Apple introduced and upgraded line of the popular MacBook and MacBook Pro laptops yesterday including the latest Intel Core 2 Duo processors, MutiTouch and much more.

“Multi-Touch technology from iPhone, iPod touch, and MacBook Air comes to MacBook Pro in an amazing new Multi-Touch trackpad. Now you can pinch, swipe, or rotate to enlarge text, advance through photos, or adjust an image.”

“MacBook Pro has a standard hard drive up to 250GB and up to 4GB of RAM. So there’s more room for even bigger ideas.”

“The new Intel Core 2 Duo processors run at speeds up to 2.6GHz on a groundbreaking 45-nm process technology with up to 6MB L2 cache. And the powerful NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT graphics processor now includes up to 512MB of video memory.”

“Connect storage, multimedia devices, and high-speed peripherals to your MacBook Pro. Along the sides, you’ll find a FireWire 400 port, a FireWire 800 port, a DVI port, optical audio in and out ports, and an ExpressCard slot. There are three USB 2.0 ports on the 17-inch MacBook Pro and two on the 15-inch models.”

Click here for more on the new MacBook line.

When the CyberShot line of digital cameras was introduced way back in the beginning of the digital craze, Sony stepped up and changed the game for everyone. Now, several years later, the CyberShot point and shoot brand is being upgraded to 13.6 MegaPixels. The DSC-W300 in particular is Sony’s top end point and shoot featuring a 13.6 megapixel sensor, a 2.7-inch LCD, 3x optical zoom, optical image stabilization and up to ISO 6400 shots in “extra high sensitivity” mode. You also get Sony’s patented “Smile Shutter” technology as well as many other features. This particular model is due to be released in May for a reasonable price of around $350.

DLO has just released a very unique and travel friendly set of speakers for the iPhone and iPod Touch. I call them cinema speakers because they also come with a dock that props you iPhone or Touch in the perfect horizontal position for watching all you iTunes movies downloads.

“Compact yet powerful, the DLO Portable Speakers for iPhone let you enjoy your music and videos in stereo sound without any threat of mobile phone interference. Featuring an extra-wide sound stage and bass vents for delivering powerful sound, these small speakers pack a powerful punch.”

Click here for the official DLO product page to find more information on these travel speakers.

Sony Ericsson is very well known for class and quality when it comes to mobile technology and their new line of phones are right in line with that thought. Several new Sony Ericsson phones were announced this week, but three in particular hit the mark including the new w980i walkman phone, the XPERIA X1 with full touchability and finally the all new G series.

The W980i (pictured above) is an 8GB Walkman (Mp3) phone with the works including a full 320×240 screen, 3.2 megapixel camera with video recording, HSDPA connectivity, MP3 and AAC compatibility, Bluetooth Stereo A2DP and TrackID, FM radio and much much more. This has to be one of SE’s best looking Walkman phones to date. More info at SonyEricsson.com.

Next up, the XPERIA X1 (pictured above) is a full blown Windows Mobile multimedia device including a unique slideout keyboard, 3-inch 800×480 touchscreen, Wi-Fi, and 400 MB of internal memory (expandable with microSD support). This thing looks pretty slick and is slated for a mid 2008 release. Get more info at SonyEricsson.com or check out the interface video HERE.

Finally, the new G series (G900 pictured right) features a full touch screen, Wi-Fi and a 5MP camera to keep you busy on the road. The new G series is SE’s middle of the line phone with a ton of great features with the looks to boot. You can find more info about the G900 by heading over to SonyEricsson.com.

There was no indication last month at MacWorld that increased capacity iPhone’s and iPod Touch’s would be available any time soon. But, after a very quiet Apple Store update today, you can now purchase the iPhone with up to 16GB of internal memory and the iPod Touch with up to 32GB. Both new iPod and iPhone models are available now and run a fairly steep $499.00. Again, it’s just kind of weird that Jobs had noting to say about these updates during his presentation last month, but I’m sure they wanted to keep the attention on the MacBook Air. I for one would love to upgrade my tapped out iPhone, but at $499 for only 8GM more, I think I will wait a while.

Garmin International Inc., a unit of Garmin Ltd. (Nasdaq: GRMN) and the world’s leading GPS manufacturer, today announced its entrance into the mobile phone market with the nüvifone, an all-in-one, sleek and slim, touchscreen device that combines a premium phone, mobile web-browser, and cutting-edge personal navigator. The nüvifone is a work of art in features, design and functionality and is destined to transform how individuals connect, communicate and navigate their life.

“The nüvifone is an all-in-one device offering unmatched integration of utility and function in a single mobile device,” said Cliff Pemble, Garmin’s president and COO. “This is the breakthrough product that cell phone and GPS users around the world have been longing for — a single device that does it all.”

The nüvifone is an innovative mobile phone that has a wide range of advanced yet easy-to-use features. The all touchscreen device is the first of its kind to integrate premium 3.5G mobile phone capability with an internet browser, data connectivity, personal messaging, and personal navigation functions in one device. When powered on, the 3.5-inch touchscreen display reveals three primary icons — “Call,” “Search,” and “View Map” which allow the user to effortlessly master the nüvifone’s functions.

The nüvifone is the ultimate multi-tasker. Calls are easily initiated by tapping the “Call” button and selecting a name from the contact list or by using the on-screen keypad. When the user is trying to juggle talking on their phone while entering their vehicle to start a trip, the nüvifone makes the transition simple. When the nüvifone is docked onto the vehicle mount, it automatically turns on the GPS, activates the navigation menu, and enables hands-free calling so that the user never misses a beat in the conversation and is able to begin routing to their destination with ease.

Customers familiar with Garmin’s industry leading nüvi® product line will feel right at home using the nüvifone’s personal navigation features. It includes preloaded maps of North America, Eastern and Western Europe, or both, and allows drivers to quickly find a specific street address, establishment’s name or search for a destination by category using the nüvifone’s built-in database with millions of points of interest. Turn-by-turn, voice-prompted directions guide the user to their destination. If they miss a turn along the route, nüvifone automatically recalculates a route and gets them back on track, speaking the names of the streets along the way.

The nüvifone is Garmin’s first device to include Google local search capability, which harnesses the vast point of interest information available from the world wide web. Nüvifone users can search for locations like “coffee shops” and Google will sort the results based on the user’s current location and relevance. Information provided by Google includes a web-based rating so that users can select the most appropriate destination and route directly to it. In addition, the nüvifone includes a web browser incorporating premium features and touchscreen operation for an optimum mobile browsing experience. The nüvifone also includes personal messaging functions, including email, text, and instant messaging.

For the ultimate in safety, the “Where am I?” feature lets users touch the screen at any time to display the exact latitude and longitude coordinates, the nearest address and intersection, and the closest hospitals, police stations and gas stations. The nüvifone also helps drivers find their car in an unfamiliar spot or crowded parking lot by automatically marking the position in which it was last removed from the vehicle mount.

In addition to navigation, the nüvifone includes access to Garmin Online™, an online service offering constantly-updating information such as real-time traffic, fuel prices, stock prices, sport scores, news reports, local events and weather forecasts.

The nüvifone also includes numerous mobile entertainment applications. The built-in camera allows individuals to take a picture that will automatically be tagged with the exact latitude and longitude reference of where the image was taken. The user may then save the image so they can navigate back to the location, or email the image to a recipient who can navigate directly to the location. The nüvifone also provides direct access to millions of geo-located landmark and sightseeing photographs available through Google’s Panoramio picture sharing site. The Panoramio photo search feature enhances the enjoyment and adventure of sightseeing in an otherwise unfamiliar location. Other multimedia functions of the nüvifone include a built-in video camera, MP3 and MPEG4/AAC.

Garmin anticipates that the nüvifone will be available in the third quarter of 2008. Specific details about pricing and sales partners will be announced in the future. Additional information about nüvifone is available at www.garmin.com/nuvifone.

The Faucet Buddy concept is actually meant to help you conserve water by telling you how much water is going down the drain but I think geek consumers might actually use more water just to see it in action. This is only a concept for now, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see something very similar hit the market sooner than later.

Last but definitely not least on the list of updates from Apple today is the stunning MacBook Air. I never thought I would say this, but I might actually have to switch to a Mac just to get my hands on the Air. This thing is .16 inches thick at the bottom and .76 inches on the top. Continue reading below for the full feature list or head over to apple.com for more details.

“MacBook Air is ultrathin, ultraportable, and ultra unlike anything else. But you don’t lose inches and pounds overnight. It’s the result of rethinking conventions. Of multiple wireless innovations. And of breakthrough design. With MacBook Air, mobile computing suddenly has a new standard.

MacBook Air includes an oversize trackpad with multi-touch technology. You can pinch, swipe, or rotate to zoom in on text, advance through a photo album, or adjust an image. This gesture-based input so successful on iPhone and iPod touch now comes to MacBook.

The innovative now-you-see-it, now-you-don’t port hatch flips down to reveal (and closes to hide) all the ports you really need: a USB 2.0 port, a headphone jack, and a micro-DVI port that supports DVI, VGA, composite, and S-video output. Even the MagSafe power connection has been reconsidered and slimmed to fit MacBook Air.

The backlit LED display allows for an even thinner build. It provides instant full-screen brightness the moment you open MacBook Air. The mercury- and arsenic-free display is also more power efficient, which translates to longer battery life.

MacBook Air comes with a way-more-than-generous 2GB of RAM built in — ample memory for working with your favorite applications. The 80GB hard drive provides plenty of storage space. And you have the option to upgrade to a 64GB solid-state drive, which has no moving parts for enhanced durability.

MacBook Air performance is as impressive as its form, thanks to its 1.6GHz or 1.8GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor. This chip was custom-built to fit within the compact dimensions of MacBook Air.

Unlike most other ultraportable notebooks, MacBook Air includes a built-in iSight camera. It’s so smartly integrated, you hardly notice it’s there. The iSight camera and iChat software make video chatting easy anywhere there’s a wireless network.

The MacBook Air battery is our thinnest ever, yet it doesn’t compromise power. You can access the web wirelessly for five full hours.”

No computer? No Problem… The all new Apple TV “Take 2″ works just as well without a computer as it does with one, plus you get HD movie rentals and 5.1 digital surround sound to boot. Click here for more info or continue reading below for the entire press release.

Apple Introduces New Apple TV Software & Lowers Price to $229

Rent High Definition Movies Directly from Your Widescreen TV

MACWORLD SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 15 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Apple(R) today unveiled all new software for Apple TV(R) that allows movie fans to rent movies on the iTunes(R) Store directly from their widescreen TV, and lowered the price of Apple TV to just $229. With iTunes Movie Rentals and Apple TV, users can just click a button on their remote to effortlessly rent movies from a catalog of over 1,000 titles by the end of February, including over 100 titles in stunning high definition video with 5.1 Dolby Digital surround sound, with no computer required. DVD-quality iTunes Movie Rentals are $2.99 for library titles and $3.99 for new releases, and high definition versions are just one dollar more with library titles at $3.99 and new releases at $4.99. Apple will provide the new Apple TV software free of charge to existing Apple TV owners when it releases the new Apple TV priced at $229 in about two weeks.

“With the new Apple TV and iTunes Movie Rentals, movie lovers can rent DVD-quality or stunning HD movies from their couch with just a click of a button,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “No more driving to the video store or waiting for DVDs to arrive in the mail.”

iTunes Movie Rentals feature iTunes’ legendary ease of use, which makes discovering and enjoying movie rentals as simple and easy as buying music on iTunes. Once a movie is rented, it starts downloading from the iTunes Store directly to Apple TV, and users with a fast Internet connection can start viewing the movie in seconds. Customers have up to 30 days to start watching it, and once a movie has been started customers have 24 hours to finish it — or watch it multiple times.

With Apple TV, users can also view photos from their computers, Flickr and .Mac Web Galleries on their widescreen TV as slideshows or screen savers, and anytime photos are updated on Flickr or .Mac, they are automatically updated on Apple TV. Apple TV users can now browse and enjoy the iTunes Store podcast directory of over 125,000 video and audio podcasts, view over 50 million originally created videos from YouTube or choose from a selection of six million songs, over 600 TV shows and 10,000 music videos to purchase directly from their Apple TV. Purchases downloaded to Apple TV are automatically synced back to iTunes on the user’s computer for enjoyment on their computer, all current generation iPods* or iPhone(TM).

Apple TV easily connects to a broad range of widescreen TVs and home theater systems and comes standard with HDMI, component video, analog and optical audio ports. Using high-speed AirPort(R) 802.11 wireless networking, Apple TV now automatically plays all of your iTunes content without setup or management**.

Pricing & Availability
The new Apple TV software will be available as a free automatic download to all Apple TV customers later this month. Apple TV, which includes the Apple Remote, is available from the Apple Store(R) (http://www.apple.com), Apple’s retail stores and Apple Authorized Resellers for a suggested retail price of $229 (US) for the 40GB model and $329 (US) for the 160GB model (US and Canada). Apple TV requires an 802.11g/n wireless network or 10/100 Base-T Ethernet networking, a broadband Internet connection and a high definition widescreen TV. iPod(R) games will not play on Apple TV. iTunes Movie Rentals are available in the US only.

*Movie rentals work on iPod classic, iPod nano with video and iPod touch.
**Compatible with 802.11b/g/n. Based on an IEEE 802.11n draft
specification. Wireless video streaming requires an 802.11g/n network.

As if you haven’t heard by now, the Macworld 2008 Keynote was this morning and there were several interesting new updates and products that were discussed which we will cover within the next few posts. For starters, the iPhone just got a new firmware update that gives users several new features including the ability to send SMS messages to multiple recipients at once, location triangulation on google maps, hybrid map view on google maps, and the ability to fully customize your home screen. The iPod Touch is also getting a new firmware today including email, Google maps, web clips, stocks, weather and even notes. iPhone users can update their firmware for Free but current iPod Touch users will have to pay an extra $20 for their updates. Read the full press release below or head over to apple.com to see these update in action.

MACWORLD SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 15 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Apple(R) today announced a free software update for its revolutionary iPhone(TM) that allows users to automatically find their location using the redesigned Maps application*; text message multiple people in one message; create Web Clips for their favorite websites; customize their home screen; and watch movies rented from the new iTunes(R) Movie Rentals right on their iPhone. With its revolutionary multi-touch user interface and pioneering software, users can
easily add significant new features to their iPhone through software updates whenever an update becomes available. New iPhone products shipping from the factory will include the software update and existing iPhone customers will automatically get the update for free when they sync their iPhone with iTunes (http://www.itunes.com).

“iPhone doesn’t stand still — we’re making it better and better all the time,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “We’ve delighted millions of users with this revolutionary and magical product and it’s great to share these improvements with them.”

Maps, one of the most popular and helpful applications on iPhone, has a new interface that is simpler and easier to use and adds incredible new features such as the ability to find your location automatically. With just the tap of a button, iPhone can now triangulate your position using nearby Wi-Fi base stations or cellular towers. You can use this as a starting or ending point for directions or to find local points of interest. The new hybrid map view combines map view and satellite view so you can see major street names overlaid on satellite imagery.

Users can now create Web Clips — icons on the home screen that take you directly to your favorite websites, including to the exact spot you have zoomed into. Web Clips are a great way to easily track websites that you frequently check such as news, blogs, sports sites and movie listings. In addition, users can now customize their home screen by repositioning any of the icons, and even create up to nine different home screens that they can easily flick between.

iPhone’s new software update also adds the ability to send the same SMS text message to multiple people, and iPhone saves a history of your text messages, so with one tap you can send a new message to the same group.

With Apple’s new iTunes Movie Rentals, movie fans can rent movies on their computer, easily and quickly transfer them to their iPhone, and watch them anywhere on iPhone’s gorgeous 3.5 inch screen. Users can also now navigate forward or backward through their movies by chapters, select alternate language tracks and view subtitles, if available.

Pricing & Availability
The iPhone software update 1.1.3 is available immediately for free via iTunes 7.5 or later for all existing iPhone customers in the US, UK, Germany and France. New iPhone products shipping from the factory will include the software update and existing iPhone customers will automatically get the update for free when they sync their iPhone with iTunes (http://www.itunes.com). iTunes Movie Rentals are available in the US only.

Further information for iPhone can be found at http://www.apple.com/iphone.

*Availability and precision of Maps positioning features will vary depending on actual location.

You have looked high and low for the perfect iPod dock, but none of them seem to sound all that great for the price. The FatMan vintage tube amplifier dock promises give you the sound you are looking for with a look that will never get old. For the 800 dollar price tag, I certainly hope this vintage dock performs on a slightly higher level than the standard dock.

“There’s a reason that professional guitarists, from rock to country, continue to use tube amplifiers from Fender, Marshall and Vox, even though solid-state electronics have replaced tubes in every other audio application. That’s because nothing can duplicate the warmth, the harmonic richness and the pure tone of tube-based circuitry. For a sonic revelation, plug your iPod into our Vintage Amplifier/Charger, sit back with the included remote, and browse through your playlists.”

For more info, check out the product page here.

To start off the list, SAMSUNG has an entirely new lineup of entertainment gear including LCD’s, surround sound and much more. Care to watch HD in 3D, the SAMSUNG series 4 and 5 plasma, DLP and LCD HDTV’s “make use of 3D technology. Literally, you put on a special pair of glasses and you’ll be watching 3D in high-def.” Find out more at CrunchGear.com. SAMSUNG also has “an all-in-one single wall-mountable speaker unit that contains a DVD player and looks like something Batman would use in his Batcave Bat-hroom. It also has a subwoofer, DVD player and Bluetooth connectivity for streaming audio.” Find out more at Gizmodo.com.

iRiver hit the ground running this year with a new line of media devices including the most fashionable DAP you have ever seen. Not much info on this one but you can see some cool pics at Engadget.com. iRiver’s SPINN PMP “combines warmth of analog controls” “with digital content—apparently this is an analog toggle wheel of some sort. It’s stacked PMP-wise, otherwise: 3.2-inch 480×272 screen, FM tuner, flash, Bluetooth, dictionary and 30fps MP4 playback.” More info at Gizmodo.com.

Sony is hoping to redeem what is left of the Mylo brand with the Sony Mylo 2. “Mylo 2, like its predecessor, is a portable internet communicator. This one is more powerful, but it’s still a freak of nature.” More info at Gizmodo.com. Also, the SonyEricsson brand of Walkman phones is getting some new editions starting with the W760. “Tri-band HSDPA and GPS make this a good traveling phone while the gaming features make it good for play. It even picks out music depending on your mood.” Head over to CrunchGear for more info.

Pioneer is taking on Microsoft Sync with Link… “Foremost, it’s an in-dash GPS device bringing everything you expect from a high-end direction-finder. In addition to those standard features, the AVIC-F500BT brags of 1.2 million points of interest, has an SD slot for updating your system’s navigational information and uses MSN traffic, weather and gas price information.” Head over to AutoBlog.com for more.

If you are looking for some banging headphones, you should check out the new Monster’s Beats Headphones from Dr. Dre Backs. “Monster proves that as long as you put their company name on it, you can charge as much as you want. They teamed up with Dr. Dre and Interscope records to create a shockingly expensive set of headphones with a “unique and avant-garde look,” according to the release.” Read more at CrunchGear.com.

Philips has a ton of new gear this year starting with the new GoGear line of PMP’s. “Like a cop giving out tickets at the end of the month, Philips is definitely trying to fill some kind of quota…. The company released just about every variation of portable media player you can think of here at CES. Settle in, I’ll try to be brief.” CrunchGear has all the info you need on the entire new line of GeoGear media players.

Check back soon for Part 2 of the Best of CES 2008.

“Tempered glass, highly polished metal tripod stand, unobtrusive connections, capacitive touch controls, integrated webcam, microphone and speakers, and a 22” HD panel helped Dell Crystal take home the 2008 Best of Innovations Award at the International Consumer Electronics Show which recognizes the most innovative consumer electronics (CE) products in the industry’s hottest product categories.”

Get more info on the Dell Crystal here, or if you simply don’t want to be teased any more, you can buy it directly from Dell.com here.

These new systems are fully interactive with whatever iPod you might have, extending the media you bring with you everywhere anyway. Simply connect your iPod and the iDA does the rest for you by creating an already familiar interface right in your dashboard. No word on pricing and availability at this point, but the iDA is definitely a step in the right direction for alternative automotive audio solutions.