LG Plasma TV Features Built-In DVR
42-inch TV includes a digital video recorder that can store 40 hours of programming.
LG Electronics plans to launch a new 42-inch plasma display TV capable of recording up to 40 hours of standard digital TV programming in an on-board, 80GB hard drive.
The 42PC1RR comes equipped with a built-in digital video recorder. Continuous automatic recording at one-hour intervals ensures users won't miss a beat. Users can also pause a program on LG's new TV, rewind and replay live TV, skip commercials, or other sections of programs, or just save shows to watch them anytime.
The TV is high-definition ready, and the convenience of HDMI (high definition multimedia interface) means users need only one cable for all functions instead of separate wires for different functions.
The plasma display is aimed at Europe with the hope that the upcoming World Cup soccer tournament will help generate sales for LG. The company plans to launch the TV across Europe by the end of April, with prices varying slightly by country. In Germany, the set will retail for around $2629.
ASUS the Brainchild Behind Microsoft Origami Project
ASUS's involvement in the MS Origami project became all too apparent to one reporter at CeBIT
ASUS's involvement in the MS Origami project became all too apparent to one reporter at CeBIT
A german reporter was taking a sneak peak at the ASUS booth at CeBIT 2006 when he noticed one of Microsoft's famed Origami devices. The ASUS representative revealed that ASUS is one of two main launch partners for the Microsoft Origami project, though the two devices on display (English translation) at ASUS's booth look extremely similar to the devices from the original Origami video. The other launch partner for Origami has already been known to be Samsung -- but ASUS is responsible for more of the actual manufacturing.
Samsung Shows First Origami Device
Portable device features wireless connectivity and an instant-on multimedia player.
Samsung Electronics is showing the first device designed around Microsoft's Origami project. It is a handheld computer that falls somewhere between a tablet PC and a PDA and runs a special edition of Windows XP.
The device measures about 6 inches by 8 inches, or half the size of a sheet of copier paper, and is known officially as an ultramobile device. Samsung's product, called the Q1, runs on a 900-MHz Intel Celeron microprocessor and has 500MB of RAM.
It boasts WLAN (wireless local area network), 802.11 A/G, and Bluetooth connections, and uses touch-screen controls. It runs an instant-on multimedia player so users don't have to launch the full XP operating system to watch a video.
The device is in the final stages of development and it's not known exactly when it will be available or at what price.
Logitech Launches a Host of New Consumer Products
Left-handed cordless laser mouse, black iPod speakers, noise-cancelling headphones among them.
Left-handed cordless laser mouse, black iPod speakers, noise-cancelling headphones among them.
Logitech introduced a host of new consumer products at CeBIT Wednesday, including new offerings for digital music listeners and the company's first cordless mouse designed specifically for left-handed users.
Other new products the company launched included three Web cameras priced for the low end of the consumer market, the company's first noise-cancelling headphones, and new universal remote controls in its Harmony family of products. Logitech also introduced a new version of its digital pen technology designed to let users easily turn notes into Microsoft Word documents.
Digital Music
- Logitech mm50 Portable Speakers for iPods, in black to attract users of the new black iPods.
- Logitech Noise Cancelling Headphones, the headphones feature Logitech SilentSound noise-cancelling technology and can remove up to 22 decibels and 92 percent of background noise. They will cost about $179 and will be available both in Europe and in the U.S. beginning in April.
- The Logitech MX610 Left-Hand Laser Cordless Mouse will be available in early April for a suggested retail price of about $70.
- Launched a special edition of its mouse aimed at computer gamers, the Logitech G7 Laser Cordless Mouse.
- Logitech MX400 Precision Laser Mouse for PC users will be available in Europe and in the U.S. beginning in April, with a suggested price of about $48.
- The LogitechV150 Laser Mouse for Notebooks will be available in Europe and the U.S. beginning in June, and will cost about $36.
Additional Products
- The QuickCam Connect, QuickCam Messenger, QuickCam Chat and QuickCam Express Web cameras, which feature a minimalist version of Logitech's "eyeball" design and cost $24 to $49;
- The Logitech io2 Digital Pen, available in Europe and in the U.S. beginning in May for $177.
- The Harmony 785 and 555 universal remotes, which will be available in Europe beginning in the spring for $297 and $255, respectively.
BenQ's New Phones Come Calling
Company shows off handsets that feature music players, multimedia players, and Windows Mobile 5.0.
BenQ Mobile introduced six new mobile phones including the P51, a Windows Mobile 5.0 device.
The P51 includes Wi-Fi and comes pre-loaded with Skype so that users can make voice-over-IP calls over Wi-Fi networks. The device features a QWERTY keyboard, GPS (Global Positioning System), and 128MB of built-in memory.
The Windows Mobile software includes Powerpoint and allows users to receive push e-mail from their corporate e-mail accounts. The P51 is expected to become available in the third quarter.
The EL71, another new handset, is a slider phone featuring a metal finish and designed for the "young professional," BenQ says.
Other new handsets it introduced include the CF61, a consumer-oriented phone with a music player, Bluetooth, and exchangeable covers, and the C81, a multimedia phone with a larger-than-usual speaker for better audio, BenQ says.
Nokia Updates Mobile Blogging App
Lifeblog 2.0 allows users to attach audio clips to their blogs.
Mobile bloggers using a new version of Nokia's Lifeblog software can automatically attach location, time, and relevant calendar information to photos, videos, and audio clips. The new software, Lifeblog 2.0, will also allow users to attach audio clips to their blogs.
Lifeblog 2.0 comes in two parts; software that is loaded onto phones plus compatible software for PCs. Users can take photos and videos and make audio recordings on their Nokia Nseries phones, then upload the files wirelessly from their phones to an online blog, provided they have a blog set up through Six Apart. The PC software is designed to make it easier for users to organize and share the files, Nokia said in an announcement a day before the CeBIT trade show opened.
The Lifeblog 2.0 PC software is available for download now and the compatible phone software is expected to become available in April.
A new tagging capability can make it easier for users to find photos and other files. Software on the phone detects photos as soon as they are taken and then looks for certain information to attach to the photo as a tag.