Samsung wows crowd with new Blu-ray player and companion box

Samsung has taken the opportunity to introduce a new Blu-ray player and companion box enabling Google TV this CES in conjunction with their smart TV product offerings. Both of these new products will allow consumers to surf the Internet on their TV screens in the comfort of their living rooms as though they were on a computer, and more importantly for most of you out there, it will also let you update social networks, track fantasy football scores, and check e-mail among others. This seamless integration of web content into a traditional TV watching experience is the new direction for plain old TVs, instead of just having slimmer and larger models each year. Samsung’s new Blu-ray player and companion box enabling Google TV feature will run off an Android-powered platform, which in turn results in a range of Internet services for consumers. Not only that, a special Google TV remote control will also enable users to play around with a full QWERTY keypad and voice search supported courtesy of an internal microphone.

iWatchz introduces new Carbon Collection

Since the new Pod nano was released, there is a slew of third party accessory manufacturers out there who decided to come up with a watch strap category to slot the nano in, and iWatchz is no different although they back up their substance with style, and the new Carbon Collection echoes this sentiment. Boasting a matte-black aluminum nanoclipz system and a carbon watchband accented with coloured stitching that are available in half a dozen colors, the Carbon Collection will hit the market early next month for $49.95 a pop at Apple Stores nationwide, Apple.com and www.iwatchz.com. Sounds like a pretty steep price to pay, but if you’re on a tight budget, there is the more affordable Jelly Collection as seen above. The Jelly Collection will come with a translucent-coloured nanoclipz system and matching vibrant silicon watchbands in pink, orange, red, green, blue, white and grey. Also arriving early next month, the Jelly Collection will retail for a much more affordable $24.95. Which direction do you want to take your iPod nano to?

Motorolla Xoom nabs best in show at CES

Named Best of CES, the Motrola Xoom brings dual core power to tablet PCs.

It seems that the impact of the iPad has really been felt as this year, CES was more about tablet computing than anything else. So much so that an Android Tablet that isn’t even ready yet nabbed the coveted honors of BEST OF CES at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

Running the new, custom built from the ground up, Android 3 Honeycomb OS, the Motorola Xoom is touted as the number one competitor to the upcoming iPad 2, according to SlashGear. But with other competitors like the Blackberry Playbook Tablet and a host of others, the market is now filled with budding iPad killers.

Running a dual-core Tegra 2 processor, the Motorola Xoom has features that include a 10-inch display, HDMI-out, front- and back-facing cameras, and a all while being connected with Verizon’s blazing fast 4G LTE network.

The Motorla Atrix with laptop dock is sure to be popular with road warriors

In addition to winning Best in Show for the Xoom, Motorola also took home honors for best Mobile device with the Motorola Atrix, a dual core “super smartphone” which can be docked to a laptop dock and turned into a full fledged computer platform.

Both will be out this Spring.

Polaroid GL10 Instant Mobile Printer

Ever since the mass production of digital cameras, we have certainly seen an explosion in the number of digital images to hit the Internet, with billions more trapped on your local hard drive. Well, printing them out is definitely going to take a whole lot of time and money, and the Polaroid GL10 Instant Mobile Printer intends to change all of that by offering an instant method of getting those precious memories out on paper – all without the need for ink. Yup, you read that right – the Polaroid GL10 Instant Mobile Printer is an extremely small, mobile device that boasts an intuitive design and easy-to-use feature set which produces Polaroid Classic Border, full bleed and contemporary 3×4” photos in under a minute – basically a portable photo booth in a box.

Will this help Polaroid become the household name that it used to be? Perhaps, but with the high cost of the Zink paper which it uses, it might just take a whole lot more than that to turn the company’s fortunes around for the better. Of course, Polaroid knows how to leverage on star power, and have teamed up with Lady Gaga to roll out this printer as a creative tool and fashion accessory. You can virtually carry it around with you wherever you go, letting the GL10 breathe new life into the digital images that shape your life story.

Tipping the scales at no more than 15 ounces, the GL10 printer will be able to connect to most cell phones out there that have Bluetooth support, and if you decide to connect it to a digital camera, there is always the good ol’ USB cable on which you can rely on. Of course, while this means photo printing without a computer, you can still hook up the GL10 to a Windows PC or Mac via USB as well. The GL10 will be powered by an internal rechargeable battery that is good to print up to 40 images before it requires a quick trip to the nearest power outlet. Apps for the GL10 Instant Mobile Printer on other mobile platforms will be introduced throughout the year, and if you want this hot ticket item, it will be out this May for $149.99.

HTC zaps the CES with the HTC Thunderbolt

HTC intends to make the most out of this year’s CES by announcing their latest masterpiece, touted to be the first 4G LTE Android smartphone in the world – the HTC Thunderbolt. Needless to say, something as exclusive as this will be made available via Verizon Wireless’ 4G LTE Mobile Broadband network, and you can be sure that with Verizon Wireless, having speedy connections under plenty of areas is something that you can expect without having to keep your fingers crossed. This phone looks set to blaze new trails, and for those who want the latest and the greatest, the HTC Thunderbolt should be on your radar.

Also carrying the HTC Sense experience inside for a more enjoyable Android experience instead of the stock user interface, this is also one of the first smartphones to integrate Skype mobile with video calling – a feature that was recently announced, and with 4G connectivity, it makes perfect sense to use the handset for video calls rather than regular phone calls. It will not rely on a standalone application either, as a Skype mobile with video call is easily made – similar to that of a standard voice call, boasting features such as presence icons that indicate the availability status of friends built into the standard contacts list. The inclusion of a front-facing camera will pave the way for simple video calling, while its 4.3-inch display brings friends and family into clear focus.

You definitely won’t find the HTC ThunderBolt to be a slouch in any way, as it boasts exceptional speed and power with the latest generation of the super fast 1GHz Snapdragon processor. Powered by Android 2.2 Froyo, other hardware specifications of this beauty include a 4.3-inch WVGA display, Dolby surround sound, an 8-megapixel camera and HD video recording. Wireless DLNA capability is also thrown into the mix, letting the HTC ThunderBolt can easily stream and share content directly with compatible home theater components. Oh yeah, just so that you don’t complain about the lack of storage space, each purchase will ship with a 32GB microSD memory card – now how about that?

Sports Stacking Set with Practice Timer

We’re not too sure when this will end up as an Olympics event, but in any case, it is always better to be prepared, no? That’s what the Sports Stacking Set with Practice Timer is all about as its name suggests, it will allow you to stack up and down a dozen specially designed cups in pre-determined sequences as fast as humanly possible, where you will do your utmost to beat your previous best mark. Alternatively, you can always give this a go with the rest of your mates especially during one of those drunken outings, to see who is the fastest (while the loser drinks even more booze to decrease his/her chances of winning). Retailing for $25.90 a pop, you can always bring this home by telling the missus that you need it to improve your hand-eye co-ordination. Hopefully she’ll buy that idea.

Freestyle Swimmer’s Snorkel

When it comes to swimming, what’s your favorite stroke? For those who raised their hands when freestyle is called out, the Freestyle Swimmer’s Snorkel is just the item for your perusal. This snorkel basically allows the proper freestyle swimming stroke technique without having to take a breath to the side – definitely a way to “cheat” your way to a personal best. Of course, when it comes to the actual swimming event, you will still need to breathe some time or the other, so take this as a training tool as used by regular training programs by collegiate sports teams. It is attached to the wearer’s forehead with a strap, leaving more than enough space for swim goggles. This will help keep your head aligned with the spine while swimming, helping develop body balance, rotation, and alignment in the water durign the entire process so that a solid foundation can be laid for learning more advanced skills including bilateral breathing. $39.95 sounds like a bargain when it comes to being a training aid.

If Wall Street says a Verizon iPhone is coming Tuesday, is it no longer a rumor?

Finally?

Granted, it’s not Walt Mossberg, but if the Wall Street Journal is betting the house that Verizon will be announcing the iPhone is coming as early as Tuesday, is it really a rumor anymore?

It’s the rumor that simply refuses to die. The iPhone is coming to Verizon. And that was always in the near future, when the deal with AT&T was to expire. But with AT&T adding a bevy of new Android headsets, and rumors that Apple was working on a CDMA version of the iPhone, the heat was rising on the rumor and a break in the story seemed imminent. Then there’s the timing since Apple always seems to love to drop a rumor bomb in the middle of CES. But now the Wall Street Journal is drinking the kool-aid and declaring that Verizon (not Steve Jobs) will be announcing as early as Tuesday that the iPhone is finally coming.

And Verizon is having an event Tuesday from New York City. But usually, big Apple product news comes at an Apple event right after CES. So is it a rumor or is the clout of the Wall Street Journal enough to make this a credible story? Can someone get Mossberg on this ASAP?

Verizon to offer Sling with 4G/LTE Mobile Phones

Can you watch me now?

With rumors that the iPhone may finally be coming to the Now Network, and now, a real announcement of a package deal that pairs the SlingBox to an LTE/4G Mobile Phone, Verizon has been very busy at CES.

Here’s the deal – customers who subscribe to LTE broadcand can get a Slingbox Media Streamer and a copy of Slingplayer bundled right in. The app itself is a $39.99 value and will be available for select 4G smartphones from Sansung and HTC, as well as being coupled with the Samsung Galaxy Tab.

There’s no word on how much the extra service will run, but it is expected to be a separate tiered service and will add to the already over $100 monthly cellphone bill subscribers are used to.

The offer will be available later in the year and will also include Vcast.

Wireless multiroom DVR coming to DirecTV

Samsung's Smart TV line will stream wireless DirecTV in multiple rooms

Samsung is joining forces with DirecTV to cut the cables on your home entertainment with a multi-room wireless DVR.

The standard that makes it possible is Samsung’s RVU protocol, which is available on all LED6000 and D6400 HDTVs which will start to be available in March of 2011. The RVU experience will give users DVR services, live pause on all screens in the home, over 200 hours worth of shared storage, picture in picture capabilities, and the ability to record up to ficve shows at once.

Course, users have to have a Samsung Smart TV in each othe rooms they want to stream digital content to wirelessly. But it’s a cool idea. RVU enables a set top box and turns it inso a digital media server of sorts which then broadcasts live and recorded television to each room that contains a Smart TV RVU supported television. And there’s no additional hardware required except a DirecTV RVU box.