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US tablet sales will more than double this year

Posted by Patrick Lambert Categories: CES, CES 2011, Handhelds,

tablet sales us

According to a new study by Forrester Research, the US sale of tablets, whether it's the iPad, Android or others, will more than double in 2011. The trend will keep going up, until more than one third of Americans own one by 2015. Their previous figures were much more conservative, and the outlook is likely to change again in the future. Still, this is probably closer to reality, as the iPad showed us that people really do want tablets, as long as the software and hardware are well executed. While the iPad will dominate at least for the foreseeable future, most device makers have already jumped on the bandwagon (you'll see proof of this at CES this week.) By 2015, the yearly amount of units sold should reach 44 millions.

Read More | Forrester

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Samsung SH100 Wi-Fi enabled point and shoot digital camera

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Cameras, CES, CES 2011, Wireless / WiFi,

samsung SH100

Fresh out of CES 2011, Samsung has announced their new SH100 point and shoot camera. What's so special about this one? Well, the main advantage here is the built-in Wi-Fi with DLNA support. This allows you to send images and videos to friends and web services (Facebook, YouTube, Picasa, Photobucket) directly from the camera itself without having to sync to a computer first. Speaking of syncing, the SH100 can also use it's Wi-Fi signal to wirelessly and automatically sync to a computer on the same network, eliminating the need for a cable. The DLNA let's you wirelessly display images and videos to a television right from the camera as well.

Even better, if you have a Samsung Galaxy S Android smartphone, you can use that device as a remote control for the camera. It will act as a remote viewfinder with shutter control at the very least. It's got a 14.2 megapixel sensor and 4.7-23.5mm lens which is nothing to write home about, but hey, for all this thing can do it's priced at just $200. That must mean we should be seeing more of this type of stuff just built-in to cameras this year (we hope!)

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It’s CES 2011 week, and we’ll be there to cover all the highlights!

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Announcements, CES, CES 2011,

CES 2011It's the beginning of a new year, and in the technology world, that means it's time for CES. We'll be hitting Vegas this week to cover the biggest consumar electronics show in these here United States later this week, where we expect to bring you a ton of breaking news. CES is where consumer electronics manufacturers shows off their upcoming wares for the year, and it gives a general idea of where the industry is going (for the records, we expect tablets to be pretty big this year.)

For CES, we'll be part of the Sears Blue Blogger Crew, and we'll be working as part of a team of other technology experts as we aim to give you an in-depth look at the sights and sounds of the event:

  • Jenna Hatfield, lead blogger at Stop, Drop and Blog; newspaper photographer and BlogHer contributing editor.
  • Kris Cain, Kris Cain, lead blogger for LittleTechGirl, Tech Editor on Mom Blog Magazine, Host of Tech Talk After Dark on MomTV, editor and writer for the National Apple Gear and Chicago Tech Gear sections on Examiner.com. 
  • Andru Edwards, Editor-in-Chief of Gear Live (that's me!)
  • Kelly Clay, a veteran blogger, works for Lockergnome, where she breaks news and analyzes trends in the tech industry. She currently lives in Seattle.
  • Barbara Rozgonyi, founder of the Chicago chapter of the Social Media Club, reports on ways to grow business and build brands through her blog, WiredPRWorks.

Be sure to check Gear Live this week for all the latest CES news. In addition, you can follow us on Twitter, Facebook, or go old-school with our RSS feed.

Big thank you to Sears for covering our travel costs and expenses for this years Consumer Electronics Show.


Tablets set to take the stage at CES 2011

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: CES, CES 2011, Features, Handhelds,

tablet ces 2011

This time last year, the tech world was holding its collective breath for the "slate" device Apple was heavily rumored to be releasing. A few weeks after CES, we had the Apple iPad, and a new product category with a clear leader was officially born. Since then, it feels like someone poured water on the tablet category or fed it after midnight. The sheer multitude of tablets seems to multiply like gremlins, and many of the products are equipped with operating systems that have a few gremlins of their own. CES 2011, nonetheless, will be remembered as the opening bell for the year of the tablet. Thus far, only two true contenders, Apple's iPad and Samsung's Android-based Galaxy Tab, have emerged as viable, enviable tablets. In about a week, that will all change…maybe.

Click to continue reading Tablets set to take the stage at CES 2011


HTC Thunderbolt to be first Verizon 4G LTE smartphone?

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Smartphones, CES, CES 2011, Handhelds, Rumors,

 

HTC thunderbolt

Verizon Wireless is set to unveil a half-dozen 4G LTE smartphones at next week's Consumer Electronics Show. Will the first device it shows off be the HTC Thunderbolt?

Droid Life on Tuesday posted photos of the HTC Thunderbolt, which it says will be Verizon's first 4G LTE device. The site didn't have any details on specs except to note that it looks a lot like the Desire HD. The device features a kickstand and Google branding.

Verizon said it has no comment.

Click to continue reading HTC Thunderbolt to be first Verizon 4G LTE smartphone?


Samsung to showcase Android-based Galaxy Player PMP at CES

Posted by Patrick Lambert Categories: Handhelds, Music,

Samsung has apparently confirmed that they will be showcasing the very first handheld Android media device (read: not a phone) at CES in a couple of weeks. Complementing its popular Galaxy Tab tablet, the familiar looking device (likely called the Galaxy Player) will feature a front facing camera, come in 8 GB, 16 GB, and 32G models, with a WVGA screen, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and a 3.2 MP camera. It will run Android 2.2 and will have a long lasting 1200mAh removable battery. The Samsung fan blog Samsung Hub has apparently confirmed the device, along with pictures that look quite similar to an iPod touch. It's clear that Android has been good for the company lately with devices like the Galaxy Tab and Galaxy S. This will bring yet another form factor to the market. There's no word yet when this new PMP will be available for sale, but those details are right around the corner.

Read More | Samsung Hub

Skype mobile video calls may be coming soon

skype mobile video calls

The big rumor this weekend making the rounds is that Skype may be planning to bring video calls to mobile platforms soon. A document was discovered by Engadget showing some help topics like "How do I make video calls with Skype for iPhone?" Also, Skype has been saying it will make some new video related announcements at CES next month. Could this mean Skype users will be able to use their iPhone 4 with something other than FaceTime? So far it's always been a sticky issue to use video on phones because of the high bandwidth requirements. The real question here is, if true, will Skype video calls be Wi-Fi only, or will you be able to make these calls over 3G?

Read More | Engadget

Microsoft to announce new tablets at CES 2011?

Posted by Patrick Lambert Categories: CES, CES 2011, Handhelds, Microsoft, Rumors,

microsoft tablet ces

Microsoft, along with various hardware partners, entered the tablet market a decade ago, but it was never a big success for them. Now that the iPad has taken off, and with Android tablets also looking strong this Christmas, the New York Times has an exclusive report saying that Microsoft is about to release a series of new tablets at CES early next year. According to inside sources, Steve Ballmer will introduce devices from Samsung, Dell and others, and try to get Microsoft back in the race. However, unlike the iPad and Android tablets, they will run Windows 7 or 8, a full desktop OS, and include a slide out keyboard.

Of course the fact that they will run a full OS brings questions like how much battery life they will have. Also, some of the marketing points will be for people to "work on Microsoft Word, Excel or PowerPoint while doing work”. This seems very similar to what the UMPC and previous Windows tablets were about, and it seems like a repeat of previous attempts--including last year at CES where Ballmer announced their new tablet initiative.

Read More | New York Times

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