HDTV

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.

A rash of new laptops set for display at the CeBIT computing trade show underline the growing shift in the market to tinier machines with fancier features such as 3D graphics.

Taiwan-based Acer will be at the show with the Aspire 5740D, which will retail in Europe for 800 euros (1,090 dollars). Thanks to a special coating on its 15.6-inch screen, users who wear polarizing spectacles can see the third dimension when they play movies.

Experts say 2010 will be the year that 3D becomes widely available on notebook computers.

Computer maker ASUS has touted design and innovation as the core focus for the company, and this year was no different. Jonney Shih, chairman of the Taiwanese company, took the podium at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas to declare that ASUS is focused on becoming one of the top three portable-PC vendors by 2011.

Shih wasted no time in sharing the company's latest products and new Waveface initiative. Waveface focuses on flexible-screen technology in three forms -- a wrist PC, a folding tablet and keyboard, and an HDTV entertainment center.

Waveface Visions

Netbooks have been flying off store shelves all year long, driven by consumers looking for ways to save money during economically challenging times. According to the latest figures from DisplaySearch, netbook revenue is poised to rise 72 percent year-over-year to $11.4 billion in 2009, even as sales of portable PCs overall decline 12 percent to $109.4 billion.

Dell has unveiled modifications to its popular Inspiron Mini 10 netbook with 10.1-inch display, which will sport a new visual look and feel. Moreover, consumers looking for more advanced video capabilities will have the option of choosing models featuring bundles that include a 1366x768-pixel high-definition display and HD media accelerator as well as a built-in HDTV tuner for receiving local HD broadcasts.

For Americans, the mobile phone is quickly becoming Santa's biggest helper.

Powerful software applications for devices like the Apple iPhone are making it easy for bargain-hunting consumers to see if another retailer is offering a better deal on a big-screen HDTV or pair of shoes and to use it to haggle at the cash register.

Online retailers are revamping the mobile versions of their sites so consumers can make purchases without tedious typing. And offline retailers, battling for every last dollar, are sending cell phone users electronic coupons to lure them away from competitors.

Tiny, cheap laptops known as netbooks have been a big success. But not everyone likes their small screens and keyboards, and their processors aren't powerful enough for some common tasks, like playing high-quality Internet video.

Now, Intel Corp. is pushing slightly more powerful chips for slightly larger computers that still have key netbook qualities such as a light weight and long battery life. Could this be a Goldilocks moment for laptops -- when we get machines that are just right?

Canon USA has taken the wraps off its new entry-level digital SLR camera, which integrates a 15.1-megapixel image sensor with high-definition video recording.

The EOS Rebel T1i offers users two different ways to capture high-definition video with a 16:9 aspect ratio: At 30 frames per second for 720p video clips, or 20 fps when recording video at full resolution 1080p (1920x1080 pixels). Additionally, users can elect to shoot standard-definition video with a 4:3 aspect ratio at 30 fps.

iTunes movies in high-definition. That's the word from Apple, which announced Thursday that customers of the popular online iTunes Store can now rent or buy movies in HD for a Mac, a PC, or a TV set with Apple TV.

The HD movies include such new releases as Quantum of Solace and Twilight. Prices are $19.99 for a download purchase and $4.99 as a rental within 30 days from release.

HD Evolution on iTunes

Each HD movie also comes in a standard-definition version for watching on an iPhone or an iPod with video. iTunes 8.1 or later is needed for downloading.

From what Verizon has said this week about its plans to build out a new wireless network based on Long-Term Evolution (LTE) technology, its 4G technology appears to be on a collision course with the WiMAX technology pushed by Clearwire and Sprint.