CES - MP3 and portable video players

LAS VEGAS--We've seen a handful of iPod boom boxes with retro styling--the Lasonic i931 and Altec Lansing Mix iMT800 come to mind--and now JVC is joining the party with the RV-NB50 Kaboom.

This newest Kaboom keeps the CD player, FM radio, and tubular design of the earlier Kaboom model (first launched in 1998), but it adds the requisite iPod dock and line-in port. The Kaboom can also play back digital audio files from USB drives. JVC throws in a shoulder strap too, so you can blast the Kaboom's 40-watt speakers on the go. The unit will be available … Read more

LAS VEGAS--With smartphones taking the place of standalone MP3 players more and more, it's no wonder we have a proliferation of stereo Bluetooth headsets on the market. No stranger to this space is JayBird, which has been making uncharacteristically comfy sets for the past several years. The latest release from the company is the BlueBuds Bluetooth Headphones, a lightweight set with earpieces that measure just an inch long.

Despite their small size, the BlueBuds manage to integrate a full array of tactile controls into the right earpiece. There's a volume knob and buttons for controlling music playback and … Read more

For frequent fliers, good noise-canceling headphones can make the difference between a relaxing, enjoyable trip and a barely tolerable one. Of course, not all such cans are created equal, and two years ago, Sony upped the ante with its first pair of digital noise-canceling headphones. This designation refers to the fact that the headphones use a digital equalizer combined with a software engine in order to cancel ambient noise and reduce stress on your ears. It also allows the headphones to react in-kind to various environments, such as an airplane, a train, or an office, which all generate different types … Read more

LAS VEGAS--If you've been following Chumby Industries at all, you know the company was more interested in licensing out its Internet miniapps than in making actual hardware devices. Yes, there's the recent Chumby One, but it's good to see that Sony's now enlisted Chumby's services to help power its upcoming Dash personal Internet viewer, which arrives this April for $199.99.

The Dash features a 7-inch color touch screen (measured diagonally) and has access to more than 1,000 free Internet apps, including news, calendars, weather, sports, social networking, and more via your existing home … Read more

LAS VEGAS--Before leaving for CES, we were about to post a review of 3M's second-generation MPro120 Pico projector. Now, lo and behold, the company announced its successor, the MPro150, that includes 1GB internal memory, a microSD card slot, and a USB input for transferring files from a laptop or Netbook letting you run entire presentations from the projector itself.

According to 3M, the 5.6-ounce MPro150, which measure just over 5 inches long and fits in a pocket, supports Microsoft Office applications (Word, PowerPoint, and Excel), as well as Adobe PDF, photos, and video. The company has also made … Read more

LAS VEGAS--Wishing that your MP3 player would act more like a personal trainer? Me neither, but Philips is banking on finding an audience of motivation-starved fitness types for its newly announced Activa MP3 player ($129), available worldwide in April.

To put a new spin on working out with your MP3 player, the Activa gives gym rats real-time voice feedback on their performance. Only time will tell if the voice is more in step with the Wii Fit style of chipper encouragement, or with the Tony Little brand of aggressive shouting.

Assuming that the voice can be switched off for those … Read more

LAS VEGAS--As any gamer or music fan knows, your computer's built-in speaker are utter bunk and the more-affordable PC speaker upgrades typically lack in low-end power. To fill the void of booming PC speakers for under a Benjamin, Altec Lansing is gearing up to release its VS4621 2.1 PC speaker system in the Spring, with a down-to-earth retail price of $79.

Like its predecessor, the VS4121, the new system features a pair of stylish and slim stereo speakers that connect to an impressive-looking powered subwoofer. The sub sports a 6.5-inch driver in a ported enclosure, while the … Read more

LAS VEGAS--Having just released its portable inMotion Classic and inMotion Mix speaker systems just a few months ago, we thought Altec Lansing would have taken a break from its pursuit of the perfect portable iPod and iPhone speaker. Instead, it has just whittled things down for a new speaker dock called the inMotion Compact, due out in February with a retail price of $79.

The new speaker shares a resemblance to the Classic's backward-slanting design, but cuts the fat by excluding a remote control and FM radio and shrinking the speakers down from 3 inches to 2. For those … Read more

The ways people use their iPhones are almost as diverse as the number of people using the device. Soon, you'll be able to add live TV to that list.

FLO TV and Mophie on Wednesday said at CES that they are partnering to develop a series of products that will bring live TV to the iPhone and iPod Touch. The products are expected to ship in the first half of 2010.

The FLO TV service allows users to tune into mobile broadcasts while on the go. The service boasts many of the largest networks including ABC, Fox, MTV, ESPN, … Read more