Posted by Alan Stafford | Thursday, January 26, 2006 11:10 PM PT
For the last month, I've been getting a subscription renewal reminder from Symantec's Norton AntiVirus 2005--every freakin' day, and sometimes more than once a day. Every time it pops up, I've had to click one of the options (renewal is "recommended," of course) and then click OK. It won't let me turn off the reminder or put it off until a more convenient time; it insists on hounding me.
Of course, I know that to be fully protected against viruses, I should be using a product with up-to-date virus signatures. But how do I know that renewing will add 12 months of subscription time to the end of my current 12-month term? Does it start the new subscription on the day I renew--so that I only get 11 months out of the initial subscription? What if I want to upgrade to Norton Antivirus 2006, but I still want to get my 12 months' worth from the 2005 edition?
Then today I started getting a new warning, that my antivirus subscription has expired. This reminder gives me only two options: to either renew immediately or put off getting reminded for one or more days. So my options are, pay up, endure the constant nagging, or uninstall the software and play with fire. Right now, I'm seriously considering the latter option.
Truth be told, I was thinking of downloading the
Google Pack, which includes a free six-month subscription to Norton Antivirus. But now I'm thinking I don't want to put up with the nagging that's sure to start another five months, so I'm looking seriously at one of the top-rated programs from the
antivirus software roundup in our March issue.
Sometimes, "No" means "No," you know?
Posted by Eric Butterfield | Thursday, January 26, 2006 1:41 PM PT
The new Olympus EVolt E-330 is the first digital SLR with interchangeable lenses to do something point-and-shoot cameras have done for years: Offer a live view on its LCD.
The camera (shown below) has two sensors, and you can view the image from either one. While viewing what's on the capture sensor, you can enlarge the image by 10X to see fine details.
The LCD swivels outward (see photo), and you can angle it to make overhead shots or dramatic low angles easier to frame. The EVolt E-330 will sell for $1100 with a 14-45mm lens.
Is this a feature that will convince you to pull the trigger on a digital SLR?
Posted by Narasu Rebbapragada | Wednesday, January 25, 2006 3:45 PM PT
I've got my mitts on the new iMac with a 2-GHz Intel Core Duo processor.
So far, I've run through the iLife applications and created a short blog using iWeb, which I was able to view via RSS on both Apple's Safari (on the Mac) and Mozilla Firefox (on the PC).
My colleague Danny Allen pointed me to some criticism of Apple's Photocasting feature, which does not adhere to RSS and XML protocols according to some. A full discussion and link to the original VNUNet article appears
here on Slashdot.
Look for our iMac review in an upcoming issue of PC World.
What else would you like me to check out on the Intel iMac?
Posted by Danny Allen | Friday, January 20, 2006 2:43 PM PT
The
2006 Winter NAMM music tradeshow got underway in Anaheim earlier this week and one of the more interesting announcements is the new Open Labs MiKo media workstation.
Open Labs has released a variety of larger workstations with built-in computers since 2003, but the MiKo features a smaller 37-note musical keyboard and is the first to be somewhat portable. The company says it'll be targeting the unit towards musicians, video editors, content producers, DJs and the like and this is underscored by the range of software options and choice of hardware modules featuring programmable faders, sliders and dials.
A top of the line MiKo can integrate an AMD 64-bit dual core processor, up to 4GB of memory, an 80GB hard disk, Windows XP, 7.1 surround sound output, a dual layer DVD burner, ethernet and Wi-Fi networking plus a QWERTY computer keyboard and trackpad with mouse buttons. The 15-inch LCD touchscreen option is capable of 2048 by 1536 to allow for high-definition video. Dual-head video outputs, USB 2.0 and FireWire ports are also included.
The most basic version of the MiKo is available to order now,
starting at $1999.
Posted by Alan Stafford | Friday, January 20, 2006 11:29 AM PT
Welcome, citizens of
Greencastle, Indiana. Right now, most of you are using dialup connections to access the Internet, so I?ll type very slowly. But in the next couple weeks, many of you will be able to get broadband access for the first time--no thanks to the companies that should have been delivering it years ago.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Rural Development program granted a
low-interest loan to Cinergy Metronet, which is installing high-speed fiber-optic cable in several rural communities in Indiana; Greencastle is just the first city on Cinergy's schedule. Many rural communities around the country have applied for funds from the agency--look
here to see if your berg is on the list.
Word in Greencastle (from my mother) is that Cinergy is already signing up customers, with installations to begin in a couple weeks. Cinergy is offering several
packages; a basic package of a 6Mbps Internet pipe, cable television service, and local telephone service costs $79 a month--a killer deal.
Greencastle and countless other rural communities have been relegated to the backwaters of the Internet for years because phone and cable companies haven?t deemed it profitable to offer DSL or cable Internet access, but deals such as Cinergy?s could change things. After Cinergy inked its deal,
Insight Broadband moved to start offering cable Internet access. Verizon Communications
has begun installing fiber in northern Indiana, where it will compete with Cinergy.
But many communications companies are still trying to prevent anyone but them from offering broadband access--even though they still don?t offer it in many sparsely populated areas. As my colleague Tom Spring
reported in last October?s issue, some small communities have given up trying to get those companies to offer broadband, and instead have made efforts to offer it as a municipal utility. I'm not wild about government entities competing with private companies, but you have to hand it to these municipalities for doing what's best for their citizens. To the companies that are grousing about it, I say, you had your chance--now you can either compete, or get out of the way.
Anybody else stuck with dialup in the sticks?
Posted by Melissa Perenson | Thursday, January 19, 2006 6:50 AM PT
First, Nikon
announces it will cease making (most) film cameras. Now comes news that Konica Minolta will stop making cameras--both film and digital--entirely. As much as I love digital photography (and, no, I can't recall the last time I actually shot using film), I'm finding it tough watching film disappear. To see a venerable photography company choose to exit this market is saddening, although not unexpected given the fierce competition among digital camera makers, and the fast commoditization of digital cameras themselves.
Konica Minolta's announcement in Tokyo did have two bright spots, though. The company plans to sell assets related to its digital SLR (single-lens reflex) cameras to Sony, with whom it was already jointly developing a digital SLR camera. And Sony has said it will use the Konica Minolta Maxxum/Dynax lens mount on these digital SLR cameras, which means photographers with Minolta lenses won't be left without options in this increasingly all-digital world.
Any Minolta users out there? What are your thoughts on the company's decision?
Posted by James Motch | Wednesday, January 18, 2006 2:35 PM PT
Our friends at Hard/OCP have an interesting addition to their system reviews in which they used WorldBench 5, PC World's benchmark suite, to demonstrate what a dramatic performance improvement can be attained by removing "bloatware" from a Dell XPS 400.
They said: "We came out with a total score of 72, which was very troubling."
"Surely the hardware we purchased from Dell should be able to do better than that!" the article went on to say. "Therefore, we did an experiment. We uninstalled any programs we didn?t feel were necessary to the operation of the computer, and we disabled all the services and pre-loaded programs at startup in MSConfig."
"Sure enough, after disabling the pre-installed software we got a total score of 88--much closer to other computers in this price range," they concluded.
Here's the full article.
Go here to learn more about WorldBench, PC World's industry standard benchmark suite.
Posted by Edward N. Albro | Wednesday, January 18, 2006 10:25 AM PT
There's no doubt this is a gimmick, but at least it's an interesting one.
Browster, an alternative browser that works as a plug-in to Internet Explorer, is holding an open design contest.
As opposed to open source software, in which volunteers actually write the code, Browster's concept of open design involves people trying the software, then making suggestions for features and interface improvements. Users vote on the nominations and the folks who made the winning suggestions get a prize.
Lots of companies incorporate suggestions from users in their software, of course, but they don't always make it easy to contact them with ideas or make it clear they're listening. I know I have lots of suggestions for improving the software I use each day. How about you? What would you change in your favorite programs?
Posted by Narasu Rebbapragada | Friday, January 13, 2006 4:59 PM PT
A lot of you have a three-day weekend in your immediate future. What are you going to do with all that time off?
Here's an idea. Recycle some electronics.
Most
Radio Shacks, through a partnership with the
Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corporation, will take your old batteries and recycle them.
Recycle for Breast Cancer takes old electronics, recycles them, and donates any profits to breast cancer organizations.
Enjoy your weekend.
Posted by Narasu Rebbapragada | Wednesday, January 11, 2006 2:16 PM PT
Google Earth for Windows ends its beta-test period, just as the beta for Google Earth for Mac launches. Now Mac users can look up childhood residences and other world locales in the creepy close detail that only satellite imagery offers.
The system requirements for the Mac application are not small. You need Mac OS 10.4 (Tiger) to run it, and recommended requirements include a 1.5-GHz processor, 512MB of RAM, and 2GB of free disk space. (The minimum requirements list only a 500-MHz processor, 256MB of RAM, and 400MB of disk space.)
The new Google Earth Plus (with support for GPS devices) and Google Earth Pro (a pro-level app) are Windows only. No news yet on plans for Mac versions. For more information on Google Earth, click
here.
Posted by Danny Allen | Tuesday, January 10, 2006 10:58 AM PT
As has become customary, Steve had one more trick up his sleeve: the MacBook Pro. The new notebooks will feature an Intel Core Duo (dual-core) processor that he claimed will enable MacBook Pros to be up to four times faster than current PowerBooks.
The new notebooks will also sport an integrated iSight camera above the display and ship with Apple's Front Row software and remote control. Other features include a backlit keyboard, scrolling trackpad, DVI-video output, digital audio-ins and -outs and sudden motion detector.
Apple has included its new MagSafe power connection designed to magnetically guide the power cord into place and easily disconnect should someone trip over it. This should be welcome news if, like me, you've had a friend walk past, trip on your cord and watched your notebook slide off onto the floor right in front of your eyes.
The MacBook pro will be available from $1999 starting in February. Full specifications and options can be found at
Apple's Website.
For more details on other MacWorld announcements, see PC World's Editor in Chief, Harry McCracken's
Techlog Blog
Posted by Danny Allen | Tuesday, January 10, 2006 10:19 AM PT
"Starting today, the Intel chip will be set free, and get to live inside a Mac."
Steve Jobs has just shown a receptive Macworld audience Apple's new Intel-based advertising campaign. Intel CEO Paul Otellini earlier joined Steve on the stage making his entrance in an Intel clean-room suit. The iMac line will feature Intel's Core Duo processor and be available in the same 17 and 20-inch sizes. The design will remain the same as current models as will pricing.
You can watch the new and rather toungue-in-cheek Apple TV spots
here. Let us know what you think...
Posted by Danny Allen | Tuesday, January 10, 2006 9:40 AM PT
For those who haven't seen, PC World's Editor in Chief, Harry McCracken is
blogging live from the Steve Jobs keynote.
I'm here also, and will be posting my thoughts as the morning progresses... as long as my battery and the Wi-Fi signal I've picked up hold out.
Steve has just finished demonstrating GarageBand's new integrated Podcast features.
There's been plenty of announcements already with no doubt more to come.
Posted by Melissa Perenson | Monday, January 09, 2006 5:59 PM PT
This year's show felt larger than before?for a good reason. When the clock struck 4, the show floor officially closed, and toys began to be packed away, the final numbers could be tallied. According to the Consumer Electronics Association, which hosts the event, CES attracted more than 150,000 attendees--up from some 142,000 last year--and more than 2500 exhibitors. (As a point of reference, Comdex, the one-time behemoth of computer shows here in the U.S., peaked in 1998 with 212,000 attendees and 2480 exhibitors.)
Physically, the show was more spread out as well. For the first year, the show added exhibits over at the Sands Expo--making for interesting logistics for attendees trying to get from one place to the next.
The convergence I'd observed at the conclusion of
last year's show seemed more complete this year. Whether you were looking at the gargantuan Microsoft or Intel booths, or the array of vendors in the South Hall of the convention center...or even checking out the displays at traditional CE companies, you couldn't help but note the overlap. More and more traditional consumer electronics companies were displaying entertainment products powered by technology--often the same technologies behind computers, too.
The pure CE companies felt less prevalent than before, as well. I still saw some incongruities, though, with off-beat home electronics vendors side-by-side tech-types.
Hot topics this year included: VoIP and Skype (accessories for Skype were everywhere); crisp, ginormous displays--topped by Panasonic, who had bragging rights on the largest plasma display at 103 inches; satellite radio; and the ongoing struggle for dominance between Blu-ray Disc and HD DVD.
The show may be over, the last DVRs bundled up and plasma screens torn down, but for us consumers, it's really just the beginning. Most of the products and technologies introduced at CES--both on the show floor and behind closed doors--will be streaming to stores, and maybe even a living room near you, over the coming months. Many of these products are bound to pass through PC World's hands, so stay tuned to our site for the latest updates and reviews.
Posted by Edward N. Albro | Monday, January 09, 2006 9:20 AM PT
Having lots of television viewing options is great, but anyone who's
struggled with a 30-button remote and pages after pages of ugly electronic
program guides has to feel like there must be an easier way.
Hillcrest Labs
may just have found it.
Their navigation system is certainly more attractive than most, with both
TV shows and movies represented with a photo of the star or from the DVD
packaging.
Their remote, shaped like a loop, but not nearly as huge as it appears in this picture, can sense its position in the air, which means you
can easily manuever an on-screen pointer as you would with a mouse.
On
screen, you can bring up common functions like volume control and play,
pause and stop just by moving the cursor to the side or bottom of the
screen. Put it all together and it was easy to navigate with the remote's
minimalist controls -- a scroll wheel and two buttons.
Hillcrest is looking
to sell its navigation system to television providers like cable and
satellite companies.
Posted by Danny Allen | Sunday, January 08, 2006 1:13 PM PT
I've had a first-hand look at the company's new m1000 and just-announced m2000 media xpc systems and I've got to say that they're among the best-looking I've seen.
The m1000 features an Intel Pentium M processor, NVidia GeForce 6600 LE graphics, 512MB of DDR SO-DIMM memory and a 250GB hard disk with the option of a second 80GB drive. Also included are a 4x dual layer DVD writer, dual analogue TV-tuner and an 802.11b/g Wi-Fi module.
Windows Media Center Edition 2005 remote is included along with a stylish remote and wireless keyboard with integrated track ball for mouse control. The $1899
m1000 is now available for order.
The m2000 features an Intel Core Duo MT1400 (1.83GHz) processor, 512MB memory and is Intel Viiv certified. Its specs will be similar to the m1000 but will allow extras such as a modular hard disk and dual HDTV tuners.
Posted by Danny Allen | Sunday, January 08, 2006 1:11 PM PT
ASUS has announced its new Lamborghini notebook series that will bare the logo of the luxury car manufacturer in addition to a striking black and yellow motif and polished finish.
Although it's highly likely the new line will compete with
Acer's high performance Ferrari notebooks, ASUS hasn't released detailed specifications at this stage.
Posted by Danny Allen | Sunday, January 08, 2006 1:07 PM PT
M-Audio has updated its $149 Podcast Factory released last year with the more advanced Podcast Factory Deluxe kit.
Included in the box (and pictured) are two desk standing Nova condenser microphones and an M-Audio MobilePre USB audio interface that can route VOIP services through its driver to record phone interviews.
Bundled software includes Ableton Live 4 Lite for recording/mixing and Red Square Podifier for generating RSS feeds and uploading completed podcast episodes online. The Podcast Factory Deluxe is expected to be available in February at $299.
Posted by Alan Stafford | Saturday, January 07, 2006 10:30 PM PT
Canon introduced three new low-end digital video camcorders at CES, and they looked pretty nice, especially when I heard the prices. The
ZR-500 (pictured at left) costs just $299, but it has a 25X optical zoom and shoots 16-by-9 video. The
ZR-600 costs $350; it adds an SD Card slot for capturing 1-megapixel still images. The
ZR-700 costs $399; the bump in price gets you a higher-capacity battery and a video light. All three of the new models have 2.7-inch LCD screens, and they all have a microphone jack, something that was lacking on preceding ZR series models.
Canon's new
Elura 100 camcorder (on the lower left) costs the same as the ZR-700 ($399); it has only a 20X zoom (that still plenty of length on a camcorder).
But it's also smaller that the ZR-700, has a video light that's twice as bright as that model's, captures 1-megapixel stills, and it has a long list of extra features that, frankly, makes me wonder why anyone would buy the ZR-700 over it. In the past, Eluras cost hundreds of dollars more than ZR models, so the fact that this one's price is so low is a puzzler.
Posted by Narasu Rebbapragada | Saturday, January 07, 2006 6:15 PM PT
U.S. Robotics has come a long way from modems, developing a VoIP line of products. Two Skype-related gadgets caught my eye.
The $50 USB Internet Speakerphone, which will be available sometime this month, plugs into the company's $50 Skype phone to let you talk hands free. The speakerphone comes with mute and volume buttons and includes echo cancellation.
The $60 USB Telephone Adapter, available this March, plugs into your regular landline phone and converts it into a Skype phone. It can still make regular POTS (plain old telephone service) calls. In fact, if you're on a Skype call and you get an incoming POTS call, the Adapter gives you a call-waiting signal and lets you take the call. The reverse situation, where you're on a POTS call first, works too. You can also make Skype conference calls.
Posted by Melissa Perenson | Saturday, January 07, 2006 4:21 PM PT
In keeping with the tradition of keeping a radio on your tabletop,
Eton introduced its stylish Sirius Connect Home-compatible radio here at CES.
The retro-looking Eton Sound Radio pairs an old-school AM/FM radio with Sirius-enabled playback device.
Available in black, blue, red, and white, this tabletop model has an LCD display, analog tuning knob, memory presets, and a built-in clock and alarm. The unit will ship in the second quarter, and cost $150.
Posted by Narasu Rebbapragada | Saturday, January 07, 2006 3:57 PM PT
Green Saturday refers to today's midday program produced jointly by the Consumer Electronics Association and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to promote good environmental practices and recognize companies that have been particularly green this year.
Companies have been manufacturing less toxic products, largely in response to a European Union directive on the Restriction of Hazardous Substances. It requires that products sold in the EU be nearly free of six hazardous materials: lead (the biggest culprit), mercury, cadmium, hexavalent chromium, polybrominated biphenyls, and polybrominated diphenyl ethers.
HP, for example, has retooled its DeskJet 6940, ScanJet 5590, and PhotoSmart R817 printers to comply with these regulations. Europe's pro-environment stance helps the rest of our sorry selves, in that these companies will now sell these greener products elsewhere in the world as well.
A few companies and nonprofits ran consumer electronics recycling programs. For example, you can take old rechargeable batteries to a local Radio Shack, which in cooperation with The Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corporation, will recycle them for you.
If you want more information on e-cycing, as they called it, check out these Web sites:
The Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corporation lets you find a drop-off location near you.
HP provides information on how to recycle printing supplies.
The EPA's
Plug-in to Ecycling web page has more educational type information on how to recycle electronics.
Posted by Narasu Rebbapragada | Saturday, January 07, 2006 3:01 PM PT
HANA, the High-Definition Audio-Video Network Alliance, is championing IEEE 1394, aka FireWire, as the universal connector among networks of consumer electronics products carrying HD content. This poses some interesting issues for interoperability with PC-based home networks, which are Ethernet- based.
Launched in 2005,
HANA consists of 15 to 20 companies including Sun Microsystems, Samsung, and NBC Universal. All HANA-certified devices would connect via FireWire, would be discoverable to one another, and would communicate with one another with one remote control and without the need for drivers or firmware updates. The first HANA-certified products are expected for release at next year's Consumer Electronics Show.
HANA takes advantage of the FCC mandate that HD-capable cable devices have a 1394 (FireWire) connection upon request. HANA says that FireWire, which was designed to transfer media, is preferable to Ethernet for moving HD content since FireWire better handles QoS prioritization, in other words, streams video better.
Sounds great, doesn't it? Sure, except that there are now some troubling implications for integrating your TV-based network with your PC-based network.
HANA works closely with the MPAA (Motion Picture Association of America) and has designed this FireWire-based system to heavily protect digital rights management. HANA devices control the flow of DRM-protected content, allowing it to stream from PC- networks to home entertainment systems but, to prevent file sharing, not the other way around. Plus right now, the MPAA doesn't allow HANA devices to use wireless technologies. HANA networks are wired only.
I spent the past two days looking at cool devices designed to share photos, video, and music between your PC-based network and your TV-centric home entertainment system either by Ethernet or by Wi-Fi. HANA and the MPAA support neither protocol. If FireWire-based HANA devices take off, what will happen to current Ethernet and Wi-Fi based media networking products? It will be interesting to see how this shakes out in the next year.
Posted by Eric Butterfield | Saturday, January 07, 2006 3:00 PM PT
Walking, dancing, and talking robots are old news. And picking up your dirty laundry is old hat. Wowee Robotics' RS Media robot, a successor to the
Robosapien, has multimedia capabilities and you can adjust his personality with its software.
This robot has stereo speakers built into its hands, a subwoofer on its back, and a color LCD screen for playing movies, showing photos, and displaying MP3 information (to put those speakers to good use); there's an audio jack for plugging in your MP3 player and an SD card slot. The robot also records video with the camera built into its head. The RS Media is expected to hit store shelves in November and will likely cost $399.
The more affordable P.E.A.Bot moves on wheels instead of legs, incorporating Segway's dynamic stabilization technology. Like the RS Media, this bot has a color LCD that displays graphics and animations, and can be flipped up for playing games. Using its arms, the P.E.A.Bot can push itself upright if it's fallen. Like the RS Media, it comes with a remote control. This bot is also likely to hit stores in November, and will likely carry a $199 to $249 price tag.
If dinosaurs are more your speed, check out the Roboreptile, a smaller version of the Roboraptor (
see it dance here).
This robotic reptile has a guard mode for freaking out the family pet, and has four moods: aggressive, ferocious, passive, and tamed. You can tame the beast with its food item (shown in the lower right of the photo), or put its hood over its head to keep it in line.
Posted by Eric Butterfield | Saturday, January 07, 2006 2:30 PM PT
Fujifilm showed a compact camera outfitted with the company?s new Real Photo Technology, which is meant to reduce noise in digital images.
Grainy images often result when you shoot at a high ISO setting--and the $349 FinePix V10 offers up to ISO 1600 sensitivity. The company attributes this ability in part on the 5-megapixel model's Super CCD sensor.
The camera, which will be available in March, also has Natural Light and With Flash function. In this mode the camera that takes two photos in succession--you guessed it, one with flash and one without--though not so quickly that you'll avoid having your subject wide-eyed in one photo and blinking in the other.
Having a big 3-inch LCD on such a small camera is a nice touch, and you can play one of four built-in games on the big screen. Now quit goofing off and take my picture. (Photos of the camera and many other hot products
are showcased here.)
Posted by Melissa Perenson | Saturday, January 07, 2006 1:55 PM PT
Western Digital announced a major boost to its WD Raptor Serial ATA hard drive line here at CES.
This 10,000 RPM drive may be considered enterprise-class--its reliability rating is at 1.2 million hours mean time between failures, making it perfect for heavy duty environments--but it has proven particularly popular with performance-hungry gamers and PC enthusiasts as well. The new Raptor drive doubles its capacity, from 74GB to 150GB.
Interestingly, WD will also offer
a version of the drive aimed at gamers: That premium model will have a clear case covering the drive, so you can watch the drive as it works in your PC (see below).
The drive will be shipping shortly with a $349 pre-order price.
Posted by Erik Larkin | Saturday, January 07, 2006 1:32 PM PT
UTStarcom displayed a new hybrid cell and WiFi VoIP phone at CES that has the potential to seriously cut down on your cell bill. But because of the way the US cell phone market works, you'll have to hunt to find it.
Unlike in Europe, where consumers generally buy their own phone and slip in a SIM card from their provider to activate it, in the US most phones are sold through cell companies that "lock" the phone to their service only. You can buy unlocked GSM phones to use with whichever provider you want (with a SIM card), but they generally cost a fair bit more because you're not getting the subsidy from the cell provider.
Since phone distribution in the US comes through cell service providers like this, it's highly unlikely that you'll see the UTStarcom GF200 as an option for your Verizon or Cingular cell plan. It can connect to GSM and VoIP (over WiFi) networks at the same time, and send a call to either with the push of this or that button. So if you're in range of a known WiFi network (no hotspots yet), you can make or take a call over VoIP and not use any cell minutes. Which means less money for the cell companies.
The good news is that you should be able to buy the phone online from sites like voipsupply.com. It's not even announced yet, but the company estimates it will be available in Q2 this year.
For more information on the phone's functionality and setup limitations, read this accompanying PC World
news article.
Posted by Erik Larkin | Saturday, January 07, 2006 1:23 PM PT
Ok, so of all the "smart" consumer electronics I expected to see at CES, a toilet seat wasn't one of them. But there it was, in all its intelligent glory.
We're not quite at the point where the seat will comment on the state of your bum, thankfully. The Smart Hygiene Seat from Lotus Hygiene Systems concentrates its gadgetry on a bidet-type water jet. Control the angle, temperature and pressure of the jet with a side panel, or even a handy remote control. The company rep said at the highest setting, it could even handle certain tasks normally accomplished with a hot water bottle and a nozzle. Ahem.
They're currently available for $600, so if this idea floats your boat head to
www.lotusseats.com to order online or check store locations.
Posted by Melissa Perenson | Saturday, January 07, 2006 12:55 PM PT
First came the combo Swiss Army Knife/USB flash drive. Now,
Swissbit's Swissmemory s.beat MP3 Digital Audio Player (shown below)adds audio playback to that flash drive.
The miniaturized drive supports MP3, WMA and Ogg Vorbis files, and can also do radio, voice recording, and clock/alarm. The unit is available in without the tools (scissors, nail file/screwdriver, blade) as well; or, you can remove the USB portion from the rest of the knife if you're traveling.
To charge the battery, Swissbit includes a separate, handy travel charger.
The 1GB and 2GB versions shipped late last year; the 4GB model will ship in the spring of 2006.
Posted by Melissa Perenson | Saturday, January 07, 2006 12:21 PM PT
They're baa-aaack. Remember Commodore--yes, that's right, the gaming system you had back in the ?80s?--is back with entertainment aimed at 21st century audiences.
The company, reborn out of a string of mergers and acquisitions (Yeahronimo Media Ventures officially changed its name to Commodore International Corporation in October 2005; the new company has offices in Amsterdam and L.A.), introduced two new consumer products at CES.
Commodore's strategy is to partner with retailers to help push content to consumers and form an ecosystem accordingly. The first is the Commodore MediaBox, a hard disk recorder, is a silver box with standard-looking specs: it runs Windows in the background (with a custom GUI interface that looks nothing like Windows), and has a DVD burner, an electronic program guide and TV tuner for recording up to 160 hours of video on a 160GB hard disc drive, and an Internet connection for watching broadband content.
The Commodore MediaBox will connect to
Commodoreworld online, and will be updated daily; the idea is that cable or ISP operators, retailers, and content owners can then license the platform to distribute digital products and services to their customers.
The second product shown was the Navigator Combo. The specs on this handheld were preliminary, but it is equipped with a 3.5-inch touchscreen, an SD card slot, and a 20GB hard disk drive. The unit will be capable of doing GPS, playing games as well as MP3, WMA, JPEG, MPEG, and DiVx playback.
Posted by Melissa Perenson | Saturday, January 07, 2006 11:55 AM PT
Drool, if you must, but only for a moment--because you can't buy this yet.
TiVo showed its Series3 HD Digital Media Recorder here at CES. Few details were available, but the box the company showed was stylishly designed, and had a matching, yet familiar and ergonomically contoured remote.
The unit TiVo showed had a two-line OLED display and navigation buttons--something MIA from typical TiVo Series2 digital video recorders.
The box has dual high-definition tuners, so you can record two channels at the same time, and it will work with high definition and broadband video services and content, as well as with analog cable and even over-the-air, ATSC high-def broadcasts.
At the lower, standard-def resolutions, you can record up to 300 hours of video on the hard disk drive; high-definition video is a fraction of that number, of course, and unfortunately, as of now, TiVo says you won't be able to change the recording quality to fit more on the hard disk, as you can do with standard definition recordings today.
The unit has impressive connectivity: It will have HDMI out, two CableCARD slots (so it can replace your cable box), ATSC digital antenna, SP/DIF audio out, S-Video, component video, and two USB ports.
Bring it on!
Posted by Melissa Perenson | Saturday, January 07, 2006 11:20 AM PT
Memorex introduced its Memorex TravelLink and Memorex TravelSync, two nifty gadgets for easily performing backups on the fly between two USB devices.
The $80
TravelLink (below) lets you move data between two USB mass storage devices (most devices supported; contact Memorex for more details), two flash cards (an 8-in-1 reader is provided), or between flash and USB devices using the two USB ports and two card slots--great, for example, if you want to offload digital images from a flash card to a portable hard drive. The unit has a USB connection to the PC, too, so it can double as a media card reader.
The $60
TravelSync is a bit simpler, with straightforward USB-to-USB transfers between two USB mass storage devices.
Both devices have small LCD screens so you can select files to copy, move, or delete from a device; or, choose to copy all or delete all. And both run on three AAA batteries.
Posted by Anne B. McDonald | Saturday, January 07, 2006 11:18 AM PT
Our colleague at IDG News Service, Liz Montalbano, has a great eye for detail. Here's what she had to say about the keynote speech by Google co-founder Larry Page:
"Known for its quirky, innovative culture, Google did not disappoint in its first keynote appearance at CES. Page rode out on the back of a robot car built by Stanford University students, wearing a white lab coat and blue jeans.
He also used his time on stage not just to stump for Google services but also to promote social issues that are personally important to him, such as universal Internet connectivity and a $100 laptop program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to provide inexpensive computers to children in countries that have limited Internet access.
Google also demonstrated that in its role as Internet powerhouse, it has access to major media power to drive its new services. CBS President Les Moonves appeared with Page to promote the CBS deal. To highlight the deal with the NBA, which allows all NBA games to be purchased and viewed 24 hours after they are broadcast, Kenny Smith, former NBA player and commentator on the U.S. TV show "Inside the NBA" joined Page briefly on stage.
But actor and comedian Robin Williams made arguably the most memorable celebrity appearance at the keynote. Williams first appeared as a so-called live human search experiment, with the softspoken Page feeding him search keywords as Williams rattled off associated content for search keywords wearing a multicolored gadget as a hat."
Posted by Melissa Perenson | Saturday, January 07, 2006 10:55 AM PT
Remember the days of gold media? Well, gold is in again--using the same process that Mitsui perfected back in the early days of CD recording.
For years, MAM-A Matsui has been offering gold, "archival"-quality discs--so-called, in part, because using a 24-karat gold substrate instead of the usual silver makes the disc less susceptible to oxidation, should the disc's polycarbonate bonding fail--offering the discs in specialty channels.
Now,
Memorex plans to go one step further, by providing gold, archival discs with its DuraLayer scratch-resistance technology to help protect the disc from wear and tear. The Memorex Pro Gold Archival CD and DVD Media (example pictured below) come backed by a lifetime warranty, and, according to the company, will be the only gold archival media available at retail in the United States.
Memorex says the discs are rated with an archival life of up to 300 years for CDs, and 100 years for DVDs. In the lab, the company says it has found this media to be more resistant to the usual rapid, artificial aging torture tests, such as ultraviolet light, heat, and humidity.
Posted by Melissa Perenson | Saturday, January 07, 2006 10:02 AM PT
Flash memory giant SanDisk may not be synonymous with digital audio, but the company is one to keep an eye on nonetheless. Months before Apple's 1GB iPod Shuffle shipped, the company offered a 1GB flash audio player, for less than the cost of the Shuffle.
At CES, SanDisk introduced
two slick, new lines of players--both of which seem influenced in design by Apple's tall, thin, and black iPod nano. The small, super-compact c100 series comes in 1GB and 2GB varieties ($120 and $170, respectively), and includes a tiny color display.
More notable is the Sansa e270 (one version of the E200 line is pictured below) packs an impressive 6GB of flash memory, and about 128 hours of MP3 playback. But it does far more than play MP3 file: this unit can also play back videos (transcoded on the fly) and photos, viewed on its color, 1.8-inch QCIF+ resolution, TFT screen.
The color screen also allows for a nifty, icon based navigation menu, the sort you'd expect in a far larger media player.
This model is small, slim, and lightweight, made from a Titanium alloy. The Sansa e200 line includes 2GB ($200), 4GB ($250), and 6GB ($300) models--all are due out in March.
Hmm--wonder when Apple's small marvel will make the jump to 6GB?
Posted by Danny Allen | Saturday, January 07, 2006 8:15 AM PT
iRiver has given us a glimpse of two new products that are still under development -- and we have pics!
The G10 is a portable media player that offers video, photos, music and radio but can also browse the Web, check email and stream or download content.
The G10's hottest features are its integrated graphics chip and mobile network content abilities. It will support wireless broadband services using forthcoming WiMax technology to maintain an always-on connection to the Internet, video streams and games to download. iRiver wouldn't confirm who would be supplying the graphics chip to power the games but was clear that it isn't intending to take on the likes of Sony's PSP.
iRiver is planning to roll out the G10 in Korea later this year to work with Korea Telecom's WiMax-like WiBro service which incredibly, will offer a constant 30Mbps wireless broadband connection. iRiver is watching the development of infrastructure in the US before it announces any plans to launch locally.
The company's upcoming V10 media player on the other hand, which is essentially a scaled up G10, should be available in the US in some shape or form later this year.
iRiver is still deciding on most of the final specs: the V10 could ship with high density flash memory (for 8-16GB capacities) or a hard disk (for 30GB capacities using a 1.8-inch or 1-inch drives).
The company would like to offer the product in the US as a WiMax media player but if such services aren't available in time, the company may drop the V10's sliding keypad and position it as more of a larger version of its existing U10 device.
iRiver is also looking to increase the V10's chip horsepower to allow it to playback 640x480 video at 30 frames per second. Other possibilities for the V10 include GPS and digital free to air TV functionality. We'll be watching with interest to see which directions iRiver goes in.
Posted by Ramon G. McLeod | Saturday, January 07, 2006 12:39 AM PT
The first handheld capable of direct-from-TV recording was introduced by Samsung this week. The YM-P1 stores and plays a full range of audio and video files, has a 20GB hard drive, and allows users to record their favorite programs direct from satellite or cable TV via an AV-in connection.
The unit also offers player-to-TV playback, with VGA resolution, using the AV-out connection. Recorded shows can be viewed on the unit's 4-inch TFT-LCD screen. The company says the unit has a battery life of up to six hours.
The YM-P1 player supports MP3, WMA, OGG, AC3, MPEG4, DivX, Xvid, avi, WMV, JPG, BMP and text files. The unit is Microsoft Plays For Sure Audio and Video Download enabled, as well as Audio Subscription enabled for interaction with the most popular download services. It will also take an SD card for expanded memory and additional functions, and can be used as a voice recorder.
The YM-P1 will be available in February 2006 for $399.
Posted by Ramon G. McLeod | Friday, January 06, 2006 11:15 PM PT
Optoma and InFocus, companies that arguably have had the two biggest hits in the entry-level home theatre projector market over the last two years, are going at again, this time with lower-cost 720p, true HDTV resolution projectors.
InFocus's high-res candidate, the Play Big IN76, comes out in February, and should list for about $3,000, a very competitive price for a 720p resolution HT projector. It is supposed to be available in February.
The IN76 uses Pixelworks? DNX video-processing technology and the
720p DarkChip2 DLP from Texas Instruments, boasts 1000 lumens brightness and a 3000:1 contrast ratio. The new projector has a six-segment color wheel and has a DVI/HDMI connection along with all the usual other video inputs.
Optoma's answer is the HD72 home theater projector, which will also ship in February, but is expected to cost under $2000. It too features the Texas Instruments DarkChip2 chipset, has a 7-segment color wheel, and HDMI connectivity, along with the usual video inputs.
It will be interesting to see how these two products do against each other in the market, given the incredible successes of their entry level products over the last year, especially with the HT projector market expected to boom this year.
Posted by Danny Allen | Friday, January 06, 2006 10:53 PM PT
Better known for its motherboards and ATI-based graphics boards,
Sapphire has quietly introduced two new lifestyle products.
Sapphire says it rejected approximately 90 models in searching for the right mix of quality, feel and features for its new
Ivory digital audio player. The 512MB device boasts an 8-line, blue backlit display, support for MP3, WMA and ASF music files, plus an internal microphone and line-input for voice and music recording. The Ivory's built-in, rechargeable battery is stated to provide 35 hours of playback.
Nice extras include a built-in Tetris game, ebook support, and a Karaoke mode that lets you view lyrics and mix in your own voice.
Newegg.com is now e-tailing the player for $84.
Sapphire also showed us its own take on the ubiquitous USB thumb drive. Its $50 SA-U512A USB 2.0 Flash Drive has a capacity of 512MB and features a rubberized exterior to help fend off damage and possible data loss.
Posted by Danny Allen | Friday, January 06, 2006 10:31 PM PT
At just $60, P3 International's new Robotic Vacuum looks to be a cost effective alternative to
IRobot's second generation Roomba robot cleaners that depending on the model, are priced between $150 up to $250 and higher.
The whisper-quiet P4900 autonomously moves about wood, tile and low-pile carpeted surfaces, vacuuming in random and spiral patterns or along walls. It's able to work its way out of tight spaces and an internal dust bin makes dust and dirt removal a cinch.
An AC Adapter charges the unit's long-life rechargeable batteries (touted to last 45 minutes on a charge) and blinking lights indicate its power levels when in operation.
Posted by Ramon G. McLeod | Friday, January 06, 2006 10:30 PM PT
Now this is smart, but let's see how it sounds...
Marantz this week introduced a new type of multi-room audio system, the ZR6001SP, that allows owners to use existing home power lines to distribute and play music around the house. That's right, it uses the copper wiring in your house instead of wireless streaming, which I frankly have little use for, given the oft-flaky nature of today's wireless streaming products. And the Marantz approach is a helluva lot simpler than ripping up walls and running speaker wires to other floors and rooms, a nightmare I've personally experienced
Power line networking itself is not a new concept. There have been home networking products around for several years. But this is a little different.
The system consists of two parts: ZR6001 Audio/Video receiver, and the ZC4001 Client which communicate with each other using Power Line Audio Communication (PLAC) technology.
Marantz says that PLAC technology is a method of bi-directional signal communication that uses AC power lines as a transmission channel, superimposing high frequency signals over the AC power line.
The system is supposed to be literally "plug and play" as communication between audio components equipped with PLAC circuitry begins as soon as they are plugged into any household electrical outlet. The resulting audio stream is supposed to have full CD-quality (44.1kHz/16-bit) audio.
The ZC4001 Client is a self-powered all-in-one box that includes two stereo speakers. The unit?s remote control provides bi-directional communication, allowing users to control tuners, CD players and other components connected to the main ZR6001 system.
The Marantz ZR6001 is a 7-channel home theater receiver that features HD component video switching, component or S-video upconversion, 32-bit DSP processing and 192kHz/24-bit digital/audio converters for all channels. It delivers 90 watts of power into each of its seven main channels.
The Marantz ZR6001SP system, including both the ZR6001 receiver and ZC4001 Client will be available in Spring 2006 at a total suggested retail price of $1,299.99. Additional ZC4001 units will be available at a suggested retail price of $329.99 each.
Unfortunately, I couldn't hear how this system sounded on the CES showfloor, but we'll say about giving it a work out soon...
Posted by Danny Allen | Friday, January 06, 2006 9:41 PM PT
Gateway has given PC World an exclusive sneak peak at its upcoming high-end desktop, the FX510.
The successor to the company's
FX400 series desktops, the FX510 will use a BTX platform for improved airflow and an Intel Extreme Edition processor that can be overclocked using bundled software. The system will also feature ATI's next-generation CrossFire graphics technology and support up to 1.5 terabyte of storage and 4GB of memory.
The FX510 is scheduled to launch in February and will compete with
Dell's new XPS Renegade 600.
Posted by Laura Blackwell | Friday, January 06, 2006 9:21 PM PT
Can your monitor stand move the screen into your ergonomic comfort zone? If not, you may like these new products from LCD-mount maker Ergotron. I liked Ergotron's sturdy
DS100 dual-monitor stand when I tried it out last year, but a prototype of the LX-Dual ($279) won me over with its fingertip-sensitive height adjustment. Thanks to the Constant Force technology they share, the similar LX-Triple ($329) worked just as easily. Only a few design details remain to be determined. Overall, they look similar to their predecessors, but with bigger, sleeker bases and with a silver arm instead of a black one. Both will be available in March.
The new LX Notebook Arm, shown above, looks like nothing I've ever seen before. It clamps on the edge of a desk or table and securely holds a notebook computer at the end of its articulated arm, allowing you to adjust the height and the angle. It keeps the notebook above your work surface and closer to your eyes, saving you from the hunching I'm doing right now to type this at the Consumer Electronics Show. Keeping the notebook up higher encourages you to use a full keyboard instead of the laptop's cramped one; that could make you more comfortable, too. Priced at $179, the LX Notebook Arm goes on sale in March.
Posted by Anne B. McDonald | Friday, January 06, 2006 6:00 PM PT
We have a large team of editors at CES and they are, indeed, posting thousands of words. Go to our
News Page or our
CES Info Center to see everything they're writing about.
But, if you are interested in consumer electronics and haven't stumbled upon the fine, on-the-fly photography that staff photographer "Rapid Rick" Rizer is posting for PCW, well, you're missing something.
Take a look at what he--with the help of PC World Intern Sullivan Charles--has, well, focused on since they both got to CES 2006 on Tuesday.
Here's
today's CES Photo Gallery (don't miss the motorized pool float);
Thursday's (how about that crazy speaker system from Saitek? The wireless A-250 is intended to play music from a PC or laptop hard drive), and
Wednesday's (I kind of like the Micro Mosquito, a radio-controlled helicopter).
Rick and Sullivan shoot all day and process all night so that you can see CES through their eyes first thing in the morning. Hope you enjoy their work.
Posted by Eric Butterfield | Friday, January 06, 2006 4:46 PM PT
Pioneer's new AVIC-Z1 in-car navigation system (below) can keep you and your passengers entertained while ensuring you don't get lost.
The secret is the 30GB hard drive, which can store the entire TeleAtlas database and still have 10GB to spare for music, which it rips from CDs at 4X speed. The $2250 device delivers text-to-speech directions, and uses voice recognition to receive commands and address searches.
Using the optional ND-BT1 Bluetooth adapter, the Z1 allows you to make hands-free phone calls on a compatible cell phone, and can store a phone book and retrieve listings by voice command. Other adapters are available for XM and Sirius satellite radio, iPod, a CD changer and TV tuner. The Z1 will be available in April.
The $1800 AVIC-N3 (below) isn't quite as tricked-out, but it also works with an iPod adapter, and displays a similar menu system on its touchscreen for operating the music player.
And your passengers don't have to suffer your poor taste in entertainment. The back seat drivers can enjoy a DVD movie while you listen to satellite radio.
Detailed traffic information is available if you integrate the Pioneer GEX-P10XMT traffic tuner and subscribe to the XM NavTraffic service.
Posted by Eric Butterfield | Friday, January 06, 2006 4:02 PM PT
Pioneer today announced the Inno, a $400 portable satellite radio receiver that also plays MP3 and WMA files.
The device has 1GB of flash memory, and can record up to 50 hours of radio programming. That is, if you choose not to load any MP3s. At the outset, you partition the memory for either 100 percent XM content, or 50/50 radio recordings and MP3/WMA files.
For recording XM shows, there is a 40-second buffer so you have a little leeway before deciding whether to record a song or program. The Inno should ship in March.
Posted by Laura Blackwell | Friday, January 06, 2006 3:55 PM PT
Not everyone enjoys the isolation of headphones for enjoying music. Those who wish to share their tastes with everyone on the block will welcome the JVC RV-NB10 Kaboom, the latest incarnation of the well-liked but long-discontinued line of boom boxes. The Kaboom's familiar cylindrical shape features two subwoofers, JVC's Super Woofer Bass System and 52 watts of total power. The included wireless FM transmitter enables MP3 playback, and a quarter-inch input lets you hook up a microphone or guitar.
"We haven't made Kabooms since the nineties," says Hideomi Tsuya, manager of JVC's Consumer Audio Division, said at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas today. "But customers kept calling in asking for a new Kaboom. When we saw an old model on eBay for $500, we knew it was time to make a new one." RV-NB10 Kaboom, out in March, will cost $299.
Posted by Eric Butterfield | Friday, January 06, 2006 3:45 PM PT
If the demonstration I saw at CES is to be believed, digital cameras could soon be equipped with a chip that can capture a detailed image in very low light without the help of a flash.
How low? In a dark booth, Planet82 demonstrated its chip by capturing a group of moving toys, and dimmed the light to near darkness--I could hardly make out a single object--yet on the monitor, the camera using the new SMPD chip generated a recognizable image. The camera with a CCD chip produced a black image.
This technology is still in its early stages. The chip did not capture color information, and a series of vertical lines marred the image; company representatives said that color is on the way soon, and attributed the line pattern on fixed cell noise that will be eliminated.
The first applications for the chip will be security cameras, automobiles and camera phones, but I was told that the chip can deliver high enough resolution for basic and advanced digital cameras.
Posted by Erik Larkin | Friday, January 06, 2006 3:14 PM PT
Swipe your thumb over a tiny bronze-colored stripe, and voila - your PC is unlocked.
If we ever do reach the point where we don't have to remember, or even use, the passwords that I at least am always forgetting, it will likely be because of biometric scanners like those made by
Authentec. At CES the company announced its new 1610 scanner, which is millimeters high and less wide than your thumb.
With a manufacturing cost of under $5, these little scanners are popping up in mice, PCMCIA cards, and many other peripherals. A few business laptops are getting them, and if you happen to be in Asia, a bunch of phones use them as well.
They're not perfect, as recent reports of biometric
spoofing with Play-Doh attest. But I have to like anything that holds out the promise of reducing my password clutter.
Posted by Narasu Rebbapragada | Friday, January 06, 2006 3:13 PM PT
Novatix Cyberhawk Personal Edition joins the ranks of behavior-based security products such as Panda Software's TruPrevent and the OSFirewall within Zone Labs' ZoneAlarm AntiVirus. Oh, and it's free.
Behavior-based security products monitor key areas of your PC, look for system behavior typically caused by malware (viruses, Trojans, backdoors, and worms), and then block the threats. The advantage they have over heuristics-based security products is that they can catch new outbreaks during the critical hours before security companies release signature updates. Heuristics-based products generally need signature updates to detect new threats. The disadvantage is that, by definition, behavior-based products have to wait until threats actually behave on your system in order to detect them. That can be too late.
For this reason, I (as well as Novatix) recommend that you run Cyberhawk alongside not instead of your existing heuristics-based security software. Novatix expects to release Cyberhawk Personal Edition on January 17.
Posted by Eric Butterfield | Friday, January 06, 2006 2:37 PM PT
Snapfish, HP's online photo sharing site, announced its new Home Movie Service.
As the name implies, you share videos similarly to how you share photos at
snapfish.com, and can place videos alongside your photos in the same album. There aren't any required software downloads or plug-ins.
The number of clips you upload is unlimited, though the clips can not be longer than 10 minutes each. After a one-month free trial, the service costs $2.99 a month, or $24.99 per year.
Posted by Eric Dahl | Friday, January 06, 2006 1:59 PM PT
Shure's dual-driver E5c headphones have long been one of the best (and most expensive) sets of off-the-shelf in-ear headphones you can buy. This week at CES, the company is pushing the high-end even higher, with their new $499 E500 model, their first triple-driver headphones designed for the mass market. Shure has packed two woofers and a tweeter into each earpiece of the E500, with the drivers setup in a two-way configuration.
Any design that improves on the E5c is bound to sound pretty good, but it's the other tweaks Shure has made that really caught my eye. The E500s ship with a Push to Hear module that lets you flick a switch to pipe external sound into the headphones through an included microphone--a nice feature to have if you need to briefly leave your sound-isolated state and reconnect with the world. The PTH module plugs into the E500's new modular cable system that comes with one- and three-foot extensions so you can get exactly the cable length you want on your earphones.
Shure plans to ship the E500s this May.
Posted by Eric Butterfield | Friday, January 06, 2006 1:31 PM PT
HP announced seven new cameras at CES, including its first 8-megapixel model, the R927. Here's what it looks like:
The compact camera, which costs $399 and will ship in the spring, has a big 3-inch LCD and plenty of image processing power. The effects you can apply to images have names like solarize, vintage, ink dots, kaleidoscope, and soft-edge. You can also apply borders.
Perhaps the most surprising effect is the slimming feature--an algorithm that distorts the photo slightly to take a few pounds off the subject. Crash diets be damned!
Posted by Yardena Arar | Friday, January 06, 2006 6:00 AM PT
LEDs have been the next big thing in backlit display technology for some time, and Samsung now couples an LED light source with Texas Instruments' popular DLP rear projection technology in a 57-inch 1080p set, the HL-S5679W.
What's so great about a DLP rear-projection TV with an LED light engine? Several things, including a superior color gamut, faster turn-ons, and longer lamp life (20,000 hours without brightness degradation, according to Samsung). As an added bonus, the technology is mercury-free, making it more environmentally friendly than other DLP light engines.
The HL-S5679W has some other high-end features, including two 1080p HDMI inputs, ATSC (digital TV) and NTSC (analog TV) tuners, and a CableCard slot (so you don't have to use a cable box). It's expected to ship in April with a $4,199 pricetag.
Posted by Narasu Rebbapragada | Friday, January 06, 2006 4:28 AM PT
Macromedia Dreamweaver and Adobe GoLive can be overkill for nondesigners who want to construct their own Web sites. SJ Namo Interactive's WebEditor 2006 suite looks like an interesting, middle-of-the-road alternative that, at $100, offers solid features at a reasonable price. I haven't tested it myself, however.
The 2006 version, released in October 2005, is not new, although I'm embarrassed to say that it was new to me. New features include a Quick Tag Editor for adding HTML code on the spot, new text and drawing tools, and enhanced CSS tools. It supports blog posting for Movable Type and Blogger.com blogs. There are also interface enhancements such as better visual guides when editing tables and layers. This software comes bundled with the WebCanvas 2006 vector-drawing app for creating Web graphics.
Posted by Danny Allen | Friday, January 06, 2006 2:16 AM PT
Lenovo is updating two of its most popular ThinkPad notebook lines: the portable performance T-series and ultraportable X-series. Like the recent
ThinkPad Z60, the new models also include Windows shortcut keys?finally!
The new ThinkPad T60s will be available with Intel's Duo (dual core) and Solo (regular) processors. The same also applies to the more svelte ThinkPad X60 series. Alternatively,
X60s models will offer Intel Ultra Low Voltage (ULV) processors to help increase battery life even further.
The ThinkPad X60 has two open DIMM (upgradeable memory) slots able to house a total of 4GB of memory, although Lenovo advised that Windows can only actually address 3.2GB. Still, this is an improvement over the
ThinkPad X41 which had one memory stick solded in causing its memory capacity to max out at 1.5GB. The X41 also uses a 1.8-inch hard disk with maximum speed of 4200-rpm and capacity of 60GB. The ThinkPad X60 sees improvements in this area courtesy of a 2.5-inch serial ATA hard disk that can operate at 7200-rpm and is available in capacities up to 100GB.
I noticed subtle improvements in ergonomics on both units including a more rounded palm rest and less distracting colors around the keyboard. The Access IBM button on each new ThinkPad range has been renamed ThinkVantage, but continues to provide an easy path to backup, recovery and system setting tools.
The new T and X ThinkPad ranges also now feature a third USB 2.0 port, FireWire, a shock mounted hard disk and have options to include a biometric finger print reader capable of BIOS level protection.
More particulars for each series should be available around February 3rd, before Lenovo's intended launch date of February 14.
Posted by Laura Blackwell | Friday, January 06, 2006 1:53 AM PT
Ever wish you could draw right on your monitor instead of fumbling with a mouse? The Samsung SyncMaster 720TD tablet monitor, introduced Thursday at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, could grant that wish.
It's obvious from the design that the 720TD isn't some garden-variety 17-inch LCD. First off, it comes with a pen-size stylus in a separate stand. Second, two big, mysterious buttons sit on the shiny black bezel. When you press the buttons, they pop up, extending hidden antennas. Then you click the stylus--just like you'd click a ballpoint pen--to activate it. With the antennas active, the screen reacts to the touch of the stylus. My Photoshop doodles looked as good as anything I've drawn on paper, and far better than anything I've produced with a standard mouse.
Samsung plans to release the 720TD later in the year. A Samsung representative estimated that it would cost less than $800.
Posted by Edward N. Albro | Friday, January 06, 2006 12:53 AM PT
For the past year or so, we've been hearing about Ultra-Wideband, a new
networking system that was supposed to eliminate cables by allowing you
transmit data wirelessly over short distances. The pitch was essentially,
"It's like Bluetooth, but it'll actually work."
Today, I saw the first Ultra-Wideband products, in the form of wireless USB
connections. The devices use chips from
Freescale Semiconductor and are
appearing first in offerings from
Belkin and
Gefen. Here's how it works:
You plug small dongles, similar in shape and size to Flash drives, into the
USB ports of two devices and they'll be connected just as if there were a
USB cable running between them. Anything they can do over a USB connection
-- stream audio or video signals, sent documents to a printer, download
pictures -- they can do over the wireless connection.
The real-world throughput is about 60 mbps, as much as USB 2.0 ports can
handle. The range is 10 meters.
The folks at Freescale claim the devices are as simple to use and reliable
as wired USB connections. If they're truly able to avoid the latency and
clunky connection problems that Bluetooth devices often have, this
technology should have lots of cool uses.
Posted by Ramon G. McLeod | Friday, January 06, 2006 12:23 AM PT
Oh man, finally.
Toshiba, one of the great innovators in both the PC and consumer electronics world is, at last, beginning to understand that a little sizzle doesn?t hurt, especially when you?ve got to goods to walk the talk.
It may have one of the most exciting products here at CES, i.e., the Qosmio HD-DVD equipped notebook, and for a change, Toshiba is trumpeting its own horn.
During a booth tour Toshiba's folks made a point of showcasing this notebook and, for a company that's infamous for its modesty, that?s great news because this is a KILLER laptop, waaaaaay ahead of the competition.
Let?s start with the cool stuff. This is the first laptop that will play HD-DVD discs and, even better, lets you use that box to play hi-def discs on your TV. Jack this baby via HDMI into a receiver and it?ll support 1080p resolution. In effect, you can use this notebook as a high end HD-DVD player. It will be available in March 2006.
But this power notebook can do even more. It is equipped with Intel?s Centrino Duo mobile technology-based platform (code-named ?Napa?) built around Intel?s first mobile dual-core processor and it also includes the world?s first 1-bit digital amplifier in a notebook PC. Sweet sound, fer sure.
This is a notebook to die for. Its HD-DVD capability is the obvious headline, but it also includes a great illuminated touchpad that allows users, with a single touch, to send email or printout a web page. Nice.
I saw a fairly rigorous demo of the box here at CES and it had me ready to open my checkbook on the spot. The high rez imaging ported out from the notebook was truly a site to behold, and it was damn nice on the notebook itself.
Count on a full review of this baby when we can get our hands on it next month.
Posted by Alan Stafford | Friday, January 06, 2006 12:00 AM PT
Dell's previous attempts to build a fancy gaming system that competes with those from the likes of Alienware, Voodoo Computer, and Falcon Northwest have been pretty tame. But its upcoming
XPS Renegade 600 uses an Intel Pentium Extreme Edition Dual-Core 955 that's been overclocked from 3.46GHz to 4.26GHz, and the case gets a really rockin' custom paint job.
One important note--Dell warrants the system even though the CPU's overclocked. Depending on the CPU (and other factors), overclocking can cause instability, but logic says that Dell wouldn't sell or support a system that's inherently unstable--right?
The custom paint job is by
Michael Lavallee, who's better known for painting cars and motorcycles. The PC has a flaming, angry skull on the side and an iridescent panel on the front. You might suspect that putting that kind of look on a Dell is like pinstriping a Ford Pinto, but to Lavallee's credit, it works pretty well.
The components inside seem pretty serious, too--two NVidia GeForce 7800 SLI graphics cards, for a total of four GPUs; 2GB of RAM; one 10,000-RPM, 150GB hard drive and two additional 250GB hard drives; and a Creative X-Fi Platinum sound card with a drive-bay module with audio connections. It'll also have a 650-watt power supply.
The Renegade 600 will be available in limited quantities when it ships sometime this spring, and most of the internal components will be pre-selected. Dell won't name a price, but look for it to be $5000 or $6000 with a monitor.
Posted by Danny Allen | Thursday, January 05, 2006 11:53 PM PT
NVidia today well and truly upped the ante on its SLI dual graphics card technology by introducing the ability to use four of its high-end 512MB GeForce 7800 GTX GPUs simultaneously on an NVidia nForce4 SLI X16 motherboard.
The catch is that the
Quad-SLI solution uses two 1GB graphics boards, each with two graphics processors. Cheekily, each card actually consists of two circuit boards that are connected with a video bridge and some screws.
NVidia's Quad SLI technology should become available more widely in Spring and will allow gamers to play supported titles with smooth frame rates at high definition resolutions up to 2560x1600. Image quality should also see improvements through 32x antialising and 16x
anisotropic filtering.
Don't have a monitor capable of 2560x1600? Take a look at Dell's newly launched
30-inch Ultrasharp 3007WFP.
Michael Dell used part of his keynote presentation to help NVidia make the announcement and unveiled the first Quad-SLI-equipped system: the
Dell XPS 600 Renegade PC.
Posted by Erik Larkin | Thursday, January 05, 2006 10:48 PM PT
The online file storage company is set to launch a new media-focused service called MediaMax on January 16th.
As with the existing Streamload service, they'll offer a free service and scale up with paid offerings. But MediaMax will offer a lot more space at the free level. I can't say how much more just yet, but it's significant. The paid levels are likewise bumped up.
The demo they showed me tonight at CES had six buttons along the top: two for sharing video and photos, two "lockers" for video and music that can't be shared, one for other files and one for mail.
While you can't share music (to avoid what would otherwise be inevitable struggles with illegal file sharing), you can transcode it and stream it. Which means that if you upload your music collection from home in mp3 format, you can connect to the site from work and stream all your music in wma format. Same for video.
One small catch: they cover the cost of all the additional space at the free level with targeted advertising on the site. It wasn't intrusive, though.
Posted by Erik Larkin | Thursday, January 05, 2006 10:23 PM PT
Here?s something from CES for the gamers. Powergrid Fitness? new Exer-station gaming controller gives you a workout while you play.
It works like a huge joystick with variable levels of isometric resistance. You put it on a chair or stool, sit down and then push or pull the controller to go in the desired game direction. They?re saying it burns around 350/hr, roughly the same as recreational swimming or cycling. I only played ? I mean, I only worked out ? for a few minutes, but I could tell it was doing something for me.
The controls worked well for the racing games they had going, but it might not work too well with an FPS, for instance. If you just can?t tear yourself away from your Xbox (or PC, or Playstation), though, it might be a fun route to a more toned you.
Suggested price for the Exer-station is $199, much less expensive than their current Kilowatt product, which has you stand up to play and works more muscles. It will be in select BestBuy stores, and you can also get it from their
Web site.
Posted by Yardena Arar | Thursday, January 05, 2006 6:41 PM PT
Some of the coolest stuff at CES isn't meant to be bought by you or me. Rather, it's technology we'll be seeing around us, sooner or later. Sharp Electronics, for example, showed off an intriguing two-way LCD--a screen that displayed one image when viewed from the right, and a completely different image when viewed from the left. It reminded me of those little Cracker Jack toys that showed different images as you tilted them from left to right.
To illustrate the technology for my camera, a Sharp representative held up a mirror to the display. You can see that the image reflected in the mirror is completely different from the one on the display:
Sharp says a display like this could be useful for digital signs, such as at the airport, where you could use it to show arrival information when viewed from one angle, and departures when viewed from the other.
Posted by Alan Stafford | Thursday, January 05, 2006 6:30 PM PT
Today, I saw Dell's new Ultrasharp 3007WFP, a computer monitor that's so big, I might actually be embarrassed to put it in my home office. I can just imagine people spotting it on their way to the bathroom and exclaiming, "Holy cow, Al; did your parents let you sit too close to the TV when you were growing up?"
The 3007WFP's screen looked pretty darn nice, thanks to 2560-by-1600 (WQXGA) resolution and an 11ms gray-to-gray response time. The resolution is so high that you must have a dual-link DVI-D graphics card, such as an NVidia GeForce 7800GTX (Dell, of course, will sell one to you; it costs only $699).
The monitor itself costs $2199 on its own, or $1999 when purchased with a system. Dell was running
specials in recent months that seemed to throw in a PC for free (well, more like a couple hundred dollars) if you bought its 24-inch monitor, but I'm guessing deals like won't be popping up soon. At least you won't have need a memory card reader; the monitor has a 9-in-2 version built into it.
Posted by Melissa Perenson | Thursday, January 05, 2006 5:58 PM PT
The
Blu-ray Disc Association announced just now that it has completed work on its physical specifications. The spec is now done, says Andy Parsons, the association's spokesperson. The completion of the spec is a milestone for the blue-laser disc optical format that hopes to become the successor to DVD.
"Everything--all of the physical specs, the application layers--is completed," he said. "We?d been saying we?d have the spec done by the end of 2005, early 2006?and we got it done pretty much on time."
"The legions of engineers who have been working on this is just astounding. I?ve never seen anything like it," Parsons continued. "Companies that usually duke it out--competitors--are working together. It?s been fun to watch it all come together. And it feels really good to see it completed. I?m proud of the fact that we?re pretty much delivering as we said we would."
Twenty companies have announced Blu-ray products at CES.
Posted by Narasu Rebbapragada | Thursday, January 05, 2006 4:30 PM PT
I took a quick look at the Netgear Skype phone. It is essentially a Wi-Fi phone plus router that can tap into the Skype voice over IP service so long as there's an available Wi-Fi signal. Users can make free calls to other Skype users and paid calls to nonSkype users. The phone is Skype only and can't make standard cell calls.
The phone has a candy-bar form factor and a good-sized screen. It comes preloaded with Skype software, so all you need to do to is enter your user name and password. Your contacts will transfer over to the phone, at least in theory. I didn't get a chance to play around with the phone.
The phone will be available some time in the first quarter of 2006. Netgear says that this is an early announcement with no specific pricing and availability information yet.
Posted by Liane Cassavoy | Thursday, January 05, 2006 3:45 PM PT
Can't make it to Las Vegas for this year's Consumer Electronics Show? Don't worry, we've got it covered. Our
CES InfoCenter has all the news from the show.
And to see all of the hottest products yourself, be sure to check out our CES Photo Galleries.
Today's photo gallery has pictures of a sleek new desktop from Alienware, LG's new portable media player, and some cool new cameras. And
yesterday's photo gallery will show you the latest TVs (including one that looks like a soccerball--complete with real leather), high-tech fishing gear, and the latest in electronic guitars. Check back throughout the week for more.
Posted by Eric Dahl | Thursday, January 05, 2006 2:29 PM PT
When Viewsonic says their latest DLP projector is pocket-size, they aren't kidding around. The PJ106-D prototype they showed off today at CES measures 4.76 inches by 1.85 inches by 3.9 inches--not much bigger than a digital camera or an old Walkman. Here's a photo:
The PJ106-D uses an LED as a light source, which lets Viewsonic shrink the projector considerably. Their current prototype provides 800x600 resolution and even runs for 2.5 hours off a battery pack. The only drawback: For now the LED-lit projector only puts out a measley 25 lumens. That, of course, is why this guy's just a prototype. Viewsonic is working to boost that number to 500 lumens before they think about releasing the projector later this year.
Posted by Melissa Perenson | Thursday, January 05, 2006 2:01 PM PT
Actiontec today at CES showed me its new Wireless Networked Attached Storage box, available in 160GB and 250GB versions ($290 and $360, respectively).
More enticing: You can also buy an unpopulated box for $185 that accepts any 3.5 IDE drive. The plain gray box itself won't turn heads for its design, but it is functional: the unit is designed to be stackable. It also has an 802.11g access point, integrated FTP server, and is UPnP- or Universal Plug and Play-, but not
DLNA-compliant. The Wireless NAS should be available later this month.
Posted by Andrew Brandt | Thursday, January 05, 2006 1:57 PM PT
It's been a rough couple of weeks for Windows users. Hackers figured out a way to exploit
a very serious security hole in Windows, now known as the WMF vulnerability, on December 28th---and immediately began doing so. The security weakness permits the hackers to
take complete control of the affected PCs if the user merely views certain graphics on their PC or in the browser.
Ever since the "zero day," when malicious hackers began taking control of computers nonstop, there hadn't been an official patch for the majority of Windows users. Based on the seriousness of the threat, Microsoft
made the decision to release a fix today, several days ahead of the monthly "patch Tuesday" next week. If you have Windows 2000, XP, or Server 2003, you can
get the patch here. If you have Windows 98 or Me, you may be totally out of luck, as Microsoft doesn't plan to release a fix for these older operating systems.
Millions of Windows users remain vulnerable to this very serious threat (though, apparently, the users of Microsoft's beta OneCare service, according to the Washington Post's Brian Krebs,
received a fix within hours of the discovery of the problem). Unless you download the patch today and manually install it, your PC will remain vulnerable until next week at the earliest.
The security problem is so serious that security experts in this case decided to take the unusual step of
releasing an alternative fix. Security analyst
Ilfak Guilfanov wrote a small program called WMFfix, which temporarily disables the vulnerable features within Windows that give rise to the problem. But that patch, reportedly, causes
problems with printing on a small percentage of PCs. Fortunately for those who already installed Guilfanov's patch, there's a simple fix:
Uninstall the 'unofficial' patch, using the Add/Remove Programs control panel (If you previously installed it, the patch is called "Windows WMF Metafile Vulnerability Hotfix 1.4" in the Add/Remove Programs list).
A belated happy 2006, everyone. Looks like it's going to be another crazy year for Windows security.
Posted by Eric Butterfield | Thursday, January 05, 2006 1:05 PM PT
Pentax's new Optio A10 is proof that the battle for more megapixels isn't over yet. The pocketable A10 is the company's first compact camera to offer 8-megapixel resolution. Whether you'll ever need it is another story--got a wall-size poster in mind?
The A10 (below) is also equipped with a shake-reduction mechanism for help sharpening images shot in low light, or with the 3X zoom at full tilt. The camera also sports a 2.5-inch LCD. There's also an anti-shake feature for shooting video, and the camera can record movies in DivX MPEG-4 format. It will cost about $350.
The more basic $200 Optio E10 (below) offers 6-megapixel resolution, a 2.4-inch LCD, and eight scene modes, including a movie mode. Both models will ship in February 2006.
Posted by Melissa Perenson | Thursday, January 05, 2006 11:49 AM PT
Have a USB hard drive you'd like to share on your network?
Linksys' new
WRTSL54GS Wireless-G Media Storage Link Router with Speed Booster provides an 802.11g access point combined with an integrated server and a USB port, for placing any USB direct-attached storage drive on the network.
This makes the drive accessible to any Universal Plug and Play-compatible streaming media adapter, independent of whether the PC is on or not. The drive can also be set up for password-protected access via the Internet.
Posted by Melissa Perenson | Thursday, January 05, 2006 10:55 AM PT
All too often, I'll see nifty product designs from Asian companies that don't plan to release the product here in the U.S.
Fortunately, that's not going to be the case with
LG's new line of portable media players, all of which are slated for second-quarter debut. Each of the three LG models can play back video, audio, and photos, and all can achieve remarkable battery life (up to 60 hours, according to LG, using the high-capacity li-polymer batteries).
The one that first caught my eye was the diminutive FM30 Portable Digital Player, which outwardly resembles
iRiver's U10. This 2.4-inch tall, 1.6-inch wide, and .55 inch deep unit has a capacity of 1GB, and sports a 1.77-inch OLED screen. The battery is rated at up to 60 hours of music playback.
The other two models in the line were also eye-catching in design. The JM53 Portable Digital Player, a device that resembles a candybar cell phone in size, sports an 8GB hard drive, a 1.77-inch OLED screen, and a battery rating of up to 30 hours. The PM70 Portable Media Center can store up to 30GB of multimedia files; record video via its built-in composite video connectivity; and has a 4.3-inch screen.
Posted by Narasu Rebbapragada | Thursday, January 05, 2006 10:15 AM PT
Here's some software from
ArcSoft that's likely to come free with your next scanner or printer purchase. According to the company, about 85 percent of its business comes from OEM software bundled with hardware products. These products are very basic, so I recommend you get them free or not at all.
ArcSoft's $39 Scan-n-Stitch is a one-trick pony that lets you scan documents that are larger than the glass on your flatbed scanner. The software then stitches the pieces together.
ArcSoft's $30 Photo Greeting Card software does just that. It creates holiday, birthday, seasonal and other greeting cards. Just about any other graphics software package you might have already purchased does that too, of course, as do a variety of online photo services.
More interesting is that ArcSoft is getting into the backup business. Its $50 Backup & Burn has an easy-to-use interface to backup a variety of file types to CD, DVD, hard drive, or server. It asks you what kinds of files you'd like to backup (photos, Microsoft Money, music, etc.) and then instructs you to back them up. Again, the software is basic, but in this area, basic might actually get people to actually perform the backups. ArcSoft has not announced yet which products would bundle this software.
Posted by Melissa Perenson | Thursday, January 05, 2006 9:59 AM PT
One of the most frustrating things about today's inkjet printable CDs and DVDs is how susceptible the surface is to moisture. One sweaty finger, one drop of water, and my carefully crafted label can become smudged, sometimes beyond recognition.
Imation makes a big splash with its AquaGuard Inkjet printable water and smear resistant surface--first in the industry I've seen. The media uses a ceramic-based nano particle as the foundation of the surface itself. When the ink droplet is placed on the surface, it's attracted to and bonds to the ceramic particle, and therefore locks to that particle. As a result, when the disc comes out of the printer, it's dry to the touch immediately. You can handle a disc immediately after taking it out of the printer, unlike standard inkjet printable media.
The media itself is produced by Imation's partners; the surface is applied to the discs in Wahpeton, North Dakota, the same facility as where Imation still produces 3.5-floppy diskettes.
Imation expects a street price premium of about 50% over standard inkjet printable media. Even so, the company expects discs will come in at less than $1 apiece. The media is already available in Japan; Imation plans to bring the media to a store shelf near you around mid-year.
Posted by Alan Stafford | Thursday, January 05, 2006 9:15 AM PT
JVC was the first to offer a hard disk-based digital video camcorder, but now Sony has caught on with its new
DCR-SR100, an $1100 model that has a 30GB hard disk and built-in Dolby Digital 5.1-channel surround sound. Does two count as a trend?
Sony says you can record up to seven hours of DVD-quality video with the DCR-SR100--so, seven mini-DV tapes' worth. You can take 3-megapixel still images with the camcorder, too.
A special top-mounted microphone captures 5.1-channel surround sound, but you can also can use the camcorder with Sony's new Bluetooth wireless microphone that maps to the camcorder's center channel. So, for example, you could attach it to someone speaking at a conference, and that person's voice is always front-and-center while others' may move. The mic will cost $200.
The DCR-SR100 feels a little chunkier than a typical mini-DV camcorder, but not as square as a DVD-based camcorder. Still, it's easy to hold comfortably in one hand. Despite the size, it has only a 2.7-inch LCD screen, which looked a tad small on the camcorder, but one of the 3.5-inch screens on some Sony's other models probably wouldn't fit.
JVC announced new second-generation Everio
models, but I haven't seen those yet. The most significant enhancement seems to be the ability to connect them to a special external DVD burner, so you can burn DVDs without using a computer. Should you op to use a computer, transfer speeds have been improved significantly, says JVC.
Posted by Melissa Perenson | Thursday, January 05, 2006 8:30 AM PT
New twists on USB flash drives abound here at CES.
Imation, for example, showed me its Flash Wristband, a USB flash drive that's made of a water-resistant, rubberized material that loops around to form a bracelet. Here's what it looks like:
This sporty looking drive is designed to be worn, be it on your wrist, or interconnected with your backpack or briefcase. The unit will be available in a range of capacities--details have yet to be announced--starting with a 256MB model at $35. It comes in colors, too: a dreamy sky blue and basic black. The device will be sold exclusively at Target.
In a similar vein, Imation also introduced its 4GB Micro Hard Drive (below). The $189 drive looks like a padlock and has rubberized material that loops over the top and locks into place, so you can secure it around whatever surface you choose. Lock on!
Posted by Melissa Perenson | Thursday, January 05, 2006 7:52 AM PT
Salivating for Blu-ray? You'd better start saving, too: Pioneer announced its living room Blu-ray Disc Player
Elite BDP-HD1, due out in June, is slated to cost a whopping $1800.
The unit will deliver 1920 x 1080p high-definition output, and has IP networking and DLNA (
Digital Living Network Alliance)-compliant connectivity. The latter means you can use the BDP-HD1 to load protected content stored on a DLNA-compliant server or Windows XP PC using Windows Media Connect. Among the audio formats it supports, the unit can handle DTS-HD and Dolby Digital, as well as MP3, LPCM, and WMA files.
Pioneer also has announced its
BDR-101A (no pricing as yet), the first half-height Blu-ray Disc burner for PCs. Pioneer is targeting this model at the disc-authoring community, but expects early adopters eager for the removable media capacity offered by 25GB Blu-ray discs will gravitate towards the recorder as well.
The recorder can write to write-once BD-R and rewritable BD-RE, as well as to DVD-R/+R and DVD-RW/+RW; its lack of CD burning is deliberate in this first iteration.
Posted by Narasu Rebbapragada | Thursday, January 05, 2006 1:38 AM PT
Anthology Solutions' original Yellow Machine was a compact, bright little box that offered 1TB of networked storage with a built-in router, eight-port 10/100Base-T Ethernet switch, and RAID 5 support so that your data doesn't disappear if one of the four drives gets hosed.
Anthology's new Yellow Machine comes in two new sizes. A 1.6TB model costs $1699 and is available now. A 2.0TB model is a built-to-order option that costs $2499. (The original 1TB model is still available.) New features include Web-based remote access, VPN capabilities, and what Anthology calls Disk Scrubbing Technology (DST). This technology finds infrequently accessed files, checks them for errors, and fixes them if necessary. Anthology says hard drives can potentially write over files?for example old photos and video--that haven't been opened for many months, and DST aims to prevent this.
How do you use network-attached storage in your household or office? Let us know below.
Posted by Ramon G. McLeod | Thursday, January 05, 2006 1:26 AM PT
First shown at CEDIA in June,
Logitech formally unveiled its Harmony 890 Universal Remote this week, the company's first to use RF technology that allows owners to control consumer electronics located in other rooms and floors.
I'm personally very familiar with this remote, being one of the very few reviewers to have actually tested it out...and without giving away too much of PC World's upcoming review, I can say that the wait was worth it.
The 890 is intended for folks with home theatre equipment and distributed sound systems who may not have direct line-of-site to their gear. That's me: my wife cannot stand the site of A/V boxes in living spaces so I've hidden them away in a small office.
But thanks to RF, the 890 can control these devices through walls and floors...usually. Depending on distance, building materials, and the amount of RF in your home (got a cordless phone?), it can have problems. But it is a beautifully designed product and will do the job that most people need done.
Logitech is by no means the first company to produce an RF-enabled remote. Universal Remote Controls, Inc., has been doing so for many years, and frankly, has products at the higher end of its line that do a better job than the 890 at piercing walls and floors.
But the Harmony line is very well known to consumers for its ease-of- use and simple Internet-based programming capability, and these remain strong suits in the 890.
The product is about to ship for $399.00, but that price shouldn't daunt folks who keep their A/V gear out of the public eye.
Posted by Laura Blackwell | Thursday, January 05, 2006 12:31 AM PT
I haven't played the piano in years--or hadn't, until the Piano Wizard Premier Keystation 49e Package caught my eye. Instead of a sheet of musical notes, this software-and-keyboard set (software by Allegro Multimedia, keyboard by M-Audio) uses color-coded keyboard stickers to match the keyboard on the screen. Lines extend to the screen keys to show you which ones to play; icons sail towards the keys. If you press the right physical key at the right time--when the icon enters a small zone--you're rewarded with a quick animation as well the enjoyment of playing Beethoven or Van Halen.
The $200 set consists of the software and a
M-Audio Keystation 49e. If you already have a MIDI keyboard, you can buy the Piano Wizard Premier software with just a USB/MIDI cable and the stickers for $140. With its cute backgrounds of dinosaurs and marine life, Piano Wizard is definitely aimed at children. That fun, kid-friendly aspect could draw children in to play the game--even if they're shy about playing music. At higher levels, it teaches the basics (such as musical notation) that they'll need to play piano in earnest. And for an overgrown kid like me, Piano Wizard is an enjoyable way to brush up on rusty musical skills.
Posted by Ramon G. McLeod | Wednesday, January 04, 2006 11:55 PM PT
You can never have too much hard drive space, especially not today when digital photos, music, and video chew up gigs like puppies eat pigs ears.
But, while external hard drives have become extremely popular, more powerful (and more expensive) network attached storage has been slow to catch on with consumers. But some big names are working mighty hard to change that.
This week at CES three key companies announced products squarely aimed at convincing the public that an NAS is in their near future, festoning their machines with bells and whistles targetting digital entertainment.
Buffalo Technologies announced that its popular 1TB TeraStation Home Servers will now conform DLNA (Digital Living Network Alliance) Guidelines ? the (HS-D1.0GL/R5). This new version of the product is specifically designed for the consumer market and is supposed to allow users to easily store and distribute multimedia files such as music, DVD back-ups, family videos and photos around the home.
The new TeraStation will ship later this month and retail for $899.
SimpleTech is also moving fast to try and gain more consumer interest in NAS and yesterday announced that is it adding iShare to its SimpleShare networked attached storage (NAS) product line.
The company said that iShare provides an easy way to share, store and protect documents, digital pictures and music throughout the home or office and over the Internet. iShare allows secure, password protected remote access directly to the SimpleShare NAS from anywhere via the net, the company said. A 500 GB version of the SimpleShare will ship in February and is expected to cost $549
Meanwhile, industry heavyweight Maxtor said they will announce next week that their Shared Storage Plus NAS product line will have Macintosh support compatible, affording people with mixed networks to distribute files around their home or office. Because the line is also in compliance with DLNA guidelines, the company said consumers will be able to use the products with any compatible consumer electronics devices that also are in compliance with the guidelines.
The products will be available in February and are expected to cost $299.95 for a 200GB drive, $399.95 for a 300GB drive, and $499.95 for a 500GB drive.
Posted by Ramon G. McLeod | Wednesday, January 04, 2006 11:10 PM PT
Best known for game controllers,
Saitek has moved into digital audio with a surprisingly attractive-looking, and sounding, speaker system.
The company's A-250 is a wireless 2.1 speaker system that is intended to play music from a PC or laptop hard drive. While it looks a lot like a fancy boom box, uses Class One Bluetooth technology which allows it to pick up a stream of music from up to 100 feet away through walls.
The self-amplified A-250, which can also take input from portable audio players via a 3.5 mm jack, has a respectable 90HZ-18kHZ frequency response packs a lot of punch for such a small unit thanks to its neodymium speakers.
Setting up the speakers is trivial. Users simply connect a USB dongle to their PC or laptop, push a button, and the A-250 is ready to go.
This very clever product should start appearing in retailers this month, but is also now available at the Saitek web site. It's priced at $129.
Posted by Erik Larkin | Wednesday, January 04, 2006 10:38 PM PT
Version 5 is twice as fast as the previous version, according to the GoToMyPC folks who gave me a demo of the newly announced version tonight here at CES. Some outside testing by VeriTest puts it about twice as fast as PC Now and LogMeIn for running applications like Word or Excel remotely. You can see the VeriTest report at http://www.veritest.com/clients/reports/citrix/gotomypc.pdf.
A small video clip run off the ESPN Web site showed up ok through the new version, but there was still some choppiness. You'll still know you're accessing a system across the Internet.
Aside from more speed, they added 24-bit color, too. Other new features include being able to drag and drop files between the local and remote desktops and a slider bar to balance between speed and appearance.
Version 5 is the same price, $19.95 a month. If you already have it installed you should be able to right-click on the icon in the system tray and upgrade.
Posted by Yardena Arar | Wednesday, January 04, 2006 4:00 PM PT
The 2006 Consumer Electronics Show doesn't officially begin until tomorrow, but the big CE vendors are all holding their press conferences today.
I dropped in on Sharp's presentation, where they announced a 57-inch LCD-TV with an impressively fast 4 millisecond response time. We used to think 12 and 16ms displays were pretty darn speedy! Here's a photo of it:
Sharp has a bigger set: There's a
65-inch Aquos, but it's not nearly as fast and its contrast ratio is a measly 800:1 compared to the 1500:1 of the coming set.
If this new set sounds good to you, start saving. Sharp says it will ship in March for a MSRP of $16,000. Guess the best things in life aren't all free after all.
Fast LCDs are shaping up as a trend here. Outside the Las Vegas Convention Center, Viewsonic posters tout "the world's fastest LCD monitors." On their Web site,
a news release promos a pair of 4 ms monitors, the 19-inch VX924, and the 17-inch VX724.
Posted by Edward N. Albro | Wednesday, January 04, 2006 3:50 PM PT
If you like the idea of getting your television ala carte -- paying just for the shows you want to see, instead everything from QVC to the Military Channel, you might be interested in today's announcement from Akimbo, RCA and Movielink.
The three are working together on a box that will provide television shows on demand from Akimbo and movies from Movielink. The $299 device (which will come with a $100 rebate) will sell in retail stores this Spring. To
access
Akimbo programming, you'll need to sign up for a $10 per month
membership. That gets you access to about half their catalog; to watch
other programs you'll have to pay a small per program fee.
Movielink
charges about $4 for new releases, less for older films.
This arrangement won't quite provide the "watch anything you want, whenever
you want" digital video dream, but it's getting closer. Akimbo has an
eclectic mix of speciality programming, like yoga classes and foreign
language soap operas, along with more mainstream fare from cable networks
like Turner Classic Movies and A&E. Movielink gets movies a little after
they come out on DVD -- today they were featuring "Charlie and The
Chocolate Factory," "Sky High" and "Melinda & Melinda."
It'll be interesting to see how this partnership, and the similar
announcement yesterday from
Starz Entertainment Group, will fare with viewers. Apple's deals
for content on the video iPod have clearly opened studio's eyes to the
potential for making more money from shows that have already been
broadcast.
"It's been breathtaking to see the opening up of rights by content owners,"
Akimbo CEO Josh Goldman told me. "Consumers are now expecting on-demand
access to the favorite programming." And while watching TV shows on the
matchbook-sized screen of the video iPod doesn't appeal to me, being able
to watch them anytime on my TV does. And I wonder: If Akimbo adds "The Colbert Report" to
their library, would it be worth it to drop my premium cable
subscription?
Posted by Laura Blackwell | Wednesday, January 04, 2006 2:39 PM PT
High-definition content is a beauty to behold, and many devices--HDTVs, DVD players, and A/V receivers, to name a few--promise to deliver it. But sometimes these supposedly like-minded products don't work with each other, giving you a blank screen instead of full high-def glory. Simplay Labs and its Simplay HD Testing program, launched by Silicon Image at CES in Las Vegas this week, is now testing products for mutual compatibility. TVs and other devices using the High-Definition Multimedia interface may bear the Simplay HD logo only if they pass the certification tests.
Over a dozen HDTVs--perhaps as many as 18--have already earned
Simplay HD certification, according to Joseph C. Lee, Silicon Image's director of product marketing. DVD players, A/V receivers, and other HDMI-equipped devices will soon follow suit. Devices with the Simplay HD certification will work with other devices bearing the logo, making it easier to buy components and be sure they'll play well together.
Posted by Yardena Arar | Wednesday, January 04, 2006 7:48 AM PT
The best thing about covering GPS at the Consumer Electronics Show is the
Garmin International airport-to-hotel demo--a limo ride in which Garmin shows off its latest GPS gizmos (and we get to avoid the taxi line).
The cutest of this year's bunch: Garmin's $900 Nuvi 350 (with an umlaut on the u), a diminutive LCD touchscreen unit that comes with a suction windshield mount and offers a zillion options (including radios to receive real-time traffic alerts for $15 a month).
Garmin likes this gadget so much that it has created a
Nuvi blog, written as if the Nuvi were another CES attendee (but I don't see much about its aching feet).
Garmin is also introducing a new entry-level Palm/GPS hybrid: The iQue 3000, due in February for $399. I wish it had Wi-Fi too, though. Here's what it looks like:
Do yourselves all a big favor, download AVG free anti virus program. I've been using it for over a year and it works great. JUst as good ,if not better than the other two.
Just curious, Mr. Stafford... what did you decide? Are you sticking with Norton or did you choose an alternative?
For my home computer, I uninstalled Norton and installed AntiVir. It''s been fine; it connects to a server once a day, and when it does, it pops up an ad for a paid version, but it's easy to dismiss, and hey, it's free. For my laptop and my PCW work computer, I'm still using Symantec AntiVirus Corporate Edition, but that's because our IS dept. requires that we use it (and because it's completely transparent--it never nags me to upgrade).
AntiVir is fine because I practice safe computing--I think I got one alert in several years from Norton, and none from AntiVir.