Which celeb recently opened up about her social networking habits at CES?
I don't use Facebook or Twitter. I already feel like there's too much public access to my life, and I feel like people don't need another avenue into my personal life.
Professional photographer Nigel Barker definitely knows his way around a camera, so it's only natural that Sony would call upon him at this year's CES to answer photography questions submitted by inquiring Twitter users. When Nigel isn't giving models his two cents on the set of America's Next Top Model, he's either out playing with his laptops or off shooting in some exotic and distant locale. Needless to say, I don't need an excuse to watch this hot geek in action, so the good news is that he took some time out last weekend to share his vast knowledge of the craft.
Nigel answered questions on everything from shooting great cameraphone pics to how to get someone to pose with style. I've already given you a few tips on how to make people look great in front of the lens, but Nigel has another great method that he uses with friends and family. Check it out when you read more
CES may be over, but we're going to be hearing more about all the new products that dropped last week in Vegas throughout the year. If you missed any of the CES action, then catch up (and start your holiday wish lists early) by taking a gander at everything we covered, all in one place.
OK, so how many times have you bragged to a group of friends that you beat your all-time high score on Guitar Hero after a monster jam session, only to be blasted for not learning to play a "real" instrument? Yeah, I've been there too, friend. Now you can take your rock prowess from the console and blend it with actual chord knowledge with the You Rock guitar.
This USB controller does so much more than make you feel like a rock god when playing a video game — it's also a MIDI controller, so you can play and record songs on your iPod, MP3 player, or audio recording software, hook up some headphones to play in silence (to the outside world, anyway), and still rock out to Guitar Hero or Rock Band. The You Rock guitar has colored keys so you can strum along with your video game, and real strings so you can take things to the next level at home. Priced at $180, it's the perfect gateway from gaming to real-life rocking.
We've seen our fair share of mini HD cameras coming out of CES this week, but there's something different about the Samsung SMX-C24 that I love: simplicity. Although cameras like the Flip and the new Kodak Playsport are fantastically portable, I don't like the fact that you have to install and use their software to upload and edit video. Thankfully, Samsung has sidestepped this common practice and built the editing software straight into the camera. Called the intelli studio, you can edit your videos right from the 2.7" LCD screen, or hook it up to any Mac or PC to play around with. Making things even easier, once you give the C24 your YouTube account info, you're set to go with "one button" uploading. It's that easy.
Add in the 16GB on-board memory, and a comfortable grip made to mimic a natural wrist position, and it's a win all around. The Samsung SMX-C24 would be great for beginning geeks who want to start recording video, moms who want to document their kids' sporting events, and anyone who just wants something simple to capture memories. No prices or release date yet, but you can look for the C24 to land in two colors — red and blue.
This was a week of big announcements! Thanks to the start of CES, we were introduced to a ton of new gadgets this week, and Google (finally!) announced its new mobile phone, the Nexus One. Check out some of the coolest gadgets I saw this week, plus more stories you might have missed — like the rediscovery of a favorite childhood board game!
One of the trends emerging at this year's CES is lots of new in-car tech. I wrote about one new gadget announced at this year's event, and a New York Times article details even more, but not without a note of caution. From high-tech navigation systems to audio controls (and in some cases, video), new dashboard "computers" aim to change the way we act on the road.
Automakers, of course, claim that these new features were extensively tested for safety to minimize distraction. But I can't help but think that advances like Ford's planned integration of applications like Facebook and Twitter will cause more harm than good. On the other hand, perhaps these touch-screen and computer like functions are just the wave of the future for the automotive industry. . .a sort-of evolution of the volume knob and GPS systems that most cars already have. What do you think?
Known for being advocates of great sound quality, Monster announced their newest headphones at CES, including a new set of Beats By Dr. Dre PRODUCT (RED) headphones endorsed by my favorite celeb in attendance at CES, Lady Gaga, and a partnership with designer Vivienne Tam, who is no stranger to the tech scene — I'm still in love with her latest HP netbook.
New products to expect this year include unbreakable Jamz ($119) and Lil' Jamz headphones ($99), designed to produce high quality sound at an affordable price point. On the other end of the cost spectrum, a super high end Turbine Pro Copper set, retailing for $400 (I told you, super high end!). And for the dedicated jazz listener, a pair of Miles Davis Tribute headphones, designed to optimize the sound of jazz music. At $500, the tribute headphones are sold with two CDs, a vinyl LP, a DVD, hardcover book, and black and white poster of the jazz legend. And of course, the Lady Gaga-endorsed PRODUCT(RED) headphones, retailing for $230, expected to hit stores in February (red Lady Gaga headphones for Valentine's Day? Are you listening? Yes please!). Check out some photos of the new headphones in the gallery below.
At CES yesterday, Palm announced the Pre Plus and Pixi Plus, both being released through Verizon on January 25. Although the upgrades weren't all that eye-catching (16GB of on-board storage vs. 15GB, a special casing to link up with the Touchstone Charging Dock, new back case colors and backgrounds for the Pixi), there was an interesting bit of news: Palm will be releasing a mobile hotspot app, which allows you to tether your Pre Plus or Pixi Plus with up to five other WiFi compatible devices (think netbook, DS, camera) and share the fast 3G network.
The app virtually gives you the power to create your own WiFi cloud. Of course, this access will come at an extra cost, but it's something that will be available in the Palm App Catalog later this month, versus AT&T who has promised this to iPhone customers for nearly a year. Additionally, Palm is now opening up their developer program to the public to submit apps to the App Catalog. They've also started a $1 million dollar Hot Apps Bonus program which could earn popular developers some cold, hard cash. No prices have been announced for the Pre Plus and Pixi Plus, but they'll be talking numbers soon.
