The CES (Consumer Electronics Show) is without doubt the event of the year if you’re into gadgets. It’s where techheads go to get the lowdown on what’s hot and what’s not in the world of consumer technology. More than that, it’s the place where you’ll find all the movers and shakers, i.e. what’s going to be big the coming year and beyond. This year’s CES 2011 show took place in Las Vegas at the beginning of January and from the products on display, it was clear what the big three consumer trends are going to be this year: Internet TV, 3D and PC tablets.

Internet TV

Sony was there showing off their Google TV, demonstrating that Internet TV has finally come of age. Certainly, we will be seeing media streaming, iPlayer and all sorts of apps appearing on TVs this year. But it won’t be just on TVs, these new services will be shared across phones, media players and Blu-Ray players. And what will be crucial will be a way of sharing information across all these devices. So it’s just as well that Netgear was there with their latest home Wi-Fi router on display, specially designed to handle all the new technology and devices that we’re connecting to the Internet from our homes.

3D or not 3D? That is the question

While many of us are still considering whether or not to invest in a 3D TV, it came as no surprise to anyone that 3D dominated many of the stands at this year’s exhibition. As well as the latest range of 3D TVs from Toshiba and Sony that don’t require glasses, the big trend this year was in 3D camcorder and still camera launches from all the big names, as well as a 3D mobile phone. The first 3D laptops from Toshiba and Sony even put in an appearance.

Take a Tablet

The final big trend at this year’s CES was Tablet PCs. Around 100 tablet devices were launched at this show alone. Blackberry’s Playbook seemed to be the one that most were eager to queue up to see. With a seven-inch display, a dual core processor, front and rear cameras, as well as a HDMI port, it’s not hard to see why Apple has their work cut out with iPad 2.0.

Lenovo came out tops in terms of innovation with their device that could be transformed from a laptop running Windows into a tablet running Android. Tablet computing might have been born in 2010 with Apple’s iPad, but 2011 is certainly going to be the year it comes of age.

What was increasingly evident at this year’s show was technology is now all about getting access to information wherever you are. As our lives become increasingly linked to technology, more and more electronic manufacturer’s seem to be putting the focus on getting all the devices in our lives talking to one another. And from this year’s show, clearly, 2011 is going to be a very big year for technology in the home.

Internet TV has been around a while but it hasn’t really taken off. However, 2011 could be the year when that all changes. Manufacturers believe that the user interfaces  for Internet TV are now advanced enough to allow users to control the content they want to watch more easily.

Google Leads The Way

In the race to win over users, Google TV is the hot favourite. The cloud computing  pioneers will be hoping that their Internet TV technology is as popular as their eponymous search engine.

Google has teamed up with Logitech to provide the boxes that will connect users to the Internet via their TV set and Sony is integrating Google’s technology into its newest TVs and Blu-Ray devices.

What’s more, Google is incorporating the popular Android operating system along with their Chrome browser. This will offer access to applications from the Android App Store and full Flash support. Theoretically, you should even be able to use an Android phone as a user interface with Google’s set-top box. The prospect of full Internet access, coupled with Android integration on your TV could very well give Google the edge on its competitors.

Yahoo! Connected.

Yahoo! and Samsung are collaborating too. The result is the Yahoo! Connected TV. These TVs come with an integrated Yahoo! widget allowing users to view their favourite sites on the Internet. Although the service will initially only be available on Samsung’s Internet@TV range, Yahoo! has also started shipping their Connected technology in other media players, such as Blu-Ray devices, media servers and set-top boxes.

The downside with Yahoo!’s technology is that users will only be able to access certain sites, which could prove to be a barrier to some customers.

Apple TV

A quicker way to get to grips with Internet on the telly might be Apple TV. Apple’s device has been around a while and has just been upgraded with a lower price tag. However, there are drawbacks with Apple’s offering. Although the device allows you to stream content from the Internet, much of it, such as iTunes content, has to be paid for and there’s no flash support or web browsing capability. So if you’re looking for that sort of functionality, you might be better off opting for one of Google’s set-top boxes.

Ultimately, the key to success in the Internet TV arena may very well depend on how easy companies make it for users to integrate Internet TV technology with their current hardware. And right now, Google seems to be the only company with the capability to deliver the sort of functionality customers are looking for.

Creative Labs announce the launch of the ZiiO entertainment internet tablets in a 7-inch and 10-inch model, based on the Android operating system, with WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity.

The Creative ZiiO tablets are touchscreen based entertainment devices that allow you to watch movies, play games and enjoy music, powered on the Android operating system, enabling you to send emails and browse the web.

Creative ZiiO Key Features

• 7-inch ZiiO features 16.8 million colour display, while the 10-inch model has a 262K color display.
• Connectivity options include Bluetooth 2.1 EDR (with apt-X and A2DP) and  are Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g capable for internet connectivity.
• Creative highlights  the X-Fi Audio Enhancements (X-Fi Crystalizer, X-Fi Expand) for superior sound quality, with audio support for MP3, AAC, WMA9, FLAC, OGG, ADPCM, MIDI, WAV, Audible Format 4
• Video Support includes: H.264, MPEG4, WMV9, MJPEG, MOV, AVI, MKV
• Creatize ZiiO supports JPG, BMP, and PNG images, and there is a HD Video-Out port enabling you to connect the device to a large HD TV for example, for high definition playback on the big screen.
• Other built in features include a front facing VGA camera, built-in microphone and built-in stereo speaker.
• ZiiO is bundled with an Accelerometer, a motion sensor that can auto-rotate the display as you turn the device on its side into landscape format (or back to portrait).
• Creatize ZiiO battery life includes playtime of up to 25 hrs (MP3 music), and up to 5 hrs (for video playback)
• Expandable memory options, with a microSD slot on the 7-inch ZiiO and a SD card slot on the 10-inch ZiiO model allowing up to a total of 32GB memory.

Creative ZiiO Options & Pricing

The Creative ZiiO 7-inch tablet comes in white with a 480 x 800 resolution, while the 10-inch ZiiO model is black and features a 1024 x 600 resolution display – with both models available in 8GB and 16GB capacities.

• Creative ZiiO 7 inch 8GB – £199.99
• Creative ZiiO 7 inch 8GB – £219.99
• Creative ZiiO 10 inch 8GB - £249.99
• Creative ZiiO 10 inch 16GB – £269.99

Perhaps what is most notable about the launch of the Creative ZiiO is that the entertainment tablet is competitively priced at nearly half the price of the Apple iPad and Samsung Galaxy Tab internet tablet pc devices.

Creative ZiiO Images

Creative ZEN Touch 2 is an All-in-One MP3 player media device, with built in GPS and digital compass, WiFi, Blutooth, 2MP Camera, with 8GB on-board storage and a large 3.2″ Touchscreen display.

Creative Labs have packed this all-round personal media player (PMP) with a host of features to keep you entertained on the go.  The Creative ZEN Touch 2 has a large 3.2 inch touchscreen display, with an accelerometer that auto-rotates the display as you turn it on its side.  The Zen Touch 2 is the first ZEN device from Creative to feature the Android 2.1 operating system – opening up the doors to download Apps, Games and eBooks from the Android Marketplace.  The Zen Touch 2 is WiFi enabled with built-in IEEE 802.11 b/g/n support, for fast internet browsing and speedy downloads over your existing broadband connections.

With the ZEN Touch 2 you can stream music wirelessly to any bluetooth enabled device such as a pair of bluetooth speakers or headphones.

Creative ZEN Touch 2 Release Date

Creative have announced the Zen Touch 2 release date for December 2010 and will be available in a variation of 3 model options:

• Creatize ZEN Touch 2 – 8 GB (without GPS) – £149.99
• Creatize ZEN Touch 2 – 16 GB (without GPS) – £159.99
• Creatize ZEN Touch 2 – 8 GB (with GPS) – £159.99

You can also buy the Creative WP-300 Bluetooth headphones to complement your Zen Touch player, featuring a 10m range, with neodymium drivers for superior and powerful sound.

Toshiba joins the Tablet PC market with the release of the Folio 100 Tablet powered by the Android 2.2 Froyo operating system, offering a cheaper alternative to both the Apple iPad and Samsung’s Galaxy Tab devices.

The Toshiba Folio 100 is a 10.1-inch tablet pc featuring a capacitive touchscreen with multi-touch support that lets you tap, pinch and swipe the screen to zoom and flick through the menus.  The Folio 100 has a screen resolution of 1024×600 but also integrates a mini-hdmi output port allowing you to connect the device to a TV with full HD 1080p playback.

Toshiba Folio 100 Side View Images – Ports & Connectivity

The Toshiba Folio 100 comes with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity options on board, while a mobile broadband 3G enabled version of the Folio 100 is expected to be released early next year in the first quarter of 2011.

Android 2.2 Froyo Platform

Powered by the Android 2.2 operating system ensures there is a wide range of apps available, although at the present time most Android applications have been optimized for smaller screen mobile devices so the large screen of the Folio 100 may not always be utilized to its fullest – this will likely change as Android application developers begin to cater for the larger screen tablet devices.

However, the Toshiba Folio 100 does have 10.1 Adobe Flash support, something which is lacking in the Apple iPad.  On the front of the Folio 100 device is a 1.3 megapixel camera for video calls (over WiFi), and there’s 16GB of storage included, which can be expanded up to 32GB with an optional high capacity SD Card.  A built in Accelerometer allows you to rotate the display, which will automatically turn the orientation of the menu interface, and this can also be locked into place, which is convenient if you are retiring to watch a movie for example.  The Toshiba Folio 100 measures 14mm thick and weighs 760g and has a stated battery life of 7 hours, calculated on the basis that you browse the web for most of the time (65%), a bit of video (10%) and some time on standby (25%).  The Toshiba Folio 100 is out now and has a retail price of £329.

There’s a wide selection of e-readers on the market now as book lovers begin to realise the benefits they offer over traditional hard copy. Not least, the space they save when travelling. Books and magazines take up valuable space when going on trips and can even cost you money, as more and more airlines make customers pay for their baggage.

To get an e-book or e-zine you don’t have to even go to a store. Simply get online. And while you’re saving the planet’s trees, you can also be saving money, because electronic reading materials are nearly always cheaper. Furthermore, many e-readers do more than simply provide an illuminated reading screen, for example, they can double as MP3 players or flash drives.

5.  Amazon Kindle 3^rd Generation

Who better to put an e-reader on the market than an online company that started out selling books? Amazon’s 3^rd generation Kindle comes in two versions: Wi-Fi or 3G, and is smaller, faster and more user-friendly than previous models. So if you’re looking for a dedicated e-reader, you could do much worse. Okay, the Kindle doesn’t do much else, but in a consumer head-to-head with the iPad, two-thirds preferred the Kindle’s e-reading capabilities.

4.  Barnes & Noble Nook

It makes sense that book publishers are looking for some of the e-reader action too, so it’s no surprise to see Barnes & Noble bring their Nook to market. The device shows innovation in the touchscreen strip below the 6.5-inch display that offers a user-friendly and effective way of navigation. But, Barnes & Noble is a bookseller and not an IT company and there have been problems with the software that still need to be resolved. The company say a firmware update will be forthcoming.

3.  Apple iPad

Apple’s iPad comes with a superb e-reading application built in, but the device itself certainly doesn’t come cheap. If you need all the other functionality that comes with the iPad, then you might be prepared to splash out on this year’s must-have gadget, but it’s a bit expensive to be taking to the beach, where any number of costly catastrophes could befall it.

2.  Sony Pocket Edition Touch

Sony has the technology clout to take on both Amazon and Barnes & Noble with their range of e-readers. And the Sony Pocket Edition Touch seems to be beating all-comers on price too. But the really big benefit here is that Sony is using an open format for documents, which means you won’t be a slave to Amazon’s proprietary format. However, the trade-off for the low price tag is that files need to be tranferred by USB from a PC.

1.  Android Smartphone E-Readers

Finally, in case you didn’t know, it’s not just iPhones that make good e-readers, if you already have a SmartPhone running Android, then you’ve already got an e-reader. The three major e-book stores: Kindle, Nook and Kobo, all have apps for Android, so, if you’re interested in checking out the benefits of e-reading, this might be a good way to see if it’s for you.

The tablet battle is well and truly on. The Samsung Galaxy Tab, a 7-inch Android slate is set to be released on the 1^st November and looks to be the first real contender for the Apple iPad. But what is it about this newcomer that is going to give Apple a run for its money?

Size Isn’t Everything.

The most obvious difference between the two machines is that the screen on the Galaxy Tab is smaller. Although the iPad has an extra two inches, resolution is more or less the same at 600×1024 – more than ample for a screen of this size. However, Samsung’s device weighs in at less than half that of the iPad.

Calls and Connectivity

Like the iPad, the Galaxy Tab has 3G/HSDPA, but unlike the iPad, it also has the ability to make and receive calls via a Bluetooth headset, which, incidentally, is Bluetooth 3.0, as opposed to Bluetooth 2.1 on the iPad. The Tab wins this round hands down.

Expand Your Memory.

When it comes to storage, as the iPad has no memory expansion capabilities; you’re stuck with whatever memory your device came loaded with. On the other hand, the 16GB on the Galaxy Tab can be expanded via its micro-SD slot which can add up to 32GB extra memory. That’s a lot of movies and music.

Say Cheese!

One of the big gripes about the iPad is the lack of a camera. The Galaxy Tab comes with not one, but two cameras: a 3MP on the back with flash, plus an additional front-facing 1.5MP for video calls. Another win for the Galaxy Tab.

Staying Power.

The iPad wins out on battery life with 10 hours compared to the Galaxy Tab’s 7 hours. There simply isn’t the room in the Tab for the Li-ion cell that’s in the iPad.

Functionality.

Performance-wise there’s very little between the two. Both have 1Ghz processors. Sure, the Android doesn’t have as many applications as the Appstore, but it does have 10.1 Flash support, which could give you a lot more functionality. What’s more, the Tab has full multi-tasking.

The Bottom Line.

Now, let’s get down to the real nitty-gritty – price. Even though it’s not officially out yet, the price of the Galaxy Tab has already been falling. From £799, the Tab is now set to retail at under £600. However, that’s still as much as the most expensive iPad model. That said, if you need to make calls you’re going to need phone functionality too. And adding the cost of an iPhone to the cost of the iPad blows all financial considerations out of the water. You could make serious savings by simply buying a Galaxy Tab with its already included additional functionality.

It’s worth bearing in mind too that if you’ve got your heart set on a slate PC for Xmas, your choice may not be so black and white, as the RIM BlackPad, and probably several other similar devices could be on the market by then too.

Samsung’s first tablet computer, the Galaxy Tab, a lighter and smaller alternative to Apple’s iPad, has been unveiled at the IFA conference in Berlin.

Weighing in at 380g and featuring a 7-inch (18cm) screen, the Galaxy Tab is smaller and lighter than the iPad, but offers the ability to make voice and video calls with the device, on top of the movie, music and book media you can usually consume on the iPad and similar tablet PCs.

The Galaxy Tab will be powered by Google’s Android operating system, and come with a storage capacity choice of 16Gb or 32Gb, which can be expanded by a further 32Gb.

The device can connect via 3G mobile networks and offers Wifi and Bluetooth connectivity options.  Music and videos will be accessible through Samsung’s “Media Hub” and e-books through its “Reader’s Hub“.

The Samsung tablet can play Flash videos and supports streaming content to an external TV.  Samsung called it “the first of the company’s tablet devices“, indicating newer Samsung tablet models will be released in the future.

The Samsung Galaxy Tablet release date will be confirmed by Vodafone who will be distributing the device in the UK from October 2010.

The next generation of Smartphones are just hitting the market, all vying for your attention. What should you be looking out for? Which is right for you? And, more importantly, what can they do for you that your last phone couldn’t? Read the rest of this entry »

The noughties are gone and so is a lot of the technology it spawned. It was the decade when no sooner was a new technology or device launched that it was immediately superceded by the next big thing. Certainly a lot of stuff we were sold by the big technology companies didn’t live up to the hype.

However, the next ten years could be the era when emerging technologies really come into their own. If you want to keep up with the digital Joneses here’s what you need to be looking out for this year and beyond.

1. 3D TV

Still raving about your 50 inch LCD flat screen? Get over it! This year is all going to be about 3D TV. Blockbusters such as Avatar have already whetted our appetite for 3D TV and the trend looks set to continue. Believe it or not, 3D has been around in one form or another since the early 1900s, but it’s only recently that Toshiba and Sony have showcased 3D television sets that actually deliver what they promise. Panasonic too, is set to expand its solar cell 3D TV production. With Sky 3D already broadcasting in Korea and set to launch in the UK in Spring, 3D may very well leapfrog HD to become the format of choice over the next couple of years.

2.  Android phones

Believe the hype. This year’s most awaited phones are all going to be powered by Android technology. The Google Nexus One is the one to really get the ball rolling. As with the iPhone, there are already hundreds of mobile applications for Android out there and these are set to multiply this year. It’s not that the Nexus One does much differently than the iPhone, it simply does it better.

3.  Transparent Laptop Screens

There’s a trick whereby you can put a visual on screensaver that matches your background, giving the illusion that your laptop screen is transparent. That illusion has now become a reality with Samsung’s new 14 inch OLED, said to be the world’s first see-through laptop screen. Even powered off, it’s 40 per cent transparent. What’s to be gained by having a transparent laptop screen is questionable, but one thing is for sure, it’s certainly very cool.

4.  Project Natal

Nope, it isn’t some secret US government project for building a UFO, although it does come from one of the biggest organisations in the world, namely Microsoft. Project Natal is the codename Microsoft has given the development of a controller-free environment for the Xbox 360 Console. Now you can control your Xbox using gestures and spoken commands. In some ways, it’s the Wii taken to the next level. Expect it to be just as popular.

5.  Social CRM

We’ve all heard the analogy that if Facebook was a country, it would be one of the largest in the world. There’s no doubt that social networking has been one of the greatest innovations in the digital world over the past decade, but it’s only now that corporate business is really seeing the potential. Chatter is one example of the new ways in which the media is being developed. US company, Salesforce, has created a private social network for businesses to interact more effectively with their customers. Look out for others in the coming year.

6.  Tablet PCs

The iPad has been a long time coming from Apple. So much so, that countless other companies are working on their own version, most notably Hewlett Packard with their Slate product. Imagine, if you will, a laptop, stripped down to its most basic web surfing functionality; a hybrid of touchscreen smartphone and Netbook. With launch dates scattered throughout the coming year, you can be sure the marketing campaigns will be hard fought. Right now, which product comes out on top is anyone’s guess.

7.  Contactless Payment Cards

In retail technology, the next big development is going to be contactless payment cards. Based on London Transport’s Oyster card, ‘contactless’ is a bit of a misnomer, as the system is a method of making small payments by tapping the card against the merchant’s terminal, which interacts with a radio antenna built into the card. Visa is already trialling the technology successfully in the UK and Ireland. It may not be long before you could be waving goodbye to a pocket full of shrapnel.

8.  Chrome OS

Let’s face it, Windows has been taking a lot of flak recently, leaving the path clear for Google’s faster web-oriented operating system to make real in-roads into the market. Using Chrome, most of your applications are stored in the ‘Cloud’, giving you accessibility to your applications wherever you go, simplifying navigation and making many back-ups, even hard drives redundant. Certainly if, as things look, applications are set to become more Internet-focussed, Chrome looks set to be a killer app for devices such as Netbooks.

9.  Geolocation

With GPS chips becoming ever more common on mobile phones, 2010 could very well be the year of geolocation. Networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter are already getting set to utilise geolocation data in all sorts of applications.

10.  E-Readers

E-Readers have been around a while in many formats, but have so far failed to take off. All that may now be about to change with the latest devices, such as the Plastic Logic Que E-Reader. Using touchscreen technology, this could be the first real digital newspaper/magazine. Manufacturers, Plastic Logic, have already set up hundreds of agreements with newspapers and magazines.

11.  3D Camcorders

They aren’t going to be cheap, but neither were DVD players when they first came out. Panasonic are set to release the first 3D camcorder for the consumer market in Autumn of this year. Finepix’s first 3D stills camera, the Real 3D W1 might be more within your budget, but bear in mind you’ll need to fork out for a special viewer to display your pics.

12.  Home Media Centres

Ye olde HTPC has been enjoying a new leash of life recently and this is set to continue with the launch of the D-Link Boxee. If you still haven’t taken the leap, then this might be the one to convince you. A powerful no-fuss media centre in a stylish case, free downloadable software and an easy-to-use remote makes this one a no-brainer for the media centre novice.

13.  Netbooks

2010 could very well be the year of the Netbook. Although closely related to their heavyweight cousins, the laptop, these itsy-bitsy PCs are lightweight, low cost and don’t come with cumbersome CD/DVD drives, making them super-portable and ideal for accessing the net on the go. What’s more, Netbooks are becoming incredibly stylish. Check out Lenovo’s S10-2 range designed by Vivienne Tam; more a digital clutch than a computer. Tech-heads might scoff at them, but girls are going to adore them.

14.  Dell Adamo XPS

And speaking of laptops, we simply had to mention the ridiculously thin Dell Adamo XPS, a stunning looking lappy less than 1cm in thickness and with a keyboard that fits inside the screen. Its design makes overheating almost impossible under normal conditions. But that’s nothing compared to the opening mechanism, which involves sliding a finger along a heat-sensitive strip.

15.  The Canon Mark IV

This list simply wouldn’t be complete without a stills camera and our choice is the Canon Mark IV. It has it all for a digital SLR: 16 megapixels, HD video at 30 fps, ISO sensitivity up to 102400 (practically nightvision).

16.  Light Touch

Although not commercially available yet, the Light Touch promises to convert any surface into a touchscreen computer using holographic laser projection. If successful, the commercial possibilities could be endless. Whether it spells the end of keyboards and monitors is a different matter.

17.  Mobile broadband

Mobile broadband is another technology that is finally coming of age. After years of slow speeds and unreliable connections, will mobile broadband finally find its way with 4G and Wimax? Could the launch of these newest forms of mobile broadband do for home broadband what the mobile did for landlines? Watch this space.

18.  HTML5

We’ve been waiting for the latest upgrade for HTML for some time now, and HTML5 is it. HTML5 reduces the need for plug-ins such as Flash and Silverlight. In fact, some are saying it could spell the end for Flash. Expect to see it built into more and more websites from this year onwards.

19.  Dual Touchpads

Asus’ dual touchpad technology is just coming onto the market now. As yet, we’re still not convinced of its usability, but you can bet your pinkies that the IT retail industry will be doing their best to convince us that we need it.

20.  The Cloud

Finally, as we head into a new technological decade, Cloud computing is already taking the IT world by storm. With space and power becoming premium commodities for business, the Cloud is taking hosting to the next level. All your applications, information and data storage is accessed via the Internet. In fact, you might not know it, but you’re already using Cloud computing when you use one of Google’s online services. Just about every major IT company have Cloud products in the pipeline.

These are just a few of things we know will rock our digital world in the coming years. Most likely, the biggest innovations will be the ones that we cannot predict. The past ten years have seen massive unprecedented changes. Expect more of the same for the next decade.