Steve Ballmer’s Microsoft CES Keynote: Everything He’s Going to Say (LIVE)

Microsoft big boss Steve Ballmer is just now taking the stage here in Las Vegas to kick off CES 2010. What’s he gonna do and say? Here, I’ll tell you. UPDATING THROUGH THE KEYNOTE

Update: The keynote began with a testimony on the benefits of technology from SNL’s Seth Myers. He thanks technology for all of the wondrous humiliations he can now participate in, such as worldwide publication of Halloween images, buying tobacco-store Indians on eBay, and having his grandma tell him he looks too fat or too thin from 1200 miles away.

Seth Myers as drunken smurf:

Says Ballmer: “We Bing and we Bing and we Bing. Bing! Bing! Bing!”

Steve doesn’t have a whole lot of breaking news today. The company has already confirmed that the Xbox 360 motion-sensing technology codenamed Natal would be available in time for the holidays. Also, that that sexy Windows Phone the HTC HD2 will be coming to the US, via T-Mobile, sometime this spring.

He does have one trick up his sleeve, one that people have been buzzing about. But mostly, Steve and Robbie Bach, the head of the Entertainment & Devices division, will be talking about 2009.

And why not? 2009 was the year of Microsoft, and Ballmer & Bach are going to confirm it with facts from NPD and others, citing for instance that Windows 7 boosted PC sales in a huge way, with 50% growth over the previous holiday sales season. (Ballmer won’t get too detailed though, as the real numbers are set to come out during their quarterly earnings report on January 28.)

They will brag about how awesome Xbox is, how in its 10 year existence, it has accounted for $20 billion in retail sales (games and hardware) and accrued 39 million Xbox Live members worldwide.

Ballmer will say that Bing, with 11 million users, is already a success (though there’s no market share data to speak of yet), and that HP will use it as the default search engine and homepage on browsers in systems shipping in 42 countries.

They will talk about Ford Sync, and a new in-car experience they’ve developed with Kia. The 2011 Kia Sorrento will feature a service like Sync, called UVO. It may not look like Sync, but it will be similarly functional.

Finally, Steve will show off a bunch of sweet Windows 7 machines, many we’ve already seen, such as the Sony Vaio L touchscreen all-in-one, the Lenovo A300 and the Asus NX90.

Update: They were going to show off a TV with a PC built in, but the technical difficulties that delayed the show apparently screwed up the computer. To quote Steve: “It blew the tube.” Didn’t know they had tubes, but I get the picture. There it is, lurking in the back:

At some point during the hardware fondling, he’s going to hold aloft a pretty sweet “slate” device from HP. This is not speculation, it is confirmed. It’s not the Courier of bloggy lore. But it is a product with great battery life and a Windows 7 touch experience, not a prototype but a product that Microsoft says HP will be releasing. [Microsoft]

ViewSonic blitzes CES: HDTVs, nettops, PMPs, laptops and more

You wouldn’t generally think of a smaller outfit such as ViewSonic having a major presence here at CES, but sure enough, the company has hit the ground blazing in Las Vegas. Kicking things off is the new ViewLED TV lineup, which consists of four LED-backlit sets ranging from 19- ($299) to 42-inches ($1,199) in size. Moving from HDTVs to PC panels, we’ve got ten new Eco-View monitors spanning the entire gamut of sizes and features. The company is also letting loose its VFP858 connected Bluetooth smart frame, which packs an 8-inch panel, an integrated microphone, stereo speakers and support for handsfree dialing… all from a digiframe. For media junkies on the run, the new line of MovieBooks (including the 5-inch VPD550T and 3-inch VPD313T) both sport touch-sensitive displays and sub-$150 price tags. Finally, we’ve got no fewer than nine new laptop and desktop models, including the 13.3-inch VNB131 ViewBook Pro, 18.5-inch VPC190 all-in-one and the VOT125 nettop. Obviously we’ve got far too many pricing, availability and hardware details to cover in this space, but all the information you could ever want on the new kit is hosted up after the break.

Continue reading ViewSonic blitzes CES: HDTVs, nettops, PMPs, laptops and more

ViewSonic blitzes CES: HDTVs, nettops, PMPs, laptops and more originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 06 Jan 2010 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Microsoft CES keynote PR leaks early: HP slate device is just a PC, Natal in holiday 2010

Microsoft’s CES keynote has been marked by disaster: first the power went out, knocking the PCs on stage into recovery mode, and now the PR for Ballmer’s speech has posted early. The big news is no news — that HP slate device is a Windows 7 PC, not the rumored Courier tablet. We’re sure HP and Microsoft will have some interesting things to say about it, but a lot of hearts are breaking out there. Other big items: Project Natal will launch around the holidays in 2010, the HTC HD2 will hit T-Mobile as expected, and the Mediaroom 2.0 IPTVs service will bring on-demand programming to PCs and phones. The full PR is after the break, but we’ll post highlights here if we see anything else as we comb through.

[Thanks, Andrew]

Continue reading Microsoft CES keynote PR leaks early: HP slate device is just a PC, Natal in holiday 2010

Microsoft CES keynote PR leaks early: HP slate device is just a PC, Natal in holiday 2010 originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 06 Jan 2010 21:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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HTC HD2 officially headed to T-Mobile

We had a pretty clear indication that this one was coming, but Microsoft and HTC have now finally announced that the HD2 Windows Mobile phone is officially headed to T-Mobile. Unfortunately, no one is being very specific about launch details just yet, but it will apparently be out sometime this Spring for as yet undetermined price.

HTC HD2 officially headed to T-Mobile originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 06 Jan 2010 21:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MSI dualscreen e-reader hands-on (update: video!)

We have been hearing about dualscreen laptops (and readers) for too long now, but it’s MSI to be the first to show off a real working unit. And it’s everything we have ever dreamed of — well kind of. Though MSI is calling this dual 10-inch screen device an e-reader, it’s really a netbook with two screens since it’s got an Atom Z Series processor and Windows 7 Home Premium. But it’s how the two screens work together that we can’t get out of our minds. Hit the break for some more impressions and to see this crazy thing on video.

Continue reading MSI dualscreen e-reader hands-on (update: video!)

MSI dualscreen e-reader hands-on (update: video!) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 06 Jan 2010 21:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony’s Trik / Triq iPod Dock is perfect for your garishly tasteless lifestyle, also headphones

Sony's Trik/Triq iPod Dock is perfect for your garishly tastelessly lifestyle, also headphones
Looking for the perfect sound system to match the urban camo scheme you applied on your M4A1 in Modern Warfare 2? Have we got the solution for you, guaranteed to both work with your iPod/iPhone and to make your parents cringe. It’s Sony’s Triq/Trik, which is so unbelievably tricky Sony can’t decide whether to call it the Triq or the Trik. If the monochrome thing doesn’t do it for you there are three other skins to choose from, each more hideous daring than the next. It pumps out a very meaningful 75 watts and will cost a $130 when it ships in April. Sony also announced the MDR-NC300D Digital Noise Canceling Earbuds, said to be the first earbuds with digital noise cancelation, surely far superior than those paltry analog cancellation-featuring earbuds. They’re pictured after the break, featuring a “vertical-in-the-ear” style and providing 20 hours of life from a single AA battery. No, the battery doesn’t go up in your ear canal.

Continue reading Sony’s Trik / Triq iPod Dock is perfect for your garishly tasteless lifestyle, also headphones

Sony’s Trik / Triq iPod Dock is perfect for your garishly tasteless lifestyle, also headphones originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 06 Jan 2010 21:37:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony Flaunts 3-D TVs, Taylor Swift to Regain Its Cool

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LAS VEGAS — Pop star Taylor Swift kicked off Sony’s press conference Wednesday night, loosely establishing the theme of the event: 3-D video.

“I feel like my fans are all very cutting edge, so when it comes to technology I’m very interested in what’s the newest and best,” Swift said on stage. “My tour starts next month in Australia and Japan and I’m looking forward to documenting all that footage using 3-D.”

After Swift played a song with her band and her silver, glitter-adorned guitar, Sony CEO Sir Howard Stringer took the mic to close her performance with a surprisingly self-deprecating (and honest) statement.

“Maybe you’ll call us cool again, who knows,” Stringer said regarding having Swift as a guest. Kanye West was not present in the audience for comment.

In its press conference, Sony made a large number of product announcements, ranging from new VAIO notebooks to Cybershot digital cameras, and from memory cards with bigger storage to a touchscreen picture frame called the Dash. But 3-D televisions were the highlight item, as well as content partnerships Sony established with ESPN, Discovery and IMAX to create 3-D content. Of all the video manufacturers at CES, Sony appears to be the most serious about 3-D.

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“We intend to take the lead in 3-D,” Stringer said. “Sony is the only company fully immersed in every link of the 3-D value chain.”

The major product announced was Sony’s first commercial 3-D TV series, the Bravia LX900 (below). Ranging from 22 to 60 inches, the 3-D TVs incorporate a frame sequential display, active-shutter glasses and Sony’s high frame-rate technology to produce high-definition 3-D images.

Sony claims its 240-Hz frame-rate technology reduces the mixing of images of 3-D content assigned to the left and right eyes. The company also says its Bravia Engine 3 digital-video processing technology uses enhanced algorithms to reduce noise, enhance image detail and optimize contrast so scenes look sharp and lifelike.

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Sony did not specify a shipping date or a price for the 3-D TVs — which seems to be a trend among manufacturers announcing similar products. That means so far, this is still vaporware.main1_mhs-pm5_blue-1200_lg

In addition to showing off the 3-D TVs, Sony announced it was the official sponsor of 3-D video for ESPN — so when 3-D TVs actually ship, Sony will be the company providing the 3-D technology for sport events televised on the channel. Sony also said it was partnering with Discovery and IMAX to create a new 3-D channel.

Dashing all hopes of Wired ever calling Sony cool again, the company announced a high-definition pocket camcorder called the Bloggie (right).

“Yes, you heard me right — Bloggie,” said Brennan Mullin, Sony Electronics’ senior vice president of the personal imaging and audio business, to a snickering audience.

Sporting a pistol-grip design, the Bloggie shoots 1920-by-1080 MP4 video and 5-megapixel still photos. The camera is called Bloggie because it includes software to share your content on social media sites including YouTube, Dailymotion and Photobucket (but not Blogger, ironically). Shipping today, the Bloggie starts at $170.

Gadget Lab will follow up soon with the other products Sony announced tonight. Stay tuned.

See Also:

Photos: Jon Snyder/Wired.com, Sony


Motorola Backflip hands-on

We’re not quite sure what to make of the Backflip just yet — closed, it looks almost exactly like a CLIQ, but the keyboard (which rests on the outside of the device) is allegedly rugged enough to withstand a beating. Rugged or not, we’re worried about feel — believe it or not, it has even less tactile response to it than the Droid, putting it a distant third in Moto’s QWERTY Android efforts so far. Obviously we’ll need a good deal more time to gel our opinion, but out of the gate, we’re not encouraged.

The touchpad on the back of the screen is… well, interesting, but that’s about all we can really say about it at this point — as Sanjay said during the keynote, it’ll be up to devs utilizing Moto’s API to do the really awesome stuff with it. In the meantime, it acts exactly as you’d expect a trackball or optical pad to work on Android — just upside down.

In terms of the screen and the Blur experience, it’s a dead ringer for the CLIQ, for better or worse — the big difference, of course, is the fact that the screen can be tilted. The phone’s got a sensor so it can detect when the screen’s at a 45-degree angle, putting it in a media mode and making it particularly useful as an alarm clock. Would we buy one? We’re not sure — it’s no Droid, certainly — but maybe it doesn’t have to be. Check some raw video after the break!

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Motorola Backflip hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 06 Jan 2010 21:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony finally lets you use SD memory on HandyCams, freshens up pro shooters with SSDs

Sony has just announced yet another mad plethora of HandyCams, this time spreading its back-illuminated Exmor R sensor throughout the whole range. With it comes the ability to expand storage via Memory Stick, SD or SDHC cards, much improved “quick AF” functionality, as well as a six-blade aperture producing a more appealing “bokeh” — quite an advanced consideration when talking about humble consumer recorders. The flagship XR550V (250GB HDD) and CX550V (64GB SSD) models also feature a wide-angle G lens, 12 megapixel stills, assignable manual control dial, and dedicated mic and headphone inputs. On the professional front, the company is offering the AX2000 and HXR-NX5U, with both recording AVCHD at rates up to 24MBps and producing 1080p footage. A 20x optical zoom is also nice, but for the $3,500 price of the cheaper AX2000, we’d expect nothing less. Check out the source links below for further details, including full pricing and availability.

Sony finally lets you use SD memory on HandyCams, freshens up pro shooters with SSDs originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 06 Jan 2010 21:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Live from Steve Ballmer’s CES 2010 keynote

We’re in our seats and eagerly awaiting the start of Steve Ballmer’s (and Microsoft’s) CES 2010 keynote. Hang tight for just a few, and the proceedings will get underway.

Check back at 6:30PM PT — that’s when the real action begins.

Continue reading Live from Steve Ballmer’s CES 2010 keynote

Live from Steve Ballmer’s CES 2010 keynote originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 06 Jan 2010 21:13:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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