As I mentioned earlier, I was mostly underwhelmed by the products I saw and was disappointed in what I didn’t see. For example, where the heck were the Zen Vision W and new Archos devices? Where was the new Akimbo+Movielink?
The new PepperPad is out (v3) and I’m still left wondering if there is a market for this thing. While it’s a definite improvement over earlier models (feels solid, looks nice) at $700 I expect people to gravitate towards larger, more full-featured devices (laptop, UMPC) or portable devices (PDA, smartphone): both running as low as $400 these days. I assume I’d be more comfortable over time, but I found it awkward typing on the small keys and split keyboard.
Speaking of products without markets, does anyone really want a remote control with voice command? And do you need a dedicated company to offer this feature? The OneVoice MediaCenter remote will be available in a few months for $250 — if you buy one, you probably shouldn’t talk to it while your SO is sleeping.
At last year’s DigitalLife, Streamload (an online storage company) wowed me with plans to transcode video on their servers. For example, you upload a WMV file to your locker and then request is back in QuickTime, or whatever file format. Many people don’t know how, don’t have the tools, or can’t be bothered to convert video — this struck me as a pretty innovative service (and one that would separate them from their numerous competitors). So when Streamload got in touch with me prior to DL, I agreed to meet up with them to find out more… Sadly, this is still just a plan. Maybe next year?
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