I’ll be the first to admit that when Blu-ray first launched, I was skeptical. I wasn’t sure if the new technology was a worthwhile investment for someone like me. Sure, it delivered more storage and higher-quality video and audio, but I simply saw it as another way to take my hard-earned cash for little benefit over DVD.
Over time, I realized that my perception was off. Blu-ray has not only become my go-to platform when I want to buy movies or television shows, but it has also helped me replace the need for DVD in my home. Practically my entire DVD collection has been wiped out in favor of Blu-ray. And as time has gone on, I haven’t missed my once-beloved DVD one bit.
But now my time is being split between watching Blu-ray content and streaming video via services like Netflix and Amazon Video On Demand. I’ve found that not having to get off the couch to watch something I’m interested in is far more preferable than finding the DVD copy and popping that into a player. Call me lazy, but that convenience is something that makes streaming a staple in my home.
However, when I pit streaming against Blu-ray, I can’t help but choose the latter option when I want to sit back, relax, and enjoy a movie. The streaming option is certainly much easier to get up and running, and if I went all-streaming, I could reduce all the clutter in my entertainment center, but then I would lose the higher-quality video and audio that comes with Blu-ray.
Streaming is great, but do me a favor and pop Avatar into your Blu-ray player, running on your 1080p set, and tell me that isn’t the best way to enjoy that film. Yes, most streaming services, like Apple’s iTunes content on the Apple TV, are available in 720p, rather than 1080p, which makes the comparison a bit unfair, but isn’t that central to this entire argument? Until streaming can match Blu-ray in terms of overall quality and sound, it’s simply not the best way to enjoy content.
Luckily, companies like Vudu realize that. The company offers a 1080p option to customers that actually looks quite nice. But even in those cases where folks get 1080p content from Vudu, it can’t quite live up to the audio-visual quality we enjoy on Blu-ray.
And as convenient as Netflix is, the company’s streaming option in no way comes close to matching the experience of watching the same film on Blu-ray.
As much as I enjoy the many streaming services I use, they have a long way to go to match Blu-ray. Yes, streaming is convenient, and yes, it’s getting better by the day. But to say that it can be a replacement for Blu-ray, at least right now, is simply outrageous.
With the start of a new semester and a new year, we all have high hopes as students for how this semester is going to turn out; what better way to improve our grades and overall performance in school than with the help of a few great apps. These are five applications that are great for students of all ages, but especially for students in high school and college. With more than 300,000 apps readily available in Apple’s App Store, it can be a daunting process to find the ones that are really worth the memory space on your device and, more importantly, worth the money. Here are five apps that range in price from $0 to $4.99 and are, without a doubt, worth your money. These apps give you what you pay for and so much more.
First is myHomework (free) which is a great way to keep all your assignments organized, accessible and easily searchable. You can enter tests, labs, papers, presentations, readings and more for any class, and set reminders before the due date, leaving no room for “forgetting” an assignment.
There have been studies that have proven students who study with flashcards are often more prepared for tests, and with Flashcard Touch ($4.99), you can now be one of those students. With this application you can create unlimited flashcards from your own definition or numerous online definitions.
Keeping a list of things to do is an effective way of staying organized, and being organized is one of the many keys to success. With PTO, Put Things Off, ($1.99) you can add tasks, organize them by importance, and even “put them off” until a later time. As someone who loves making check lists, this app has become a must-have for me and has helped me keep track of what I need to do in a simple fashion.
As a student who commutes to school, I know how expensive it can be to fill up your gas tank so frequently. With Cheap Gas! (free) in the blink of an eye, I have been able to find conveniently located gas stations with remarkably low gas prices, whether I am at school or at home.
Last semester a professor of mine told me listening to music increases productivity while studying. Although I’m sure he wasn’t referring to the type of music I listen to, I took that advice and ran with it. The Pandora (free) application has also become a must-have app. I’m not a huge fan of listening to the radio because they overplay songs, play tracks I don’t like, and have too many commercials, but with Pandora I can customize my own radio station for free with far fewer commercials.
You can’t go wrong with these five applications, and if you use them properly you will almost certainly feel more successful in no time. What could be better than using your phone to improve your performance in school? Click here for more apps for students.
Not too long ago, I wrote on these pages that the Nintendo Wii in my house was collecting dust. I explained that Wii games aren’t as appealing to me as they might be to other gamers. I also told you that I wasn’t all that impressed by the Wii Remote itself. Suffice it to say that I’m perfectly content with a traditional controller.
So, when I purchased Microsoft’s Kinect after a few weeks of deciding whether or not it would be a sound purchase, I was a little concerned that the unique motion option would fall flat in the same way.
And then I played Kinect Adventures. The experience was unique, to say the least. And I was generally quite pleased with the gameplay. More importantly, I found that the Kinect followed my actions quite well.
I had a similarly impressive experience with Dance Central. I’m not much for dancing, but in trying the game with friends and family, I started believing that the Kinect would do what the Wii couldn’t in my life: make motion gaming a staple in my daily game sessions.
But after a while, just as it did with the Wii, my interest in the Kinect waned. Most of the games available for the device are more casual in nature, and they require multiple players to make them fun. The technology still impressed me, but the games themselves couldn’t quite stand up to the more traditional, “core” titles I typically enjoy.
More than a month since I came to that realization, my Kinect has done little but collect dust. I haven’t played a Kinect game in that span, and I haven’t missed it one bit.
Now, I’m sure some Microsoft fans would say that I’m premature in my judgement of the Kinect. After all, the platform has been out for only a couple months and some core titles should be supporting the device later this year.
That might be true. And I am hopeful that more serious titles can change my stance on the Kinect. But I’m not confident that will happen. Jumping around in my living room isn’t all that appealing to me. And once the novelty wears off on any casual Kinect game, I quickly realize that I’d rather sit on the couch and play a better title.
I can say the same for Sony’s PlayStation Move. Like the Wii, it falls short for me. And I can’t help but wonder why I’m flailing my arms around, rather than enjoying a game with a traditional controller.
So, unless the Kinect can deliver on my hopes of a viable hardcore experience, I’m not quite sure if it will do much in my house besides collect dust. It’s certainly a neat technology, and I think it offers more fun than the Wii, but when it’s all said and done, it still can’t match traditional gaming for me.
What about you? Is your Kinect collecting dust or are you playing with it each night?
Before the Consumer Electronics Show kicked off in Las Vegas, I wrote up a piece about how I was excited, and equally uneasy, about the trip to Vegas and the impending show. It’s the biggest tech show around, and while it may not seem like it, there really is a lot to do. But, time marches on, and here we are a couple days after the show has officially wrapped up. So, I figured I’d tell you how it all went, and whether or not I’m looking forward to next year’s extravaganza.
This year’s CES was one of the best. That’s what Ben Bajarin had to say about the show, and I think I’d have to agree with him. The truth is, seeing it from down on the showroom floor, or inside the press conferences, is completely different than reading about it, or even writing about it from a remote location. I’ve covered CES before, but not from the thick of it. It was a new experience, and it was one that I’ll always remember, for sure. But, before I got there, I had heard the horror stories, and took them to heart: limited or no WiFi access at all, bad food, too many people, and horrific traffic. I accepted it as a truth, but let me be honest: I wasn’t expecting what I found.
First and foremost, the traffic and Las Vegas is absurd. I’m not sure what’s happening there, but the drivers are simply insane. Either that, or they just like living life on the edge so much, that they push that way of life to its limits while on the road. I’ve been in a taxi in New York City, Los Angeles, and in Chicago — nothing compares to the crazy things I saw in Vegas. I wouldn’t even get in one of them, had I been given the opportunity. I’ll just go ahead and say this: if you’ve never been to Vegas and you don’t drink or gamble, then you should still go just to watch the traffic. It’s a show in of itself.
And let’s not forget about the pedestrians. They don’t seem to much care about traffic signals, or signs. I can’t even tell you how many times I watched a pack of people just go ahead and cross a busy street, despite the fact that it said no crossing. They just came in droves. And the bigger the initial pack, the longer the trailing line of people was. And, it didn’t matter that the vehicles had the right of way — it’s not like they were just going to run them all down, right there in the crosswalk. So, I watched as traffic got backed up a countless number of times, all because people were brave enough to just do what they wanted.
As for the show itself, it really is huge. Spanning two buildings, with one central hall in between them with even more gagets and devices, and booths, the entire event is one that you can probably see from space. And there are so many people. Trying to catch a break is impossible, because no matter where you are, there’s going to be someone else there. Or someone else walking by. There were plenty of times where I found myself on the fourth our fifth floor of the Venetian hotel, trying to find a WiFi connection that wasn’t being hampered by thousands of other computers. Even if it was quiet for the most part, there was always someone close by.
And there is a lot of walking to be done. While on the showroom floor, you have to move from one booth to another. Constantly on your feet, even for product demonstrations and hands-on, you’re never sitting for long. If you do find a seat in the press room, you’ll find yourself hoarding it like it was food, and you haven’t eaten in days. Especially if you manage to connect to the Internet for longer than five minutes with a quick connection.
And then there’s the food. It’s really hit or miss. Most conferences ended with a table next to the exit with plenty of food in boxes, waiting for the attendees to scramble out and grab one. Soda was certainly on hand in abundance. For me, it wasn’t necessarily about finding food, but finding food I wanted to eat. I found some of the craziest sandwich combinations, most of which I couldn’t even imagine eating on any given day. But, considering how busy I was, getting time to eat was pretty thin, so I managed to eat whatever they put in front of me.
Except seafood.
In the end, a lot of the horror stories are true. There isn’t a constant, reliable WiFi connection anywhere near people; the food is usually terrible; and there certainly is a lot of walking to do. But, was it worth it? Without a doubt. Will I do it again? Without hesitation. Seeing and meeting so many people, all of which are great and integral parts of an industry I love so much is something I would never pass up. Seeing old friends, making new ones, all while getting to play, see, and talk about the latest and greatest in gadgets, phones, and the tech industry in general is something that, for me, I would never think twice about.
Every CES has its unofficial theme – we’ve seen netbooks and ereaders flood the booths in previous years – and 2011 was the turn of tablets. As predicted before the show, the rise of the iPad, the imminent release of Android 3.0 Honeycomb and the promise of a new, lucrative segment has worked like catnip to manufacturers large and small. Check out the SlashGear CES 2011 tablet roundup after the cut.
We’ve been tracking Notion Ink since late 2009, and this year had the chance to see what’s so exciting about the company’s Adam tablet. The one Android-based slate on show that didn’t have to apologize for running something earlier than Honeycomb, Adam’s key strength is its awesome Eden UI and multitasking system. Our hands-on videos show it best, but considering this tiny start-up has managed to do what has pretty much escaped Microsoft for the past decade, it’s very promising.
Motorola’s XOOM is another slate with great promise, and its debut on Verizon this quarter – along with a 4G model in Q2 – is already getting people excited. Like Adam, the XOOM runs NVIDIA’s Tegra 2 chipset – you can find more about what that means in our Super Phone hub – and while it will be one of the first tablets to give us an official glimpse of Honeycomb, it also packs a few copy-worthy features. For instance, Motorola has designed the XOOM’s modem as modular, so that the 3G version it will launch with can be easily upgraded to a 3G/4G version later on; that will hopefully make international 3G/4G launches more straightforward as well.
T-Mobile has a 4G tablet of its own, in the shape of the HSPA+ capable G-Slate by LG. The most mysterious of the carrier-provided options, there’s not much known about the G-Slate beyond its Android 3.0 OS and 10-inch display. T-Mobile preferred to spend its time talking about the new Dell Streak 7, the long-rumored 7-inch sibling to the original Streak. Unfortunately it won’t be able to take advantage of the full speeds on offer as T-Mobile doubles its HSPA+ network to support up to 42Mbps, being limited to 21Mbps instead, but with Dell’s heft behind it we wouldn’t count it out.
Perhaps our biggest surprise of the show was how strong an option RIM’s BlackBerry PlayBook is shaping up to be. A step away from the Android crowds, the PlayBook’s QNX-based OS and dual-core TI OMAP4430 chipset single it out as a very capable contender, with a UI that bridges the larger screen size and the traditional BlackBerry interface well, and lashings of processing grunt on tap. It too will have a 4G option, courtesy of a launch on Sprint’s WiMAX network. Perhaps it was RIM co-CEO Mike Lazaridis’ enthusiasm rubbing off as he personally demo’d the slate to us, but the PlayBook looks like it could end up part of the iPad’s strongest competition.
RIM BlackBerry PlayBook demo:
While the slate form-factor has been the most common, ASUS and Samsung took a risk and opted for sliders in their tablet ranges. The ASUS Eee Pad Slider and Samsung Sliding PC 7 don’t show much imagination in their names but have enough to differentiate themselves in their hardware, each packing a full QWERTY keyboard for those who want the finger-friendliness of a touchscreen but also want to do some serious text entry. Beyond that similarity, though, the prospects are very different. Samsung opted for an Intel Oak Trail processor and Windows 7, promising full desktop functionality for those who care about it, but running the risk of underwhelming mobile battery life and having to reskin the OS with its own Touch Launcher UI. ASUS, meanwhile, opted for Android 3.0 Honeycomb running on Tegra 2, a far more mobility-friendly decision but potentially lacking the “grown up” software flexibility of the Samsung.
Though hardware has been brimming over with Tegra 2 and other dual-core chipsets, the software side of things has suffered. We asked for intelligent ecosystems, tablets that fit into a more comprehensive system of media, hardware and connectivity, and few delivered. Vizio’s VIA Tablet and Phone look to have come the closest, coupling integration with the company’s smart TVs and cross-device access to things like streaming media and OnLive gaming, but it’s something the big names have failed to deliver on. That’s going to make positioning their devices in the market all the more difficult; Apple gets a lot of criticism for its relatively closed-garden approach, but it also does a very good job at putting the iPad into context with the rest of the iTunes ecosystem. Rivals are going to have to learn to do more than produce lengthy spec sheets if they want mainstream buyers to slot another mobile device into their lives.
There have been a few notable absences at this year’s show, too. HTC continues to get name-checked in the Honeycomb tablet rumors, but failed to show anything more than smartphones at CES 2011. Worse still, the company was overshadowed by Motorola’s ATRIX 4G, with its clever laptop-style docking station. We’ll be looking to MWC 2011 in February to see if HTC can redeem itself there.
Motorola ATRIX 4G demo:
HP and the promised webOS slate was also conspicuous by its absence, and the surprise reveal we’d half-hoped for in the run up to CES failed to materialize. We’re yet to see an attention-grabber like Palm’s Pre debut a few years back, and interest in the company’s smartphone line-up continues to wane. Hopefully something suitably groundbreaking will show up at the HP webOS event on February 9. Microsoft, too, was tipped to be putting greater software emphasis on touch computing, but instead gave the Windows-faithful – both among users and manufacturers – little to smile about. The rumoured Windows 8 preview never transpired, and Windows-on-ARM got more keynote attention by CEO Steve Ballmer. That might have seemed the ideal opportunity to talk UI, but Microsoft didn’t cash in.
The absent spectre looming over all the tablets at CES 2011 was the second-gen iPad. Rivals have had a year to ready their alternatives, but Apple hasn’t been standing still in the meantime; the iPad 2 is rumored to be unveiled as early as this month, and while it may not have the all-singing, all-dancing tech specs of some hardware we’ve seen in the past week, it will have a solid user-base, well-stocked App Store and gobfuls of brand appeal to build upon. Factor in that many of the big-name slates are waiting on Honeycomb, against Apple’s ability to announce a new device and then ship very soon after, and the iPad 2 could well be repeating its predecessor’s sales success imminently. 2011 is most definitely the year of the tablet, but that’s the only certainty in what’s turning out to be a volatile segment.
I’m always quick to come to the defense of the video game industry when I feel it’s being unfairly criticized. Too often, critics say that the industry is overrun with characters and storylines that are targeted at kids. They believe that the industry hasn’t matured over the past twenty years, and is still caught in a time when plumbers and hedgehogs were all the rage.
The critics simply fail to see that today’s gaming industry is a much different place than it once was.
That’s precisely why I found myself in a somewhat frustrating conversation recently with a friend that told me the film industry deserves far more respect than video games could ever earn. He told me that classics like “Citizen Kane,” “The Godfather,” and countless others have done more for arts and entertainment around the world than any video game ever released.
As expected, his argument then turned to games themselves. He said that even so-called “mature” games, like Call of Duty: Black Ops or Mass Effect fail to offer the quality of entertainment and artistic expression movies can muster.
For sure, it’s an old argument. And it’s one that those on either side of the debate feel strongly about. But it doesn’t make it any less relevant. And as a video game fanatic, I feel it’s my duty to support the industry that has given me so much entertainment over the years.
See, I believe that some video games deserve just as much respect nowadays as movies. I would agree that sports games, children’s titles, or most of Nintendo’s first-party titles can’t be held in the same light as film classics, but I do believe that several games, including one of my favorite titles of 2010 — Mass Effect 2 — deserve the same respect as films.
Video games today are made with multi-million dollar budgets, have teams of writers developing compelling storylines, boast outstanding musical scores, and deliver a level of entertainment that was thought impossible even a decade ago. They are so compelling, in fact, that they keep us intrigued for dozens of hours. Try to find me a single movie that can do the same.
So, perhaps I’m not so sold on the value of film over games. Do I think games deserve more respect than movies? Of course not. But I don’t believe movies deserve more respect than video games either.
Video games are bridging the gap between fun and artistic expression. And I think it’s time we all appreciate that much more than we already do.
Verizon’s got something to show us next Tuesday, and the WSJ says the iPhone is a lock-in for their network. The possibility of Apple’s smartphone on Big Red’s network has been the stuff of rumors since before the first-gen iPhone even launched back in 2007. There’s no denying the amount of interest in a Verizon iPhone; head on after the cut to find out why we should care, as well as some of the issues that still remain unanswered.
AT&T managed a major coup when they clinched not only the first-gen iPhone but exclusivity on the three subsequent versions in the US. Over that period, despite investment in the network, the iPhone’s appeal has seen AT&T’s wireless capabilities overloaded again and again. Yes, it shows its head particularly during events like CES 2011, when iPhone 4-toting geeks come together and, combined, suck all the juice out of AT&T’s base-stations, but network capacity has been an ongoing problem for US subscribers from the very earliest days.
In contrast, Verizon’s much-vaunted CDMA network has hovered like some teasing high-ground, off limits to even the iPhone unlocking community thanks to the differences in network technology. For many, the appeal of a Verizon iPhone is the fervent belief that where there once were zero bars for them, now there would be five. No more dropped calls, no more sluggish browsing, no more SMS messages dropping into their inbox five hours late.
It’s also a matter of competition. In Europe and Asia, where the iPhone 4 is not a single network exclusive, the usual battle to the bottom line has meant that even Apple’s “magical” smartphone isn’t safe from discounts and heavy subsidies. In the UK, for instance, you can pick up a “free” iPhone 4 with a new agreement from more than five carriers, each competing for business by throwing in more minutes, more data or more messages.
Now, if the iPhone lands on Verizon next week, it won’t quite add up to the same thing. We don’t yet know what Verizon is intending in terms of wireless radios; the carrier could switch out the iPhone 4′s AT&T support for its own CDMA EVDO Rev.A radio, or it might produce a so-called “Global Phone” with both CDMA for use in North America and GSM/UMTS for use when roaming abroad. The latter seems more likely, given otherwise the Verizon iPhone would be little use for travellers, and global-roaming is certainly the direction the carrier appears to be taking with its high-end smartphone range. Another possibility is LTE, to take advantage of Verizon’s fledgling 4G network.
Still, even as a global phone, you couldn’t hop between AT&T and Verizon as you can with European carriers. For a start, the AT&T iPhone 4 lacks CDMA support – if you want to switch network, you’ll have to buy a whole new iPhone 4 – and we’re expecting Verizon to lock down their version so that only their own roaming microSIMs are allowed. That’ll be another challenge to the iPhone unlock community, but it remains to be seen which US-compatible 3G bands a Verizon iPhone 4 global phone might support.
Verizon’s timing also throws a spanner into the works, given that the fifth-generation iPhone is expected to debut midway through 2011. Apple’s yearly refresh of the smartphone has been pretty predictable, but Verizon’s model makes it a biannual cycle; will Verizon devotees always be six months behind the GSM version, or will this first Verizon iPhone be refreshed as soon as June or July? If you opt for the Verizon iPhone 4 this week, will you be out in the cold when it comes to the iPhone 5 in a few months time? The carrier is expected to update its early-termination policies to extend the minimum period before a subsidized upgrade to 20 months, which means it could be near the end of 2012 before they’re willing to let you switch to whatever updated version Apple has rolled out.
For those currently struggling to make a call or send a message, but unwilling to give up their iPhone’s usability, the strength of Verizon’s network may still provide enough appeal to override such concerns. Analysts vary in their predictions of what impact on AT&T’s business a Verizon iPhone might have, but the GSM carrier has undoubtedly been doing its best not only to lock in as many new customers as possible – the half-price iPhone 3GS, for instance – while outing a comprehensive new smartphone range based on Google’s Android platform this past week. The Motorola ATRIX 4G, Samsung Infuse 4G and HTC Inspire 4G all have strengths above and beyond the current iPhone 4, not least their support for AT&T’s HSPA+ network. Expect just as much push to popularize those handsets as AT&T has been doing with the iPhone, as the carrier attempts to reduce its reliance on Apple’s handset.
SlashGear will be at Verizon’s event – along with, if you believe the rumors, Apple CEO Steve Jobs – on Tuesday, January 11 2011, so join us then for all the details as they’re announced!
The set-top box market picked up in the past year. A slew of companies joined the fray, like Boxee, while others, including Roku, Apple, and Western Digital, improved their line of products to better appeal to consumers.
Aside from the Apple TV, perhaps the most notable addition to the set-top box market last year was Google TV. The platform was made available on the Logitech Revue and some Sony HDTVs, and was expected to captivate audiences.
But it didn’t. And all the while, the Apple TV performed quite well.
Apple’s set-top box features a small footprint and allows consumers to stream movies and television shows from iTunes. It also includes Netflix streaming, among other features. Unlike its predecessor, Apple isn’t treating its latest set-top box like a “hobby.” That renewed focus helped Apple sell over 1 million Apple TV units since the device’s launch, making it one of the more popular set-top boxes on store shelves.
As an Apple TV owner, I have no issue seeing the device perform well at retail (it is a useful product, after all), but I am concerned that the market will focus more on delivering an experience similar to that set-top box’s, rather than what Google TV offers, given recent sales.
See, the Apple TV is too simple. It doesn’t interface with my DVR, it doesn’t have an App Store-like marketplace, and it delivers a movie-viewing experience that’s far too similar to the sub-par offering on my DVR.
But Google TV is different. Even with its faults, Google TV has more promise than any other service on the market. It will soon allow users to access apps; it has a full-fledged Web browser; and with some help from content providers, it should soon deliver far more content than any other platform in the space.
As far as I’m concerned, Google TV is the only service available now that makes sense in such a forward-thinking marketplace.
The Apple TV is a fine product, but it’s too, well, today. And I’m not looking for a product that’s suitable for today. I want a product that can look ahead and bring the future to me sooner rather than later. And at least right now, that’s Google TV.
So, going forward I don’t want to see vendors get wrapped up in the Apple TV’s success and follow its lead. Not only would it hold the streaming space back, but it would also annoy a lot of consumers who are looking for far more functionality.
Despite the fact that I’ve been writing about technology for a while now, I consider today a big day for me. Actually, I consider today a day that will be one that I remember for the rest of my life. Sorry for beating around the bush, but I imagine that the title of this column probably gave it away: this is my first visit to Las Vegas while the Consumer Electronics Show is in town. Why is today such a big day? Because today’s the day I’m taking my flight to Vegas, and teaming up with the rest of the SlashGear and Android Community crew, where we’re going to run around with a chaotic purpose to do just one thing: bring you images, stories, and videos of what’s happening at this year’s show. But, while we’re doing that, here’s the truth: I’m going to be scared out of my mind.
I’m already scared, and my flight isn’t for another few hours. I’ve been reading all of the stories, the predictions, the hints and guesses about what’s to come at this year’s show. I’ve got a few assumptions of my own about what’s going to be unveiled, and about how things are going to go about, but the truth is, nothing I can do on my own is going to prepare me for what’s about to happen. The next several days are going to be some of the most chaotic, disruptive, stressful, but ultimately memorable that I can imagine, and I’m looking forward to them like I was a small child waiting for Christmas day.
That’s probably a good correlation between events. A lot of people believe that these shows are much like Christmas, where we get to see all of the brand new toys heading to the market some time in the future. I can see that. And that’s probably why I’m so nervous. Because this isn’t just a few presents under the tree. This is huge. This is several hundred toys, but instead of being under a tree, they’re in booths. There’s going to be showing them off, and other people taking photos, or video, and asking question after question. And I’m going to be in all of it, moving from one booth to the next, talking to the people showing off the products, playing with the products, and then writing it all down to tell you about it. To tell you about the toys. About the events.
And thinking about it just terrifies me even more. But, truth be told, it is what it is. This is one event in 2011 that may go down in history as the show for tablets, or 3D, or the sweep of 4G devices. Whatever the takeaway is, I’m going to be right there, figuring out how it all makes sense in this crazy world. And no matter what, it’s going to be something that keeps me on my toes the whole time. Exercise, all the while getting to play with some of the greatest things to hit the market since sliced bread. It doesn’t get any better than that, now does it?
And what’s better, is the fact that I get to meet the people that I work with every day, face-to-face. Finally. We’re brought together by this event, and what’s a better way to get a bunch of people who love technology, and who love to write about it, then an event like CES 2011? And despite the fact that I may be terrified of the next few days, it boils down to telling all of you about what’s coming, and showing you all the great things that you’ll definitely be excited about for the next couple of weeks, or months. Maybe you’ll find the next gadget you want so badly, that you mark its release date on your schedule. That’s what it’s all about.
So even if I’m scared out of my mind, I can’t wait to tackle it, and get it done. So, wish me luck. Here’s to my first CES.
We’re having a do-over. 2010 was meant to be the year of the tablet, but it turned out to be something of a flop unless you love iOS. Predictions that we’d see dozens of Android slates turned out to be only partially true: yes, there were tablets a-plenty, but recognizable brand names were generally absent and the flush of OEM models seldom made it onto store shelves. Samsung pushed ahead with the Galaxy Tab, and succeeded in showing us that, while there’s room for more than just the iPad on the market, you really need to have a team of software engineers on hand to fettle Android in order to claim your place.
That’s not so much Android’s fault – the OS has been steadily climbing in popularity, and Android-powered smartphones are turning into best-sellers on various carriers – but proof that you can’t take a smartphone OS, slap it onto a big-screen device and expect it to be anything like as elegant. Expectations of low pricing didn’t help; Android may be free, but as Toshiba found to its cost with the Folio 100, you can’t cut quality corners on your budget slate and expect the market to stomach them.
With Honeycomb, Android on slates should feel less half-hearted, and it seems the sensible manufacturers have decided to keep their development money in their pockets, allow Samsung to mop up the earliest of early adopters, and strike the iPad hype machine when Google has the tablet-centric OS ready. With that expected in February or March – though some wags are suggesting Honeycomb will launch even earlier, at CES in fact – it puts us on the precipice of a new cavalcade of touchscreen tidbits. Acer, ASUS, Dell, LG, Motorola, MSI, Samsung and Toshiba are among the big-brand names expected to show off new slates, and that’s before you get to the smaller companies with their own big ambitions. It’ll require more than a little imagination, however; with Honeycomb not yet ready for the public, we’re going to have to take the word of manufacturers that their CES demo units (running earlier versions of Android) will translate to more cohesive experiences when they finally launch.
That’s not to say Android is the only way forward for tablets. HP is expected to launch its first webOS-based slate in 2011, and we’re hoping the company follows in Palm’s footsteps from two years ago and surprises everyone with a legitimately interesting CES reveal this week. Windows 7, meanwhile, is also tipped to be flexing its tablet ambitions, with Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer said to be bringing models from Dell and Samsung on-stage in his CES keynote. Whether that’s enough to give Microsoft and its OEM partners any sort of edge remains to be seen; Windows 7 has its uses, but when it comes to finger-friendliness it’s low on the list.
If the year’s delay has helped at all, it’s in showing manufacturers – and a perhaps naive public – that slapping the internet on a touchscreen display isn’t quite enough. With little more than Star Trek PADDs to go by, the early assumption was that by stripping away the keyboard we’d immerse ourself in a heady soup of finger-flicked internet access and be content. Instead, it’s become clear that a tablet works best – and that people are more likely to spend money – when it fits into an ecosystem of media. Vizio’s integration of its freshly-announced VIA Tablet and VIA Phone is one example of how that might work, but there’s still plenty of room for a manufacturer to step in and show everyone else – Apple included – how it can be done best.
