The media pennon waters have been awfully swarming, though Cirago’s profitable no thoughts to which. The company has this month introduced the new CMC3200 media player, hailed as the only 1080p scheme to offer 2TB of built-in storage, a WiFi adapter and the full year of PlayOn integrity. It’s labeled during $299.99 with a hard drive included, as well as it’ll sport all of a basic functions already found upon a 500GB and 1TB CiragoTV Platinum devices. In related news, the outfit’s also dishing out the NUS2000 Link+ adapter, which provides remote access capabilities to up to four USB-connected storage devices. It’s the compact device that’s patently set to opposition Pogoplug’s stable of NAS enablers, boasting the $100 cost point as well as the foursome of USB 2.0 sockets. Moving on, Cirago’s additionally announcing that its NUS1000 USB Network Storage Link facilities remote access, so there goes your excuse to upgrade. Hit the source couple for a whole schpeel.

Via Engadget

We’re not certain how we longed for this concept inscription at CES the few weeks ago — oh right, there were over 40 something tablets unresolved around! — though MSI’s projector-equipped Windows 7 slate sure is an interesting one. Yep, in addition to the funny Butterfly as well as Angelow all-in-ones, MSI additionally put together a rather than chunky Atom-powered, 10-inch tablet with the built-in pivot projector. We don’t have any details upon a projector itself — no lumens or resolution — but according to Notebook Italia, it can be maneuvered to display onto a wall or even flipped around to project downward onto a list. An MSI repute implied which the latter function could be used to enable a little arrange of laser projected keyboard (we’re imagining it to be the lot similar to this a single from Light Blue Optics), though there’s no tangible program in place for which nonetheless. That seems to be the renowned underline in concepts these days (see Mozilla’s amazing Seabird) — now just give us a genuine thing! Hit a source couple for a couple of more shots of MSI’s tablet / projector contraption.

Via Engadget

There has been a lot of contention in the Windows Media Center village about the product’s death. The speculation is that Microsoft is throwing in a towel, focusing upon the Xbox 360 as well as intends to let the most appropriate DVR software available become seared — or worse, discharge it from future versions of Windows exactly. After watching a Ballmer keynote at CES last week, it was hard not to get upon this train as we all watched the 360, Windows Phone 7, and Windows highlighted upon stage. But then something happened when a show building non-stop: Windows embedded products were highlighted in in isolation meetings and elsewhere. There was a buzz around Media Center embedded and even the price as well as boat date; meanwhile, home theater PCs got no love. So after years of perplexing, it appears which all hopes which HTPCs will ever arise from their niche standing are gone, though a same can not be pronounced for Windows Media Center.

The demise of HTPCs is not for the lack of effort
We’ve had a fascination with home drama PCs since the first time we saw video using on a PERSONAL COMPUTER — remember Intel MMX? There’s something lenient about seeing video run on a PC, and there’s been a PERSONAL COMPUTER continuous to our TV ever since. In fact, we use an HTPC right away as well as have enjoyed its benefits for what feels like perpetually. But all that being pronounced, we wouldn’t offer to set a single up for the crony, as well as we wouldn’t give the mother one, ever. The problem is which while the mechanism geek can have an HTPC do just about anything, the standard user has the tough sufficient time regulating the PERSONAL COMPUTER to roller the web. There have been only as well most things which can go wrong, as well as with a difference of some very high-end models, blurb HTPCs have been non-existent. HP stopped creation ‘em four years ago. Dell never even bothered. Nope, no matter how hard PERSONAL COMPUTER manufactures as well as Microsoft try, HTPCs simply will never go mainstream.

Microsoft has attempted as hard as anybody to have this geek mental condition come true, with multiple versions of Media Center and money dumped into R&D trying to tempt programming providers in a US as well as a rest of the world to bring their programming to Windows. We’d bet that if stock holders had any idea how much money was spent compared to the lapse, someone would certainly get dismissed. Right about right away, there are a little people screaming during their mechanism, complaining that Microsoft never marketed Media Center. Seriously? A association as successful as Microsoft knows a thing or dual more than many about imprinting a product. No, a complaint is there’s no mainstream market for an HTPC, so realistically-speaking, an additional couple of billion dumped into selling wouldn’t have altered the thing (c.f. Kin). Consumer wiring have to be similar to an appliance, they just need to work. Even some top coronet during Microsoft use the TiVo as a DVR instead of a HTPC because they just work. This all makes it easy to understand because Microsoft has re-purposed its software as well as lined up new partners for an embedded chronicle of Windows 7 Media Center.

Why an embedded Media Center only creates sense
The one thing which every single mainstream DVR and smartphone have in common is which they are all embedded. It’s the match between hardware as well as program that is written to do a couple of specific things and do them really well. Microsoft has been creation embedded program for the prolonged time, as well as odds have been you’ve used it at an ATM or stood right in front of someone who used the Windows embedded machine to ring you up at a department store. What’s new is that Microsoft ported the Media Center software to the latest embedded version of Windows as well as is giving hardware partners a possibility to build a DVR without spending all the large bucks upon developing software. This means that some entrepreneurial wiring manufacturer can grab off the shelf tools, supplement in a small of Redmond’s software as well as broach the constant DVR to mainstream America — in speculation. And the number of companies have already stepped brazen with plans. We’ve been saying demos at trade shows, and during CES one company even announced it’d boat a product in the 1st quarter for $499. Still the small steep for the mainstream, though distant less than a thousands which off the shelf HTPCs cost currently. And on top of, the initial products to marketplace standard price some-more.

The bad news is that embedded also means restrictions, as well as whilst some are certain to penetrate their approach to some-more functionality, it won’t be as easy. For those not willing to meddle and risk their investment, there’ll likely be sacrifices that will have to be supposed. It is unfit to know what exactly until the products hit a marketplace, but the inability to implement your the one preferred codec isn’t out of the realm of possibilities, and installing program to automatically skip commercials is almost certainly the no go.

There is a little more good news though. Embedded devices have more than just mainstream consumers happy, they additionally interest to calm owners. Netflix, VUDU, Blockbuster, wire video-on-demand have all been available to embedded devices for some time. Comcast, Time Warner Cable, Verzion as well as DirecTV weren’t display their programming on the HTPC during CES this year, but they were display ‘em upon a variety of other embedded inclination. Of march, a PC is completely capable of delivering all this calm as well as more, but media giants aren’t going to spend their time as well as income developing software for the niche whose usually measurable result would be to open up the brand new attack vector to by-pass DRM. So embedded doesn’t just meant stability and affordability, it can additionally meant content.

Extenders vs set-top-boxes
Now, this is where things get interesting. Microsoft attempted a few times to proxy a PC into a vital room via Extenders as well as suffice to say a attempts all unsuccessful pretty miserably — same goes for embedded devices, by a approach. Maybe a hardware wasn’t ready, who knows, though what we do know is that dual Media Center PCs don’t play well together with DRM’d calm and if more than a single Media Center in a house has a tuner, things can messy genuine quick. There have been the few new changes in a calm world that could unequivocally impact success here though. The initial is the new change to the CableCARD specification which allows the tuner to be shared over a network. Basically, this means which you can install six CableCARD tuners into a Media Center in the house as well as watch live TV upon any other Media Center (set-top box or PC) in the residence that’s connected to a same network. That opens up a little options, though there have been still a DRM complaint. Currently, shows recorded from cable noted as Copy Once by the provider have been locked to a device they’re recorded on, which frankly sucks. But joining the couple of dots paints the rosier future.

InfiniTV 6 CableCARD tuner
What does Microsoft, Comcast, Timer Warner Cable, CableLabs, and only about every major movie studio have in usual? They have been all the member of a Digital Entertainment Content Ecosystem as well as have vowed their await to UltraViolet. We know which fasten the organisation and actually participating are dual dissimilar things, but it isn’t out of a question that UltraViolet’s new DRM could be combined to the CableLabs spec. This would meant which “each domicile will be means to emanate an comment for up to six members who can access a household’s UltraViolet Movies, TV… Consumers will additionally be means to register up to 12 inclination.” This new tech won’t be ready until later this year, though it does suggest hope that DRM might not regularly be this bad, a little day.

Wrap-upIt’s going to take some-more than Reycom, Acer / Gateway, and Haier to have this thing take off, but it isn’t hard to let your aptitude wonder on where this all could go. It would also be hard to argue that this isn’t Microsoft’s strongest place in a DVR market nonetheless, as well as whilst anything could occur, we say prolonged live Media Center with confidence. Who knows, if things go well, all a other prior earnest developments for Media Center that neverwere, competence find their way to market too. Then again, we’ve beenwrongbefore.

Via Engadget

The technology at the back of a Hydra Sixense suit controller has been in development for a whilst right away, though Razer was actually showing it off during CES this year. Unfortunately, it was strictly the hands-off incident during the counter — we could only look upon with possessiveness as a Razer rep played by a little beautiful Portal 2 level. What we could see is that the magnetics-based controllers have been very responsive, spatial, and multi-dimensional; these aren’t your parent’s simplistic Wii-style flick controls. There’s still no word on price or a release date, but we’re conference “underneath $100″ as well as “early” this year. It’s tough to get totally vehement about the PC hardware marginal, given the not as big quantity of games (particularly hardware-specific titles) over in desktop land, though with Valve support and what appears to be the undiluted control scheme (dual analog sticks, twin entirely 3D-sensing suit controllers), we’d contend a Hydra has the better shot at winning us over than anything else of its ilk. Check out the video after the break for the bit of Hydra action.
Razer Hydra Sixense suit controller eyes-on

Via Engadget

We came. We saw. We cowed (in the own, gadget-obsessed way). Yes, CES 2011 happened, as well as we were there for each heart interlude notation of it. This was really a single for the jot down books; not only did we move the greatest group we’ve ever had to a show, though a rigging we saw this year was a little of a many engaging as well as career-affirming things we’ve looked during in the long time. From Motorola’s overwhelming Android offerings (the funny, modular Atrix as well as Honeycomb-sporting Xoom), loads of superb new smartphones, to unequivocally innovative automobile tech, as well as continuous TVs and set tip boxes which essentially have clarity — this feels similar to a right place to be during a right time.

But unequivocally, what creates CES 2011 so amazing for a Engadget team have been dual things: a actuality that all of our editors get to be in a same room, vital as well as respirating the common obsession (and certitude us, we have an comprehensive explosion, and that we can move all of a idiocy of this uncover to you guys. We’re psyched to have come together and only left nuts this year, though in between a miss of nap and silly amount of posts we’ve done, we’re also unequivocally happy to see the homes again.

Of march, there’s regularly a subsequent eventuality (hello, Verizon iPhone) as well as even the subsequent CES (hello, 2012), though until then, suffer the pics next and feast your eyes upon some of these towering stats from Engadget’s CES 2011 coverage!
CES 2011 wrap-up

Vital stats

Number of posts: approx. 720 (January 3rd to 9th; up 14 percent over 2010)
Number of print galleries: 336
Number of videos: approx. 173
Number of podcasts: 11 (5 Classic, 3 HD, 3 Mobile)

Most commented post: Google shows off Android 3.0, a ‘Entirely for Tablet’ Honeycomb (1,001 comments)
Most watched video: Gaming upon a Motorola Atrix laptop wharf… upside down

Time outlaid sleeping, per editor per 24-hour cycle: 3 hours (down 14 percent over 2010)
3G cards: 32
WiMAX cards: 28
LTE cards: 1
Hypermacs: 2
DSLRs: 28
This year’s strain: Rihanna ft Drake – What’s My Name (Chopped… as well as screwed)
Most orders of In-N-Out fries during once: 32 (16 unchanging, 13 Animal Style, 3 good done)

Team Engadget

Ground organisation: Joshua Topolsky, Nilay Patel, Thomas Ricker, Paul Miller, Ross Miller, Darren Murph, Vladislav Savov, Sean Hollister, Chris Ziegler, Richard Lawler, Joanna Stern, Ben Drawbaugh, Sean Cooper, Don Melanson, Tim Stevens, Richard Lai, Myriam Joire, Ben Bowers

Home group: Joe Flatley, Laura June (poet laureate)

Special teams: Dan Chilton, Justin Glow, Trent Wolbe, Chad Mumm, Jason Miller, Nina Sokoler, Jacob Schulman, Kevin Wong, Sam Sheffer, Joshua Fruhlinger, Christopher Grant

International: José Andrade, Carlos Martinez, Alberto Ballestin, Alexandra Guerrero (Drita), Ittousai, Andy Yang

Via Engadget

Blue Microphones’ Yeti Pro the ‘lil rich for your blood? Have the gander during Samson Technologies, who is also introducing the brand new USB microphone to chaperon in a year 2011. The company’s foldable USB mic — better known as the Meteor Mic — looks a lot like any series of retro mics you competence find in an comparison recording college of music, or any series of mark brand new ones written to look only similar to the aged ones we just mentioned. There’s additionally the stereo 1/8-inch headphone output for no-latency monitoring, not to mention the headphone volume control as well as the trio of legs to tinker with. There’s even a microphone mute switch for those who cite to grumble whilst a trainer blabbers upon, and it’ll be out as well as about in Best Buy this April for $99. Demonstrative video is only past the mangle, if you unequivocally need to illuminate yourself serve.
Samson’s USB Meteor Mic packs retro aptitude, $99 cost tab

Show full PR textMake an Impact with Meteor Mic: In Stores April 15, 2011

Foldable USB Mic is undiluted for Home Studio, Skype as well as More

See Meteor Mic during CES – Las Vegas Convention Center South Hall #SL20356

Las Vegas, NV – January 06, 2011 – Today during CES, Samson introduced Meteor Mic, a concept solution for recording music upon your mechanism. Perfect for your home studio, Meteor Mic is additionally ideal for Skype, iChat or voice approval program.

Featuring a large condenser as well as all chrome-plated physique, Meteor Mic’s fold-back leg pattern allows for the optimal positioning for any recording application from acoustic guitars and vocals to debate. Meteor Mic also has a stereo 1/8-inch headphone outlay for no latency monitoring and a headphone volume carry out. In addition, the microphone mute switch gives you audio remoteness whilst video conferencing.

“Meteor Mic’s compact design is singular, though don’t let its size dope you. With the largest condenser, everyone will be blown divided by a audio extravagant of their recordings,” says Scott Goodman, President of Samson.

Since there are no drivers compulsory, you can begin recording with your Meteor Mic right out of a box, as a mic can be without delay continuous to any mechanism as well as is concordant with most computer-based digital audio program. A USB cable as well as protecting lift pouch are enclosed.

Meteor Mic will sell for $99 and will be accessible in stores April 15, 2011, together with all Best Buy locations national.

Via Engadget

Philips has been touting the uWand “approach pointer” remote for the great whilst right away, but we’ve never had a possibility to essentially use one ourselves. Today that omission has been rectified as we got the mitts around this motion / gesture-based controller and gave it the discerning test drive. It works by carrying an infrared camera embedded in a front, which detects an IR guide in your TV and thereby judges its own stretch, tilt and propinquity to the TV. That afterwards allows for things like motion-based zooming, pointing a remote at a particular thing on the television that you wish to “click” on, and maritime shortcuts attached to gestures achieved with this handheld. There’s additionally a nice spacious set of keys upon the back, aiding in a make use of of all these Smart TVs CES has been littered with. Philips’ intention is to permit a record out to alternative manufacturers, which could result in consumer products by 2012 — so yeah, it’s not terribly close to your vital room nonetheless, but our art studio of images is.
Philips uWand hands-on

Via Engadget

Ah, a connected home… a idealization Jetsonian anticipation that refuses to come loyal. LG’s you do the most appropriate to shift that with the Thinq lineup of continuous appliances announced and demonstrated for a first time here in Las Vegas. The details of connectivity and interoperability are scarce but we do know which the appliances support both WiFi and ZigBee connectivity in order to communicate with each other, your in-home intelligent meter, as well as with smartphones when outward of the home. So distant, LG has announced four Thinq inclination including the opening, refrigerator, oven, as well as washer and dryer pair. That’s the flattering clever foundation to build from especially if your home is already versed with ZigBee devices like automated light switches, window controllers, as well as locks. Each LG apparatus brings a rather extensive list of features many of which have been accessible remotely upon the smartphone app (Android was demonstrated). It’s only tough to fathom how useful they are without the humanoid robot capable of moving a finished rinse into a dryer or putting a porkroast in a oven. And whilst being able to look up the contents of your fridge as you enter a supermarket sounds compelling, knowing that the owner has to manage a list manually (there’s no UPC code scanner and RFID is still only the dream) tarnishes the enthusiasm utterly the bit. Still, Thinq is really a step in the right direction. Watch LG have the pitch after the break.
LG’s Thinq programmed oven, refridgerator, and washer / dryer have been the prospect right away (hands-on)

Via Engadget

Toyota’s still the biggest auto manufacturer in the universe, handily trumping GM as well as Ford, as well as with the Prius celebrating its 10 year anniversary it’s clear the association can certainly lead the industry when it wants to. Not so most with advanced infotainment and smartphone integration. There the association has been lagging behind the competition, Ford’s SYNC and a similar to, but now it’s making a large step brazen with Entune, as well as it chose this year’s CES to do it. Toyota was kind sufficient to let us run a really early demo unit by its paces. Keep on understanding for our impressions.
Toyota Entune in-car infotainment scheme

First, the sum: Entune is Toyota’s next-generation infotainment system, integrating aspects of navigation as well as media as well as alternative fun stuff as well. Like most of a foe it’s charity smartphone formation, hitting all the vital bases with support for BlackBerry, Android, and iPhone. Users will need to download and implement an app to their phone, that will afterwards yield all a interpretation a automobile needs — a automobile itself doesn’t have an onboard modem or a apart data devise you’ll need to compensate for.

Another refinement is which the scheme is pronounced to be easily upgradeable around program refurbish, on condition that a little grade of future-proofing — something that is, at this indicate, sincerely singular in the infotainment business and a rather than nice thing. However, not all is so nice.

There are a variety of apps which work with Entune, greatest being Bing, MovieTickets.com, OpenTable, and Pandora. However, we’re told that the standard apps will not be upgraded to supplement Entune await — you’ll need separate versions. This potentially means carrying two copies of Pandora commissioned on your phone, which if you’re parsimonious on storage is a decidedly unfortunate deal.

But, for which chastisement you get a informed interface in the apps, with Toyota ensuring the look and feel of each one will sojourn consistent with their non-Entune versions, rather than taking a approach of perplexing to have them all fit in with the car’s interface pattern cultured.

It’s value observant which most of an individual app’s functionality will be infirm while driving, something we weren’t means to knowledge in our decidedly stationary demo, though reassuring for those concerned about driver distraction. Still, we didn’t feel a touch-based interface to be particularly driver accessible in any case, that outrageous expanses of squandered space which could instead be turned into bigger buttons.

Entune is due out on “select models” sometime this year, though Toyota isn’t saying which models nor either we’ll have to compensate additional for the privilege. Given it integrates easily into the company’s touch-based navigation system we’d guess that is a order, though also hoping the combined cost is low (or null). Given that a Prius is a single of the many techie cars from the Company we’d be rather surprised if it didn’t crop up there — perhaps in which brand new MPV representation entrance up.

Via Engadget

The Motorola Xoom is a outrageous product this year for dual reasons: it’s the major first inscription from the vital Android manufacturer, and it’s the flagship device for Honeycomb, an OS that’s been announced for dozens of alternative tablets here during the show, but not essentially shown using on any of them. The usually complaint is that Motorola isn’t really display Honeycomb upon a Xoom, either. Instead they’re display the demo video of a UI, which is actually running upon tip of real Honeycomb. For a glimpse underneath the covers, Jacob snagged the quick illicit look at a totally unpopulated home shade, the art studio app, and even the charge switcher a alternative day. We’ll just keep that between us, however, as well as until we get the full-on official look at the UI, we thought we’d travel you by which demo UI video Moto is running upon a tangible tablet as well as fake like we’re actually using the thing, which should clear up some of the difficulty on this brand new tablet OS while simultaneously stoking our egos. Check it out after the break.

Via Engadget