CES 2009

Most interesting camcorders of CES 2009

All things considered, this year's CES had a surprising amount of innovative--or at least interesting--tech for cameras and camcorders, beyond the usual bigger/faster/cheaper we've come to expect from the show.

Though each manufacturer took a different approach to pumping up its HD camcorder lines, they all took a split-the-market attitude: new models based on last year's technology designed to reach lower, entry-level prices on one side and beefing up sensors, optics, and controls for more expensive products to appeal to video enthusiasts. For instance, Sony's new XV500 series features a new back-illuminated sensor and geotagging capability, while Panasonic more widely rolled out its 3MOS three-chip system. Canon took the most typical route, going with a higher-resolution sensor and better lens.

Photos: Crazy-long zooms

Casio delivered the most novel entries, with sleek ultracompact cameras that integrate the high-speed shooting capabilities of its clunky EX-F1 and EX-FH20 megazoom models. Some of Casio's 2009 models also introduce a neat new feature dubbed "Dynamic Photo," which lets you cut out and overlay a still or movie over another--sort of an in-camera chromakeying.

Both Sony and Eye-Fi attacked the problem of wireless photo and video transmission. Eye-Fi expands the capabilities of its Wi-Fi SD card to support video uploads, and Sony takes a stab and solving the myriad issues that have plagued Wi-Fi-capable cameras by building a browser into the DSC-G3.

Clever touches in cameras and camcorders

Even "the usual" threw a couple of curve balls at us. Zoom lenses on standard definition camcorders have simply gotten out of control, with Panasonic hitting 70x and Sony close behind at 60x. On still cameras, Olympus leaped the competition to hit 26x, with Kodak lagging--hah!--at a mere 24x. The scariest moment of the week wasn't the turbulence flying into New York, but when a Kodak representative told me that he thinks "zoom lenses will replace megapixels" in the specsmanship derby.

Finally, we saw signs of the cycle of death and rebirth in media formats. Only Canon announced a new MiniDV model, and not a single manufacturer has a DVD model in its HD lineup; DVD is still going moderately strong for standard definition. Both may be attributed to the relatively slow adoption of HD players. Into that mix the SD Card Association throws the SDXC format, a follow up to SDHC that promises higher capacity and faster speeds. However, don't expect to see products incorporating it for more than a year, the implementation requires a new controller architecture. Maybe for CES 2010.

Our heads are still spinning a bit from the onslaught that was the in-car electronics hall of CES 2009. From every direction, there were speakers the size of extralarge pizzas and flashy video displays vying for your attention. Amidst the cacophony, our (ahem) skilled Car Tech editors were able to spot a few gems and a few diamonds in the rough.

(Credit: CBS Interactive)

As evidenced by our Car Tech category Best of CES finalists, we predict that the next big thing in in-car entertainment is connectivity. Our winner, Gracenote CarStars, puts a star's avatar in your reasonably priced car by pairing a music concierge service with a subscription-based music service and beaming it all into your dashboard.

Our runners-up, AT&T CruiseCast and Ford/Microsoft Sync 3.0, also use their own forms of connectivity to the vehicle cabin experience. CruiseCast, which we got a peak at during SEMA 2008, captures 25 channels of satellite television using only a roof-mounted receptor about the size of a large mixing bowl. Sync 3.0 utilizes the ubiquitous Bluetooth-enabled mobile phone to deliver turn-by-turn directions with Internet-based traffic, weather, and point-of-interest searching.

(Credit: Blaupunkt)

While we were there, we also took note of Blaupunkt and MiRoamer's Internet radio streaming service, which also makes use of a Bluetooth-paired mobile phone with data connection.

Just announced during the show was Audiovox/Jensen's partnership with MediaFLO to bring the live mobile TV service FLO TV to Audiovox ceiling- and headrest-mounted displays. Details of the service are still coming together, but so far it looks exciting.

Don't forget to check out our First Look videos from the Car Tech Mobile Testing Lab in the center of the Car Electronics Hall, where we test the lastest from Alpine, Audiovox, JVC, Kenwood, and Sony. We even had a celebrity guest to drop by!

LAS VEGAS--So-called Netbooks or mini-notebooks are all the rage at the Consumer Electronics Show. A number of PC companies including Dell, Acer, Lenovo, and HP have unveiled notebook PCs that are smaller, less expensive, and more energy efficient than traditional notebook PCs.

In this podcast, Hewlett-Packard's Marco Pena shows off a new business Netbook.

See our complete news coverage from CES here

TomTom GO Live 740

(Credit: Corinne Schulze/CBS Interactive)

CES 2009 didn't dish up any major surprises in the GPS department, but that doesn't mean it was a complete snoozer. A handful of new portable navigation devices were introduced at the show, as well as a number of services for both standalone PNDs and GPS-enabled smartphones.

As expected, we saw a new connected GPS debut, this time from TomTom. While not the first PND to offer an Internet connection, we feel the TomTom GO 740 Live promises the best combination of features and design (compared to the current Dash Express and TeleNav Shotgun offerings) and might just be the one to get people onboard with connected GPS. As a result, we picked it as our Best of CES winner for the GPS category.

Another Best of CES GPS finalist was the Dual XNAV43HD, which is the first PND in the U.S. market to have built-in HD Radio technology. The benefit of HD Radio is that it offers more bandwidth, allowing you to receive more information about traffic and beyond, such as gas prices and weather information. The technology has been available in European GPS units, but we suspect we'll be seeing more of it in the United States this year.

Mio Technology started the year fresh with four new Moov models and revamped navigation software. Meanwhile, Garmin introduced the Garmin Nuvi 885T and the bike-specific Garmin Zumo 660. The company also announced its nuMaps Lifetime Map Update Program, and a new routing option called Garmin EcoRoute to help drivers save money and fuel. Unfortunately, there was no sign of the Garmin Nuvifone, but Pharos revealed its latest GPS-enabled smartphone, the Pharos Traveler 137.

So what does 2009 have in store for GPS? More content-driven services, such as real-time traffic, weather information, gas prices, and so forth. And while we believe standalone PNDs will continue to have their place in the market, the increasing availability and adoption of GPS-enabled cell phones, smartphones, and location-based services should not be underestimated.

As Amazon.com proved with its popular Kindle, consumers are interested in reading books on handheld devices. Plastic Logic has developed its own reading device, which is thinner and more durable than the Kindle and is aimed mostly for reading business documents. Joe Eschbach, Plastic Logic's vice president of marketing, explains in this interview.

See our complete news coverage from CES here

The Palm Pre takes Best of CES.

(Credit: Palm)

Though cell phones are just a small part of CES, the category made a big splash at this year's show with the first cell phone to win CNET's Best of CES award. But the Palm Pre was not the only device in Las Vegas; new devices also debuted from Motorola, Sony Ericsson, and LG, to name a few.

In the smartphone category, the obvious star was the Palm Pre, which scored a hat trick by winning not only the aforementioned Best of CES award, but also the Best of CES award in the cell phone category and the People's Voice Award. The Pre restored a bit of faith in Palm and more importantly, pushed the capabilities of a smartphone. The Pre promises to offer true multi-tasking on a phone and dazzles with its unique user interface, design, and features.

In addition, the Palm Web OS and App Store will only expand the Pre's (as well as future Palm Web OS devices) uses and capabilities. By raising the bar, Palm has certainly sent a message to its competitors and we suspect they'll step up and respond, which is always good for us since it will bring more innovation.

While the Pre might have grabbed much of the CES spotlight, it wasn't the only smartphone to debut at the show. T-Mobile announced the RIM BlackBerry Curve 8900 and T-Mobile Shadow, while HTC introduced its HTC S743 smartphone. Nokia also announced that it will bring a U.S. version of the Nokia E63 to market in the coming weeks, and we finally got some hands-on time with the Nokia N97. Looks like 2009 is shaping up to be another action-packed year for the smartphone space.

Motorola earned a Best of CES nomination with its Surf A3100 smartphone. The touch-screen device offers multimedia features in an eye catching design. And better yet, it puts a nifty and user-friendly spin on the Windows Mobile 6.1 operating.

Moto also introduced the Renew W233, a phone made from recycled water bottles, and the rugged and tough Tundra A76r for AT&T. We got a close look at both models. And though it wasn't introduced in Las Vegas, CES gave us our first opportunity to handle the style-centric and posh Motorola Aura.... Read more

Photos: Panasonic camcorders

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Before the world went high-def, Panasonic made a point of upgrading many of its camcorders to 3-chip models; now it's happening again, as Panasonic rolls out its 3MOS chipsets in its prosumer 2009 AVCHD camcorders. And at 2 megapixels per chip, they're each reasonably high-resolution, as well. However, you won't see the likes of popular, older, budget 3-chip models such as the PV-GS320, at least not in the first half of the year. In fact, you won't see any tape- or DVD-based models at all from Panasonic, according to the company. Ever.

For its standard-definition clients, Panasonic now zooms out to 70X. On one hand, these stalker zoom lenses can be quite useful for recording wildlife--and Panasonic even showed footage of the moon for astronomy buffs--but is that really a mass market? And no matter how good its image stabilization is, you're going to have to shoot using a tripod at lengths like that.

Netgear shows off its Internet TV Player at CES 2009.

(Credit: Dong Ngo/CBS Interactive)

The main networking themes at CES 2009 were faster, greener, and more diverse.

The nicest surprise, however, was not a product but the return of Buffalo. After two years of court sanctions, Buffalo now has regained the right to sell networking products in North America. It's interesting that in the Chinese calendar, 2009 is also the year of the Ox.

The company offers a few sleek-looking routers, both Wireless-N and Wireless-G. In my experience, Buffalo offers great budget routers, which are affordable and yet reliable at the same time. This is good news for consumers.

While Buffalo's portfolio doesn't contain anything revolutionary, Trendnet D-Link showed off new Wireless-N routers that offer speeds up to 450Mbps, a 50 percent boost from its cap of 300Mbps. This is achieved by adding more single streams to an antenna, much like adding more garden hoses to better the watering. The new technology uses three signal streams per antenna.

The new speed is based on a common standard, and therefore, once certified by the Wi-Fi Alliance, routers and adapters from different vendors will interoperate at the new high speed.

Speaking of the Wi-Fi Alliance, the organization, together with In-Stat, released a report CES at saying that the consumption of Wi-Fi chips increased by 26 percent in 2008. The group expects this momentum to continue into 2009.

Will 2009 be the year when frivolous, '80s-throwback iPod boomboxes go huge? Don't hold your breath.

(Credit: Donald Bell/CBS Interactive)

CES 2009 delivered a surprising amount of MP3 player-related product announcements compared with last year's show. No, I didn't see any "iPod killers" out there, but there are still plenty of manufacturers eager to fight for second place in the world of MP3 players.

The biggest trend I'm seeing right now is touch screens. For better or worse, every MP3 player manufacturer at CES was tripping over itself to show off its latest touch-screen models. Sony, Samsung, and Iriver had some beautiful, yet pricey, touch-screen devices to show off, but even budget-minded manufacturers, such as Coby, Memorex, and SanDisk, had touch-screen models on display. I'm also seeing a lot of manufacturers exploring the niche designs that compete with the iPod less directly, such as Haier's fitness-focused Ibiza Trainer and SanDisk's slotRadio player (see below).

The brightest example of the trend towards touch screens is CNET's Best of CES award winner for the MP3 player category, the Samsung P3. This elegant, well-executed upgrade to last year's Samsung P2 features an overhauled touch-screen interface, improved audio and video quality, a built-in speaker, and a metal enclosure that feels like a million bucks. We've got a gorgeous, hands-on photo gallery for the Samsung P3, as well as a First Look video.

Sony unveiled some stunning MP3 players, as well. The Walkman X-series, Sony's most hotly-anticipated new MP3 player, features a OLED touch-screen display, integrated noise-canceling headphones, and Wi-Fi features such as YouTube video streaming. Unfortunately, the X-series Walkman spent its time at CES under a thick layer of protective glass and Sony isn't setting a firm price or ship date quite yet. Luckily, Sony wasn't quite as coy about its new W-series Walkman, which is essentially a $69 pair of sporty headphones (not to mention attractive) with an integrated 2GB MP3 player. The W-series starts shipping at the end of March and I think they'll do quite well, considering their relatively low price, athletic emphasis, and the lack of any similar product from Apple.

Will SanDisk's $39 slotRadio player find an audience with technophobes?

(Credit: Corinne Schulze/CBS Interactive)

Speaking of niche products, take a look at SanDisk's Sansa slotRadio player. This $39 buckle-sized MP3 player uses an extremely basic set of controls and plays music from preloaded microSD cards or a built-in FM radio. The appeal of the slotRadio player is probably lost on the tech-savvy, but I can think of more than a few people in my life whose aversion to complexities of computers and MP3 players has kept them in the dark ages of CDs, tapes, and radios. Like Sony, I think SanDisk is smart to chase after markets Apple hasn't yet seized.

On the portable video-player front, we saw the Iriver P7, the iLuv i1166, and a novel media player from Samsung (the MBP-200) that combines audio, video, and photo capabilities with an integrated pico DLP video projector.

I also got my hands on a line of little pico projectors made by WowWee. These little, standalone video projectors can cast the content of your iPod onto any nearby surface. I'm not convinced about how practical these things are, but I still want one.

On the headphones front, Monster, Memorex, Altec Lansing, Candeez, and Audio-Technica all had new wares to share.

To hear more about the gadget discoveries Jasmine and I made during the course of CES (and Macworld), listen to episode 129 of the MP3 Insider podcast, recorded live from the CNET stage at CES 2009.

It's no secret that gaming's presence at CES can barely be felt, but we were lucky enough to find some diamonds in the rough, including a few that made us want to phone a lawyer.

While there was no new gaming software to be found, there was a respectable amount of gaming hardware and accessories that stole our attention. Nyko stood out with the company's Wand and Kama Charge Kit and Mad Catz showed off Street Fighter IV-branded FightPads and FightSticks. We were wowed by the Nvidia GeForce 3D Vision, but unfortunately getting it all set up requires a few expensive add-ons.

We were upset to see a lack of products devoted solely to game consoles like we had originally anticipated. So where does this leave gaming's future at CES? Believe it or not, gaming actually had more of a showing at this year than it did in '08, so we'd imagine to see an incremental increase next year. Keep in mind, a lot of third-party hardware and accessories are a result of the Wii, a console that lends itself very well to the production of such items.

Check out these other notable CES gaming stories and slide shows:

• How are these console emulators legal?
• Saitek showed us a flight stick for the home console
• Does this Sixense remote improve on the Wiimote?
• The thought-controlled Mindflex game
• DreamGear WarBeast gaming guitar: An exact replica of the B.C. Rich WarBeast guitar
• The Psyko 5.1 headset puts a new spin on surround-sound gaming
• Mad Catz lets you program 11 buttons with the Cyborg X