consumer electronics Archive

  • Are we in for a CPU war? 7 Japanese companies team up against Intel

    Are we in for a CPU war? 7 Japanese companies team up against Intel

    Posted on September 3, 2009 | No Comments
    There is exactly one 800-pound gorilla in the CPU arena, and that's Intel. But the company, which controls about 80% of the global CPU market, is soon getting some serious competition from Japan. A pool of Japanese companies has decided to team up and produce a made-in-Japan CPU that's supposed to rival Intel's products. The CPU will be jointly developed by Fujitsu, Renesas, NEC, Canon, Panasonic, Hitachi and other companies from Japan. It will be used in a range of consumer electronics, servers, robots and cars and it's "green". The CPU adopts itself dynamically to the amount of data being processed, resulting in energy savings of up to 30% when compared to the power consumed at normal times.

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  • Netflix is coming to Sony Bravia HDTVs

    Netflix is coming to Sony Bravia HDTVs

    Posted on July 9, 2009 | 1 Comment
    Soon Netflix subs will be able to watch movies and TV shows instantly on Sony Bravia TVs. This will be enabled on all Internet Video-capable sets this Fall and in previous models via the Internet Video Link Module. Netflix was everywhere in 2008. It worked out deals with Microsoft for the Xbox 360, TiVo, Samsung, [...]

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  • ECS plans a trio of netbooks, duo of all-in-one PCs for Computex

    ECS plans a trio of netbooks, duo of all-in-one PCs for Computex

    Posted on May 29, 2009 | No Comments

    Oh look, it's nearly time for Computex, which means it's finally time for ECS to come out to play again. For whatever reason, it seems the aforesaid PC maker only pulls out the stakes for Taiwan's biggest consumer electronics show, and with the doors opening early next week, we're getting a sneak peek at what it'll be bringing to the mix. Not surprisingly, three of the five new machines are said to be of the netbook variety, with the other two being all-in-one desktops. 'Course, the whole lot will be humming along on Intel's all-too-modest Atom, though we are led to believe that at least one rig will get equipped with NVIDIA's promising Ion technology. The T10IL (shown left) is apt to steal most of the attention, boasting a thin-and-light frame that'll look awfully similar to ASUS' Eee PC 1008HA. The V10IL (shown right) is expected to be more of a vanilla type machine in terms of both design and specification, and the other guys are slated to be revealed at the show. You're tense with anticipation, aren't you?

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    ECS plans a trio of netbooks, duo of all-in-one PCs for Computex originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 29 May 2009 14:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  • Nokia spins off Home Control Center team as There Corporation, slips product into 2010

    Nokia spins off Home Control Center team as There Corporation, slips product into 2010

    Posted on May 28, 2009 | No Comments
    Remember Nokia's Home Control Center launched in December with plans to send home automation product to retail by the end of 2009. Well, it's been upended today with Nokia bowing out of its own smart home activities and licensing the technology to the independent There Corporation -- a company that now employs Nokia's former Smart Home team. Unfortunately, we're now looking at the beginning of 2010 before we see the first solution dubbed Safety 360; a "security kit" for monitoring fire and water leakage alarms, intrusion detection, and energy consumption monitoring through the use of the Home Control Center device (pictured right), door/window sensors, motion, flood, and smoke detectors, and a "Binary Switch with electricity meter"... whatever that is. You know, at this point, we'd be happy for a big name consumer electronics company to sweep in, set a de facto standard, and kick the dozen or so proprietary and so-called "industry standards" to the curb so that we can finally take home automation mainstream. Maybe that'll be Z-Wave which is the only home automation communication standard listed under the device specs for Nokia's There's Home Control Center. The promise of the ubiquitous automated home has been floundering for decades now -- enough's enough.

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    Nokia spins off Home Control Center team as There Corporation, slips product into 2010 originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 28 May 2009 08:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  • Systemax relaunches Circuit City’s website, this time with feeling

    Systemax relaunches Circuit City’s website, this time with feeling

    Posted on May 23, 2009 | No Comments

    After shelling out some $6.5 million, you had to know that Systemax planned on doing something with Circuit City's trademarks and internet domain names. As of today, CircuitCity.com is back and better than ever, carrying on the legacy of a name that became synonymous with overpriced consumer electronics for nearly six decades. Of course, this doesn't mean that any Circuit City retail stores will be re-opening, but at least the brand is living on in the world wide web. The wonders of the internet: I Can Has Cheezburger?, Twitter and the continuation of an icon that would otherwise be six feet underground.

    [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

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    Systemax relaunches Circuit City's website, this time with feeling originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 23 May 2009 17:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  • Energy consumption will triple by 2030 if electronics’ efficiency doesn’t increase

    Energy consumption will triple by 2030 if electronics’ efficiency doesn’t increase

    Posted on May 15, 2009 | No Comments
    Yes, your refrigerator, washer, and dryer may be Energy Star certified, but any good you're doing is offset by your DVD player, TV and computer. That's the simplified version of a new International Energy Agency report that says white goods—refrigerator, washing machines, etc.—are a lot more energy efficient than they used to be, but that consumer electronics—computers, TVs, etc—haven't made the same progress. And we're all doomed for it.

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  • Entelligence: Close to the edge

    Entelligence: Close to the edge

    Posted on May 13, 2009 | No Comments
    Entelligence is a column by technology strategist and author Michael Gartenberg, a man whose desire for a delicious cup of coffee and a quality New York bagel is dwarfed only by his passion for tech. In these articles, he'll explore where our industry is and where it's going -- on both micro and macro levels -- with the unique wit and insight only he can provide.


    There's an interesting debate that I've had recently. Should product designers aim for the enthusiast or "edge" cases when designing products, or should they instead target mainstream users from day one? It's an interesting discussion, but I believe that those that say "aim for the edge" and the enthusiast aren't correct, at least in the long run.

    Now if you're reading this, chances are you're a bit of an edge case -- or at the very least a gadget enthusiast. That's cool, I'm one as well. In fact, over the last few years I've coined three rules that I've come to refer to as Gartenberg's Three Laws of Consumer Electronics. For those of you not familiar with them, they are:

    1. There's a world wide market of 50,000 for any device sold to enthusiasts and early adopters.
    2. If Gartenberg sees a product at a demo and doesn't offer his credit card for purchase immediately, the product is doomed.
    3. Even if Gartenberg does offer his credit card, the product may well still be doomed -- as Gartenberg is part of the 50,000 enthusiasts that will buy (almost) anything.

    (If you're in the NY area, come on over some time and I'll show you my collection)

    Continue reading Entelligence: Close to the edge

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    Entelligence: Close to the edge originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 13 May 2009 15:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  • Ask Engadget: Best small camera (with good video) under $600?

    Ask Engadget: Best small camera (with good video) under $600?

    Posted on May 8, 2009 | No Comments
    We know, you were hoping to just glance over today's hottest articles in the world of consumer electronics, and along comes this: something that actually asks a little of you. Trust us, it'll be alright, and hey -- after you've replied, you can send in a question of your own to ask at engadget dawt com.

    "The family and I are headed to Walt Disney World in June for the first time. I have a Canon Digital Rebel and a Canon GL1, but really do not want to haul either or both of them to the Magic Kingdom with us. So, the question is: what is the best camera that does great stills and video and is super small? Under 600 bones preferably. Thanks!"

    No Rich, thank you for making us all envious. Be sure to take the advice that'll surely flow in comments below and send us picture postcards while waiting in line to ride the Tower of Terror for the fourty-third time. (Seriously, do not miss Tower of Terror.)

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    Ask Engadget: Best small camera (with good video) under $600? originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 08 May 2009 00:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  • Review: Maximo iM-590 headphones

    Review: Maximo iM-590 headphones

    Posted on May 5, 2009 | No Comments
    Short Version: A great set of high-quality headphones at a reasonable price, Maximo's $60 iM-590 "iMetal Isolation Earphones" strike a nice balance between features and affordability.

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  • New Samsung camcorders to feature angled lenses

    New Samsung camcorders to feature angled lenses

    Posted on April 29, 2009 | No Comments
    samsungSamsung's got two new portable camcorders coming out in July. The SMX-C14 will feature 16GB of onboard memory, expandable via SD while the SMX-C10 won't feature any standard memory, relying solely on your ever-growing pile of SD cards.

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  • Systemax snaps up Circuit City’s brand and domain name

    Systemax snaps up Circuit City’s brand and domain name

    Posted on April 13, 2009 | No Comments

    Just like it did in January of last year, Systemax is snapping up leftovers from a now-defunct national consumer electronics retailer. As part of the post-bankruptcy proceedings, Circuit City Stores Incorporated recently closed a deal that'll net it $6.5 million. The price for the coinage? Systemax taking control of its trademarks and internet domain names. Circuit City stated in the filing that the sale of its intellectual property and internet assets would bring "significant recovery for the sellers' estates and creditors," and we're also told that Circuit City would be able to snag an unspecified share of sales from the brand name. Look out, Best Buy -- we hear Systemax has eyes for you, too.

    [Thanks, Sid]

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    Systemax snaps up Circuit City's brand and domain name originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 13 Apr 2009 18:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  • RIM sells its 50 millionth BlackBerry, surprises even itself with earnings

    RIM sells its 50 millionth BlackBerry, surprises even itself with earnings

    Posted on April 3, 2009 | No Comments

    Other devices may have made it to the mark a bit quicker but, any way you shake it, selling 50 million of any consumer electronics device is pretty darn impressive, especially when the device in question is often laden with contracts and hefty monthly bills. What's more, in addition to announcing that milestone, RIM also confirmed that it's current user base now totals a whopping 25 million, 3.9 million of which were added in the last quarter alone. Those new users also look to have helped push RIM past even its own best earnings forecasts, with the company reporting fourth quarter revenue of $3.46 billion, or about a 24.5% jump from $2.78 billion of the previous quarter -- which should be almost enough to make RIM's top execs forget about all those pesky problems they've been facing over the past year.

    [Via TG Daily]

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    RIM sells its 50 millionth BlackBerry, surprises even itself with earnings originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 03 Apr 2009 13:38:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  • Sony’s durability test metes out years of punishment on the Vaio Z

    Sony’s durability test metes out years of punishment on the Vaio Z

    Posted on March 10, 2009 | No Comments

    Well, we can think of a few other devices we'd rather see get the smackdown, but we really got a kick out of the Vaio Z durability test videos on Sony's site -- and we think that you might too. Sure, the company stops a bit short of the Survival Research Labs treatment (nary a fireball, gunshot, or cloud of shrapnel in sight), but if you're anything like us your inner child can't help but smile at the thought of a robot dropping, slamming, or crushing a piece of consumer electronics. And to the little guy's credit it does all right, surviving automated drops, shocks, spills, and other assorted abuses. In all, not a bad way to spend an afternoon -- although we're really looking forward to seeing what sort of trials the company has in store for the Vaio P.

    [Thanks, Mehul J]

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    Sony's durability test metes out years of punishment on the Vaio Z originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 10 Mar 2009 19:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  • All Circuit City stores closing permanently on March 8th

    All Circuit City stores closing permanently on March 8th

    Posted on March 6, 2009 | No Comments

    To an icon in the consumer electronics retail space, we wave goodbye. And for the hordes of employees already / soon to be looking for new uniforms elsewhere, we empathize. Circuit City has just announced that on March 8th, all of its stores will lock up for the last time. Granted, some locations have already shut their doors in permanent fashion due to stock depletion, but regardless of leftover wares, March 8th is the end of the line for the laggards. We'd say you might want to stop by your local outlet to catch any last-last-minute sales, but even at a penny, you're not going to want that open-box 4MB SD card.

    [Via HotHardware, image courtesy of wbeebe]

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    All Circuit City stores closing permanently on March 8th originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 06 Mar 2009 04:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  • Poll: Do people actually like 3D movies and games?

    Poll: Do people actually like 3D movies and games?

    Posted on March 4, 2009 | No Comments
    Two new studies, one from the Consumer Electronics Association and the Entertainment and Technology Center at USC and the other from Meant to be Seen (“the foremost authority group on stereoscopic 3D gaming and home entertainment”), suggest that consumers -- that is, average people like you and me -- dig 3D movies. Wearing glasses to enjoy 3D content is not seen as a big impediment, and 40% of the participants reported that they would prefer to watch a film in 3D rather than watch the same film in 2D.

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