Crave

The Philips SBD7500 iPod speaker.

(Credit: CNET/Josh Miller)

If you're looking for a small, tasteful, portable iPod speaker for less than $100, you could do a lot worse than the unfortunately named Philips SBD7500. Its sound quality is middle-of-the-road, yet still sounds pleasant, and its operation is about as simple as it gets--with a power switch, volume control, and a bass boost switch.

There's nothing fancy about the specs or features--no radio, no Bluetooth, no clock, and no remote. It is iPhone-compatible, though, and there's something to be said for keeping things simple. That said, if you have an extra $50 to throw at a portable speaker, the recently released Altec Lansing inMotion Classic is a better choice in every imaginable way.

Check out CNET for the full review of the Philips SBD7500.

Philips SBD7500--photos

Philips' sleek and unique stereo Bluetooth headset, dubbed the Tapster for its slick touch-sensitive controls, garnered early praise from press and even took home an iF Product Design Award. Sadly, the gadget will never grace retail shelves, and while Philips elected not to enlighten us as to why, I think I have an idea: it doesn't work.

Well, at least our review sample didn't. The major draw of the Tapster is the playback and volume controls, which are manipulated via light tapping and swiping on the ear modules. In theory, this is a sweet idea, because pressing tactile buttons on an in-ear headset has a tendency to dislodge the earbuds. Unfortunately, although we tested the Tapster with four different devices, it never worked completely as advertised. Sigh...well, at least we got some pictures worthy of ogling.

Philips Tapster--photos

The Rationalizer system is aimed at serious traders, but we don't see why it couldn't be used by others as well.

(Credit: Philips Electronics)

Has all that online stock trading landed you in trouble? Philips Design has come up with a product for frazzled day traders--and no, it's not software that locks you out of your computer when you place a buy order for Nokia.

It's a biometric-style emotion-sensing system that supposedly alerts traders when it might be wise to take a breath and step away from the Charles Schwab site.

The Rationalizer system consists of the EmoBracelet and corresponding EmoBowl. The bracelet measures the user's emotional arousal level through a skin response sensor and displays the findings as a dynamic light pattern on either the bracelet itself or the nearby, rather cool-looking bowl. As your emotions intensify, so does the light pattern, which speeds up and shifts color from soft yellow to orange to deep red--alerting you and everyone else who pops in the room that you're turning into a basket case.

(Credit: Philips Electronics)

The parties behind the Emo gadgets say they were inspired by research showing that home investors don't act purely rationally. "Their behavior is influenced by emotions, most notably fear and greed, which can compromise their ability to take an objective, factual stance," reads a statement announcing the product.

The concept device comes out of the Dialogues Incubator, an initiative founded in 2007 by Dutch bank ABN AMRO to bring new ideas to market. The Rationalizer--much like the mWave Personal Stress Reliever, Cocoro Meter, and SensDevice mouse that came before it--is meant to serve as a kind of emotion/stress signpost, since many regard awareness as the first step to reducing tension and altering behavior.

Then again, we'd hope most people would have a clue they're a bit close to the edge before the red lights start flashing.

For this week's installment of the weekly Crave giveaway, we're offering up the Philips NP2900 Streamium Network Music Player, one of our favorite Wi-Fi music systems.

Editor Matthew Moskovciak gave the NP2900 four stars, and in his review he called it "an excellent Wi-Fi radio, with a particularly attractive design and solid sound quality." His only reservation was its high price--but that's actually come down recently, making this unit even more compelling. (Read the full review.)

Normally, the Philips NP2900 would cost around $300, but you have the chance to get it gratis.

So, how do you try to win the Philips NP2900? Let me enumerate the basic rules. Please read them carefully; there will be a test.

• Register as a CNET user. Go to the top of this page and hit the "Join CNET" link to start the registration process. If you're already registered, no need to register again.
• Leave a comment below. You can leave whatever comment you want. If it's funny or insightful it won't help you win, but we're trying to have fun here, so anything entertaining is appreciated.
• Leave only one comment. You may enter this specific giveaway only once. If you enter more than one comment, you will be automatically disqualified.
• The winner will be chosen randomly. The winner will receive (1) Philips NP2900 Streamium Network Music Player. Approximate retail value is $300.
• If you are chosen, you will be notified via e-mail. Winners must respond within three days of the end of the contest. If you do not respond within that period, another winner will be chosen.
• Entries can be submitted until Monday, September 28, at noon ET.

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. MUST BE LEGAL RESIDENT OF ONE OF THE 50 UNITED STATES OR D.C., 18 YEARS OF AGE OR OLDER AT DATE OF ENTRY INTO SWEEPSTAKES. VOID IN PUERTO RICO, ALL U.S. TERRITORIES AND POSSESSIONS AND WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. Sweepstakes ends at 12 PM EDT on September 28, 2009. See official rules for details.

Good luck.

(Credit: Philips)

Philips has introduced its new flagship portable video player called the GoGear Muse. At first glance, it's easy to confuse the Muse with the strikingly similar but cheaper GoGear Aria.

Replacing the Opus as the flagship model, the Muse offers a slightly bigger screen (3-inch vs. the 2.8-inch on the Opus). File support has gotten a boost with the inclusion of BMP, GIF, PNG, Ogg Vorbis, APE, Real Video, and Real Audio formats. Unlike the Opus, the Muse is bundled with a pair of in-ear headphones that offer active noise cancelling.

Physically, the Muse is slightly smaller than the Opus and has a slightly shorter battery life. Philips claims the Muse is capable of up to 25 hours of audio playback or 5 hours with video. Other specifications remain similar, with a 20-station preset FM tuner. It also features Philips' proprietary FullSound for CD-quality enhancement of digitally compressed tracks.

This new player goes for $233.55 and is currently in major electronic stores in Singapore, but U.S. availability has not yet been announced.

(Source: Crave Asia)

Even Haier is getting in on the wireless HDMI game.

(Credit: Erica Ogg/CNET)

BERLIN--Though still struggling to find homes in the hearts of consumers in North America, the two competing standards for wireless high-definition home video have taken their battle on the road.

Here at IFA, several companies showed products using either WirelessHD, which uses the 60GHz band to send signals, or WHDI, which operates in the 5GHz band.

Philips, which has shown wireless HD kits at the Computer Electronics Show for several years, is giving it a go in Europe too. The new kit comes with a transmitter and receiver pair that can send up to 1080p signals at 30 frames per second (fps) at a range of about 65 feet. Toshiba and Funai also demonstrated similar versions of WirelessHD adapters here.

Vestel's wireless HDMI adapter.

(Credit: Erica Ogg/CNET)

Long the domain of big brand names in electronics, promising wireless HDMI products has now even come to smaller and regional manufacturers. Three new companies demonstrated TVs that receive high-definition signals without wires: Haier, Vestel, and TCL, all using the WHDI standard. If you haven't heard of any of those three, you'd be excused since one is more known for its air conditioners and washing machines, another makes white-label TVs, and the third is sold mainly in Europe.

You'd also be excused for being slightly skeptical. We've heard these promises for a while, that the soon speakers, TVs, and video players will connect to each other without wires. While gadget exhibitions like IFA here this week are great places to show off forthcoming technology, we have a hard time believing that this in fact is the beginning of a new wave of wireless, high-definition devices for the home.

But the tide could be starting to turn. Just recently the European Union finally approved use of the 60GHz band, which WirelessHD operates in. That could theoretically open the floodgates for more wireless high-def products. However, there are problems with in several European countries, so mass adoption is likely still a ways off.

(Credit: Philips)

Philips is taking another shot at the wireless HDMI market with its stylish Wireless HDTV Link kit (PDF). Announced at IFA 2009 in Berlin, the 599 euros ($854) package includes a transmitter and receiver pair capable of processing up to 1080p signals at 30 frames per second (fps) within a 20m range. Connectivity-wise, the Wireless HDTV Link offers two HDMI inputs and dual component-video sockets for all your HD needs.

There may be a potential bottleneck, though. While the above frame rate is sufficient for 24fps Blu-ray Discs, other programs such as console games are encoded at a much higher 50fps to 60fps speed. For such cases, the Philips kit may have to apply redundant video conversion that could affect the picture quality, especially for motion fluidity.

(Source: Crave Asia)

Are people as interested in 3D at home as manufacturers think? These IFA-goers appear to be, anyway.

(Credit: Erica Ogg/CNET)

Many of the biggest names in consumer technology are pushing not only 3D cinema, but watching 3D movies and playing 3D games at home.

Earlier this week, Sony CEO Howard Stringer promised Blu-ray players, PlayStation 3, and laptops that will be "3D compatible" next year. Panasonic used the upcoming James Cameron flick "Avatar" to push its "Full HD 3D" idea, and Nvidia and JVC are also showing off monitors and TVs that will make even PC video game playing three-dimensional.

Despite their obvious enthusiasm for the idea, so far there isn't much evidence that consumers actually want 3D in their homes. Most people are still getting used to paying extra to watch it in the theaters while sporting a pair of plastic spectacles, and some still complain that it's hard on the eyes to watch anything in 3D longer than 10 minutes. So why are gadget makers so excited about it?

Because of two factors: First, people are watching 3D films. The box office totals of recent hits like "Up," "Monsters vs. Aliens," and "Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs," show that there is indeed interest in the format.

The Philips 21:9 3D-capable TV on display at IFA in Berlin.

(Credit: Erica Ogg/CNET)

But most of all, the companies that make consumer electronics see it as something else to sell that will distinguish their brand from the rest of the pack and from what they currently have at home. Blu-ray prices are coming down and the format is now solidly successful. And HDTVs, which became a must-have item, are becoming a commodity as well. Manufacturers are always on the lookout for some new twist that will compel users to upgrade, and for now, that appears to be 3D in the home.

Some trepidations
And while there is a race to be first to have a hit product for 3D at home, not everyone is onboard. Both Philips and Toshiba say they have tested the waters of 3D at home, but say it doesn't feel very inviting just yet.

In their massive booth here at IFA, Philips is showing prototypes of their 21:9 ultrawidescreen TV and a Blu-ray player, both of which are 3D-capable. Yet, interestingly, they have "no immediate plans to launch any commercial 3D TV products in the short term," the company said during their press conference Thursday. The technology, they are freely admitting, "isn't quite there."

Toshiba executives are voicing the same concern. ... Read more

BERLIN--Shelled out several thousands for a Philips Cinema 21:9 television? You'll be pleased to hear it's obsolete.

Philips has bumped the firmware and added a micro polarizing lens to the screen, to create a prototype 3D TV.

The TV gets its tri-dimensional input from a prototype 3D Blu-ray player. Philips said Thursday at IFA 2009 that it's "actively participating in the 3D specification work of the Blu-ray Disc Association."

Philips' Cinema 21:9

(Credit: Philips)

But hold it right there. Amid the 3D arms race--which has all the major manufacturers at IFA insisting that 3D is the next big thing--Philips is sounding a note of caution.

The company said it has "no immediate plans to launch any commercial 3D TV products in the short term" and that any plans "will depend on 3D TV standards." In Thursday's press conference, Philips conceded that 3D isn't stable yet and that the technology "isn't quite there."

In other words, Philips has punted the prototype 3D television to keep up with the Joneses--i.e. Sony.

(Source: Crave UK)