Filed under: Audio/Video, Car Tech, Computers, CES 2008There may be a 150-inch plasma TV on the show floor but some of the brightest stars were just outside the convention center at the Consumer Electronics Show Monday, where Yoko Ono was joined by Natasha Bedingfield, the Black Eyed Peas' will.i.am, and Pat Monahan of Train to announce a brand-new audio and video technology-laden John Lennon Educational Tour Bus.The bus' mission is to drive all across North America to provide students with hands-on opportunities to make music, produce videos and shoot digital photos in one of the most advanced mobile production studios around.The presentation started off with a serenade from Bedingfield (her hit "Unwritten") and was followed by comments from will.i.am and of course Ono, who said, plainly, that "music is light and we use it to banish darkness."The Lennon Bus program was started by two music industry vets, Brian Rothschild and music manager David Sonnenberg (who has shepherded talent from the likes of Meatloaf and the Black Eyed Peas, among many others) to combat the real lack of music education and opportunities for students to get hands-on music production and performance know-how. Major support comes from Maxell, Roland, Sony and Apple.will.i.am pointed out that two Black Eyed Peas hits were actually recorded on board the previous incarnation of the bus. He also likened the bus to the bookmobile that used to come around his East Los Angeles neighborhood when he was a kid -- but with a big difference. "This bus is like the bookmobile on crack."Indeed.From John Lennon Educational Tour Bus.%Gallery-12948% Related links:Singer Rises to Stardom Through MySpace and iTunes50 Cent Says It's Okay for Kids to Steal Music  Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

  Filed under: Audio/Video, Cameras, CES 2008 Let the memory wars begin anew. SanDisk and Panasonic unveiled some impressive advancements in memory cards at the kickoff of the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Memory card maker SanDisk has attempted to make it easier for users with High Definition camcorders to choose the memory card for their needs by listing the actual recording time capabilities of each different size Video HD card. The largest, and thus most sought, is the 120 minute or 8 GB Video HD card that comes with the class 4 rating which translates into super-fast transfer speeds for those data intense HD recordings.Panasonic decided to bypass the HD branding of its card and, instead, produced a world's first 32 GB SDHC (Secure Digital High Capacity) card. Also ideal for HD camcorders the card can be used with any other SDHC designated devices and features a class 6 label which puts its data transfer speed at the enviable 20MB/sec mark. The SanDisk 8 GB Video HD card will be available this March at the MSRP of $139.99 whereas the Panasonic 32 GB SDHC card does not have a pricing or release date yet.From Panasonic and SanDisk.Related links: World's Largest TV Measures 150 InchesHype Check: Sansa ConnectNokia Working with Competition on Memory Card Standard Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

  Filed under: Computers, Switched Video, CES 2008 WowWee's Rovio is on the move. Check our video of this Wi-Fi-enabled robotic webcam. It streams audio in addition to video and gives users remote control from any Web-connected gadget, such as a computer or even a cell phone. Whether you want to know what's shaking with the fam when you're away or simply solve the mystery of which dog has been peeing on the carpet, you need look no further than Rovio for help. Look for a Fall debut on store shelves for $299 a pop. Related Links:Logitech QuickCam Pro 9000 HD Webcam Robot Dog Listens to Your iPod, Dances and Seeks Attention AIBO Robotic-Dog Coming Back in 2008! Maybe.  Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

  Filed under: Audio/Video, Portable Audio, CES 2008As with everything in life, there's good news and there's bad news. The good news is that we've found some headphones that will keep you, your hearing and your social life safe when using them. We stumbled across The Air Drives Interactive Earphones in the sea of gadgetry and tricky tech publicists at this year's CES in Las Vegas. To be honest, at first we were just humoring the friendly Air Drives fella peddling his product, but when we slipped them on and pressed play we were instantly sold. The unique earphones went on Bluetooth style, with the speakers basically hovering outside the ears. When the jolly man played the music, the strangest thing happened: We felt like the music was being piped in from a PA system rather than being blasted inside our head, as with most earphones. Then, the Air Drives rep started talking, and we could hear both him and the music easily and clearly! It turns out that wearing these earphones doesn't mean you have to miss the phone ringing or risk getting flattened by cars you couldn't hear while out jogging to some music. Even more importantly, never again will you have to do that extra loud and obnoxious "Huh?!" thing when people talk to you.Also, taking advantage of the Air Drive innovation's InAir Technology (We'd explain, but it's not bedtime yet.) allows you to listen to music any way you wish without offering your ears as sacrifice to the gods. In fact, the headphones are so safe, they exceed the House Ear Institute and Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) standards for all day listening and have earned a hearty endorsement from the International Association for the Hearing Challenged (IAHC). Now for the bad news... The days of living in your own music world while the soundtrack to your life haughtily mutes the people around you just may be over. Sorry, but no more convenient excuses about not being able to hear the annoying request by your spouse, mother or father. But hey, it just might be worth it. You decide, but make sure you check out the gallery below for shots of the Air Drives in action first. %Gallery-12929%Related Links:Do Bluetooth Earphones Make You Look Like a Jerk? The Best Headphones for the Gym  Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

  Filed under: Audio/Video, iPod, iPhone, Portable Audio, CES 2008The Monster Cable press session at the Consumer Electronics Showcase started out bizarre enough: head monster Noel Lee cruised up on his Segway scooter, talked to the audience about HDMI and cables and all things monster.But then he asked Dr. Dre and Interscope Chairman Jimmy Iovine to come up, as they had a little surprise. They presented us with a set of new headphones called "Beats". These powered isolation (meaning they drown out outside noise) skull cans were designed according to Dre's notoriously stringent quality standards, and Monster is claiming unprecedented sound performance (we'll let you know more about that soon as we have an appointment for a hands-on with the Beats).The headphones also look pretty nice, so we fully expect them to become street bling in no time. They are even iPhone compatible, a feature we assume will become a default feature for headphones and earphones this year.%Gallery-12935%Related Links:Best Headphones for the Gym Audio-Technica QuietPoint Active Noise-Canceling Headphone Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

  Filed under: CES 2008We're a society obsessed with information. We're constantly connected through instant messaging, e-mail, text messaging, Blackberries, we even have Internet access on our cell phones. As great as all these things are at making sure we have a world of knowledge at our fingertips 24/7, they still require us to turn on our devices and find the information we seek. Its never just there ... waiting for us. Sometimes, we just want the score without turning on the TV, getting on the computer, or flipping open our cell phone.A new generation of electronics is putting information at your disposal any time, all the time. One of the pioneers of this category of device is Ambient Devices, a company that was created to bring technologies developed at MIT's Media Lab to the masses.At CES, Ambient Devices showed off its new Ambient Baseball Scorecast device. The Scorecast pulls in scores, standings, and schedules over a proprietary network (no Internet or cell access required). Just pop in 4 AA batteries (which should last an entire season according to Ambient) and it will pull in scores immediately. No subscription fee, no Wi-Fi, nothing. And the Scorecast is always up to date. Updates are pushed out to the devices every half inning, so you can check in throughout the night without turning on the TV or walking away from a meal on the stove.The Ambient Baseball Scorecast will be landing in retail outlets across the country in April for $124.99Related links:'Mobile-Pedestrian-Handheld' TV to Give You Digital TV Anywhere You GoThe Internet UmbrellaThe Ridiculous LG HDTV Refrigerator Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

  Filed under: Cell Phones, CES 2008Sometimes you just don't want to take that call coming in over your mobile phone. You search for the button to silence the ring, fumbling for a few seconds while annoying the guy sitting next to you. Wouldn't you rather look as cool as we know you are, and just wave your hand over the top of your phone to silence it, Donald Trump-style?Yes, we would, too. Sony Ericsson has just that mobile phone now, introduced here at the Consumer Electronics Show. The Sony Ericsson Z555 has a feature called "gesture control", which allows you to silence a phone call or alarm with a simple wave of your hand over the front of the device.The phone's aesthetics are also pretty cool. It has a diamond-inspired finish and comes in "Dusted Rose" and "Diamond Black".The phone has a 1.3 megapixel camera, media player with audio book support, and utilizes Tri-Band Edge and Bluetooth for connectivity. It also includes an FM tuner if you want to listen to the radio.Look for this phone to be available within the first quarter of this year.From Sony Ericsson. Related links:Top 11 Cell Phones for LadiesFive Gadgets for LeftiesCell Phones to Get Universal Chargers Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

  Filed under: Computers, CES 2008Sometimes you just need a simple accessory for your laptop. Nothing big. Nothing fancy. Nothing overpriced. That's why we like this notebook cooler from Swissgear, which the company introduced here at CES last night. This cooling mat for 14-to-17-inch notebook computers has two built-in fans and an exhaust system that prevents overheating and keeps your thighs from getting hot, too, if you happen to have your machine sitting on your lap.It comes in black and pink and has a slick Swiss Army type design scheme. We like the 19-ounce light weight, the non-skid rubber tear drops, and the whole tray expands and contracts to your computer's depth and width. A USB cable draws power from the computer and slips into a storage compartment when not in use.Price is $34.99 and should hit store shelves soon.It's nice when design and function come together in a product like this. We're keeping our eyes and ears open formore great accessories as we prowl the show floor here in Las Vegas.From Swissgear by Wenger. Related links: Thwart Laptop Thieves With a ... Sticker?A Computer Mouse You Can Bathe WithPuma Releases Stylish, Cheap Laptop Bags Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

  Filed under: Audio/Video, Computers, Video Games, Green Tech, CES 2008Well we've certainly never seen anything quite like this. Alienware unveiled a new curved DLP gaming monitor as part of the pre-CES festivities, saying it will make gaming more immersive. We've heard claims like this before from companies making 3D displays, VR goggles, and sub woofer-packed chairs, but they've all kind of left us thinking "seriously?"But Alienware's new display is quite impressive. The 42.4 inch diagonal screen curves to provide a 90-degree field of view, meaning that at a close enough range only the outer reaches of your peripheral vision will be seeing anything other than pure gaming craziness. The screen provides a 3.2:1 ratio, significantly wider than your standard 16:9 HDTV. It also sports a response time of .02 milliseconds (most top of the line LCDs have a response time of 2 milliseconds), meaning visual artifacts and blurring will be a thing of the past.The monitor is based on DLP technology, which powers many rear-projection HDTVs, but this one uses an LED backlight to keep power consumption low and brightness high. The display should be available in the second half of '08 at a currently undisclosed price.Related links:Philps' New Dream TV Makes Speakers DisappearSony OLED TV Out This Month in U.S.Lame Photos of Computer Screens Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

  Filed under: Audio/Video, TV, CES 2008Sure it's a cocky move to name one of your products the "ultimate Dream" anything, but at least Philips has the goods to back it up. Their new television, part of their 7000 series of the new Philips Design Collection of televisions, is all about looks and style for those people who don't want just another black box in their living rooms.In addition to the standard features you'd expect from a top of the line TV (1080p, ports galore, and several fancy sounding image enhancement technologies) the Ultimate Dream TV incorporates a 2.1 sound system (that means stereo speakers and a sub woofer) that are entirely invisible. No bars on the sides, or one on the bottom of the screen, no hidden speaker grills, no a single piece of evidence in sight that this thing can produce sound at all. In fact it's a little shocking when you hear noise come out of the thing. Check out the gallery for some images of this sound producing, speakerless wonder.%Gallery-12870%Related links:Philips Gets In Touch With Its Feminine SidePioneer Unveils Super Thin, High Contrast Plasma TVsSony OLED-TV Out This Month in the U.S. (Rolly Later This Year) Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

  Filed under: Audio/Video, iPod, CES 2008Sure Rhapsody isn't iTunes, but the online music store/serviceis still a massively popular source for digital music, and it has a rather impressive catalog available to purchase or "rent" (via subscription). Yesterday, at CES, Matt Rowlen, Vice President of Real Networks, joined the head of the new Philips Consumer Lifestyle division, Andrea Ragnetti, on stage at a press conference to announce that Rhapsody downloads and steamed media would be made available on Phlips GoGear MP3 players and Streamium home audio devices (pictured above).Users will be able to browse and download from the Rhapsody subscription based catalog via Wi-Fi. Take that Zune and iPod!Related Links:TiVo Adding Rhapsody Music ServicePhilips Gets In Touch With Its Feminine Side Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

  Filed under: Switched Video, CES 2008The 2008 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) officially opens today, though we and thousands of other journalists have been here since late last week, checking out early previews of the latest gizmos and interviewing folks such as Gary Shapiro, who heads up this massive annual gathering of all things gadget (see above). Check out our brief video interview with Gary, and come back for more, as Switched will be posting new videos from the show floor throughout each day this week (and next).Find more Switched CES 2008 coverage here. Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

  Filed under: Audio/Video, Home Audio, CES 2008Pioneer is going the way of Jules Verne as it journeys to the center of the earth to develop speaker technology. While yesterdays press conference at CES already had us chomping at the bit over future plasma flat screen technology, we've got to give props to Pioneer's R & D people for using volcanic rock as the material for a key component of its speakers. Constructing the new speakers utilizes basalt technology in a process that involves polarizing the rock (to identify the correct volcanic minerals to use) and melting it at 2500 degrees. The resulting fibers are drawn and woven into fabric for a cone, which is the circular piece that houses the speakers and transmits sound. "Whoa," Keanu Reeves would say if he knew about the procedure.There are distinct advantages to using basalt rock, as it makes the volcanic speaker material both light and stiff (easy to carry, but not susceptible to bass-induced rattle). The demand for speakers that are not too heavy but stand up to the music booming is understandable and now attainable. Our only advice besides suggesting you look into these speakers is this: Just because Pioneer went and got all 'Joe Versus the Volcano' doesn't mean you should... %Gallery-12891%Related Links:Lady Bug Speakers Ready to Shred With iPods and SkateboardersThis 17,000 Watt Car Stereo Turns Car Into Jell-OEpson's Home-Theater-In-a-Box Comes With 100-Inch Screen, Projector Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

  Filed under: Audio/Video, Cell Phones, Computers, Celebrities, Windows Software, Handheld Devices, desktops, Cellphone, CES 2008Waiting for Microsoft founder Bill Gates to arrive at the Venetian Hotel in Las Vegas for his final CES keynote address last night was like expecting a rock star Mr. Rogers to parachute in from the sky to greet us mere mortals. Members of the press and electronics industry insiders began lining up in droves hours before the event's appointed start time, creating snaking lines of readers, thinkers, dozers, gabbers and moaners from the assemblage. A palpable sense of anxious expectation permeated the air, carrying the persistent thought, "What is he going to say?" from person to person via emotional osmosis. Or maybe that thought was actually more like, "This is nuts. The presidential candidates only dream of this kind of attention, and here we are," as if we wanted to tell ourselves, "You have no power over me, you have no power over me," like Jennifer Connelly did in the fantastic movie 'Labyrinth.' We, the technology tsar's press corps, were finally herded into the Venetian's enormous ballroom, where we... waited. For an hour. When the moment of truth eventually came, there were no lions or fireworks, just good old William starting off his talk with a hilarious video of his last day at work - one which he begins by absentmindedly leaving his briefcase on top of the car (Bill Gates drives a Ford Focus?!) and ends in the same fashion, nothing left of his legacy except a box of spilt office supplies strewn across the Microsoft campus and Bill none the wiser. During his last full day of "work," he looks toward the future, begging various celebrities like Bono from U2 and the Daily Show's Jon Stewart for a role in their respective gigs.Of course, Mr. Gates touched on Microsoft's achievements, the success of Windows Live and the popularity of Vista (no... seriously). He disclosed the big news of the night, the various deals Microsoft has secured for delivering more SD and HD content over the Internet on Xbox Live from media giants such as ABC, Disney, Showtime, and MGM, and a partnership to deliver 3,000 hours of internet-accessible footage from the 2008 Olympics with NBC Universal's MSN. What this means essentially is the Bill Gates is okay with HD-DVD's inevitable demise and is gearing up for the eventual decline of Blu-ray, since Microsoft wants to be at the head of the eventual HD downloading revolution.The discussion of future Microsoft technologies, however, kept everyone's inner circus lover at the most attention. Interconnecting and personalizing applications was a big theme, as well as developing natural user interface with touch, gesture and voice commands. He illustrated his vision by showing us (again) innovations like Microsoft Surface - essentially a PC with camera software and touch screen technology to change forever mundane activities like shopping and design. The Zune was not lost in the shuffle, as the new music social networking application called (what else?) Zune Social made an appearance. Gates even rolled out a true prototype from the lab, a visual recognition device eventually meant for cellular phones that recognizes people and places, and uses the information to integrate things like internet purchases, restaurant reservations and GPS technology options into one platform.Ever the showman, Bill Gates had to end the night with laughs. Although he and the President of Microsoft's Entertainment and Devices Division, Robbie Bach, strapped on Xbox guitars to settlea debt by way of a 'Guitar Hero' matchup, it was just pretend, it turns out. Instead, ex-Guns N' Roses guitarist Slash and a hot gaming champion faced off on stage, sparing everyone the embarrassment of watching Gates try to play. While Gates had supposedly owed Bach money before the bet, Slash ensured that Gates walked away into the night $20 richer. If you want more details, you can read over the Engadget live blog here, watch the full video of the Gates keynote here. Or, check out our very own Switched slide gallery from the keynote below.%Gallery-12902%Related Links:Bill Gates and Martha Stewart Say Tech is Important (Duh!) Peeved Bill Gates Says Everyone Copies Microsoft Bill Gates, 2nd-Most Desirable Man in China  Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments