2010 CES

The newest version of Asus' popular Netbook, the $379 Eee PC 1005PE, is the first system to reach our labs with Intel's new Atom N450 processor--the long-awaited sequel to the Atom N270 and N280 CPUs found in nearly every other Netbook.

This new 1005 model, thanks to the re-engineered Atom platform, is extremely efficient, and ran for more than 8 hours on our grueling battery drain test. That's extremely impressive, although the N450 was more of a mixed bag in our performance tests, beating other Netbooks in some categories, but matching or falling slightly behind in others.

The Eee PC 1005PE definitely scores points for being the first laptop out of the gate with the new N450 CPU, and its battery life is nothing short of amazing--making this a very useful system for serious road warriors. But we would have liked to see a 1005 that was more fully upgraded across the board.

Read the full review here.

The first Netbook we've seen with the Atom N450 is the Asus Eee PC 1005PE.

Intel has officially announced the next generation of its popular Atom CPUs for Netbooks. While probably the worst-kept secret in personal computing, unveiling the Atom N450 (previously codenamed "Pinetrail") weeks before the upcoming CES trade show means Intel doesn't want this key announcement to get lost amid the thousands of new products set to debut in January.

One of the brightest spots in the consumer electronics industry over the past two years has been the growth of Netbooks. These small, low-power, low-cost laptops are popular with almost every segment of the computer-buying public, from students, to business travelers, to seniors.

But, these machines had became largely commodity products, with identical components and features, driving prices down to $299 (or less, with subsidized deals from mobile phone providers). More recently, PC makers have attempted to create new tiers in the Netbook market with high-def displays and improved Nvidia Ion graphics, or even competing CPUs from AMD and Via. ... Read more

(Credit: Entourage Systems, Inc.)

Entourage Systems, Inc. is a first-time CES exhibitor readying its release of the Entourage Edge, a hybrid gadget combining two trending technologies: e-readers and Netbooks.

Asghar Mostafa, president and CEO of the McLean, Virginia-based company, has a strong entrepreneurial background, mostly building technology businesses. Although a variety of people might find it useful, Mostafa sees the Edge catering to college and high school students who could benefit from a lighter backpack.

Amazon vied to fulfill the same need with its Kindle DX, but college students are reluctant in accepting the technology, especially because of its price point.

Entourage Edge delivers what the Kindle DX does, but with the capabilities of a Netbook. As a result, the company is calling it a "dualbook," possessing two screens with independent functions and the added the ability to work together.

The Edge is slated to cost $490, close to the price of the Kindle DX or a Netbook, and will be available to consumers February 2010.

CNET News reporter Ina Fried got a hands-on review of the Entourage Edge, ... Read more

Dell's SX2210 multitouch screen may be a sign on what we'll see more of at CES 2010. And by "what", I'm of course referring to the many cases of gorilla arms.

(Credit: Dell)

Last year, after the dust settled on CES 2009, it became clear to me that there were three major trends dictating the development of new monitors: Full HD resolutions, eco-friendly displays that use less power, and LED backlight technology.

Since CES 2009, all three trends have begun to grow. The vast majority of monitors I reviewed in 2009 were Full HD, 16:9 displays. Also, from Dell's G line to BenQ's recent stark white offering (with an embedded flower pot), the eco-friendly trend is not going away anytime soon. It helps that some of these eco-conscious monitors actually live up to the lower power consumption hype, according to our tests.

Finally, after a disappointing showing last year, the LED monitor market is finally starting to take off. Roughly 30 percent of the ... Read more

The biggest consumer electronics event of the year is around the corner, and by that we of course mean CES 2010. We'll all be there in Vegas scouting out the best of what's new, but you may find yourself asking: after Windows 7 and the launch of Core i7 laptops, what else is there to look forward to? Plenty, by our measure. Here are the trends we're expecting to see.

New Atom processors, new Netbooks
The star of the show will likely be Intel's new line of Atom processors for Netbooks. Previously codenamed Pine Trail, these new CPUs will give the Netbooks platform a performance push, we hope, making these popular laptops even more ubiquitous. Currently, Netbooks are great for some tasks, but can be frustrating to use if you need them for all-around computing. Look for added graphics and HD video performance in particular.

On a related note, hardware manufacturers will continue to try to "upscale" Netbooks, by adding features such as discrete graphics, touch screens, and HD displays--all in an effort to move prices past the low-margin $299 mark. We'll see increased stratification in Netbooks--a category previously notable for its commodity nature.

(Credit: Qualcomm)

Here come the Smartbooks
If you don't know the term already, get ready to know it, as this will be one of the hot product trends of 2010. Consider them even cheaper and smaller Netbooks toting smartphone-level processors and a pared-down OS. Small CPUs such as the Nvidia Tegra and the Qualcomm Snapdragon are what will power this next generation of devices, and almost none of them will have an operating system that will be Windows or Mac.

Expect to see most of these hybrid devices with 3G antennas, sold in cellphone stores, and subsidized by mobile phone providers, much like some Netbooks already are. Economic realities have pushed computer makers to favor value over flash in designing new systems, and at CES 2010, we're likely to see a bigger focus on Netbooks and other low-cost PCs over the extravagant showstoppers of previous years. Smartbooks could help define a new low-end pricing zone, but it remains to be seen whether they'll offer enough computing power.

In addition to letting loose a string of expletives, those who have lost a phone or been a victim of phone thievery have probably reacted with the following: "Nooooo! My contacts!"

(Credit: Tenbu Technologies)

Mobile innovator Tenbu Technologies has come up with Nio, a Bluetooth security tag that links to any of your belongings. If your laptop, phone, keys, or even child move out of range, an alarm sounds.

The gadget has the potential to save your items and the valuable information they carry, like contacts.

How exactly does it work? Attach Nio to your keys, laptop bag, or other belonging you need to secure. The tag is linked to your Bluetooth-enabled mobile phone running the Nio software. Once you step out of the predefined security zone, an alarm is triggered.

The lowest security zone setting will let you wander about 65 feet before the alarm goes off. High security restricts movement to only a few feet away. This could be useful if you're traveling by plane and are worried that you might doze ... Read more