3-D

In a move to shake up the online gaming industry, OnLive has announced PC and Mac versions of its on-demand, instant-play games will roll out in June during the E3 2010 show. Here's the rub: Gamers don't have to buy a console, and they can get broadband speeds.

On the heels of the big 3-D television presence at the Consumer Electronics Show in January, Sony and Samsung are joining Panasonic, LG Electronics, and others in promoting the new technology. On Tuesday, Sony said it is aiming for 10 percent of its TV sales within the next year to be 3-D models, and Samsung announced a range of HDTV sets and Blu-ray players will ship later this month.

At a press conference Tuesday in New York City, Samsung announced what it described as the "world's first available full HD 3D LED TV," as well as a variety of related 3-D home entertainment products.

In one of the funnier moments of Sunday's Academy Awards, Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin thought they spotted Avatar director James Cameron in the audience. The hosts whipped out 3-D glasses to scan the audience for the man whose top-grossing film has fueled more interest in 3-D viewing.

Common Sight

While the gag got some laughs, it may not be unusual for more people to carry around 3-D glasses this year. All the top manufacturers are planning 3-D television models.

Google on Wednesday announced plans to experiment with ultrafast Internet access -- more than 100 times faster than most Americans have access to today with one-gigabit-per-second connections. Google expects to offer the fiber service at a competitive price to between 50,000 and 500,000 people in several cities.

When Palm launched the Pre smartphone last June, I considered it a close second to the iPhone in the race for best smartphone on the market.

The smartphone market has changed a lot since then. Unfortunately, Palm hasn't kept pace.

Fans of "Avatar" rave about how immersive it is, but it has a problem: The film only lasts 161 minutes.

If you really want immersive, travel to the amazing universe of BioWare's science-fiction epic "Mass Effect 2" (Electronic Arts, for the Xbox 360, $59.99). I've already spent about 50 hours there, and I can't wait to return. And there's no need for 3-D glasses.

From The New York Times:

The Consumer Electronics Association ended the decade on a happy note with an overall increase in numbers at this year's International Consumer Electronics Show. Having faced a tough economy with decreased sales, more competition, and upset shareholders, technology companies were eager to show the world what they have been working on.

More than 2,500 tech companies unveiled more than 20,000 new products at CES. While the show saw repeat vendors, a record 330 new exhibitors came to display innovations, including wrist PCs, 3-D TVs and new services.