Televisions

Just a few hours ago we were convinced that wood was taking over the gadget world, but we may have to refine that a bit--perhaps it's just bamboo. Gizmodo notes that it's been a banner day for the sylvan species: Not only did we point to Crave UK's sneak peek at Asus' bamboo laptops, but the eco-friendly wood has been used to make a 19-inch LCD TV as well from Playengine, which is based in the U.K. (hence the soccer--sorry, futbol--players on screen). It may not have the hottest specs but, hey, you can tell people … Read more

When Evesham came out with its Sound Stage TV stand with its built-in speakers, we thought it might be a good sign that furniture makers would come up with some innovative ways to display the new generation of flat TVs. So far, that's proven to be overly optimistic.

Newlaunches says Yamaha, for example, has come out with its own TV rack that includes a full Dolby system of speakers, sub-woofer and amplifier, with an optional DVD player, for the Japanese market. It's more expensive than Evesham's stand system ($780 vs. $600), but our quibble has more to … Read more

A few months ago, when I came across that gadget that prepares eggs, toast, and coffee for you, I rashly and wrongfully asserted that such "breakfast multitasking" was endemic to Japan. That was an erroneous assertion on my part: the Dutch are doing it too, except that this gadget really isn't specific to breakfast. Holland Electric has a fun little product designed by Marcel Wanders. Called the Wave TV, it combines a microwave with a 15" TV and DVD player. We've seen kitchen TVs before, but until this point they've been largely confined to … Read more

Apparently, attraction to the opposite sex isn't nearly as important as it used to be. That's the only explanation we can fathom for the continuing trend of new Star Trek items on the market.

The latest date repellant is a $70 "Phaser Universal Remote Control," which claims to feature sound effects from the original series provided by Paramount. Alas, Red Ferret notes that it's already sold out. (What a surprise.)

But don't despair, Sparky. If you play your cards right, you might still be able to score a "Lightsaber Umbrella."

This would be laughable if it weren't so sad, but apparently the "Plasma TV Fireplace" is here to stay. Picture House Cabinets has come up with a new version of its fully functional hearth that conceals a pop-up flat screen, according to Shiny Shiny, this one complete with marble finish (so classy).

We understand that furniture makers are struggling to adjust to the era of plasmas and LCDs, but this is nothing more than an exercise in poor taste. It's also an example of technological perversion at its worst, as described in the company's product … Read more

This one definitely falls under the category of What Took Them So Long? Universal remotes have claimed (dubiously) to do everything under the sun, but they've gotten increasingly difficult to use by cramming in more keys and buttons, not to mention indecipherable commands.

Sharp has responded to that frustration with "the world's first remote controller with a touchpad," according to Gearfuse, for its updated line of Aquos TV-PCs. The design overhaul means 40 percent fewer buttons and computer-like navigation on the remote.

The new products appear to be available only in Japan for now, but we'… Read more

All Marriott hotel rooms in the U.S. and Canada will get a high-definition television by the end of 2009, the company has announced. OK, it's official: now I will definitely be going for Marriott over Motel 6!

Rooms will have a plug-in panel that lets guests connect laptops, camcorders, digital cameras and other gadget paraphernalia to a flat panel, high-def screen. The standard 32-inch televisions will also be equipped with a 25-watt stereo speaker system so guests can listen to tunes on their MP3 players, with no headphones required.

By the end of 2007, Marriott expects to have … Read more

Fans of Sony products are often disappointed at the January Consumer Electronics Show to discover that the company doesn't have very much to say. Sure, there's a big Sony booth and a handful of token product announcements and press releases, but it's always small potatoes compared to the dozens of new items on display from competitors such as Samsung, Philips, and Panasonic. But that's entirely by design: rather than get lost in the CES maelstrom, Sony opts to launch its new line of products at its own Sony-only line show. We've got complete coverage of … Read more

Just when you thought Sony's 2006 lineup of flat-panel LCD HDTVs was getting a little long in the tooth, out come the 2007 models. Today the company announced seven new Bravias, an acronym for--I kid you not--"Best Resolution Audio Visual Integrated Architecture." In fact, a whole press release was dedicated to how Sony intends to extend the brand to nontelevision products, like home-theater systems, but I doubt anyone outside Sony's marketing department cares. And if you happen to care about how much you'll be asked to spend on the new TVs, you're out … Read more