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The Platinum i-Series from iHarmonix produces better sounds than the headset Apple includes with the iPhone.
(Credit: Dong Ngo/CBS Interactive)Once in a while you get something and like it so much you wonder why you hadn't gotten it a long time ago. Or, as in my case, why you didn't use it.
This happened back during CES. I was given a headset from iHarmonix, the Platinum i-Series, as a freebie. I didn't have a chance to really use it until just now and asked myself why I waited so long.
The headset's sound is much better than that of Apple's OEM included with the iPhone. For the first time, I can enjoy the bass and really control the multifunction button (that ends calls as well as controls music playback), thanks to its round shape and larger size. The iPhone's included headset has a very tiny button that's hard to press on. It was almost impossible for me to make a successful jump to a previous track.
What I like best, however, is the fact that the Platinum i-Series is black instead of having the same white color as Apple's headset. Now I can blend in without people looking at me and thinking, "Oh I know, you got an iPhone, all right."
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If you've been keeping up with my monitor blog posts from CES 2009, there's one term you've probably heard tossed around more any other: "Full HD."
Samsung's LED-based 2370L is more than a little easy on the eyes.
(Credit: Eric Franklin/CBS Interactive)Yes, Full HD was the buzzword for monitors this year. Full HD basically means a monitor has a 16:9 aspect ratio ...
Read the full post at CNET's CES 2009 blog.
Netgear shows off its Internet TV Player at CES 2009.
(Credit: Dong Ngo/CBS Interactive)The main networking themes at CES 2009 were faster, greener, and more diverse.
The nicest surprise, however, was not a product but the return of Buffalo. After two years of court sanctions, Buffalo now has regained the right to sell networking products in North America. It's interesting that in the Chinese calendar, 2009 is also the year of the Ox.
The company offers a few sleek-looking routers, both Wireless-N and Wireless-G. In my experience, Buffalo offers great budget routers, which are affordable and yet reliable at the same time. This is good news for consumers.
While Buffalo's portfolio doesn't contain anything revolutionary, Trendnet D-Link showed off new Wireless-N routers that offer speeds up to 450Mbps, a 50 percent boost from its cap of 300Mbps. This is achieved by adding more single streams to an antenna, much like adding more garden hoses to better the watering. The new technology uses three signal streams per antenna.
The new speed is based on a common standard, and therefore, once certified by the Wi-Fi Alliance, routers and adapters from different vendors will interoperate at the new high speed.
Speaking of the Wi-Fi Alliance, the organization, together with In-Stat, released a report CES at saying that the consumption of Wi-Fi chips increased by 26 percent in 2008. The group expects this momentum to continue into 2009.
...Read the full post at CNET's CES 2009 blog.
Small TVs are ideal for tailgating...according to Westinghouse
If you stare at this pic long enough, eventually it stares back at you.
(Credit: Westinghouse)In Westinghouse's press materials it states that either of the following monitors would be an ideal solution for a tailgating party. Finally, vendors are starting to give tailgaters the respect they deserve. No word yet if these TVs/monitors include beer holders.
During CES Westinghouse announced three new LCD HDTVs. The 19-inch PT-19H340S, ...
Read the full post at CNET's CES 2009 blog.
(Credit:
Viewsonic)
I guess I can thank Viewsonic for ensuring that I'm not writing about monitors and monitors only for CES 2009. The company has made a few attempts to diversify its product line, and I for one appreciate it, if for no other reason than you can say only so much about HDMI connections and screen sizes before you're driven batty. Take it from one whose been ...
Read the full post at CNET's CES 2009 blog.
Viewsonic's all-in-one PC perfect for call centers, not so much high-end gaming
You know there's trouble when you combine birds, spheres, and targeting computers.
(Credit: Viewsonic)I'm starting to notice a trend among monitor vendors. Simply selling monitors just isn't enough anymore. We already covered BenQ's foray into the all-in-one PC market and now Viewsonic is following suit.
During CES, Viewsonic announced the VPC100 all-in-one PC. The VPC100 is 35mm thin, and following the monitor trend of ...
Read the full post at CNET's CES 2009 blog.
(Credit:
Viewsonic)
Seems like you can't swing a dead thumb drive on a string around at CES without it hitting some vendor's new Netbook. Many are stepping into the Netbook ring--even vendors that have never tried anything like one before; Viewsonic is an example.
During CES, the company announced its first ever Netbook, called the Viebook. The Viebook weighs 2.6 pounds, has a 10.2-inch screen and ...
Read the full post at CNET's CES 2009 blog.
Along with pretty much every other monitor vendor, Westinghouse is moving to a 16:9, "Full HD" format for its monitors. This means that these new displays will be able to display 720p or 1080p HD content without stretching the image.
Other than "Full HD," not much is new about the new lineup.
Here are the specifications on the three new unreleased models.
(Credit:
Westinghouse)
L2031NW (20-inch class LCD monitor) ...
Read the full post at CNET's CES 2009 blog.
Hmmm, just what movie is this anyway?
(Credit: ViewSonic)It wasn't all stereoscopic screens and crazy 3D glasses at ViewSonic's showing at CES. The company also introduced a new 24-inch monitor, the VX2433.
In keeping with what seems to be a trend with monitors at this year's CES, the new 24-inch display has a 16:9 aspect ratio and includes a "Full HD" 1,920x1,080-pixel resolution. ...
Read the full post at CNET's CES 2009 blog.
Eric Franklin's colleagues once had the following to say to him: "Eric, you've been doing this performance testing thing for over 10 years now. How about you try something different?" To which Eric responded, "How about you shut the #%$@! up?" This candid attitude
allows him to go toe-to-toe with the most extreme of personalities, including that of Dong Ngo. This bio was written by Eric Franklin.
Dong Ngo is a knowledgeable, opinionated individual who wants to convince the world that he's just a normal person; but he hasn't had much success. According to him, this is because the world itself is abnormal. Dong loves traveling and is well-versed in several languages. He, unfortunately, is not so well-versed in English. Still, it's best to ask him questions. From networking and how to optimize your system, to turning a strange place into home or what the meaning of life is…most of the time, he has the answers. The question is: Will he make himself understood? Subscribe and find out!
