End User

LEGO MP3 Player: There's Music in These Bricks

Back in January, LEGO announced that it was partnering with Digital Blue to produce a series of electronic gadgets for children. So far, they have revealed a LEGO-themed boombox, a digital camera, and a new prototype webcam. All pretty neat looking, but the LEGO MP3 player is what pleases my brick-loving inner child the most. It comes with 2GB of internal memory and supports MP3 and WMA formats. The player also includes a color LCD screen and a built-in rechargeable battery that is good for about 8 hours of playback. And since it's made to LEGO spec, the player will actually fit together with other LEGO bricks--sweet! The LEGO MP3 player is set for release sometime this summer, and will retail for $39.99.

Apple Debuts Tiny, Talking 4GB iPod shuffle

Today Apple announced the newest addition to its iPod line, the third-generation iPod shuffle.  The new player sports several major design changes from earlier shuffle models, including an industry first.  The first thing you'll notice is that the control wheel has been removed from the face of the 3G shuffle.  This allowed Apple to shrink the player even more, and at just 1.8" tall and 0.3" thick it's currently the world's smallest MP3 player.  The wheel is replaced by an in-line controller located on the right earbud cord of the included headphones.  The shuffle is compatible with other headphones, but will require an optional adapter for control.

Like the older models, the new shuffle doesn't have a display.  However, this time Apple has added VoiceOver--the first vocal feedback system on an MP3 player.  Press and hold the middle button of the controller, and the shuffle will say song and artist information out loud.  VoiceOver is also used to switch between multiple playlists, and can tell users when the battery is low.  It even speaks in 14 different languages, and will play nice with Italian opera and Swedish metal collections.

Other upgrades include 4GB of storage, twice that of the previous model, and beefier construction.  The case is still made of anodized aluminum, but the belt clip is forged from stainless steel.  A nice touch for a player that is so very tiny.  Interested parties can preorder the new iPod shuffle now, or check out more info at the official site.

-- Jon Dale

Sony Touchscreen Walkman Specs Unveiled

Back in January, I got a chance to check out the new Sony NWZ-1000 Touchscreen Walkman at CES in Las Vegas.  Unfortunately, and much to my consternation, it was locked under a glass housing and the Sony rep didn't have much in the way of detailed specifications.  While I have yet to actually play with one, Sony has released more details about the NWZ-1000 family of players.

The 3-inch touch-enabled OLED display has a 432 x 240 WQVGA resolution, and the unit will play WMV, MPEG-4, and H.264 video formats.  Sony's new Walkman also supports music encoded in MP3, WMA, and AAC formats, but omits the lossless FLAC format that has become popular with audiophiles.  Potential buyers will have their choice of 16GB or 32GB solid state drives for storage.  Other bells and whistles include Wi-Fi support, automatic podcast downloading, direct YouTube access, an FM tuner, S-master digital audio amplification, and digital noise cancellation capability with the bundled headphones.  According to the spec sheet, the NWZ-1000 series also appears to support direct Drag-and-Drop file transfers.  Battery life is rated at 33 hours for music playback and 9 hours for video use.  We're still waiting for an official release date; however European readers can preorder the 16GB or 32GB Touchscreen Walkman from Amazon.co.uk right now.

--Jon Dale

Philips Shows Off New GoGear Ariaz, Opus

This week, Philips introduced the two newest additions to their popular GoGear line.  The compact GoGear Ariaz (pictured) sports a 2-inch full-color screen and employs a hybrid control scheme consisting of touchscreen buttons and a large rocker key.  The Ariaz also has radio and voice recording features, and will launch in 4, 8, and 16GB sizes.  Philips' other new player, the GoGear Opus, comes equipped with a 2.8-inch QVGA display--the largest in the GoGear series.  The Opus has larger storage options as well, and will ship in 8, 16, and 32GB sizes.  Like the Ariaz, the Opus will come with FM radio and voice recording functionality, but the Bluetooth stereo audio output will make it a bit more flexible than its smaller-screened counterpart.  In a nod to more discerning listeners, Philips will bundle a pair of high-definition sound-isolating earphones with both players; allowing owners to capitalize on the proprietary MP3-enhancing FullSound technology found at the heart of the Opus and Ariaz.  While American availability has yet to be announced, our European readers will be able to pick up one of Philips' new GoGears this April.  Pricing will range from 79 to 129 euros for the Ariaz, and 99 to 179 euros for the Opus.

--Jon Dale

iRiver SPINN: Now In Black

With its minimalistic control cylinder and brushed silver finish, there's no denying that the iRiver SPINN is one sexy PMP.  If the recent photos posted on iRiver's Korean forums are to be believed, it appears that the SPINN's wardrobe is expanding to include a new black finish.  As of yet, there has been no official word on the upcoming color choice or any possible hardware updates.  Hopefully, we'll see it here in the States though--more is merrier, no? [via DAP Review]

--Jon Dale

mobiBLU's New A10 UFO MP3 Player Now Landing

With their Cube shaped MP3 player now in its third generation, PMP maker mobiBLU continues to push the design envelope with the newly released A10 UFO MP3 player.  It will launch in sizes ranging from 512MB to 8GB, and plays MP3, WMA, ASF, and OGG formats.  The A10 UFO also comes equipped with Bluetooth capabilities and a 2-Watt flat-panel speaker.  Not enough power to fill a room, but hopefully that unique casing can bestow some extra oomph to the sound.  Perceptive readers will notice that this UFO is flying blind, as mobiBLU has nixed the screen in yet another gutsy design move.  Battery life is rated at only 6 hours with the speaker on, but climbs to 15 with headphone use.  [official page , via anythingbutipod]

-- Jon Dale

CES 2009: IOGEAR's HDMI-Compatible KVM Debuts

KVM switches are nothing new, but until now none have supported the now-popular HDMI standard.  IOGEAR debuted their GCS1792 2-port and GCS1794 4-port HDMI-compatible KVMs at CES last week.  They offer USB2.0 sharing, and are HDMI 1.3b and HDCP compliant.  Both support 1080p displays, Dolby TrueHD and DTS Master Audio, and asynchronous hotkey switching as well.  Look for them to drop later this month, and expect them to start at $299.99.

--Jon D.

CES 2009: Fulton Innovation Brings Wireless Power to the Masses

Fulton Innovation got their start by making water purification systems that included wireless power.  Now they are involved with multiple companies--including Motorola, Energizer, and Bosch--to develop a wide variety of wireless power solutions that will let consumers cut the ever-present electrical cord.  I had a chance to stop by their booth, and was impressed by the scalability and downright convenience of their systems.

In a nutshell, Fulton Innovation's eCoupled system uses an electromagnetic charging station to provide power to devices with compatible batteries or capacitors.  The station can be integrated directly into furniture, countertops, and in-car surfaces--providing wireless power ranging from milliwatts to thousands of Watts with 98% efficiency.  Among the products demonstrated were a slew of mobile phones, a pot that boiled water through a trivet resting on a kitchen counter, a 1,400 Watt blender, and power tools with compatible batteries that charge while the whole unit was resting in a case on a shelf inside of a work van.  Very impressive stuff.  It's easy to imagine that this is how all of our devices will recharge in a few years.

--Jon D.

CES 2009: Razer Unveils The Mamba Wireless S4 Gaming Mouse

Specialty gaming peripheral company Razer brought their newest mouse to CES this year, and it definitely looked sexy.  While wireless mouse technology has been around for many years, it's never been fast enough to support the high-bandwidth innards of Razer's professional-grade gaming products until now.  The Mamba S4 uses 2.4GHz wireless technology for communication, but it also comes with a detachable cord.  When in wireless mode, the Mamba S4 has a battery life of about 72 hours of normal use, or 14 hours for continuous, marathon gaming sessions.  A super-high resolution 5.600-DPI laser sensor and 1000Hz polling rate will give hardcore gamers the twitch sensitivity they need to frag mass quantities of opponents.  The Mamba S4 will ship in February for a retail price of $129.99.
--Jon D.

CES 2009: Hands On With the Nvidia GeForce 3D Vision

Anyone who can remember the Nintendo Virtual Boy--or as I call it, The Instant Migrane Inducer--knows that creating a functional 3-D gaming system can be very, very difficult.  At this year's CES, Nvidia demoed the new GeForce 3D Vision system and I got a chance to try it out.  Consisting of a specialized software package, display and pair of glasses, the system is designed to work on Microsoft Windows Vista machines equipped with a GeForce 8, 9, or GTX 200 series graphics card.  Right now, the 3D Vision system is compatible with about 350 games.

Guitar Hero and Mirror's Edge were on display, and I was honestly very impressed with how the system translated both games into 3-D.  The effects were quite believable, and there were several times when I half-expected game elements to pop out of the screen.  However, after wearing the glasses for a few minutes, I could tell that my eyes were getting a little fatigued.  They weren't exactly hurting, and it might just be an issue with acclimating to the glasses, but I don't think the 3D Vision system would be a good choice for marathon gaming sessions.  If you're looking for something to totally spice up your gaming experience, the GeForce 3D Vision Kit will get the job done.  It goes on sale next week, and the kit with glasses and compatible 22" Samsung monitor can be had for $598.
--Jon D.

CES 2009: Cobra XRS-R10G GPS-Enabled Radar Detector Sniffs Out Red Light Cams

Red light cameras--some say they save lives, others feel they only exist to generate revenue for local governments.  No matter which side you're on, you sure don't want to get busted by one.  Cobra makes dealing with them significantly easier with the new XRS-R10G Radar Detector.  Not only does it have 15-band detection and Super-XtremeRange Superheterodyne technology that can spot radar up to 9 miles away, but it also includes a GPS receiver and is linked to the AURA Camera and Driving Hazard Database.

The GPS receiver is used to plot your location against the AURA database, warning you of red light cameras, speed traps, school zones and other road hazards.  The AURA system updates once every 12 hours, ensuring that owners always have the newest information.  The GPS also ascertains the speed of the vehicle and can mute alarms if you are driving below the speed limit.  The XRS-R10G comes in two parts--the actual detector that installs near the rear-view mirror, and the cordless Remote Display Unit can be installed anywhere in the car.  A 1" OLED screen makes reading the display unit easy, even in bright conditions.  The XRS-R10G is available now for $469.95, and if you get one please don't T-bone me in an intersection, okay?

--Jon D.

CES 2009: Canon Displays New VIXIA HF-S10 and HF-S100 Camcorders

Canon revealed two new high-def camcorders at this year's CES.  The VIXIA HF-S10 is unique in that it can record to either a 32GB internal flash drive, or to an SDHC memory card.  The on-board card can hold up to 12 hours of HD video at 1920 x 1080 resolution.  It ships with a 10x zoom lens that works in concert with a 1/2.6" 8.59 Megapixel CMOS sensor and DIGIC DV III Image Processor.  The HF-S10 can take 8 Megapixel still images as well, and also has a video snapshot mode.

To ensure that consumers get high-quality video, Canon has also equipped this camcorder with a SuperRange Optical Image Stabilizer, Instant Autofocus, and Face Detection technologies.  The HF-S100 has the same specs as the HF-S10, but does not include the on-board flash drive.  Both are expected to arrive in America during April, with the HF-S10 going for $1,099 and the HF-S100 for $899.

--Jon D.

CES 2009: Sony Unveils Its Touchscreen Walkman (No Touching!)

Turns out the rumors we previously reported are true.  Sony brought the NWZ-X1000 Touchscreen Walkman to the desert with them, and it's one snazzy looking player.  Unfortunately, the touch-sensitive PMP was encased under protective glass, preventing me from--err--actually touching it.  Fortunately, the Sony rep was informative and happy to answer a few questions. 

The new Walkman sports a 3" OLED display that looks fantastic, something we've come to expect from that technology.  The casing is finished in a flecked, dark grey marble pattern that's a refreshing departure from the basic black and white that most players wear.  There's a physical Home button, along with a side-mounted volume rocker and top-mounted playback controls.  The player comes equipped with WiFi, and will be able to download podcasts all on its own.  Additionally, the included headphones perform active noise-canceling duties--pretty cool.  The X1000 will ship in 16 and 32 gigabyte flavors, and will cost $299 and $399 respectively.  Interested parties will be able to pick one up sometime this summer.

--Jon D.

CES 2009: Kodak's Wireless Video Enabled OLED Photo Frame

OLED technology is still a few years off from replacing our plasma and LCD televisions, but it's making in-roads on devices that don't require large screens right now.  Case in point, Kodak's Wireless OLED Picture Frame.  Its 7.6" (800 x 480 resolution) screen boasts a 36000:1 contrast ratio, a 16:9 widescreen aspect ratio and a 180-degree viewing angle.  The Frame comes with 2 gigabytes of on-board memory and has an SD card slot and USB port for further expansion.

Wireless connectivity gives the Frame the ability to pull photos from Flickr, Kodak Gallery, and FrameChannel--as well as from home PCs.  Kodak's Frame isn't limited to still images either, and can play video and audio too.  It comes equipped with a VGA video port and a mini-jack connection for audio in/out.  The Kodak OLED Wireless Frame has a touch-sensitive control scheme, but on the borders only.  Greasy fingerprints would defeat the purpose of having such a crisp screen, no?  It's available now, but will set you back a cool $1000 to own one.

--Jon D.

CES 2009: Vestalife Unleashes New Customizable Lifestyle iPod Docks

Vestalife is a new and upcoming name in the world of iPod accessories.  Their Ladybug dock was released last year to wide acclaim, winning a Best of Show award from iLounge.com at MacWorld 2008 along with an Innovations and Design award from CES.  Personalization is the watchword for Vestalife, and they look to shake up the often bland field of iPod docks with an expanded series of products aimed at a wider demographic.

The Firefly iPod dock is essentially a beefier version of the Ladybug that should be more palatable to the masculine crowd.  The 2.1 system packs left- and right-channel speakers into fold-down wings, with a rear-firing subwoofer built into the back of the unit.  Recharagable Lithium-Ion batteries will allow owners to easily take the Firefly with them, and an AC adapter is provided for home use.  Touch-sensitive controls are built into the front panel of the unit, and a full-function remote will be included as well.  While the details have not been completely hammered out, expect the Firefly to pack between 20 and 25 Watts of power.  Vestalife encourages owners to customize their products to suit their personalities.  To this end, the Flirefly will ship in multiple color schemes with 3 interchangeable faceplates, as well as a blank decal kit that allows users to print and stick their own designs.

Aimed at the chic and sophisticated crowd, the Jewel Box dock is all about personalization too.  It shares similar features with the Firefly, including the fold-apart design, touch controls, Li-Ion batteries, and interchangeable speaker meshes. 

Vestalife's final product for 2009 is the Butterfly dock and monitor, which will be available separately.  while the dock handles standard charge and play functionality in a `tween-friendly customizable package, it's the monitor that really impresses.  With the touch of a button, it will turn any photo or video on your iPod into a 3-dimensional image.  At this time, no other portable monitor has this kind of functionality.  The image does get a bit grainy with the 3-D mode engaged, but it actually works well and the viewing angle is good enough to keep the effect from disappearing if you're looking at it off-axis.

Vestalife's products are compatible with all current iPod models, and can also play iPhone-based media.  Common to all of their docks is a dedicated A/V output, a first for the industry.  Vestalife has also packed a couple of convenience features into their docks.  If the volume gets cranked too high, a limiter kicks in to prevent distortion.  Also, the unit's volume resets to a low level when it is powered down, which is a nice touch.  Look for Vestalife's new products to drop in Q3 2009.

--Jon D.

CES 2009: LG Shows Off Broadband and Wireless HDTV Lines

More LG news, this time from their home entertainment division.  The LH85 Wireless HDTV line ranges from 47" to 55", and uses a separate media box to stream full, uncompressed 1080p signals up to 30 feet away from the screen.  While this won't keep you from having to whip out a drill to wall-mount the television, it does eliminate the need to run cables inside of the wall to create a clean look.  Other key features include LG's TrueMotion 120Hz technology for a smoother viewing experience, 24p Real Cinema, and a USB 2.0 port for access to music and photos.

LG's other new television is the LH50 Broadband HDTV with Netcast Entertainment Access.  Available in 42" to 47" sizes, these are the first LG LCDs with Ethernet connectivity.   They offer direct access to Netflix Instant Streaming, Yahoo! Widgets, Youtube videos, Flickr photos, and can stream music and photos from other PCs on the network.  Like the LH85, TrueMotion 120Hz technology, 24p Real Cinema, and a USB port are included.  Pricing and availability have yet to be determined for either line.

--Jon D.

CES 2009: LG's Watch Phone, Dick Tracy Would Be Proud

Losing your mobile phone can be a gutting experience. LG wants to make their newest phone a little easier to keep up with by strapping it to your wrist. That's right, the GD910 Touch Watch Phone is straight out of a Dick Tracy comic. LG packs all the mobile goodness we've come to love into a device that's only 13.9mm thick. The 1.43" display runs a Flash-based icon interface that looks to be easy to navigate. The Watch Phone is equipped with quad-band GSM that makes world calling possible, as well as (get this) 7.2Mbps HSDPA for video calls with the built-in camera. It will also read text messages to you out loud, either through a speaker or Bluetooth headset. Video and music playing capability are included as well. Unfortunately, LG has no plans to retail the phone in America, but those in Europe will be able to strap one on later this year.

--Jon D.

CES 2009: iRiver Shows Off Personizable P7 Media Player

There's never a lack of new personal media players at CES. This year, iRiver introduces one with a pretty slick personizable user interface. The iRiver P7 sports a 4.3" transmissive touchscreen that has a 480 x 272 widescreen resolution. The player's control scheme is highly intuitive due to a graphical interface that each user can customize. On the main menu, you'll find controls for the video player, music player, FM radio, voice recorder, and text viewer. The P7 lets users select their favorite album, video, and text documents to be immediately accessible from the main menu, which is a plus. While it does have a touch interface, there are also physical menu and volume buttons on the top edge of the player—making the P7 easier to control without having to actually look at it. The player will come in 4, 8, and 16 gigabyte models, and has an SD card slot for further expansion. iRiver plans on updating the firmware to keep up with advances in SD-based technology, so newer card formats will be supported as long as they fit the card's physical form factor. As with most iRiver products, file transfers are quick and painless with a drag and drop Windows interface. The iRiver P7 will be out in February and will run between $100 and $200.

--Jon D.

CES 2009: Lenovo Debuts W700ds Dual-Screen Laptop and Wiimote-ish A600 All In One Desktop

Lenovo has been making waves at CES with its two new breakout computers: the Thinkpad W700ds dual-screen laptop and IdeaCenter A600 All-in-One Desktop.  I got a chance to check out both today, and found that the buzz is well deserved.

The Thinkpad W700ds is an update to the older W700 model.  While most manufacturers refresh their product lines by adding faster processors and more storage, Lenovo has upped the ante by adding a second screen that slides out from the right side of the 17" (1920 x 1200 resolution) main display.  This secondary display measures 10.6" diagonally (768 x 1280 resolution) and is attached to an adjustable hinge that allows it to swing forward.  The W700ds also includes an integrated Wacom drawing tablet that is separate from the traditional trackpad.  This tablet is mappable to either display, and can also be set to correspond on a 1-to-1 basis to a user-defined area.  Also of note, the W700ds comes with a built-in color calibrator.  When taken together, these features make this laptop a solid pick for anyone who spends a lot of time with Adobe products.

Lenovo offers various configurations for the W700ds.  Buyers can choose between Intel Core 2 Duo, Core 2 Extreme, and Core 2 Quad Core processors, as well as various configurations of solid state and traditional hard drive storage options.  Nvidia Quadro FX cards will power the displays, and up to 8GB of RAM can be included.  The sheer size of this laptop lets Lenovo pack in some more bells and whistles, like a 7-in-1 card reader that accepts Compact Flash cards, ExpressCard and SmartCard support, VGA, Dual Link DVI and DisplayPort outputs, optional WiMAX, and two ThinkLights to illuminate the keyboard in dark areas.  The W700ds weighs a hair under 11 pounds, and battery life is between 1.5 and 2 hours under real-life circumstances--understandable for a beast this size.  The W700ds is available now and units start at $3,663.

Lenovo's other hot new product is the IdeaCenter A600 All-in-One Desktop.  Built specifically as an entertainment PC, its 21.5" (1920 x 1080 HD resolution) screen, on-board home theater sound system, and optional TV tuner make it a good choice for those looking to add or replace an actual television.  It includes a wireless keyboard with on-board trackpad, as well as a wireless mouse with adjustable DPI settings.  However, it's the optional multifunction remote that sets this entertainment PC apart from others.  Not only does it perform traditional tasks like volume adjustment and Windows Media Center control, but it also packs an accelerometer that allows for air-mouse functionality as well as a Wii-like gaming experience.  The remote also has VOIP functionality, enabling it to be used much like a cordless telephone.  Look for the IdeaCenter A600 to arrive in April and start at $999.

--Jon D.

CES 2009: Garmin Debuts Specialty Navigation Units

Motorcycle riders need to quickly process vast amounts of information to keep their rides shiny side up.  This means that any navigation system fit for motorcycle use would have to be specifically created to perform under extreme circumstances.  Garmin has done just that with the Zumo 660.  Its 4.3" touchscreen--the largest found on any Garmin model--features large, glove-friendly buttons and is easy to read in all conditions.  New Lane Assist functionality helps riders select the correct lane to be in when navigating busy freeway interchanges.  It also displays a 3-dimensional view of buildings in select metro areas.  The Zumo 660 is Bluetooth compatible, and can be paired with traditional Bluetooth headsets or compatible Bluetooth helmet intercoms.  It also fares well with the elements, being waterproof and resistant to both fuel vapor and UV rays.  The Zumo 660 will be available in February for $799.

Garmin's units aren't limited to paved surfaces either.  The Approach G5 GPS system comes preloaded with 5,000 golf courses, allowing golfers to pinpoint exactly where they are on the links and calculate yardage to any point on the course.  Garmin will offer free updates to their library, and the company plans to add 15,000 courses by the end of 2009.  To put that in perspective, there are around 17,000 courses in America, making the G5 a useful gadget for the tech-savvy duffer.  The unit also keeps score, and keeps track of previous shot distance.  The Approach G5 debuts in late March and will cost $499.

--Jon D.