CES 2008: Uncategorized

It’s no secret that Asus is taking the world by storm with its Eee PC, but the company had a lot of other new products to show us at CES, and not just notebooks. Asus plans to release its first smart phone in the U.S. this year, and it will also enter the very crowded GPS arena. Here are the highlights from our quick visit.

Some day soon we’ll be able to stop complaining about how freakin’ slow smart phones can be, especially when you’re multitasking. Qualcomm’s Snapdragon platform incorporates a blazing 1-GHz processor that should be able to handle any task you want your handheld to do–including watching Flash videos–while providing 5 to 6 hours of battery life.

The concept device you see here, co-developed with Inventec, runs Windows Mobile and also has MediaFLO technology built-in for watching TV anywhere. But Snapdragon could just as easily find a home inside Linux-powered devices.

What a difference mobile broadband makes. When we previously reviewed the LifeBook U810 from Fujitsu, we liked its $999 price point, sharp 5.6-inch display, and over five hours of battery life. But something was missing. That thing was a wireless connection that lets you surf the Web from anywhere. Enter the refreshed U810 with integrated HSDPA from AT&T.

Even inside the Las Vegas Convention Center the U810 got five bars of coverage, and sites loaded in about 15 seconds. We can’t wait to take a final review unit of this UMPC for a spin. It’s funny how you’ll overlook things like a tiny keyboard when you can check your e-mail and update your blog on the fly.

We’d like the 12-inch P8o10 even more if it had mobile broadband, too, but based on our hands-on impressions we think it could be one of the better value-priced ultraportables of the year.

Yesterday, Avnera announced a few new products that use its AvneraAudio technology. Two of my favorites that look particularly attractive are the Acoustic Research Wireless remote system and the Skype Certified FREETALK wireless stereo headset.

Acoustic Research wireless remote system

The Acoustic Research wireless remote system lets you roam around your house with your iPod, while another dongle sits attached to your stereo playing any music you choose. It’s perfect for a fully audio-enabled house where the stereo may be in the living room while the music listener is cookin’ up bacon to the tune of Jack Johnson. With the latest announcement, the chef can control their songs, whip (me) up an awesome breakfast, and not have to worry about leaving the room when Cher comes on. The wireless remote will be available in April for $129.99.

We’re still waiting for a 3G Walkman phone to come stateside, and we’re hoping the W760 is it. This quad-band Walkman phone has HSDPA connectivity, built-in GPS for navigation and local search, and a 3.2-MP camera.

There’s even motion control for playing games like Need for Speed ProStreet; you simply tilt the device while in landscape mode in the direction you want to turn. This attractive flagship device should be available in the second quarter. The W350 and Z555 are also worth a look.

Intel doesn’t have the entire CES spotlight to itself when it comes to notebooks. Today Toshiba announced the 15.4-inch Satellite A215 and 17-inch P205D, powered by AMD’s Turion 64 X2 Dual-Core Mobile Technology. The three available configurations of the A215 and two P205D models feature a built-in webcam and DVD SuperMulti drive with Labelflash technology for burning discs with high-quality images and text. But as you’ll see there are significant differences as you move up the price ladder for both series.

We’ve never been too keen on smart phones sans a QWERTY keyboard, but the Asus P527 could prove tempting for road warriors who want a PDA and GPS navigator in one sleek form factor. Especially intriguing is the Travelog feature, which allows owners of this candybar to record their travel routes and export them to Google Earth. Another perk is Location Courier, which can send your GPS position via SMS to five preset phone numbers–good for emergencies. You don’t get 3G data (it’s EDGE only) but at least there’s Wi-Fi on board. This is the first Asus cellular product to launch in the U.S., and we’ll be keeping an eye out for exact pricing as the P527 gets closer to launch.

Don’t plan the funeral of wired headsets anytime soon. Bang & Olufsen, the provider of very high end audio and video products, launched the EarSet 3 today. The $250 priced set of headphones bridges your cell phone headset and MP3 player earphones in one. The company’s first stereo headset with a built-in microphone is compatible with the Apple iPhone.

For the price we are betting that the EarSet 3 is full of acoustical excellence. The 1.09 oz set has been developed to closely match the contours and curves of each ear, ensuring that no sound escapes. The ear buds include foam rubber covers and should stay firmly and comfortably in place. We are happy to hear that a specially designed leather carrying case is included to keep the puppies safe.

Zean Nielsen, President of Bang & Olufsen America says the EarSet 3 “is quite a revolutionary idea.” The product looks pretty nifty but, Mr. Nielsen, we are going to say that a wired headset with a microphone isn’t all that revolutionary here at CES.

Fulton Innovation debuted its eCoupled Intelligent Wireless Power at last year’s CES – but this year they are ready to really put it out there with a wirelessly powered laptop.

Apparently the laptop that they will be showing at the show was developed in partnership with a leading computer industry manufacturer and will be powered through an integrated eCoupled-enabled desktop. Does that mean a laptop manufacturer is thinking about integrating the technology? According to the company, “soon, the technology will make masses of charging cords obsolete in everything from cell phones and toys to power tools, cars and kitchen appliances.”

A great idea in theory, but wireless charging has yet to work as promised or be brought to market. We are still waiting for WildCharger’s pad to come mainstream and work with multiple devices. I am interested in seeing how eCoupled “overcomes the limitations of spatial rigidity” to provide wireless power.  We will be stopping by the eCoupled booth on Tuesday and will be reporting back on the wirelessly powered laptop.

Earlier this week we brought you news of Celio’s REDFLY Mobile Companion, a 1.9-pound device designed to synchronize with Windows Mobile-powered phones (via USB or Bluetooth) in order to provide a bigger screen and keyboard for maximizing productivity. Given that the only other true smart phone companion never made it to market, and that this product is identically priced, skepticism understandably abounds. But according to Celio CEO Kirt Bailey, the REDFLY is different. Of course, we asked him about the “F-word”, but also about how this CES Innovations 2008 Design and Engineering Award honoree works, its target audience, and how it stacks up against the new breed of standalone mobile Internet devices.

LAPTOP: How is the REDFLY Mobile Companion different from the Palm Foleo?
Kirt Bailey: The weakness we saw in other devices that have been announced was that they were completely new platforms. They had a processor and operating system. It really was a Linux notebook running on a processor. It was a completely new platform so new applications had to be written for that device. What we are doing is moving away from that and extending the smart phone as the platform. We are taking advantage of the smart phone operating system and the processor so there is no duplication of resources. The thousands of Windows Mobile applications can work on our device.

Sleek designs with frameless screens. Dolby Home Theater Sound. Touch-sensitive multimedia controls. Lenovo is making a bold statement with its new IdeaPad line of laptops for consumers, which will go head to head against models from HP, Dell, Sony, and other top brands. Available in three sizes (11-inch, 15-inch, and 17-inch), the IdeaPads stand out most because of what they can do with their built-in 1.3-MP cameras. VeriFace facial recognition technology can log you into your system and favorite web sites and keep intruders out. More juicy details after the jump.

With its about face on open-access, its LG Voyager turning heads, and an announcement that it will soon be trialing LTE technology for its 4G network, the nation’s number two carrier is pretty busy leading up to CES. We asked Mike Lanman, Verizon Wireless Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, to shed some light on these latest developments and make some predictions for 2008. As you might guess, he also takes a not-so-subtle jab at the iPhone (or at least its network).

LAPTOP: Openness seems to be a big theme right now, both in terms of Verizon’s recently announced ‘Any Apps, Any Device’ option and the Open Handset Alliance. How will these efforts benefit consumers in 2008 and beyond?

Mike Lanman: We are excited about our announcement to allow customers to connect to our network with any device that meets our minimum technical standards. This initiative gives customers who have unique devices and applications a way to meet those needs and still connect to America’s most reliable network. We anticipate that this option, which we will launch in the second half of ’08, will encourage innovation from the development community and benefit all customers – those who come to Verizon Wireless for traditional full-service offerings, as well as those who prefer to ’bring their own’.