CES 2010 just recently wrapped up in Las Vegas last week. For those of you that aren't familiar with the Consumer Electronics Show, it is the largest tech trade trade show held every January where all the big and small tech manufacturers show off their newest products. With the thousands of products at the show, Brew City PC has come out with our top picks of the CES 2010 show. Check out our choices below.
#1: Skype coming to a HDTV near you
Panasonic and LG both announced at CES that their newest connected HDTVs will support Skype. With Skype already being one of the most popular free internet phone solutions, this will certainly take the service to the next level. Skype already allows users to talk and see live video "Skype to Skype" for free, but until this release was only available on your computer monitor. It seems that the video phone once only in the movies is coming to that 56" flat panel tv in your living room in 2010! See the release from Skype here: http://www.skype.com/allfeatures/tv/
#2: The Boxee Box
The Boxee Box by D-Link now allows you to bring all your favorite TV shows, netcasts, and movies from the Internet or your personal hard drive onto your TV without connecting your PC. This oddly shaped set top box simply connects to your homes WIFI network and allows you access your computers music, movies, photos to your tv. In addition all the internet channels for video from the big Primetime networks, You Tube, Netflix are now controlled by one Boxee remote control. As easy to hook up as a DVD player this box connects with a single HDMI cable. With a Netflix account you can also rent as many movies as you want, on demand, and stream them through the internet in HD on your tv. Just one more cool device in the revolution to bring your tv online. Chcek out more on this great product here: http://www.boxee.tv/box
#3 Intel's Wireless Display
Intel's Wireless Display technology will do just like it sounds, connect a laptop equipped wireless to your TV or projector with the push of a button. The only catch is you need a receiving adapter hooked up to your TV, however I expect if the technology continues to take off HDTV manufacturers will include this in their hardware in the near future. Check out more on this cool new technology here: http://www.intel.com/consumer/products/technology/wirelessdisplay.htm
#4 Sony's Cyber-shot DSC-HX5V Point and Shoot Camera
This camera is truely sweet. First of all the camera comes with a big 10X optical zoom in a compact camera. In addition to shooting pictures this camera records video in beautiful 1080i HD! This camera combines two devices into one making any need to run out and purchase a Flip HD camcorder a thing of the past. If that wasn't enough it comes with other great features like: GPS, Digital Compass, Sony's awesome Sweep Panorama mode and wireless file sharing right from the camera. Check out more on this camera here: http://www.pcworld.com/article/186045/ces_2010_new_sony_cybershots_full_of_surprises.html
#5 Samsung's LED LCD 9000 Ultra Slim 3D HDTV
This LED TV from Samsung is as thin as a pencil, no joke. It seems that all the hardware internal components are located within the TV's base. This base also doubles as a wall mou
nt. Now in case you haven't heard all the TV manufacturers are implementing 3D into their TV's. This beauty of a HDTV is no exception, and is 3D enabled so once you hook up your 3D satellite box or watch a 3D Blu-Ray disc your good to go. This set also comes with a remote that has a LCD screen built in that you can use when you want to watch two programs at once. The price hasn't been released yet, but Samsung plans to start shipping this later this year. Check out more on this awesome TV here: http://techland.com/1-samsungs-led-lcd-9000/#ixzz0chdzRBYr#6 HP's Slate (Tablet) PC
This year at CES, HP was showing off their new Slate tablet PC. Not a lot of details have been released yet, but it was on display at the show. Its believed that HP wanted to display the new Slate PC before the rumored Apple tablet is released at the end of January. The slate is running Microsoft Windows 7 and features a multi-touch display. Tablet PC's will likely replace the netbook craze of 2009. This one also runs the PC version of Amazon's Kindle software. For more info on HP's Slate click here: http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/06/the-hp-slate/
#7 Ford's My Ford Touch
For the past 2 years I have been telling people about Ford's SYNC by Microsoft t
echnology in their line of cars and trucks. This technology is very cool by allowing you to control your bluetooth enabled phone and mp3 player by your voice. Well Ford has taken that technology to a whole new level with My Ford Touch displayed at CES 2010. Now cars equipped with MyFord will have (2) 4" LCDs, one located with the gauges and one mounted in the center dashboard. The center mounted screen will display audio, phone, and navigation where as the one by the gauge cluster will be for vehicle information. The next step
up is MyFord Touch which puts 4" LCDs on both sides of the speedometer and a 8" LCD in the middle of the dash. These cars now will be implemented with Sirius Travel Link (Gas Prices, Weather info), HD Radio, Online Radio, and with a mobile broadband card turning the car into a WiFi hotspot. You can even surf the web using the 8" screen in the dash. In addition this new technology will read your text messages to you and you can dictate text messages to others, including sending messages on Twitter. There are many other cool features as well. You have to check out this link for more info and watch the video. Very Cool!: http://www.thefordstory.com/smart-technology/myford%E2%84%A2-defines-a-new-driver-experience/#8 Lenovo U1 Ideapad Hybrid
This laptop / tablet hybrid was probably the first device to make the news from CES this year. This is a typical Lenovo Core 2 laptop except the screen pops out and becomes a tablet PC running a Snapdragon processor. The tablet is what I think really made this suc
h an impressive device at the show. The tablet actual is running an Linux operating system, but gives you the ability to surf the web, play music, watch videos etc. Once you are done with the tablet, just dock it into the lid and Windows 7 picks up right from where you left off on the tablet. Because you have a battery with the laptop and tablet you essentially double the battery life of the laptop. Also the laptop portion will charge the tablet. This is a very nice design because it opens up the amount of things you can do with one piece of hardware. I hope more manufacturers follow suit in the months to come. Check out more on this great product here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5DYuVN6nuY
