I thought silver-surfers were one of the fastest rising ‘netted sectors of society, but designer Ben Arent thinks there are technophobic grandparents who could do with a helping hand. His Jive system integrates hardware-based social networking gizmos with a simple router to make everything a bit simpler. The idea is that instead of using a mouse, you simply slot in a physical key to the “Betty” unit and it’ll do the online status updating automatically for you.
We’re as surprised as you are, but a company not known for its innovation, Vizio, has a pretty decent idea for incorporating surround sound seamlessly into ones home theatre. Their JV47P “JIVE,” a 1080p plasma, brings the front surround channels into the TV itself. Then a separate subwoofer and two wireless rears round out the equation. While full details are scant since the model will technically be introduced at CES, it seems like a promising solution for those looking for a non-obtrusive home theatre (since you save 2 to 3 speakers, cords and a receiver from the normal setup). But we’re not holding our breath until we see how well it actually works. Vizio will also be introducing another new TV:Priced at $1499, they will begin offering a 50″ 1080p plasma with 30,000:1 contrast ratio and 100,000 hours of display life. Hmmm, two plasma offerings lead the way in a press release from the leading LCD supplier in the US. Kinda odd.
We’ll try to get some ears on with the Jive at CES for you. Until then, you know, just sit there and keep reading Giz in your underwear. More »
