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OMG, I can hear the fanboys battling already. Here’s a video from last night’s CES 2008 keynote, Bill Gates’ last for the foreseeable future. And I know its scripted, edited and contrived, but I’m sold: The man is a cool geek. He’s not cool in a fonzie/Jobs kind of way in this video. But very much like how he seemed at total ease with his geekiness and place in the universe at Mossberg and Swisher’s All Things D conference the guy just looks happy here. (Especially while playing goofy and modest butt of the joke with this short’s star studded cast.) He seems nothing like the anti-antitrust mogul with a killer instinct and “bad taste” we learned to hate in Pirates of Silicon Valley. Fanboys, get to your comment battle stations. Just leave me out of it — I only wrote the headline.
The Pitch: The 15.4-inch M50S is supposed to be a mobile entertainment rig, with HDMI out and a hybrid TV tuner, plus an auto-dimmer on the screen’s backlight. The Catch: The chips (CPU and GFX) are pretty old hat.
The Gear: Ah, convergence at its best. Asus cross-bred a GPS navigator that does 3D maps and real-time traffic info with a typical Taiwanese PMP that handles MP3s, videos and photos in a 1.3-cm thick unit. The touchscreener also uses Bluetooth to verbalise incoming text messages (probably poorly) and dial calls. It’s $US400 when it comes out in a couple of weeks. The Hmm: Most mutt devices rarely do everything well, and I hate the gold paintjob. (Granted, that’s a personal thing.)
The Pitch: The G70 is a gaming notebook with NVIDIA 8700M GTs running in SLi, 17-inch 1920×1200 screen, embedded TV tuner and integrated HDMI. The Catch: The 8700M GT is practically ancient as far as graphics card go.
ASUS’ MK241 combines HDMI support, built in webcam, an integrated microphone and speakers into one 24″ LCD monitor. The monitor supports resolutions up to 1920×1200 and utilises Colour-Rich Technology, which ASUS says enhances visual quality by bringing out 30% more colours. Price and release date have not been announced yet, but it sounds like it would work nicely with the P22. [ASUS]
ASUS’ new PC, the Nova P22, has solid specs for a small machine. A Core 2 Duo processor, 802.11n wireless, Bluetooth, built-in speakers and a slot-loading disc drive round out the 122-cubic inch package. The P22 also supports 5.1 speaker configurations if surround sound is your thing. It will retail for $US800 when it sees release at the end of January, and it looks like it would be a great complement to their new LCD monitor [ASUS]
The U2E notebook from ASUS brings a 32GB SSD, an LED backlit panel and a small-lens webcam to an 11-inch, 2-pound, leather notebook. The coolest feature announced so far is definitely the Smart Logon Face Recognition. This software keeps the computer secure by using the webcam to scan the face in front of it and only grant access after a positive facial scan. The U2E will be available in brown or black, but pricing and availability have not yet been announced. See the gallery for more hot pics. [ASUS]
Nokia just told me that the N95 8GB USA edition with HSDPA support for 3G is official.
The NYTimes has a piece on CES suggesting that the high signal to noise ratio is making it increasingly difficult for companies to leave their mark here and launch a successful product. Yes. Yes, I agree. Please, bring back the summer CES session, and split this beast in half. I think companies understand this. So many bigger brands are starting to hold their own Spring line shows, like Sony does, to stand in a more focused spotlight. [NYT]
Kensington just dumped a whole host of in-car peripherals. Here’s the lot (all prices quoted in USD.):
• Kensington LiquidAUX for iPhone and iPod ($79.99.) Allows for “superior” sound quality via the auxiliary port, whilst simultaneously charging. Comes with a remote, so you don’t have to take your eyes off the road.
• Kensington LiquidAUX™ Deluxe for iPhone and iPod ($99.99.) As above, but with cradle and adjustable flexible arm.
• Kensington LiquidAUX™ Bluetooth® Car Kit ($99.99.) Does the same as the above two kits, however, this will allow you to hook up your Bluetooth (A2DP) enabled cellphone instead. Automated music muting and call taking functionality included, as would be expected.
