Being a veteran attendee of CES, it is inevitable that each year someone asks me what I thought was the most amazing thing I saw at the show. And each year, I can usually point out one interesting piece of tech that fits into that category. Year after year there are invariably a few items that cause we merry geeks to circle around them ooh-ing and ahh-ing with avarice in our eyes.

This year, however was different. What struck me most this year was not to be found in a piece of super-slick technology (though there were a few), but rather something surprising. The industry as a whole seems to have undergone some radical rethink and rallied itself around a few core technologies and concepts. Rather than the chaotic grab-bag of offerings that we are usually presented with, something has galvanized the industry to get their products into some sort of alignment.

Could it be the sudden revelation that what really matters is the content? Read More »

Late last week Gizmodo revealed details about a secret Microsoft tablet codenamed “Courier.” The mockup video and photos show a dual-screen, book-shaped device about the size of a small business planner. Though historically tablet computing has not been a particularly hot topic, this sleek device has a number of features that could potentially be a game-changer for the software giant.

Based on the video expose and leaked images, the device sports a slick multi-touch interface. Tasks and apps can be manipulated via fingertip or stylus and flicked between screens a la-iPhone. The Courier supposedly supports WiFi & 3G as well as fully functional browser. The tablet also is expected to sport a camera and an inductive charger that would allow you to simply drop it onto a charging pad rather than tether it up to an AC power supply or cradle. Read More »

Haptic feedback is the science of applying technology to create an interface with a user through the sense of touch.

Though the technology has been in the consumer market for many years, most popularly as force-feedback controls for gaming (E.G. Vibrating steering wheels), the area of haptics is getting some fresh attention.

The massive adoption of touch-screen interfaces across all types of computing platforms is forcing a rethink of the person/machine boundary.  The outmoding of the traditional keyboard and mouse is leaving the average user flat in terms filling the need for some level of tactile response. Read More »

Broadcom announced this month that LG Electronics had selected its BCM3549 Media SoC (System on a Chip) as the core for its new line of connected HDTVs. The new LG models will feature their Netcast Entertainment Access which provides viewers access to broadband content and services including Netflix and media widgets right through the TV screen.

This announcement further supports the prediction that 2009 will see the dawn of the Connected TV. Although, to be fair, Sony has had a broadband TV solution since 2007 through their Bravia Internet Video Link. The BIVL, which provides a wide variety of hyper-syndicated & premium content to certain Bravia models, is a small broadband-connected device that connects to the back of the set. This year Sony is scheduled to begin shipping the Bravia XBR9 and Z-Series which have the BIVL module integrated in the TV. Read More »

This year’s CTIA conference in Las Vegas was lacking luster in both attendance and truly innovative solutions.  Present were the usual suspects such as the obligatory “Watch Phones” which we have seen year after year, but never seem to make it into the consumer markets.  Rows of vendors hawking glittery phone sleeves for every phone produced since the Motorola Brick.  And suction-cup phone mounts for every possible occasion…

Fortunately, amidst the unending piles of wireless headsets, I was able to catch a few good “Zs”:

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Media agencies are increasingly engaging their information technology (IT) leaders to assist in new media strategies for their clients. The shift from long-understood media distribution channels to the murkier, more transient ones that comprise new media is forcing media agencies to re-align their core competencies with IT disciplines.

Why IT?

Content is information. Regardless of the form the content may take. With few exceptions, it is created, modified, distributed, displayed and stored as information.

Media is technology. By definition Media is the physical layer supporting the content. The medium by which this information is communicated.

In today’s digital ecosystem, the perception that the two are mutually exclusive is obsolete: Enter IT. Read More »

When exploring a huge show like CES, it’s inevitable that you will discover that not all manufacturers give equal thought to their products.  Some will shine with obvious innovation. A great many will barely register above a yawn.  And some will leave you shaking your head in disbelief.

Here are just a few that fall into these categories…

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CES 2009 Las Vegas.  In a crowded section of the Microsoft booth, show attendees vie for position to get a first glimpse of the soon-to-be-released Windows 7.   Though the list of new features is plentiful, one in particular is sure to become the CE manufacturer’s best friend.

The new feature, dubbed “Device Stage” is a user interface that is automatically launched when a recognized device is attached to the system.  The interface provides a brand-customizable set of visual assets and actions contextual to the connected device. Read More »

On November 19th, Microsoft released an update to the Xbox360 platform dubbed NXE. The moniker is short for New Xbox Experience. The smooth, new interface deepens the integration with the Xbox Live Marketplace and brings to the platform similar graphical navigation found on Windows Vista. The remodeled environment presents a much more media-centric twist to the experience. Doubtless, this was the goal.

In the game consoles arena, the Xbox 360 has always stood out in terms of it’s use as a media content platform. Within the interface, as much real-estate is given over to media as gaming. This is especially true of the new NXE interface which does a superb job of blurring the lines between on-line media and locally available content.

By comparison, the Playstation3’s Avatar-based Sony Home, while certainly fun to use, is very game-like. And although that will probably appeal to their gamer constituency, it a little top-heavy for the average media consumer.

This divergence in experiences will likely further polarize the audience for the two consoles.

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I try not to use this as a platform for rants. I have always tried to be as objective as possible in my reporting of the events in the tech arena. However, as my Pop taught me, you need to speak up when you see someone being treated badly.

The “person” in this case is the community of application developers that have been crying out to Apple to be heard. Since the opening of the App Store on iTunes, honest mobile application developers have been receiving rejections from Apple to have their hard work shared with the world through the iTunes App Store. These devoted programmers believed that they were following rules set down by Apple as part of the SDK usage agreement.

However, in many cases the reason for the rejections are unclear. And in some instances, they are downright ridiculous. The one that is the tipping point for me, and is the reason for this rant, was a rejection of an application by developer Alex Sokirynsky.

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