Sony delays PlayStation Home again

The delayed PlayStation Home community online service for the PlayStation 3 console is to be delayed again, Sony Computer Entertainment said Tuesday. ...continue reading 'Sony delays PlayStation Home again'

Out with the old, in with the recycled for Sony TVs

Consider it a blast from the past: Sony's latest sleek Bravia flat-panel TVs now contain plastic components partially recycled from old television sets. ...continue reading 'Out with the old, in with the recycled for Sony TVs'

Microsoft cofee-table PCs 'surface' at AT&T stores

AT&T will soon be the first company to use Microsoft's touch-enabled, tabletop Surface computers as customer-service kiosks in stores. ...continue reading 'Microsoft cofee-table PCs 'surface' at AT&T stores'

EMC dives into consumer storage -- in China

EMC, a maker of high-end storage arrays, is adding a storage device designed for consumers to its product lineup. But instead of launching the device in Europe or the U.S., the storage vendor is first releasing the product in China. ...continue reading 'EMC dives into consumer storage -- in China'

Toshiba shows prototype home control robot

If you've become hostage to a clutch of remote controls in your living room, never quite sure what all the buttons do and confusing different controllers for different gadgets, then Toshiba might have the answer. It's developed a prototype robot that can act as a voice gateway to just about anything in the room that has a remote control. ...continue reading 'Toshiba shows prototype home control robot'

March's coolest gadgets

March's coolest gadgets
By Martyn Williams

We kick off this month's review of cool new products with a welcome update to the Asus Eee PC. This is the miniature laptop that impressed at least year's Computex show in Taipei with its neat design, good looks and low price. Now there's a new version on the way with a bigger screen and more storage space. ...continue reading 'March's coolest gadgets'

Best Buy offers gift cards to HD DVD buyers

Best Buy said Wednesday it will offer US$50 gift cards to U.S. consumers who bought HD DVD players and accessories, a month after the retailer abandoned HD DVD to push the rival format, Blu-ray Disc. ...continue reading 'Best Buy offers gift cards to HD DVD buyers'

Samsung, Adidas take on iPod, Nike

Samsung Electronics and Adidas have joined the race against Apple and Nike to offer people a device that plays music and keeps track of workouts. ...continue reading 'Samsung, Adidas take on iPod, Nike'

Sony shows off concept hand-powered gadgets for kids

Sony has developed a hand-powered digital still camera prototype envisaged for children in developing countries where electricity or batteries might not always be readily available. ...continue reading 'Sony shows off concept hand-powered gadgets for kids'

Microsoft kills off HD DVD drive for Xbox 360

Microsoft will stop making external HD DVD drives for its Xbox 360 game console, but won't say whether it will offer a Blu-ray Disc drive instead. ...continue reading 'Microsoft kills off HD DVD drive for Xbox 360'

Sony preps handheld Bravia digital TV

Sony is packing its Bravia technology into a new handheld TV it plans to put on sale in Japan in April. ...continue reading 'Sony preps handheld Bravia digital TV'

Sharp launches slimmest LCD TVs yet

Sharp will shortly begin selling a new line of LCD televisions that are substantially thinner than competing sets currently on the market. The sets are just 3.44 centimeters at their thinnest point and fatten slightly to 3.85 cm at the thickest point. ...continue reading 'Sharp launches slimmest LCD TVs yet'

Polymer Vision readies roll-out of rollable e-reader

Polymer Vision plans to launch Readius, an e-reader with a flexible screen weighing little more than a cell phone, in the middle of this year, it said Tuesday. ...continue reading 'Polymer Vision readies roll-out of rollable e-reader'

CES: Reactrix, Samsung show off Wii-like game system for TVs

Software developer Reactrix Systems showed off a gaming system made for LCD TVs that mimics the Wii game console in that people punch in the air to hit a boxing opponent or swing their arms to return the ball in a game of volleyball. ...continue reading 'Reactrix, Samsung show off Wii-like game system for TVs'

CES: Plasma and LCD TVs getting thinner

Ultra-thin flat panel displays were the highlight of this year's International Consumer Electronics Show, with many vendors showing thinner and sleeker high-definition TVs, giving users a peek of what LCD, plasma and OLED screens will look like in a few years. ...continue reading 'CES: Plasma and LCD TVs getting thinner'

Toshiba shows prototype TV running on Cell chip

What happens when you take the powerful Cell microprocessor, the chip that sits at the heart of the PlayStation 3 games console, and put it to use inside a television? Toshiba demonstrated just such a TV at this week's International Consumer Electronics Show and the results are impressive. ...continue reading 'Toshiba shows prototype TV running on Cell chip'

CES: FCC chief: Switch to digital TV won't be postponed

In a broad discussion at the Consumer Electronics Show, Federal Communications Commission Chairman Kevin Martin on Tuesday confirmed that the deadline for the country's switch to digital TV next year will not be postponed, explained the rationale behind the requirements for the current 700MHz auction and gave hints about his thinking regarding various communications megamergers. ...continue reading 'CES: FCC chief: Switch to digital TV won't be postponed'

CES: Vendors look to ease recycling costs on users

Major vendors including Hewlett-Packard, Dell and Sony are working together to push through a legislative mandate in the U.S. that will make it easier for users to recycle their consumer electronics. ...continue reading 'CES: Vendors look to ease recycling costs on users'

CES: Sony demos faster-than-USB wireless transfer system

Sony is developing a wireless data transfer system for gadgets that is capable of sending pictures, video and data over a range of a few centimeters. ...continue reading 'CES: Sony demos faster-than-USB wireless transfer system'

Q&A - Gates: Innovator, deal-maker and philanthropist

By Marc Ferranti, IDG News Service

Microsoft founder and Chairman Bill Gates has been giving keynote speeches at Las Vegas conventions, including the Consumer Electronics Show and the now-defunct Comdex, for decades. In this interview, given before his last CES keynote speech as a full-time company employee, he talks about his legacy as an innovator, the background behind some of the deals announced at CES this week and directions for Microsoft. ...continue reading 'Gates: Innovator, deal-maker and philanthropist'