CES 2010 latest news

LAS VEGAS--It's not just inside the CES hotels and convention center that you find technology and tech enthusiasts here in Sin City.

Vegas cabbie Daniel Habtewold has quite the collection of gadgets. Here he shows off a Casio watch that also acts as a TV remote control.

(Credit: Ina Fried/CNET News.com)

One of the most passionate techies I met all week was Daniel Habtewold, the cab driver who took AJ and me back to our hotel after visiting with the Pleo robot dinosaur on Monday night.

Habtewold was playing an eclectic mix of reggae and other music, and AJ asked whether it was a CD or the radio. He said the tunes were streaming from his iPod, noting that it was Apple's beefiest model, the 160GB iPod Classic introduced last fall.

"I have 20,000 songs on my iPod," he said. That makes it the largest collection I've ever encountered.

Habtewold said he's had a regular iPod, a photo iPod, and an earlier video iPod as well. At the end of each summer he sells his current model for $50 or $75 less than he paid, knowing a new model will come out in September.

"This is the last one," he said. I told him he owes me a free ride when I see him at the next CES and he has some new Apple creation.

Habtewold's tech lust isn't limited to iPods. He also has a $3,000 camera setup including a Canon D30 and L-series lens, a Windows Mobile phone, and a Casio watch that also acts as a television remote control.

"I'm high tech," he said. "I don't care about clothes. I don't care about shoes that are brand name."

The Creative Xdock HD takes iPod video to the big screen.

(Credit: Creative)

Creative has announced plans to release the Xdock HD, an HD-quality iPod video dock. The Xdock HD is due for a spring release with a retail price of $399. Four bills might seem like a steep price for an iPod dock, but the Xdock HD has some serious technology under the hood.

First and foremost, the Xdock HD provides a means to play iPod video content at 720p or 1080i resolution. This feat is accomplished by Creative's own video upsampling technology, which transforms your puny iPod videos into HD-worthy gems.

The second great asset of the Creative Xdock HD is its ability ... Read More

(Credit: Belkin)

Clearly, the Apple iPod offers a reasonable array of attractive features--a slick interface, excellent podcast support, video capability--but recording ability has never made the list. The value of this feature may be questionable for some, but for others, it's a desirable extra. Luckily for audio note takers and aspiring podcasters, several third-party vendors have come to the rescue. The latest is Belkin with its fabulously portable Podcast Studio, which cradles the iPod while turning it into an on-the-go recording machine. The Podcast Studio, which is expected to launch in June 2008 at a price of $99.99, runs off of two AAA batteries for about 2 hours, giving you freedom to record anytime, anywhere. The unit is equipped with a speaker for monitoring recordings, as well as a built-in mic. Alternatively, it offers dual 3.5mm channels and an XLR port for connecting external mics. Each recording is stored separately in the iPod's memory and then automatically uploaded into iTunes when you sync the player. Unfortunately, the Podcast Studio is not compatible with the Touch or the iPhone--use it only with a fifth-gen, Classic, or third-gen Nano.

(Credit: Belkin)

All in wonder: Bluetooth, CD player, and iPod dock.

(Credit: Philips)

Philips' Bluetooth Wireless Entertainment System, the BTM630, may not be among the "future" products Philips announced at CES, but it's making its official debut at the show, so we're going to write it up.

Along with Bluetooth connectivity for streaming music from Bluetooth-equipped cell phones and PCs, the BTM630 features an iPod dock, a slim-slot CD loading system, a USB port, and the ability to playback MP3 or WMA music from a SD or MMC card. With a built-in mic, the system also doubles as speakerphone for cell phone calls (you can switch between calls and music). Lastly, the spec sheet says the BTM630 offers "one-touch MP3 digital recording in 2x speed without the need for a PC." Sweet.

Philips says the BTM630 is currently available and carries a MSRP of $199.99.

JVC NX-PN7: His-and-hers iPod speaker

(Credit: JVC)

When it comes to iPod speakers, we thought we'd seen it all--models with vacuum tubes, 2.1 systems, ones that are totally tubular, and others that are as big as a microwave oven. But JVC's NX-PN7 is the first one we've seen with docks for two iPods. Despite doubling down on the music players, the unit is just 13 inches wide. In addition to being able to toggle between "iPod A" and "iPod B," the NX-PN7 features a clock, an auxiliary line-in, and a horizontal light beneath each iPod dock that can be set to any one of nine colors. It has a sleep timer, but apparently no alarm. If you're looking for a more traditional (single iPod) clock/radio, you'll want to opt for the JVC RA-P31--it sports dual alarms and is transportable (powered by six AA batteries when not plugged in). Look for the NX-PN7 ($150) and RA-P31 ($100) in April 2008.

JVC P-Series: A different kind of "Apple TV"

(Credit: JVC)

There are plenty of docks and cables designed to let you play back your iPod videos on your TV, but JVC's new P-Series cuts out the middleman by integrating the iPod dock directly into the TV. The four LCD flat-panels--LT-32P679 (32-inch 1366x768 screen), LT-42P789 (42-inch 1080p), LT-47P789 (47-inch 1080p), and LT-52P789 (52-inch 1080p)--each feature a flip-down iPod dock built into the bezel directly below the screen's center. And while I was ready to dismiss the whole thing as a gimmick along the lines of ViewSonic's ill-conceived VX2245wm monitor, JVC seems to have included some well-thought-out features to maximize the iPod experience. To quote the press release:

(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.