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CES postscript: The touch laptop, like it or not

The laptop was reinvented at CES.

Or maybe I should say there was a vigorous attempt to reinvent the laptop. Because we won't know how successful touch has been until next year this time.

Intel's CES booth -- still a large presence in the CES Central Hall -- had one basic unmistakable message: touch has arrived.

Windows 8 convertibles, detachables, touch-screen laptops, and just plain tablets from Hewlett-Packard, Dell, Samsung, Acer, Asus, Lenovo, Toshiba, Sony, and others blanketed Intel's booth.

And just to make sure the touch message was crystal clear, Intel issued an edict to PC … Read more

Intel describes its 'Y' chips ambitions for tablets

LAS VEGAS--Intel is trying to move its chips from below the keyboard to behind the glass.

In other words, more emphasis on the tablet half of the equation.

Behind the glass: "We believe...detachables are fundamentally different," Adam King, Intel's director of notebook marketing, said in an interview with CNET, referring to laptop designs with displays that can be removed from the base to become standalone tablets.

"The point of differentiation is that the processor is...behind the glass," he said.

"Detachables we think of as a tablet first. Because when you take it … Read more

Samsung sneaks in a Series 5 Ultra upgrade

LAS VEGAS--Spotted at the Samsung booth at CES 2013 was an updated version of the company's Series 5 Ultra, a slim, midpriced ultrabook. Not getting a formal announcement, as the more high-profile Series 7 Ultra and Series 7 Chronos did, the updated Series 5 instead sneaked onto the show floor.

The new Series 5 will add a touch screen and backlit keyboard, and the overall design of the aluminum chassis is thinner, but still thick enough to hold an optical drive. The brushed-metal look is closer to the more expensive Series 7 and Series 9, making this look like … Read more

Archos goes Platinum with new range of high resolution and high-performance tablets

Archos is fortifying its Elements series with the expansion of the Platinum range of tablets. The Platinum line, currently consisting of a trio of 8-inch, 9.7-inch, and 11.6-inch tablets, stands out due to high resolution IPS screens and specs that promise fast performance.

The three tablets share various features including IPS displays, a quad-core 1.2 GHz processor, an 8-core GPU, Android 4.1 OS, 2GB RAM, and front and back cameras. Ports on the tablets include mini-HDMI, microSD, and microUSB. The most obvious thing they have in common is the white, slim design with an aluminum back … Read more

Sony XBR-X900 series: 4K gets smaller, cheaper

LAS VEGAS--4K isn't just for wall-size, five-figure TVs anymore.

Sony is among the first major TV makers to announce it will sell 4K, aka Ultra High Definition (UHD), televisions in sizes less than 84 inches. The XBR-X900 series, which currently counts a $25,000 84-incher as its sole member, now includes 65-inch and 55-inch sizes, which will sell for $4,999 and $6,999 respectively. They'll be available beginning April 21.

UHD/4K in this TV's (and most other's) case means a pixel count of 3,840x2,160 -- four times as many pixels as today'… Read more

Sony supersizes its ultrabook with Vaio T Series 15

LAS VEGAS--Go big, add touch. Sony's subdued CES formula in a nutshell.

Sony's latest Vaio T Series 15 is a new, larger ultrabook with 1080p, sporting a 10-finger multitouch display. It joins the fray of a seemingly endless run of touch-enabled laptops at this year's CES that continue to be announced with knee-jerk predictability. Sony's also adding a touch-screen option to the Vaio T 14 that's already on sale.

Yes, having touch on a Windows 8 laptop is better than not having touch, but it's hard to get excited at all about its presence … Read more

SteelSeries keyboards light up CES with 16.8 million color options

LAS VEGAS--There's never a lot to report on the gaming front here at CES 2013, but we can always expect SteelSeries to announce something hot during the show.

Last year it was the SRW-S1 racing wheel, and they stand out this year with two new flashy keyboards that let you customize almost every inch to suit your pwning needs.

The $99 Apex is the gem of the announcement and the realization of the company's dedication to R&D. Drawing from an understanding that gamers require hardware that demands as little movement as possible, the Apex is the … Read more

Panasonic's E series LCDs are feature-rich

LAS VEGAS--In 2013, Panasonic is releasing its largest line of LCDs yet, with seven different series to choose from. While the WT60 and DT60 sit at the high end, it's the three types of E series that make up the bulk of the company's offering.

The three E series include the 50-inch and 60-inch ET60; the E60 in four sizes (42-, 50-, 58-, and 65-inch screens); and the entry-level EM60 at 39 inches and 50 inches.

Unusually for Panasonic, the ET60 and E60 are blessed with an embarrassment of feature riches. The most "gadgety" addition is … Read more

Even Vizio's smallest 2013 TVs have Smart option

LAS VEGAS--The E series is Vizio's mainstream line of TVs for 2013, with myriad size and feature levels, but one feature shared among most of them is Smart TV.

The smallest Vizio Smart TV in 2013 will be the 24-inch E241i; I can't think of a smaller TV with built-in streaming and other Smart TV features. It and most of its larger E series brethren will use the same suite of apps and streaming services found on models like the E3201-A0, a TV I called "the strongest value we've seen yet among 32-inch TVs." I … Read more

Vizio's M TV means major features up to 80 inches

LAS VEGAS--Vizio is traditionally known for cheap TVs, but at CES 2013 it's doubling down on its foray into step-up, feature-rich (read: slightly more expensive) territory with the 4K XVT models and the all-new "M" series.

The company's M range LED-based LCD TVs goes from 32- up to the company's first 80-inch model, the M801d pictured above. All of the sizes in the series should ship in the first half with the exception of the 80-incher, which is a second-half product. Pricing was not announced, but knowing Vizio it will be extremely competitive.

No other … Read more