The annual Consumer Electronics Show (or CES) 2010 has passed now and for the foremost it was an interesting year. Although the show was overshadowed a little, by the two of the expected major announcements of 2010 were either announced outside CES (Google Nexus One phone) or just a straight up no show (Apple Tablet), the show was still a technical marvel and had lots to offer.
Here is a list of some of the Gadgets that were showcased this year.
1. 3D Televisions
Unquestionably the stars of this year’s show, the king of these is the new Panasonic 152 Inch monster that apparently provides 1920 x 1080 pixels per eye! Other examples came from LG, Samsung, and Sony. Full HD 3D video is viewed through ‘active shutter’ glasses, which look to be the new living-room-look for 2010…
Take a look HERE for a more detailed look at some of the biggest TVs showcased at CES 2010.
2. Tablet PC’s
Although the show was overshadowed by the lack of movement from Apple and their rumoured ‘I-pad’, (Apple do not exhibit at the show and instead choose to host their own consecutive event) tablet PC’s proved to be a major talking point at this year’s show.
Lenovo exhibited the clever IdeaPad U1 which at first glances looks like a regular clamshell style laptop computer, however the 11.6 inch screen can be completely removed and takes the form of a 1.6 Pound tablet PC. Unfortunately it won’t be released until ‘Mid-Year’, but if Apple do release their own version Lenovo will undoubtedly be a major competitor.
HP unveiled a new device through Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer’s keynote address and the device has been dubbed the Slate Tablet. This ultra slim, buttonless tablet PC operates on Windows 7 and is described by Ballmer as ‘more powerful than a phone and nearly as powerful as a PC’. Other details are few and far between, however this is no prototype and will be released by HP this year.
3. eReaders
These are also gaining popularity, and after 2009 when both Sony and Amazon released their own versions to some success other OEM’s are following suit.
One example is the Plastic Logic Que eReader. This sleek and slim device sports no buttons and a lightning fast touchscreen interface that allows for the easiest reading experience.
Samsung are close to revealing their new Papyrus eReader- a device that sets itself apart from competitors to due its writing capability. The E6 sports a 6 inch screen and the E101 is a 10 inch version. Users are able to take notes whilst reading using a stylus. Google have agreed to provide over 1 million e-books from their library for this device and these will be downloadable via Wi-Fi or through Bluetooth 2.0 sharing. When fully charged, the battery is reported to last for a full 2 weeks. All this comes at a price though, as on the US market a traditional eReader costs around $225 whereas the Samsung 6 inch version will be priced at a $399 and the 10 inch at a whopping $699.
4. Restyled-Retro Headphones
2009 was all about SkullCandy and how they managed to make those previously disregarded ‘Cans’ into fashion must-haves. Manufacturer Vizio took it one step further at CES 2010 by exhibiting their new headphones complete with LCD screens on the outside of the earpieces. These can be programmed to display anything from Visualizers to album artwork.
5. iPhone accessories
We have seen literally thousands of these over the past few years, however the clear favourite of CES visitors was the Parrot AR. drone: a miniature helicopter controlled by the iPhone or iPod Touch. This is also equipped with a video camera which streams footage back to the controller (iphone/touch), allowing for Augmented Reality (AR) games to be played using the device. Obviously it can also be used as a spy camera if you are that way inclined. Expect these to irritate officeworkers nationwide…
Also Notable…
Lasonic Boombox- jewel encrusted boombox style iPod music player.
Tivit transmitter- Digital TV for your mobile.
Liquid image- Snowboard mask with inbuilt video camera.
Transparent Laptop- Samsung showed off an un-named protype OLED transparent display.
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Tags: 2010, 3d, 3DTV, Apple, ces, consumer, electronics, LG, samsung, show, Sony, Tablet, toshiba, TV
