ces 2010

Intel Wireless Display: One year later

At last year's CES, Intel Wireless Display was one of our Best of CES nominees, standing out for its potential to bring streaming Internet video to an HDTV from a laptop over its own dedicated wireless channel, including audio. In fact, it was your pick as Best in Show, winning the People's Voice Award (as determined by a user poll).

Let's go back to early 2010: back then, connecting a laptop to a TV with a wired connection was still the best way to get Internet video content such as Hulu and Netflix without an additional set-top box. Despite having a slight delay in the video/audio signal, and requiring a $99 Push2TV box from Netgear plugged into an HDTV or non-HD television to receive the signal, the benefits seemed clear, and for those looking to make a laptop into a home entertainment solution, there was no better choice.

Times have changed, indeed, although Intel Wireless Display really hasn't. The debut of Apple's iPad, and its support of Netflix, Hulu Plus, and other streaming services, has changed the equation a bit, even if the iPad doesn't support Flash. Video game consoles now have Netflix across the board, and even (on the PS3, at least) Hulu Plus and Vudu. TV sets are including an ever-increasing number of Internet apps for accessing digital content, and set-top boxes such as the Boxee Box, the next-gen Roku box, and Apple TV offer a variety of solutions.

When it comes to methods of getting Internet or computer-stored video content on your TV, your options come to this: … Read more

A look back at CES 2010

CES 2011 is right around the corner and we're all getting excited about the gadget possibilities in store for us. From 3D cameras and televisions to my personal favorite Android tablets, there will be no shortage of tech to sink our teeth into. There are only 32 days until the official start of the show, but if you can't wait, take a look back at the products we picked as our Best of CES 2010.

Sony XBR goes over edge with full-array local dimming

Updated June 9, 2010 with new model number--HX900 became HX909--as well as pricing, availability and other information.

Among the numerous permutations of LED backlighting, we've consistently experienced the best results with the variety known as local dimming, which typically uses a full array of LEDs arranged behind the screen, not just along the edge. Those LEDs can dim or illuminate as necessary depending on program content, and as a result can achieve excellent contrast, black levels, and overall picture quality.

The superb Sony KDL-XBR8 series from 2008 was the company's last attempt at the technology. Sony skipped LED … Read more

Sony integrates 3D, Wi-Fi in flagship LED-based LCD

Updated June 9, 2010 with pricing, availability and other information. Despite announcing smaller sizes of this series at CES, Sony has only confirmed the 52- and 60-inch models for now.

Sony has announced a trio of 3D-capable HDTV series this year, but only the flagship XBR-LX900 actually includes the glasses--2 pair !--you'll need to enjoy 3D content. Of course, other family members beyond the first two will have to get their own pairs, sold separately ($150 each), but at least with this model Sony builds the emitter into the TV (the others make you purchase the $50 emitter separately). … Read more

New 3D TVs and Blu-ray player highlight purported LG product roadmap

LG looks to be building up its 3D and big-screen TV line-ups for the spring 2010 season.

CNET has seen what's purported to be the spring 2010 product roadmap for LG's TV and home theater line. To date, LG hasn't outlined any exact release dates beyond its CES announcements, and to my knowledge didn't plan to do so for at least another month or so. (Panasonic has provided more specifics on its 2010 line-up, and new Samsung's products are beginning to pop up at online retailers.)

In addition to current LG models, the roadmap contains … Read more

18 most anticipated tech products of 2010

Back in December, I did roundup of the most notable tech products for 2009. Well, looking back is nostalgic and all, but looking forward is more fun.

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 this year. But we did see a fair amount of intriguing stuff at this year's CES in Vegas and we know that plenty of sequels to today's popular products are on the way--whether the company wants you … Read more

See the coolest audio from CES 2010

My pal Dave Clark, editor at Positive Feedback Online, took a lot of great pictures at CES 2010. After the jump, see but a brief sampling from his Web site.… Read more

Reporters' Roundtable: 3D TV debunked (podcast)

CES overloaded the industry with 3D TV hype, and it's time to bust it. This week on the Roundtable, I interview CNET's own John Falcone and HDNation's Robert Heron on the practical realities, and likely future, of 3D TV.

Subscribe with iTunes (audio)Subscribe with iTunes (video)Subscribe with RSS (audio)Subscribe with RSS (video) Reporters' Roundtable #16: 3D TV, debunked… Read more

Top 5 CES trends

CES 2010 was full of the usual electronics wonderment, but some trends were more frequent or more prominent than others. We took a gander about the show floor and tallied up the five top trends from the show.

Take a look at the video then come back here for a chance to win the swag bag.

Fingers-on with Stantum's touch-screen Dell tablet prototype

At CES 2010, Dell got a lot of attention from its concept model 5-inch slate. Though only briefly shown at Dell's CES press conference, we got a chance to play around with a demo unit behind the scenes, and came away feeling like it was a slightly jazzed-up smartphone, rather than a true tablet PC.

Although that concept device may never be released, we've spent the past two days tapping, swiping, and flipping on a new Dell tablet PC, with a 10-inch multitouch display and powered by an Intel Atom processor.

The device is actually a prototype tablet built by French multitouch technology company Stantum. The company started with a stock Dell Mini 10 Netbook, deconstructed it, removing the screen and keyboard, and rebuilt it with a resistive touch screen--all to demo its touch-display know-how.

If that sounds like a familiar concept, you may have read our review of the Axiotron Modbook, which is a touch-screen Apple tablet device made from a reconstructed MacBook laptop.

Hands-on with the prototype Turning on the tablet for the first time, our expectations were modest, as the system uses an older Intel Atom Z520 CPU, which can barely run a non-touch-screen Netbook under the best of circumstances. And though overall performance was sluggish, we were actually very pleasantly surprised by how speedy and responsive the touch interface was. … Read more