If you've been keeping up with my monitor blog posts from CES 2009, there's one term you've probably heard tossed around more any other: "Full HD."
Samsung's LED-based 2370L is more than a little easy on the eyes.
(Credit: Eric Franklin/CBS Interactive)Yes, Full HD was the buzzword for monitors this year. Full HD basically means a monitor has a 16:9 aspect ratio ...
Read the full post at CNET's CES 2009 blog.
It's been two months since we mentioned the possibility of winning a PC for Digital Trends' Favorite Gaming Memory contest. The contest is now over and Thomas Anderle of Massapeque Park, NY is now a proud owner of an iBUYPOWER Video Pro System, and a $2,000 American Express gift card.
Thomas' video was chosen from 40 submissions, and over 800 people voted on Digital Trends in just 4 days. In total, the submitted videos generated more than 17,000 views.
Thomas' video Mega Man X Gaming Memory, depicts his and his friend Chris' two-week-long quest to beat Mega Man X. The video opens with Chris accidentally finding his Super Nintendo in a closet and convincing his friend to skip work to play. After two weeks of calling into work, the pair finally defeat Sigma and save the human race from extinction.
(Credit:
CNET Networks / Information Architects Japan)
It's always fun to see people try to map out the internet. The comparison to a spider's Web is apt, as things get a little complicated. While not nearly as humorous as efforts from Web comic XKCD (here and here), design agency Information Architects Japan has taken to the more calculated cartography medium of urban subway systems.
Last year the company created two versions of the map. Both were based on the Tokyo area train map (which is enormous) and organized 200 popular Web sites by neighborhood. This year, the firm ramps the number sites up to 300, and organizes the train lines with less overlap, making it easier to read. Users can submit suggestions for site inclusions or removal using an anonymous feedback form.
To give it a look you can either go here and see it in its full PDF glory, or check out the online version which is a little easier to read. The Web version also lets you click each site name to ... Read more
Welcome, Gateway!
So, you're doing the colored/crazy-designed notebook thing now, huh? Yeah, so is, well, everyone else.
(Credit:
Gateway)
It's pretty well-established now that the masses see their computer as an extension of their personalities. First, it was the brightly hued notebook trend that all the top-tier PC makers were latching on to, including Gateway. Now as a laptop vendor, it seems you have to offer some artsy-looking version of a standard notebook to even get noticed anymore. (With the exception of Apple, which garners plenty of attention with its commitment to minimalism.)
Cases in point: Sony, which already has a deserved reputation for making good-looking laptops, did these limited-edition artist-designed notebooks last fall. Hewlett-Packard had this eye-catching one on display at the Consumer Electronics Show last week--designed by a 21-year-old kid, no less. Even conservative, buttoned-up Dell has been experimenting in color and customized lids--OK, so World of Warcraft themes aren't exactly high art, but they count--for the last six months. Heck, start-ups like NVousPC are trying to make ... Read more
(Credit:
Exhibitor Online)
A new study from Nokia predicts that by 2012, a quarter of all entertainment will be created, edited, and shared within peer groups rather than being generated by traditional media.
Jointly conducted with the trend research firm The Future Laboratory, Nokia's study asked trend-setting consumers from 17 countries about their digital behaviors and lifestyles. The company also used information gathered from its 900 million customers as well as views of leading industry analysts.
"From our research we predict that up to a quarter of the entertainment being consumed in five years will be what we call 'circular.' The trends we are seeing show us that people will have a genuine desire not only to create and share their own content, but also to remix it, mash it up, and pass it on within their peer groups-- a form of collaborative social media," says Mark Selby, vice president of multimedia for Nokia. Nokia pinpoints four emerging trends that propel this kind of "circular entertainment": immersive living; geek culture; G tech; and localism.
... Read more
You heart Garmin
(Credit: Corinne Schulze/CNET Networks)When you think of GPS, what brand name comes to mind? Would it happen to be Garmin? Because according to a new study by marketing research firm BrandIntel, Garmin is the most discussed portable navigation system and holds the best overall sentiment score with consumers. But it shouldn't get too comfortable or complacent, because TomTom, Magellan, Mio, and Lowrance are hot on its heels.
Based on an analysis of search results from "online consumer communities" (i.e., blogs, forums, and so forth) across the Web during July 2006 to August 2007, BrandIntel's GPS Navigation Systems Report found that Garmin made up 42 percent of the 7,000 consumer mentions, while TomTom was a distant second with 15 percent. Magellan garnered 13 percent of the results; Mio had 10 percent; Lowrance scored 5 percent; and 12 percent went to other vendors. However, the competition gets fierce when it comes to customer sentiment scores. Once again, Garmin took top honors with a 3.9, while Magellan, Mio, ... Read more
A real winner
Don't say we didn't tell you so. The 2008 Cadillac CTS, which we awarded an Editors' Choice barely three weeks ago, has won Motor Trend's Car of the Year award for 2007. The redesigned Caddy beat out competition from the 2008 Audi TT, the Volvo C30, the Scion xD, and the new Honda Accord to take the laurels.
In the press release that brought us the news today (heaven forbid that subscribers of the magazine actually have to wait to get their January issue of the mag to find out) Motor Trend's editor made special mention of the CTS's interior, describing it "avant-garde and innovative without being difficult to operate." See what he means in our video and full review right here.
(Credit:
ClicZune)
It's become standard practice in the consumer electronics industry: When it doubt, paint it pink. But strategies like that usually work best when a color is still hot, or at least lukewarm.
Perhaps that explains why Microsoft--rarely accused of setting trends these days--is coming out with a pink Zune now. Cliczune says EBgames.com has confirmed that the pastel version of the media player will be available May 1 for $250 with the standard 30GB storage capacity.
We doubt that the new hue will propel the Zune over the iPod anytime soon, but there was a fair amount of buzz over a few special pink versions in circulation back in November. And then there was that eBay auction where a pink Zune went for $960.
Our take: Almost anything is better than brown.
(Credit:
PipeDreems)
After having gotten suckered by more than a few infomercial exercise gadgets, we're hesitant to pay any attention to them. For one thing, we're convinced that many are marketed with planned obsolescence in mind, with a life cycle of only a few months each. But enough of our conspiracy theories (for now).
Even with all that skepticism and personal bile, we still can't resist pointing to the "Galileo Magnifico," if nothing else because of its impressive name. It also supposedly has a storied background, as described by Gadget Candy: "Developed in the Soviet Union to train cosmonauts, it's now the equipment of choice for athletes such as Lance Armstrong."
But about that bizarre shape. The "GM," as we'll affectionately call it, is trying to capitalize on the fitness fad of "vibration training" apparently sweeping Europe. (The cynic in us finds no small measure of humor in the manufacturer's name: PipeDreems Limited.) As much as we never thought we'd say this, the treadmill is looking better all ... Read more
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