Hasta La Gadget!

The battle for the connected living room is about to heat up in a big way: the Wall Street Journal reports that Cisco will announce a new series of connected cable boxes here at CES tomorrow, as part of a larger announcement that combines online video with recorded and live television. You scoff now, but keep in mind that Cisco owns Scientific Atlanta, which makes an absolutely huge number of cable boxes for providers like Time Warner and Comcast — and if Big Cable embraces connected TV by distributing integrated Cisco hardware, well, we’d say upstarts like Apple and Google might just go home with their tails between their legs. On the other hand, the WSJ says “cable operators will be able to customize the software interface and decide on pricing” for Cisco’s new boxes, so it’s possible America’s favorite corporations will completely bungle everything at the first opportunity. We’ll be there live tomorrow, so we’ll see what happens.

Cisco joining connected TV party with updated cable boxes at CES originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 04 Jan 2011 20:55:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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If Photo Rumors‘ recent scoop is legit, it looks like what could be Sony‘s entire CES 2011 camera lineup has leaked. While the site doesn’t have access to full specs or photos of actual devices, it does have a list of models with some key features. Highlights include three new Bloggie video cameras: the Bloggie MHS-FS1 which will supposedly be a 5.1 megapixel affair with 4x digital zoom, up to two hours of HD video with a 2.7-inch LCD and 4GB of internal memory. Another Bloggie model, enticingly named the Bloggie 3D MHS-FS3 adds — you guessed it — 3D to the mix. The rest of the list comprises eleven different Cybershot models of various shapes and sizes. We’ll know soon enough if these cameras are the real deal, and we’ll get you a first look at them as fast as our hands can shoot photos. Until then, hit up the source link to peruse the entire, tantalizing text.

Sony’s CES camera lineup leaked, including Bloggie 3D upgrade? originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 04 Jan 2011 20:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Who says you have to wait until NAMM for new audio gear? Blue Microphones is on-hand here in Vegas to introduce its newest and Yeti-est USB condenser microphone to date: the Yeti Pro. Picking up where the original Yeti left off, this professionalized version offers a 24-bit / 129kHz digital recording resolution, analog XLR output and a proprietary triple capsule array. We got a chance to fondle a unit a little early and, as expected, it feels decidedly top shelf. Knobs turn smoothly and with just the right resistance, stand is heavy and secure. It’ll ship later this month for $249, and you can catch the entire release just after the break.

Continue reading Yeti Pro USB condenser microphone touts 24-bit / 192 kHz digital recording, XLR output, we go hands-on

Yeti Pro USB condenser microphone touts 24-bit / 192 kHz digital recording, XLR output, we go hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 04 Jan 2011 20:34:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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There isn’t much to go on here, but a supposed snapshot from Microsoft’s CES keynote has surfaced with the name Avatar Kinect displayed front and center. So, what is that, exactly? Chances are it’s not the Avatar Kinect we were dreaming of earlier this week, but if we had to guess from the picture and the name alone, you’ll probably be awkwardly moving your body to see just how well your on-screen representation can mimic the motion. Winrumors goes a step further, claiming (without citing any sources, though) that there’ll be a separate channel for the Avatar coming via an Xbox Live software update. Nothing’s confirmed here, but given Microsoft’s CES keynote is tomorrow, this rumor’s shelf life is thankfully pretty short.

Microsoft to announce ‘Avatar Kinect’ at CES? originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 04 Jan 2011 20:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Joby is here at CES Unveiled, and this year they’re introducing two new interesting cases for a certain tablet you may have heard about. The “Yogi” for iPad draws on Joby’s roots, essentially pairing its successful Gorillapod stand tech with a hard plastic iPad case that you can dock in either portrait or landscape. The folks at the booth envision usage scenarios on uneven surfaces, or even for wrapping the gorilla legs around a car headrest for easy on-the-go use. More interesting, however, is the “Ori” case, which puts a new spin on convertible cases for the iPad. Made out of strong, lightweight aluminum, this case has a continuous hinge, folds into multiple positions, and has a swivel so you can tilt your ‘pad in nearly any direction you wish. Check out the crazy origami-action in the video after the break, and glamour shots of this beauty in nearly every contortion imaginable in our gallery below.

Continue reading Joby Ori and Yogi iPad cases hands-on

Joby Ori and Yogi iPad cases hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 04 Jan 2011 20:23:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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