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Engadget's Comprehensive CES Coverage

LaCie breaks off quad-interface 2big Quadra RAID drive

by Darren Murph, posted Jan 6th 2009 at 8:49PM


LaCie already delivered two new pieces in its collection yesterday, but apparently the 2big Quadra simply demanded its very own day of promotion. The classically styled (thanks, Neil Poulton) drive arrives with twin bays for up to 3TB of storage and support for four RAID modes including the traditional RAID 0 / 1. Transfer speeds can hit up to 165MB/sec through eSATA (3Gbits/sec in RAID 0), and the the quadruple interface -- USB 2.0, eSATA, FireWire 400 and FireWire 800 -- means that whatever machine you happen upon will likely be equipped to handle it. Moreover, it's fully compatible with Apple's Time Machine software and comes bundled with Genie Backup Manager Pro / Intego Backup Manager Pro for those in need. It'll be yours for the taking later this month (in 1TB, 2TB and 3TB sizes) starting at $299.99.

Seagate's Barracuda 7200.12 HD packs 500GB per platter

by Darren Murph, posted Jan 6th 2009 at 6:19PM

Around 1.5 years ago, we were all sitting around in awe of the ultra-dense Barracuda 7200.10. Now, Seagate has doubled up on that gigabyte-per-platter milestone with the Barracuda 7200.12. As of this week, the desktop hard drive with the industry's highest areal density (329 Gigabits per square inch, for those curious) is shipping, as the firm's engineers have somehow figured out how to squeeze 500GB onto a single disk. The 3.5-inch 7,200RPM drive touts a SATA interface, a sustained data rate of up to 160MB/second and a burst speed of 3Gb/second. It's available as we speak in 500GB, 750GB and 1TB capacities, though there's no telling how much coin you'll be asked to lay down in order to take home the bragging rights.

[Via TG Daily]

Lok8u launches Nu•M8 GPS child locator watch at CES

by Darren Murph, posted Jan 6th 2009 at 5:54PM


Little known Lok8u has traveled all the way from the UK to be in Vegas this week, but it's certainly not for the despicable reasons you think. In fact, the locations services company is setting up shop at CES in order to debut its Nu•M8 GPS child locator, a so-called "innovative new best friend for parents and children." The device is said to be the first of its kind created specifically to be worn by children with the technology "cleverly concealed within a child's digital watch." Granted, the styling is questionable for youngsters over 9 or 10, but by that age they ought to be toting their very own beeper, right? Of note, the watch will also send an alert if it's ever "forcibly removed," though it'll cost you £149.99 ($218) for the peace of mind come Spring.

WowWee mixes it up at CES: Cinemin pico PJ, new Alive Cubs and more

by Darren Murph, posted Jan 6th 2009 at 5:27PM


Can you say "diversify?" WowWee can, and it's saying it loudly and proudly here at CES 2009. While the company has surely dabbled in areas outside of straight-up robotics before, it's never taken it upon itself to product a suite of pico projectors nor pets designed solely as sleeping companions. No need to wipe the sand from your eyes -- the same company responsible for Mr. Personality is dish out a Cinemin line of micro PJs (powered by TI's DLP technology) here in the desert. Moving on, we're also informed of the Spyball spy-cam, a remote controller, WiFi-enabled robotic ball that strangely reminds us of American Gladiators. The company's got plenty more in its bag of tricks too, including the Joebot and Roborover robots, FlyTech Lightstar flyer / Hoverpod racer, four new breeds of Alive Cubs and a fresh line of "pajama pals" dubbed Sleeping Cuties. Hop past the break for details on the whole crew.

Gallery: WowWee mixes it up at CES: Cinemin pico PJ, new Alive Cubs and more

NEC delivers 26- / 30-inch LCDs with SpectraView color calibration sensor

by Darren Murph, posted Jan 6th 2009 at 4:58PM


If you thought NEC's LCD2690WUXi² was a mouthful, you ain't heard nothin' yet. Debuting today at Macworld are the MultiSync LCD2690W2-BK-SV (26-inch) and LCD3090W-BK-SV (30-inch) displays, both of which come bundled with the SpectraView color calibration sensor and software. Of note, NEC's also taking this opportunity to launch the aforesaid kit as a standalone product (SVII-PRO-KIT; $329) for those who could use it, and it's fully compatible with both Windows and OS X-based systems. Oddly enough, NEC doesn't even stop to mention the native resolution on either IPS panel, though it spends a copious amount of time detailing exactly how awesome fully automated color calibration is. And it better be, given the $1,449 / $2,449 price points.

WD pumps out My Passport for Mac / My Book Mac Edition

by Darren Murph, posted Jan 6th 2009 at 3:44PM

We'll wager you didn't know Macworld was going on today, did you? Pathetic jokes aside, Western Digital has lined up a pair of launches today in San Francisco to coincide with Apple's final Macworld keynote, as we're treated to the My Passport for Mac portable HDD and the My Book Mac Edition. Truthfully, the only real difference between these drives and their vanilla counterparts is the pre-format process; with these, they both come "pre-formatted for Mac," saving you the tiresome task of converting 'em to HFS+ Journaled yourself. Additionally, these USB 2.0 drives are made to work "seamlessly" with Apple's Time Machine backup software, and they'll arrive in capacities including 320GB and 500GB (My Passport) / 1TB (My Book). Both units should be available now for between $129.99 and $179.99.

Verbatim trots out OS X-friendly 8GB Store 'n' Go retractable USB drive

by Darren Murph, posted Jan 6th 2009 at 3:28PM

Verbatim doesn't really make a lot of racket during the year, but come Macworld / CES, it pulls out all of the stops. Alongside a new family of delectable ExpressCard SSDs, the company is also introducing an 8GB Store 'n' Go Retractable USB Drive (Windows version shown) that caters to the OS X crowd. Verbatim's pushing two main selling points here: for starters, the capless, retractable design means that your USB socket will always be covered, and secondly, the password controlled access to the drive's private zone plays nice within an OS X environment. The half-ounce device is expected to land on store shelves in just a few weeks, though it'll cost you a stiff $59.99 if you're looking to pay MSRP.

BFG Technologies' Phobos gaming PC packs Core i7, personal concierge

by Darren Murph, posted Jan 6th 2009 at 3:19PM

PC startups, take note -- this is how you cut through the noise and get recognized. Rather than simply copying Alienware or some other boutique gaming outfit, BFG Technologies is introducing its first line of high-performance PCs with quite the unusual extra. Sure, the 3.2GHz Core i7 965 Extreme Edition is totally expected, and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 295 GPUs aren't all that shocking, but the complementary concierge service is certainly a step in a new direction. With each Phobos purchase comes six months of said service, which includes "expert in-home installation and a six month follow up maintenance visit." Check the full release after the break for all the deets, but you can count on spending at least three large to get in.

Continue reading BFG Technologies' Phobos gaming PC packs Core i7, personal concierge

D-Link's DCS-1130 WiFi monitoring camera sends footage to the web

by Darren Murph, posted Jan 6th 2009 at 3:00PM


Yeah, it's kind of creepy, but we're sure D-Link had the noblest of intentions when crafting the DCS-1130 802.11n Wireless Network Camera. Said device offers paranoid homeowners the chance to login from practically anywhere and view live streams of their camera, and the 16x digital zoom is sure to give you a totally pixelated look at whatever stranger happens to meander around in your yard before moving on. Better still, those who simply can't go a moment without a look back home can view the live streams on a 3G cellphone, though a wireless router supporting WPS must be involved in the configuration. Mum's the word on a price, but it should be noted that a wired-only version (DCS-1100) will also be available for those who don't trust the airwaves.

SanDisk outs Gen 2 pSSDs for blossoming netbook sector

by Darren Murph, posted Jan 6th 2009 at 2:47PM


SanDisk's Gen 1 pSSDs just starting shipping in August, but already we're staring at the successors. Here at CES, the outfit has introduced its Gen 2 pSSD lineup, which is comprised of the pSSD-P2 and pSSD-S2. Said drives are aimed at low-cost PCs (netbooks, in particular) as well as commercial applications such as POS terminals, printers and ATMs. Unfortunately, "aggressively priced" is as close as we're getting to an actual sticker, though we are told that they'll be available in 8/16/32/64GB capacities as early as next month.

Eos Wireless' Converge system streams audio all over your home

by Darren Murph, posted Jan 6th 2009 at 2:35PM


Considering that Eos Wireless is introducing its Converge wireless audio system at Macworld, it follows logic that the press release is geared towards Apple kit. So yeah, there's no question this stuff will stream jams from your iPod, iPhone, Apple TV or Mac to any room in the house, but you should also know that the system plays nice with the anti-Apple (but pro-USB / auxiliary port) crowd as well. It promises a wireless range of 150 feet, and it seems to be available in a variety of "Groups" depending on how complex or simplistic your home setup is. Look for the components to ship in March for as low as $89.95 per piece.

D-Link introduces 7-inch USB-powered SideStage monitor

by Darren Murph, posted Jan 6th 2009 at 1:55PM

D-Link, the company best known for its workings in the networking space, is suddenly branching out into new territories. Taking a pretty noticeable cue from Nanovision, D-Link is debuting a secondary display today in Las Vegas. The 7-inch SideStage, which rocks a 800 x 480 resolution and can be used in either landscape or portrait mode, weighs just 1.34-pounds and gets all the juice it needs from a powered USB 2.0 socket. Regrettably, the outfit failed to disclose a price or release date, simply saying it would be on display at CES. Why the tease, D-Link?

Sony Ericsson's XPERIA X1a now available at SonyStyle

by Darren Murph, posted Jan 6th 2009 at 11:46AM


It's been tough getting out of the starting gate for Sony Ericsson's X1a (that's the Americanized version of the X1), particularly when you realize that it was supposed to ship en masse way back on Black Friday of last year. Oh sure, a select few have managed to procure one of the QWERTY-packin' WinMo powerhouses, but we've heard far more complaints about "no stock" than tips on excess inventory. Now, however, SonyStyle.com has the handset listed as in stock, with an estimated ship date of tomorrow. Furthermore, UnwiredView is reporteding that many of Sony's retail locations are also well stocked with the unlocked smartphone. Of note, SonyStyle is offering up the X1a in silver, but there's always spray paint if you're lusting after a black model like the one we tried out.

[Via UnwiredView]

VIA's dual-core Nano still on track, but it's not the Nano 3000

by Darren Murph, posted Jan 6th 2009 at 11:45AM


We know, we can't imagine how this naming convention could be confusing at all, but VIA's vice president of corporate marketing Richard Brown has stepped forward to clarify things a bit. In short, that Nano 3000 we heard about a few days back will not be dual-core, but the firm is still lining up a dual-core version of its Nano processor in order to totally slay Intel's Atom in the future. According to Mr. Brown: "The Nano 3000 isn't dual-core. It's a different version of the Nano that's based on a more advanced manufacturing process." So, the take-home here is that VIA actually has a couple of new chips in the pipeline worth keeping an eye on, and we're even told that the Q4 release date for the still-elusive dual-core CPU remains solid. CES 2010 sure seems like a swell launching pad, no?

3M's MM200 micro projector seeks integration within cellphones, cameras

by Darren Murph, posted Jan 6th 2009 at 11:44AM


The MPro110 has picked up some pretty positive vibes in the burgeoning pico projector market, but 3M is already looking well beyond that. At this year's CES, the company is debuting the LCoS-based MM200, a micro projection engine that is destined to find its way into cellphones, handheld accessories and digital cameras of the future. Reportedly, the device can project a 50-inch image while only drawing a single watt of power, and best of all, it'll be "available for consumer purchase in 2009." Yeah, as in, this year. One more look is after the break.

Continue reading 3M's MM200 micro projector seeks integration within cellphones, cameras

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