CES 2011 - the gadget highlights - Thursday January 13, 2011 Transcript of Which? Live Event at http://www.which.co.uk/technology/computing/reviews-ns/ces-2011-gadget-highlightslive-qanda/ 14:00 Al Warman: Hello and welcome to the first Which? LIVE Q&A of 2011. Our tech experts are just back from Las Vegas, where the Consumer Electronics Show 2011 has just finished. 14:01 Ben Stevens (Which?): Hi all, we're just about over the jet-lag and looking forward to fielding your questions. There was a lot of good, and bad tech on show at CES 2011. 14:02 Al Warman: So, we'll be talking 3D TV, tablets, cameras and mobile phones -anything and everything we saw in Vegas. And if you've got any questions, we're very happy to answer them! 14:06 Al Warman: Please bear in mind that all comments are moderated, however, so not all your questions will appear immediately. As always, we'll try our best to get through all the comments and questions, but there might be a short delay, depending on how popular this event is! 14:06 [Comment From Guest ] Best product? 14:06 Ben Stevens (Which?): I've been asked many times since my return what the most exciting product on show was, but so much seemed to be an incrimental change on what we've seen before. What impressed me, however, was Samsung's 3D TV approach. The Samsung D8000 TV (an upgrade onlast year's impressive C8000 line up) was packed full of new internet and network-based features. And what's more, Samsung have really taken on board the criticism of Active Shutter glasses and addressed the heavy, uncomfortable issues. The company's new glasses are quite comfortable. 14:08 Andy Vandervell (Which?): I really liked the BlackBerry PlayBook (http://www.which.co.uk/technology/computing/guides/tablets-at-ces-2011/blackberryplaybook/). It was one of the few tablets at the show that has a unique interface, and it had some impressive features. 14:09 Al Warman: And from my point of view, some of the latest Android tablets are pretty exciting. The Motorola Xoom and Asus Eee Slider/Transformer look like the pick of the bunch. I'm glad I didn't buy a Samsung Galaxy Tab before Christmas, given the potential of the latest dual-core models we're starting to see now. 14:10 [Comment From John Hounslow ] We want to buy an Ipad or equivalent for my wife around the house, and maybe to take to Cyprus on holiday. We're lo-tech people! Any afvice on what & when to go for it? 14:11 Andy Vandervell (Which?): John: I'd wait for a little while. It's rumoured Apple will announce the ipad 2 next month, and there are lots of announcements due in the next few weeks, too. 14:13 POLL: Will you wait until the ipad 2 is announced before deciding which tablet to buy?
Yes, I'm waiting for ipad 2 ( 62% ) No, I'm going to buy an Android tablet ( 15% ) No, I'm waiting for the BlackBerry PlayBook ( 8% ) No, I'm happy with my original ipad ( 8% ) No, not interested in tablets ( 8% ) 14:14 Ben Stevens (Which?): And on the subject of the ipad 2 - it looks as though it'll have a front and rear-facing camera, and a bit more connectivity: USB, SD Card. But this is all conjecture. There are no official details yet. 14:18 [Comment From Gary ] Did you see anything that could be an ipad killer? 14:18 Andy Vandervell (Which?): Tricky question, Gary. Though I liked the PlayBook, the closest to an ipad killer was probably the Motorola Xoom (http://www.which.co.uk/technology/computing/guides/tablets-at-ces-2011/motorolaxoom/). It's a 10-inch tablet that runs Android 3.0 Honeycomb - the new version of Android specifically designed for tablets. That said, until the ipad 2 is announced it's difficult to judge. Apple have a head start, and it could completely shift expectations with the new product. 14:22 [Comment From Abi 33 ] What were some of the most bizarre gadgets you saw at the show? 14:22 Katie Waller (Which?): The three versions of GM's En-v electric car looked pretty bizarre and taking an drive in one inside a hotel was even stranger. http://www.which.co.uk/technology/tv-and-dvd/guides/car-tech-at-ces-2011/gm-en-v/ We generally kept to the main halls to cover the serious tech, but the Casio Prism calculator was an unexpected break from the mainstream stuff. We liked the idea so much we decided to cover it even though it's not a product type we test - check out the video. http://www.which.co.uk/technology/computing/guides/gadgets-at-ces-2011/casio-prismfx-cg20/ 14:26 [Comment From Tom ] What was the worst gadget you saw at the show! 14:26 Ben Stevens (Which?): Hi Tom, I'm going to answer this on behalf of my colleague Matt Harms, who was one of the two video producers we took to the show. His biggest disappointment was the Samsung Galaxy Player. It's basically a Samsung Galaxy mobile phone without the ability to call or send texts. It's set to rival the Apple ipod Touch, but
Matt's question is really "is there a need for a dedicated MP3 player these days, when mobile phones can do so much?" 14:27 [Comment From Bob ] Has the wide-scale onset of tablets made any difference to the number of new laptops and laptop technology featured at the show this year? 14:27 Andy Vandervell (Which?): There were one or two laptop announcements at CES, but they were mainly around adding 3D to existing models. Tablets were definitely dominant, and I'm sure the lack of laptop announcements was related. That's not say there won't be more interesting laptops later in the year, though. There aren't often big laptop announcements at CES, even without tablets. 14:27 Ben Stevens (Which?): And we'll be doing a head-to-head comparison of the ipod Touch vs the Galaxy Player in the coming weeks. 14:28 [Comment From Bob ] Thanks Andy. Keep up the good work. 14:28 Andy Vandervell (Which?): Worst gadget? I tried out the Hanvon Colour Ebook reader, and it was dreadful. Slow, unresponsive - basically useless. Think I'll stick to my Kindle. 14:28 [Comment From Abi33 ] Thanks Katie! 14:29 Ben Stevens (Which?): Oh, and my worst gadget was the Sharp Galapagos tablets. They were very unresponsive. Should they launch, I don't expect them to perform too well in our lab-based tests. Of course Sharp can hide behind the fact that they were early prototypes and not ready for market, but even so... 14:29 Al Warman: But, following on from Andy's "worst gadget of CES 2011", we're only seeing the very first incarnations of colour ebook readers though this year. Once the technology matures we should see some half decent models arrive on the market. 14:33 [Comment From Tom ] Hi, i've been looking for months now for a new, reasonably priced HD camcorder, the one thing it has to have though is an external microphone socket...have you got any suggestions for HD cameras, with a mic jack and with a reasonable price? 14:33 Ben Stevens (Which?): Hi Tom, The Panasonic HDC-SD700 did very well in our tests (you'll have to sign up to see exactly how well). You can pick it up for around the 600 mark, which is good value for a camcorder of this quality. And it has an external mic socket. 14:34 [Comment From Matt ] In the 80's they though we would have hoverboards by now, from what you saw at the show, what do you think will be the latest gadget craze in say, 30 years time? 14:34 Al Warman: Hi Matt, great question. We're dusting off the Which? Tech crystal ball now and seeing what the future holds. I think it's safe to say that internet connections will permeate every aspect of our homes and lives. Whether we like it or not, our fridges, ovens, cars and power sockets will all be wirelessly connected and controllable via any device of your choosing. Whether that's a mobile, tablet, watch-sized device or some sort of wearable implant we just can't foretell!
14:35 [Comment From Jim ] Hello Andy, you mentioned the Kindle. I can't decide whether to get one. What do you think of it? 14:35 Andy Vandervell (Which?): I love my Kindle. I bought it back in September, and use everyday to read on the train and in bed. If you're not interested in tablets, and read a lot on the move, I would seriously recommend it. I took three books with me to read on the plane to and from CES, but the Kindle took up a tiny amount of space in my bag - and you can buy books instantly from anywhere in the world with the 3G version. Oh, and its battery lasts a month so I didn't need to charge it, either! Guess that's a recommendation! 14:37 [Comment From Jim ] Thanks Andy - you've convinced me! 14:39 [Comment From Kelly ] What about mobile phones - any highlights? 14:39 Ben Stevens (Which?): Hi Kelly, We picked up five mobile phones while we were out there. Many of the models on show were boasting 4G. The UK's plans for 4G are a little behind those in the US, so we largely ignored those handsets (including everything from HTC). The phone that stood out for me was the Motorola Atrix. It has a lot of horsepower and some unusual accessories. You can see it in action in our first look video here http://conversation.which.co.uk/mobile/mobile-phone-reviews/motorola-atrix-first-lookvideo-review/ And for a round up of the other key models from the show go here: http://conversation.which.co.uk/mobile/mobile-phones/ces-2011-news-round-up/ Beginning next month (Feb 14th) we have the Mobile World Congress show in Barcelona, which will offer a more European-centric mobile phone launching platform. 14:43 Ben Stevens (Which?): Best and worst from CES posts will be published on our Conversation site tomorrow, where you'll be able to give your opinions. http://conversation.which.co.uk/ 14:44 [Comment From John Hounslow ] Thanks for advice on the ipad; the other thing on the horizon is replacing our desktop - hopefully with something future-proof. Are solid state drives becoming practical? 14:45 Andy Vandervell (Which?): SSDs are great in principal as they're much faster than normal drives, but there's a long way to go. You'll pay an extortionate amount for a large drive, and even small ones (64 or 128GB) are very expensive. Unless you're a very demanding user, they're probably unnecessary. If you're determined to get one, though, I'd recommend having a small one with your operating system and programs on it (what's called a 'boot drive'), and a large normal drive for all your data (i.e. videos, photos, documents). 14:47 [Comment From Leigh ] Hi guys! I've got a BlackBerry mobile phone but I'm really interested in getting a BlackBerry tablet - how does the interface of the PlayBook compare to the BlackBerrys I'm used to? 14:47 Andy Vandervell (Which?): The PlayBook actually uses a different operating system to BlackBerry phones. There are some similarities in the visual style, but the nuts and bolts of the interface are quite different. This isn't a bad thing, though. The interface is designed specifically for tablets, and it's very intuitive. Moreover, if you've got a BlackBerry phone you get extra features that other users don't. 14:48 Al Warman: Thanks for all the questions everyone. Keep them coming!
We haven't really touched on 3D TV yet. Maybe that's because consumers are less enthusiastic about 3D than manufacturers are? Sony, for example, devoted their entire press conference at CES to products with added 3D capabilities - TVs, laptops, cameras, camcorders... 14:49 [Comment From Abi33 ] Hi folks, you've mentioned a few things that we should hold off on buying based on what you saw at the show. Anything thing else that you think we should wait for? 14:49 Ben Stevens (Which?): I think if you're considering buying a TV right now it might be worth waiting. There are a lot of TVs just around the corner with a host of web-based features that will change the way we watch telly. And even if you don't need the latest technology, the price of 2010 TVs will start to fall as shops begin to clear space to make way for the new models. 14:52 Al Warman: Although, if I can add to Ben's reply, manufacturers are also starting to release add-on boxes to upgrade your existing TV to web TV. LG's smart TV upgrader is one example... So as long as the TV you buy now has an HDMI socket, you should be able to add an internet-connected box and get access to the web, widgets and apps in the future. 14:52 [Comment From Abi33 ] Thanks Ben 15:02 [Comment From Geoff ] Was there much mention of 3D technology damaging eyesight following Nintendo's December release about it? 15:02 Andy Vandervell (Which?): Not really, unsurprisingly TV companies weren't keen to talk up this debate. I think there's general agreement that, as Nintendo stated, children under-6 shouldn't use it. Apart from that, nothing has been proven. We are looking into researching this ourselves, though. 15:09 [Comment From Frank S ] I've heard that you need lots of expensive pairs of special glasses to watch 3D TV and you only get one pair when you buy a new television. Is this true? If it is it seems a bit of a rip off to me. 15:09 Ben Stevens (Which?): Hi Frank S, it is true. I'm afraid. And furthermore, the gallses can be quite uncomfortable. There are two types of 3D technology used on tellies. Active Shutter and passive. Active shutter is a higher resolution picture, but the glasses are heavy and expensive around 70-100). Samsung has created some more comfortable glasses but they're likely to cost the same price - and they won't work on last year's Samsung 3D TVs. If you opt for passive, then the picture is of a lower resolution but this is hardly noticeable when watching 3D. And it's full HD resolution when watching regular 2D content. The trouble here is the lack of choice. Only LG has launched a passive 3D telly and the 3D depth impact is lessend. Quite comfortable to watch though. The passive 3D glasses are about 50p each. 15:09 [Comment From Geoff ] Cheers Andy. I'll hold off buying a 3D TV until the kids are over 6 then. 15:10 Andy Vandervell (Which?): By the time they've grown up, hopefully 3D will be a lot better too! 15:15 [Comment From Frank S ] Thanks Ben, most informative. Passive 3D - is that what they use in the cinema? I've still got the glasses from my last visit!
15:16 [Comment From rpb ] when will the galaxy tab go to android 3 15:16 Andy Vandervell (Which?): Samsung didn't announce anything about Android 3.0 on the Galaxy Tab. My guess is it may announce a new product with 3.0, as opposed to upgrading the current one. It's just a hunch, but there have been some rumours to this effect recently. 15:18 Ben Stevens (Which?): It's similar Frank S. The glasses are the same (so hold on to them), but the image you see on the screen is higher resolution. Of course glasses-free 3D is only a matter of time away. The prototypes we saw at the show were not without their problems - namely viewing angles and picture resolution. Toshiba reckons a glasses-free 3D telly will be avialable this year (you can already buy them in Japan). Samsung say 2015. Samsung said they don't want to launch anything that's half-baked. 15:22 [Comment From Irene ] This is all really useful info., especially to a technophobe like me! Thanks guys! 15:24 POLL: Which gadget are you most likely to buy in 2011? Tablet (including ipad) ( 43% ) 3D TV ( 14% ) Smartphone ( 29% ) Camera or camcorder ( 0% ) Ebook reader ( 0% ) Laptop/netbook ( 14% ) 15:26 Ben Stevens (Which?): Reports suggest that it was one of the busiest shows in years, and that the blame for that falls squarely on Steve Jobs' shoulders. Jobs, CEO at Apple, wasn't even at the show, but the deluge of tablets and the interest that surrounds them caused the number of attendees to rise. 15:31 [Comment From Frank S ] Hello again Ben. Sorry to harp on about 3D TV but I'm still trying to understand how it all works. Presumably one can still watch pictures in high quality 2D? Also, I suppose that if only one of you is wearing the glasses anyone else watching is subjected to the rather blurred picture one sees when removing one's special glasses at the cinema.
15:31 Ben Stevens (Which?): That's right Frank S; you're correct on both accounts. A 3D image without 3D glasses is unwatchable. And all 3D TVs available to buy are able to play regular 2D too. In fact, it's the 2D picture quality that's most important, as the TV's likely to be playing more 2D than 3D. Currently we have Sky's 3D channel and some Virgin on demand 3D offerings to supplement the smattering of 3D Blu-ray DVDs available. The number of 3D films available to buy is likely to grow to around 60 titles in 2011. Of course you'll need a 3D Blu-ray player as well as a 3D TV to watch them. And once again, 3D Bluray players can cope with the regular 2D titles too - just not vice versa. 15:32 [Comment From rob ] which of the tablets would you be inclined to buy ( i am leaning towards the galaxy 15:32 Andy Vandervell (Which?): I wouldn't buy any tablet right now, and certainly not the Galaxy Tab. There's simply too many products yet to be announced, or only recently announced, to make a decision. As for the Samsung Gal Tab, it's likely to be superseded very soon. Avoid it. 15:46 [Comment From TrevorC ] Hi, did you see anything new on netbooks. in particular ones with half-decent graphics? 15:47 Andy Vandervell (Which?): Netbooks? Some manufacturers had new ones, but mostly there were recooked products with nothing new to report. Decent graphics on a netbook is extremely rare. 15:47 [Comment From Frank S ] Thank you Ben. 15:47 [Comment From Toby ] Which manufacturer went to the most effort and expense this year? Budgets for this sort of thing must be shrinking, so I'm curious to know what sort of future big shows like this have. 15:47 Katie Waller (Which?): Hi Toby, as far as CES was concerned, manufacturers didn't appear to be holding back - there were some massive stands from the likes of Sony and Samsung and manufacturers gong to a fair amount of effort with their presentations. You're looking on CES probably being the biggest gig of the year with record attendance this year. Other press events throughout the year are where economising is more noticable compared with the good old days! 15:56 [Comment From Toby ] So the future of tech shows of this calibre are safe you think, Katie? 15:56 Katie Waller (Which?): CES, I'd say yes. After the success of this year I reckon it's safe for a while yet. 15:57 Andy Vandervell (Which?): Definitely. Over 140,000 attendees this year apparently, higher than the two years previous. 15:58 Al Warman: Hi everyone, the two hours have flown by, so we're going to call a close on additional questions. The discussion still continues, however, on the live CES news ticker we've been running throughout the past few weeks. You can head over to http://www.which.co.uk/technology/tv-and-dvd/reviews-ns/ces-2011/news-andhighlights/
16:00 Al Warman: Or, to hear the dulcet tones of all our tech contributors, with their round-up of CES 2011, recorded live late at night in a Las Vegas hotel room, you can listen (and watch) here: http://www.which.co.uk/technology/tv-and-dvd/reviews-ns/ces- 2011/podcast-from-ces/ 16:01 Al Warman: And to keep updated each week with all the latest news and reviews, sign up to the weekly tech email at http://www.which.co.uk/techemail if you haven't already. 16:01 Al Warman: Thanks to everyone who joined us. For more live events on Which.co.uk check out http://www.which.co.uk/live [END OF WHICH? LIVE EVENT]