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CES 2009: Lenovo ThinkPad W700ds hands-on
This visual media workstation has a fold-out secondary display and a pen-based digitizer, but is it too large to carry around?
There are thousands of products on display at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas every year — some of them practical, some not so much. When we took a look at Lenovo's ThinkPad W700ds laptop last night, we had some trouble deciding which of those two categories it falls into. Its claim to fame is a retractable secondary display that juts out of the right side of the lid. So in addition to the 1,920 x 1,200 pixels on the main, 17-inch display, you also get 1,280 x 768 in an additional 10.6 inches. More about the laptop after the break.
Obsessables: Lenovo, pixel, Lenovo ThinkPad W700ds, Lenovo ThinkPad
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CES 2009: CEA President Gary Shapiro opening keynote
Consumer Electronics Association President opens the show with an appeal to optimism on the economy thanks to industry innovation.
Although press events already began rolling with a vengeance yesterday, today marks the official opening of the 2009 International CES. The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), the organization that puts on the show, unveiled an opening keynote from President Gary Shapiro this morning. Shapiro stressed overall that although the consumer electronics industry should certainly be concerned about the poor state of the global economy, he believes it is the power of innovation from the industry itself that can help lead the way out of recession.
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Cloud Engines Pogoplug adds remote web access to USB hard drives
Cloud Engines announced its Pogoplug network-attached storage adapter at the CES today. The box connects a USB hard drive or flash stick to your home network in order to let you access your files from over the internet. Unlike some of the other USB-to-Ethernet adapters we've seen, the Pogoplug isn't designed mainly to provide local shares, like you'd use to exchange files between computers on your home network or to send media to a set-top box for viewing on your big TV screen. Instead, it provides a web-based interface for remotely getting at all your files.
Setup looks simple; you plug in the drive and network cable, hit up the Pogoplug website to register your adapter, and then you're ready to go. The device's software works with the website to keep track of your IP address and all the technical details like that, and security controls let you set up limited-access folders to share some of your data with friends. There's an iPhone app that lets you access your media wirelessly, and upload straight from the handset back to your drive at home. Even though the Pogoplug concentrates on online access, you can still set up local shares — they just require a software download to enable them in the operating system. Since the driver is available for Mac and PC systems only, you might not have much luck getting set-top boxes to see the shares.
While Cloud Engines claims that Pogoplug is "compatible with any external USB 2.0 hard drive", and we hope that's true, we've been disappointed in the past when this sort of gadget only worked with drives in the old FAT32 format, back from the Windows 95 days, and not the much more widely-used NTFS format. We're hoping that's not the case with the Pogoplug, and will update you as soon as we hear back from Cloud Engines.
The Pogoplug is priced at $100 with a shipping date in March, but if you get a pre-order in now, you can pick one up for $80.Conversations: DotGizmo: The Best gadget Blog Posts
, jkOnTheRun (1 comment) , Engadget (1 comment) , Gizmodo , TFTS , Ubergizmo , DotGizmo: The Best gadget Blog Posts Obsessables: FAT32, Flash memory, Hard disk drive, NAS, NTFS
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Boxee alpha goes public, adds BBC iPlayer, Joost, MTV streaming
Boxee, one of our favorite media center programs, is taking one step closer to a final release and adding in some new functionality. While up until now you needed an invite to join the alpha program, Apple and Linux users can now sign right up without any invitation - the Windows port now enters the invite stage, though it's pretty easy to get one.
New protocol support includes the BBC iPlayer, Joost, and MTV Music. The BBC's online video service has the latest shows airing on an assortment of BBC channels, but is limited to connections from UK-based computers only. Joost should work fine for viewers in the U.S., though, with lots of full episodes available of shows like CSI and cult-classic Twin Peaks. The MTV support lets you watch music videos, searching by artist or song, or linked to through other areas of Boxee. Bug fixes and updates should firm up Netflix streaming and add a search function to Hulu. The new version of the software is available today.Conversations: NewTeeVee (1 comment)
, CNET News.com , TheNextWeb.com Obsessables: Apple, Netflix, Linux, Streaming video, Apple TV
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AMD Phenom II X4 quad-core CPU is AMD's first 3.0 GHz desktop processor
AMD is releasing its first quad-core 45-nanometer chips for desktops today, the Phenom II X4, mirroring the Opteron server chips we heard about back in November. The new chips premiering at the 2009 CES also mark the first time an AMD chip aimed at the desktop market is clocked at 3.0 GHz — the X4 940 CPU — with a cheaper 920 version available at 2.8 GHz. The chips are unlocked, so it should be possible for the adventurous overclocker to push those clock speeds up even higher. Alongside graphics chips from its subsidiary ATI, AMD is putting the Phenom II X4 chips into a gaming PC platform it calls Dragon.
This is good news for you if you're a do-it-yourselfer who likes to have an up-to-date gaming rig, since AMD has designed these chips with upgrades in mind. Unlike the latest Core i7 CPUs from Intel, AMD's are compatible with existing motherboards, so you can update just the CPU without having to rebuild your rig from scratch. If you'd feel safer just buying a pre-built machine, HP and Dell have been named to produce Dragon-based systems that feature the Phenom chips. There's no retail price on the CPUs available just yet, but bulk purchases of the 3.0 GHz 940 chip come out to $275 each.Conversations: eWeek - RSS Feeds
, TechRadar: All Latest Feeds , DailyTech Main News Feed (1 comment) Obsessables: AMD, Intel, CPU, motherboard, Overclocking, processor, Quad-core
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Microsoft Windows 7 Beta download available tomorrow
In Microsoft's keynote last night at CES 2009, Steve Ballmer announced that Windows 7 Beta would be available for download on Friday.
In Microsoft's keynote last night at CES 2009, Steve Ballmer announced that Windows 7 Beta would be available for download on Friday via http://www.microsoft.com/windows7. The download is available today for all MSDN, TechBeta and TechNet customers. You can read Microsoft's full press release about the announcement here. Microsoft is limiting downloads of the beta to the first 2.5 million downloads, so if you're interested in trying it out, you'll want to grab it early tomorrow.Keep in mind that this is a beta release of the operating system, so you probably won't want to install it on your primary or only computer, and that it expires on August 1, 2009. Obsessable will make sure to download a copy and give it a test run to let you know how well it runs.
Conversations: Engadget (15 comments)
, Telegraph Connected , Pocket-lint.co.uk (3 comments) , microsoft.com , TechRadar: All Latest Feeds , All Things Digital , Gizmodo , Engadget (15 comments) -
Sony Vaio P hands-on
Get your first look at Sony's unusual, ultra-wide, ultra-light laptop from CES.
Sony's VAIO P super-tiny ultra-portable was announced yesterday at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas to much fanfare and hype, and we were quick to get our hands, eyes, and camera lenses all over it on the show floor after the press conference. Amid a swarm of eager journalists, we pushed our way to the front and did some experimenting. Thinking about pre-ordering one? Read on to make sure it's for you, and take a gander at our product page if it's specs you're after.
Obsessables: Sony, Aspect ratio, CPU, Gigabyte, Netbook, pixel, RAM, USB, Sony VAIO P, Sony Vaio
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Sony VAIO P ultraportable finally official
After all the speculation, leaks, and waiting, Sony has finally officially announced its VAIO P ultraportable laptop — a "lifestyle PC", as it calls it. The 1.4-pound computer will feature an eight-inch super-widescreen 1600 x 768 display, supposedly letting you fit full web pages on the screen without the need to scroll around horizontally. We were hoping for word on what processor the laptop would support, maybe letting us finally peg it as a netbook or not, but Sony hasn't publicized that detail yet — we know it's a 1.33 GHz Intel CPU and that it's running Vista, but that's not out of the question for an Atom machine.
In addition to the standard WiFi and Bluetooth support, the VAIO P will feature an integrated WAN modem, with 3G HSPA connectivity. A GPS receiver will let you use it as a navigation tool with mapping software, a feature made all the more useful by the P's compact size and four-hour battery life, for use on-the-go. Storage options include both solid-state and traditional hard drives, though using an HDD bumps the weight up to 1.5 lbs. The laptop, available in four colors, will start shipping next month with a starting price of $899 for the entry level model.Conversations: SlashGear
, Pocket-lint.co.uk , Coolest Gadgets , Notebook Review , Pocketables , Mobilewhack.com , Engadget (42 comments) , GottaBeMobile.com Obsessables: Sony, Bluetooth, SSD, WiFi, Sony VAIO P, Sony Vaio
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Toshiba CES gear includes REGZA LCD TVs, DVD/LCD combos, storage solutions, and a tiny projector
The big dog from Toshiba at the 2009 CES is its 56-inch, Quad HD resolution set based on Cell processor technology. Toshiba's Cell implementation is supposed to link together high-resolution video with high-speed network connections to deliver content all over the home and help control how all these systems work together. The prototype upconverts 1080p to the screen's native 2160p for display. Also using Cell technology, Toshiba had a 55-inch LED backlight demoing local adaptive dimming, which could make dynamic contrast adjustment even more impressive in future models.
Along networking lines, Toshiba is bringing its Network Player support to many of its TVs and stand-alone boxes, letting devices access content from Intel and Yahoo's upcoming Widget Channel and streaming media from Windows Media Center. Widgets will add customizable on-screen interactive content ranging from entertainment to news. Future REGZA models should be getting Network Player built in to them starting later this year. The stand-alone box Toshiba has in mind would combine these network functions with DVD playback and support for content stored on USB devices and SD cards.
Conversations: CyberTheater
, Electronic House Recently Filed (1 comment) , Digital Photography Now , BetaNews.Com , Yahoo! News: Technology News , AVING WORLD , Crave , DVICE Obsessables: Intel, Toshiba, Yahoo!, 2160p, ATSC, Blu-ray, Contrast ratio, Hard disk drive, HD DVD, LED Backlight technology, SD card, Solid State Drive, Toshiba 19LV610U, Toshiba 22LV610U, Toshiba 26LV610U, Toshiba LV505, Toshiba REGZA SV670, Toshiba REGZA XV645, Toshiba REGZA ZV650, Toshiba REGZA, Microsoft Windows Media Center
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LG announces 36 new HDTVs: 9 LCD, 3 plasma series
New product line highlights include wireless 1080p streaming and NetCast direct access to internet content.
At LG Electronics' press event earlier today at CES, the company announced a total of 36 new high definition sets in 12 new HDTV product lines with sizes ranging from 19 to 60 inches. In the LCD category, the two most notable new featuresets include the wireless 1080p streaming LH85 series and the NetCast-supporting LH50 line, allowing direct access to internet content via a built-in ethernet port. A full breakdown of the 9 new LCD series includes the following:
- LHX Slim Wireless LED Backlight HDTV: a 55-inch high-def set with ultra-slim design less than one-inch thick at its thinnest point.
- LH90 LED Backlight HDTV: comes with the same featureset as the LHX but in a self-contained design with no separate set top box. Available in 42-, 47- and 55-inch sizes.
- LH85 Wireless Full HD 1080p HDTV: streams full 1080p resolution wirelessly from a separate set top box. Available in 47- and 55-inch sizes.
- LH55 Full HD 1080p LCD HDTV with Scanning Backlight: this line features TruMotion 240Hz technology, which LG is touting as a scanning backlight technique to improve motion picture response time and thus a more natural picture. Available in 37-, 42-, 47- and 55-inch sizes.
- LH50 Full HD 1080p LCD HDTV with NetCast™ Entertainment Access: this line features the new NetCast functionality, which allows direct access to internet content via the HDTV’s built-in ethernet port. Netflix and YouTube streaming are enabled along with Yahoo! Widgets and access to music and photos stores on a home computer. Available in 42- and 47-inch sizes.
- LU55 Stylish LCD HDTV: a line of smaller screen size sets designed for placements around the home outside of the main home theater space. Available in 19-, 22-, and 26-inch sizes.
- LH40 Full HD 1080p LCD HDTV Series: this line features an “Invisible Speaker System” that provides built-in audio unobtrusively in a slim overall form factor. Available in 32-, 37-, 42-, 47- and 55-inch sizes.
- LH30 Full HD 1080p LCD HDTV Series: similar to the LH40 series, this slightly smaller line also includes the Invisible Speaker System for audio from a thin form factor. Available in 32-, 37-, 42- and 47-inch sizes.
- LH20 LCD HDTV Series: these sets feature LG’s core display technologies in a number of smaller sizes for placement in the home outside of the main home theater setup. Available in 19-, 22-, 26-, 32-, 37- and 42-inch sizes.
Read on for the rundown on the 3 new plasma series.
Obsessables: LG, 1080p, LG LH50 Full HD 1080p LCD HDTV with NetCast™ Entertainment Access, LG LH55 1080p LCD HDTV, LG LH85 Wireless Full HD 1080p HDTV, LG PS80 Full HD 1080p Plasma HDTV
