The press releases are in, and the first CES of the new decade promises to be a bigger and better show than ever before. What can the public expect to see at the Show, unveiling January 7th in Las Vegas? Quite a lot of shiny toys, actually, including a TV that is less than 7 millimeters thick.
Yes, you read that right. 7 millimeters.
LG, the South Korean electronics manufacturing powerhouse, kept up the ongoing industry tradition of making electronics all the more thinner with the presentation of its unnamed ultra-slim television. The product was briefly modeled on stage at the LG press event. According to a LG spokesperson, the TV should be available late this year. A very excited Woo Paik, LG’s chief technology officer, stated that the product’s predecessor was nearly three times as wide as the new posterboard-thick television, at a whopping 23.3 millimeters thick. The unnamed television was further shrouded in mystery, as not a lot of details were available upon its unveiling. LG announced that its Infinia line of televisions will getting several new models as well, and most of the LG’s new TVs will be Internet-ready and be capable of plugging into other home devices, a trend the industry calls “connected TV.”
One of the main features of LG as a company is the diversity of its product lines, and they made sure to emphasize this point at the press event, discussing such electronics as smartphones with projectors, to energy-efficient washing machines.
One of the heaviest announcements came when LG stated that it will soon bring 3D television to retail fruition.
With the recent motion picture spectacle that is Avatar, a lot of consumers are probably interested in someday enjoying 3D in the comfort of their own living rooms. And considering the film (whose 3D version is the most popular cut amongst moviegoers) has grossed over $1 billion in worldwide revenue and is still going strong, that is a large target audience. Enter Toshiba, which unveiled models of ZX900 Series Cell TV that they claim will convert 2D signals into high-resolution 3D programming. Available in two screen sizes of 55″ and 65″, the televisions will go on sale in the United States later this year, with pricing yet to be determined and publicized. Toshiba promises that the LED TV will be able to take any 2D content (i.e., broadcasts, video games, movies, etc.) and convert it into 3D in real time. Says vice president of marketing Scott Ramirez, “It’s unlike anything that’s out there. This is the new ‘it’ TV. It’s the one everyone is going to be talking about.”
From the world of larger electronics, we now turn to the mobile side.
Web superstar Google, which this past year unveiled its first web browser, Chrome, and also announced its OS semblance, announced that it will soon be adding “online store” to its ever-expanding resumé of helpful programs and features. The company announced that the sleek new Nexus One, its first entry into the smartphone market, will be available for sale through its very own Google-hosted Web store. Although the announcement created much buzz, it did not quite appeal to some critics like Scott Steinberg, publisher of DigitalTrends.com. “From a macro level, it’s a much larger story that Google is finally getting into the e-commerce world and that they’re starting to sell products directly to the consumer. You’re looking at a company that basically is expanding into every possible category and is attacking major players in multiple spaces on virtually every front, so it’s only natural that they would move into e-commerce.” Consumers can take a 3D tour of the Nexus One and check out some of the applications that are available… all this before they decide whether or not to purchase the product, which is stamped at $529 per unit. Unlike the iPhone, which was connected to AT&T upon release, Google’s model does not come with a specific carrier. The consumers can pick a phone first, and then decide on a carrier of their choice. You can currently check out the Nexus One through a link on Google’s main page.
With all the mobile innovations presented at the press previews, users who have current phone models can get the latest in mobile gadgetry without having to purchase a whole new set. And based on some suggested pricetags, that should good news to a lot of wallets.
iPhone, Blackberry, and Droid users can now successfully watch mobile TV using their same devices with the help of the Tivit. This mini credit-card-sized device produced by newcomer Valups pulls down mobile DTV signals and sends them directly to the phones over a Wi-Fi connection. With an estimated price tag of $100, Tivit should become available in April, according to Anne Schelle, executive director of the Open Mobile Video Coalition, which was promoting the Tivit amongst other mobile devices. She also stated that the concept of mobile TV will soon be appearing in other mobile devices, including portable TV players and gaming consoles like the Sony PSP.
Televisions, mobile phones, and even ‘mobile television’… But it is now 2010. What about nifty toys that ‘fly’?
What was perhaps the most eye-catching gadget at Tuesday’s CES press preview, the AR.Drone looked like something out of a science fiction film. Made by Parrot, a French company, the flying device is about twice the size of a Frisbee and hovers quietly above the ground on its four rotors, syncing with an iPhone or iPod Touch to create a rather unusual gaming experience. Users steer the Drones with their iPhones, which act as remote controllers (similar to how the iPhone syncs with iTunes through the Remote application, or even some Blu-Ray features). A camera mounted on the aerial unit sends a live video feed to the iPhone, making it the ‘ultimate spying machine.’ Parrot is also creating augmented-reality video games for the open-source device and is encouraging outside developers to collaborate and submit material. The AR.Drone is expected to cost less than $500 when it hits shelves this summer.
As press preview day came to a close, the outlook seemed incredibly bright for this year’s Consumer Electronics Show. What other shiny gadgets and gizmos will the electronic industry heavyweights and newcomers bring to us this year? What does the future hold? We will soon find out, as the 2010 installment of the Consumer Electronics Show kicks off Thursday, and continues through Sunday.
Official website: http://www.cesweb.org/
January 7th, 2010 at 6:38 am
I think the drone looks like a TON of fun! I’m also very excited about seeing the 2D - 3D TV and how that is going to work. The technology behind that is has to be amazing.
January 8th, 2010 at 4:25 am
Unless I win the powerball, I will never be current with technology.