Another CES is behind us.  The monstrous screens and massive subwoofers are no longer there, and neither are the innovations that make the show so great.  The purveyors of sadder products have gone home as well.  The people that make shoe shaped speakers and unbreakable cell phones that crack on live television have returned to the drawing board for another year. It’s time to reflect on the Consumer Electronic Show, and take a look at some of the impressive (and less impressive) technologies that make the show worth going to year after year.HITTransparent OLED – This one took me by surprise.  Transparent OLED screens have gotten a buzz in the last few months as they’ve been placed into laptops and cell phones.  Until I got up close with Samsung’s IceTouch, I dismissed it as something pretty but not practical.The IceTouch ...

Another CES Press Day has come and gone.  Filled with press conferences from all the major CE manufacturers, the video side of the business was in full swing.  The huge push for all the companies seems to be in 3D technology.  LG, Toshiba, Panasonic, Sony and Samsung are all betting that the typical CE consumer is going to latch onto 3D tech as easily as HDTV caught on.  Each company is pursuing this effort with different partners.  For instance, Samsung brought out Jeffrey Katzenberg (the Head of Dreamworks) and Frederic Rose (the head of Technicolor) in matching 3D glasses to announce their partnerships.  Panasonic is partnering with DirecTV and Sony is dealing with ESPN.  The major players are betting that consumers will be willing to sit at home and put on 3D glasses to watch content.  They also believe that ...

Since 1997, Netflix has changed the way that we think about "renting" movies.  Instead of schlepping it to our nearest big box rental shop or mom 'n pop store to pick up a tape of DVD, they've made us all lazier -- excuse me, enhanced the convenience of renting a movie -- by sending discs directly to our mailbox based on a queue arranged on their website.  Wait times can be a hassle for high-demand items, but the service has nevertheless made believers out of many consumers.  However, with the likes of free movies available at various venues across the Internet (Hulu, The Auteurs), a new type of viewing experience has become predominant within the past few years: instant streaming, along with free on-demand rentals through cable providers. In reaction to this, Netflix has also come out of the gate ...

The story that that has dominated domestic and international headlines after last year’s presidential election is the state of the world economy, specifically the recession that has affected virtually every sector of the world’s markets.  Between unemployment numbers, devaluation of securities, the tightening of credit lines, the weakening of the U.S. dollar, and reluctance of consumers to spend during such uncertain circumstances have put a halt to capital expenditures. In short, it is the classic vicious circle.Mainstream retailers have been especially hit hard. Long standing businesses such as CompUSA, Circuit City, KB Toys, and Linen N’ Things comprise a very short list of companies that had to close up shop and liquidate.  Along with retail, the travel and hospitality, automotive, and general services sectors have been dealt knockout punches.The consumer electronics industry is down, but has fared better than was ...

If the recent Blu-con conference in Los Angeles is any indicator, Blu-ray is officially here to stay.  If you haven’t made the jump into the 1080p deliciousness of this high definition movie format, now is the time.  With the holiday season rapidly approaching, there will be an astounding number of cheap Blu-ray players targeted at consumers finally ready to start replacing their DVD collections.Of course, with all the deals on the Blu-ray market, audio / video fanatics have to be careful that they are spending their money on high quality Blu-ray players.   The following section of our holiday gift guide will provide solid recommendations on which players to keep your eye out for.  In addition, we provided intermediate and videophile level picks for those looking to seriously upgrade their home theater system.If you are just getting into Blu-ray, we easily recommend ...