Section: Gadgets / Other, Trade Shows, CES At CES every year there’s a bunch of interesting technologies shown that are meant not for market, but to be sold to larger companies. Light Blue Optics’ touchscreen projectors are just such a product. Light Blue Optics’ Light Touch are small, and produce small images, but that doesn’t make them any less interesting. The way the projectors work is the image is produced at the top of the device, and projected onto a surface. The bottom of the device then produces an infrared beam across the image. When your finger breaks that beam, the touch is registered by the device. The result of Blue Light Optics’ Light Touch is a relatively small screen with decent picture quality and a variety of uses. The options given by the device include games, retail, photos, videos and social. Light Blue Optics intends to sell the technology to another company, so as of yet there are no plans to bring them to market. Read [Light Blue Optics] Full Story » | Written by Shawn Ingram for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 
Section: Web, Downloads  Apps are a huge fad right now. One could argue that an app store is just as important or even more important than a piece of hardware itself. Another fad going on right now is the netbook and mobile computing. And today at CES, Intel has decided to mash them together to create the AppUp Center.
The basic idea behind the AppUp center is to provide an app store for netbooks specifically. The apps in this store will contain both original apps and apps that are “netbookified” by catering to the netbook’s screen size and what you would consider the limitations of a netbook. The first round of apps for the AppUp center have already been released in the store that is currently available on Windows. Acer, ASUS, Dell and Samsung have all been in talks with Intel in collaborating with the project, which I assume, will mean that all netbooks sold will include the AppUp center pre-installed. If this happens, developers will have quite an audience considering the millions of Intel-processor based netbooks sold in the past year. You can go ahead and check out the AppUp beta that is currently available on Windows. Read [CrunchGear] Full Story » | Written by Hunter Clarke for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 
Section: Gadgets / Other, Household, Trade Shows, CES The Boxee Box has been a long time coming, and as we mentioned a few days ago, the Boxee Box is here at CES. The Boxee Box is not only on display, but is being demoed unlike most of D-Links other products. The experience is familiar to anyone who has used the Boxee software before. The biggest draw here seems to be that fact it makes content much easier to watch on a TV rather than hooking up your computer or laptop to the TV. The Boxee Box’s features come at no real surprise, it has everything the software does. The most interesting part about the Boxee Box seems to be the remote. The top of the remote is made to be simple: a directional control with a center button and one button above and below that. The “bottom” of the remote is the interesting part, with a full QWERTY keyboard. Somewhat surprisingly, it is quite difficult to accidentally press buttons on the side opposite you are using. The keyboard it used mainly for searching for content it seems, so no updating Twitter or Facebook with the remote (though it can access media content your friends post on both sites), but at least it doesn’t require a USB keyboard like the Pop Box does. Read [D-Link Boxee Box] Full Story » | Written by Shawn Ingram for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 
Section: Audio, Headphones, Trade Shows, CES At CES Sennheiser has launched a new line of sports headphones. While Sennheiser alone releasing new sports headphones is predictable and not that exciting, these new headphones are co-branded and co-designed by Adidas.
The biggest new improvement here looks to be the added fins on the MX 680 (earbuds) and CX 680 (in-earphones). They may look a bit strange at first, but they are meant to help secure the earbuds in the ear, so they won’t fall out while running or any sort of exercise or sport. The fins hook around the cinch in your ear, and each pair has two sizes for different ear sizes. They make for a strange feeling when first put in, but would likely become easier to wear with extended use. The partnership also brings about the OMX 680 (over-the-ear buds) and the PMX 680 (over-the-ear buds headset). Each pair is water (read: sweat and rain) proof, and has a short wire for those who wear devices on their arm, and an extension cable with included volume control. Prices range from $80 for the MX 680 to $120 for the CX 680. Read [Sennheiser] Full Story » | Written by Shawn Ingram for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 
Section: Audio, Video, Gadgets / Other, Household, Trade Shows, CES Not to be left out of the set-top streaming race, and not letting Boxee take all the credit, D-Link has introduced it’s own entry. The device is called the D-Link Pebble thanks largely to the sleek shape. Aside from the shape and the company involved, there isn’t much here we haven’t seen before. It’s a simple box that connects to the Internet via ethernet or an optional Wi-Fi dongle. It can stream video from across your network or from USB flash drives or memory cards. It is also capable of letting you watch the video streams from D-Link’s mydlink cameras. Read [D-Link Press Release] Full Story » | Written by Shawn Ingram for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 
Section: Gadgets / Other, ebooks, Peripherals, Displays/Projectors, Printers / Scanners 
Last night, we got some hands on with the Plastic Logic Que. The device is impossibly thin, the size of a sheet of paper and has 3G, Bluetooth and WiFi radios. The device is designed for executives and could make big inroads in the business world. The device features a plastic un-shatterable screen that is extremely clear. The device looks pro, weighs little and should have no issue fitting into any carry on laptop bag. We were impressed with the device and believe you will be too. The Que taps into Barnes and Noble’s eReader bookstore and will have a focus on business reading. The Que is also designed to be a paperless breifcase - replacing reams of papers executives carry around. The Que features annotating tools as well as editing right on the device. If there are any downsides to the innovative device it would be performance seemed a little laggy. Once the user tapped on a selection a few seconds seemed to go by before action was taken. It’s a small gripe on a device that just looks gorgeous. The Que is priced at $649 for a 4GBl with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth radios, and $799 for an 8GB that adds 3G wireless service from AT&T. Company site: [Plastic Logic] Full Story » | Written by JG Mason for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 
Section: Communications, Cellphones, Smartphones, Trade Shows, CES LG has a number of phones to show off here at CES including the LG Expo, the Choclate BL40 and Chocolate Touch. They could have been boring, and just have stations for each phone like you’d find in any store. However, LG found a better way, a dummy phone that can be placed on a Surface-esque screen to show off the phones features. That’s not to say LG didn’t have stations of the phones set up to play with. The Surface screens were showing off specific features of each phone, with sometimes difficult to use gestures using one or more fingers. It was a bit frustrating at times, but still something more interesting that a tied down phone with nothing explaining how it works, or having to be walked through the phone by booth staff. Full Story » | Written by Shawn Ingram for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 
Section: Audio, Headphones, Trade Shows, CES Monster has been busy this CES with its headphone announcements. There was the Miles Davis Tribute earphones, The Jamz line, and the new Turbine Pro Copper. Today the company has made yet another announcement, this time to the Beats line. Stepping away from the Lady Gaga excitement from yesterday, Monster’s new headphones are from artist Sean “Diddy” Combs. The new earphones, the Diddy Beats, seem vaguely similar to the Beats Tour. They have boosted (“club-level”) bass for those who prefer that sort of thing, and use Monster’s flat wire that’s said to be tangle-free. What sets these apart from the Beats Tour is the design. It’s a muted black and grey/silver combination as opposed to red and black. The earbuds themselves are aluminum with leather wrapped around part of it. The Diddy Beats will include a carrying case inspired by Diddy’s fashion line, Sean John. They will retail for $180. Read [Monster Press Release PDF] Full Story » | Written by Shawn Ingram for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 
Section: Video, HDTV, Trade Shows, CES With everyone bringing out 3D TVs, it can be hard for a company to stand out among all the other sets. LG has at least one interesting way of doing it: a point-and-click remote. The point-and-click is actually more like a Wii remote in the way it feels. Point the Magic Motion Remote at the TV and pressing the OK button brings up a menu that you can select with the on screen cursor. It has the "standard" stuff like display options and an on screen remote, though there is a lot more as well. You can access your media through the software on the TV, as well as some simple games, scheduling and Internet through Netcast. One of the more interesting in terms of just standard TV though is the live channel preview and the channel guide. The channel guide brings up an array of all the channels in neat rows. There are tabs on top to view only your favorite channels or recently watched channels as well. Each channel in both the full screen and the channel select overlay have a channel preview. That way, instead of reading what's on the channel through a standard box preview, you can actually see a still image of what is showing on each channel. The only problem is that the feature right now does not work if you have a digital cable box, though that could be fixed with a firmware upgrade. TVs with the Magic Motion Remote Control are still a few months off, and LG still hasn't decided on which remote design to use (I was using the longer remote, which felt natural given that it felt like a longer, thinner Wii Remote). The TVs will be compatible with Skype, 3D, Wireless HD and other options through add-ons that are purchased separately. Full Story » | Written by Shawn Ingram for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 
Section: Computers, Mobile Computers, Wireless 
I wasn’t kind to Chumby way back when. In my eyes, they brought to market a product that was halfway there: they built the ecosystem but it wasn’t filled out (much like webOS now). Since then, Chumby has become a cult favorite and there are 1,000s of free apps that Chumby users can use to customize the device and deliver content they seek. Sony, an unlikely candidate, showed me today that Chumby might just take over the world. Like you, I read about the Sony Dash and was slightly interested. Today, I got some hands on time and I am here to tell you Chumby is on to something. Sony is offering their Dash, which I can already see 3 of them heading to my home, for just $199. This mirrors the price of the original Chumby. The difference is the Sony unit is handsome (not quirkly like the original soft-sided Chumby). But it is more than good looks that has me keyed up. The Dash, like the Chumby One and original flavored Chumby I assume, can perform a wide range of tasks. Like Netflix and Amazon movies. Like updating Facebook status. Like playing Pandora. The lists is 1,000s long thanks to developers who used the Chumby SDK to develop free apps. You can do almost anything with their apps. Almost anything. At $199, the Dash is gorgeous but surely has the Sony price bump. What if these eBook reader guys and gals built in Chumby OS. Now you’ve got a super slim touchscreen tablet that runs oh-so-many of the things we love. Recipes, music, news, traffic, weather…in essence life. All on the Chumby OS. I’d have one for the kitchen, living room, bedside, office… and we’d get the price way down. Can you imagine and a $99 tablet that could run Chumby apps? I can and I am sure I wouldn’t be the only household with 3 or 4 of these things kicking around. Who’s with me? Chumby site: [Chumby] Full Story » | Written by JG Mason for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 
Section: Audio, Headphones, Home Audio, Trade Shows, CES VIZIO recently launched its lineup of HD Audio products, the VHT200 32" 2.0 HD Home Theater Sound bar, VHT212 2.1 HD Home Theater Sound bar with Wireless Subwoofer, VHP100 Wireless Home Theater Headphones with iPod Dock and VHB100 Stereo Bluetooth Headphones with Microphone. The VHT200 2.0 HD Home Theater Sound bar features a 32” design, that suitably fits the 32” and 37” HDTVs, while the VHT212 adds a wireless subwoofer and a wiresless iPod dock to the set. The iPod dock is even capable of pairing with VIZIO’s wireless headphones. The wireless subwoofer sound bars is able to support Dolby Digital audio and comes with a new remote control. The VHP100 Wireless Home Theater Headphones features active noise-cancellation, allowing uninterrupted entertainment. All of the home theater sound bars and wireless headphones support High Definition Wireless Audio (HDWA), allowing you audio access from anywhere in your home. Lastly, the VHB100 Bluetooth Headphones can be used for both music listening and a handsfree set for your cellphone. Press Release: [VIZIO] Full Story » | Written by Cheng Hung for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 
Section: Gadgets / Other, ebooks, Trade Shows, CES The Que Reader has been teased to us for almost too long it seems. The super thin, standard paper touchscreen reader seems to have been constantly looming in the horizon. Today at CES Que has finally taken the wraps off the reader. As shown before, the Que is in fact super thin, and also quite lightweight, weighing in at just about a pound. It is quite expensive, even as ebook readers go, with the less expensive version coming in at $599. The most interesting part about the Que, however, is the newspaper partnerships it has. With news sources including USA Today, The Detroit News, Huffington Post Wall Street Journal and others, the Que gives an actual interesting way to view the paper on an ebook reader. Each newspaper is given the chance to choose it's own layout on the device, so papers can actually have their own unique style. The Que will also read eBooks from the Barnes & Noble store, though the focus is largely on news sources and documents people have to read day by day. The idea being that with the Que, companies and individual users can cut down on the amount of paper wasted on documents that might need to be read only once, or read and edited. Full Story » | Written by Shawn Ingram for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 
Section: Audio, Accessories, Video, Accessories VIZIO has recently announced a whole slew of VIZIO-branded accessories to go with your VIZIO-branded HDTV. The XWH100 Wireless HDMI Adapter with 4-Port Switch makes HDMI wiring unnecessary in your HDTV lifestyle. It utilizes SiBEAM's 60 GHz WirelessHD standard technology, allowing the freedom of mounting your HDTV virtually anywhere in your home! The four-port switch allows you to connect up to four source components connected using standard HDMI cables. It is capable of transferring A/V content up to 20 times faster than other standards-based wireless technologies. The wireless HDMI adapter is expected to be priced at $249. VIZIO’s ultra-slim wall mount allow customers to place their HDTV at convenient locations while allowing adjustment, including flush, tilt, or full motion options to achieve the desired viewing angle. There are various models capable of mounting various sizes of HDTVs from 19" to 65" and up to 130 lbs. Prices vary from $98.99 to $199.99, most of which are to be released in March. The only model available now is the VMT40-55M Motorized Tilt Mount for 40" – 55" 105 lbs HDTVs, priced at $199.99. There are 2 models of universal remote controls available from VIZIO. The XRT100 has a 3.5” LCD touchscreen, allowing remote control of VIA-enabled television sets over Bluetooth 2.0. It also allows control of legacy A/V components. The VUR9M, available in March, sports an extensive IR code library, including VIZIO Blu-ray players and Soundbars, and has a snappy key learning feature that lets users copy their favorite keys from legacy remotes. Other accessories announced are VIZIO's XCH5 Series Ultra-Thin HDMI Cables, a HDMI 1.4 compliant cable, and VIZIO's ECO Electronic Cleaning Foam which is safe to be used on all electronic devices. Press Release: [VIZIO] Full Story » | Written by Cheng Hung for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 
Section: Communications, Cellphones, Cellular Providers, Smartphones, Features, Trade Shows, CES As the first public day of CES 2010 was coming to a close I found myself drawn to LG's brightly lit and elegantly furnished floor space. I managed to try out LG's first attempt at an Android based smartphone called the GW620. The GW620 has a horizontal slide out keyboard, 5 MP camera with flash and support for Divx and WMV media files. This all sounds great on a spec sheet, but the real question is how the phone feels and operates. The LG GW620 doesn't have any hard buttons on its front side. The home and back buttons are touch sensitive. You get some haptic feedback when touching one of these buttons. On one side of the phone you have a dedicated camera button, microSD card slot and what I think is a button for push e-mail. The bottom of the phone houses a 3.5 headphone jack and power button. The GW620 also features a slide out five row full QWERTY keyboard. The keyboard feels quite nice and any small errors were accurately corrected by Android's dictionary. LG added some custom features to the phone but didn't build its own custom user interface on top of Android like HTC's Sense or Motorola's Motoblur. The GW620 has the standard three home screens as found in most Android phones. And now we come to my biggest problem which is the screen itself. It’s 3 inches in size which isn’t too bad, butI had the hardest time getting the phone to scroll smoothly in the application drawer. I found myself long pressing when I didn't want to and opening applications on accident. I had a similar problem when trying to change wallpapers. The LG GW620 is available now in select European markets. Read [Gadgetell at CES] Full Story » | Written by Jeremy Hill for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 
Section: Peripherals, Storage Moving past the traditional Swiss Army knives, Victorinox is getting a little more high tech with the Presentation Master. Of course, anyone that has been paying attention to Victorinox will be aware that they have already had Swiss Army style flash drives out for a while, but these latest are getting a little more high tech. And also keeping up with the fact that you cannot bring a pocket knife on a plane. So in that spirit, this latest announcement of the Presentation Master comes in the form of a Presentation Master and a Presentation Master Flight. Both of these models are essentially the same, except for the fact that they Flight version comes without the part that would get you in trouble with the TSA—a knife blade. Feature wise, these have also gotten more high tech as compared to a regular flash drive. To begin with, they will be available in storage options ranging from 8, 16 and 32GB. And that storage will also be secured, which can be done by using the Biometric fingerprint scanner on the drive itself or by password. Other feature of the Presentation Master include a removable USB flash drive, laser pointer and a Bluetooth Remote Control that can be used to control things like PowerPoint presentations. As of now, the Presentation Master is not yet available, though it is expected to be ready sometime around March or April of 2010. Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 
Section: Computers, Netbooks There are certainly no shortage of netbooks here at CES, both in the hands of bloggers but also on display. Some of which are older models, and some are newer models. And to further that, some of those newer models are nice and some are not so nice. An example of one that looks nice is the Toshiba NB305. Overall the design is much nicer, not to mention a little sleeker as compared to the previous model. Additionally, the 6-cell battery that once hung off the back is now slimmer and no longer looks like a strange handle. Spec wise, the Toshiba NB305 is going to be sporting a 10.1-inch (1024 x 600) display, a 1.66GHz Intel Atom N450 processor, 1GB of RAM, a 250GB hard disk and running Window 7 Starter. Additionally, the netbook is said to be able to offer up to 11 hours of battery life, but I may have to see that in real life in order to believe. Still, its a nice looking little machine Check out the gallery below for a look at the Toshiba NB305 netbook… Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 
Section: Computers, Netbooks I have been reviewing the current ViewSonic netbook, the VNB102 and would say its a capable little machine. But of course, that capability comes by way of what we have come to accept as the sort of netbook standard of specs. But looking forward, ViewSonic is preparing to launch an updated mode, the ViewBook VNB105. And of course, ViewSonic had the ViewBook VNB105 on display here at CES and I was able to check it out a bit. Now, not to take away from the current model, the VNB105 is much nicer looking. It is sporting a nicer (in my opinion) casing as well as a much much nicer keyboard. But in addition to the keyboard and overall design, the VNB105 is also going to see a little upgrade in performance which will come courtesy of the Intel Atom N450 processor. That and, it is going to run Windows 7 Starter. Unfortunately, the VNB105 is not ready for release just yet, but in the meantime check out some images… More [ViewSonic at CES] Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 
Section: Haven’t caught all of the Gadgetell news this week? Here's your chance to catch up on this week’s top 10 articles! - Text messages from the year 2016?
” There have been several reports about people receiving their new year greetings text messages from the year 2016. Apparently, messages received after 1/1/2010 are being displayed as coming from the year 2016. Those who are affected were mostly using…” MORE » - New Droid Devour spotted in silver with new details
” A picture of the silver Motorola Calgary/Droid Devour has surfaced on BGR. The reason silver is mentioned is because it was previously only seen in black, otherwise, not that big of a deal. BGR claims that the…” MORE » - Samsung aims high in 2010
” With a reported sales figure of 2.6 million LED LCD TV in 2009, Samsung has high expectations for its LED LCD TV sales this coming year. Samsung expects a whopping 10 million LED LCD TV sales in 2010. Having said that, we…” MORE » - Light Touch: A projector-based touchscreen
” Light Blue Optics has just announced their product called the ‘Light Touch’, which is a laser-based projector that turns virtually any flat surface into an interactive touchscreen! It works somewhat like a…” MORE » - Skiff and Sprint to show largest ebook reader at CES
” Those who have an ebook reader like the Kindle or Nook, or even those who have looked into getting one, know that current ebook readers have a problem with magazines and newspapers. The layout can’t be reproduced well on the smaller…” MORE » - Eyes on at CES 2010: Sony’s 3D concert featuring Taylor Swift
” Sony's CES 2010 press conference dealt primarily with 3D technology. Sony said it wants to be the leader in bringing 3D imagery into homes. 3D blu-ray players and 3D Bravia televisions are being developed in addition to plans to make…” MORE » - Chrome takes the spot of third most popular browser
” Passing up Safari, Google’s Chrome internet browser has been named third most popular internet browser with a 4.63% share compared to Safari’s 4.46% according to California-based measurement firm Net Applications. This is the first time that Safari has been in fourth place…” MORE » - Reminder: You can now cancel your Sprint contract and not pay an ETF
” As I mentioned back in December, Sprint has made a change to the contract terms and users should be able to cancel without having to pay an early termination fee. The change means that users, should they choose not to cancel,…” MORE » - More data on your Blu-ray disc may be possible soon
” Sony has recently revealed that you may be able to squeeze in as much as 33.4GB of data onto your blu-ray disc via a technology called i-MLSE (Maximum Likelihood Sequence Estimation). What’s good about this technology is that it is entirely software-based.…” MORE » - Nexus One will have Flash Player 10.1
” The Nexus One smartphone, or according to Android team at CES, the ‘superphone’, will have Flash Player 10.1 soon. It is reported that the Flash Player 10.1 will be coming to the Nexus One as early as…” MORE »
Full Story » | Written by NEWS for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 
Section: Communications, Computers, Gadgets / Other, Peripherals, Reviews, Features, Trade Shows, CES Running around CES is exciting, but at the same time there is generally two concerns that are always with you—finding power and finding Internet access. I have a MiFi that seems to be working, at least most of the time, but that access is pointless with a dead battery. And that is where Energizer comes in—they have provided the Gadgetell crew with a variety of external battery packs. These packs so far have come in handy more than I can imagine. I have been using the XP8000 which allows me to charge just about everything that I am carrying including my Eee PC netbook, MiFi, iPhone 3GS and HTC Hero. The battery comes with a bunch of adapters (all included in the box) and is simple and easy to use. And the battery itself is not all that big or heavy, which can also be a concern when you are always carrying your gear with you while on the CES show floor. Anyway, a special thanks goes out to Energizer for hooking us up with the Energi To Go battery packs and taking at least one concern out of the way. Product [Energi To Go] Full Story » | Written by Robert Nelson for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 
Section: Video, Content, Portable Video, Communications  At CES, Sling Media is demonstrating their support for Adobe Flash Player and Flash streaming. The addition adds the ability of any device that runs Adobe Flash Player 10 to watch their Sling Media. These devices include PCs, media players, and gaming consoles.
"SlingPlayer support for the Adobe Flash Platform will broaden the reach of our technology to a world of new devices," said John M. Paul, executive vice president of Products at Sling Media. "Adobe's continued delivery of new performance and feature capabilities make SlingPlayer updates and enhancements much faster to develop and distribute." Sling Media also announced support for the upcoming Flash 10.1. Company site: [Sling Media] Full Story » | Written by JG Mason for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 
Section: Gadgets / Other, ebooks, Miscellaneous, Trade Shows, CES Sungale at CES, in addition to the Kula TV and a plethora of digital photo frames, has two more interesting gadgets. The first is the eReader, the second being the G2, the next version of the Smart Info Engine (apparently also known as the G1 from what I was told). The eReader is, obviously, an ebook reader. It is actually nothing all that spectacular. It has the seemingly standard 6-inch e-ink display, and can support most formats including ePub, .doc, TXT, PDF and excel, essentially everything the Sony Readers can handle. The eReader will even be able to read the books to you with text-to-speech in both English and Chinese. It lacks Wi-Fi for now, but a later iteration will. The current version will be marketed more towards schools as a textbook. The one strange part of the eReader is there’s no page back/forward buttons, instead it has a scroll wheel for going forward and back. This model will be available in late February/early March The second product, the G2, unfortunately was broken when I visited Sungale. I was promised the working version runs on Android, however, which will make it hopefully much better than the previous version. The photos here are of a prototype version, the final product will evidently be much thinner than the prototype. It will have similar features to the Smart Info Engine, though it will have a better OS. It should be available sometime between April and June. Full Story » | Written by Shawn Ingram for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 
Section: Gadgets / Other, ebooks  Sprint Designs and Borders Group have struck a deal, well a deal in principle at least, that will bring the Border library (2 million titles) to the new Alex ereader. We told you about the Alex eReader earlier but the innovative ereader features a typical e-ink screen as well as a color smaller screen that runs Android.
We got some very quick hands on time today and the device is smaller than expected and thin, very thin. We’ll get more time with it tomorrow for a thorough hands on. This move by Border looks like a strong one that will leveraging their content. After all, Borders isn’t in the hardware game, they are in the content game. “Our agreement with Spring Design represents another step in our digital strategy, which continues to focus on offering book lovers-including our more than 35 million Borders Rewards loyalty program members-high quality content on the device of their choosing,” said Borders Group Chief Executive Officer Ron Marshall. “We look forward to bringing a world class eBook experience to Alex users.” Company site: [Spring Design] Full Story » | Written by JG Mason for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 
Section: Communications, Cellular Providers, Email / IM, Smartphones, Broadband Cards, Mobile 
NAVIGON announced it is bringing its popular GPS navigation app to both the Android and Windows Mobile OS. One of the things we loved about NAVIGON (who pulled it stand alone GPS navigation devices off the US market this past year) is its use of actual exit sign text to guide drivers. Soon Android and WinMo users will be able to reap the benefits of NAVIGONs system. The Windows Mobile version of the app will finish ahead of the Android app. Launching in the next week at the early-bird price of $69.99, the price will jump $20 to $89 on Feb. 14. The Android version is due to hit Spring 2010 for an undisclosed sum. We expect similar pricing to the WinMo version. For Android users, we’ve got to wonder how many will jump aboard with Google’s free navigation just an update away for many of the devices. We wonder if NAVIGON is regretting the investment in the Android app now. Android release: [BusinessWire] WinMo release: [BusinessWire] Image credit: BGR Full Story » | Written by JG Mason for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 
Section: Communications, Accessories, Cellphones, Smartphones Going along with the mobile products, Zagg was showing off it's Zaggbuds and Zaggsmartbuds. Simply put, the Zaggbuds are earbuds, though with a few extra features. They have multiple sliders along the wires that can make the buds hang around your neck when not in use. The Zaggsmartbuds are the same, but have music control and a microphone that will work with iPhones and other smartphones. Zagg also has wipes and foam for mobile devices, or just about any device. The two products will both clean almost any device, and the foam will even keep dust away from the surface of the reated devices for up to six months. Read [ZAGG] Full Story » | Written by Shawn Ingram for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 
Section: Video, HDTV, Trade Shows, CES We all know that one of the biggest themes of CES this year is 3D HDTVs. Every major company is showing off their own 3D TVs, some using different 3D formats and glasses. It makes sense that companies would want to get the word out there about their 3D TVs. Apparently Samsung doesn’t. Every time I pulled out a camera to take a picture of their TVs, someone would come up and say photos were not allowed. Needless to say they usually said this after I had already managed a few photos. Here’s the images I managed to capture of Samsung’s TVs and the booth showing them off. They were all quite impressive, the 3D worked well. There was even station where you could play Gears of War (not sure which one) in 3D, which made for a great experience. Still not quite sure what the difference is between all of these 3D TVs, but it will be nice to finally get one. Full Story » | Written by Shawn Ingram for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 
Section: Gadgets / Other, ebooks, Trade Shows, CES At the Samsung press event yesterday, Samsung announced it's line of eBook readers. There's a total of four readers in a variety of sizes. Samsung had each of them on display, allowing anyone to get a feel for the devices. Spending most of my time with the largest of the devices, I can say that as of now there seems to be no reason to buy one of the Samsung devices over a Kindle or Nook. The touch screen is nice, though having to use the stylus slowed it down a bit. Slowing down the experience on the largest one is terrible, as almost any action aside from turning a page meant staring at an hourglass for a few seconds for the content to load. The smaller devices did load faster, and had crisper-looking screens. The controls on the smallest device, however made it hard to know if you were actually selecting anything by clicking in the middle button as it didn't really click very much. Out of all the devices, the one with the slide out controls seemed the most interesting and responsive. Having only the page back/next buttons on the front made it look very nice, but also work very well.< Full Story » | Written by Shawn Ingram for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 
Section: Audio, Portable Audio, Communications, Smartphones, Gadgets / Other, Transportation JVC showed off their new KD-R810 Bluetooth® Wireless Technology CD receiver with dual USB ports which can connect 2 iPod®/iPhone™ players. The receiver has two USB ports for connecting the devices directly for highest quality sound or via Bluetooth. The unit will cost $219 and will arrive in February. The unit includes a wired microphone for Bluetooth phone calls. What excites us the most is Phone Book Access Profile (PBAP) which lets you access your phone book through the device without transfer. Should you miss transferring number from one device to another, JVC has your back there - they included the ability to manually transfer up to 400 numbers. If you’ve been looking to upgrade your ride to Bluetooth and ditch the headsets, give this JVC unit a look. It does all the basics including detachable face, color-changing glow to match your car, oh, and it takes CDs too. Company site: [JVC] Full Story » | Written by JG Mason for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 
Section: Gadgets / Other, ebooks  The new Alex eReader by Spring Design will have access to over 1 million books thanks to their partnership with Google. Users can browse the collection via the Android browser built into the device.
“Our agreement and strategic alliance with Google opens the doors to more readers around the world,” said Dr. Priscilla Lu, CEO of Spring Design. “We are excited to be part of Google’s initiative to digitize and deliver the world’s books and look forward to the markets and opportunities these efforts will open up for readers as well as independent authors.”
The one drawback to the partnership is that Google's collection is made up of public domain books rather than current best sellers, and as such won't be much of a selling point to those who aren't fans of the classics. EPUB format is also supported. This is the same format used by the popular Sony Reader and Barnes and Noble Nook readers. Read [Spring Design] Full Story » | Written by Sue Walsh for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 
Section: Computers, Mobile Computers, Hardware, Laptops, Netbooks  Way back in the South Hall at CES, a small booth with Taiwanese gentlemen has a special laptop running Windows 7. What makes this laptop special is the USB-connected overlay that sits over the screen, rather crudely.
The overlay is USB and allows multi touch control of the PC. All mouse functions can be handled via touch. Surprisingly, giving the crude overlay, it worked extremely well. Controlling the laptop was super easy, no problems with fat fingers or double tapping. It all worked and worked with ease. No word on if they are producing this as a product or hoping to sell to an OE. Presumably, this could be size for a brands screen size and sold as an aftermarket item. Company site: [Elan Full Story » | Written by JG Mason for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 
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