CES 2009

LAS VEGAS--Network-attached storage for the home has been around for a while. It typically consists of an external disk drive surrounded by technology to connect it to a router so it can be accessed anywhere on your network or, via the Internet, from anywhere in the world. At the Consumer Electronics Show here, Daniel Putterman of Cloud Engines showed off a new device that allows you to inexpensively turn any external drive into a network-attached drive.

The $79 Pogoplug is a small plastic box with an Ethernet plug for your router and a USB plug for an external drive. With it, you can access files anywhere in the home or, through a password protected Web site, anywhere in the world. You can also use the device to share files with others.

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Silicon Image has released a dev kit for CE manufacturers and service operators.

(Credit: Silicon Image)

One of the holy grails of consumer electronics is to create a wireless networking solution that works seamlessly behind the scenes to link together all your home AV, PC, and mobile gear throughout your house. Silicon Image, the company that brought you the HDMI standard, is on a quest to find that grail and the horse its riding is named LiquidHD.

The folks from Silicon Image are talking up the new technology at CES this year and the basic concept goes something like this: You have a PlayStation 3 or Xbox 360 connected to a TV in one room and you want to stream audio and video to a TV in another room. Well, if your home is connected to the LiquidHD network, you'll be able to take that high-definition audio and video and move it to any TV in any room--without losing any quality.

Just what the heck is LiquidHD? Well, it's more than just a chip you put into a TV, Blu-ray player, or cable or satellite box. The company says it's, "a suite of protocols that runs over commodity IP networks such as Ethernet, Coax like MoCA, power line like HomePlug, and wireless like Wi-Fi (802.11n)." Yes, that's a mouthful.

According to the press release, the key components include:

*LiquidDiscover: Automatic discovery and authentication of all LiquidHD-enabled devices in the home--just plug it in and the TV automatically discovers your LiquidHD source devices.

*LiquidMedia: High-definition, high-fidelity media streaming from live and stored sources.

*LiquidPixels: Pixel accurate, low latency and low bandwidth remoting of any source device's user interface to any LiquidHD display device. Includes a single remote control at each display to control all source devices on the LiquidHD network.

*LiquidControl: Secure control and communication between all devices.

*LiquidPlay: Comprehensive security and content protection architecture built on a robust hardware solution. Enables consumers to move and play their legally obtained content on any LiquidHD device they own. Also protects CE devices from malevolent attacks by securing the control commands and LiquidPixels remote user interface.

The concept of LiquidHD is admirable, but the challenge for Silicon Image is to get all the CE manufacturers and a lot of other companies to agree to adopt LiquidHD as an international standard and incorporate LiquidHD technology into various devices. That Silicon Image has a track record with HDMI gives it an advantage, but it's still going to be a serious challenge to have companies add new technology--and cost--to their products in a down economy.

Nevertheless, Silicon Image remains optimistic about its chances. It's already released a developer's kit that will allow CE manufacturers and multiple service operators (MSOs) to implement the LiquidHD technology in "residential gateways, master set-top boxes, Blu-ray Disc players and digital video recorders (DVR)." The company also has an endorsement from one major studio, the Fox Group.

All this is pretty technical stuff for the average consumer to digest but the end result would certainly be appealing. Getting there, however, is probably going to take a while. The company hopes to show "real" products with LiquidHD built into them at next year's CES. We'll be there if they do.

(Credit: Dish Network/EchoStar)

We're huge fans of the Slingbox, which lets you access your home TV from any broadband-connected PC and many models of 3G smartphones. But the boxes have always had a fundamental problem of monopolizing the host video source (cable/satellite box or DVR); if you access your Slingbox remotely and somebody happens to be watching the home TV, both of you are forced to watch the same program.

That's just one problem that the new EchoStar SlingLoaded HD DVR 922 fixes. The "SlingLoaded" moniker basically means that it's got a Slingbox built-in. That, along with multiple satellite and over-the-air HD tuners, means that remote and local viewers can watch two separate video feeds (live or recorded TV) without interfering with each other--the kids can watch a Spongebob recording in the living room, for instance, while Dad watches a football game on his laptop via Sling.com. Dish is also showcasing a Wi-Fi-enabled flat-panel LCD TV that uses Sling technology to access the 922--toss it in the kitchen or bedroom, and you get another way to access your DVR and TV programming with no pesky wires or boxes.

The 922 has a laundry list of other features that viewers will appreciate. It's pretty much a supercharged version of the ViP722 (a previous CNET Editors' Choice winner), with such upgrades as a touch-pad remote control and support for onscreen RSS feeds (for weather, news, and stocks--similar to the widgets we've seen on other TVs and video products at this year's CES).

Sticklers that we are, we'd like to see the 922 support some online video services (beyond Dish's video-on-demand offerings); content from Netflix, Hulu, YouTube, and the like would go the extra mile to make this the ultimate set-top box. Still, if the 922 lives up to its potential, it's got all the makings of being one of the most full-featured DVRs we've seen to date. Look for the 922 to be available through Dish Network in the spring of 2009. It's only for Dish subscribers for now, but keep your fingers crossed that EchoStar can adapt it for cable providers in the not-too-distant future.

More photos:

Dish DuoDVR SlingLoaded ViP922

INQ Mobile boasts a handset made for social networks

(Credit: INQ Mobile)

The idea of a "social networking phone" seems redundant at first--don't all phones have an ability to connect to a social network of some kind? But INQ Mobile, a company based in the U.K., claims that it is the first to really bring social networks in the form of Facebook, MySpace, et al. to those of us who prefer to have regular, affordable phones. INQ's argument is that most handsets with dedicated Facebook and Skype applications have so far been of the smartphone variety, and thus out of touch with the mainstream. But with the INQ1, as it's called, these social networking applications are now available in a simple and affordable phone.

Indeed, as we played around with a sample model at a CES press event yesterday, we could go directly to Facebook with a single push of a button from the device's home screen. Facebook and other similar applications are laid out along the bottom row of the home screen, allowing for simple and direct access. The INQ1 comes with Facebook, Skype, Yahoo, Google, eBay, and Windows Messenger built-in, but since it also supports Java and BREW, you're able to add other applications like MySpace. The phone's contacts list is closely integrated with these applications, allowing you to see the online presence of all your contacts directly from the address book. For example, as you scroll down your contacts list, you can see the person's Facebook online status, Skype availability, and IM status. And then you can just choose whichever way you wish to contact him or her.

The hardware itself is decent, but nothing out of the ordinary. It has a nice display and a slider form factor. It also has a 3.2-megapixel camera, and once you take a picture, you can immediately upload it to Facebook, MySpace, or any site you want. The INQ1 also has a music player, which you can then connect to last.fm right out of the box, allowing you listen to your favorite streaming music. Of course it also has stereo Bluetooth, text messaging, and a speakerphone.

The INQ1 slides open.

(Credit: Nicole Lee/CNET)

You are prompted to enter your login and password the first time you use the device, but from then on you'll always be connected. We asked the INQ rep about security concerns, and he said that the phone does prompt you to enter the password every once in awhile. That said, the surest way to prevent a security breach in case your phone is stolen is to just change the password on the Web site.

So the big question is: is it affordable? INQ said that for now, the handset will go for 79 pounds, and right now the handset is only available in the U.K. and Australia. The company is shopping around for U.S. providers at the moment, and hopes to expand its partnership to other European carriers this year as well. We're not too sure how this will sell in the U.S., but perhaps its simplicity and ease of use will appeal to some.

Here's a cool little product that I can't wait to try out: The Pogoplug. It's a simple and releatively cheap box that plugs into an external hard drive (or flash drive) via USB, and also into you home's Internet connection. Then it puts the hard drive on the Web as well as on your local network. Any computer in your home can access it as a shared drive, and people outside can also connect to it over the Web. It sounds like a very quick and simple way to put a whole bunch of files online for friends to see.

Pogoplug connects your USB drives to the Internet.

Now, it's no great feat for a geek to wire up a PC or a network-attached storage drive for Internet access. What the Pogoplug does is not utterly unique. The company is going for ease of use, though. Instead of having to open ports on your router, or configure a NAS for Web access, with Pogoplug you just go to the company's Web site, enter the identifying code from your device (presumably, it's stamped on it somewhere), and then the Pogoplug servers will set up the routing for you and give you your device's Web address.

You could, also, upload your files to a sharing service like Flickr or YouTube. In comparison, Pogoplug will make the upload faster (it's local), and should also give you more control over your files (if you want to remove them, for example), and who can see them.

One thing I would be concerned about for home users: Many home broadband connections are much slower on the upload than download. People who want to download your raw AVI home movie files from your drive may be limited by the speed that your Pogoplug-attached drive can upload to the Net. If the device streams video this should not be a big issue.

Other promised features inlcude an iPhone interface (for upload as well as viewing), and an open API for developers.

It's not out yet so I haven't tried it; I don't know if it's as easy as it should be, or if the security is appropriate for its target use. But the price is right for this utility: $99 retail. I could really use this, and look forward to trying it when the first units are made available in February.

This year's CES saw the release of Iomega's Home Media Network Drive, a new addition to their line of external storage devices, joining the ranks of similar devices like the Iomega StorCenter and the Iomega StorCenter ix2, but with a few simple changes. First, the drives now come with an easy setup that lets users get up and running sharing media across a network in three easy steps: plug in the drive, power on, and install the included EMC LifeLine Home software that runs on the Linux operating system to contributes to the snag-free process.

Other features of the Iomega Home Media Network Drive include gigabit Ethernet transfer speeds, a single USB port for sharing a printer over the network, and instant backup software courtesy of the MozyHome online service included in the box. Both 500GB ($160) and 1TB ($230) drives are set to roll into stores in early January.

(Credit: Cisco)

After hinting at a "digital stereo" product in The New York Times last week, Cisco unveiled the details of its Wireless Home Audio System today, which will be released under the networking giant's "Linksys by Cisco" consumer networking brand. At first glance, the system--which is actually a suite of six products that will be available separately or in a variety of preconfigured bundles--bears a remarkable resemblance to the Sonos Multi-Room Music System. Like the Sonos, the Linksys product has a large-screen remote and offers networked base stations designed to live in several rooms of the house where they can play digital music from networked PCs or online audio sources (Internet radio via RadioTime, Rhapsody subscription service in the U.S., and the AudioLounge premium service in Europe). The Linksys device can also use a "zone" system, so different rooms can access different audio sources, or be linked together for synchronized playback of a single audio stream in multiple rooms simultaneously.

Correction: An earlier version of this story misstated that technology from the Five Across acquisition was the foundation for the new Eos service. It is not.

LAS VEGAS --Two years after it first started courting big media companies, Cisco Systems will finally launch a new product to help these companies harness the power of social networking and connect their brands to fans.

On Wednesday, Cisco will kick off the Consumer Electronics Show here by announcing Eos, a hosted software platform that allows media and entertainment companies to create, manage and grow online communities. Through Eos Cisco has compiled technology tools and slapped on an easy to use interface to make building and customizing Web sites easy. But most importantly, it's bundled into the software, technology that will allow media companies to build interactive Web sites so that fans can connect with musicians, TV shows, movies, or whatever brand a media company wants to promote.

Cisco first began looking for ways to help big media companies late in 2006, when it created the Media Solutions business unit. The idea was to develop and market products to digital media content owners. In February last year, the company bought a startup called Five Across, which developed social networking software.

Dan Scheinman, the Cisco executive behind Eos, believes that the new software platform addresses one of the biggest problems that media companies face today.

"The reality is that media is so disrupted by digital technology," he said. "Fans are looking for ways to connect to their favorite artists or TV shows and they are seeking out communities, but the media companies have been slow to provide this for them. Eos is centered around community and allows fans to participate."

The service provides tools that allow media companies to create blogs, live chats, message boards, rating and ranking systems.

Scheinman believes that social networking is the most important way for marketers and big media companies to reach consumers. Consumers are using sites such as YouTube and Facebook to share media, like videos, music and pictures. He also believes that media companies can combat piracy by offering fans an interactive experience through their own branded Web sites.

"In many ways digital destroys the value proposition for media," Scheinman said. "Other people can rip off the content and monetize it, aggregate it, and take pennies for it."

Cisco Systems, which builds the gear that powers the Internet, is making a big push this year at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas with new products that will help consumers move digital media around their homes.

Ned Hooper, senior vice president of corporate development for Cisco's Consumer Business Group

(Credit: Cisco Systems)

The company plans to hold a press conference in Las Vegas on Wednesday to reveal the new products and its refined strategy for providing consumers with "communication and entertainment experiences that are more visual, more social and more personal," the company said in a press release.

To get a sneak peek at Cisco's strategy, I talked by phone with Ned Hooper, senior vice president of corporate development for Cisco's Consumer Business Group. While details of the soon-to-be-announced products are still under wraps, Hooper shed some light on why Cisco thinks there is a big opportunity in helping consumers get their homes connected and where the company plans to go with its strategy from next.

Q: Cisco isn't the first company to build products for the digital home. Dell, Gateway, and Hewlett-Packard have all tried to develop products to help consumers play their music and video throughout the home. So far, none of these companies have been very successful. Even Apple's Apple TV is a considered a niche product. Why do you think Cisco will have more success?
Hooper: I think it's important to look at how media and entertainment is being delivered to the home. The presence of the Internet and digital media is transforming all these industries and how people access entertainment and how they communicate with each other.

Over 100 million households have set top boxes with their cable or digital satellite service. So the digital set top box market is doing well. Services such as video on demand and DVRs are in high demand. But building expensive devices for a single function hasn't proven to be a viable market.

Cisco has been positioned very well in terms of being able to offer infrastructure for these network services. And we're already in the consumer electronics business with Linksys and Scientific Atlanta. It might surprise you to know that Cisco has shipped over 160 million consumer devices. This includes set-top boxes and home routers.