Gadgets Archives - Page 26 of 78

CES TV News: Android, Mobile and 3D Sans Glasses

Here’s the thing about CES. Most of what we hear is stuff we’ve heard before. The big question is always whether this time it’s for real or not. In this year’s early announcements, we get news that Lenovo is launching a TV set with Android 4.0, Belkin is starting a line of accessories to give existing smartphones and tablets the ability to tune into the new Dyle mobile TV service, and Toshiba is on track to bring its autostereoscopic 3DTV to American shores this quarter. Now, any bets on which products will actually gain traction in 2012? Personally, I’d keep my Vegas winnings tucked away for now.

On the Android front, Lenovo is releasing its Ice-Cream-Sandwich TV set in China, with no word yet on a US debut. Beyond that, however, we’ve seen no evidence that consumers care about Android access on their living-room flat screens. Google certainly hasn’t made a go of it yet with Google TV, and the TV app environment in general is still pretty lackluster. There are lots of apps, but mostly what people watch is Netflix. While experts predict the next three years will be big for connected TV sales, we still haven’t seen a shake-out among TV app environments. Consumers won’t show a preference until somebody demonstrates a TV marketplace with several notably superior apps not available elsewhere. (i.e. apps with really good content a la HBO Go) I doubt Android’s going to be able to do that in 2012.

Dyle TV is an interesting one. The Mobile Content Venture announced just last week that it would start delivering live TV to MetroPCS subscribers, and at CES, Belkin is introducing a line of accessories designed to make existing devices capable of receiving the Dyle mobile DTV service. Unfortunately, broadcast mobile TV services don’t have the best track record.

Roku Goes Boxless, Unveils "Streaming Stick"

Roku intends to expand their digital media offerings later this year with the Streaming Stick — bringing Roku’s flavor of Smart TV capabilities to perhaps lower IQ sets. This doesn’t exactly mark the first time Roku has thought outside the box, having made their technology available for license in 2010. Yet, that initiative seems to … Read more

A Look Back at CES 2011 – Where Are They Now?

As we roll inevitably toward another Consumer Electronics Show, it’s instructive to look back at what made headlines only a year ago. Some of the products announced then have come and gone. Others are still waiting in the wings for a launch date. Here are five stories we covered at CES 2011 with a look at what’s changed in the 12 months since.

The nPower PEG was one of the coolest green gizmos demoed at CES last year. The Personal Energy Generator stores your kinetic energy and lets you use it as back-up power for your mobile gadgets. According to reps at CES, one minute of walking time could translate into one minute of listening time on an iPod Nano. Unfortunately, while the PEG was on back-order last January, it’s still only in available in limited quantities today. According to the website, “Each week – as we assemble nPower® PEG units in our Cleveland, OH facility – we contact individuals on this reservation list to let them know that their PEG is ready.” That hardly sounds like a model built to scale.

Both Dave and I fell in love with the Yahoo Connected TV platform over successive years at CES. However, I was well aware last January when watching a demo of Yahoo’s latest technology that the company was unlikely to live up to its television potential. Too many promises; too few deployments. Today, after much delay, the Yahoo Connected TV Store is finally available to consumers on Sony and Toshiba TVs. According to Yahoo’s blog post on November 2nd, the platform offers premium paid TV apps in addition to 180+ free apps, and Yahoo expects to its TV Store to reach “millions of TVs in the coming months.” Call me skeptical, but isn’t everyone and their mother offering connected TV apps now? Perhaps Yahoo can make things work with the help of its broadcast interactivity tech, but given competition from the likes of Shazam and Invidi, there’s a tough road ahead.

Airtight… Not Long For This World?

Better hurry if you want to bring (limited) Apple Airplay functionality to your Google TV. While most of Apple, Inc vacationed during a long holiday, Airtight hit the Android Market. The 99 cent app enables you stream videos and photos from an iPhone or iPad to a television via Google TV – such as the Logitech Revue … Read more

A Thunderbolt Dock for Christmas

I added the official HTC Thunderbolt dock to my Christmas wish list back in October when the Gingerbread OS update hit. The Android 2.3 release included several UI enhancements, but also an updated “desk mode” app for dock users. The app turns the phone into a functional bedside alarm clock complete with landscape photos, weather info and calendar updates. Since Santa came through for me this December, I’m now the proud owner of an HTC dock, and I have a few thoughts on both the dock and the desk mode app worth mentioning.

First, the dock itself is a lovely piece of hardware, with room for the Thunderbolt in landscape position, and an extra battery in the back. Unfortunately, the phone doesn’t fit in the dock with a case. That doesn’t sound unreasonable, except I never take my case off, and it’s causing me some annoyance to change habits now.

Case issue aside, I love the dock as a whole, and I like that the phone automatically jumps into desk mode when nestled inside. However, I have some complaints about the app’s lack of flexibility. For example, I can’t change out any of the icons in desk mode (Gallery, Music and Calendar are included), nor can I move any of the modules around. The layout is fixed. Also, while it’s possible to turn off the Friend Stream in the settings menu, there’s no option to jettison the calendar reminders that appear in the top left corner of the screen. Since somehow I have Facebook birthdays linked to my Google calendar (I don’t even remember doing that), that means random birthday updates show up on my display.

Choosing A (New) E-Reader

kindle4-vs-kindle2

Let me start by saying that I didn’t anticipate picking up a new e-reader. While my second generation Amazon Kindle has served me relatively well over the last year and a half, it’s yet another device to charge and carry. Plus, e-ink isn’t exactly backlit. My master plan had been to upgrade to a smartphone with a larger screen for more comfortable digital reading… via app. But the iPhone 5 4S arrived with the same display dimensions as my current phone. The 4.7″ HTC Titan also seemed to be an option, but Windows Phone 7 resolution tops out at 480×800. Basically, I haven’t yet been compelled to upgrade. Meanwhile, my current Kindle has forced the issue as it no longer reliably holds a charge or wirelessly syncs.

I called into Amazon to see what sort of repair or replacement options might be available. The one year warranty on my Kindle 2 has expired, but they graciously to offered me (what may have been a refurb) Kindle 3 with WiFi and 3G for $60. As part of that dealio, I’d also have to ship my K2 back to them. Of course, the big advance in e-readers this year has been the implementation of touchscreen technology – which provides a much more natural form of interaction. Sony’s touch-based Reader has dropped in price to $100… and more importantly they’re offering a $50 credit for trading in any brand of ereader. However, I prefer Barnes & Nobles Nook Simple Touch ($99) ergonomics and aesthetics over both Sony and Amazon’s new Kindle Touch ($99). Yet their holiday trade in promotion, for a $50 credit, was limited to Nook 1 hardware and they’ve excised the e-reader’s web browser with a recent software update. But, at the end of the day, the touch technology is still less than perfect and adds bulk to the device. Further, I often grab or hold my Kindle by the screen. So, as you can see from the pics, I went with none of the above.

The 2011 Boxes Of The Year

appletv-roku-googletv

It’s that time of the year again where we run down our selection of best digital media boxes. And, surprisingly, the top 2012 recommendations aren’t dramatically different from our 2011 picks.

In the ‘all around’ category, we’re still partial to the current generation of Sony and Microsoft gaming consoles… which offer far more than HD gaming. The Xbox 360 ($200) delivered more innovation in 2011 than the PS3, with (another) massive UI overhaul and new video services including Verizon FiOS TV and YouTube. Yet, despite Sony’s well documented security lapses, we’re nevertheless giving the PS3 ($250) the edge this year for two reasons. First, despite the proliferation of Internet video, there continues to be a void of compelling content that can’t be sourced (legally) online via services like Hulu or Vudu – making the PS3’s integrated Blu-ray player just as compelling as ever. Next, many desirable Xbox features, like Netflix streaming, require a $60 annual subscription. For gamers who play collaboratively online, it’s a sunk cost. But for everyone else, the Xbox 360 carries a recurring premium that’s hard to justify when a fee-free media streamer like the the Roku LT runs a mere $50.

Roku LT

Speaking of that 720p Roku LT,

SlingPlayer Comes To Google TV

After nearly a year in development, EchoStar has released the SlingPlayer for Google TV. And, as the recent Boxee and Facebook Slingbox players, what we’re really dealing with is a Flash-based webpage. As Engadget points out, this means you won’t necessarily have the same level of polished remote keymapping… yet the platform is infinitely more portable/reusable … Read more