2012

Arthur C. Clarke wrote, "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic," which is what Mercedes-Benz must be thinking with some of the new features in its 2013 SL550.

Its Magic Sky Control consists of a panel in its retractable hard top that goes from dark to transparent at the touch of a button. That does sound very advanced. Not quite as magical is Magic Vision Control, a system that dispenses wiper fluid from openings on the wiper blade, rather than spraying haphazardly over the windshield from two jets on the hood.

Although not called out as magical by Mercedes-Benz, the new SL550 includes other very advanced features. It will come with an automatic parallel parking system and a sensor under the rear that opens the trunk when someone waves a foot across it. Both of these technologies were recently introduced by Ford, stealing some of Mercedes-Benz's thunder. … Read more

You may still be trying to figure out what products to buy this year, but CES 2012 is less than a month away, and I'm already thinking about what's likely to be new in home theater. In prior years, the big CES trends in home theater were obvious before we even got to the show (3D, rise of Blu-ray, emergence of streaming video), but CES 2012 seems much less predictable.

The slow death of discs It's no longer appropriate to say that streaming video is the future of home theater, because the future is now. Even still, … Read more

Welcome to CNET's predictions for the TV hardware category at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

Dave Katzmaier here. I want to do something different for the 2012 CES preview. After nearly 10 years of handling TV reviews and coverage at CNET essentially by myself, I'm now joined by a colleague whose main beat is also TVs: Ty Pendlebury.

He's already written a few reviews and blog posts, done his share of videos and podcasts, and he also has plenty of experience reviewing TVs for CNET Australia and has attended CES in that capacity. So we decided it would be cool for Ty and I to write separate CES TV previews and lump them into this post. Just to keep it interesting, neither of us consulted with the other on what we're writing here, so look upon the repetition not as tedious, but as further confirmation of the inevitable near future. … Read more

The Insurance Institute of Highway Safety (IIHS) today named its Top Safety Picks--115 vehicles in all. The list includes 15 vehicles from Toyota, Lexus, and Scion, 14 vehicles from General Motors, and 13 each from Volkswagen and Audi.

The winners' circle includes 18 new vehicles for 2012, and 97 models that qualified for the 2011 award carry over to 2012.

"For the second year running, a record number of models qualify," IIHS President Adrian Lund said in a press release. "It's tough to win, and we commend auto manufacturers for making safety a top priority.&… Read more

Each year around this time I do a roundup of the most-anticipated products of the coming year. Last year I had 12; this year I'm going with 16.

Since many companies like to keep future new releases under tight wraps so they don't short-circuit sales of their current products, we can't predict what all the new hot gadgets will be. But as usual, we expect to see a fair amount of intriguing stuff at this year's CES in Las Vegas, and we know that plenty of sequels to today's popular products are on the way--whether … Read more

Warpia announced today another wireless display product, the ConnectHD (model SWP400VC).

Unlike existing wireless display standards, such as Intel Wireless Display (WiDi) or WHDI from Amimon, which support only audio and video, ConnectHD can also handle videoconferencing and can work with any computer that has a USB 2.0 (or later) port.

The device has two separate parts. One is a compact USB adapter, about the size of a cellular USB modem, to be connected to a computer. The other is a larger receiver with a built-in wide-angle, 720p HD camera, and an HMDI connector to be connected to a large display, such as an HDTV.

Warpia says that the package also includes a multidirectional microphone and can be used for making video calls, playing back digital content, and displaying video games on an HDTV. It basically mirrors everything you see on a computer's screen on the big TV.

The ConnectHD supports HD up to 1080p and can handle a wireless distance between the computer and the big screen of up to 30 feet. The device uses the wireless USB 1.0 standard and supports Windows computers only.

Warpia says that it will be demoing the ConnectHD at CES 2012. The ConnectHD is available now, costing about $200.… Read more

Given how fast the Web is changing, it can be hard to see what's going to happen next week, much less next year.

After simmering for a few years last decade, the Web has been a frenzy of activity in the last few years. Developers are advancing what can be done, people are spending more time on the Web, and browser makers are locked in intense competition.

Broadly speaking, it's easy to see that Web technology will get more important and more sophisticated. But if for some detail, here are my five predictions for what'll happen next … Read more

Expecting something from Apple can be a dangerous game, but that doesn't mean it's not fun to try and read the tea leaves every once in a while.

Below are five things I think we can expect from Apple next year. Some of these are based on a long ramp-up of rumors and telltale signs from this year, with others outright speculation from trends and the company's product release habits.

It's worth pointing out that Apple's usual lack of predictability is what makes it such an interesting company to watch. Nowhere was that more clear … Read more

If Acura thinks that its announcement that a new NSX concept will make a bow at the 2012 Detroit auto show is going to whip me into a fanboy frenzy, well, then it's absolutely correct.

However, if anything, today's announcement has raised more questions and concern than excitement and anticipation.

This can't be right... Let's take a quick look at the rumored specs. We're starting with 3.5-liter V-6 (308-horsepower est.) that is hybridized by the integration of an approximately 40-horsepower (30kW) electric motor with its seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. There are also a pair of … Read more