CES 2008

The Baseball ScoreCast will be available in April for $125.

(Credit: Ambient Devices)

Like with its Weather Forecaster, you don't have to log onto the Internet or connect to Wi-Fi network in order to get information streamed to the Baseball Scorecast. The wireless transceiver is built into the unit and the device automatically receives information (after a short startup process) once you drop in 4 "AA" batteries.

According the Ambient, "Baseball ScoreCast eliminates the wait for updates on TV or radio, or with Internet-based options that suffer from subscription fees, slow connections, or repetitive navigation. For added utility, ScoreCast also features a clock with always-accurate network time."

The only major downside to the ScoreCast is that it's somewhat expensive at $125. Also, while Ambient's InfoCast Network covers over 90% of US households, if you live in the boonies, you probably won't be covered. (You can check to see if your location is covered by visiting map.myambient.com).

The press release notes that the "ScoreCast data updates every half-inning, and includes extra innings. The device also provides current standings for every team, including wins, losses, and home and away records. Schedule information also indicates starting pitchers. Users can independently select team and division information to anticipate daily matchups. The ScoreCast is 8.15 x 4.9 x 1.1 and includes a kickstand for table or desktop use."

The Ambient Baseball ScoreCast has a SRP of $124.99 and will be available from national retailers in April 2008.

Among the many issues slowing down wider adoption of home theater PCs, the clunky input devices have been particularly troublesome. No more. Logitech's diNovo Mini, announced this afternoon, solves the problem with elegance and simplicity.

Logitech's well-designed diNovo Mini keyboard

(Credit: CNET)

The BlackBerry-style keyboard is easy to type on and has all the keys you'll need, the touch pad works well in both analog (for mousing) and digital (for navigating menus) modes, and it even works with your PS3--although not your Mac or, more strangely, your Xbox 360. Fold down the clamshell top, and the diNovo Mini becomes somehow both stylish and unobtrusive, making it at home in any living room.

We were able to play with a diNovo Mini in the month leading up to CES, and we liked it so much that we awarded it an Editors' Choice. You can read our full review here. The $150 price tag is a bit prohibitive (and Logitech's recommended prices generally come way down at retail), but if you're serious about seamlessly integrating a computer in your living room, we think you'll want a diNovo Mini when it hits stores at the end of February.

Logitech Squeezebox Duet: Music streaming meets superior ergonomics.

(Credit: Logitech)

Digital audio is great--especially if you've got a multigigabyte music collection sitting on your computer or you subscribe to an "all you can eat" music service like Rhapsody. The problem, for a lot of people, is that they're stuck listening to all that great music on the tinny speakers of their computer--or perhaps patching the laptop into their living room stereo system. Dedicated audio streamers have helped somewhat, but they have tiny little screens, which--like docked iPods--aren't very useful if you're sitting on a sofa across the room. And the best solution to date--the excellent Sonos Digital Music System--costs a prohibitive $1,000. Enter Logitech's new Squeezebox Duet: the $400 network digital audio streamer employs a winning handheld remote with a brilliant color screen (not unlike an iPod) that lets you navigate your entire music collection--including some online services and the majority of free Internet radio stations--from the palm of your hand, even while you hear the music from the big speakers of your home stereo.

The latest Logitech Harmony: "One" remote to rule them all.

(Credit: Logitech)

If you read CNET at all, you know we're big fans of Logitech's Harmony line of universal remotes--and judging from the sales numbers, so is the rest of America. But if you're in the market for a universal remote, you'll want to hold off until the end of the month: that's when the Logitech Harmony One is scheduled to hit store shelves. (Yes, yes, add Logitech's name under Dell and Gateway to the list of manufacturers using the "One" moniker.) In addition to packing the same basic features that have distinguished its predecessors (task-based activity control, straightforward PC/Mac programmability, a huge online database of more than 225,000 devices), the latest Harmony combines a full-color touch screen on top with a more traditional "wand" design for those of us who prefer plenty of hard buttons (all of which are backlit, naturally). The One includes a rechargeable battery with a magnetic charging cradle--and that latter feature should address the seating problems that some have had with earlier Harmony rechargeable models.

We got the chance to have a brief grope session with the Harmony One a few weeks ago. While it might be too big for some, we like the overall ergonomics and feel of the device. Our only real complaint is the lack of RF wireless. The One is infrared only, so you're still limited to line-of-sight--though we wouldn't be surprised to see a more expensive RF-capable version popping up a few months down the road. Still, this supercharged Harmony can replace up to 15 other remotes cluttering your coffee table--that, along with its superior software, relatively easy setup, and promising design is likely makes the $250 remote a welcome addition to the Logitech stable.

War is hell, particularly when you want to schedule cocktail parties.

The HD DVD Promotional Group had scheduled a cocktail party and a press conference this Sunday evening in Las Vegas to tout the "progress" it has made in high definition video and the ongoing format war with the Blu-ray consortium.

On Friday, however, the group sent out a note terminating the event because Warner Home Video earlier in the day said it would switch exclusively to the Blu-ray format.

"Based on the timing of the Warner Home Video announcement today, we have decided to postpone our CES 2008 press conference. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause," the cancellation read. "We are currently discussing the potential impact of this announcement with the other HD DVD partner companies and evaluating next steps. We believe the consumer continues to benefit from HD DVD's commitment to quality and affordability--a bar that is critical for the mainstream success of any format."

The original invite was a lot more upbeat:

"Please join us as we present exciting news and a sneak peak at what's to come for 2008," it read, "featuring executives from the HD DVD Promotional Group: Intel, Microsoft, Paramount Home Entertainment, Toshiba, Universal Studios Home Entertainment, and Warner Home Video."

Warner leaving the group probably wasn't the exciting sneak peek they had in mind. But you have to wonder, why cancel? Was Warner bringing the food? Springing for the drinks? If they had any guts, the remaining members could have bought a keg and held a party in the parking lot.

We've all faced rejection, and the way to deal with it is to get shamelessly drunk and loud in public, after all. Where did these people learn their manners? The upside is that you will probably see a lot of derelicts walking around the strip with "HD DVD 2008" shoulder bags that they found in a dumpster.

The cancellation also marks two bad CESes in a row for Toshiba. Last year, the company abruptly canceled plans to show off its SED TVs at the show. Subsequently, it tossed responsibility for SED to Canon.

Ironically, HD DVD players have outsold standalone Blu-ray players. At Ceatec last October, Blu-ray execs said that their group would become more aggressive in late 2007 in promoting the format and try to gain an advantage by the first quarter of 2008.

(Credit: iLuv)

With the i1255, iLuv has combined a 5.1 surround-sound DVD player with audio and video iPod playback functionality. Its thin black design is sure to rest fashionably next to most flat-panel TVs and home theater setups.

The i1255 features a slick remote that will allow you to control your iPod's music and video using an on-screen interface. The top-mounted dock is compatible only with video iPods--the iPod Touch, Classic, third-gen Nano, and the older video iPods.

In addition to playing standard DVDs, the i1255 supports VCD, MP3 CD, audio CD, JPEG CD, and Kodak Picture CD. Retailing for $130, the i1255 premieres at CES and will be available in March 2008.

(Credit: iLuv)

Debuting at CES is the iLuv i399, the successor to the i199, which we enjoyed for its array of features and affordable price. iLuv has completely redesigned the audio system into a much more compact unit.

Most of the features from the i199 look to be intact, although we're not sure the CD player survived the upgrade. What we do know is that the i399 has a built in subwoofer, support for iPod audio playback, an FM tuner, digital clock display, an auxiliary port, and features the next iteration of the company's "BluePin" Bluetooth dongle, called Bluepin 2.0. This allows for the transmitting of music to and from the device as well as using the system as a glorified speakerphone. Additionally, although we're not sure why, iLuv has added a rhythm-sensitive LED light at the base of the unit. Let's just hope that feature can be disabled. The i399 will be available in February 2008 for $230.

Warner to HD DVD: That's all, folks.

(Credit: www.referenceforbusiness.com)

The big buzz today around CNET offices in New York is the news that Warner Bros. Entertainment has decided to stop making HD DVD discs and will become a Blu-ray-only studio at the end of May. Needless to say, this is a major blow to the HD DVD camp, which earlier this year struck a deal with Paramount to go HD DVD exclusive. You could say this is a tit-for-tat move by Sony and the Blu-ray camp, but it's actually more of a clubbing because Warner has a much bigger library of movies than Paramount.

While rumors of Warner potentially dumping HD DVD have been circulating for the past few months, the timing of the announcement right before the start of the Consumer Electronics Show seems designed to inflict maximum damage to Toshiba's planned HD DVD push at the show. With lower prices on its standalone players and the Paramount deal, Toshiba and HD DVD backers such as Microsoft appeared to be gaining some momentum in the format war. But now the company is faced with a PR nightmare. (An HD DVD event is scheduled for Sunday in Las Vegas; it should be interesting). No one knows at this point what it took for Warner to say sayonara to HD DVD, but you can bet it involved a truckload of something.

Does this spell the end for HD DVD? If I had to give a yes or no answer, I'd have to say yeah, it's probably curtains. The fact is, with the lack of studio support, it's very hard to recommend to readers to buy an HD DVD player, even if it is half the price of a Blu-ray machine. All that said, things have looked bleak for Toshiba and HD DVD before and they've managed to scrap their way back into contention, so you never know. Feel free to weigh in after you read the full press release from Warner, which I've posted below via The Digital Bits:

WARNER BROS. ENTERTAINMENT TO RELEASE ITS HIGH-DEFINITION DVD TITLES EXCLUSIVELY IN THE BLU-RAY DISC FORMAT BEGINNING LATER THIS YEAR

Decision made in response to strong consumer preference for format

(January 4, 2008 - Burbank, CA) - In response to consumer demand, Warner Bros. Entertainment will release its high-definition DVD titles exclusively in the Blu-ray disc format beginning later this year, it was announced today by Barry Meyer, Chairman & CEO, Warner Bros. and Kevin Tsujihara, President, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group.

"Warner Bros.' move to exclusively release in the Blu-ray disc format is a strategic decision focused on the long term and the most direct way to give consumers what they want," said Meyer. "The window of opportunity for high-definition DVD could be missed if format confusion continues to linger. We believe that exclusively distributing in Blu-ray will further the potential for mass market success and ultimately benefit retailers, producers, and most importantly, consumers."

Warner Home Video will continue to release its titles in standard DVD format and Blu-ray. After a short window following their standard DVD and Blu-ray releases, all new titles will continue to be released in HD DVD until the end of May 2008.

"Warner Bros. has produced in both high-definition formats in an effort to provide consumer choice, foster mainstream adoption and drive down hardware prices," said Jeff Bewkes, President and Chief Executive Officer, Time Warner Inc., the parent company of Warner Bros. Entertainment. "Today's decision by Warner Bros. to distribute in a single format comes at the right time and is the best decision both for consumers and Time Warner."

"A two-format landscape has led to consumer confusion and indifference toward high definition, which has kept the technology from reaching mass adoption and becoming the important revenue stream that it can be for the industry," said Tsujihara. "Consumers have clearly chosen Blu-ray, and we believe that recognizing this preference is the right step in making this great home entertainment experience accessible to the widest possible audience. Warner Bros. has worked very closely with the Toshiba Corporation in promoting high definition media and we have enormous respect for their efforts. We look forward to working with them on other projects in the future."

What do you think? Is there any hope for HD DVD? Should Toshiba and Microsoft continue fighting or make a deal?

Following on the heels of yesterday's Crystal LCD release, Dell is at it again today with a new 30-inch LCD monitor, the UltraSharp 3008WFP. Compared to last year's 3007WFP model, which we liked, the 3008WFP features a new look and loads more connections. The image here doesn't do it justice, but the 3008WFP has a brushed aluminum housing that sits atop a glossy, flat base (say goodbye to the Flying V stand of last year's model). And the cantilever arm allows for more flexible positioning.

Our biggest complaint with last year's model was the limited number of video connections, which seemed odd given its size and obvious entertainment appeal. The 3008WFP boasts the standard dual DVI ports and an analog VGA port, but it also serves up HDMI and component connections, plus a DisplayPort connection. (You should begin seeing DisplayPort graphics cards in a month or two.) There are even composite and S-Video ports, should you need to connect older devices. Rounding out the connection goodness are four USB ports and a media card reader. It features the same 2,560x1,600 native resolution of last year's model and an impressive 3000:1 contrast ratio.

Priced at $1,999, the UltraSharp 3008WFP isn't a cheap date, but it is $200 cheaper than the 3007WFP when it debuted last year.

(Credit: Fujifilm)

Just a few days before CES, Fujifilm has announced its newest digital camera. The 8-megapixel FinePix Z100fd replaces last year's FinePix Z5fd with a stylish design and several useful features.

Besides its colorful shell, the Z100fd's lens and stabilization system stand out as its most prominent features. The 36 to 180mm-equivalent 5x lens lets users get up a bit closer than typical 3x lenses, and sensor-shifting image stabilization helps reduce shake, particularly useful when employing the camera's full zoom. Its 2.7-inch LCD screen offers a larger-than-usual display when framing and reviewing shots. In-camera file management can sort photos into six different folders when shooting, and face-detecting autofocus and autoexposure finds up to 10 faces at once and adjust settings accordingly. Finally, the camera includes a dual-media memory card slot that accepts both xD and SD cards. If you're replacing a FinePix camera, you can use your old Fujifilm and Olympus xD cards, while the SD card lets you use the much more common SD memory card.

The Fujifilm FinePix Z100fd ships later this month with a suggested retail price of $250. It will come in pink, satin, brown, and black versions.