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Started by H Needles; Last updated Feb 27, 08 7:36 AM CST by D Lim | View history

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Consumer Electronics

"Technology is a way of organizing the universe so that man doesn't have to experience it." -Max Frisch

Consumer electronics, gadgets and digital entertainment have redefined virtually every aspect of how we live our lives. What's on the horizon for flash-memory hard drives, ultra-thin TVs, GPS units and digital music players?

Stories

Stories 1 - 20 of 79

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July 2008
- Recycled 'E-Waste' Can Be Toxic
  
  newser | USA Today | Jul 7, 08 5:59 AM CDT
  
  Recycling old computers, cell phones, and TVs may sound like a good idea—but be sure you know the destination before you dump such material, USA Today advises. While such “e-waste” recycling programs are springing up everywhere these days, some pose a threat. Often, the materials end up in developing nations, spreading toxins through the air and water. More »
- iPhone 3G Faithful Already Lining Up in NYC
  
  newser | Apple Insider | Jul 5, 08 4:29 PM CDT
  
  The next-generation iPhone won't ring up sales until Friday, but eager shoppers are already lining up outside Apple’s flagship New York store. Ready with chairs and other gear, ten people have a head-start, and may be smarter than they look: For this release, customers must activate their 3G phones in-store, which could “slow the line down considerably,” Apple Insider says. More »
- Digital Pens Becoming Ever Mightier
  
  newser | New York Times | Jul 3, 08 10:10 AM CDT
  
  Though the Pulse digital pen has won hearts of gadgeteers looking to transcribe written notes to their PCs, David Pogue, in the New York Times , finds the special paper needed to use it limiting, and turns to a pair of pens that can write anywhere. In a side-by-side comparison, "the Dane-Elec ZPen makes the Iogear Mobile Digital Scribe look like an amateur." More »
June 2008
- Tech Giants Join Forces Against 'Patent Trolls'
  
  newser | Wall Street Journal | Jun 30, 08 11:45 AM CDT
  
  Some of tech's biggest players are banding together to corner the market on patents key to their various businesses, the Wall Street Journal reports. Companies like Google and Verizon are afraid of being held hostage by small players with a claim on key bits of intellectual property, and wary of so-called "patent trolls," outfits that buy intellectual property solely to launch lawsuits. More »
- 'Wearable' Gadgets Respond to Body Movements
  
  newser | Associated Press | Jun 26, 08 4:37 PM CDT
  
  Someday, you may be able to tap your fingers to control your DVD player or roll your eyes to pump up your music player’s volume—if technology under development by Japan's top mobile carrier comes to fruition, the AP reports. A cell phone shaped like a large ring that wearers can hear by sticking their fingers in their ears is another of NTT DoCoMo's inventions. More »
- Photos Tell Who, What; New Card Can Tell Where
  
  newser | New York Times | Jun 26, 08 2:11 PM CDT
  
  Add geotagging to the list of must-have features for digital photo buffs. Yep, David Pogue writes in the New York Times —no more need to note where you took pictures. The newest Eye-Fi memory card—a WiFi-enabled sliver that uploads pictures automatically—also tags photos with a location. The downside: Coverage is limited to big urban areas in the US and Europe. More »
- Sony Gets Green Thumbs-Up in Electronics Rankings
  
  newser | PC World | Jun 25, 08 4:44 PM CDT
  
  Sony and Sony Ericsson are Greenpeace’s model tech citizens, topping a list of eco-friendly electronics companies. The environmental activists look at industry players’ use of hazardous chemicals, responsibility for obsolete products and—new this year—corporate policy toward climate change and other energy issues. Sony Ericsson was the first company to approach perfect on the chemical issue, PC World reports. More »
- Chill Chips May Take Heat Off Computers
  
  newser | ComputerWorld | Jun 25, 08 3:49 PM CDT
  
  Researchers have developed a tiny refrigeration system to keep computers cool, an invention that will do away with the clunky fan currently used—and potentially lead to much smaller and faster devices, Computerworld reports. The team at Purdue University expects the technology to be ready for installation within 2 years. More »
- Forget Batteries —Get Ready for Fuel Cells
  
  newser | Economist | Jun 19, 08 8:20 PM CDT
  
  Think fuel cells are just for cars? Think again. Their real value may be to power portable electronics such as laptops and cell phones. Fuel cells that use methanol, rather than gasoline, could replace batteries in electronics. They last much longer and take just a moment to refuel—and they're greener and possibly safer than batteries, reports the Economist . More »
- Skip the Ties and Tools: Dads Want Gadgets
  
  newser | ABC News | Jun 14, 08 7:06 AM CDT
  
  Lose the power tools and the landscaping implements this Father's Day, ABC News suggests. The kind of cutting edge Dad really wants can't be found at the hardware store. Among them: For dads who want media at their fingertips, the enV2 by LG hosts music and video via V CAST and sports a QWERTY keyboard for only $129, with a phone contract. More »
- Not Just iPhone—iRadio!
  
  newser | New York Times | Jun 13, 08 9:00 PM CDT
  
  Apple’s new iPhone will provide free, CD-quality radio from 200 stations in 25 genres—even if that does cut into iTunes' music business, Saul Hansell blogs in the New York Times . But Apple knows that it will "fare best if it makes the iPhone as useful as possible, and that means exploiting the device’s ability to stream music, talk and video." More »
- Not Very PC: Why Typewriters Beat Computers
  
  newser | BBC | Jun 8, 08 2:31 PM CDT
  
  Favored by novelists and technophobes and sold out of car trunks, typewriters remain the implement of choice for some Brits, reports BBC. Despite their weight and Internet deficiencies, the tangible writing experience free from computer meltdowns or deletions may save the typewriter from extinction—at least for now. One sales rep says he’s “amazed” his company still sells models at nearly $1,000. More »
- New iPhone GPS Would Rock Nav System World
  
  newser | Wired | Jun 8, 08 6:10 AM CDT
  
  Apple is likely to announce the addition of GPS to the iPhone tomorrow—and that’s bad news for makers of portable satellite-navigation systems, Wired reports. It could also be a dangerous distraction for those on the road, as drivers increasingly turn to tiny mobile-phone screens for directions. The number of users of GPS-enabled phones is expected to quadruple by 2011. More »
- New Kind of LCD Promises Better Viewing
  
  newser | MIT Technology Review | Jun 6, 08 3:01 PM CDT
  
  Watch out, plasma TVs. A new kind of LCD screen in development at Samsung overcomes the weaknesses of ordinary LCD displays. A prototype of the blue-phase liquid crystal screen has a wider viewing angle and doesn’t blur fast-moving images as much. What’s more, it could wind up being less expensive than current LCDs, reports MIT Technology Review. More »
- Piles of Evidence Delay Intel Antitrust Trial
  
  newser | Wall Street Journal | Jun 6, 08 11:45 AM CDT
  
  With countless documents and hundreds of witnesses to sort through, chip maker Advanced Micro Devices’ antitrust lawsuit against Intel won’t begin until 2010 at the earliest, the Wall Street Journal reports. AMD has long accused Intel of corrupt business practices; the delay comes after a Korean court ruled that the PC giant had offered millions in rebates to computer makers for not buying from AMD. More »
- Most Returned Electronics Aren't Broken
  
  newser | PC World | Jun 3, 08 6:30 PM CDT
  
  Just 5% of the electronics that consumers return to stores actually don’t work, though often the buyers believe they’re broken, a new study says. In 68% of cases, “they thought it was defective when it wasn't, or there was an expectation gap,” an executive of the firm releasing the study told PC World . US electronics returns cost $13.8 billion in 2007. More »
- Chip Makers Tussle for Gadget Niche
  
  newser | Wall Street Journal | Jun 2, 08 10:16 AM CDT
  
  Following the lead of Intel, builders of high-tech microchips are shifting their focus to portable gadgets dubbed MIDs—mobile internet devices that are bigger than cell phones but smaller than computers. industry leaders like Samsung and Nvidia are dashing to release the more powerful chips that boost battery life and performance, reports the Wall Street Journal . More »
- In Cheap-Chip Market, It's Intel vs. Via
  
  newser | PC World | Jun 2, 08 9:26 AM CDT
  
  As Intel dives into the growing low-cost laptop chip market, it’s battling a new competitor: Taiwan’s Via Technologies, a far smaller company than Intel. Via’s low-power C7 chip had enjoyed its own niche in the market, but that’s changing as Intel rolls out the Atom chip, PC World reports. More »
May 2008
- Taking Analog Stuff Digital? Skip the Gadgets
  
  newser | New York Times | May 29, 08 11:32 AM CDT
  
  If you’ve been lamenting the fate of your analog media recently, wishing you could bring records, tapes, or photos into the digital world, new devices are here to help. They just don’t do a very good job of it, laments David Pogue in the New York Times , reviewing the Hammacher-Schlemmer photo converter, and vinyl and cassette-tape converters from Ion. More »
- Sony Deal Ends Cable Box Era
  
  newser | Reuters | May 28, 08 12:19 PM CDT
  
  The days of set-top cable boxes are surely numbered, thanks to Sony, the first consumer electronics company to close a deal to produce TVs that need no accessories to receive digital cable signals. The memorandum of understanding, signed by all the major cable companies, doesn’t just apply to Sony; other electronics companies have been invited on board too, Reuters reports. Sets should be available by Christmas. More »

Stories 1 - 20 of 79

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A Cruzin Cooler, a motorized scooter with a cooler and a cup holder, is displayed at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, Thursday, Jan. 10, 2008. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong) (Associated Press)

Attendees uses Intel products at the Intel booth at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, Thursday, Jan. 10, 2008. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma) (Associated Press)

Attendees look at the Mio navigation system booth at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, Wednesday, Jan. 9, 2008. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma) (Associated Press)

Attendee Natalie Lui tries a zebra BlueTrek Bluetooth ear piece at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, Wednesday, Jan. 9, 2008. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma) (Associated Press)

Sony Rollys, egg-shaped MP3 players, dance to the music at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, Thursday, Jan. 10, 2008. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong) (Associated Press)

A leopard print Taser gun, right, and 1GB music player holster are shown at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas in this Monday, Jan. 7, 2008 file photo. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, file) (Associated Press)

Voltaic Systems' backpack with waterproof solar panels is shown at the Consumer Electronics Show(CES) in Las Vegas, Wednesday, Jan. 9, 2008. The backpack can charge MP3 players, cell phones and most digital... (Associated Press)

Different color ASUS Eee PC notebooks are seen on display at the ASUS booth at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, Wednesday, Jan. 9, 2008. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma) (Associated Press)

A South Korean woman walks by a Samsung logo in downtown Seoul, South Korea, Friday, Nov. 23, 2007. South Korea's National Assembly passed a bill Friday demanding an independent investigation into allegations... (Associated Press)

An employee of Samsung Electronics shows the world's first 30-nanometer 64-gigabit NAND flash memory device during a news conference in Seoul, South Korea, Tuesday, Oct. 23, 2007. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man) (Associated Press)

Customers browse DVDs at a Best Buy store in Mountain View, Calif., Monday, Dec. 17, 2007. Best Buy Co. on Tuesday, Dec. 18, 2007 said third-quarter profit jumped 52 percent, ahead of analyst expectations,... (Associated Press)

A reserved parking sign is seen in the parking lot at a Best Buy store in Mountain View, Calif., Monday, Dec. 17, 2007. Best Buy Co. on Tuesday, Dec. 18, 2007 said third-quarter profit jumped 52 percent,... (Associated Press)

Flat screen televisions are seen on display at a Best Buy store in Mountain View, Calif. in this Sept. 18, 2007 file photo. Best Buy Co. on Tuesday, Dec. 18, 2007 said third-quarter profit jumped 52... (Associated Press)

A lot of Americans will probably buy TVs next year, ahead of 2009's switch to digital. (Getty Images)

Samsung's flat-panel television display is shown at Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas in this Jan. 5, 2007 file photo. The CES is the world's largest technology trade show. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong,... (Associated Press)

The Sony booth is shown at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas, Thursday, Jan. 3, 2008, as exhibitors get ready for the opening of the Consumer Electronics Show. The CES, the world's largest... (Associated Press)

Visitors walk by Sony's Bravia flat panel TV screens on display at the Sony Plaza in Tokyo in this July 26, 2007 file photo. At least three dueling wireless technologies for high-definition TVs will be... (Associated Press)

Toshihiro Sakamoto, President of Panasonic AVC Networks and Senior Managing Director of Matsushita Electric Industrial Company pictured next to the world's largest Plasma display, a 150-inch one of a... (Associated Press)

Michael Ahn, President and CEO of LG Electronics North America, holds up a combo Blu-Ray and HD-DVD player by LG with other LG products in the background during a news conference at the Consumer Electronics... (Associated Press)

Blu-ray Disc spokesperson John Grantham rehearses his presentation at the Blu-ray Disc booth at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas, Sunday, Jan. 6, 2008, as exhibitors get ready for the opening... (Associated Press)

Comic figures from the television show "The Simpsons" are on display at the Blu-Ray Disc booth at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, Monday, Jan. 7, 2008. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma) (Associated Press)

Studio executives discuss Blu-ray Disc's strong showing in 2007 at a news conference Monday evening at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. (Photo (Associated Press)

A music video of Beyonce plays at the Blu-Ray booth at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, Tuesday, Jan. 8, 2008. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma) (Associated Press)

Attendee looks at Blu-ray discs at the CMC booth at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, Thursday, Jan. 10, 2008. CMC makes CDs and DVDs. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma) (Associated Press)

A Blu-ray Disc logo is shown on a flat-panel television at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, Tuesday, Jan. 8, 2008. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong) (Associated Press)

Sony's new Blu-ray Disc(TM) player is being shipped to consumer electronics retailers and specialty dealers nationwide for $499. The BDP-S300 is expected to broaden the HD disc player market while delivering... (Associated Press)

A PlayStation 3 console from Sony is shown in New York in this Feb. 22, 2007 file photo. The PS3 has a built-in Blu-ray drive and is one of the most affordable Blu-ray players on the market. (AP Photo/Mark... (Associated Press)

A Sony Blu-Ray disc player and a DVD of the movie "Eight Below" are seen in this file photo taken in Buena Park, Calif. on Aug. 8, 2007. Warner Bros. Entertainment said Friday it will release high-definition... (Associated Press)

A Toshiba HD-DVD disc player is seen at a Ken Crane's Big Screen Headquarters store in Buena Park, Calif., Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2007. (AP Photo/Reed Saxon) (Associated Press)

The new 200mm wafer-based semiconductor production fab at Kaga Toshiba (Photo (Associated Press)

In a file photo Howard Stringer, head of Japanese electronics and entertainment company Sony Corp. speaks to a group of reporters in Tokyo Monday, June 26, 2006. Stringer, said Thursday, Nov. 8, 2007... (Associated Press)

Akio Ozaka, President and CEO of Toshiba America Consumer Products, speaks about Toshiba's HD-DVD and other Blu-Ray players during a news conference at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas,... (Associated Press)

A Toshiba sign is shown at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas, Sunday, Jan. 6, 2008, as exhibitors get ready for the opening of the Consumer Electronics Show. Toshiba Corp. executives had a... (Associated Press)

HD DVD logos are shown at the Toshiba booth during the Consumer Electronics Show(CES) in Las Vegas, Monday, Jan. 7, 2008. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong) (Associated Press)

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Philips Electronics NV
Britannica Concise Encyclopedia

[in full Royal Philips Electronics NV Dutch Koninklijke Philips Electronics NV ] Major Dutch manufacturer of consumer electronics, household appliances, lightbulbs, and