Silex Technology America's new wiDock is a pretty hip iPod dock that lets you sync your iPod wirelessly (if you just can't wait for that feature to show up in the iPod itself) via a built-in 802.11b/g module. Its 3.5mm stereo audio and S-Video outputs let you use the wiDock with your home stereo and television set, as well. The dock also has an IR sensor on it that lets you control playback with a standard Apple Remote. Not a bad product at around $120, though maybe not as cool as one with wireless USB, especially since the wiDock requires an existing wireless network.
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Some of the coolest products at CES are destined never to make it onto store shelves or into homes. They're prototypes and mock-ups, designed to test new features or solicit industry feedback.
Fujitsu had a series of mobile PC prototypes on the show floor, each highlighting some interesting technology that may eventually trickle into mainstream consumer products.
One prototype was called the Ultra Mobile 2007. It's about the size of Mac Mini and is a handheld touch screen UMPC. Fujitsu describes it as, "A futuristic interpretation of an ultraportable tablet PC, fully operable via touch screen, a stylus pen, and operation buttons. Like the Ultra Mobile 2005, this is designed to be almost the same size as a CD jacket."
A second item we saw was a folding UMPC with a full keyboard. It folds up into a small blue square, then you can flip up the screen and watch media files using a few media control buttons or flip the keyboard open for typing (as pictured).
Like flashy concept cars, these exact models will most likely never see the light of day, but the hope is that some features or design elements will make it into the next generation of mobile devices.
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Zyxel)
Zyxel's new NSA-220 NAS drive plus media server offers two empty drive bays so that you can bring your own SATA drives, up to 1.5TB. The drives can be arranged in a RAID-0 or RAID-1 array, and the included Memeo software lets you set up autobackup of your data. Two USB ports let you connect additional hard drives or thumbdrives, and a "copy" button allows you to quickly duplicate the contents of an external drive (or an MP3 player or digital camera) to the NAS-220 without touching your PC.
Aside from acting as a repository for your data and multimedia files, the NAS-220 serves up your entertainment content to your home entertainment system via its built-in DLNA server. Because it's DLNA certified, it plays nicely with other DLNA devices, including Zyxel's own digital media adapter, the DMA-1000.
The NSA-220 will be available in the first quarter for $250.
Mio C520
(Credit: Mio)On the other end of the spectrum from the C250, Mio has also announced the full-featured Mio C520 portable navigation device. Unlike the C250, the C520 goes beyond turn-by-turn driving directions with integrated Bluetooth for hands-free calling and advanced multimedia capabilities. The stylish device also has a large, 4.3-inch touch screen and a new, useful split-screen view, which presents your current location and a map on one side and allows you to get route information, upcoming points of interest, and address lookup on the other side. All maps are preloaded on the device, and there is an expansion slot built into the device. Unfortunately, there is no text-to-speech functionality, but for what you get, we think the $449 price tag is great. The Mio C520 is expected to ship at the end of Q1 2007.
Cowon may be a bit of an underdog in the U.S. market in terms of sales, but boy, this company sure does know how to make a quality MP3 player. I have in my hand the Cowon D2, a solid device dominated by a 2.5-inch screen. I had seen a picture of the player before CES, but it didn't do the D2 justice--the player has such a nice feel to it. The sleek, black body is wrapped in a brushed-metal border, where you can find some tactile controls: a power/hold slider, volume buttons, and a menu key. On the left edge, hidden beneath a flap, are two USB ports: one standard mini for syncing with the computer and one proprietary for use with the included wallwart power adapter. The bottom of the device features an SD card expansion slot for adding more memory. Overall, the player is pleasantly compact--about the size of the iRiver Clix--though it weighs in on the slightly heavy side at 2.1 ounces.
The D2 will ship with 2GB or 4GB of built-in flash memory (prices not yet available), and it offers a 30-hour rated battery life for audio. Turn the player on, and you're greeted by a bright color display and an icon-driven main menu--rather Archos-like, actually. The interface is rather different from that of other Cowon models. For one, it's a touch screen, which responds to your finger or, if you prefer, to the included stylus. You can also use this handy little accessory to prop up the player via a built-in slot, and it's the perfect size for use with the reset button--awesome. (It's the little things that count.) Navigation isn't entirely straightforward, but I was able to get it down fairly quickly.
As with all Cowon players, the D2 is teeming with features. It offers support for multiple audio codecs, including MP3, Ogg, WAV, FLAC, and WMA (including subscription tracks). You can also view photos and videos on the device. It supports WMV and MPEG-4 natively, and Cowon includes a transcoding app for converting DivX and other formats. There's also voice and line-in recording, as well as an FM tuner with autoscan and preset slots. Cursory audio testing proved that the D2 is up to Cowon snuff; that is, it sounds great.
Samsung SPH-c417
(Credit: CNET Networks)Samsung grabs a piece of the donut, so to speak, with its sponsorship of the Simpsons movie that's set to debut later this year. The company has taken three of its phones and styled them in Simpsons yellow while adding the movie's logo to the front flap.
The Samsung Sync (SGH-a707), the SPH-c417, and the SPH-m610 were chosen as Simpsons special edition phones, and we can only hope that "D'oh!" is available as a ring tone. Stay tuned for availability.
Samsung Sync
(Credit: CNET Networks)
Samsung SPH-m610
(Credit: CNET Networks)
(Credit:
Zyxel)
At CES 2007, Zyxel announced the DMA-1000, a digital media adapter for serving up multimedia files from the PCs in your home to your home entertainment system. The small adapter resembles a wireless router and, in fact, supports both wired and wireless connections via Ethernet and 802.11g Wi-Fi. In addition, it offers a USB port so that you can play files from any USB-based storage device, such as a flash thumbdrive or an MP3 player.
The DMA-1000 supports high-def streaming (1080i) and includes an HDMI connector, as well as S-Video. Unfortunately, 802.11g throughput is insufficient for HD streams, so you're probably better off using a wired PowerLine HD adapter for smooth video play. The DMA-1000 is UPnP and DLNA compliant, so it should play nicely with other UPnP and DLNA devices.
Zyxel expects to ship the $200 DMA-1000 in the first quarter of the year.
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Eton)
Add Eton to the growing list of manufacturers such as iHome and DLO adding iPod to a clock radio so that you can wake up to your own music. But the company has gone one step further and added Sirius satellite radio connectivity to its new Sound 101 AM/FM clock radio. Unfortunately, the iPod doesn't dock on the Sound 101 (April, $150), but jacks in via a separate charging dock, which could be an ungainly arrangement on a small night table. You also have to add your own Sirius receiver.
A second Eton expandable alarm clock, the Sound 110 (April, $250), subtracts Sirius connectivity but adds a USB jack to plug in a jump drive filled with music, and an SD card slot for folks wanting to listen to music without jacking in a separate music player. Both the Sound 101 and 110 come with wireless remotes and are available in iPod white and black, as well as a silver version for attaching (horrors!) non-iPod players.
Putting Ohio State's poor showing last night in the BCS Championship game behind them, Ohio-based Micro Center had a few Vista desktop and laptop prototypes on display at CES. The big news on its PowerSpec desktop line is the addition of a Lian Li chassis for its high-end gaming PCs. The Lian Li chassis is an all-aluminum, tool-free unit that will be used on two highest-end models, the G450 and the G430. Lian Li makes some of the best PC enclosures around, and it should help the PowerSpec name garner some respect among gamers.
Likewise, Micro Center's WinBook laptop line will get refreshed when Vista is released. Borrowing from the Zune, two new WinBook laptops, the 15.4-inch GL and the 13.3-inch TL, will come draped in a glossy, brown chassis. Micro Center is dressing up its WinBook laptops as it leaves the budget market to focus on midrange and performance notebooks.
Micro Center is also stepping up its support, promising a 48-hour turnaround time for repairing your PowerSpec or WinBook machine. Disclaimer: The clock starts when Micro Center receives your busted PC, whether you ship it back or drop it off at a Micro Center store.
Micro Center is not sharing the specs and pricing of its new models until the machines are launched in conjunction with Vista's consumer release at the end of the month. Systems will be on store shelves in Micro Center stores and also available online at the Micro Center and WinBook Web sites.
Samsung SGH-X830
(Credit: CNET UK)At CES Samsung showed off a quirky cell phone that takes "thin" to a whole level. It's not thin from the side like the Motorola Razr, but rather it's exceptionally slim when measured across its front face. The GSM Samsung SGH-X830 measures about an inch wide and sports a swivel form factor in a gallery of colors, including black, green, red and blue. Features are impressive for such a small phone. Inside is a 2-megapixel camera, a digital music player, multiformat video support, 1GB of flash memory, stereo Bluetooth, a 65,536-color display and USB 2.0 support. And no, it won't be widely available in the United States.
