2012

CES chief muses on what to expect this year

Consumer Electronics Association CEO Gary Shapiro talks big numbers when he describes this year's Consumer Electronics Show, which takes over Las Vegas next week.

He is expecting more than 140,000 visitors who will collectively crisscross the more than 1.8 million net square feet of exhibit space and visit more than 2,700 exhibitors.

For one company, this CES will be its last. Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer will give the opening keynote at CES 2012. But the company announced last month that in 2013, it will no longer host a booth or lead a keynote there.

"They'… Read more

Velocity Micro debuts Shine, 'smallest HD-capable' projector

Up until now tiny pico projectors have been mostly disappointing. But picos like the Velocity Micro Shine are growing up a bit in an effort to offer better picture quality.

According to the company, the Shine's claim to fame is that it's the smallest HD-capable projector with a native resolution of 1,280x768 pixels (WXGA). While that's far from full 1080p resolution, the company says it can accept a 1080p (1,920x1,080) signal. It uses DLP technology with LED illumination and weighs 9 ounces and measure 4 inches on its longest side. … Read more

Hitachi unveils new G-Drive external storage solutions

Heading to CES 2012, Hitachi announced today that it has added two new internal hard drives to its portfolio of external solutions.

The two drives are the 2.5-inch, 5,400rpm 1TB Travelstar 5K1000 and the 3.5-inch, 7,200rpm 4TB Deskstar 7K4000. They both support the latest SATA 3 (6Gbps) standard, will be shipped inside G-Technology-branded solutions, and are designed exclusively for Macs.

These solutions include both portable storage devices to use on the go and desktop external storage devices that offer high speed and a large amount of storage.

In the portable-drive department, there are two drives: the … Read more

Nissan and Toyota: Big video teases

In the week before the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Toyota and Nissan both release videos on the Internet that show virtually nothing of the new concepts the companies will show.

Nissan previously released a photo of its dramatic (its word, not mine) new Pathfinder concept. Today, Nissan released a video on the Pathfinder micro-site. But the video shows so little it actually seems to take away some of the previous information offered up.

Over some pleasant music, Nissan's video shows a sky view through different terrains, going from day to night. I can only conclude that … Read more

Chrysler introduces the 200 Super S by Mopar

Chrysler Group LLC announced that the Chrysler 200 Super S by Mopar will debut at the 2012 North American International Auto Show in Detroit.

The Mopar treatment offers a long list of exterior modifications, including a large chin spoiler, satin chrome fog light trim, satin chrome grille surround and mesh in the upper and lower grilles. Modifications to the body sides include new side sills, satin chrome belt molding, black chrome "200" badges, and gray or hyper black 18-inch S-alloy wheels.

"The Super S is Mopar's interpretation of the Chrysler 200," said Pietro Gorlier, president … Read more

Samsung's HW-E550 sound bar 'morphs' into vertical speakers

Typically, sound bars are horizontal speakers that are designed to be placed below your TV.

Samsung's upcoming HW-E550 Surround Sound Bar is just that--but with a twist. Not only can you place it horizontally below your TV (the speaker weighs 4 pounds), but you can split it in two and turn it into a traditional 2.1-channel floor-standing system using the included bases.

Yes, there's also a subwoofer, but the sound bar (or speakers if you split it in two) connects to it wirelessly using Samsung's proprietary dual-band 5.2/5.8GHz wireless technology. Samsung says the … Read more

Verizon ready to discontinue Droid 3, 4G hot spots, and more

Barely six months after making its debut, the Droid 3 may be packing its bags and heading off into the sunset.

According to information obtained by The Verge, Verizon Wireless is poised to discontinue a number of devices, including the Motorola Droid 3, LG Revolution, and various Mi-Fi Hotspots. Their source advises that the final shipments are expected to arrive later this month.

Although both the Revolution and Droid 3 are relatively newer smartphones, the specifications pale in comparison to other Android handsets. Considering that successors to both models are rumored to debut in the near term, it makes sense … Read more

The 404 969: Where well...it can only get worse (podcast)

Welcome to a brand-new year of The 404! Today on the show filling in for Justin Yu is Bridget Carey. Justin is still out west and will meet up with us in Las Vegas for our live shows from CES 2012!

On today's show Jeff and Wilson prepare Bridget for her first CES ever by advising her to stock up on Powerbars, Jolt Cola, and plenty of water. … Read more

Ballistic to unveil LS Smooth iPhone cases at CES 2012

If you own an iPhone 4 (or 4S) you're probably already using a case. But if you're still looking for one, or want a new one, here's another to consider.

Ballistic announced today its latest case for the smartphone, called Ballistic LS Smooth. It "offers consumers an unparalleled protection" while remaining aesthetically appealing.

Similar to the original Ballistic LS cases, the new case is made of strong materials. It's now thinner and better-looking.

The LS Smooth has four removable Ballistic Corners that protect the mobile device from drops and allows for customization. The new … Read more