ces2013

LAS VEGAS--Music can serve as a great motivator in a long workout at the gym, but it's a universally bad idea to use headphones during outdoor exercises, especially if you live in a big city with traffic and obstructions coming at you from all angles.

For cyclists and runners who still want to jam to a soundtrack, Panasonic introduces the RP-BTGS10 wireless headphones at CES with a unique take on sound transmission, using your cheekbones to deliver audio straight to your head. (Credit: Sarah Tew/CNET)

Calling this device an "earphone" is a misnomer, since they actually … Read more

LAS VEGAS--Despite LG launching a number of top-tier smartphones in the past few months (the Nexus 4 and the Optimus G were released in November, and the Intuition was available in September), the Korean phone company has remained pretty quiet about launching new handsets during CES this week.

We were told by LG representatives numerous times before CES that there would be no mobile devices unveiling anyway, but that didn't stop us from holding out for any surprises. Especially since rumors about an Optimus G successor, the Optimus G2, have been circulating.

But after LG's press conference today, … Read more

Nikon photography pros will be happy to know there's a major new supplier of XQD flash-memory cards: Lexar.

They might not be so happy about the price for the new high-end format: a 1100X 64GB model costs $580, and a 32GB model costs $300. At CES today, the Micron subsidiary also announced a $45 USB 3.0 card reader for the new format.

Nikon's flagship D4 SLR uses the XQD cards, which before were available only from Sony. Lexar's 1100X models guarantee a 168MB/sec read speed, though write speeds are somewhat lower.

XQD is one of … Read more

LAS VEGAS--AT&T today unveiled a new video-on-demand service for its U-Verse TV offering amid the rising threat of companies such as Netflix.

As more consumers consider dropping their cable TV in lieu of Web-based alternatives, including Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime, AT&T said today that it is offering the U-Verse Screen Pack for $5 a month, available only to its U-Verse customers. It will allow users to access a library of 1,500 movies from their TV, computer, or wireless devices.

Existing U-Verse TV customers will get a free preview of Screen Pack between January 7 … Read more

LAS VEGAS--Sharp has announced its 6 series televisions for 2013, which, while they include a mix of 3D and non-3D models, will all have Smart TV features.

The TVs will include a Smart TV suite and will be powered by a dual-core processor. A new SmartCentral feature enables users to watch video in a picture-by-picture mode with the TV's onboard Web browser.

The LE657 will feature 3D and ship with two new Bluetooth 3D glasses, which don't require line of sight to work. The models are the 60-inch LC-60LE657 and 70-inch LC-70LE657 due in March.

The non-3D LE650 … Read more

LAS VEGAS--It seems like every audio company is putting out some sort of compact Bluetooth speaker system these days. Monster is, too, but it says its new $699 ClarityHD Katana speaker system, which is due to ship later this month in black and white versions, is a major cut above the rest.

It touts the Katana as a true "breakthrough" in wireless digital music systems. What makes it so groundbreaking? Well, according Monster, thanks to its advanced Bluetooth wireless capability featuring AAC and apt-X, "users experience a new level wireless audio performance, with the option to stream … Read more

LAS VEGAS--Consumer electronics giant LG focused its attention on the home and living room with a series of home entertainment and appliance announcements.

Chief among them was the pricing and dating of its much-awaited 55-inch OLED TV, which first debuted at last year's CES, though was delayed. The company today said it would begin selling in the U.S. in March for about $12,000. It also promised two new sizes of its 4K resolution television sets, 65-inch and 55-inch versions to join the 84" model.

LG spent much of its presentation touting its smartening up of various … Read more

LAS VEGAS--Today at CES 2013, Trendnet significantly shrank the Powerline 500 AV adapter with the introduction of the Nano Adapter with Built-in Outlet, model TPL-407E.

As the name suggests the new adapter is supercompact yet comes with a built-in pass-through receptacles for users to plug another device to the same wall socket that it occupies.

While this is not the first Powerline AV500 adapter that comes with this feature, it's the first on the market that comes in this compact size. In fact, it's more compact than the XAV5501 from Netgear cut in half.

Supporting the Powerline AV500 … Read more

LAS VEGAS--If you're not so happy with Cisco's first 802.11ac router, the Linksys EA6500, there are now more options.

The networking vendors announced today at CES 2013 three more routers that all support 802.11ac. All of them belong to the same Linksys Smart Wi-Fi router series and share similar features as well as physical design as the Linksys EA6500. These new routers include:

Linksys Smart Wi-Fi Router AC 1750 HD Video Pro, EA6700: This is now the new top-notch Smart Wi-Fi Router in the Linksys portfolio. The AC1750 is designed for homes with 10 or more … Read more