Seeing the Future at CES 2007 - The Entertainment Convergence
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One of the terms tossed around at the conference was "personal entertainment network." This was typified by the Windows Home Server, which TechCrunch thought "may be the most exciting thing announced at CES this year." Aside from the lovely green glow, the device lets you add extra storage over time, centralize your files and access them from anywhere. So if you like the idea of making your photos, music, and videos portable, this little box could do it. It's not just for PCs; the Xbox, networked TVs, and other devices also get to play. (There's no word yet on whether the green glow changes to blue when it crashes).
Points go to Kodak for taking on convergence in a small way that's very relevant to its field. It displayed a digital picture frame - that's nothing new, but the fact that it uses a Wi-fi connection to download new photos from your computer or the company's EasyShare Gallery web site is worth noticing. This could be a good way to put your favorite photos right where you want them. The Wi-fi frames are available in 10-inch and 8-inch options, come with remote controls and optional interchangeable faceplates, and include 128 MB of built-in memory. At more than $200 for the smaller version, however, you pay for the convenience. Still, I like the fact that Kodak is trying to find a nice compromise between the way we've traditionally done things (picture frames) and the way we do things now (digital photography and the Internet). You'll have to wait until March if you want one.
How about a digital music player that stands up to Zune and iPod? You can thank SanDisk for the Sansa Connect. Why is it a convergence device? It lets you download music wirelessly from the Internet through a Wi-fi connection. So you don't need to link to your computer to get music into this player; just find yourself a hotspot. The player will also link with at least one music subscription service, and has an interface that is reportedly easier to use than Apple's iPod. Of course it also holds photos and connects to a community where you can make and receive music recommendations. It has its own internal speaker to make it easy for you to share your music with friends. The player will be available in March for around $250.
I'd be remiss if I didn't mention Apple, even though the company did not have a presence at the show. Aside from the iPhone (which will be covered in another article), Apple unveiled Apple TV, a device that connects to your TV via an HDMI port or component video and audio ports. It basically holds onto your iTunes library and lets you watch anything you have saved anywhere on your TV. Watching movies, TV shows, and podcasts that you've collected from iTunes are the obvious examples of course, but you can also show your digital photos. Apple pointed out that digital photos from iPhoto on a Mac or Adobe Photoshop Elements or Adobe Album on a Windows PC appear in high definition. You can put on a big screen slide show of your latest trip - yet another way to make your friends envious of that trip to Las Vegas.
Next: The Other Kind of Portability >>
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