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

  Filed under: Audio/Video, Cameras, Video Games, MySpace, YouTube, CES 2008The new Sony mylo personal portable communicator recently debuted with a host of new features, added functionality, and redesigned form factor. Specifically designed for the texting teenager (AIM, GoogleTalk, and Yahoo Messenger), the new mylo is also set up for social networking sites like Facebook, MySpace, and Friendster as well as direct uploads to content sites like YouTube and other Adobe Flash based websites. The QWERTY keyboard is revealed when you slide the 3.5 inch touchscreen up and you are connected via open Wi-Fi 802.11/b and /g networks (and for those who purchase soon Wayport hotspots in 9,000 McDonalds will be free until 2010).The mylo communicator also features a 1.3 megapixel (MP) camera along with on-board photo editing capabilities so that your profile picture looks just right for Facebook. And like the new PlayStation Portable, the mylo also comes with Skype installed for free calls to your friends.When you're not around a Wi-Fi hotspot you can listen to music on the mylo's 1 GB internal memory orthe Memory Stick Duo (up to 8 GB) as well as play the pre-loaded and downloadable Flash based games.The Sony mylo will be out this month and available for $300 from SonyStyle.com and stores nationwide. %Gallery-12966% Related Links:Samsung BlackJack II Unveiled -- a Serious iPhone Killer? New T-Mobile Sidekick LX and Sidekick Slide Read | Read | Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

  Filed under: Audio/Video, TV, Home Audio, CES 2008Wondering whether to go with Blu-ray or HD-DVD? The decision is pretty clear, if the lightning fast drama and events over the past few days at CES are any indication.First, last Friday, Warner Bros. announced it was switching its exclusive deal for next-gen disc availability of its movies (everything from 'The Matrix' to 'Lord of the RIngs') from HD-DVD to Blu-ray. This was enough to get the pundits, speculators, and naysayers foaming at the mouth with pronouncements that Blu-ray could well have won the war of next-gen, HD-quality disc formats. Then, on Sunday, the HD-DVD group cancelled its CES press conference and event. Rather than spinning the Warner Bros. news with a smiling, confident face, the HD-DVD camp basically surrendered the public relations war, which leads us to believe that either it was totally caught off guard and suddenly had no press announcement at the 11th hour. It certainly was a tough position to be in, but at least Toshiba's VP of DVD marketing, Jody Sally kept a strong front by saying "HD-DVD is not dead," at a press conference on Sunday. (Toshiba was one of the major investors behind the HD-DVD format.) Not a bad strategy considering that company just released some hot new Qosmio laptops with the world's first rewriteable HD-DVD drive, among other features.Still, the rumors have kept on flying, from naysayings by 'Transformers' director Michael Bay to word that Target may soon start selling only Blu-ray discs.Now the Financial Times is saying that Paramount may be bowing out of its commitments to HD-DVD, which makes it the last major studio to move over to the other side. Until this latest news broke, early pronouncements of HD-DVD's demise may have seemed a bit premature, but now all those early naysayers seem to have been right on the money.Yesterday, we took images of the adjoining booths on the show floor. As you can see, the Blu-ray booth was flooded with visitors, while the HD-DVD booth was relatively sleepy (giving its workers time to work on their resumes, no doubt).So, what does this mean for you? Well, if you recently bought (or received) one of those $199 HD-DVD players that were for sale everywhere, don't worry -- you have, in effect, a fine DVD player that will upscale regular DVDs to quasi-HDTV quality.If you're in the market for one of these players to show off the HD capabilities of your new TV, then it's safe to say that Blu-ray is the way to go. Plenty of new Blu-ray players (and drives and PCs) are on display at the show, and it's even rumored that Apple will announce Blu-ray drives at next week's MacWorld Expo. And for existing owners of Blu-ray players, there's even more good news: This year some of those much touted online elements, such as Blu-ray Live, which let you download information on a movie from the Web or even play games with others over the Internet, will finally make their way onto Blu-ray discs later this year (or so says the Blu-ray disc camp).So it seems like the battle of next-gen discs has been won by Blu-ray, but the war between the different HD-content distribution camps is far from over. In fact, it didn't look like Bill Gates, whose Microsoft was also a big supporter of HD-DVD, was phased in the least bit the other night at his last CES keynote. In fact, Gates focused on digital distribution (over the Internet) of SD and HD content from even more content partners (Showtime, ABC). In other words, he's probably thanking his lucky stars that Microsoft hedged its bets and offered HD-DVD as a separate drive for the Xbox 360 rather than built-in.Regardless, over the last few days, HD-DVD's star has fallen about as quickly as a certain Democrat's presidential campaign, making us want to call HD-DVD the Hillary Clinton of optical disc formats (or is Hillary Clinton the HD-DVD of presidential candidates?).Let's just hope that nobody from the HD-DVD camp jumps out of a window, because what happened to that team over the past few days was extremely harsh and sudden, the stuff of a prime-time soap, if prime-time soaps actually bothered themselves with dorky topics like movie disc formats. Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

  Filed under: Audio/Video, Computers, TV, Home Video, CES 2008Today at CES, Comcast CEO Brian L. Roberts announced a bevy of new services and technologies for the cable giant's customers. The signature development Roberts touted is the launch today of Fancast, a Web site that that translates cable television services to the PC. Under the new service, consumers will be able to search for content from most major networks and a plethora of video sources, with the option to view the selected items on TV, the computer or DVD. In addition, Fancast offers remote DVR recording capability, meaning consumers can direct their television to record shows from a PC or handheld device. In the future, Comcast plans to enable access to the Web site through the customer's television set.An equally important announcement to the Fancast debut is the coming availability of the DOCSIS 3.0 modem connection technology, the next generation successor to broadband. Wideband, as Comcast has termed it, transmits at 100 Megabytes per second (Mbps), roughly fifty times the speed currently available, with the potential to reach 160 Mbps. While current cable connections typically run around 5 Mbps, fiber optic systems like Verizon's FiOS boast 100 Mbps capability. In one fell swoop, Comcast aims to blow other cable companies out of the water and offer Verizon stiff competition. To give some perspective, customers with wideband service could download a feature-length film in HD in an impressive four minutes, compared to the six hours it would require to download HD films using a DSL connection. Roberts signaled that Comcast's intention is to offer wideband to consumers this year. Other notable pronouncements include the advent of a Java-based open cable platform called tru2way. Open to all two-way cable services, tru2way will eliminate the need for cable set top boxes and is open to third party innovation. The tru2way system will enable users to control media through computer, cable or handheld devices. In addition, Comcast partnered with Panasonic tounveil the AnyPlay, the first portable DVD/DVR device equipped with tru2way technology that can recall all Comcast content. Customers simply attach the piece, record desired material and detach for mobile viewing. Furthermore, Roberts stated that Comcast plans to offer 1,000 HD screening choices by the end of 2008 for its cable subscribers. Additionally, a new architectural structure for its cable system called Project Infinite will make putting up 6,000 movies, with 3,000 of them in HD, possible. The development of Infinite means that Comcast will deliver any conceivable video from any type of business model, whether free, by subscription, etc. Finally, Roberts received help from comedian Dennis Miller in releasing the Smart Zone communications center, a service that allows customers to check E-mail and voicemail from a PC. Related Links:Comcast Cable Sued Over Bandwidth "Throttling" Comcast Admits it Crippled Internet Traffic Verizon FiOS Boosts Internet Upload Speed -- For a Price  Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

  Filed under: Audio/Video, Cell Phones, iPod, CES 2008The world is going wireless. Whether it's Wi-Fi or WiMax, or Bluetooth, wires are going the way of Britney Spear's career. ArtDio, after dabbling in wireless audio last year, has embraced this trend whole-heartedly, adding a trio of Bluetooth-enabled speaker sets to its line up.The BT-132 is a portable stereo Bluetooth set up that can be powered by either 4 AA batteries or an AC adapter. The 132 also includes a built-in microphone so that when a call comes in on your paired mobile phone, the music stops, allowing you to use the BT-132 as a speaker phone. This whole package will come in at around $70.For only $10 more the BT-328 builds on features of the 132 by beefing up the sound with a subwoofer and larger speakers. The 328 also features a very cool rounded design with a wrap-around speaker grill. The 328 isn't quite as portable, though, and lacks a battery bay (so it must always be plugged in). The BT-326 is another $10 bump over the 328, and adds an LCD alarm clock and an FM radio. Unfortunately it lacks the sleek styling of many of ArtDio's other speaker systems.%Gallery-13065%Related links:Netgear's "All Access Home": What it is, and Why You Should CareWestinghouse Takes HD WirelessDo Bluetooth Earphones Make You Look Like a Jerk? Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

  Filed under: Computers, CES 2008Last June, Microsoft chairman and head geek Bill Gates announced he was going to start taking a somewhat less involved role at Microsoft, the company he grew from a simple partnership with Paul Allen into a global computing powerhouse. He's set to step down most of his Microsoft day-to-day work in June of this year to become a full-time philanthropist, and Engadget's Ryan Block snagged an interview with him to discuss the move.Much of the interview focused on last year's Steve Jobs vs. Bill Gates interview in which the two industry moguls surprised many by being very jovial and affectionate towards each other. In this new interview Gates backed that up, saying: "I am very sincere that Steve has unique skills that I just don't have at all and it's been phenomenal to see how he has been able to make a difference with what he's done."However, the main focus was on Gates' big upcoming transition from cut-throat businessman to globe-healing philanthropist. His Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation was recently given a huge injection of cash from investment baron Warren Buffett, and with billions of dollars in cash to spend, Gates hopes to help improve the lifespans and overall health of the poorest people in the world, delivering modern health care to those without.So, best wishes to you, Bill. You may be of nearly retiring age now, but we'll always think of you as a dreamy youth sprawled on a wooden desk full of computers. From EngadgetRelated Links: Jobs Vs. Gates: The Aftermath Jobs Vs. Gates: Prepare Your Battle Stations! Microsoft Unveils Surface Tabletop Computer  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: Computers, CES 2008Need a heavyweight Mac to do some serious computing in a stylish form factor? The Mac Pro has always been the go-to box for just that purpose, and now it's even faster, offering two 3.2-gigaherz quad-core CPUs from Intel. And, with four slots for hard disks, you can configure up to a whopping four terabytes of storage, as well as up to 32 gigabytes of RAM.When using the right applications, users of the new Mac Pro could find upwards of twice the performance of the last generation, thanks to the quad-core CPUs, which in some cases can do many times the work of a traditional CPU or even multi-core CPUs. Graphics and 3-D rendering applications in particular should see a serious improvement with this new beast.The new Pro is available today starting at $2,799 if you want two CPUs, or $2,299 if you can get by with one. But you should know this: If you configure it to the max and with the fastest chips and the most memory, you'll be looking at a figure closer just shy of $20,000. Yes, that's the right number of zeros.So, maybe you can get by with that iMac for awhile longer after all, but if you have the bank, check out the Apple Store to configure your own. Related Links: Fastest PC Notebook...Is a Mac? Is This the Ultra-Portable Apple MacBook? Nah. MacBook Pro dipped in gold  Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

  Filed under: Audio/Video, Cell Phones, Computers, Editor's Picks, iPod, TV, Slideshows, iPhone, CES 2008 Sure, iPods are cool, but they're just not the status symbol they once were, and there's nothing cool about having sleekest slimmest laptop on the market if everyone else has one, too. Companies are realizing this and know that people, especially fiercely independent Americans, have a need to be different. So, as a way to make their products stand out (and their customers feel a little more unique), consumer electronics producers have taken to decorating many of their goods with graffiti and modern-art inspired graphics, intricate etchings, vaguely Japanese designs, and yes, even leather.We wandered around CES and snapped pictures of some of the coolest examples of decorative electronics and customization options available to try and make you the consumer feel a little less like just part of the herd. %Gallery-13039%Related links:Ladybug Speakers Ready to Shred With iPods and Skateboarders Zune Originals 8-Gigabyte (GB) Customize Your YouTube Player to You  Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

  Filed under: Audio/Video, iPod, iPhone, CES 2008For that annoying, crackly interference noise many iPhone users hear when docking into standard iPod speaker dock system, Altec Lansing has figured out a solution: The new "Works with iPhone" T612 speaker system builds upon the audio prowess of the M602 powered audio system for iPods, while adding GSM (Global System forMobilecommunications, or cellular network that AT&T runs on) shielding to its speakers. We'll have to see just how well this works when we get some hands on, but the system is said to eliminate buzzing and cracking speakers when calls or text messages come in to your snazzy iPhone.But this iPhone speaker dock is even smarter: When a phone calls come in, the T612 pauses your music during your phone conversation and then automatically begins playing where you left off when you re-dock the iPhone.The T612 will be out this February for the reasonable price of $199.95 from Apple retailers and AltecLansing.com. Read | Read | Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

  Filed under: Audio/Video, Cell Phones, Video Games, CES 2008 The new generation of the Sony Playstation Portable (PSP-2000) is now being bundled with Skype. For those of you not included in the 246 million users of Skype it is a Voice-Over-Internet-Protocol (VoiP) service that allows users to call one another free of charge or call to land lines worldwide for a nominal fee using your computer (or in this case PSP) and its internet or Wi-Fi connection. This means that not only can users of the PSP play games, watch movies, listen to music, surf the Internet, and view photos, but also receive and place calls free of charge to other Skype users and stay connected to other friends as well via the SkypeOut option. And for those of you whom have grown fond of your original PSP the Skype service will be able via a firmware update in late January. (Thanks, Sony, for taking care of these folks.)Related links:Sony OLED-TV Out This Month in the U.S. (Rolly Later This Year)American Airlines and JetBlue to Offer In-Flight Wi-FiLogitech QuickCam Pro 9000 HD Webcam  Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

  Filed under: Audio/Video, Cameras, Switched Video, CES 2008 When Casio showed of its forthcoming EX-F1 camera during it's Sunday afternoon CES press conference it blew the entire room away. What started out as pretty dry and, to be honest, dull event soon was drawing oohs and ahhs from the assembled cynical press. After the conference Bill Hoyer of Casio was kind enough to have a chat with us about why the F1 was so special and gave us a little hands on time with the worlds fastest burst shooting digital camera. Check out the video above for some drool worthy visuals. This bad boy should be available in spring for around $1,000. And considering no camera can do 6.1 megapixel shots at 60 frames per second, and only cameras costing tens of thousands of dollars can capture those 600 and 1200 frame a second videos, $1,000 seems like quite the steal. Related links: Casio's Latest Point-and-Shoot Digital Cameras New Awe-Inspiring Wrap-Around Display Gives You 180-Degree View Philips Wants to Get In Touch With its Feminine Side  Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

  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 Inches Hype Check: Sansa Connect Nokia Working with Competition on Memory Card Standard  Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments