2013

Nikon photography pros will be happy to know there's a major new supplier of XQD flash-memory cards: Lexar.

They might not be so happy about the price for the new high-end format: a 1100X 64GB model costs $580, and a 32GB model costs $300. At CES today, the Micron subsidiary also announced a $45 USB 3.0 card reader for the new format.

Nikon's flagship D4 SLR uses the XQD cards, which before were available only from Sony. Lexar's 1100X models guarantee a 168MB/sec read speed, though write speeds are somewhat lower.

XQD is one of … Read more

LAS VEGAS--Sharp brought a "go big or go home" attitude to the 2013 Consumer Electronics Show as it unveiled a bevy of new LED TV in the 60-, 70- and 80-inch screen classes.

Sitting below the 90-inch AQUOS display (touted by the manufacturer as "the world's largest LED TV") that Sharp debuted last year, all of the new Sharp TVs rolling out this week are promised to be "smarter" too.

All three screen classes feature some common traits, including (but not limited to) AQUOS 1080p LED displays, dual-core processors, built-in Wi-Fi, ultra-slim frames, … Read more

LAS VEGAS--AT&T today unveiled a new video-on-demand service for its U-Verse TV offering amid the rising threat of companies such as Netflix.

As more consumers consider dropping their cable TV in lieu of Web-based alternatives, including Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime, AT&T said today that it is offering the U-Verse Screen Pack for $5 a month, available only to its U-Verse customers. It will allow users to access a library of 1,500 movies from their TV, computer, or wireless devices.

Existing U-Verse TV customers will get a free preview of Screen Pack between January 7 … Read more

LAS VEGAS--Sharp has announced its 6 series televisions for 2013, which, while they include a mix of 3D and non-3D models, will all have Smart TV features.

The TVs will include a Smart TV suite and will be powered by a dual-core processor. A new SmartCentral feature enables users to watch video in a picture-by-picture mode with the TV's onboard Web browser.

The LE657 will feature 3D and ship with two new Bluetooth 3D glasses, which don't require line of sight to work. The models are the 60-inch LC-60LE657 and 70-inch LC-70LE657 due in March.

The non-3D LE650 … Read more

LAS VEGAS--It seems like every audio company is putting out some sort of compact Bluetooth speaker system these days. Monster is, too, but it says its new $699 ClarityHD Katana speaker system, which is due to ship later this month in black and white versions, is a major cut above the rest.

It touts the Katana as a true "breakthrough" in wireless digital music systems. What makes it so groundbreaking? Well, according Monster, thanks to its advanced Bluetooth wireless capability featuring AAC and apt-X, "users experience a new level wireless audio performance, with the option to stream … Read more

LAS VEGAS--Consumer electronics giant LG focused its attention on the home and living room with a series of home entertainment and appliance announcements.

Chief among them was the pricing and dating of its much-awaited 55-inch OLED TV, which first debuted at last year's CES, though was delayed. The company today said it would begin selling in the U.S. in March for about $12,000. It also promised two new sizes of its 4K resolution television sets, 65-inch and 55-inch versions to join the 84" model.

LG spent much of its presentation touting its smartening up of various … Read more

LAS VEGAS--Today at CES 2013, Trendnet significantly shrank the Powerline 500 AV adapter with the introduction of the Nano Adapter with Built-in Outlet, model TPL-407E.

As the name suggests the new adapter is supercompact yet comes with a built-in pass-through receptacles for users to plug another device to the same wall socket that it occupies.

While this is not the first Powerline AV500 adapter that comes with this feature, it's the first on the market that comes in this compact size. In fact, it's more compact than the XAV5501 from Netgear cut in half.

Supporting the Powerline AV500 … Read more

LAS VEGAS--If you're not so happy with Cisco's first 802.11ac router, the Linksys EA6500, there are now more options.

The networking vendors announced today at CES 2013 three more routers that all support 802.11ac. All of them belong to the same Linksys Smart Wi-Fi router series and share similar features as well as physical design as the Linksys EA6500. These new routers include:

Linksys Smart Wi-Fi Router AC 1750 HD Video Pro, EA6700: This is now the new top-notch Smart Wi-Fi Router in the Linksys portfolio. The AC1750 is designed for homes with 10 or more … Read more

LAS VEGAS--PC and phone maker Lenovo announced a deal today with BlueStacks, the Android app player that lets Android apps run on Windows and Mac.

Lenovo joins a growing list of hardware manufacturers looking to the Silicon Valley startup to solve the problem of getting popular Android apps onto desktops and laptops. Although anybody can download BlueStacks, Lenovo will be shipping it on its consumer-focused Idea line starting in April.

BlueStacks' appeal may be partially one of perception, where mobile apps get a lot of consumer attention because of their connection to smartphone operating systems. But it's having a … Read more