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Posted by Randy Nelson

Having been a hit on Xbox 360, Microsoft’s motion-sensing Kinect technology is branching out — and we’re not talking about brushing cats. Already destined for Windows, the sensor hardware is also taking to the portable space, with laptops featuring Kinect already in prototype form.

Working models, in the form of Asus netbooks, are being shown off and feature the three-lens Kinect sensor in place of a traditional single webcam. Kinect uses an infrared emitter, low resolution black & white camera, and higher-resolution color camera to track movement, sense depth, perform facial recognition, and offer features such as video conferencing.

Microsoft will be licensing the Kinect technology to laptop makers to be built into their hardware. There’s no word on when manufacturers are planning to introduce systems that include Kinect, but it’s likely that they’re being prepped to debut alongside the Kinect-enabled Windows 8 this fall.

Kinect could be used to compliment traditional laptop trackpads, offering the ability to flip through documents, navigate the tile-based Windows 8 interface a la The Minority Report, issue voice commands, or even use head tracking to enable disabled users to more easily interact with their portables. Motion-based gaming is also a possible application, although game designers will have to contend with laptop users being seated so closely to the screen.

source: tecca

Posted by Taylor Hatmaker

When we met Nokia’s flagship Windows Phone, we were charmed immediately — and now we’ve got a few of the juicy details we were holding out for. According to a source close to Boy Genius Report, the Nokia Lumia 900 will launch on carrier AT&T on March 18 for a mere $99. That low price point for such a high-end device might be a move clever enough to invigorate the Windows Phone platform entirely — which is exactly what the Lumia 900 is poised to do.

Want to know more about the device that turned heads at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show? You can peruse our very own hands-on Lumia 900 gallery for a little eye-candy or get a visual walkthrough with our hands-on video preview, embedded below. While that date could be subject to change, here’s hoping that $99 price tag is locked in. It may just prove to be the phone’s true game-changing feature — and the one that could put both Microsoft and Nokiaback on the mobile map.

Posted by Mike Wehner

The current video game console generation is entering its twilight years, and with that inevitability comes the unceasing rumors of what each company’s next hardware will be capable of. Nintendo has already shown its hand by unveiling the Wii U, and now some tasty tidbits are beginning to surface regarding the next Xbox from Microsoft. Popularly nicknamed the Xbox 720, some new, well-sourced rumors suggest that it will be six times as powerful as the current console.

The Xbox 360 is no slouch, and it can still play host to the hottest new releases, but the hardware is approaching its 6th birthday and some serious advancements have been made in the world of graphics processing in the last half decade. The new Xbox will reportedly run on a derivative of AMD’s 6670 graphics chip, which supports 1080p HD, 3D, and linking to multiple external displays.

Compared to the Wii U, the Xbox 720 should be roughly 20% more powerful, though the stats of the two systems appear to be close enough that players may not notice a difference. Like Microsoft, Sony has yet to officially reveal anything about its followup to the PlayStation 3, but based on their console release history, a new machine is undoubtedly in the works. Where the PlayStation 4 will stack up in comparison to the new systems by Nintendo and Microsoft is anyone’s guess.

source: tecca

The Canadian based Research In Motion which produces the once loved BlackBerry smartphone have appointed a new CEO over the past weekend.  This news comes after Jim Balsillie and Mike Lazaridis stepped down from their chief executive roles as BlackBerry devices continue to struggle for survival. Thorsten Heins, a former Siemens executive who has risen steadily through RIM’s upper management ranks since joining the Canadian company in late 2007, took over as CEO on Saturday, RIM said on Sunday. Heins, who took over from co-CEOs Mike Lazaridis and Jim Balsillie, also said he had no plans to split up the company, which has been losing market share to Apple’s iPhone and handsets powered by Google’s Android platform.

More than 75 million people use BlackBerry services every day, but still RIM shares have lost nearly three-quarters of their value over the past year. Heins says RIM will continue to produce smartphones but also build lower cost models to attract first time buyers in the entry-lever marketplace. The new CEO also said he would be prepared to license the new BlackBerry 10 operating system to generate more revenue for the company. We will see how this new takeover impacts not only the smartphone market but also investors outlook on RIM. Do you think RIM still has what it takes to bring BlackBerry back from the dead? Good luck to Mr. Heins…

via: TheStar

New CEO of RIM Thorsten Heins

A pair of camera-free iPhones from Apple have landed in the country of Singapore today via wireless carrier M1. M1′s unique iPhones were actually leaked on their site around a week ago and now the carrier have officially launched the devices for sale. With Singapore requiring all male citizens and many permanent residents to serve up to two years in the military, there is a significant market for camera-less phones in the country. Members of Singapore’s military have been banned from carrying camera devices into army facilities since 2007, after photos of secret training activities surfaced on the web. The camera-free iPhone 4 starts at $449 while the high-end iPhone 4S is priced at $974. No word from Apple if camera-free versions of their popular iPhone will land outside Singapore or even stateside.

via: BGR

Two of the best Android devices face off in an epic droid battle. The new Galaxy Nexus with Ice Cream Sandwich tries to knock of HTC’s golden boy the Amaze. Can the Amaze with HTC Sense and it’s stunning 8MP defeat the ICS powered monster with a 4.65″ screen? Or will the Galaxy Nexus prove once again why it is the phone chosen by Google to be represented as king of the Droids? Find out which monster reigns supreme. Enjoy!

Two of the top devices on the planet square off mano-a-mano in this classic smartphone shoot out. The new Galaxy Nexus powered by the latest version of Android (4.0 ICS) takes on the king of iOS devices the iPhone 4S. Can this new Nexus giant crush Apple to take top spot in your pocket? Find out which device reigns supreme in this epic face-off between Apple and Google. Enjoy the video below!

As CES 2012 comes to a close, and thousands of vendors and attendees flee for the airport, we can look back and say CES 2012 portrays a positive outlook on the future of CE. The ongoing theme this year was bigger, thinner, and connected gadgets. From OLED TVs to WiFi enabled washing machines, gadgets in every category are getting thinner and smarter. Last year was all about tablets and 3D. Although the show was great last year, consumers did not really adapt to 3D TVs due to cost and the glasses. This years TVs were thinner and smarter by integrating apps and utilizing super thin OLED/Crystal LED displays. New household appliances from LG with integrated WiFi and apps shows how appliances will interact with your home network and mobile devices in the future. While on the subject of thinner and smarter the new Ultrabook category of laptops seems to be a big winner at CES 2012. These new Windows and Intel powered devices look to give the MacBook Air some heavy competition this year.

With so many devices to look at across all 4 halls, it was hard for me to pick out what struck me as “the best in show”. I thought I would break it down by category and highlight some of my favorite products from the event. Enjoy my top picks for best gadgets of CES 2012 and check out more images from the event below.

CES 2012 Best in show:

Ultrabooks: This new category of laptops brings sexy, powerful, and thin back to Windows powered machines. My favorite models from this years show include: Samsung Series 5, Dell XPS 13, HP Envy 14 Spectre, LG Z330, Asus Zenbook, and the Acer Aspire Timeline Ultra.

Windows Phone: Android and iOS lookout. Microsoft is back with 2 new devices that can finally put up a fight in a crowded smartphone market. First off is the HTC Titan 2. This new monster phone from HTC built for AT&T is the first LTE capable Windows Phone smartphone to be announced in the world. It features a large 4.7-inch touchscreen display and a 16 megapixel main camera. Other features include a 1.5GHz single-core Qualcomm processor and a forward-facing 1.3 megapixel camera. Next up is the new Nokia Lumia 900. The Lumia 900 is the last ditch effort from Nokia to make it in the U.S and to actually just still exist. The new 900 is similar in form to the 800 but features a bigger 4.3-inch Clear Black unit with WVGA (480 x 800 pixel) resolution. The Lumia 900 is powered by the same 1.4GHz single-core processor as the Lumia 800 and Lumia 710, but it has a huge 1,830mAh (non-removable) battery inside. If these 2 devices can make a splash in the smartphone market, expect even better devices to ship with the Windows Phone OS.

Thinner, Smarter, & Brighter TVs: Probably my top pick for gadget of CES is the 55″ OLED TV from LG and Samsung. These sets are just astonishingly thin when seen in person. They also offer great viewing angles and ultra bright screens. Crystal Led display TVs from Sony and new 3D models were also very impressive at the show this year. Samsung also has integrated better apps and connectivity in a variety of new models that will also land in stores this year…say bye-bye to set top boxes soon

Android: New cheaper tablets from Asus and other Chinese manufactures are set to turn the heat up on the $499 iPad. Also a giant 13″ Tablet from Toshiba looks to put a spin on the tablet industry with a giant screen. Sony brings the Tablet P with dual screens which looks to mix up the tablet category with this new unique flip open form factor. Android phones were also hot items at CES 2012. First off Samsung had offering with it’s new 5″ Galaxy Note which crosses the line between tablet and phone. This monster will have 4G LTE and launch on AT&T. The Galaxy Nexus which was unveiled months ago was also announced for Sprint at CES. One big surprise was from Huawei who unveiled the worlds thinnest smartphone at this years show. The Ascend P1 S is very thin, fast, and is powered by Android ICS. I could be rocking a Huawei phone very soon! Sony also had 2 big release in their Xperia line with the Xperia Ion and Xperia S. The Ion will land on AT&T with 4G LTE connectivity later this year. Motorola also delivers 2 new Android phones with powered up Droid RAZR called the RAZR MAXX. They have also released a new version of their classic Droid phone with the new Droid 4 QWERTY slider.

I’m Watch: This device is a true show stopper for me. The new I’m Watch from Italian manufacturer I’M SpA delivers Dick Tracy style communications in a tech savvy luxury package. The watch is powered by an IMX233 processor and runs on Android 1.6. It features a 1.54″ color TFT display with 240 x 240 resolution and weighs on 70 grams. It has a built-in 430mAh Lithium-ion polymer battery that is able to power the watch for about 48 hours when Bluetooth is being used and 24 hours with Bluetooth on. The price of the watch will vary from 249 euros all the way up to 14,999 euros, depending on which version you decide to go with.

So there you have it, CES 2012 has finally come to a close. I hope you have enjoyed all the coverage from the GazelleLab as I have really enjoyed covering all the gadget goodness here in Vegas. Make sure to check out our YouTube channel as I have put some of our video coverage of the event online. Enjoy the pics below from my final day on the showroom floor. Enjoy!

Day 3 of the 2012 Consumer Electronic Show lands me in the “that other hall with all the cars” or also known as the North Hall. The North Hall showed off a vicious bunch of vehicles from Mercedes and Audi, to Ferrari and Lamborghini’s. Innovation in the auto industry is what the North Hall is all about. Ford Motor Company was honored at the Consumer Electronics Show with the “Best of Innovation” recognition for its innovative MyFord Mobile application and is demonstrating the first beta versions of the new technology at the show. Panasonic is also showcasing its solar technology on the world’s fastest solar car. Along with the auto show came the iLounge where manufactures show off every possible iOS accessory known to man. Many headphone manufactures were also present such as Ludacris Soul headphones, Ferrari branded sets, as well as Bob Marley (House of Marley) headphones. Honestly I have never seen so many headphones at one CES as I did this year. This could say a lot for the high-end audio category as mobile phones get major audio enhancements and more tech savvy consumers realize they don’t want to use $10 buds. Also in the North Hall was some new fitness gadgets and apps like BodyMedia who makes the new Fit Armband. The device links to an online activity manager where users can log food intake, which allows them to track their daily caloric intake and burn.

Stay tuned for the final day here in Vegas of CES 2012. I wil wrap up the event tomorrow and bring you my top in show for this years event. With so many great gadgets, concepts, and products on the show room floor my job will be a tough one. Enjoy the images below from the North Hall.

Day 2 brings me to the massive central hall where all the big players are featured. From the likes of Samsung, LG, and Sony, to Intel, Microsoft, and Motorola. I started off at Intel checking out their impressive array of UltraBooks from various manufactures. This new UltraBook trend is really catching on this year. Models from Lenovo, Acer, Asus, and Dell looked extremely sexy and thin. While the Toshiba Z830 model still kept the Portege from factor while thinning up the chassis. Next I was off to Microsoft and Motorola. Microsoft had a wide array of Windows Phone devices out such as the Nokia Lumia, HTC Titan 2, HTC Arrive and others. Motorola had the new Droid RAZR MAXX and Droid 4 on display as well as a big fitness event featuring the MotoACTV wrist watch. Next we were off to check out some of the new thinner TVs from the event. LG had the most impressive showing with a 55″ OLED set which is paper thin and clear as glass. All new thinner and brighter TVs were also on display from Sharp, Panasonic, Sony, and Toshiba. Staying on Toshiba I got a glimpse of their new 13.3″ tablet. This thing is massive and questions the purpose of true portability in a tablet. I was back at Sony and Samsung to finish off the day to check out their latest mobile offerings. The big devices at Samsung were the Galaxy Note 5″ Tablet/Phone and the Galaxy Nexus (Sprint, Verizon, Unlocked). The Note will be headed to AT&T soon an also comes in sexy white color with 4G LTE connectivity. Last up was the 2 new Xperia devices from Sony Ericsson. The new Xperia Ion and Xperia S will be the Nippon-Swedish new flagship devices. The S will be for Global markets while the Ion will arrive on AT&T with 4G LTE. I must say the Ion is very impressive in both features and looks. Last stop was at Canon and Nikon to check out some new cameras and lenses. The J1 from Nikon was displayed in a variety of colors and showed off by the Nikon cover models. Canon had some massive lenses along with their classic line-up of cameras including the impressive PowerShot GX1.

Tomorrow I will wrap up my CES with a visit to the central hall and the remanding stuff I passed by. Check out the images from Day 2 Central Hall below. Enjoy!