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Saturday January 9, 2010

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Tech News

Leo broadcasts live from CES in Las Vegas this weekend!

Leo Laporte and the gang at TWiT are offering live, continuing coverage of the 2010 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. From inside parties to the show floor, Leo has been giving his viewers an inside look of all the new technology being shown at CES. Go to Twit.TV/CES for the latest audio and video from what Leo likes to call “Nerdstock!”

The big stories at CES this week? 1) 3DTV is the big deal. You have to wear the glasses still, but it seems that 3D is EVERYWHERE. 2) Cars have gone high tech. Ford Motor Company has announced an update to Ford Sync called MY FORD, MY FORD TOUCH, which will allow drivers to do things like listen to Pandora Internet Radio, Twitter via Voice, and a host of other features which promise to make

Guests

Hour 1

Doug VanDagens, Ford

Doug VanDagens is the director of connected services behind Ford Sync and anything having to do with “the Cloud.” Doug says there are currently 5 ways to connect. Data Connection over Satellite. WiFi via EVDO. Surfing via touch screen (only in “Park”). 3G connectivity for commercial activity (with keyboard and printer!). Navigation. Ford is really stealing the show at CES. And the amazing part, the connectivity is all FREE! In fact, consumers have said that Ford Sync played a major part in their purchase decision to buy a new Ford.

The concern though, is safety. Doug says that people aren’t distracted unless they are trying to make a call and doing anything that takes their eyes off the road. But My Ford Touch is designed to keep your eyes on the road and your hands on the wheel. It’s all voice based. Ford Sync/Ford Touch uses Pandora for music by streaming via A2DP Bluetooth and works with your smart phone by extending smart phone functions through to the car. Amazing.

Ford has even opened up an “App” store which enables people to write and sell Apps exclusively for the Ford. You can also get them through iTunes.

Dick DeBartolo, The Giz Wiz

Mad Magazine’s Craziest writer, and host of The Giz Wiz, Dick DeBartolo stops by the TWiT booth today. He seeks out the “little guys,” with crazy gadgets. Like the TV Hat. It’s a baseball hat with real LONG bring that you can hang your iPhone and magnifying screen to watch movies. It also has a curtain to block out the light. Crazy!

Dick also found a company called LTC which is promising 3DTV without glasses! There’s also a TV that has “Pseudo3D,” which has sensors that can determine when you put the 3D glasses on and adjust to send 3D content automatically.

Dick also found GoST. It takes an Sd card and constantly records your trip. If there’s an impact, or if you have to hit your breaks really hard, it automatically marks the video so that you can find it really easy. There’s even a GPS version coming out later in the year which will show the route and tag where an impact happened.

There’s also a flashlight designed by Porche that has two cylinders to accommodate not only regular batteries, but also an energency power cell that lasts for 20 years. Cost $300!

Eye-Fi has introduced a new product called Pro X2 with Endless Memory - and it won Best of CES honors for photography. Eye-Fi is an SD flash card which has wifi capability. Endless Memory automatically uploads your photos when you get near a WiFi hotspot and then automatically erase the card. The EyeFi also handles RAW. $200.

Then there’s “Maplock.” It’s a “Club,” for your GPS. It fits over your GPS and has a stainless steel cable that runs to your steering wheel.

Jay Tannenbaum, Sling Media

Jay is with Sling Media, makers of the SlingBox, a box which connects to your TV at home so you can watch it anywhere in the world. All local TV stations, all DVR programs. You can watch them online, with your smart phone (via WiFi only), and soon with your PSP. Leo’s been using it all week to stream coverage from CES.

New for 2010 is flash support and H.264 support. So as long as you have flash, you can watch your TV. You can even watch HD in full 1080p! Amazing.

Jason Snell, MacWorld Magazine

Jason Snell and why Apple doesn’t come to CES. Apple has the power to call a press conference when they want and everyone will come. And Apple’s footprint is still felt at CES this year as there are tons of tablet PCs on the floor being called “slates,” based on the rumor that Apple will call their long awaited tablet the “iSlate.”

Jason says that often, Apple hesitates coming out with technology because it has a rep of revealing technology spins no one has ever seen before. If it’s just another “tablet,” or “phone,” it would fail. Apple technology needs the “aha moment,” to succeed. Jason thinks they will have new ways for people to interact via the touch screen, but outside of that, who really knows? Could it be software based?

Also big at CES this year are eBook readers. Could the ‘iSlate’ be a new spin on an eReader? Could be. There’s some slick eReaders out there not only for consumers, but also for business. But would even business buy a $700 eBook reader? One thing is sure, it’ll sure be exciting when it happens later this month.

3DTV, hit or miss? Jason says that as long as you have to watch it with glasses, it’ll be a miss. No one really knows how to do it without glasses and Jason doesn’t think it’ll ever happen with glasses. Leo agrees and says this is just another gimmick to get people to buy yet another TV. 4K is by far more realistic and interesting. The Panasonic 150″ 4K TV is more interesting than 3D. It’s about as good as it gets.

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Hour 2

Paul Thurrott, WinSuperSite.com

Paul Thurrott, editor of WinSuperSite.com and co-host of Windows Weekly on the TWiT Podcasting network.

The future is the mobile market, even in cars. The PC industry is pretty much played out and the move it towards more mobile computing platforms. Like the Lenovo IdeaPad U1, which just won the 2010 Best of CES award for computers and hardware. Why was the U1 the best in show? It’s a laptop that can separate and become a slate-style tablet PC. Very slick.

There’s also a new category called a “smart book,” which is essentially a netbook with a wireless subsidy attached to it. Leo thinks that people are wising up to this subsidy ploy and that they are realizing the gadget ends up costing them more in the long run.

Using multi-touch on a slate is also catching fire here at CES. Leo says it could be the first major interface change since the mouse.

3D. Paul doesn’t see the relevance of 3D. Leo agrees. He’d rather see an ultra high resolution 2D film than the gimmick of 3D where you have to wear glasses. Still, the Panasonic VT25 3D TV garnered the BEST IN SHOW award from CES this year, and in 5 years? It could be far different.

Bob Frankston, VisiCalc author and legend

Bob Frankston joins Leo. Bob created the first spreadsheet and transformed the computer into a serious business tool.

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Hour 3

Steve Greenberg, author Gadget Nation

Steve Greenberg, author of Gadget Nation has been spending time in the Garage Inventor’s hall of CES. Invention is what makes America great and small startup companies can come out with some really cool stuff.

Like the ORB. It’s a ring that has bluetooth. You take it out, open it up and it becomes a bluetooth earpiece to talk on your smart phone. Very cool. Works really cool and the plans are to even incorporate real jewelry into it. There’s also a sunglass version.

There’s some cool apps out too, like Zoom Safely, which shuts down your iPhone if it determines you’re trying to drive while using your phone. There’s DateWatch, which does a background check on someone you’re considering having a date with. The TV Hat, which makes you look really stupid. Eye Appeal allows you to wrap and personalize your iPhone. The Cord Cruncher, helps organize your computer and tech cables.

LeVar Burton and Brent Spiner - Star Trek: The Next Generation

Actors LeVar Burton and Brent Spiner (you know them as Geordi LaForge and Data from Star Trek).

3D TV, from a performers point of view. The acting is the same. Levar thinks that Cameron was very wise to avoid using the 3D gimmick (except for 3 times) in Avatar and just let the 3D immerse you. Brent quips that 3D contact lenses would make 3DTV take off. Not a bad idea, actually.

Both also picked up the Google Nexus One while at CES. And Brent is stoked about his 152″ LCD that’s coming to him. Levar said he signed in for the first time and his Google contacts and calendar automatically appeared. VERY cool.

Henry Helmes, Entourage Systems

Henry swings by to show off the Entourage eDGe, which is a dual screen eBook, tablet that runs on Android. It has touch and can even be used to draw and write on. It uses eInk for the reader as well. And what’s cool is you can select an image or text on the eInk ebook reader side and drag it over to the LCD side and have them translate into real color. It’s aimed at the education market. What’s cool is it’s the same price as the Kindle DX at $490. 250,000 books - many are best sellers, will be launching subscriptions, and access to Google’s ePub books.

Rahlonso Sharpe, IWalletUSA

Rahlonso Sharpe has a fingerprint proof wallet called the iWallet. It has a biometric fingerprint reader which won’t open unless the right fingerprint is used. It has a credit card holder, driver’s license holder, and more. Made out of Kevlar - $599! Ouch. But there is a fiberglass version that more affordable as well.

A little perspective of CES

We’ve come a long way in the last year. Last year’s CES was very small and somber, portending possibly the end of the trade show as we knew it. But CES 2010 has never been more vibrant, exciting, and BIG! If there’s a positive indicator for the coming state of our economy, perhaps CES is telling us something. 3D TVs, 3D Blu-ray, DirecTV in Blu-ray. The Slate fad in computers this year. And we haven’t even seen what APPLE is doing yet! The new Google Nexus One phone. And even APPS! CES is usually a hardware show, but there’s also been a trend this year in software. Ford announcing an APP store with Ford and through iTunes. iPhone Apps. Everything is moving forward into just about every part of your car, home and life. And what’s interesting is, computing is not about power anymore. It’s about usefulness.

Tommorrow, Scott Wilkinson will be with us at CES for all three hours! Wall to wall Home theater coverage at CES! See you then!

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