There isn't a whole lot we don't already know about the Boxee Box, the set-top box developed by D-Link and media center software company Boxee which stands to basically ruin the set-top box party for every other player. Except, that is, the price: Initial reports had it pegged at $200; now a needlessly cryptic press release puts it "under $200."

In other news! The Boxee Box is otherwise exactly was we know it to be, and it's still on track for a "H1 2010" release. Spec porn, albeit a bit rehashed:

Networking Pioneer and Popular Entertainment Software Create the Best Way to Get the Free Entertainment the Internet Has to Offer With No Monthly Fee
LAS VEGAS, NV—(Marketwire - January 5, 2010) - CES, Booth 36232, South Hall, LVCC — D-Link made lots of geeks and early adopters happy today by introducing the revolutionary Boxee Box by D-Link, winner of the CES Best of Innovations award in the Home Entertainment category.
The Boxee Box by D-Link reinterprets what TV should be. The Boxee Box delivers movies, TV shows, music, and photos from a user's computer, home network, and the Internet to their HDTV with no PC needed. Additionally, Boxee's core social features make it easy for friends to discover new content from each other through social networks like Facebook, Twitter, and more.
Internet Entertainment
Boxee is a popular PC, Mac, and Linux software program that lets users watch hundreds of thousands of popular TV shows and movies. Instead of sifting through millions of confusing Web sites, when users search on Boxee, TV shows and movies are delivered to them with the click of a remote control. Nearly a million Internet users around the world have already downloaded Boxee to enjoy their online entertainment.
The Boxee Box by D-Link takes the same popular software and offers it up as a great device — the perfect companion to a high definition TV. The Boxee Box by D-Link provides access to more than just traditional TV content. It includes a huge library that spans the Internet, such as university courses, panel discussions, academic lectures, presentations, web-only videos and more from TED, Stanford, FORA.tv, Kid Mango, Next New Networks and others. Boxee also makes it easy for users to add their own favorite entertainment sources with simple RSS or XML feeds available for most online video.
In addition to video content, Boxee users can access great music from sites like Pandora, last.fm, shoutcast, and We are Hunted as well as stunning photos from sites like flickr, Picasa and Facebook.
Personal Entertainment
For entertainment lovers who have built their own collections of digital media stored on their computer hard drive or home network, Boxee automatically identifies their content and downloads relevant cover art, synopses, reviews, subtitles, lyrics and more. This feature turns boring files and folders into beautiful media libraries that make it simple and appealing to navigate a collection of favorite movies, TV shows, and playlists with a simple remote. Furthermore, the Boxee Box by D-Link has extensive format support (see below) which ensures that when users hit the play button, they get instant gratification, with no need to download codecs or drivers. Also, with built-in 802.11n Wi-Fi support, it can transfer files without delay and from longer distances within a user's home.
Social Features
The Boxee Box by D-Link keeps people connected with social features to help users discover new content from friends, experts, and tastemakers. The first step to discovery is sharing, and Boxee makes this easy by letting people recommend any playing content to friends. Additionally, Boxee automatically uses recommendations from a user's Twitter and Facebook friends so they can find new content and instantly enjoy it on the big screen. Since anyone can build on top of Boxee's open App platform, users can craft their own truly custom experience by creating or downloading plug-ins, add-ons, games, and more.
"We are pleased to partner with Boxee and to be the first with such a ground-breaking device," said Nick Tidd, vice president of sales for D-Link Pan America and vice president of marketing for D-Link North America. "This powerful device with its unique form factor truly leverages Boxee's service and is the best way for consumers to quickly access the growing volume of Internet content, organize it and stream it to their TVs and home entertainment centers."
"D-Link's successful track record in bringing to market, award-winning digital home networking products, and its global marketing, distribution and channel sales capabilities made them a great fit for our first hardware vendor," stated Andrew Kippen, vice president of marketing for Boxee. "The Boxee Box by D-Link gives consumers what they want — an easy way to watch Internet or personal entertainment in their living rooms with a simple set-top box that costs under $200 and has no monthly fees."
The Boxee Box by D-Link is scheduled to ship in the first half of 2010 through the company's vast network of retail and e-tail outlets, and at D-Link's online store, http://www.dlinkshop.com.
Supported Codecs & Formats
Boxee can be used to play/view practically all common multimedia formats, including:
VIDEO:
Adobe Flash 10.1
H.264 (MKV, MOV)
VC-1
WMV
MPEG-1
MPEG-2
MPEG-4
AVI
Xvid
Divx
PCM/LPCM
VOB

AUDIO:
MP3
WMA
WAV
AIFF
FLAC
AAC
DTS
Dolby Digital
Ogg Vorbis

PHOTO:
JPEG
TIFF
BMP
PNG

[D-Link]

Vizio's flagship XVT Pro 3D HDTVs way undercut the top-o-the-line LED TVs from the other guys: 480Hz, wireless HDMI, Wi-Fi, local-dimming LED backlight and 3D. The 72 inch set goes for $3500, cheaper than the 46-inchers from Sony or Samsung.

The 55-incher set is $2500, and and the 47-inch TV is $2000. The main diff between them is that the 72-inch has more zones for local dimming—480 to 120 and 180 in the smaller sets—and the smaller sets have an anti-reflective coating. They're all out in August.

LAS VEGAS, NV (CES) and IRVINE, CA – January 05, 2010 — VIZIO, America's #1 LCD HDTV Company, has unveiled their new high-performance XVT Pro Series of 480Hz SPS™ 16x9 TruLED™ Full HD3D™HDTVs available in 72", 55" and 47" sizes, as well as a 58" Cinema Wide HDTV that displays content in 21 x 9 aspect ratio. The 480Hz SPS™ 16x9 TruLED™ Full HD3D™HDTVs incorporate the very latest in advanced HDTV technology with 480Hz SPS™, TruLED™ brilliant LEDs that pervade the entire screen, Smart Dimming™ circuitry controls hundreds of zones of LEDs per screen to the precise light level per picture frame. In addition, the set's Full HD3D™delivers stunning 3D images in FULL HD 1080p resolution, with other advanced features like VIZIO INTERNET APPS™ (VIA) built-in high definition wireless (802.11n dual-band) and wired networking, a Bluetooth universal remote control with sliding QWERTY keyboard, and Wireless HDMI which allows the TV to receive HD video and audio from sources without an HDMI cable.

"Our 2010 XVT Pro series offers a refreshing combination of the latest technology like 480Hz SPS™ TruLED™ coupled with must-have features like immersive FULL HD3D™ experience and VIZIO INTERNET APPS (with built in wireless networking) and wireless HDMI and Bluetooth capabilities. We at VIZIO are setting new standards for picture quality and user experience," said Laynie Newsome, VIZIO Co-Founder and VP Sales and Marketing Communications. "50% of consumers want a 3D home theater, according to Quixel Research, and our new XVT Pro Series brings the latest technology to consumers who want the absolute BEST in class."

Defining state of the art performance, these VIZIO 72", 55" and 47" Full HD3D™ TVs advance refresh rates to 480Hz SPS™ with VIZIO's Smooth Motion™ technology. Their TruLED™ brilliant LEDs pervade the entire display (Under 3" profile) and have Smart Dimming™ circuitry that controls hundreds of zones of LEDs per screen to the precise light level per picture frame in 480, 120 and 160 zones, respectively. The XVT Pro series offers an incredible 10 million to 1 Mega Dynamic Contrast Ratio™ for extraordinary picture quality that delivers incredible color, and even brighter whites and deeper blacks than ever before while displaying 1.7 Billion Colors using a 10-Bit data input panel.

For environments with bright ambient lighting, the 55" and 47" models feature a unique anti-reflective panel that produces better contrast with rich and deep blacks even in brightly lit rooms.

FULL HD3D™
Utilizing SENSIO® 3D technology to deliver 3D content over conventional 2D infrastructure, the new VIZIO XVT Pro Full HD3D TVs display stunning 3D content that the user can view with XpanD active-shutter glasses (sold separately). Unlike other 3D TVs that use passive stereoscopic imaging, VIZIO's Full HD3D TVs can display full 1080p video to each eye by rapidly alternating between the left-eye and right-eye images within the same visual space. The special active-shutter glasses, which communicate with the television over Bluetooth, then transform each lens from opaque to transparent in perfect synchronization with the images displayed on the TV, which allows for delivery of the full frame rate capable by the television for the ultimate 3D HDTV viewing experience.

These sets can produce 3D images from SENSIO encoded material on conventional DVD and Blu-ray players, as well as from future distribution channels such as pay per view, video on demand, DTV and HDTV broadcasts.

"We are pleased to be working closely with VIZIO and be a part of the creation of a substantial install-base of consumers ready to watch 3D movies, live concerts, and sporting events from the comfort of their home," states Nicholas Routhier, President and Chief Executive Officer of SENSIO Technologies.

"We are excited to partner with VIZIO as catalysts in the 3D revolution for the home," said Maria Costeira, CEO of XpanD. "The combination of XpanD Cinema active-shutter glasses and Vizio displays will provide an immersive, dynamic and cost-effective solution for VIZIO XVT Pro owners."

Wireless HDMI
Eliminating the need for an HDMI cable from source components to the display, the 72", 55" and 47" XVT Pro Series have an integrated Wireless HDMI receiver built-in, using SiBEAM's robust 60 GHz technology to receive HD content from high definition sources such as Blu-ray players or set-top boxes with full HD 1080p resolution when paired with a separately available VIZIO XVT Pro Wireless HDMI Adapter. The XVT Pro Adapter supports up to 4 HDMI sources and operates at 60GHz to avoid interference with other wireless devices in the home like cordless telephones and wireless networks that operate at 2.4 and 5 GHz.

SRS StudioSound HD
VIZIO XVT Pro TVs will feature SRS StudioSound HD - the ultimate all-in-one audio suite designed specifically for Flat Panel TVs. Years of excellence in audio, practical experience and patented technologies allow StudioSound HD to deliver the most immersive and natural surround sound ever using built-in TV speakers. The suite also delivers remarkably crisp and clear dialog, rich bass, an elevated sound stage and consistent, spike-free volume levels. StudioSound HD features optimized audio presets for movies, news, sports and music while also providing a built-in EQ toolset for peak audio performance.

VIZIO INTERNET APPS™ (VIA)
All of the XVT Pro sets feature the VIZIO INTERNET APPS™ (VIA) Connected HDTV platform, delivering unprecedented choice and control of web-based content directly to the television without the need of a PC or set-top box. Able to connect to the Internet using the built-in high definition wireless (802.11n dual-band) or a wired connection, accessing on demand movies, TV episodes, music and other online content is easy, using the included Bluetooth universal remote control with sliding QWERTY keyboard that makes thumb-typing easy.

[Vizio]

[Voice="Barry White"] When I first saw you, girl, I knew I had to make you mine. Now, I'm in the mood, baby. In the mood for...the Belly Love...Belly Love...oh yeah...I want to hold you...on that gloooowing light.

You know... the Belly Love... No, really, you know the one I mean, don't you? Yeah, the sofa with the puffy glowing moving tentacles that release a fragrance while caressing your body which I heard is inspired by a soft coral found in the Indian Ocean that you probably saw when you were drooling one day after dinner watching old Costeau re-runs on your old sofa? Yes, your old sofa. This is... the new sofa, for, you know, doing it.

And now, let's put the stereo in love mode, sweet woman of mine. I feel the love right here, glowing in my heart... and in my pants... while I get with you... in the Belly Love.

Looking for a portable projector with a built-in Blu-ray player? Who isn't? Well, Sony's new BDPorter is just that.

This rollable cabinet comes stocked with a Blu-ray player, a WXGA projector, surround sound headphones, speakers and a 60-inch screen. It's aimed mostly for corporate use as a presentations machine that can be carted around to different places, but I suppose you could import one from Japan for your house if you really wanted to. It's $7,700, however, so I'm going to go ahead and suggest you don't. [CrunchGear]

We loved the Promise SmartStor NS4600 when we reviewed it over the summer. Now the Promise SmartStor Zero NS2600 has streamlined the process of connecting multiple devices even further, and made it a lot more affordable to do so.

Like the NS4600, Promise's new NAS supports DLNA standards that make it easier to share content across DLNA devices. It also implements a software management tool, called ON, that Promise says will automatically map and open network share without your having to endure the rigmarole of setting up users and permissions.

The SmartStor Zero also fixes the one major gripe we had with the NS4600, which is that it doesn't ship with drives despite the $499 price tag. SmartStor Zero starts at $270, but can also come with either one 1TB drive for $299 or two drives for $399. It will be available this quarter.

PROMISE Technology Raises the Bar for Consumer Storage with Introduction of Affordable No Muss, No Fuss SmartStor ZERO Storage at CES

DLNA-Certified SmartStor ZERO Gives Non-Techie Consumers ZERO Configuration, ZERO Frustration, ZERO Hassle in Breakthrough Network Storage Device for the Digital Home

MILPITAS, Calif. – January 5, 2010 – PROMISE Technology Inc., a leading supplier of versatile RAID storage solutions catering to customers from enterprise to consumer, is introducing worldwide its SmartStor™ ZERO NS2600 network storage device for the digital home today at the Computer Electronics Show (CES), South 4 Hall, booth # 36804 and in the DLNA Pavilion. SmartStor ZERO is one of the first network attached storage and digital media servers with support for Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA) UPLOAD, allowing content – including content from mobile devices — to be uploaded to SmartStor ZERO without fuss or muss. PROMISE is also releasing DLNA Digital Media Controller (DMC) software for Windows Mobile, Android and iPhone to facilitate content upload, download, control point, digital media player and digital media server functionality in addition to offering Facebook Upload functionality, for pictures and seamless remote access for hassle-free setup and access to digital content from anywhere in the world.

The introduction of the SmartStor ZERO is an example of how PROMISE is redefining and raising the technology bar within the storage landscape," said Chi Chen Wu, CTO, PROMISE Technology. "Today's consumer does not want to be concerned with complicated setup procedures, media compatibility or dealing with the process of accessibility. The consumer wants a one, two, three approach to store, share and play music, movies and photos without the hassle of integration."

Easy to install and even easier to use, PROMISE is leading the charge to give consumers a foolproof and efficient and affordable way to take advantage of DLNA standards in order to share content with a variety of entertainment devices such as the Xbox 360, PS3, Samsung DLNA TV, Sony DLNA TV or Windows 7 PC. Utilizing a revolutionary software management tool called "ON" for both Windows and Macintosh operating systems, the SmartStor ZERO frees consumers from dealing with complicated setups or decisions that lead to frustration, confusion and product returns.

"Today consumers are put off by the configuration and management of traditional NAS devices," said Billy Harrison, product manager, CE products for NAS and DAS, PROMISE Technology. "Consumers want plug and store instant access. The process of creating users, managing permissions, managing shares and enabling/disabling services is a thing of the past. With SmartStor ZERO, we're solving the consumer's most basic problem by delivering to market a DLNA NAS-simple device anyone can use."

About SmartStor ZERO

SmartStor ZERO is a zero configuration 2-bay network attached storage and digital media server for the home and SOHO. SmartStor ZERO includes 1 or 2 hard drives and requires no lengthy or complicated setup process. Unpack, power-on, install the ON software and the rest is completely automatic. ON will map and open network share, allowing instant access for data backup and DLNA media sharing via digital media players. SmartStor ZERO functions as an iTunes Media Server, allowing music and video to be streamed using iTunes.

Making it a cinch to upload and download digital content to and from mobile devices, the SmartStor ZERO lets consumers take advantage of Album Art, thumbnails for image and video and other recently introduced Windows and Macintosh operating system features for the digital home. Additionally, the installation does not install any device drivers or virtual components into the operating system. SmartStor ZERO supports Windows® XP, Vista, Windows® 7, Mac OS X 10.5.2 and higher operating systems with one-touch configuration.

Accessing your digital content on the go has never been simpler. Setting up SmartStor ZERO for remote access from mobile devices and computers has never been easier. The embedded setup wizard will guide consumers through the setup process and auto-configure the router, allowing for seamless access to important data from anywhere on the planet.

SmartStor ZERO's Facebook integration makes managing and "uploading" pictures to Facebook a complete snap. Any picture stored on the SmartStor ZERO can be uploaded directly to Facebook within seconds. The Facebook Upload feature has been integrated into Promise's Web File Manager and is "easy" to locate, unlike existing products with similar features.

Using your home entertainment system has never been simpler

Today many homes and offices have wired coaxial, Ethernet or Wi-Fi networks. But by themselves, these networks don't facilitate the easy sharing of content between connected devices. The DLNA protocol enables consumers to locate, move and stream content between connected devices. The PROMISE SmartStor ZERO helps the consumer eliminate complicated setups when trying to connect multiple devices, enabling hassle-free connectivity and easy-to-use device management that will greatly enhance the consumer's entertainment experience. With SmartStor ZERO, consumers can revolutionize the way they find, send, store, get, play and print digital content. For example:

• Upload digital content from a mobile device to SmartStor ZERO;

• Download digital content from SmartStor ZERO to a mobile device;

• Display music Album Art in content lists using Windows 7 operating system;

• Display thumbnails for images and video using DLNA 1.5 digital media players and Windows 7 PCs;

• Utilize MU3 playlists and create DLNA playlists via NS4600 Media Center interface;

• Create playlists for playback in iTunes;

• View video streaming including protected content purchased from iTunes Store (Movies, TV shows and digital copies included with DVD & Blu-Ray) on Mac OS X.

With up to 4TB of storage, the SmartStor ZERO delivers an easy-to-use zero configuration, instantly accessible network attached storage and digital media server for data backup and media sharing in the digital home. Complemented by DLNA UPLOAD via Promise's upcoming Digital Media Controller software for mobile devices, consumers can easily transfer user-generated content directly to the SmartStor ZERO in a matter of seconds for instant viewing using DLNA TVs, PS3, Xbox 360 and Windows 7 PCs.

Pricing and Availability

Prices for the SmartStor ZERO NS2600 start at $279.00. Units will be available at major retail outlets in Q1, 2010.

Service

The offering is backed by PROMISE's two-year limited warranty.

Now this makes sense—an HDMI cable with a connector that can be positioned within a 180 degree radius. That will be a big space saver if you are trying to run cords in tight spaces.

Of course, the cables would have been more effective if both ends pivoted. For the life of me I can't understand why they chose to leave one end straight. At any rate, the Sanus cables will support HDMI 1.3b, 1080p and up to 16-bit color. They will also be available in 5 and 10-foot lengths. Pricing and availability information has not been released, but they should be available at major retailers like Best Buy in the near future. [Sanus via Slashgear]

I want to spend two weeks working with the new fan-less, VIA EPIA-P820 pico-ITX board—with full 64-bit support—and matching VIA Amos-3001 chassis to create a full HD home theater in my car. Thankfully, I don't have a car.

But it's a perfect base for a custom home theater in any case. The board has a 1.2GHz U2500 VIA Nano processor with 2GB of DDR2 system memory, a VIA VX855 Media System Processor—which can decode any 1080p codec you can throw at it—and a VIA Chrome9™ HCM 3D integrated graphics core with full DirectX 9.0 support.

The best thing is that this 10 x 7.2-centimeter board fits perfectly in the aluminum VIA Amos-3001 chassis, alongside a I/O daughter board with HDMI, VGA, Gigabit LAN and two USB 2.0 ports. The whole packaged is capable of outputting DTS audio through S/PDIF, and connect to an additional four USB ports, IDE, and Serial ATA.

Yesterday, I told you about a new Consumerist investigation into the huge ripoffy nature of Best Buy's computer optimizations. But hoo boy, $40 to enter a username into a new Mac? That's tough to justify.

Just what do you get when you give the Geek Squad $40 to optimize your new MacBook Pro?

As even a computer novice might expect, "Mac optimization" is useless. One supposed benefit is putting the user's name on the computer, according to Best Buy representatives I spoke to. Presumably, anyone who is buying a computer knows how to type in his or her own name, or follow the prompts to do it. Another supposed benefit: checking the Mac's network connection. This has no value because it is done in the store, while the buyer will use the Mac with a different network at home. Yet a third step involves loading the Geek Squad's own proprietary software on the computer to scan drives-drives that have never been used and so don't need to be scanned for trouble. An anti-virus program is also part of the mix, which is an insult to the virus resistance of Macs. "There's nothing of that sort that any brand-new PC needs, and Macs less so," Gottheil said. "Apple requires far less configuration." Best Buy's hard sell on "optimization" is like peddling mythic unicorns based on the value of their horsepower.

If there's a more transparent retail scam aimed at vacuuming money out of the wallets of old and naive people, I've never heard of it. This is downright shameful. [The Big Money]

Apple has spent $275 million to jump into the world of mobile advertising by acquiring Quattro Wireless. It remains to be seen what changes Apple will make, and how they plan to compete with ad giants like Google. [BGR]

Marvell's ARMADA chips hope to power everything from Blu-ray players to ebooks to smartbooks to digital picture frames, but the most interesting are the 600 series smartphone chips with a strong claimed 3d performance.

Says Sascha Segan:

According to a Marvell press release, the ARMADA 610 can render 45 million 3D triangles per second and control four displays at 2k x 2k pixel resolution each. That makes it more powerful than the PowerVR SGX 530 core used in the Motorola Droid and the Qualcomm graphics core in the QSD8250 Snapdragon, which handle 14m and 22m triangles respectively.

Noted.

[Anand via PCMag]

I'm sure the model holding the new Samsung Digital Photo Frame 700Z 7-inch OLED photo frame at CES2010 will have a lot less clothing than this one. The frame comes with 4GB of memory and Bluetooth support. [DA via Oled-Display]

If ESPN, Discovery, Imax, and Sony have it their way, 3D television may actually go from novelty to reality in 2011. I can't wait for the sensory overload of white sharks trying to eat the pants out of me.

scovery, Imax, and Sony are expected to announce the channel—which will feature a mix of 3D content starting in 2011—at CES. It will be 24 hours, which make it different from the ESPN 3D network, which will only operate when they have any sports event filmed in 3D. [NYT and The Live Feed]

Heyzeusrollerbladingchrist. Apple has sold one billion apps since the two billion September 28 mark, reaching three billion in 98 days. That's 30,612,244 apps per day, 1,275,510 per hour, 121,043 per minute, 350 every second. Freakingnuts.

Apple's App Store Downloads Top Three Billion

CUPERTINO, Calif., Jan. 5 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Apple® today announced that more than three billion apps have been downloaded from its revolutionary App Store by iPhone® and iPod touch® users worldwide.

"Three billion applications downloaded in less than 18 months — this is like nothing we've ever seen before," said Steve Jobs, Apple's CEO. "The revolutionary App Store offers iPhone and iPod touch users an experience unlike anything else available on other mobile devices, and we see no signs of the competition catching up anytime soon."

How much is that in fart apps? And how many apps per minute would Apple sell if you counted time in dog years? What about fox years?

Canon's Vixia HF S21 is their camcorder Cadillac. Just look: 3.5-inch touchscreen, dual SD card slots, face detection from the PowerShot series, and image stabilization with glass from Canon's high-end binoculars.

It's got 64GB + SD card storage; the S20 is 32GB and the S200 is card storage only, for $1400, $1200, and $1000, respectively.

Down range is the smaller HFM series, which smaller, with a 2.7-inch touchscreen. Autofocus on both series works like you'd expect: touch the screen to focus. The HF M31 is $800 w/ 32GB storage + SD card; the M30 has 8GB + card storage, and the M300 is just card storage, for $680.

Last is the first ever Vixia camcorder under a thousand bucks: The entry-level R series doesn't have a touchscreen, or a bunch of other features in the pricier models (except smart auto), and it starts at $500 w/ no on-board storage, going up to $550 for 8GB internal, and $690 for 32GB.

Lake Success, N.Y., January 5, 2010 – Canon U.S.A., Inc, a leader in digital imaging technology, today announced an exciting new line of nine VIXIA High Definition flash memory camcorders. The 2010 high-definition lineup includes Canon's flagship VIXIA HF S-series, the compact VIXIA HF M-series and a new entry-level VIXIA HF R-series. Some new features enhancing Canon's 2010 lineup include a new Touch Panel LCD with an advanced tracking feature helping keep any subject – such as people, pets, or cars – in focus and properly exposed, even in a busy scene. Canon's new VIXIA lineup also includes an enhancement to its image stabilization system and an all-new HD-to-SD Downconversion feature allowing video to be easily uploaded to the web or burned onto DVDs. Select 2010 VIXIA camcorders are compatible with Eye-fi SD Memory Cards, allowing for wireless uploading of video content to a computer or favorite video sharing site via the Eye-fi card's wireless capabilities.

"Canon's new 2010 VIXIA Flash Memory camcorders deliver superior high-definition image quality in a compact, lightweight design and offer a host of new features to make capturing and sharing video easier than ever before," said Yuichi Ishizuka, senior vice president and general manager, Consumer Imaging Group, Canon U.S.A.

All of the new 2010 VIXIA High Definition camcorders retain Canon's proprietary imaging technologies – a Genuine Canon HD Video Lens, HD CMOS Image Sensor and DIGIC DV III Image Processor. The Canon Full HD CMOS Image Sensor and DIGIC DV III Image Processor have been further improved to reduce noise under low-light conditions and enhanced to deliver more faithful reproduction of purple and blue tones - for both video and photos. All of these proprietary technologies combine together to produce Full HD video that is stunningly lifelike with astonishing detail and clarity.

New Advanced Features:
# Smart Auto: The Smart Auto mode makes shooting great video even easier by utilizing Canon's DIGIC DV III Image Processor to intelligently detect and analyze brightness, color, distance and movement and automatically select the best setting for the scene being recorded.
# Touch & Track: Canon's new Touch & Track technology enables users to select a subject on the Touch Panel LCD that the camcorder will then recognize and track. This sophisticated technology recognizes faces, objects, even animals, ensuring that your subject will always be in focus and properly exposed.
# Relay Recording: Relay Recording allows users to capture uninterrupted video when the primary recording media is full. The camcorder will continue to record a scene by switching from one memory source to the other as it fills up, so that you won't miss a moment of action.
# Powered IS: In addition to Canon's Dynamic SuperRange Optical Image Stabilization, Powered IS provides an even higher level of compensation for subtle hand movement at the telephoto end of the zoom range. This new enhancement can be engaged by pressing the Powered IS button on the LCD panel.
# HD-to-SD Downconversion: A new HD-to-SD Downconversion feature enables users to convert recorded high-definition video to standard-definition files while preserving the original HD video. These standard-definition files make it even more convenient to share video online or create a DVD.
# Advanced Video Snapshot: Advanced Video Snapshot mode has been upgraded to provide the flexibility of capturing 2, 4, or 8 second video clips while recording or during playback.

VIXIA HF S-series:
The Canon VIXIA HF S21*/**, VIXIA HF S20*/** and VIXIA HF S200*/** Flash Memory camcorders are Canon's premiere camcorders with professional and easy-to-use features to allow anyone to capture outstanding HD video quality. The VIXIA HF S-series comes equipped with varying levels of internal flash memory and all feature two SD card slots for maximum storage capacity and easy video transfer. The VIXIA HF S21 and VIXIA HF S20 camcorders incorporate 64GB and 32GB of internal flash memory, respectively, and the VIXIA HF S200 records video directly to removable SD memory cards. Recording Full 1920 x 1080 HD video, these camcorders feature a Genuine Canon 10x HD Video Lens and a Canon 1/2.6-inch, 8.59-megapixel Full HD CMOS Image Sensor for stunning video and outstanding photos up to 8.0 megapixels. All three models in the VIXIA HF S-series include Canon's new 3.5-inch High Resolution (922,000-dot) Touch Panel LCD screen for a large, bright display and easy menu navigation, including Touch & Track technology. All of the models in this series also feature Canon's Smart Auto, Relay Recording, Powered IS, HD-to-SD Downconversion, and Advanced Video Snapshot.

In addition, the VIXIA HF S-Series includes a host of professional features such as a built-in LANC terminal, and Native 24p (AVCHD) recording. For shooting outside on a sunny day, the VIXIA HF S21 includes a viewfinder which offers a reliable viewing environment when shooting in bright outdoor conditions. The VIXIA HF S21, VIXIA HF S20 and VIXIA HF S200 Flash Memory camcorders are scheduled to be available in April, and will have an estimated retail price of $1399.99, $1099.99 and $999.99 respectively.

VIXIA HF M-series:
The Canon VIXIA HF M31*/**, VIXIA HF M30*/** and VIXIA HF M300*/** Flash Memory camcorders offer consumers stunning HD video in an ultra-sleek, compact and lightweight body. The VIXIA HF M31 and VIXIA HF M30 incorporate 32GB and 8GB of internal flash memory, respectively, and the VIXIA HF M300 records video directly to an SD memory card. Recording Full 1920 x 1080 HD video, these camcorders include a Genuine Canon 15x HD Video Lens, a 2.7-inch Touch Panel LCD with Touch & Track technology, Smart Auto, Powered IS and Advanced Video Snapshot. In addition, the VIXIA HF M31 and VIXIA HF M30 models both include Canon's Relay Recording and HD-to-SD Downconversion. The VIXIA HF M31, VIXIA HF M30 and VIXIA HF M300 Flash Memory camcorders are scheduled to be available in April for an estimated retail price of $799.99, $699.99 and $679.99 respectively.

VIXIA HF R-series
The Canon VIXIA HF R11*/**, VIXIA HF R10*/** and VIXIA HF R100*/** Flash Memory camcorders are perfect for the budget-conscious consumer who wants Full 1920 x 1080 HD video. The VIXIA HF R11 and VIXIA HF R10 models incorporate 32GB and 8GB of internal flash memory, respectively, and the VIXIA HF R10 records directly to an SD memory card. All three models also include a Genuine Canon 20x HD Video Lens, Dynamic IS, Smart Auto and Advanced Video Snapshot. Both the VIXIA HF R11 and VIXIA HF R10 feature Canon's Relay Recording and HD-to-SD Downconversion. Additionally the VIXIA HF R10 will be available in three stylish colors, black, red, and silver. The VIXIA HF R31, VIXIA HF R30 and VIXIA HF R300 Flash Memory camcorders will be available in March for an estimated retail price of $699.99, $549.99 and $499.99 respectively.

FS series:
In addition to the new VIXIA High Definition lineup, Canon is also introducing two standard-definition camcorders, the FS31*/**, and FS300*/** Flash Memory camcorders. The Canon FS31 model records to 16GB of internal flash memory, while the FS300 records video directly to an SD memory card. Wrapped in a small and attractive package, the FS-series offers 41x Advanced Zoom to help capture great video even at extreme telephoto distances, as well as Dynamic IS. In addition, the Canon FS300 will be available in three fashionable colors, silver, red, and blue. The Canon FS31 and FS300 Flash Memory camcorders are available in March for an estimated retail price of $349.99 and $299.99 respectively

Canon's absolute cheapest cameras get smarter flash exposure for less crappy flash shots, move up to 12 and 10 megapixels, and use Li-ion rechargeables instead of alkaline for the first time.

The A3100 and A3000 push out the older A1100. The A3100's goes to 12MP, while the latter's 10MP, going for $180 and $150, respectively. The wretchedly low-end A490 and A495 are still using alkaline batts, and have the same 10MP sensor as the A3000, but are even more feature-stripped for $110 and $130, respectively.

Lake Success, N.Y., January 5, 2010 – Canon U.S.A., Inc., a leader in digital imaging, today unveiled four new PowerShot A-Series digital cameras offering entry-level consumers the opportunity to step-up their shooting experience with exciting new creative effects. In addition, for the first time, Canon offers a new rechargeable lithium-ion battery in two A-Series models, extending the battery lives of the cameras. The A-Series lineup, comprised of the PowerShot A3100 IS, A3000 IS, A495 and A490 Digital cameras, offer consumers enhanced photo-taking capabilities through an array of creative modes to help shape one's personal photographic style.

"With the introduction of the new PowerShot A-Series cameras, Canon brings a new aesthetic design to our entry-level line and new features that enhance the camera's overall performance and functionality," said Yuichi Ishizuka, senior vice president and general manager, Consumer Imaging Group, Canon U.S.A. "The new creative modes are designed to offer consumers the ability to customize their captured images and add personalization to the time-honored art of photography."

Creativity at its Best:
Whether creating a holiday card to share with friends and family or updating a Facebook page in a fun and unique way, the new PowerShot cameras will help expand a user's imagination with the introduction of two creative scene modes – Poster Effect and Super Vivid. The Poster Effect scene mode alters the look of a captured image by changing the contrast of the image. Similarly, the Super Vivid Mode creates an enhanced color effect by increasing the hue and saturation of the captured image.

Enhanced Performance:
Achieving a clear shot in low-light situations, such as when a child blows out birthday candles, is no easy task. With Canon's Low-Light Mode, the A-Series line now provides a wider ISO range (up to 3200), allowing more light to be captured creating sharper, more vivid images. For situations that require a flash, but where one cannot be used, such as a night game or concert, Canon's Low-Light Mode will help improve the captured image. The A-Series also includes Canon's Smart FE (Flash Exposure) which improves image quality by automatically adding the optimum level of flash illumination, aperture, shutter speed and ISO.

Supporting Features:
Canon has made it even easier to upload images and videos to YouTube, via CameraWindow. What's more, starting this year, all new compact digital cameras will support the high-spec SDXC memory cards with a maximum storage capacity of two terabytes (TB) in SDA standard, making it even easier to capture additional images and videos with PowerShot cameras.

Canon PowerShot A3100 IS and A3000 IS Digital Cameras:
The Canon PowerShot A3100 IS Digital camera is available in vibrant red, blue and silver colors while the PowerShot A3000 IS is offered in a stunning, two-toned black and silver casing, ideal for the color-conscious consumer. Both cameras boast features such as 12.1-Megapixel and 10-Megapixel resolution, respectfully; a 4x Optical Zoom lens with Optical Image Stabilization; a large 2.7-inch LCD screen; and Smart AUTO mode, which takes the guesswork out of shooting. New modes such as Low-Light, Super Vivid and Poster Effect mode are also available, as well as Smart FE and the ability to upload video to YouTube. The PowerShot A3100 IS and A3000 IS Digital Cameras are scheduled to be available in late February for an estimated retail price of $179.99 and $149.99, respectively.

Canon PowerShot A495 and A490 Digital Cameras:
Offering a broad array of consumer-friendly features and 10.0-Megapixel resolution, 3.3x Optical Zoom and a 2.5-inch LCD screen, the Canon PowerShot A495 and A490 Digital cameras are ideal for the budget-conscious consumer. Available in two-tone colors, such as red, blue and silver, the PowerShot A495 Digital camera offers a multitude of new modes such as Low-Light, Super Vivid and Poster Effect mode, as well as Smart FE and the ability to upload video to YouTube. Available in a metallic two-toned silver and black, the PowerShot A490 Digital camera comes equipped with scene modes such as Low-Light Mode, Smart FE and the ability to upload video to YouTube. The PowerShot A495 and A490 Digital Cameras are scheduled to be available in late February for an estimated retail price of $129.99 and $109.99, respectively.

It's just a calculator. But a very nice one, designed by Canon's camera group, and it uses recycled PowerShot lenses for the glass elements. It's thirty dollars.

Lake Success, N.Y., January 5, 2010 – Canon U.S.A., Inc., a leader in digital imaging, today announced the addition of the X Mark I calculator to its lineup of environmentally conscious calculators incorporating recycled materials into critical structural components. Advancing Canon's commitment to a sustainable environment, the display panel of the X Mark I is made from Canon Digital Camera Prism Preconsumer recycled material.

Designed with the Canon Inc. Camera division's input, the new calculator incorporates similar curves and designs as the award-winning PowerShot Digital cameras. In addition, the 100-percent solar-powered X Mark I helps reduce waste while combining sophisticated styling and ease-of-use. The calculator has an increased memory capacity and important functions such as Cost-Sell-Margin, Grand Total, Sign Change and Backspace Key. Perfect for use at home or in the office, this slim, compact calculator has comfortable, low-profile durable keys for smooth and silent operation.

Available in two colors, black and white, the suggested retail price of the The X Mark I is $29.99.

Thank God for USB 3.0. I was getting really tired of staring at the progress bar for seconds (seconds!) while my shit transfers. WD just announced their first MyBook external drive with 3.0, and it looks great.

The MyBook 3.0 drive is available in either a 1TB or 2TB capacity, and in either a drive-only or a kit that includes a USB 3.0 card (since, you know, not very many people have one of those yet). They're surprisingly affordable, really—the 1TB drive is $180, and the kit adds another $20, while the 2TB drive's (and kit's) price has yet to be announced. Both drives are capable of getting 5Gb/s speeds, which is significantly faster than USB 2.0 (around 5-10 times faster). It's backwards compatible with USB 2.0, so no worries about attaching it to older hardware if need be. The 1TB drive is available now, and the 2TB should come later this month. [WD]

The Eye-Fi is an SD card that adds Wi-Fi uploads to any camera. Their latest flagship, the Pro X2, is pretty similar to old Eye-Fis, but it's faster and even a bit smarter, too.

The 8GB SD card has equally fast read/write speeds to older models (class 6, for the savvy comparison shopper), but uploading should be significantly faster on supported networks, thanks to 802.11n.

But honestly, the more enticing feature may be Endless Memory.

Endless Memory allows you to pretty much fill the 8GB card to its max, but if you run out of space, the card can automatically delete photos from the card that have already been uploaded safely to the cloud, eliminating the need to dig through your camera storage and guess what's been uploaded. Plus, you can choose how much of a storage buffer you'd like to leave at all times, in case you're away from a Wi-Fi connection for a while.

It all seems pretty handy, but for $150 (starting today), it'd better be.

Eye-Fi Pro X2: The Most Advanced Memory Card on the Market

Eye-Fi re-engineered its platform and designed Arcturus – the proprietary chip at the heart of the Eye-Fi Pro X2 that enables the fastest wireless uploads to date. With the 8GB Pro X2, users will experience:

· Class 6 performance for faster read/write speeds

· For the first time, an 802.11n radio and a redesigned antenna for faster photo and video uploads and increased Wi-Fi range

· Endless Memory (*see below for details)

· 8GB storage

· Wireless JPEG, RAW and video uploads direct to a home computer and the Web

· Ad hoc connectivity to upload when not in range of a wireless router

· Hotspot access to upload away from home at more than 10,000 locations in the US

· Automatic geotagging

The Eye-Fi Pro X2 will be available for pre-order on http://www.eye.fi and select online retailers including Amazon for $149.99 beginning January 5.

Eye-Fi Center: Send photos and videos to multiple locations

Eye-Fi will also introduce a new desktop application that replaces Eye-Fi's Web based application for managing your Eye-Fi card and experience. The new Eye-Fi Center will offer all users:

· The ability to easily select and publish photos and videos to different online locations – no more limitations on where photos can be shared

· Drag and drop capabilities so users can easily import any photos and videos into the Eye-Fi experience for easier sharing (even those memories not uploaded with Eye-Fi)

· The ability to access some features even when not connected to the Internet – such as adding a wireless network

· A redesigned interface for easier navigation

Eye-Fi Center will be available for download on January 5 for all users.

Endless Memory: You'll always have room on your card for more memories

The Eye-Fi Pro X2 will offer Endless Memory mode, so users can choose to have Eye-Fi automatically make space available on the card once photos have been safely uploaded.

· The card communicates with the Eye-Fi Service, so that it knows when photos and videos are safely delivered to the user's computer and/or online sharing site. Then, the card can remove files that have been safely delivered, beginning with the oldest.

· Users can select how much free space they want to reserve on the card.

· If files have not yet been uploaded, the Pro X2 will not remove them.

Like the Chumby, I'm not totally sure that the Pure Sensia is meant as a clock radio. But I don't know what the hell else you'd use it for, and it'd be pretty sweet to wake up to.

Pure mainly focuses on internet radio, releasing little docks and speaker sets and that kind of thing, but this is their first effort with a touchscreen and it definitely looks to best the Chumby One (though not the sorta similar iLuv App Station) in the specs department. It's got a 5.7-inch capacitive glass touchscreen (the Chumby's got a 3.5-inch resistive), a 30W sound system (Chumby's only packing a paltry 2W) and offers weather, Facebook and Twitter apps, with "more to come."

Now here's the part where Chumby kicks the Sensia's ass: The Sensia is far bigger, like dominate-your-bedside-table big; its design is, at best, inoffensive, while the Chumby is damned adorable; it's got no homebrew community to hack away and make it a great gadget, let alone a huge repository of fun approved apps; and most importantly, it's $350 to the Chumby's $100. $350 is super expensive for a clock radio, or a bedside boombox or whatever you'd call this thing. Availability has yet to be announced. [Pure]

Hookai. So. The Samurai Air Sword is really an iPhone in disguise. It doesn't come with touchscreen, CPU, multimedia processor, memory, GPS, or compass. But it has a gyroscope and runs a clone of the only iPhone application that matters.

The Lightsaber app! Except it's not really an app, and this is better: It makes 48 swooshabolous sound effects while you move it up in the air using a motion sensor. So screw the web browser, the mail, the stupid touchscreen, and all that fancy crap. For $18 and two AAA batteries, this thing does exactly what you need it to do. [Happinet via IT Media via DVICE]