance to check it out at this year's Consumer Electronics Showcase and, yes, that's pretty much all it still does.But we don't care. Low tech? Sure. In a world of polygons, real-time shading, and online Madden games, this is an exciting, refreshing kick in the pants, and we're psyched to see it make a return. Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

  Filed under: Car Tech, Cell Phones, CES 2008 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.Related Links:The 'WiMax' Computer Revolution is Upon Us OQO's Tiny PC is First Computer on Sprint's WiMax Network Voice-Activated Voicebox GPS Likes How You Talk  Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

  Filed under: Audio/Video, iPod, CES 2008Asus isn't just in the market of making laptops and computer parts. Asus also makes an award winning line of Internet radios. At this year's CES, the company is showing off two new members of its AIR (Asus Internet Radio) family.The AIR 3 allows you to pull in radio streams over Wi-Fi from all around the globe, without a computer. The internal database of over 10,000 streams is updated regularly, weeding out those that have fallen silent and adding new ones as they go live. The AIR 3 also has a built in iPod dock, a USB port for playing tracks off of a Flash drive, as well as weather forecasting and stock tracking widgets. 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.Related Links:New Wireless Bluetooth Speakers Are Finally Affordable The 'WiMax' Revolution is Upon Us New LCD Monitor Withstands Hammers, Nails, Crossbow  Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

  Filed under: ComputersIf you've ever been through customs, you're probably well aware that the kind, uniformed agents can sift through your personal belongings as they please and ask you what you've been up to, where you're headed, and just what it is you're bringing back with you. Now, with more and more travelers taking their computers with them, it's becoming more and more clear that those custom agents can look through your digital files as well.There have been a number of cases tried, most of them involving agents who have found child pornography, and in general, agents have been shown to have the right to snoop wherever they look. There is one dissenting voice, however, a Federal Judge in Los Angeles who stated that "Electronic storage devices function as an extension of our own memory." But, his opinion was overruled in appeals, where judges opined that if the content on a machine was printed it would definitely be searchable. The waters surrounding this issue are still somewhat less than crystal clear, but it should be clear that if you plan on taking something questionable with you on your laptop as you travel abroad this summer, you should definitely think twice.From Techdirt and 'New York Times'Related Links: FAA Institutes New Bans on Laptop and Gadget Batteries on Planes American Airlines and JetBlue to Offer In-Flight Wi-Fi American, Lufthansa Adding In-Flight Wi-Fi  Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

  Filed under: Audio/Video, Computers, Video Games, CES 2008 '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.Related Links:Switched Reviews the Robot Guitar Slash Talks 'Guitar Hero II', 'Slash' (the Book), and Gadget Gifts Romantics Sue Makers of 'Guitar Hero' Over Excellent Cover Song  Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

  Filed under: Audio/Video, TV, Switched Video, Home Video, Televisions, CES 2008No, I'm really not that short. This TV is just that big. As we promised you last week, the world's largest TV from Panasonic measures in at 150-inches diagonal. Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

  Filed under: Audio/Video, TV, Slideshows, CES 2008 Every January in Las Vegas, the latest and greatest, thinnest, biggest, and weirdest new TVs make their debuts at the annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES). More than 150,000 people descend on the City of Sin to see what consumer electronics manufacturers have in store for the upcoming year. Switched has been roaming the floors of the Las Vegas Convention Center, looking at TV after TV after TV. The big story this year is super-slim TVs, some of which are literally almost paper thin. But as usual, we found some other superlatives. Check out our gallery for the latest, techiest, biggest, most expensive, cheapest, and weirdest TVs out there. Okay, so how mind-boggling is this 150-inch plasma TV from Panasonic? It's one of a kind, and we don't know how much it will cost when it hits stores, but we're sure you'll need a mighty big McMansion to get this in your living room. (That's Josh, by the way, who's 5'10". You can see a video of him being dwarfed by the TV here).Want to see even more more unusual TVs? Click next to see the thinnest, weirdest, wettest, and even roundest TVs coming to you in 2008. Next >> Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

  Filed under: Computers, Handheld Devices, CES 2008Yesterday, 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. Related Links:How to Print Your Own Halloween Mask Laser Printers As Bad For You As Cigarettes 3-D Printers Come Home  Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

  Filed under: Cell Phones, Computers, CES 2008Well the OQO wasn't alone for long. At a joint press conference with Sprint and Intel yesterday Asus announced that in 2008 it would be launching several laptops with WiMax capabilities, including an update of the popular sub-notebook the Eee PC, though adding WiMax requires using Windows XP instead of Linux.WiMax is the next generation wireless network technology championed by Intel. Sprint is building out its nationwide wireless broadband network based on the service called Xohm.In addition to the Eee PC, Asus will be adding WiMax to its Ferrari branded gaming notebook, the multimedia focused, sub woofer equipped M50, its R50A UMPC (Ultra Mobile PC), V1 business laptop, and F8 mainstream laptop.The laptops should all be available by mid year just in time for the commercial launch of Sprint's Xohm network, which Atish Gude (Senior VP of Mobile Broadband Operationsat Sprint) said should launch in late April early May. "This is the year WiMax becomes reality," he said. And judging by the partners jumping on the WiMax bandwagon he may be right.Related links:OQO's Tiny PC Is First Computer On Sprint's New Wi-Max NetworkT-Mobile Finally Getting High-Speed 3G?New Faster Cellular Internet Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments