Samsung's HT-BD7200: A CES fave in 2009, how does this Blu-ray home theater system look with the benefit of a year of hindsight?
(Credit: Samsung)At the 2010 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas (January 5-9), CNET editors will be choosing the Best of Show finalists and winners that will set the trends for the new year. But that begs the question: How well did we do last year?
It's a perfect excuse to look back at the picks from the most recent show, January 2009. We've gone to the archives and highlighted the winners in 10 categories--including our overall Best of Show. See which picks were right on the money, which were soon eclipsed by newer and better products later in the year, and which products were never even released. (Click on the images directly below.)
The new preamplifier looks amazing.
(Credit: Einstein Audio Components)We're not talking about Albert Einstein, the legendary theoretical physicist; we're talking about Einstein Audio Components, a Germany-based high-end audio manufacturer.
Its advanced audio equipment designs use vacuum tubes. Its latest stereo preamplifier, The Tube MKII, uses a total of (gulp) 19 tubes. That's a lot of tubes! Most tube preamps only use four, five, or six tubes. However, here's the cool part about the new Einstein preamp: only 10 of the 19 tubes operate at any given time. Eight are used all the time, and two are selected for whichever audio source happens to be playing.
The rear panel of The Tube MKII.
(Credit: Einstein Audio Components)This feature makes The Tube MKII the only preamp in the world that lets users tailor the sound from each audio source by selecting the specific "flavor" of tube dedicated to each source. Some owners might opt for "warm" sounding tubes for the CD input, and superdetailed tubes for the phono input. Tweaky? You ... Read more
(Credit:
Erica Ogg/CNET)
In Japan, for one week a year the spotlight of this gadget-obsessed country is shifted from the urban neon oasis of Tokyo's Akihabara neighborhood and trained on an expansive convention hall an hour's commute outside of the city.
On Tuesday the purveyors of TVs thinner than a credit card, cell phones pressed with 3D screens, humanoid robots, and the latest in electric car technology descend, along with media, analysts, retail buyers, and industry executives for the opening of the Combined Exhibition of Advanced Technologies, known by the acronym Ceatec.
It's the Japanese equivalent of Las Vegas' CES and Berlin's IFA, and like those two shows earlier this year, attendance is expected to be good, if slightly contracted as companies have cut back on expenses in light of the current economy.
At Ceatec 2008, 804 exhibitors and 196,630 attendees flooded the floor of the Makuhari Messe, a dip from the 895 exhibitors and 206,000 attendees in 2007. The tenor of this year's show should be a bit less gloomy than last year's--which took place the same week banks were failing right and left and Wall Street seemed on the brink of collapse. We'll keep our fingers crossed for less economic drama during this year's show.
Murata Girl shows off her unicycling talents at Ceatec 2008.
(Credit: Erica Ogg/CNET)Things we are hoping for: more cute robots! Ceatec is unlikely to disappoint in this respect. Last year's expo saw the debut of automatons that did everything from perform front-office reception tasks to helping the elderly. But based on the crowds she drew, the star was undoubtedly Murata Girl, a unicycle-riding robot. This year, we hear she'll be back with even more tricks up her sleeve.
Like those robots, there's also an amazing array of stuff shown at Ceatec we'll never see in stores on this side of the Pacific--see our gallery of cool concept cell phones. But while Ceatec offers a glimpse into the future of gadgetry, the convention hall is also packed to the skylights with practical products.
Last year was the first time Ceatec established a separate pavilion for green technology, and it's back this year. Nissan, which takes its electric cars very seriously, will be there, as will Toshiba. Though not thought of traditionally as a car company, it believes its Supercharge ion battery (SCiB) is perfectly suited for electric cars and scooters. Besides green car technology, we'll also see electronic parts that make ordinary gadgets like TVs and digital signs greener.
... Read more
Flat-screen televisions are a major upgrade from existing cathode-ray tube TVs, making new high-definition sets one of the hottest-selling items in consumer electronics. But that dazzling picture and bigger screen come with a price: higher energy use.
To individual consumers, a bigger flat-screen TV might mean a noticeable bump in monthly electric bills. But at a national level, the onrush of these new energy-hungry TVs is a growing concern.
On Friday, the California Energy Commission finalized a proposal to regulate energy consumption in TVs sold in California sold after 2011.
The move is significant because California's stringent efficiency standards in appliances have impacted codes across the country in the past. California's efficiency measures in big appliances, such as refrigerators, have been credited with keeping the per capita electricity consumption in the state steady since the 1970s.
But not everyone is happy with the California measure, which is expected to pass in November. Industry association the Consumer Electronics Association opposes the proposal, arguing that any efficiency improvements should come from consumer demand rather than regulation.
To unwind some of the issues around energy efficiency and TVs, we offer this FAQ, which draws on the analysis of CNET Reviews' senior editor David Katzmaier, who has been measuring power consumption in TVs for the past three years. You can see the latest data at CNET's Energy Efficiency Guide and power ratings of 150 HDTVs.
If I buy a new flat-screen TV, will I be slapped with a huge energy bill?
Not necessarily. The primary reason flat-screen TVs consume more power is because they are bigger. The California Energy Commission estimates that per square inch, LCDs consume a bit more than CRTs, but most people are also upgrading in size, which means significantly more electricity use. That's one reason why TV product ratings from the likes of CNET and Consumer Reports now include yearly energy consumption estimates.
While you, dear reader, are likely a tech-savvy person, you undoubtedly know people that aren't. The fast-approaching holiday season can be a particularly unsafe time for those with electronics knowledge, as you will inevitably get recruited to do everything from installing software to hooking up a Blu-ray player to transferring music to an MP3 player. That's when you should direct these people and their headache-inducing questions to Zip Express Installation.
The company offers installation services starting at $129.95 for home theater, TV, and computer setup, and includes a one-year warranty on its services. Along with scheduling next-day installation appointments at a specific hour through the Zip Express Web site, its services can now be purchased at checkout when you buy something from TigerDirect.com and CompUSA.com.
I've never used Zip Express Installation and I'm not endorsing it, but it seems like it would be a valuable add-on for relieving any stress that accompanies introducing a new piece of consumer electronics to a household--be it yours or someone else's. ... Read more
CNET, which publishes CNET News, announced on Tuesday its partnership with the Consumer Electronics Association on the new CEA-CNET Consumer Sentiment Indexes. It's intended to be an economic index for researchers, academics, the media, and the tech industry to use as an indicator of economic climate and outlook.
The Consumer Sentiment Indexes measure general consumer confidence, plus industry expectations.
(Credit: CEA and CNET)Consumer confidence in the tech industry doesn't always go hand in hand with standard economic bellwethers. Difficult economic circumstances certainly haven't tempered the world's appetite for shiny new toys, if Apple's iPhone 3G is any indicator.
After 18 months of research, the Consumer Sentiment Indexes' numbers for July have been released, along with the announcement of the index itself. Each edition of the indexes consists of two figures: as the Index of Consumer Expectations, or ICE, handles general consumer confidence, the Index of Consumer Technology Expectations, or ICTE, is specific to the tech and electronics industries. In July 2008, for example, ICE was measured at 165.5, ... Read more
The only "Philips" you'll see at CES 2009 will be at the Funai booth.
(Credit: CNET)Philips will not be exhibiting at the 2009 Consumer Electronics Show. The Philips brand, however, will still be on display at the Las Vegas Convention Center, thanks to the expanded presence of Funai--the Japanese company that will be producing TVs sold in North America under the Philips name starting later this year.
A Philips representative confirmed to CNET that the Dutch electronics giant will not have a presence on the show floor at the mammoth Las Vegas trade show, verifying rumors that had surfaced earlier this year.
Traditionally, the Consumer Electronics Association's massive January event is used by industry stalwarts to highlight emerging trends and key products that will be introduced over the course of the subsequent year and beyond. Philips' exit from that high-profile showcase comes in the wake of its recent announcement that it's outsourcing TV production to Funai for Philips- and Magnavox-branded sets sold in the North American market.
Indeed, ... Read more
If you live near one of 117 Best Buy stores and are desperately in need of unloading your rusty, broken-down gadgets, you're in luck.
Beginning Sunday, Best Buy began allowing customers to bring two items per household per day into some stores in Baltimore, San Francisco, and Minnesota for free. But if you're looking to unload that mammoth front-projection TV--not so fast, there are some restrictions.
Unclutter your life--for free--courtesy of Best Buy.
(Credit: Erica Ogg/CNET Networks)Best Buy says they will take computers, phones, cameras, PC peripherals, and more, but only TVs and monitors smaller than 32 inches diagonal. TVs larger than that, as well as air conditioners, microwaves, and large household appliances, aren't eligible.
Cost is often an issue for recycling programs. Almost all states have electronic waste recycling laws, and most of them put the cost burden on the manufacturer or retailer that actually does the recycling. That's why though other electronics retailers have programs to take back undesired electronics and PCs, there's often a fee ... Read more
Blockbuster sure sounds like it wants to buy Circuit City, but is it able to?
The financial advisers to Circuit City told company officials Wednesday that they think Blockbuster, which has offered $1 billion for the consumer electronics retailer, doesn't have the proper financing to make good on its bid, according to a Reuters report.
In a statement, the company said, "Circuit City awaits a viable financing structure that is predictably executable by Blockbuster given its current constraints of size and capital structure before it would be appropriate to allow further due diligence."
Blockbuster's CEO said earlier this week that his company would proceed with its takeover effort only if conditions are right and that it is loath to go through with a hostile bid. Circuit City has essentially stonewalled Blockbuster since the initial bid was made in February, not allowing easy access to its books.
Also Wednesday, a Circuit City investor who owns 6.5 percent of the company's stock sent a letter to Circuit City urging the company to open ... Read more
Now this is a passionate user base.
Protesters turned out to riot and burn photos at a press conference in Seoul Wednesday held by former Samsung top lawyer, Kim Yong-Chul, and the Associated Press got a great photo of the civil disobediance in action.
We're not allowed to run AP photos (we don't pay for the service, but if anyone has their own photos, please send them my way at Erica dot Ogg at cnet.com), but Engadget has the image, so be sure to check it out.
The company's former lawyer held the press conference to call for punishment of Samsung's former chairman, Lee Kun-Hee, who stepped down Tuesday after being indicted on tax evasion charges.
The rioters are apparently angry with Kim, whose admission to prosecutors about the existence of a $215 million company slush fund used to bribe public officials touched off a high-profile investigation into South Korea's largest company, which has long been a symbol of national pride.
Lee was cleared on charges related to the ... Read more
