Afternoon Edition

01/06, 4:45pm, EST

Tuesday, January 6th

D-Link unveils new N routers, USB monitor, more...

D-Link's lineup at CES has been introduced today and focuses on a pair of 802.11n Wi-Fi routers. The Xtreme N 450 is one of few if any wireless routers to crack the 300Mbps theoretical peak and potentially transfers data as quickly as its namesake 450Mbps over the local network. While not providing real-world speeds, the 50 percent increase is expected to translate into practical performance gains. The device is also a true dual-band router and can run one 2.4GHz and one 5GHz network simultaneously regardless of the particular format used.

3M reveals second-gen pocket projector tech...

3M today based its CES unveilings around an update to its MPro pocket projector hardware. The MM200 is a new variant built to be integrated into other devices rather than operating separately. While it can be used in a dedicated projector, the new liquid crystal on silicon (LCoS) unit can be built into a cellphone, camera or other handheld and generates a 640x480 image at up to 50 feet away. Using LEDs helps keep power consumption down to one watt.

Eos intros computer/iPhone wireless audio bridge...

Eos Wireless took advantage of both Macworld and CES to launch the Converge. The multi-device system is designed to automate piping audio wirelessly to speakers within a maximum 150 feet of a core transmitter. Each receiver includes its own controls and lets owners pause and skip tracks without needing a separate controller. Setup is also fully automated, Eos says.

Toshiba to demo 3D mobile displays at CES...

Toshiba on Tuesday afternoon said it would use CES to demonstrate a new technique that allows 3D images on a mobile device's display without glasses. A new optical compensation film over top the display lets the company create small or medium-sized displays that automatically produce a stereoscopic effect and simulates the added depth. Because the addition is just a simple layer, it can not only be viewed with the naked eye but doesn't degrade the image or prevent a mix of 2D and 3D in the same picture.

Kensington intros car kit, laptop chargers, mouse...

Kensington on Tuesday announced a range of new products, including a hands-free car kit for use with Bluetooth cellphones, its SlimBlade TrackBall mouse and a pair of two space- and energy-efficient notebook chargers. The Bluetooth speaker clips onto vehicle's sun visors and can pair up with three different cellphones and holds three frequently-called phone numbers for each handset. Swapping between the three handsets or dialing any of the pre-programmed numbers is done via pressing a single button. Kensington has integrated noise-cancelling technology for the device that makes calls loud and clear. Two battery packs are included, providing users with 10 hours of talk time.

Apple launches unibody 17-inch MacBook Pro...

Apple at Macworld introduced a new version of the 17-inch MacBook Pro. The new model uses the same unibody aluminum construction of the 15-inch version and is just 0.98 inches thick -- enough to make it the thinnest 17-inch notebook ever, the company boasts. It now revolves around a 17-inch, LED-backlit 1920x1200 standard display that is much more accurate than in the previous generation: it claims a 60 percent larger color gamut, a clearer 700:1 contrast ratio and wider 140-degree horizontal and 120-degree vertical viewing angles.

NEC intros 26-, 30-inch LCDs and SpectraViewII...

NEC announced on Tuesday the upcoming launch of its 26-inch MultiSync LCD2690W2-BK-SV and 30-inch LCD3090W-BK-SV widescreen displays meant for graphics professionals along with the new SpectraViewII Kit, which combines a color measurement sensor with sophisticated software to enhance the color accuracy. The three new products will be displayed at the currently ongoing Macworld Expo.

Shure bows SE115 earphones, USB mics...

Shure's presences at CES and Macworld alike today were kicked off with the launch of new in-ear headphones and USB audio peripherals. The SE115 is claimed as a breakthrough that improves bass response in often weak single-driver headphones; a new dynamic unit produces better low-end frequencies without resorting to a smaller driver that itself would cut out much of the intended sound. They also signal a break in style for Shure and now come in blue, pink and red in addition to the conservative black used before.

AKG headphones reach US...

Harman today said its headphone brand AKG will finally start shipping to the US and provide a new choice for comparatively high-end personal audio. The move should bring a dozen earpieces from the company's current lineup and is headlined by the K142 and K242 semi-open headphones as well as the fully closed K172 and K272; all four have gold-plated connectors and have gimbal suspension that more comfortably adjusts the cups to fit different heads. Most have a minimum 18Hz frequency response (16Hz for the K272). These range between $170 and $270.
Morning Edition

01/06, 4:40pm, EST

Wisair announces Wireless USB Display Adapter Set...

Wisair has announced its latest USB Display Adapter Set featuring the WSR601 wireless USB single chip, and designed to wirelessly transfer PC content to TVs, monitors, and projectors. Each adapter set offers CGA and HDMI connection options that enable the transferring of HD movies and supports up to a 1400x1050 resolution. The WSR601 is a single-die CMOS chip with integrated WUSB/MAC hardware accelerators and a 32-bit ARM subsystem for mostly control functions.

Pharos unveils Traveler 137 GPS smartphone...

Pharos is headlining its CES lineup today with a new Traveler handset. The 137 is the company's first to be ruled almost exclusively by its 3.5-inch touchscreen and embraces the company's focus on GPS navigation. Out of the box, the device includes turn-by-turn navigation with voiced directions and also tries to strike a balance between free but limited apps and subscription services: owners must pay for full use of Pharos' in-house mapping software but can access it by the day, week, month or year instead of having to maintain a flat rate.

WD preps Mac-oriented external drives...

Western Digital has launched two new external hard drives, oriented specifically at Mac users: the My Passport for Mac and My Book Mac Edition. Though only supporting USB 2.0 and not FireWire, the drives are pre-formatted for Macs and advertised as supporting Time Machine as well as other Mac backup software. The My Passport is a general-purpose portable drive, set inside a shock-resistant enclosure; 320 and 500GB versions are available.

iHome to debut home audio iPod products at CES...

Docking speaker station maker for iPods and iPhones iHome announced on Tuesday it will debut three new products to its range in 2009 at the CES show due to kick off tomorrow. The company will show off its new flagship product, the iP1 speaker system that support iPods and iPhones and is rated at 100 watts for its twin 4-inch woofers and two 1-inch silk-dome tweeters. The Digital Power Station processor was engineered by Bongiovi Acoustics and iHome claims the product is its most advanced ever.

AMD unveils Athlon Neo, ultraportable platform...

AMD today fought back against the mounting wave of Intel-based netbooks by introducing the Athlon Neo processor and a matching platform. A compromise between low-power but also slow chips like Intel's Atom and traditional notebook chips, the Neo consumes at most 15W of typical power and measures just under 1.1 inches square but still clocks in at 1.6GHz and with the feature set of a larger notebook chip, such as a 1.6GHz system bus, a 512KB Level 2 cache and 64-bit code support.

Logitech reveals Harmony 1100 touch remote...

Logitech continued its wave of CES news with the release of the Harmony 1100, the sequel to last year's 1000. The update switches to a black anodized aluminum design and now adds customization to the 3.5-inch touchscreen's controls; users can add or remove buttons that appear under certain conditions, such as a software play/pause button after a movie starts. It also brings support for RF-based devices rather than just those using infrared for their normal remotes.

HTC brings S743 smartphone to US shores...

HTC this morning revealed that it will bring out a North American version of its S740 slider. The S743 switches from the previously Europe-only HSPA 3G to a dual-band 850MHz/1,900MHz link suited to AT&T in the US and Rogers in Canada. The phone is otherwise a match for the reference model with a lateral slide-out QWERTY keyboard and hardware keys for directions and numbers in place of the touchscreen fitted to the similarly-styled Touch Pro.

Logitech intros gaming keyboard, headset, mouse...

Logitech on Tuesday exploited the run-up to CES to revise its G series gaming peripherals, including the addition of its first Mac-friendly gaming keyboard. The G19 is the company's new flagship keyboard for play and centers on a 320x240, color LCD that can be used to provide information on active games with support for the company's GamePanel software, such as World of Warcraft. It also performs double duty as a VoIP call panel, media viewer and performance tracker; users can switch between many of these without having to leave a currently running app, the company notes.

SanDisk adds button backup flash drive, netbook SSD...

SanDisk today rolled out its CES lineup with a focus on its USB flash drive range. The Ultra Backup is characterized as the first plug-in USB jump drive to have a button-activated backup feature that automatically syncs information between the host computer and the removable storage. It also lets users lock down longer-lasting information with password protection and AES encryption performed entirely in hardware.
Early Morning Edition

01/06, 7:50am, EST

Moto bows full touch phone, Renew, Tundra...

Motorola this morning used the advent of CES to refresh its cellphones, starting with one of its only phones dominated by its touchscreen. The MOTOSURF A3100 is the company's closest analog to the iPhone and relies primarily on its 2.8-inch, 320x240 for the bulk of its input; a new customizable front end provides quick access to calling or Facebook as well as live updates of messaging and weather. A trackball provides input without having to resort to the available stylus. or when a finger is too imprecise.

HP preempts iMac with quad-core Firebird...

HP's CES introductions are being headlined today by an entirely new entry to its desktop line. The Firebird 800 is built with help from the Voodoo sub-label and aims to take up the minimal amount of space of a small form factor desktop with the performance of a full tower, thanks to new Intel processors: new set of Core 2 Quad chips consume just 65W of power without losing features over previous 95W versions. A custom liquid cooling setup also cuts back on fan noise from the chip and simultaneously frees up space for accessing RAM and the two drop-in notebook hard drive bays.
Evening Edition

01/05, 11:30pm, EST

Monday, January 5th

Samsung debuts 64GB SSD full-HD camcorder ...

Samsung Electronics has extended its line of full-HD digital camcorders with four new models - the HMX-H106, HMX-H105, HMX-H104, and HMX-H100. In addition to full HD video, the new H-Series offers a renowned Schneider Kreuznach Varioplan HD lens with Optical Image Stabilization, H.264 and internal Solid State Drives to provide onboard memory. Samsung's new flagship HMX-H106 features an internal 64GB Solid State Drive (SSD), increasing both write performance and dramatically reduces power consumption. The company claims that when actively reading and writing data, Samsung's SSD technology consumes approximately 1/8th of the power of a comparable HDD.

Pentax debuts 2 Optio compact cameras: E70, P70...

Ahead of CES, Pentax on Tuesday announced two compact digital cameras: the Optio P70 and Optio E70. The ultra-slim PENTAX Optio P70 digital compact camera offers 12 megapixel resolution, a 4X optical zoom (equivalent to 27.5mm-110mm), and a wide angle 28mm lens; The Optio P70 features metal body and is available in multiple colors. Other features include a 2.7 inch high-res, wide-angle view LCD panel, and new Pixel Track Shake Reduction technology decrease shake in low lighting. The Optio P70 also offers Advanced Face Recognition that tracks up to 32 faces in 0.03 seconds as well as both Smile Capture that automatically releases the shutter when subjects smile and Blink Detection to provide alerts when subject’s eyes are closed.

HP updates Mini 2x netbooks with Atom, 10in LCD...

HP in its pre-CES run-up introduced its first major update to its Mini 2100 netbook. The Mini 2140 replaces the Mini-Note 2133 and abandons VIA's C7-M processor in favor of a 1.6GHz Intel Atom that HP claims should extend its battery life and cool it down compared to the hot-running older model. It also switches from the original 8.9-inch screen to a 10-inch model and now has the pick of both the original, extra-sharp 1366x768 display to a lesser 1024x576 panel which is both lower-priced and less demanding on the graphics chipset.

HP outs dv2, dv3 as MacBook rivals...

HP's pre-CES launches today include two new Pavilion notebooks, one of which marks a first for the company's choice of processors. The 12-inch dv2 is one of the first systems to carry AMD's new Athlon Neo processor and uses a 1.6GHz version of the chip to provide ultraportable dimensions closer to a MacBook Air without cutting too deeply in terms of performance or price, unlike the aluminum chassis and Intel Core 2 Duo S of the Apple system; this and an LED-backlit display help keep the weight down to 3.8 pounds and the case down to between 0.93in and 1.29in despite the use of traditional notebook hard drives. HP likewise promises a 92 percent sized keyboard in the normally tight spaces of ultraportables.

ezSpace Wall Mount UFO: outlets, surge protection...

ezGear has announced the latest addition to its series of ezSpace Wall-Mount UFO surge-protector outlets. Created as a round UFO style, 6 outlet plug expander, with built in 1050 Joule surge protection, the device contains enough space for a large plug or transformer on each outlet. Equipped to plug directly into a power outlet on the wall, the ezSpace UFO comes with a screw to secure the wall mount tightly to the outlet. The device offers a maximum current of 1875W, and a line voltage of 125V AC.

LaCie unveils external optical drive, dual-drive RAID...

LaCie has unveiled its latest external devices, the d2 DVD burner and a dual-drive RAID system. The DVD burner is driven by Windows XP Embedded and touts a maximum write speed of 22x. Users can choose from a USB 2.0 connection or FireWire, and write to DVD-R, DVD-RW, Dual Layer, CD-R or CD-RW media. The drive also features LightScribe technology for burning custom labels directly onto the discs.

EZQuest intros Cinema Pro RAID unit...

EZQuest has revealed the Cinema Pro, a new RAID storage system geared towards video editing. The unit provides 16 bays in a 3U rack format, allowing for up to 24TB of capacity. It uses a 20Gbps external PCIe bus, and transfers approximately 900MBps in RAID 0 mode, or 870MBps in RAID 5; 1, 1E, 3, 6 and JBOD configurations are also supported. Tasks on the Pro are aided by an 800MHz Intel processor equipped with 2GB of SDRAM cache.

Fujitsu to demo ScanSnap 1500M at Macworld...

Japan's Fujitsu says that it will debut the ScanSnap S1500M, a new scanner, at booth 520 during this week's Macworld Expo. The hardware (not pictured) is said to incorporate a new "intelligent" resolution function, as well as a redesigned interface built for Mac OS X 10.5. Business card scanning should be improved, and the package includes a bundled copy of Acrobat 8 Professional for document editing.
Afternoon Edition

01/05, 5:25pm, EST

AT&T's 3G push degrades 2G reception: report...

In its attempts to quickly build up its 3G voice and data network, AT&T is knowingly reducing the signal strength of its existing 2G network used by the first-generation iPhone, Motorola's BlackBerry and RAZR and other handsets, according to a Friday Open for Business report. AT&T is said to have shifted some of its transmitters from the 850MHz 2G band to the 1,900MHz band in certain areas. AT&T subscribers and owners of 2G cellphones are finding weaker signal reception in areas that previously had strong reception, with the only fix available while remaining with AT&T being to upgrade their hardware to 3G devices.

JVC to show lightest 32-inch HDTV at CES ...

JVC is due to show off the world's lightest HDTV set at the CES show on Wednesday, with the that tips the scales at just over 11lbs. While not the thinnest 32-inch HDTV, it's near the top with a near 0.28-inch (7mm) profile. The company promises technology used for the prototype 1080p-capable TV will be made commercially available before the end of 2009.

G-Tech intros external SSDs, fast SAS-based NAS...

G-Technology on Monday announced the upcoming release of a range of external drives housing the first 2.5-inch solid state drive. The company's G-DRIVE mini SSD is available in 120GB and 250GB capacities, while the RAID 0/1 G-RAID mini SSD can be had in 250GB and 500GB versions. G-Technology is marketing the drives to users who need to transfer large amount of data in the field, such as professional photographers, based on SSD's inherent resistance to shock and temperature extremes compared to traditional hard disk drives.

Samsung to reveal 1.5in thick Blu-ray player...

Samsung will try to stake a claim for the world's thinnest Blu-ray player when it unveils its CES offerings, a leak ahead of the event reveals. The unnamed movie reader will be as thin as many DVD players and should measure just 1.5 inches thick; few features are available, though the player will have a more rounded look than earlier Samsung players and is likely to carry Blu-ray Profile 2.0 support for live Internet features.

XtremeMac intros Micromemo recorder for iPod nano ...

XtremeMac on Monday announced it will display the Micromemo accessory for the fourth-generation iPod nano that will allow users to make voice recordings on the Apple device. The digital voice recorder features a detachable omni-directional microphone mounted on a flexible neck. The Micromemo connects via the nano's dock and uses the device's battery for power.

MSI netbook chases MacBook Air aesthetic...

MSI on Monday has topped off its PC lineup with the X-Slim 320, a new crossover between netbooks and full-size notebooks. The system is based on the familiar Intel Atom chip but uses a 13.4-inch, 16:9 ratio LCD that simultaneously provides a more comfortable view but also lets MSI slim the system down to extremely thin levels: the computer uses a tapered design patterned closely after the MacBook Air that measures just below 0.8 inches at its thickest point and weighs 2.9 pounds. Despite this, MSI finds room for Ethernet, three USB ports, an SD card reader and VGA output.

Altec Lansing intros high-featured Bluetooth headset...

Altec Lansing recently introduced its BackBeat 903/6 Bluetooth headset at the currently ongoing Macworld Expo and will also display them at the CES show later this week. The headset, developed with cooperation from Bluetooth earpiece maker Plantronics, stays in place thanks to the use of both ear canal-sealing ear buds and ear hooks. Plantronics' dual-mic AudioIQ technology is incorporated into the headset to increase call quality and raise call volume depending on ambient noise levels.

Elgato announces new EyeTV Hybrid USB TV Tuner...

Elgato has announced the release of its EyeTV Hybrid USB TV Tuner Stick for North America, along with updated software, EyeTV version 3.1, which allows users to watch and record TV. The new software brings with it an electronic TV Guide and a feature called Smart Series Guides that allows the recording of a series of episodes of a user's favorite show. Users can also search the guide by genre and lock out certain programs or channels via the integrated parental controls. Maximum video resolution support is limited to 1080i.

Dell unwraps new-look Inspiron 15...

Dell today chose to avoid a direct CES announcement for the Inspiron 15, its long-expected overhaul of its staple 15-inch notebook. The new model is cosmetically much closer to the wedge-shaped Inspiron 13 and switches from a 16:10 aspect ratio display to a 16:9, 1366x768 screen deemed better for movies. Extras that have been common to the Inspiron 1525 carry over and involve at least Blu-ray, Bluetooth and a webcam.

Samsung, Yahoo confirm Internet@TV content service...

Samsung announced on Monday that certain HDTVs in its 2009 line-up will feature the Internet@TV content service first introduced this past summer. The service will be made possible thanks to the Yahoo Widget Engine, an applications platform in its fifth-generation that will bring Internet connectivity to users' living rooms via a number of what the company calls "TV Widgets." Initially, users will be able to check their stocks and news headlines and also browse Internet-based videos and photos as well as interacting with friends.

MSI brings Wind NetOn, new notebooks to CES...

MSI today outlined its plans for CES and confirmed the presence of the company's first all-in-one nettop. The Wind NetOn (shown) competes against ASUS' Eee Top and also described as one of the fastest; in the US-specific AE1901 model, the 19-inch system will come with a dual-core 1.6GHz Atom that should significantly improve performance while keeping power use down to just 50W. IT and the other 16- and 22-inch systems have yet to receive full details but should come with 16:9 ratio, 1366x768 touchscreens (1920x1080 in the 22-inch version) that simplify their respective interfaces.

Amazon to bring VOD content via Roku digital set-top...

Amazon.com announced on Monday that it has teamed up with Roku to offer Amazon Video On Demand video service via the Roku Digital Video Player. Roku already streams movies from Netflix and will now give its users access to more than 40,000 movies, including new releases, and TV shows offered by Amazon.com. Other than via the Roku player, Amazon's VOD service can already sync with PCs and Macs, TiVo set-top boxes and Sony's BRAVIA Internet Video Link.

Iomega debuts Home Media Network Hard Drive...

Storage maker Iomega has announced the Home Media Network Hard Drive, a new external device shipping in the next few weeks. The drive is a form of network-attached storage, meant primarily for sharing music, photos and video between computers, TVs, and game consoles such as the Xbox 360. It connects to an existing router via gigabit Ethernet, and unlike similar devices, relies on a custom version of Linux to serve Mac and Linux computers as well as Windows-based ones. Users can stream media via iTunes, UPnP and DLNA formats.

BFGTech launches 1st PC with GTX 295 video, Core i7...

Best known for its add-in video cards, BFGTech on Monday stepped into the PC arena with its first full computer. The Phobos is meant to exploit BFG's expertise with video cards and will come with as many as two GeForce GTX 295 cards with liquid cooling to produce a quad SLI video setup. It will also have an uncommon, eight-inch front touchscreen that lets users not only track system performance but manually tune the system's overall speed and play both music and video.

iLuv preps iPhone dual dock with weather...

iLuv made its presence felt for CES today by launching the iMM183, its latest take on iPhone and iPod speaker docks. The new model supersedes the earlier iMM173 and chiefly adds support for weather text alerts from NOAA and SAME that automatically come through on preset radio channels; the feature lets users archive as many as 10 notices for ongoing situations and has an LED warning to catch the owner's eye when a new alert is available.
Morning Edition

01/05, 11:40am, EST

NEC intros color-correct 26-inch LCD...

At the Macworld expo due to kick off tomorrow in San Francisco, CA, NEC Display will demonstrate its newest desktop display for graphics professionals, the 26-inch MultiSync LCD2690WUXi². Based on the existing LCD2690WUXi display, the new monitor has a wider color gamut panel, covering 97.8 percent of the Adobe RGB color spectrum versus the older model's 91 percent, as well as delivering greater blue coverage and brightness uniformity.

UIQ declares bankruptcy...

UIQ today said it would file for bankruptcy, effectively ending the mobile operating system's role in the cellphone market. The move follows six months of job cutbacks and is directly credited to the effective abandonment of the platform by supporters Motorola and Sony Ericsson, both of whom have joined the Symbian Foundation and are more likely to use this than the related but separate UIQ software for future cellphones.

Canon updates, shrinks SD camcorders...

In addition to its just-updated HD models, Canon on Monday has also seen fit to revamp its standard definition camcorders with CES in mind. The FS22, FS21 and FS200 are trimmed in size and as much as 17 percent smaller than their FS1x equivalents. The FS21 and FS22 also hold more internal storage and carry 16GB and 32GB respectively of flash memory, with the latter option holding as much as 7 hours and 20 minutes of video at full quality. SDHC cards are usable on all three devices.

Ultimate Ears intros MetroFi range of earphones...

Ultimate Ears, owned by Logitech, announced on Monday the upcoming release of its MetroFi line (not pictured) of noise-isolating earphones. The MetroFi 170 and MetroFi 220 are compatible with iPods, iPhones and more generic music phones and MP3 players thanks to their 3.5mm stereo jack and are designed to offer 16dB of noise isolation. The earbuds ship with three pairs of silicone ear cushions that conform to the shape of a wearer's ear to isolate them from ambient noise.

Canon rolls five HD VIXIA cameras for CES...

Canon this morning unveiled a complete overhaul of its camcorder line starting with its VIXIA HD camcorders. The HF S10 and HF S100 are both the first Canon video cameras to sport the new DIGIC DV III chip and produce better overall image accuracy while adding support for live face detection, an improved auto exposure system and the ability to capture 8-megapixel still photos. Either can also record 1080-line AVCHD (H.264) video at up to the maximum 24Mbps supported by the spec.

Freescale intros ARM chip for netbooks...

Freescale began its year today by introducing a new i.MX chip it hopes will gain a foothold in netbooks. The i.MX515 is based on the same ARM architecture shared by many smartphones and set-top boxes but is tuned for the higher performance of the mini notebooks, with clock speeds ranging between 600MHz and 1GHz. It also touts rare support for DDR2 memory and an integrated OpenGL graphics core capable of both 3D as well as accelerated 2D, such as video in Adobe's Flash Lite.

Seagate outs fast, two-platter 1TB drive...

Seagate today preempted CES by launching a major update to its Barracuda drives. The 7200.12 is the first desktop hard drive to fit 500GB of data on to a single platter and manages to hold 1TB by using just two platters versus as many as four on other disks. Condensing the data improves reliability by reducing the points of failure and also improves performance through sheer density. Seagate itself estimates sustained transfer speeds of 160MB per second and thus competes more closely with some solid-state drives.

Lenovo iMac rival touts air remote, Blu-ray...

Lenovo today abandoned its traditional business desktop focus with its first all-in-one IdeaCenter PC. The A600 is billed as a home entertainment computer and comes with a rare motion-sensitive remote similar to the Nintendo Wii remote or Gyration offerings: users can play games or otherwise control the onscreen cursor by gesturing at the PC rather than using a directional pad or mousing on a flat surface.

LG to build Netflix into TVs...

LG on Monday marked a first for TVs by saying that it will unveil a line of TVs at CES this week that have built-in support for Netflix viewing. The feature will let anyone with a $9 or higher Netflix subscription stream an unlimited number of movies from their Watch Instantly queue, including HD; while creating the queue is dependent on web use outside the TV, the set can rate movies and otherwise has full control over playback. Each of the relevant sets will have an Ethernet jack built-in to make the connection.
Early Morning Edition

01/05, 7:40am, EST

Intel, Adobe team on Flash for set-tops...

Intel and Adobe today said they have struck a deal to optimize Flash for the CE 3100, Intel's system-on-a-chip design for TV set-top devices. The processor's combination of graphics and processing is deemed fast enough to run both a full desktop-level version of Flash as well as the traditionally cellphone-oriented Flash Lite and is meant to bring the animation and interface technology to networked media hubs, Blu-ray players and TVs themselves that previously would have had to go without the format.

Samsung to unveil 6.5mm TV at CES 2009...

While some details were leaked last week, Samsung offered some more insight into its CES announcements. On Sunday, Samsung said it has developed the "world's thinnest" TV and expects to unveil several ultra slim HDTVs at CES. According to a new report, the new HDTVs are expected to be only 6.5mm thick - about 2mm thinner than the firm's last product; the HDTV's will range from 40-inches to 55-inches and will support Samsung’s Motion plus technology (240Hz) and Samsung’s LED backlight technology; however, Samsung's newest model does not have a built-in tuner or receiver within its unit, but said it comes with a separate external tuner device. [via Akihabara News]

Lenovo's multi-touch, 16" carbon fiber IdeaPad Y's...

Lenovo on Monday debuted its latest midrange "multi-touch" IdeaPad Y Series laptops that are smaller, thinner and lighter than the previous generation as well as its first 16-inch widescreen laptop, the IdeaPad Y650 built from Carbon Fiber. The IdeaPad Y Series, which also includes Y550 and Y450, focuses on HD entertainment and shares the same "modern soft black design" with an interlocked hexagon pattern on the top cover along with a discrete copper accent around the perimeter of the laptop. The carbon fiber-based IdeaPad Y650, allegedly the thinnest and lightest laptop in its class, weighs less than many 15-inch laptops -- only 5.6lbs and is just one inch thick at its thinnest point.

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