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Techradar |
- CES 2011: OCZ's 4TB SSD
- CES 2011: R.I.P SATA 6Gbps?
- CES 2011: LG clarifies passive/active 3D stance
- CES 2011: Lucid to allow Quicksync on P67?
- CES 2011: MSI gets more Lucid loving
- CES 2011: Hands on: Viewsonic ViewPad 10s review
- CES 2011: Hands on: Sony Bravia HX293 review
- CES 2011: In pictures: Pure Contour iPod dock
- CES 2011: Hands on: MeeGo netbook review
- CES 2011: Hands on: Sony HDR-PJ30VE review
- CES 2011: In pictures: Panasonic TX-P65VT30B 3D TV
- CES 2011: Hands on: Samsung Smart Hub and TwinView TV remote review
- Ballmer hints at Microsoft Kinect for PC
- Ballmer hints at Microsoft Kinect for PC
- CES 2011: Hands on: Sony OLED 3D headset review
- CES 2011: Hands on: Sony OLED 3D headset review
- Amazon cloud helps Wi-Fi hack
- CES 2011: In pictures: Razer Switchblade gaming netbook concept
- CES 2011: Hands on: Sony glasses-free 3D Blu-ray player review
- CES 2011: Hands on: Sony glasses-free OLED 3D TV review
- CES 2011: Hands on: Sony Bloggie 3D review
- CES 2011: Hands on: Sony Bloggie 3D review
- CES 2011: Wireless electricity demo in Las Vegas
- CES 2011: Samsung to outline tablet roadmap in February
- Google solves problem of Android texts going astray
| Posted: 07 Jan 2011 06:46 PM PST  With the caveat that it is definitely not for sale, OCZ showed us the incredible 4TB IBIS XL. The frankly huge storage numbers, not just huge in SSD terms but in spinning platter tech too, aren't the end of it. The performance numbers are quite something too. Apparently posting figures of 1,800MB/s read and 1,700MB/s write speed the IBIS XL would probably be done copying any data you threw at it before you'd even thought about doing it. This could be the first precognitive storage device ever. But as we said this drive is not going to be for sale, unless you've got a huge overdraft facility available to you anyways. According to OCZ "it is purely to demonstrate OCZ's ability to customize their technology for virtually any application and maximize its potential." But we've seen how fast the traditional IBIS HSDL is and that's enough for us at the moment. 
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| Posted: 07 Jan 2011 06:33 PM PST  We could be seeing motherboards with OCZ's HSDL sockets on them in the near future if they have their way. One of the most innovative PC products of late last year was OCZ's IBIS HSDL (High Speed Data Link), freakishly-fast, SSD. Combining it's already pretty darned quick SSD technology with a brand-new, proprietary interface the IBIS was an impressive bit of kit. And despite beating the competition for speed, at £540-odd it was little more expensive than a standard 256GB SATA 3Gbps SSD. As it's a platform based on an existing connector, with a PCI-E based add-in board for your PC, OCZ wasn't being too precious in the use of its tech. Speaking with a representative of OCZ today he said that it was in talks with motherboard manufacturers about shipping mobos with that HSDL connector built into the board itself. "Obviously it would have to be the very top-end of motherboards," he said. He wouldn't be drawn on exactly who OCZ had been in talks with, but you can bet that they'll be based in Taiwan... 
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| CES 2011: LG clarifies passive/active 3D stance Posted: 07 Jan 2011 06:27 PM PST  LG has made massive moves in the 3D space at CES 2011, announcing a whole host of new TVs and PCs which use passive 3D to bring the third dimension to consumers. Speaking to TechRadar, the company said that it was excited by its new passive 3D technology which offers high-quality flicker-free 3D through low-cost glasses and that there is "real opportunity" that its Cinema 3D range will bring 3D to the mass market. "For 3D to work you really need the right TVs and content," said Paul Trueman, Group Marketing Director LG UK, to TechRadar. "Not only do we have the technology that brings 3D to the masses we have the backing of Sky who thinks that our TVs are the right fit for its 3D channel." LG's link-up with Sky could be a game changer for 3D in the home, as it is two powerhouses of technology working together to bring the right 3D message across to consumers. Overcoming quality barriers 3D can be confusing for the average TV buyer, notably because there are two types of 3D available to buy at the moment: active and passive. LG is the only company which is touting both technologies. Early this week, TechRadar was given the impression by LG Display – a separate section to the consumer arm of LG – that active technology was not going to be on LG's roadmap for much longer, but this definitely isn't the case. "We are using active 3D for our PZ950 plasma screens as this technology works really well," said Trueman. "We are backing active for plasma and this isn't set to change." But Trueman also notes: "Sometimes you do have to back one horse, though, and we believe that passive technology will crack the mass market. "We have made massive strides with the change from LCD and LED and we are overcoming the quality barriers for passive technology." 3D for all LG's booth was the busiest at CES 2011 this year and it may have something to do with its passive theme. Attendees were given one pair of polarised glasses and told that these glasses work for viewing content for all LG 3D content, from its Cinema 3D TVs to the laptops on show. LG's passive technology may be the one thing to get Joe Public to put its money into 3D and make the technology ubiquitous. Trueman has high hopes for the technology and thinks the key to it ending up in homes the UK over is ease of use and quality, explaining: "Ultimately, I would like the 3D experience to be just as good as the 2D one." LG's flicker-free LW6500 3D Cinema range, which is part of the world's first passive 3D LED range, is definitely one step closer to this. 
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| CES 2011: Lucid to allow Quicksync on P67? Posted: 07 Jan 2011 06:06 PM PST  Far from the bustling show floor of CES 2011 I spoke to a representative from MSI who claims Intel is funding Lucid to create a version of the new Virtu chip to work on the P67 platform to leverage the power of the Quicksync transcoding engine on the P67 platform. We've already looked at the H67 and H61 MSI boards to include the new Virtu chip, a component designed to allow the switching off of discrete graphics cards in favour of the processor graphics when high-performance 3D power is not needed. When asked if it would be possible to do this in reverse on the P67 chipset to allow the use of Sandy Bridge's processor graphics, and more importantly the Quicksync transcoder, MSI claimed that Intel was already working with Lucid to try and make that happen. Our only real problem with the new Sandy Bridge setup, obfuscating marketing aside, has been the lack of the transcode engine on the P67 motherboards. After all the exciting demos from last year's Intel Developer's Forum in San Francisco, it was disappointing that the if you purchased a high-end Sandy Bridge motherboard you were shut out from the transcoding fun. We haven't had any confirmation on this from Intel itself so it could be pinch of salt time, but I'll be sitting down with the one-time head of their benchmarking division tomorrow night, so we shall see... 
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| CES 2011: MSI gets more Lucid loving Posted: 07 Jan 2011 06:01 PM PST  Lucid's new Virtu chip is appearing on MSI's H67MA-ED55 and H61MU-E35 motherboards. This new chip represents a departure from the Hydra component that enabled multi-GPU tech to be used on motherboards not necessarily certified for it, and also on the new MSI Big Bang Marshal board to provide extra PCI-E x16 lanes. The Virtu is designed to allow desktop users to completely switch off their discrete graphics card when not in use and switch to the processor graphics of the new Sandy Bridge CPUs. This will then allow you to run the excellent Quicksync transcoder engine built into the Sandy Bridge GPU part with a discrete card plugged into the motherboard. There's no need to reboot the hardware to make the switch, the software should automatically detect when you need to turn on the discrete card and when all you really need is the processor graphics. Simply plug the monitor into the output on the motherboard and the discrete GPU will copy its frame buffer to the frame buffer of the processor graphics and display it through the connection. According to Lucid that should only result in a 1-3% degradation in performance, but that has yet to be seen. This new technology will allow the discrete card to be completely turned off when not in use and will save a considerable amount of power in a high-end system. For the green gamer that means no compromise on graphics hardware, and less guilt... 
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| CES 2011: Hands on: Viewsonic ViewPad 10s review Posted: 07 Jan 2011 05:46 PM PST  Even by the meagre standards of most of the Android tablets out there, the original Viewpad 10 was an absolute stinker. While the hardware was pretty decent – it was powered by one of Intel's Atom chips – the software implementation was poor. It ran both archaic Android 1.6 and Windows 7 and it did neither particularly well. The Viewpad 10s is a different animal though. It's a single boot, with Android 2.2 the OS of choice. It's also got an interesting Tap UI overlay, presumably designed to circumnavigate the usual pitfalls of running a phone OS on a tablet.
Under the hood sits Nvidia's Tegra 250 chip, 512MB of memory and a 1024x600 LCD panel similar to that of the iPad.
Performance of the tablet is pretty decent. The Tap UI is designed to make better use of the 10-inch screen, as until Android 3.0 comes out, it's very much a phone OS designed for smaller devices.
It adds some pretty neat new features, too. One such feature is Family Accounts, which allows every member of the family to have their own login. It's a good way to allow multiple users to customise and personalise the device without negatively impacting the experience of others.
It's good, too. While it's nowhere near as slick and impressive as the Blackberry Playbook, there was no lag, and the screen is responsive. It is rather heavy though, let's hope that's partly due to there being a decent battery in there – we'll test that at a later date.
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| CES 2011: Hands on: Sony Bravia HX293 review Posted: 07 Jan 2011 05:40 PM PST  Sony refreshed its Bravia television line-up at CES 2011, with the Sony Bravia HX293 being standout. Sony's Bravias have always oozed style and the HX293 is of no exception, but there is real substance behind the TV as well. The slight lean on the panel makes sure that the viewing angle of the TV is optimised and the optional stand is definitely a statement of intent. Within the relatively slim chassis – the HX723 is slimmer but the HX293 packs more of a cinematic punch – there are a number of technological features to make the picture sparkle.
These include: Intelligent Peak LED, Motionflow XR 800 and 3D viewing with X-reality PRO. Unlike some other TV manufacturers, Sony is offering two pairs of glasses in the box. Considering active shutter glasses still come at a premium price, this is a decent move by Sony.
Sony's on-demand service Bravia Internet Video has also been ramped up and can be accessed through the connected Bravia set. As you are dealing with internet video, Sony has included something called X-Reality PRO which is a dual-chip image processor that is said to produce true-to-life images and can boost low quality pictures from the web to near-HD resolution.
It is impressive, though you still get artefacts and stutter in the web content – especially on the bigger screens. You also get Skype compatibility and the HX293 comes bundled with a webcam, which is an added bonus.
TVs in 2011 are a mash-up of 3D and connected devices, with the Sony HX293 showing off both of these technologies superbly. UK release date and pricing are still to be confirmed. 
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| CES 2011: In pictures: Pure Contour iPod dock Posted: 07 Jan 2011 05:00 PM PST  Pure has launched a new high-end iPod speaker dock at CES and we popped to the Pure booth to have a quick look at the new device. The unit is also a DAB and internet radio and it's fully compatible with Pure's Flow internet-connected technology. Although this unit was wired in, it's fully Wi-Fi enabled. You can also view videos from your iPhone or iPod through composite, S-Video and component outputs.
The Contour will cost £200 from the end of January and is clearly aimed at those willing to spend, but who don't want to stretch to the offerings from the likes of Arcam, Bose and Bowers & Wilkins. As you can see, the actual dock can pop back into the front of the unit so it needn't be sticking out when you're listening to the radio.
You can also stream audio from a computer or networked device using the contour, as well as play content from Pure's Lounge portal. Pure told TechRadar that it will be releasing an upgrade to a second, much improved version of the Lounge portal over the coming weeks.
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| CES 2011: Hands on: MeeGo netbook review Posted: 07 Jan 2011 03:41 PM PST  It's almost a year since Nokia and Intel announced they would throw Maemo and Moblin into a big mixing bowl to create MeeGo - the open source OS that can run on both x86 and ARM-based processors. While we've seen MeeGo running on devices such as the Nokia N900, we haven't had a play with it on a netbook - until now. Here it's running on an MSI unit. The netbook variation of MeeGo is a continuation of the previous Moblin efforts and the look and feel differs from the "tablet version" of the OS.
Obviously this is the netbook version, which is separated into areas, seemingly called zones. Here we have the MyZone area, complete with quick access to apps in the bottom left. You can also see appointments and tasks.
There's also a People zone, which would appear to be for instant messaging.
Web browsing comes courtesy of the Google Chromium open source code - essentially it looks exactly like Google Chrome.The Applications zone shows you what's installed and gives you access to them.
It's all rather good-looking, isn't it? Indeed, MeeGo is what we reckon a netbook-specific OS should look like. The way Windows and OS X have inculcated us, we need some kind of dashboard. And that's why we like the look of MeeGo on a netbook far more than we do Google Chrome OS. MeeGo just feels a lot more like an operating system than Chrome does. Chrome's lack of anything is just too disconcerting. And, of course, you still get the Chrome browser experience anyway.
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| CES 2011: Hands on: Sony HDR-PJ30VE review Posted: 07 Jan 2011 02:17 PM PST  Sometimes two separate technologies go together so well, that you wonder why nobody thought of combining them before. This is true with the Sony HDR-PJ30VE – a camcorder that has an in-built projector. Yes Nikon stole Sony's thunder with the launch of its projector camera but this is the first time we have seen such a thing on a fully functioning camcorder. Sony has done well to get the pico projector inside the HDR-PJ30VE. The projector is actually situated on the front of the viewfinder and offers up a projection size of 60 inches.
The projector isn't actually that bright, though, at 10 lumens but it seems to do a decent job when you project an image into a smaller space. The actual resolution of the screen is 640 x 360 and you can throw the image in as short a distance as 0.5 metres.
The use of the projector does run the battery on the camcorder down, so you will be lucky to get an hour's viewing out of the thing. But this is plenty of time to bore all with your 'amazing' holiday video. As for the rest of the camera specs, you have 30x optical zoom, MemoryCard and SD card slots and 16GB of Flash memory built into the camcorder.
UK release date and pricing for the Sony HDR-PJ30VE camcorder is still to be announced – the US has it priced at $699. 
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| CES 2011: In pictures: Panasonic TX-P65VT30B 3D TV Posted: 07 Jan 2011 02:08 PM PST  While Panasonic announced its new class-leading 3D plasma TVs at this year's CES, it's not exactly going out of its way to shout about them on its stand. There's only one VT30 TV on display at the show and it's not even showing any 3D pictures. It was situated on the outside of the stand – almost as an afterthought - and wasn't showing any pictures that we could draw any conclusions from regarding performance. Still though, we managed to have a bit of a poke around and take some snaps.
The VT30 series packs Panasonic's new Infinite Black Pro 2 pro panel, and features a one-sheet glass design reminiscent of the LCD and plasma models that LG launched in 2009.
We have to say though, Panasonic could do with taking a look at Samsung's stunning new D8000 series of LED TVs which Marc looked at yesterday. They look absolutely stunning, while Panasonic's sets seem fairly understated and boring by comparison.
Even last year's V20 series, with its brushed metal design, looked better than this one. But that's not to say this isn't a fantastic TV underneath – it's almost certainly the best plasma TV on the planet.
Panasonic always holds its annual product showcase in February – this year it's in London – so we'll take a closer look at it then and let you know what we think. 
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| CES 2011: Hands on: Samsung Smart Hub and TwinView TV remote review Posted: 07 Jan 2011 01:50 PM PST  2011 will be known as the year connected TVs came of age. Although web access on television sets isn't a new thing, making a service that works for and not against the consumer is. Samsung's Smart TV range has grown rapidly in 2010 and this has brought with it some exciting enhancements in the connected TV space. The Samsung Smart Hub has had a massive overhaul and is now an exciting proposition for using the web through a TV.
The first main difference is that everything is now much easier to get around. The Smart Hub has separate places for apps, social networking and on-demand TV but this is all interweaved with the use of its universal search function. So if you want to watch a movie, it will scour all the places you can find this movie on-demand through the myriad app and web services and come up with a simple thumbnail list of where you can get the content.
You can also search services by keyword. So if you want information on sport, then use this keyword and you will get Twitter based content, Facebook pages, YouTube videos and the like. The search functionality works really well and ties the whole service up nicely - couple this with full web access and the hub is a decent portal to a controlled web experience on a television.
Other new features include picture-in-picture functionality. This allows you to check Twitter and Facebook while still watching the TV screen. This is a massive help for those who want to make their TV watching experience social. Having the live Twitter feed up against the TV content means you can keep track of many things at once on the same screen. All of this functionality wouldn't be complete, however, without a device to navigate this content on.
This is where the TwinView Touch Control TV remote comes in. Complete with a 3-inch screen and bustling with functionality, the remote can access the web and can pipe out one television feed on its three-inch screen while you're watching another on your big screen. The remote control has all the functionality of a PMP and looks like a smartphone and it is a great addition to the Samsung TV line-up.
Samsung seem to be branching out on its own with Smart TV and its service looks like a decent rival to the upcoming YouView and Google TV. Once Samsung offers up paid apps as well as free ones, Smart TV will become quite a dominating force in the on-demand market. The Samsung Smart Hub will be available on Samsung's latest range of connected TVs. 
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| Ballmer hints at Microsoft Kinect for PC Posted: 07 Jan 2011 01:36 PM PST  Microsoft's CEO Steve Ballmer has dropped heavy hints this week that Windows PCs will be getting Kinect support at some point in the future. In some slightly disingenuous PR doublespeak, Ballmer told a BBC interviewer this week, when asked directly about plans to bring Kinect to PC, that Microsoft: "Will support that in a formal way in the right time… and when we have an announcement to make then we'll make it." Gaming was just the start Right now, the Microsoft boss stressed how the company was focusing on socialisation using Xbox and Kinect, opening the experience up to non-gamers by promoting movies, music and more. "We certainly started out with Xbox, very focused on gaming," Ballmer told the BBC. "We're trying to do two major things. We're trying to move beyond gaming and include the world of socialization, TV, movies, music. And we're trying to make the whole experience accessible to everybody in the family, not just the traditional gamer." App-unhappy chappy In addition to not-quite-but-almost-confirming that Kinect support for PC would be formally announced soon, Ballmer also took the opportunity to take a side-swipe at Apple. When discussing the growing importance of apps in recent years, Ballmer was quick to remind the interviewer that "Apple's business is Apple's business" adding that the largest app eco-system in the world still belongs to the PC, followed by the web. "In particular, as the web moves to HTML 5, which we are doing, I think, beautifully in our Internet Explorer 9," Ballmer added. 
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| Ballmer hints at Microsoft Kinect for PC Posted: 07 Jan 2011 01:36 PM PST Microsoft's CEO Steve Ballmer has dropped heavy hints this week that Windows PCs will be getting Kinect support at some point in the future. In some slightly disingenuous PR doublespeak, Ballmer told a BBC interviewer this week, when asked directly about plans to bring Kinect to PC, that Microsoft: "Will support that in a formal way in the right time… and when we have an announcement to make then we'll make it." Gaming was just the start Right now, the Microsoft boss stressed how the company was focusing on socialisation using Xbox and Kinect, opening the experience up to non-gamers by promoting movies, music and more. "We certainly started out with Xbox, very focused on gaming," Ballmer told the BBC. "We're trying to do two major things. We're trying to move beyond gaming and include the world of socialization, TV, movies, music. And we're trying to make the whole experience accessible to everybody in the family, not just the traditional gamer." App-unhappy chappy In addition to not-quite-but-almost-confirming that Kinect support for PC would be formally announced soon, Ballmer also took the opportunity to take a side-swipe at Apple. When discussing the growing importance of apps in recent years, Ballmer was quick to remind the interviewer that "Apple's business is Apple's business" adding that the largest app eco-system in the world still belongs to the PC, followed by the web. "In particular, as the web moves to HTML 5, which we are doing, I think, beautifully in our Internet Explorer 9," Ballmer added. 
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| CES 2011: Hands on: Sony OLED 3D headset review Posted: 07 Jan 2011 01:33 PM PST  The third and final one of Sony's 3D prototypes at this year's CES is the futuristic-looking 3D headset concept. The headset packs two 3D OLED displays, both with a high-definition resolution of 1280x720, and it's super impressive. Indeed, it's one of our favourite products from this year's CES show – maybe second only to the Blackberry Playbook.
It's not a commercial product yet – it's just a tech demo. But there's no denying that it's one of the most awesome implementations of 3D we've seen so far. The headset itself is quite heavy, but the 3D effect is brilliant, and the picture is crisp. We watched various video clips as well as 3D footage from Gran Turismo 5 and it was all spectacular.
There was a fantastic sense of depth to the images, and the fact that each eye had its own individual HD display so close-up meant there was a perceived sharpness that was missing from Sony's lenticular OLED TV and BD player prototypes. Frankly, if you gave us the choice between staring at a big 3D TV with active shutter glasses and donning one of these badboys, we'd choose the headset every time.
The perceived screen size seemed the equivalent of watching an 80-inch display from around 15 feet away, so there was certainly a very cinematic feel to the experience. We hope Sony launches this headset as a commercial product asap because we want one. Scrap that, make it two - one for me and one for you. 
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| CES 2011: Hands on: Sony OLED 3D headset review Posted: 07 Jan 2011 01:33 PM PST The third and final one of Sony's 3D prototypes at this year's CES is the futuristic-looking 3D headset concept. The headset packs two 3D OLED displays, both with a high-definition resolution of 1280x720, and it's super impressive. Indeed, it's one of our favourite products from this year's CES show – maybe second only to the Blackberry Playbook.
It's not a commercial product yet – it's just a tech demo. But there's no denying that it's one of the most awesome implementations of 3D we've seen so far. The headset itself is quite heavy, but the 3D effect is brilliant, and the picture is crisp. We watched various video clips as well as 3D footage from Gran Turismo 5 and it was all spectacular.
There was a fantastic sense of depth to the images, and the fact that each eye had its own individual HD display so close-up meant there was a perceived sharpness that was missing from Sony's lenticular OLED TV and BD player prototypes. Frankly, if you gave us the choice between staring at a big 3D TV with active shutter glasses and donning one of these badboys, we'd choose the headset every time.
The perceived screen size seemed the equivalent of watching an 80-inch display from around 15 feet away, so there was certainly a very cinematic feel to the experience. We hope Sony launches this headset as a commercial product asap because we want one. Scrap that, make it two - one for me and one for you. 
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| Posted: 07 Jan 2011 12:48 PM PST  A security specialist has said that he has worked out a way of breaking the password protection on Wi-Fi networks using Amazon's Web Services cloud. German security specialist Thomas Roth claims to be able to break into protected wireless networks using specialist code he has written that runs on Amazon's cloud-based computers. Roth's code tests 400,000 potential passwords per second using Amazon's computers. Amazon has yet to comment on the use of its tech for such a security breach. Black Hat hackers Roth plans to distribute his code to the public at the Black Hat hacking conference in the US later this month. The hacker wants to teach network admins that the commonly used encryption method known as WPA-PSK is essentially redundant. Ross was using Amazon's powerful computers leased by relatively inexpensive per minute rates over the web to crack the passwords. Amazon charges users 28 cents a minute to use the machines Roth deployed in his attack. "Once you are in, you can do everything you can do if you are connected to the network," said the hacker. "People tell me there is no possible way to break WPA, or, if it were possible, it would cost you a ton of money to do so," he added. "But it is easy to brute force them." 
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| CES 2011: In pictures: Razer Switchblade gaming netbook concept Posted: 07 Jan 2011 12:45 PM PST  We grabbed these snaps of Razer's prototype gaming "netbook" from the CES show floor. We couldn't have a play with the device as it was sat in a reflection-tastic glass case though, as you'll see, there was a guy on hand to polish the glass as we left. The Switchblade has been developed in cahoots with Intel, who have provided an Atom chip for the prototype. But it's not clear who's providing the graphics power inside the diminutive PC.
To describe it as a netbook is a bit of a misnomer, as Razer intend this machine to replace the traditional mouse and keyboard combo for gamers. It's also smaller than a standard netbook – the screen is a 7-inch display - and is more like a handheld.
There's a "ultra-sensitive multi-touch screen and dynamic tactile keyboard" alongside what Razer says is a user interface that can adjust the layout of the keys on-the-fly depending on the game mode.
Razer intends the Switchblade to be able to play – and adapt to – an entire library of PC games so you can take them with you
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| CES 2011: Hands on: Sony glasses-free 3D Blu-ray player review Posted: 07 Jan 2011 12:36 PM PST  Another of Sony's glasses-free prototypes at this year's CES is a portable 10.1-inch 3D Blu-ray player. Packing a glasses-free lenticular LCD panel with a resolution of 1366x768, the prototype certainly gave off the impression that it's a near-production product. It looked distinguished and very similar to the non-3D portable BD players out there. It's an impressive little package no doubt, but there's a definite trend appearing here. Just like the other glasses-free 3D prototypes out here (not just from Sony), the 3D effect on this 10.1-inch display is fairly minimal.
There's barely any depth to the picture, and frankly you we had to look pretty close in order to get any 3D effect at all. This early-generation lenticular tech does seem to work a bit better on the small screens, but there's still a definite lack of sharpness to be found in the Blu-ray image. The picture is grainy – and it may be 3D, but it sure isn't HD. The fact that the 1366x768 resolution is broken up by the panel's lenticular filter means that the final picture your eyes perceive us well below the usual standards you'd expect from a portable Blu-ray player.
Add to that the fact that – if these go on sale at some point this year – they'll definitely be super expensive, we can't really encourage anyone to go out and buy one just yet. That said though, we'll keep an open mind until Sony releases the finished product. 
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| CES 2011: Hands on: Sony glasses-free OLED 3D TV review Posted: 07 Jan 2011 12:15 PM PST  There's a lot of lenticular 3D prototypes at CES this year, and not to be left out Sony has also been showing off its own infant next-gen 3D technology. One such prototype is Sony's 23-inch OLED glasses-free telly. OLED is seen by many to be the future of TV panels due to the immense amount of brightness they produce, not to mention the thinness and power efficiency benefits. We were impressed by the OLED prototype without being blown away. Like all the other lenticular 3D screens we've seen at CES this year, depth was severely lacking. This could be a result of the compromises they've had to make in order to limit the ripple distortion that occurs when you move from side to side while watching.
The prototype that Philips showed off at IFA last year was much more impressive in terms of the 3D effect, but it was blighted by terminal distortion as soon as you moved your head. The fact that the Sony's OLED panel is so small (it's still very hard to make large OLED panels) did not help at all, but even so, it's obviously not a product that's anywhere near production-class. We reckon the big manufacturers are treading a fine line with all these lenticular prototypes. While they're clearly eager to show what they can do, they risk putting people off buying current-generation active-shutter and passive 3D TVs, while also alienating those who've already got one. Even so, we're super excited about how far the tech has come in such a small space of time - glasses-free is clearly just around the corner. Toshiba plans to launch its first lenticular 3D TVs during 2011 (although we reckon it's more likely it'll end up being 2012), and it does look likely that the other big names will follow suit in the next 18 months. 
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| CES 2011: Hands on: Sony Bloggie 3D review Posted: 07 Jan 2011 11:10 AM PST  Sony has announced more new versions of its Bloggie camcorder here at CES. After the Bloggie Touch launched at IFA in September, CES has seen the Bloggie 3D take a bow. The first HD 3D pocket camera, the MHS-FS3 Bloggie 3D has two lenses, two image sensors and a stereo microphone. There's also an LED light to capture footage in poorly lit areas. You can watch the content back on the screen but ideally you'll need a 3D TV.
In addition to the Bloggie 3D, there's also the Bloggie HD and the dual-screened MHS-FS2 Bloggie Duo (2.7-inch on the back and 2.0-inch on the front under the lens). An entry-level MHS-FS1 Bloggie completes the line up and comes in black and white with a 2.7-inch display. All come with Bloggie software for PC and Mac enabling you to easily upload footage to YouTube, Facebook and elsewhere. Sony has also announced the HDR-TD10E 3D camcorder at this year's CES. 
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| CES 2011: Hands on: Sony Bloggie 3D review Posted: 07 Jan 2011 11:10 AM PST Sony has announced more new versions of its Bloggie camcorder here at CES. After the Bloggie Touch launched at IFA in September, CES has seen the Bloggie 3D take a bow. The first HD 3D pocket camera, the MHS-FS3 Bloggie 3D has two lenses, two image sensors and a stereo microphone. There's also an LED light to capture footage in poorly lit areas. You can watch the content back on the screen but ideally you'll need a 3D TV.
In addition to the Bloggie 3D, there's also the Bloggie HD and the dual-screened MHS-FS2 Bloggie Duo (2.7-inch on the back and 2.0-inch on the front under the lens). An entry-level MHS-FS1 Bloggie completes the line up and comes in black and white with a 2.7-inch display. All come with Bloggie software for PC and Mac enabling you to easily upload footage to YouTube, Facebook and elsewhere. Sony has also announced the HDR-TD10E 3D camcorder at this year's CES. 
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| CES 2011: Wireless electricity demo in Las Vegas Posted: 07 Jan 2011 09:35 AM PST  Exactly 68 years to the day after the death of Nikola Tesla, a US company has demonstrated what it claims to be one of the most efficient and commercially applicable means of transferring electricity wirelessly without the need for power cables to date. Fulton Innovation has been demonstrating the latest developments inSponsored Links the wireless transfer of electricity from power sources to devices at CES in Las Vegas this week. Fulton has developed a wireless power tech its branded 'eCoupled' which works on the principal of 'near-field resonant magnetic induction' – which means electricity is transferred by magnetic induction as opposed to via conductive wires. Almost exactly as Tesla had predicted many years ago, prior to being ostracised by the scientific community of his day. 98 per cent efficient Fulton Innovation claim that the efficiency rate of its latest methods of wireless power transfer is 98 per cent. Early versions of the tech have been used already in some commercial products such as Amway's eSpring water purifier and the Dell Latitude Z laptop. Fulton has been demonstrating how its latest eCoupled tech allows a charger to communicate with other eCoupled devices nearby, basically ensuring that all of your devices are kept fully charged at all times. Might Fulton Innovation's latest tech demos mean that we could finally see that living space that many have dreamed of for so long now – a lounge or a gaming room without any wires – sometime soon? 
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| CES 2011: Samsung to outline tablet roadmap in February Posted: 07 Jan 2011 09:32 AM PST  A Samsung spokesperson has confirmed that the Korean company will outline its tablet roadmap for 2011 at Mobile World Congress in February. At CES, JK Shin, president of Samsung's mobile business, told journalists, "In February at MWC, we will unveil our next-generation tablet device portfolio in detail." We wouldn't be at all surprised if the line-up includes a tablet running Android 3.0, Google's dedicated tablet Android OS. Hardcore dual-core Another inclusion will be a dual-core slate. Shin said, "In terms of dual-core applications, we already have a program, and next month at Mobile World Congress we will unveil it." The same tablet could potentially be the successor to Samsung's first tablet, the Samsung Galaxy Tab, which was launched late last year. Samsung Mobile's chief strategy officer Omar Khan added, "You'll definitely see new categories and new form factors, different convergence opportunities in terms of docking, and interoperability with consumer electronics." Samsung has already revealed a tablet with a slide-out keyboard at CES this week – are there more ground-breaking designs in store? We'll bring you the news as it breaks in February. 
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| Google solves problem of Android texts going astray Posted: 07 Jan 2011 08:49 AM PST  Having been dubbed 'critical' for just four days, the Android bug that saw text messages being delivered to the wrong person in a user's phone book has seemingly been solved. Google reckons that a support thread on its forums in fact highlighted two separate bugs. While one simply opened the wrong message in the Android phonebook, the other is more serious, sending messages to unintended recipients without the sender knowing. Six months of pain The texting problems have been ongoing since June 2010, so it's interesting that the solutions were found just days after being elevated to high priority. A Google representative told forum members, "While we don't anticipate any persistent problems, we'll continue to investigate in case we come up with additional ways to trigger these bugs. "Separately, some users have reported that their SMS messages are being delivered to the wrong people. It took us some time to reproduce this issue, as it appears that it's only occurring very rarely. Even so, we've now managed to both reproduce it and develop a fix that we will deploy." A relatively small number of Android users have experienced the texting bugs and there's a chance that UK phones weren't affected. Nevertheless, it'll be reassuring for Android users when the patches are released to fix these potentially embarrassing problems. 
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