2012

If you're hesitating to upgrade to the 500Mbps Powerline AV networking standard due to the size of its adapters (like the colossal Netgear XAV5501), well I have some good news.

Trendnet announced today what it's claiming is the world's smallest Powerline AV 500 adapter: the 500 Mbps Compact Powerline AV Adapter TPL-406E. The company says that it will be demoing this unit at CES 2012.

Judging from the photo that shows how the new adapter fits right in your palm, it's indeed the smallest Powerline AV 500 adapter I've ever seen. Trendnet says the TPL-406E … Read more

Trendnet, a vendor of affordable and green networking products, announced today the first 802.11ac networking products to be showcased at CES 2012.

As introduced by networking chip-maker, Broadcom, recently, the 802.11ac wireless standard is the next generation of the 802.11 wireless technology with the 802.11n (or wireless N) currently being the mainstream. The new standard will initially offer up to 1300Mbps speed (compared to the top 450Mbps of the existing N standard), with the capability to scale up to 6.8Gbps in the future.

The new AC standard also uses the low 5Ghz band and incorporates … Read more

Nikon hits the important highlights with this replacement for the D3S: improved autofocus, increased durability, better performance, and more-competitive video capabilities.

Updated 1/10/12 with slideshow.

We've been anticipating this one for a while--Nikon Rumors pretty much nailed it down on December 19--but a copy of Réponses Photo surfaced with the story just ahead of Nikon's formal announcement.

According to the magazine, the D4 will replace the D3S; unlike Canon, Nikon doesn't seem to be merging its vertical-gripped pro bodies into a single line. It should also be available before the 1D X, as well as cheaper, supposedly shipping in February for about $6,000. The lower price is unsurprising given the slightly slower burst and less magnified viewfinder, which are the features in a dSLR for which it's increasingly expensive to eke out 1 more frame or a fraction of a multiple. In fact, it reportedly will retain the (quite good) viewfinder from the D3S.

Here are the specs as far as I know them (I will backfill with more details when they become available): updated at time of announce:… Read more

Just when we were all convinced it would be a quiet CES for RIM, the BlackBerry-maker springs this, an invitation to an event showcasing the PlayBook and smartphone operating systems.

Positioned more as an educational session rather than a product launch event, RIM's CES presence is clearly all about the BlackBerry App World catalog.

RIM's activity this year stands in sharp contrast to last year's show, which featured a gigantic booth overflowing with conference-goers eager for a glimpse of the yet-unreleased BlackBerry PlayBook tablet, and its celebrity spokesperson, actress Olivia Wilde.

I'm glad that RIM is … Read more

You might have already read that we're anticipating 4G phones and products dominating this year's CES.

That's why it comes as no surprise that companies are banking on some users wanting even more of a boost on their 4G network.

So far, at least two new cell phone signal boosters will be announced at CES 2012.

The first is from Wilson Electronics, which you may remember debuted its Sleek Cell Phone Signal Booster at last year's CES. The company also released a signal booster for the iPhone in 2009 called the iBooster.

This year, the company … Read more

G-Form, the company behind those videos showing an iPad surviving a drop from a plane inside a G-Form ultrarugged protective sleeve, is finally going small: yes, there's now a G-Form iPhone case, and it looks like it means business.

No word on when this will actually be available, but we do know a price: $39.99. When we get more info, we'll fill you in. For now, have a look at this video of an iPad going up to the edge of space in a G-Form Extreme Sleeve.… Read more

The picture says it all on this one, but the iShower is designed to stick to the wall in your shower and stream tunes from your smartphone or other Bluetooth-enabled device.

Here are the down-and-dirty details: … Read more

It's often hard to sort through the cacophony of the Consumer Electronics Show to find the trends and technology that will emerge in the coming year worthy of attention.

We're here to help.

On Tuesday, CNET is presenting a panel dubbed "The Next Big Thing in CE," featuring a few of the most prominent figures in tech. The group includes Google Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt, Sling Media co-founder Blake Krikorian, Benchmark Capital General Partner Bill Gurley, and Tim Baxter, president of Samsung Electronics America sales, marketing and operations, covering both the consumer and enterprise business divisions.… Read more

Sony is getting into the balanced-armature in-ear headphone market in a big way this year, with, count 'em, 11 new models ranging in price from $79.99 to $499.99.

Sony brought the new XBA line by our offices in advance of CES and I, along with editor Justin Yu and CNET contributor Steve Guttenberg, were impressed with what we heard, even from the entry-level $79.99 XBA-1. The models with an "iP" at the end of their names are designed for use with the iPhone (and iPod Touch) and feature three-button controls, adding a microphone, track, and … Read more