|
|
|
|
International Consumer Electronics Show 2005 (CES) January 10, 2005
LAS VEGAS: The Las Vegas Convention Center overflowed with all manner of electronic devices at the Consumer Electronic Show on January 5 to 8. We saw everything from huge plasma and LCD screens to camcorders, MP3 players and much more. "Wireless, mobile, anywhere, any time, your way" is what we heard from vendors and keynote speakers Bill Gates, Carly Fiorina and others. Here’s a brief look at some of what we saw:
Portable MP3 players, many combined with other features: ZEN Micro from Creative combines an FM radio in a tiny compact unit. MEGA View 556 from X2 displays and stores pictures and video and has enough battery life to show two feature movies. Gizmondo adds video gaming and a GPS module in addition to playing MP3, photos and video. Phillips MP3RUN and Nike co-introduced an MP3 player with FM radio, clock, safety strobe light and wireless sensor that tracks and announces distance, pace and time as you walk or run. The new Samsung HT-DC10 home theater system plays MP3 music via a USB socket into which you can plug your MP3 player.
Wireless Music System (WACS700) from Phillips lets your music follow you around the house. The system consists of a base unit, and up to five peripheral units. Just record your CDs on the 40 GB hard drive base unit, select your favorites from either base or peripheral unit and enjoy. No more fishing around for your CDs. As you move around the house, just push the "Follow Me" button, and your selection shifts to whatever room you’re in without missing a beat. Separate selections can be played on the base and peripheral units, and the same selection can be played on more than one unit, in or out of sync. All plug and play simple too. TVs were everywhere, with high definition TV more common than standard format. HD, with its higher resolution, wide screen format and 5.1 surround sound, is here to stay, but prices are still high. LG 50PY2DR 50 inch plasma TV has an extremely sharp, clear picture and built-in DVR (digital video recorder) with 160GB hard drive, giving Tivo-like options. Built-in DVR LG models are available in 60 and a massive 71 inch size. More modest 30 inch displays in plasma and LCD panels were introduced by many manufacturers, and the new generation of thin DLP rear projection displays at affordable prices were surprisingly clear and bright, rivaling the LCD displays. Samsung introduced a narrow direct view CRT in a 27 inch size.
Phillips introduced their Ambilight TV, a flat panel LCD display featuring side mounted indirect lights that change color, hue and intensity to reflect the TV picture content--heightening the viewing experience and reducing eyestrain. Their Mirror TV is a mirror when off but the flat panel LCD shows through when on.
Many new camcorders and cameras were introduced. A camcorder that caught our eyes (and ears) was the Sony 3.3 megapixel HandyCam DCR-DVD 403 with built in 5.1 Dolby surround sound. A specially designed microphone records 5.1 surround sound and when played back on home theater systems produces incredible sound. A major step forward in home video. Another camcorder filled with features we liked was the JVC GZ-MC200 Everio. This palm-sized 12 oz camera records on either removable 4GB microdrives or SD memory cards. The unit uses separate processors to maximize color and sharpness for video and still pictures. The on-camera playback display features thumbnail pictures to mark the start of each video sequence. Kodak announced their 4 megapixel EASYSHARE-ONE, with a three inch touch screen for ease of selecting options and displaying pictures. An optional wireless WiFi card allows the camera to wirelessly e-mail pictures, print them using the EASYSHARE Printer Dock and connect to the Internet and upload them to Kodak’s EASYSHARE Gallery. ColorVision unveiled its Spyder2 Plus monitor and printer calibration device. Using the included software, the sensor calibrates your monitor and/or your printer to fixed standards. No more green prints.
Logitech introduced the MX 3100 cordless desktop with flat keyboard and high precision laser mouse. Their universal remote for home theater systems, Harmony, features a single button to turn on and set all your components. Multiple profiles are supported, and infrared commands for all manufacturer’s components are downloaded into the unit from Harmony’s Website. D-Link showed their DCS-5300G pan, zoom and tilt Internet security camera, which wirelessly connects to your PC and uses associated software to detect and warn of motion within the camera’s view and sends pictures over the Internet.
Fossil showcased a Palm powered Wrist PDA with 8MB memory, plenty of room for contacts, dates, memos and to-do lists. Enter information on the watch with the tiny built in stylus, or synchronize with your computer via USB or with another infrared Palm device.
An educational gem from Franklin Electronic Publishers is the Princeton Review Pocket Prep for the SAT, a hand-held portable interactive SAT training and practice device using techniques from the Princeton Review and incorporating the latest revisions for 2005 SAT exams. Study for SATs anywhere, anytime. Also for students, SanDisk introduced BookLocker, a system to provide a flash drive for downloading textbooks. No more 20-pound back packs. There was much more to see at CES, and we’ll fill you in as products release. |
Harmony
