Friday, Jan. 8, 2010 | 8:49 p.m.
The Consumer Electronics Show exhibit floor had only been open for one full day, but nominations already were being handed out for the CNET Best of CES 2010 awards on Friday.
The awards are the official honors of the show. Awards are given in nine categories: car technology and GPS; cell phones and smart phones; computers and hardware; digital photo and video; gaming; home theater; MP3 and portable video players; TV; and “green” technology, a category that was added this year.
Winners will be announced today at CES. The public can cast a vote for the People’s Voice Award here.
Car technology and GPS
Alpine iDA-X305S
The Alpine iDA-X305S in-car audio system allows users to control Pandora with an iPhone and stream it to their car’s speakers. Users can then control Pandora’s functions on the display, view album artwork and bookmark songs. The product will be released later this year and is expected to cost $350.
Ford MyTouch
Ford Motor Company President and CEO Alan Mulally introduced the MyTouch at Thursday morning’s keynote address. It displays information using two 4.2-inch, color LCD screens near the speedometer and another 8-inch touch-screen in the center of the dashboard. Controls on the steering wheel allow drivers to switch between the products' four main applications: phone, entertainment, climate and navigation. All of the MyFord Touch features are accessed by voice commands and touch-screen technology.
Pioneer X920BT
With a 6-inch, high-resolution touch-screen, the Pioneer X920BT has features such as voice recognition, hands-free calling and audio streaming, and USB connectivity for iPhones and iPods. The updated version has a gas station locator and fuel monitor.
Cell phones and smart phones
LG Lotus Elite
LG's Lotus Elite is seen at CES Friday.
The Lotus Elite has a 2.4-inch screen and allows users to access e-mails, voicemail, texts, contacts, pictures and call history by touching the screen.
Motorola Backflip
Motorola's Blackflip phone is seen at CES Friday.
At first glance, the Motorola Backflip looks like just the average slider phone, but the phone actually opens like a book. The phone currently runs on Motoblur, but Motorola will soon be launching it with Android. The phone’s other features include 2GB of memory, a full HTML browser and a 5-megapixel camera.
Sonim XP3.2 Quest Pro
The Sonim XP3.2 Quest Pro is more durable than your average phone. The phone’s “Gorilla Glass” adds enhanced protection. In addition, the phone supports apps and has GPS. It’s on the market today for $499.
Computers and hardware
Intel Wireless Display
Intel Corp. Chief Executive Officer Paul Otellini announced the Wireless Display at Thursday night’s keynote address. The technology lets users transfer high-definition content from their PC to TV seamlessly with only a wireless box. Buyers will have a selection of five laptops available.
Lenovo IdeaPad U1 Hybrid
The Lenovo IdeaPad U1 Hybrid is a netbook and tablet computer all in one. It opens as a netbook but its screen flips around to become a tablet. The netbook has a slightly smaller-than-full-size keyboard, a 16-by-9-inch screen and runs on Windows 7. The Lenovo IdeaPad U1 Hybrid is priced at $499.
Sony Vaio Netbook
Sony's Vaio W series laptop is seen at CES Friday.
The environmentally friendly netbook is made of reprocessed plastic from DVD and CD waste, has an electronic user manual in place of the standard, 76-page printed manual to save paper and is packaged in a reusable carrying case that utilizes 100 percent recycled plastic bottles.
Digital photo and video
Casio Exilim EX-FH100
Casio's Exilim EX-FH100 camera is seen at CES Friday.
In addition to shooting stills, this camera shoots HD video, has a built-in mic and mini-HDMI output. The camera is scheduled to hit shelves this spring and is priced at $350.
Eye-Fi
The new Eye-Fi marries the memory card and a wireless card, allowing users to upload video and photos right from their cameras. The card also has a memory mode, which deletes files as necessary after they are uploaded. The card comes in at 8GB and is priced at $149.
Sony Cybershot DSC-HX5V
Attendees check out Sony's Cyber-shot DSC-HX5V camera at CES Friday.
This camera is the next-generation of Sony’s Cybershot line. The camera features a high-quality 25mm-equivalent lens with a 10x optical zoom and has a built-in GPS and compass among its many features. The camera is priced at $350.
Gaming
Dell Alienware M11x
The Dell Alienware M11x joins gaming and netbooks. It brings video-game quality graphics to an 11-inch netbook and is rumored to have more than six hours of battery life. The netbook will be available this spring for less than $1,000.
Nyko Wand +
Nyko calls its Nyko wand “the most advanced Wii controller yet.” The Nyko wand can output commands and vibrations through the controller's port at the bottom of the device. The Nyko Wand + will go on sale in March for $40.
Razer Sixense
The Razer Sixense brings motion-sensing gaming to the PC. The product is currently on the CES floor.
Home theater
The Boxee Box by D-Link
The Boxee is a local media player that streams TV shows and movies to a TV. Several popular media offerings are available from Boxee, including Pandora, MLB TV, NPR and Netflix. The Boxee streams several formats of media, including Flash and photos.
LG BD590
LG's BD590 is seen at CES Friday.
The new LG Blu-ray features 250GB of built-in memory, can rip CDs directly to the hard drive and has online streaming media with built-in Wi-Fi, including Netflix, YouTube, Pandora and Picasa. A release date hasn't been announced.
Panasonic DMP-BDT350
This Blu-ray player is one of several 3-D video players on the CES floor this year. The Panasonic 3D Blu-ray has two HDMI ports and ports for other media sharing. The player is also Wi-Fi-enabled so users can stream 3-D content to their TV.
MP3 and portable video
Entourage Edge
The Entourage Edge is “first dualbook,” the company says, combining the functions of an e-reader, netbook, notepad and audio/video player in one. The Edge can be held like a book for reading or flipped closed so one screen is showing for a tablet computer experience. The Edge’s screen measures 9.7 inches diagonally.
Samsung W1
The Samsung W1 is an MP3 with built-in fat and calorie-burning sensors. The device also helps users to set up an exercise plan and track meals. Like most MP3 players, users can also set up playlists. A release date hasn't been announced.
TV
LG LE9500
An attendee checks out LG's LE9500 series television at CES Friday.
The LG LE9500 is LG’s HD, 3-D compatible TV. It features THX certification, a suite with Netflix, Skype and YouTube and an optional Wi-Fi connection. The first models will be available in April.
Panasonic TC-PVT25
Panasonic's TC-PVT25 series television is seen being used to demonstrate 3-D technology at CES Friday.
Panasonic’s 3-D-enabled TV includes a set of 3-D glasses, unlike most sets on the floor at CES. The TV features THX certification, a suite with Netflix, Pandora and YouTube and an optional Wi-Fi connection. The Panasonic TC-PVT25 also has the ability to make Skype video calls.
Toshiba ZX900
Toshiba’s 3-D TV features a built-in Blu-ray player and memory drive, and a detachable sound bar. The TV also has a 2-D to 3-D conversion system and the ability to make video calls.
Green technology
Control4 EMS 100
Control4 EMS 100 is an all-in-one remote control system for the home. It combines the functionality of a home controller with a wireless thermostat and energy management software.
The FreeLoader Pro
The FreeLoader Pro is a solar-powered charger for cell phones, GPSs and other gadgets. The battery takes about eight hours to fully charge by using solar panels and generates enough to run small gadgets like an iPod for 28 hours. The FreeLoader Pro will be in stores next week.
The PICOwatt plug
The PICOwatt is a smart plug that gives users control over energy consumption. The plug uses Wi-Fi connectivity to provide remote energy monitoring and remote power control. The product will be available in April for about $80.
Join the Discussion:
Check this out for a full explanation of our conversion to the LiveFyre commenting system and instructions on how to sign up for an account.
Full comments policy