Top 10 Expectations/speculations: CES 2009

The hype behind CES has been dwindling over the past few years. If you’ve opted not to attend the show, still keep posted with the latest and greatest as we will COVER THE SHOW LIVE on our blog (Granted we have Wi-Fi).

We’ve compiled a list of 10 things you’d expect to see at CES… confirmations and much more to come when we are actually there.

Strides in OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode) Technology

OLED will be the future of televisions as we know it. Not requiring a backlight to function, OLED displays draw less power and can be manufactured thinner than any LCD or Plasma in the market. One of the most interesting aspects of OLED is that it can be used to build flexible screens. The US government is currently funding OLED research to build a HUD which soldiers can view through their helmets while receiving orders. Downsides? Current OLED technology limits screen life to about 3 – 4 years. CES 2008 brought us 11″ OLED screens by Sony and Samsung with 27″ and 31″ prototypes. Since then Samsung has exhibited 40″ displays. Expectations show that at CES 2009 we will see a 50″ paper thin OLED display. OLED applications are not going to be limited to televisions. Look out for OLED technology in light fixtures, keyboards, cellulars, digital cameras and much more.













Sharp Unveiling Televisions With Integrated Blu Ray Players

Good job Sharp. I’m not too sure why it took this long for a company to figure this out. You mount your flat screen on your wall, but where are you going to put that darned DVD/HD/Blu Ray player? Integrate it!! Now to only figure out where to put your PS3, Xbox 360 and Wii. Early rumors state the price tag on this item will be around $2,000 for a 42″ Plasma with an integrated BD player. The rumor probably leaked before the price plunges over the past few weeks. We’re offering the Panasonic 42″ Plasma for $1099. I’m not sure if I’d want to pay the extra $900 for the space saver. I’ll throw an external BD player on top of the Wii, boom, done!







LG unveils Sunlight illuminated LCD Display

LG has developed a 14.1″ LCD for notebooks that steps away from a conventional backlight display to a sunlight display unit. The screen conserves 75% battery life when used outdoors. In addition, this new product resolves visibility issues with a contrast ratio exceeding 9:1 when used outdoors in sunlight reflective mode in comparison to conventional notebook LCDs which have a contrast ratio of 2:1 or 3:1. Source



Novo Minoru 3D webcam

“Connect Minoru to your PC and he will come alive, his eyes will light up and he will be looking at you in 3D.” A little creepy but amazing nonetheless. Skype in 3D and upload videos to YouTube in 3D. I’m a little curious to see the quality the video it renders as every 3D video I’ve seen gives me a headache. Probably an entertaining 10 minutes, but if I am Skyping with anybody, I’d like to see them clearly. Not too sure about Minoru, but definitely a worthwhile checkout.
Side Note: Video of how you can make your own home made 3d video. Click here.





Microsoft’s Zune Phone

First, a video from YouTube of a Zune Ad. Found that a little amuzing :). Now that we got that out of the way, the Zune phone (if it comes out – I’ve read a few articles that state it may not be ready for CES 2009) seems to be a worthy iPhone competitor. Lets get started with the list:

From Zune Scene:

– The Zune 3 is not restricted to any particular network. (Watch out iPhone)

– The Zune 3 is also a phone with all the features of the Zune 80, with new features such as Internet Explorer (not sure about Flash support yet), Wi-Fi Marketplace, Common Phone Apps, and more.

– The Zune 3 is fully touchscreen, however, the lower panel buttons are touch “sensitive” play/pause/call, zune, and back/hang up buttons that glow, they are permanent (similar to the chocolate’s buttons).

– The Zune 3 is available in 16GB, and 32GB flash memory sizes.

– Navigating the Zune 3 is similar to the 80’s squircle (squarish circle) except on the touch screen.

– The screen itself is a high quality, scratch resistant, touch-sensitive glass that covers most of the front of the device.

– Around the perimeter of the glass is a glowing light that can be customized to the color of the user’s choice through the settings menu.

– The remainder of the device’s exterior is similar to the Zune 80’s finish, including the hold switch to de-activate touch.

– Video’s are now presented in high-quality widescreen format.

– The device has external speakers for speakerphone functionality and to share music with your friends!



Sony’s First Touchscreen Walkman

Sony taking their Walkman to the next level, OLED (not LCD) Touchscreen!

– Sony Walkman will be offered in 16 and 32GB models.

– Sony Walkman will support Wi-Fi with WPA and WEP encryption.

– Ability to subscribe to podcasts and video feeds. The new Sony Walkman will have the ability to automatically download new updates from feeds and delete old feed content.

– Audio codec support includes MP3, WMA, AAC, PCM, while video codec support is AVC (h.264), MPEG-4 and WMV.

– The Sony Walkman leverages Amazon to provide iTunes features like Genius. There will be built-in search capabilities that can be used to learn more about your favorite artist, and users will be able to purchase full CD’s of their favorite artists through the Walkman from Amazon.

– Sony Walman also has a built in FM radio.



Palm releases mobile OS – Nova

Gizmodo posted a quick summary of what to expect out of Palms new mobile OS, Nova. The article states Research in Motion’s (RIMM) Blackberry devices have been known to be oriented to work and e-mail where Apple’s iPhone oriented to fun (HEY!) and the goal of Nova is to bridge the gap between the two platforms. Nova will be capable of not only acting as an OS for smartphones but for gaming consoles as well.



iPhone App. Third Party Service by Newber

California based FreedomVOICE recently launched a secondary product line for the iPhone called Newber. Similar to Google’s Grandcentral service, forward your Newber calls to an assigned phone of your choice (Office, direct line, home, cellular). According to CrunchGear the application is also location aware. Like Grandcentral, you can set all Newber calls to ring multiple different lines, but Newber uses the iPhones GPS to figure out the closest line to ring and not blast all lines that are set up. Interesting application. Curious to see the services this company has to offer. Doubtful it will be working for us here in Panama, but always good to see whats out there.





Fulton Innovation: eCoupled Wireless Power Technology

Say goodbye to power cords, say hello to Fulton Innovations’ eCoupled technology. Use your devices or charge batteries via wireless power. Energizer Battery, Inc. announced it is working with Fulton to accelerate development of efficient, intelligent wireless power solutions that can charge portable devices without traditional power cords. Click here to see eCoupled technology at use powering a blender.







WildCharge: Charge your devices wirelessly

Here is another company that is looking to revolutionize the way we charge our devices. Not as slick as eCoupled, but definitely worth the listing.

And that brings us to the end. njoy CES 2009 for those who are in US. And I`ll jsut monitor it over web 🙂