Tritton Technologies

Sometimes called the connoisseur of audio, Tritton continues to produce some excellent headsets and video gear that are designed to improve your game. If you can’t hear the opponent, you can’t win, right?

After browsing the booth, repeatedly, we learned that they’ve been working on some innovations that make all their head sets compatible across the product line. This is all thanks to the  convenient break-away cable design that we covered in our review of their AX 180 Universal Gaming Headset. Here’s a video from our Tritton Tour Guide that takes us through the breakaway design as well as their comments on some new Wireless Headset technology:

Expect their very popular AX 180 head set to arrive in some new colors very soon as Tritton was busy polling visitors about which colors should reign supreme. We also liked the fact that the new wireless system would potentially integrate with any of Tritton’s headsets equipped with the breakaway cable.

CETON Corporation

We get taken through this unique product’s features in the video interview below:

Steve Ballmer’s CES Keynote address debuted the nameless Quad Tuner card. The card was so off the hook that it may have been responsible for that power outage that delayed the keynote by 30 minutes (we kid). If you’d like to win one wicked Quad Tuner Card, head over to CETON’s site and suggest a name. You can bet this is going to be a hot item for 2010.

Want more CES 2010? Have you tried our YouTube Channel loaded with videos? Also, check out the CES Category for more from this year’s show and year’s past.

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In recent years at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, it seemed like the different manufacturers were constantly fighting with one another to produce the largest single panel television. This year was different. Instead of simply going for size, they really started to focus on new features that would actually enhance the user experience.

The Push Toward 3D TV in the Home

The idea of having a 3D TV in the living room is nothing new. If you remember the CES coverage that we provided last year, most of these companies already had 3D televisions on display. However, with the arrival of a 3D Blu-ray standard, it seems that 3D has become the “it” feature of the future.

Samsung introduced the widest range of TV products, including LED TV, LCD TV, plasma TV, Blu-ray players, and home theater systems. To push this point home, Samsung has partnered with Technicolor and Dreamworks. Having the 3D hardware is pointless without the right content. In like manner, Panasonic has teamed up with DirecTV for more 3D content.

The special 3D glasses are getting better and Samsung even has a TV set that doesn’t require the glasses at all. The performance on that unit isn’t quite as good as the others, since you have to be standing in the perfect sweet spot to get the desired effect, but it is certainly more convenient.

Increased Internet Connectivity and Apps

On the LG side, they want you to stream online content, like YouTube, directly to your LG HDTV. Further still, they’re looking for some incredible convergence. They have a media hub where you can connect all of your input sources, like your Xbox or notebook PC, and have that content sent to any TV in your home. The kicker? You’re using your cell phone as the master remote for this purpose.

Not to be outdone, the boys in blue introduced something called Samsung Apps. This is a multi-device app store that will offer new apps not only for smartphones, but also for your TV and more. Get widgets for live weather updates and so on. The free TV apps will be ready for the spring, while paid apps will arrive in the summer.

Samsung is equally dedicated to convergence in the home. I’m not entirely sure how it’ll work, but they say that all WiFi-enabled Samsung devices can be interconnected. For instance, you can use your Samsung notebook PC to control the TV or even use your smartphone as a second screen, streaming your TV content to your hands.

Technology really moves at a breakneck pace. It was only a few months ago that we took a look at the original Western Digital WD TV HD Media Player and now the company that usually specializes in hard drives has already released that product’s successor: The Western Digital WD TV Live.

On the surface, the WD TV Live looks an awful look like its predecessor, but Western Digital has included a lot of important upgrades in this new unit. The “live” part of the name, for example, points toward its network-ready capabilities.

Features and Specifications

Measuring about the same size as the first WD TV, the Western Digital WD TV Live Media Player boasts full HD video playback and navigation with support for resolutions up to 1080p. This is a perfect fit for something like a 55-inch Samsung LCD HDTV in your living room. You don’t need a Blu-ray player to enjoy 1080p.

File support has been vastly improved in the WD TV Live as well, now allowing you to enjoy your “downloaded” MKV videos with the greatest of ease. It’ll also do music and pictures, as before, but the kicker is that all three of these elements can also be nabbed from network storage and the Internet. The online component here appears to be more robust than what you got with the Seagate FreeAgent Theater+, but it’s still not quite there. I’ll go into further detail a little later on in this review.

Other highlights include a file management utility, support for the Picture Transfer Protocol from digital cameras, advanced navigation options, SPDIF digital output, and support for multiple languages.

Looking Inside the Box

Looking inside the box, you’ll get the same kind of supplies that come with most other HD media players. In addition to the media player itself, you get a remote control with AAA batteries, AC power adapter, supporting documentation, and CD-ROM.

There are also cables for composite and component video included in the box. What’s interesting is that there is only one jack in the back for AV (red, white, yellow) and one jack for the component video. I suppose this simplifies the ports in the back, but it means that you may have a harder time finding replacement cables.

Also, while the Western Digital WD TV Live supports HDMI 1.3, there is no HDMI cable included in the box. Most other players are like this too, with the noted exception of the Patriot Box Office. You can find generic HDMI cables for $5 to $15, but it still would have been nice to find one included.

Remote Control Keeps It Simple

The remote control included with this media player is exactly the same one that we got with the original. It is utterly simple and basic, giving you the bare essentials for navigating through the on-screen menus. For the most part, it works just fine. If your technophobic mom knows how to use a DVD player, she should be able to understand how to use the WD TV Live.

It’s right there in the name. Patriot Memory is a company that has largely focused on memory products in the past, loading up your computers with RAM, solid state drives, and positively massive USB flash drives. Well, it seems that Patriot has developed an interest in consumer electronics too.

Whether you’re loading up with home movies or you’re looking for a better way to enjoy the digital content that you download from the Internet, it is certainly more appealing to bring that multimedia goodness into your living room. This is where we find ourselves with the Patriot Box Office PCMPBO25 Media Player. This relatively simple device looks like a set top box for your television, but it does so much more.

Introducing the Home Box Office

Not to be confused with the premium cable television network that brought us The Sopranos and Entourage, the Patriot Box Office is a media player that connects to your HDTV, freeing “your digital media library from the constraints of a PC.” Your living room is so much more comfortable, after all.

The Patriot Box Office improves on solutions like the Xbox 360 Media Player by offering extensive file format support. This includes popular AVI and WMV formats, as well as FLV, RMVB, MKV, MOV, and more. It’ll do FLAC audio too.

In addition to regular USB expansion, you’ll notice an internal 2.5″ SATA drive slot. Other highlights include network streaming, on-board file transfer, PC-free download management, movie previews, and full 1080p HD video support.

What’s in this Box (Office)?

As with almost every other media player in this market, especially at this price range, the Patriot Box Office doesn’t come with any included storage of its own. It will be up to you to provide either your own USB external storage or a 2.5″ drive (HDD or SSD) to plunk into the internal slot.

Cracking open the cube-shaped box, we discover the metal-bodied Box Office itself, as well as a set of composite cables, USB cable, HDMI cable, wall adapter, remote control, AAA batteries, quick installation guide, software CD, and a set of hard drive screws.

Assuming that you don’t “invest” in some expensive Monster Cable product, it doesn’t take a lot of money to buy a generic HDMI cable. Even so, no other media player (to my knowledge) comes with a “free” HDMI cable. For that alone, Patriot has a better grasp on what consumers need. We don’t want to watch through composite cables, thank you very much.

Control in Your Hands

The design for the remote control is anything but inspiring, but I suppose it’s perfectly functional. If you didn’t know any better, you would think that you are either looking at the remote that comes with a TV or some generic universal remote.

It’s unclear why Patriot decided to include the digits at the top, because I did not encounter a situation where they were used. I also prefer a “five-way navigator” layout for the play, pause, rewind, and fast forward keys, which this remote does not have.

I’m not talking about iPod competitors. Instead, it seems that one of the fastest growing segments is the media player that connects to your home theater and HDTV. The Apple TV doesn’t have this market cornered anymore, because we’re taking a look at the Seagate FreeAgent Theater +, the latest in the recent onslaught of media players. The box may look familiar, but the innards just might whet your appetite again.

Features at a Glance

If you think you’re experiencing a case of deja vu, you might be thinking about the original Seagate FreeAgent Theater that came out earlier this year. I guess the team at Seagate read my review, because they’ve worked on some of the improvements I suggested. So, what makes up the “plus” in the Seagate FreeAgent Theater + HD Media Player?

The aesthetics are much the same with a similar glossy black surface and slim profile, but the hardware buttons on the top have been removed. The model here is the STCEA201-RK and it comes on its lonesome, but you can opt for the ST905004CEA2E1-RK to get an included 500GB FreeAgent Go.

There are three major “pluses” to warrant the new name. There’s an HDMI port for full HD output, an Ethernet port for network possibilities, and a digital optical audio port for surround sound. You also get better file support and a refreshed user interface.

What’s in the Box?

Even though this particular configuration does not come with any storage of its own, you can easily supply it on your own using any number of different USB flash drives and hard drives. There is also the slot to accept a Seagate FreeAgent Go portable hard drive, not to mention the LAN port in the back to access content on your network.

Looking inside the box for the Seagate FreeAgent Theater+ Media Player, we find the device itself, along with the supporting documentation, a set of component cables, an RJ45 Ethernet cable, composite A/V cable, a wall adapter, remote control, and AAA batteries for the remote.

You could certainly use the provided component cables with this, but if you’ve got something like a massive Samsung 52-inch LCD HDTV, you’ll need to bring two cables of your own: HDMI and optical audio. Aside from that, you should be good to go.

Control the Action

The remote has been heavily redesigned from the previous outing. It’s certainly a lot more colorful than the original, but I think the layout is more intuitive than before. Being able to hit the play/pause, rewind, and fast forward buttons without looking is easier, thanks to a “five-way navigator” style orientation.

I can’t say for certain whether this was on purpose, but there’s something about the new Seagate FreeAgent Theater + remote that reminds me of remote controls for entry-level Samsung LCD TVs. No real complaints on this front.

If you are going to play something like Tekken 6 on the Xbox 360, you’re going to want the right equipment for the job. You’ll want a comfortable chair. You’ll want a good set of speakers. And you’ll want a huge honking television like the Samsung LN55B650-T1F LCD TV.

Also known a little more simply as the Samsung Series 6 650, this is a 55-inch LCD HDTV with all the usual features that you’d expect from a higher-end television. At this size, nothing short of full 1080p HD will do and that’s exactly what you get here. How does it stack up? Let’s find out.

Features at a Glance

On the surface, this Samsung HDTV looks like any number of other televisions that have come off the Samsung factory line. You get the familiar thin profile, clear glass-like stand, and Auto Motion Plus 120 Hz technology for minimal motion blur.

Running our way through the official spec sheet, we find that the 55-inch LCD Panel comes boasting a 100,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio, DLNA technology, Anynet+ support, ENERGYSTAR compliance, 4ms response time, 178-degree viewing angles, and a pair of downward-firing 15W speakers.

I’ll get to the input and output options in just a moment, but let’s just say that you probably won’t have any trouble finding the right jack for your various equipment. Need room for a HD media device or Blu-ray player? Samsung has you covered.

To go along with the standard features, the Samsung LN55B650 also boasts the Medi@2.0 full connectivity suite, a content library with embedded entertainment, Internet@TV with widget technology, and a USB 2.0 movie player.

Not surprisingly, this Samsung HDTV features the company’s trademark “Touch of Color” design, similar to the Samsung LN52A630 that we reviewed last year. At first glance, you may think that this is a regular glossy black chassis, but closer inspection will reveal a rose red hue in the bezel. The red is really obvious when I took a picture with flash, but much more subtle under regular circumstances.

A Familiar Remote Control

If you’ve ever had the opportunity to toy around with a relatively recent Samsung HDTV, you’ll see that the remote control is pretty standard across the Series 6 lineup. It’s certainly a step up from the Series 3 TVs from Samsung.

The keys are clearly laid out with the digits near the top, volume and channel buttons below, main menu controls below that, color-coded quick access keys, and media player buttons. I did find that the response time on the remote was on the slow side, though. This was particularly pronounced when switching inputs or playing the embedded game.

On the plus side, I do appreciate the illuminated button feature. The orange on/off button near the top is not to turn the television on and off. It’s to turn on the lighting for the remote itself. You get a soft orange glow, making it easy to adjust things when you have the room dimmed for movie-watching or game-playing.

Don’t you wish that there were an easier way to enjoy your HD digital content in your living room? I’ve had the opportunity to review other multimedia players bound for the home theatre environment in the past, so I didn’t exactly have the highest of expectations for the Asus O! Play HDP-R1. I thought that this digital media player would be much the same as its direct competitors, but Asus has come forward with some features that you won’t find anywhere else.

Will the Asus HDP-R1 really offer you the “hassle-free multimedia playback without file conversion” that the Taiwanese company promises? Is the O!Play everything it’s cracked up to be? Let’s have a look and find out.

Features at a Glance

At first glance, the Asus O!Play HD Media Player looks very similar to its counterparts from competing companies. The overall aesthetics are strikingly similar to the Western Digital WDTV, but the exact specs and features appear to be superior in nearly every way.

The supported formats for video, audio, and images is quite extensive and I’ll be discussing them in further depth in just a moment. While it does not have a direct slot for an external hard drive like the Seagate FreeAgent Theater HD, the Asus O!Play will gladly accept external storage media via USB or eSATA. Yes, it will take an eSATA drive!

If you prefer to run content over your home network, the Asus HDP-R1 is also equipped with a standard RJ-45 LAN port. There is no integrated Wi-Fi, however, so you’ll have to stick with a wired connection. This does help to ensure higher speeds for file transfer.

Looking in the Box

Cracking open the attractive box, you’ll find almost everything that you’ll need to get started. In addition to the O!Play HDP-R1 itself, there is the AC power adapter, remote with batteries, composite A/V cable, user manual on CD, and a Quick Start Guide.

You’ll need to provide some storage of your own and there’s a good chance that you’ll want to take advantage of the HDMI output using an appropriate cable too. The Quick Start Guide also reminds you that this media player “is for media materials legally owned or licensed by the user only.” We’ll all be sure to keep that in mind, right?

A Real Remote for a Real Media Player

Unlike nearly all the other HD multimedia players that we see in the marketplace, Asus did not opt for the credit card-style wireless remote. Instead, the provided remote control is a little more conventional both in look and form factor.

You’ll also notice the slightly larger “music note” button near the bottom. This provides one-touch access to a shuffled music player, grabbing tunes from any connected USB or eSATA drives. This is pretty handy. There are also dedicated buttons for controlling subtitles, audio tracks, and repeat.

When people were still listening to cassette tapes and compact discs, typical radio stations didn’t have to work quite as hard to reach their audiences. Now that everyone and their mother, quite literally, seem to own MP3 players these days, it’s becoming harder than ever for conventional AM/FM radio stations to stay relevant and popular. On the other hand, Internet radio stations still appear to be quite popular, especially since they can cater to very specific niche audiences and have much lower overhead.

From the consumer point of view, however, you may feel like you need to be at your computer to enjoy these stations. However, with something like the Myine Ira Wi-Fi Internet Radio, you can get your news and music without the need for a laptop or desktop. Let’s check it out!

Features at a Glance

Sure, you could take the route of an iPod or some other MP3 player, but Internet radio can introduce you to new music without costing you any extra money. The Ira by Myine is an Internet radio receiver that will work over your home Wi-Fi network. There is no Ethernet jack on the back, so you will have to use a wireless network. On the bright side, no computer is needed.

The Ira is pre-programmed with over 11,000 Internet radio stations from around the world, as well as On Demand (Podcast) programming. Since there are so many stations, it’s also good that you can store up to 40 stations as your favorites.

Going through the initial connection process, you’ll find that the Ira will work with most conventional Wi-Fi networks, including those with WEP, WPA, or WPA2 security settings.

What’s in the Box?

Looking inside the box, Myine has done a good job with providing the right accessories for the job. The Ira itself is about the same size as a paperback book or digital photo frame, and then you also get a credit card-style remote control, RCA cables, a 3.5mm adapter, AC power cord, and a quick start guide.

Speakers Not Included

Although it may seem like it can operate on its own, the Myine Ira Wi-Fi Internet Radio isn’t exactly complete by itself. Along with the Internet-connected Wi-Fi network that you have to provide, you also need to supply your own stereo system or set of speakers. The Ira does not have internal speakers.

This is a major shortcoming in my books, because it would have been so much better if Myine even included cheap clock radio-quality speakers. As it stands, you need to use the RCA jacks in the pack to connect to a set of speakers or a stereo system. You can use an iPod speaker dock if it has a 3.5mm auxiliary jack.

Some time ago, we took a look at the Seagate FreeAgent Theater and today we turn our attention to the competing product from Western Digital: The WD TV HD Media Player. Effectively, you are able to take the multimedia content stored on nearly any USB device and deliver it to the big screen and big speakers of the home theatre in your living room.

How does the WD TV stack up against other similar solutions? Let’s find out.

Features and Specifications

The WD TV HD Media Player acts, essentially, like a set-top box that you attach to your television. Working much like a DVD player or any other piece of home theatre equipment, it can feed media content to your home theatre or external speakers and an HDTV. The difference is that all of this content is being fed through a USB connection to the WD TV instead of a coaxial cable to your set top box.

Unlike the Seagate FreeAgent Theater, this product does not come bundled with any storage of its own. You have to provide that. They say that it is optimized to work with the My Passport and My Book portable hard drives from WD, but you can use just about any USB hard drive or flash drive on the market. Assuming that it is compliant with USB Mass Storage, you can even connect your camera, camcorder, or MP3 player directly.

Like the Hi-Den Vision, the WD TV will also output your content at up to 1080p high-definition. Naturally, the content itself will need to be encoded at that resolution too. In addition to videos, this will also do photos and music in various formats which we will go over later.

Looking Inside the Box

Popping open the attractively-designed box, you’ll find the HD Media Player itself, as well as a small remote, media converter software, a composite AV cable, AC adapter, and a Quick Install guide. Since the WD TV can handle HD video, I do find it a little disappointing that they’ve only included a composite AV cable. As it stands, the bundle will not fully utilize its HD capabilities due to the lack of an HDMI cable.

Remote Control Only

It seems that the norm when it comes to many of these types of media players is to pack as slim a credit card-style remote control as you can. Thankfully or regrettably, Western Digital did not take this approach with its remote for the WD TV. Instead, it’s a pretty normal looking remote in a pretty normal size.

Interestingly, I found that there are absolutely no buttons or controls on the set top box itself. You can’t even turn it on, as far as I can tell, from the media player. Instead, absolutely everything is controlled by the remote. I guess it’s a good thing that the remote isn’t easy to lose.

Father’s Day is this Sunday and you may find yourself still scrambling to find a fit for your old man. This is the guy that may have taught you how to ride your first bicycle, showed you how to shave, and had an awkward chat with you about the birds and bees. He deserves to get a good present from you, but which direction should you take?

There are a lot of remarkably generic gift ideas out there for Father’s Day, but maybe you want to take a more unique gadget-oriented approach to this year’s present. Just avoid these bad Father’s Day gifts if you want to put a smile on your dad’s face rather than an unfortunate scowl.

Thanko USB-Powered Fan Tie

The old standby when it comes to gifts for dad seems to be the respectable necktie. Looking in one of the dresser drawers, there’s a good chance that you’ll find it overflowing with ties of all kinds, ranging from the conservative stripes to one with more of a tropical beach theme. You don’t want to get dad another tie.

Worse yet, you don’t want to get him this Thanko tie that happens to come with a USB-powered fan. Yes, a hot summer in the stuffy office might not be all that nice, but this product will leave pops as the laughing stock of the water cooler. Don’t do it.

Alternative: A desk fan, USB-powered or otherwise

Robotic Animals and Toys

Unless your dad is really into robotics or children’s toys, it’s probably best to avoid getting him any of those robotic animals on the market, as cool as they may be. Even though the Aibo is by far one of the coolest (but discontinued) products to hit the market, and I must say, in that the plastic-and-metal pup can somewhat accurately represent the “personality” of its furry counterpart, this is not the gift for dad. The complication of some of these toys will just have it heading to the shelf as a dust collector.

Not to mention, he’ll just want a real one later which will infuriate Mom (and exacerbate his animal allergies). Don’t get him a Robo-Raptor or any of those things either.

Alternative: IF it has to be a toy, how about a remote-controlled helicopter or boat?

Nintendo Wii Home Gaming Console

As a self-professed Nintendo fanboy, I think I have every right to say that the Nintendo Wii is probably not the best idea for a Father’s Day gift. Yes, I know that the Wii is supposed to be fun for the whole family and there are some games, like Silent Hill: Shattered Memories, that are geared toward an older audience, but it won’t be for dad. At least not directly.

You may be able to convince your dad to give the Wii a try if the gaming console was originally a gift for your mom. When she’s done with her session of Wii Fit, your dad can give Tiger Woods PGA Tour a whirl, perhaps. Getting him the Wii directly, however, might make for some odd reactions… unless he grew up as a Nintendo fanboy too.

On a side note, you may want to skip the Nintendo DS Lite as well. If you must go with a Nintendo portable, at least go with the latest hotness of the Nintendo DSi.

Alternative: Xbox 360 with an EA Sports game of choice