Consumer Electronics
If you’ve ever sold something on eBay or Kijiji, you’ll know how surprisingly difficult it can be to get a clean, well-lit shot of even the simplest of objects - you don’t want a distracting background, insufficient light, or overly asymmetrical lighting. Or, perhaps you’re required to get a large number of on-location shots for something such as a catalog, but you don’t want to drag along a lot of gear. In either case, the Simp-Q is what you need. Putting it simply, it’s a self-contained photo studio. We had a chance to check it out at this year’s China International Consumer Electronics Show (SINOCES), and were pretty impressed with the shots it allowed us to take. Read More
Despite the reputation that First-World populations have for consumerism, a new study has shown that citizens of emerging countries are twice as likely to purchase and use consumer technology within the next year. They are also more willing to pay a premium for environmentally-friendly consumer electronics, and value innovative new products over brand loyalty. The study was conducted by Accenture, a global management consulting firm, and its findings will have profound implications for the consumer tech marketplace. Read More
If you’ve seen a digitally-projected movie in the theater, then chances are you’ve seen the work of Texas Instruments’ DLP projection system. With a resolution of 1920 x 1080p, DLP’s exceptionally sharp, clear picture has made it a favorite of the film industry. Soon, that same high-end technology will be available on consumer cameras. Read More
Monster debuts world's fastest HDMI cable and 3.5mm superthin cable
Monster announced two additions to its cable products and a new home networking solution at CES this week. On the cable front, the “future ready” M Series M2000 Hyper-Speed Cable for HDMI is the world’s fastest at a blistering 21 Gigabits per second, while the near invisible 3.5mm SuperThin Cable for Mini HDMI has been specifically designed for use with the latest HDMI enabled digital cameras and camcorders. The Powernet 1G with PowerLine Communication (PLC) technology instantly turns a home's electrical wiring system into a high speed Ethernet network. Read More
This week at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Palm unveiled its two upcoming Verizon-exclusive smartphones, the Pre Plus and the Pixi Plus. Both phones boast substantial improvements over their present namesakes, and both will utilize Palm’s new webOS developer program, which will allow independent software developers to create and distribute their own apps. Read More
If you’re looking for new headphones the path to aural nirvana may be as close as one of the new models announced this week at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES). Monster, in conjunction with Dr Dre, Sean “Diddy” Coombs and Miles Davis Properties introduced the Diddy Beats, Beats Solo HD, Special Edition Beats Solo HD, Beats Spin, and Miles Davis Tribute. Read More
If I had to make a list of the most boring and thankless household jobs - then ironing would definitely be in number one spot. So anything that can make that tiresome task a little easier is worth a look. Panasonic’s new 360° Quick Multidirectional iron promises to not only reduce ironing time but it also makes side-to-side movements easier and can be used in any direction. Read More
This week at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, e-reading company Skiff is previewing its new electronic reader. At a quarter of an inch thick, the Skiff Reader is the thinnest device of its kind. Not everything about it is small, however; its 1200 x 1600 pixel, 11.5-inch screen is the largest and highest-resolution consumer e-reading display yet. Perhaps its biggest boast, however, is what that display is made of – Instead of rigid, fragile glass, the Skiff Reader’s display utilizes a thin, flexible sheet of stainless-steel foil. Developed by LG specifically for Skiff, the touchscreen foil-display promises an e-reader that will be much more durable than anything currently available. Read More
Singaporean company Horizon Fuel Cell Technologies will release a small home hydrogen refueling and storage solution at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas later this week that could kickstart mankind’s transition to a hydrogen-based economy. The HYDROFILL is a small desktop device that plugs into the power supply, a solar panel or a small wind turbine, and automatically extracts hydrogen from its water tank and stores it in a solid form in small refillable cartridges. The cartridges contain metallic alloys that absorb hydrogen into their crystalline structure, a storage method which the company claims offers the highest volumetric energy density of any form of hydrogen storage, even higher than liquid hydrogen. Read More
The first commercial shipment of low-light, ultra thin, solar cell technology called DSSC (dye-sensitized solar cells), created by G24 Innovations, has been sent to Hong Kong-based consumer electronics bag manufacturer, Mascotte Industrial Associates for use in backpacks and bags. Ideal for clothing and portable applications, DSSCs are less than 1mm thick, inexpensive, don’t contain silicon or cadmium and can even operate indoors, making them ideal for powering cell telephones, cameras and portable electronics. The company says DSSCs also can be embedded into tent material to power LED lighting systems for camping. Read More
