CES award winners
Philips' Eco TV sips power, saves rainforest
At
CNET,
we
take
HDTV
power
consumption
seriously,
which
helps
explain
our
excitement
when
Philips
announced
its
Eco
TV.
The
42-inch,
1080p
resolution,
flat-panel
LCD,
model
42PFL5603D
(due
in
March,
$1,399
MSRP),
is
packed
with
power-saving
features.
Chief
among
them
is
the
ability
to
dim
the
backlight--by
up
to
five
times
peak
brightness--in
response
to
program
material,
much
like
the
"local
dimming"
found
on
Samsung's
LED-based
LN-T4681F.
Dimming
the
backlight
in
darker
scenes has the dual benefit of saving power and improving black-level performance, according to the company.
(Read more)
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Touchy-feely with the new Moto Rokr E8
Motorola
continues
to
make
up
for
its
dismal
Rokr
E1
with
its
new
Rokr
E8.
Announced
at
the
ultra-posh
Wynn
Hotel
during
a
late-night
press
conference
(we're
not
sure
why
Moto
had
to
wait
until
9
p.m.
on
a
Sunday
to
do
this),
the
E8
is
one
of
two
handsets
Moto
is
announcing
at
CES
2008.
Music,
of
course,
is
a
central
theme
here
but
the
E8's
real
news
lies
with
its
unique
"ModeShift"
technology.
Instead
of
traditional
keypad
and
navigation
array,
the
Rokr
features
a
smooth
"glasslike"
surface
with
touch-pad
controls
that
digitally
"morph"
depending
on
(Read more)
Car tech and GPS
Azentek builds a PC for your car
All of the core features we want in car technology--GPS navigation, Bluetooth cell phone integration, and audio and media playback--can be handled by a PC, so Azentek is offering two new in-dash PCs, the Atlas CPC-1200 and the Calypso CPC-1100. Both units are powered by an Intel Core Duo 1.66GHz CPU with 1GB of RAM, a 120GB hard drive, and a DVD-ROM/CDRW drive. But they both also have car stereo features, such as a 4 channel, 50 watt built-in amp, an FM tuner, and the ability to be upgraded with either XM or Sirius satellite radio. The Atlas (Read more)
Cell phones and smartphones
Hands-on with the Motorola Rokr E8
Since the Motorola Rokr E8 nabbed CNET's Best of CES award in the cell phones and smartphones category, it's appopriate to give you an idea of how the phone feels beyond just a list of specs. At 4.52 inches by 2.09 inches by 0.42 inch, it has an average size for a cell phone, and it's actually a bit heavier than I expected at 3.5 ounces. I didn't mind the weight, however, as it gave the E8 a solid and sturdy feel in the hand.
The Rokr's showpiece is, of course, (Read more)
Computers and hardware
Lenovo launches three IdeaPad laptops
Getting a jump on the product-launch blitz that is CES 2008, Lenovo has announced a whole new brand of consumer-oriented laptops and desktops. Called IdeaPad and IdeaCentre, the lines are intended to complement the company's flagship business-oriented ThinkPad and ThinkCentre lines. While today's announcement does not include any specifics on desktop models, we learned plenty about the new IdeaPad laptops.
Watch the Lenovo Idea Pad U110 video on CNET TV.
The first full line of entertainment-oriented Lenovo laptops to hit the United States (we saw one consumer model, the Lenovo 3000 Y410, sneak into the States last fall), (Read more)
Digital photo and video
Sony's $700 dSLR looks like a contender
Though Sony's Alpha DSLR-A100 currently occupies the price slot of an entry-level dSLR, that's just an accident of time, a midrange model that stayed too long at the party. Sony's first true foray into the entry-level market arrives in the Alpha DSLR-A200, slipping into the market niche currently hogged by the Nikon D40x and Canon EOS Rebel XTi. Preliminary specs include:
10-megapixel, 23.6mm x 15.8mm Super HAD CCD
ISO 100 to 3200
Super SteadyShot sensor-shift image stabilization
9-point AF sensor with single cross-type sensor in center
40 segment exposure metering system
230,000-pixel 2.7-inch (Read more)
Emerging technologies
Bug Labs: Build your own dream gadget
It's the rare product that excites CNET editors across all categories. The Bug Labs platform, which has been the subject of several conversations around the CNET booth, is one such rarity.
Described as "the Lego of gadgets" by Webware's Rafe Needleman, the Bug Labs platform starts with a minicomputer, the Bug Base, onto which you can snap multiple modules, such as a digital camera or an LCD screen. You can then program your own software to run your custom gadget or download software others have written from the Bug Labs site. Need a GPS-enabled digital camera that will (Read more)
Gaming
Nyko Wireless Nunchuck takes the wire out of the Wii waggle
The Nintendo Wii uses a wireless remote to begin with, but that remote still manages to use a cord half the time. Most Wii games use both the Wii Remote and the Wii Nunchuck, an analog stick peripheral that plugs into the base of the remote via a long cable. Nyko first cut the Wii cord with the Wireless Sensor Bar and is taking away yet another tether with the Wireless Nunchuck.
The Nyko Wireless Nunchuck connects to the Wiimote via a little wireless dongle that clicks into the controller's accessory jack. Once plugged in, tapping the connection buttons (Read more)
Home audio
Logitech's Squeezebox Duet: Sonos for the masses?
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 (Read more)
Home video
EchoStar TR-50: HD DVR for the antenna crowd
If you think everybody has cable or satellite, you couldn't be more wrong. In fact, if you live in an area that's well-served by digital broadcasters, now's a better time than ever to get your TV over the air (or "OTA," as the cool kids say): yeah, you get only a handful of channels, but they're in crystal-clear digital quality--DVD quality at "worst," uncompressed high-definition at best. The problem--as we're reminded by many an e-mailer--is that there just isn't a good DVR solution for the rabbit-ears crowd, especially if you prefer high-def. (You can (Read more)
MP3 and portable video players
iRiver W7 MP3 player hankers for directions
Now here's something you don't see everyday: an MP3 player with GPS capabilities. The new iRiver W7, one of a slew of devices the company has on display at CES 2008, doesn't come with a built-in GPS antenna. Rather, you have the option to buy a car mount cradle that adds the functionality. The fact that the antenna is part of the cradle and not the player is actually quite compelling: it means the player can stay relatively compact and impressively thin for pocketability during "on-the-go" use, while still offering a handy navigational feature for the car. (Read more)
Televisions
Philips' Eco TV sips power, saves rainforest
At CNET, we take HDTV power consumption seriously, which helps explain our excitement when Philips announced its Eco TV. The 42-inch, 1080p resolution, flat-panel LCD, model 42PFL5603D (due in March, $1,399 MSRP), is packed with power-saving features.
Watch the Philips 42PFL5603D Eco TV video on CNET TV.
Chief among them is the ability to dim the backlight--by up to five times peak brightness--in response to program material, much like the "local dimming" found on Samsung's LED-based LN-T4681F. Dimming the backlight in darker scenes has the dual benefit of saving power and improving black-level performance, according to the company. (Read more)
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Thanks,
The CNET TV Team
Thanks,
The CNET TV Team
CES COVERAGE
CES AWARDS AND NOMINEES
Best of CES and People's Voice Award
Since 2006, CNET has presented the Best of CES Awards, given to the top product in 10 categories as well as one coveted Best in Show award. See the gadgets that topped our list for this year, and find out the People's Voice winner, decided by more than 10,000 member votes.
BACKSTAGE CREW
CNET Blog Network members plus two lucky international writers offer you their perspectives on what's hot at CES 2008. Find out who they are and which gadgets they find most drool-worthy from the show floor.
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