Consumer Electronics Show - CES 2008 - So Whats New?

This Years Consumer Electronics Show seems to be focus on the evolution of electronics. Showing us more of the same with new features as one would expect. There is an obvious battle of next generation PC's, mobile devices and LCD's.

Here is a mix of items showcasing this year at the Las Vegas CES 2008 to give you an idea on the latest.

Starting the pack of electronic gadgets we have
the OQO Model 02 Durable Ultra Mobile PC running windows vista. It features:
  • integrated backlit thumb keyboard, track stick, and capacitive TouchScrollers™. For wireless connectivity, the model 02 comes standard with WiFi 802.11a/b/g and Bluetooth 2.0 technology.
  • Built-in mobile broadband EV-DO Rev. A technology for extended connectivity (hotspots)
  • Pocket-size mobile form factor with sliding display and integrated thumb keyboard
  • Only weighs 1 pound


Sony's Serial ATA Blu-ray drive that will do the trick for even less. The BDU-X10S drive will cost $199.99 when Sony starts shipping it next month (preorder it here). This BD-ROM (that's read, not write) drive comes bundled with CyberLink PowerDVD BD Edition for playing Blu-ray discs in MPEG-2 or H.264 format. It'll also play DVDs and CDs and will work with XP and Vista PCs.





New Garmin Nuvi 800 series features voice commands
Voice commands in portable navigation systems: We had a feeling we'd be seeing more of this trend at CES 2008, and Garmin proved us right with the launch of the Garmin Nuvi 800 series. The series includes two models--the Garmin Nuvi 880 and the Garmin Nuvi 850--and both have speech-recognition technology so you can perform certain navigation functions with the sound of your voice. For example, you can look for local businesses with phrases such as "find nearest Chinese restaurant," and unlike the Magellan Maestro 4250--which we reviewed earlier and also had voice command functionality.



The HP Pavilion HDX laptop is for those into multimedia applications requiring the extra large 20" screen really. Here are the specs:

  • Intel Core 2 Duo T7700 (2.4GHz)
  • an Nvidia GeForce 8800M GTS graphics card with 512MB of video memory
  • Windows Vista Ultimate (64-bit)
  • 20.1” WSXGA+ (1680 x 1050 pixels) HP Ultra Brightview display
  • Integrated HP HDTV Tuner w/4 Altec Lansing speakers + 1 subwoofer
  • PowerPack Software – Roxio, Muvee and Serif
  • 500 GB Hard Drive
  • HD DVD-ROM w/ Super Multi DVD+/-RW w/Double Layer
  • 4GB DDR2 system memory
  • Integrated 10/100/1000 Gigabit Ethernet
  • Intel Pro/Wireless 4945a/g/n network with Bluetooth
  • HP Imprint "Dragon" finish + Fingerprint reader + webcam
  • High capacity 9-cell battery


  • ASUS M70 notebook 1 TeraByte Laptop. ASUS has integrated Hitachi's Travelstar 5K500 hard drive into its new M70 notebook PC. This will make the M70 capable of delivering one terabyte of storage capacity – equal to 1000 hours of video - in a two-drive configuration. It features a 17-in. widescreen display at either WXGA+ (1,440 by 900 pixels) or WUXGA (1,920 by 1,200 pixels) resolution, Intel Core2 Duo processor , an ATI 3650 graphics card, Web cam, fingerprint reader and 1GB of memory.


    Pinnacle Transfer Video, a mobile device capable of recording analog video onto iPods and other USB 2.0 storage devices without using PCs to copy files.

    Not requiring a PC, you just transfer video from the source to the storage device, such as one of those saved vids from Halo 3 you rewatch several times each day. Just by connecting the unit to your Xbox 360, you'll be able to copy over your favourite kill so you can watch it on your iPod on the way to work.

    It encodes MPEG-4s in H.254 at up to 720x480/576, and supports a bunch of inputs such as SVideo, composite video and stereo audio


    The Corsair GT 32GB USB 2.0 drive, is bootable and has the following features:

    • Encased in extremely strong CNC-milled, anodized aircraft-grade aluminum.
    • Water resistant to 200M through the use of a EPDM waterproof seal.
    • Protected from vibration or impact damage through the use of a molded shock dampening collar.
    • Plug-&-Play with any USB 2.0 certified peripheral computer port (backward compatible with USB 1.1).
    • Includes the True Crypt security application (Windows Vista/XP/2000 compatible only) allowing for a virtual encrypted drive using AES-256 encryption.
    • USB extension cable and Dog Tags included.
    • Protected by a Limited 10-year Warranty.

    The next generation HDTV LCD's , Sony OLED uses a new flat-panel technology, called organic light-emitting diode (OLED), to produce a brilliant picture on a screen only 3 millimeters thick. The initial LCD's are only 11" but in a few years regular LCD's will be a thing of the past.
    This thing has true black with 1 million to 1 ratio, which regular LCD's cant even touch (and have usually a dark grey instead of black dark contrast).

    Take a look here at the prototype on display:




    The sleek Linksys Wireless-N Gigabit Router (WRT310N), the Wireless-N Broadband Router (WRT160N), the Dual-Band Wireless-N USB Notebook Adapter (WUSB600N), Dual-Band Wireless-N ExpressCard Adapter (WEC600N), and the Dual-Band Wireless-N Gaming Adapter (WGA600N). Also being showcased at CES is Linksys EasyLink Advisor (LELA), an enhanced network setup and management tool that serves as a "Network Advisor in a Box".


    Panasonics first IP enabled television, the VIERA full HD 1080p PZ850 series features four models -- the 46-inch class TH-46PZ850, the 50-inch class TH-50PZ850, the 58-inch class TH- 58PZ850 and the 65-inch class TH-65PZ850. The IP enabled televisions provides access to on-line content directly from the televison with VIERA CAST(TM) technology. In addition, the PZ850 series features a Pro Setting Menu, allowing the consumer to access professional calibration software; an improved native resolution contrast ratio of 30,000:1 and a dynamic ratio of 1,000,000:1; Digital Cinema Color Re-Mastering; 24p native reproduction; Game Mode; an SD memory Card slot; RS-232C connection; four HDMI connections; increased luminous efficiency; lead free panels; 100,000 hours to half brightness and a PC input. The 850 series further expands the capabilities of the SD Card feature by utilizing the H.264 codec to display high definition video recorded on a HD camcorder equipped with the H.264 codec.

    Here is an example on how the IPTV connects online and for what purpose:


    Motorola's new Z10 E8 is a "pocket-sized mobile film studio." It allows users to play and capture high-quality video, marry audio and video, and create storyboards with soundtracks directly on the phone. Film enthusiasts can then take their video and upload it on various social networking Web sites. A similar phone can be seen here.

    The E8 comes with 2 Gbytes of internal memory, which can hold up to 1,500 songs, and the external memory can be expanded to 4 Gbytes with a micro SD card.







    A Prototype of a DLP (rear Projection Alienware display for games that has .2ms refresh rate! Check it out!