connected

LAS VEGAS--LG has its Magic Motion, and Sony has its Google TV nub. And until now, Panasonic hasn't had an effective way to navigate Web content. Enter the new Panasonic touch-pad remote control.

Available on Panasonic Blu-ray players--DMP-BBT01, DMP-BDT500, DMP-BDT320--and select televisions, including the WT50 and the VT50--the new remote offers a simple touch-pad surface, with a couple of additional buttons.

This year's Viera TVs and Blu-ray players feature a beefed-up Viera Connect smart-TV service and an onboard browser, and the touch pad is designed to make it easier to navigate around Web pages and services like … Read more

LAS VEGAS--As it goes with these matters, it's one thing to hear about this or that phone's bright screen, and another entirely to see it.

The LG Connect 4G, one of MetroPCS' two new LTE Android phones, has a 4-inch LG Nova display that boasts 70 nits of brightness. Indeed, it's pretty luminous.

There are other decent specs on it, too, like a 1.2GHz dual-core processor, a 5-megapixel camera, and a VGA front-facing camera.

It's certainly vaulted for the no-contract carrier, which needs to keep unsubsidized costs down, often by offering handsets that pare down … Read more

Internet-connected televisions are something of a subplot at this year's Consumer Electronics Show, and Yahoo is rolling out some new features and partners to its Yahoo Connected TV business to turn it into something more than a side business.

The Web giant, which has been selling its Internet-connected TV platform for a few years, announced plans today at the Consumer Electronics Show to add Sony's Bravia TVs to the list of sets that include the technology. The company says more than 8 million consumers have purchased sets that have the technology baked in from manufacturers such as Samsung, … Read more

LAS VEGAS--MetroPCS is hopping onto the 4G LTE bandwagon this CES, adding two new 4G LTE Android smartphones to its lineup, the Samsung Galaxy Attain 4G and LG Connect 4G.

The more powerful of the two, the LG Connect 4G features a 1.2GHz dual-core processor and runs Android 2.3 Gingerbread. It has a 5-megapixel rear-facing camera and is capable of recording 720p HD video; there's a front-facing camera as well. It also has a 4-inch Gorilla Glass screen. It comes with Dolby Mobile onboard to boost the preloaded Rhapsody Unlimited Music service, as well as your other … Read more

Over the last few years, the passenger car has evolved from a gas-guzzling hunk of steel into what some have called the largest piece of consumer electronics in your life.

So, while it's fitting that the 2012 Consumer Electronics Show (CES 2012) will likely be a jumping-off point for the next stage of development on car infotainment, connectivity, and safety technology, I still find it a bit odd to see so many cars sharing the floor with the likes of 3D TVs and compact digital cameras. Now that the car has established itself as a cornerstone of CES 2012, … 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

The way I see it, the demographic of buyers for the Kyocera DuraCore is rather slim.

Rugged, it absolutely is, but it's also rather plain. It has a thick, sturdy build, a good, grippy surface, and is the third phone to ride on Sprint's new Direct Connect network. However, if you're looking for a durable device with a camera, a microSD card slot, and even more ruggedness, the Kyocera DuraMax will be more your speed. If it's a basic, durable phone you want for just making calls, stick with the more affordable DuraCore.

Watch the video, … Read more

Sprint Nextel believes it has a fix for the connection issues facing some of its iPhones.

The carrier said it has spent the past few weeks rolling out "network enhancements" designed to improve data speeds, CNET has learned. Sprint was able to determine where the upgrades were needed through a combination of its own checks and feedback from customers.

"Initial customer response to the improvements has been very positive," Fared Adib, vice president of product development for Sprint, said in a statement to CNET. "Sprint continues to monitor device and network performance to ensure that … Read more

What if changing the color of your car was as simple as tapping an app? Toyota's Fun-Vii concept promises exactly that and more.

The Fun-Vii's skin is actually a massive display that can change its color at will, and display graphics, images, and custom messages for other drivers or bystanders. Toyota gives the visual example of a business using the Fun-Vii to display advertisement livery, but I'd love to be able to quickly throw up a "Back off, chump!" to a tailgater.

The custom graphics aren't limited to the exterior. Toyota also envisions that large interior display surfaces can add augmented reality functionality to the driving experience while allowing the vehicle's interior to be "freely adjustable to match the mood of the moment."… Read more