The HDTV Supermodel Slimdown

CES’s annual ‘whose is bigger‘ HDTV competition appears to have given way to a new ‘supermodel slimdown.’ Which is OK. As most of us will never purchase a 150″ television, but we’re likely to consider a more attractive living room or bedroom centerpiece when the time comes to upgrade. In addition to the slender sets, … Read more

At CES, It’s All About The 3D

Here at CES, it’s all about the 3D. At least that’s what a large number of manufacturers and banners would have you believe. And while many are displaying a variety of 3D technologies, most folks not making the pitch remain skeptical and/or uninterested. 3D’s a neat effect, and I enjoyed Avatar. But I’m not sure … Read more

A Quick Look at the ZAGGbox

Last night I was sent on a mission to check out the home entertainment ZAGGbox at ShowStoppers. Which confused me. Because ZAGG is the company that makes the Invisible Shield mobile screen protectors. To expand into this new market, they partnered with a company in Minnesota (who shall remain nameless) that has invested millions designing … Read more

The Mobile Slacker Updates (webOS, caching)

I sat down with Internet radio service Slacker folks this morning for a CES update on their mobile platforms. Shown for the first time here in Vegas is a brand new webOS client which will be launching later this month. Also new is station caching. Meaning you can download songs for the those times when … Read more

A Quick Look at XStreamHD

After a few false starts, it appears XStreamHD will be launching for real in 2010. As they’ll begin accepting pre-orders shortly for an expected spring delivery. I was pretty intrigued with their product offering as first described at CES 2008. However, CES 2009 was disappointing with a zero-hour press conference cancellation — possibly related to … Read more

A Quick Look at the L5 iPhone Remote

At ShowStoppers last night, I took a quick peek at L5’s iPhone universal remote control. The package consists of an IR transmitter/receiver with Apple dock connector and custom app, turning your iPhone into an AV remote. The app’s graphics are a bit old-school, but not offensive, and there appears to be tons of flexibility in … Read more

Catching up with FlyCast (Droid, Recording, Video)

I spent some time with the FlyCast folks (conveniently located next to Arris/Moxi) last night at the ShowStoppers CES event, and was briefed on some of their interesting, new developments. FlyCast, like Slacker and Pandora, streams a variety of audio to multiple platforms. Unlike those two, much of the content is radio programming (beyond just … Read more

The GlideTV and SageTV Updates

I had a chance to sit down with some of the folks behind the GlideTV touchpad remote ($150) and SageTV HTPC solutions this afternoon. On the GlideTV front, they’ve beefed up the Windows and Mac dashboard with an improved onscreen keyboard, more prominence given to favorite destinations, and direct integration with Clicker. Even more impressive … Read more