TomTom today launched the entry-level TomTom Start in-car GPS in New Zealand in a move it says will make GPS accessible to far more drivers.

The new device incorporates a 3.5-inch touch screen, along with the voice prompts, stylish graphical interface and time-saving technology people have now come to expect in modern in-car GPS. It's major point of difference is its price - it has a New Zealand RRP of $299, as opposed to the recently released TomTom 1140, which has a RRP of $399.

TomTom Australia and New Zealand marketing manager Chris Kearney said the TomTom Start had "redefined ease-of-use and taken affordable navigation to the next level.

"This is done while of course always providing drivers with the fastest route to their destination using TomTom IQ Routes."

Posted by James Heffield at 12:52 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 )

If you've ever thought it would be cool to project movies or sports onto the side of your house during an evening barbeque, Epson has now devised the ideal tool to do it.

The company unveiled the Epson EH-DM3 all-in-one projector at a press launch in Auckland today, and apparently it's designed to be used both indoors and out. The DM3, due to hit stores in November, has an integrated DVD and DivX player, virtual surround sound speakers and a built in carrier handle to make repositioning and moving it around easier.

Epson Visual Imaging business manager Bruce Bealby said the DM3 was ideal for families because of its relatively low recommended retail price of $1,599 and its ease of setup.

"All you need to do is plug it in. It's great for families that just want a big screen every week to watch the big game or a movie."

The projector had HDMI input and could produce a 540p resolution. Epson said it was ideal for watching sports or concerts around a barbeque, holding a karaoke party in the lounge using its built-in microphone jack, or gaming on its "giant sized screen" which was up to eight times larger than a 40-inch flat panel screen.

Other consumer home-theatre projectors due for release in New Zealand before the end of the year include the flagship EH-TW4500 model and the general use EH-3500 model.

Bealby said the TW4500, capable of producing a 1080p picture with a 200,000:1 contract ratio, was aimed at "purists and people with dedicated home theatre rooms". It would be released next month with a recommended retail price of $6,399.

The EH-TW3500 model, which could display a 1080p picture with a contrast ration of 36000:1, was released this month with a recommended retail price of $4,499.

Both the TW-3500 and TW 4500 used energy efficient lamps, Bealby said.

Posted by James Heffield at 6:11 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 1 )

Ceatec wrap-up
Pauline Herbst

Life Wall
Taking the prize for coolest concept at the show was Panasonic';s Life Wall. A concept video was shown at Ceatec';s 3D presentation but PC World had the opportunity to see the real deal at Panasonic';s Eco Ideas Centre and can tell you it is mind blowing.

Panasonic's Life Wall

Picture this: an entire wall of your living room has a massive image projected on it, let's say a beach scene. You walk up to it, point and a glowing purple circle appears. It says: "Hi Pauline," well in this case "Yoshi". Infant circles pop up around it, each representing a number of features: email, your books, images, etc.
With a lazy wave of your hand you can access your files, drag and drop them to a virtual bookshelf, video conference and even create artwork.

PC World trying out the Life Wall

The Life Wall's 1950m x 630m interactive display is made possible through rear projection, coupled with sensors that detect your movements. A 'coffee table' (imagine a giant iPhone) with sensors can also be used to control the images on the wall. To flip the pages of a book on the wall, you would stroke the table much as you do with smartphone touchscreens.
Panasonic was unable to confirm when, or even if a product like this would be likely to come to the market as the initial research and development costs are obviously quite high.

Cristal
Touch screen technology appeared in a number of devices, but we particularly liked the Cristal table top interface. Slide and flip your way around the media in your living room without having to get up (but you will have to lift a finger).

The Cristal table top interface

If you snap a shot of your living room, it may have a flat screen panel, lights, speakers, some DVDs on a shelf and a digital photo frame. Once configured, you can touch the image of your DVD on Cristal, drag it over to the image of your TV and sit back as the DVD starts to play. Sound too loud? Touch the speaker image and drag downwards to lower the volume.
Developed in a mere six months as a joint collaboration between the Japanese Government and the Upper Austria University of Applied Science, Cristal is technologically ready if a supplier wants to order it, at US$5000.

The living room that is being controlled by Cristal

Posted by Ted Gibbons at 3:36 AM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 )

Ceatec coverage
Pauline Herbst

Covering a Japanese electronics show is like finding yourself in the middle of a DragonBallZ arcade game. The noise is deafening, there are bright flashing lights everywhere, doll-like Japanese promo girls that look like animated mannequins - everyone is clamouring for attention. Now to add to the chaos, you can get all of this in full HD 3D.

Major manufacturers at this year's Tokyo-based Ceatec, held from the 6-10 October 2009, are battling it out for attention in the audio-visual sphere with Japanese giant Panasonic determined to be the first to market with its 3D TV in 2010.
"We're placing a focus on 3D related business at Panasonic and want to establish ourselves as the 3D leader," was Panasonic's bold statement, with Masayuki Kozuka, general manager, Storage Devices Business Strategy Office adding: "Almost all television sets are full HD, so the next step is 3D and the keyword is 4K".

The company has also developed high precision active shutter glasses with a new timing control that allow the right left eye shutters to independently open and close. Although neither Kozuka or Hiroshi Miyai (the director of the High Quality AV Development Center) could confirm a price, they did tell the press that market research has indicated a set of glasses for a family of four that cost Y5000 each would equate to about "10 percent of the price of the television set," making a 3D TV approximately Y200,000 (NZ$3,000).
Toshiba, despite stating at IFA that it was not pursuing 3D, displayed a Cell Regza 3D prototype; as did Sony, Mitshubishi and Sharp. Sharp confirmed its 3D R&D has been conducted over decades but held off with commercialization of its 3D displays until the market was ready.

It displayed its 60-inch 3D LCD with LED backlight for the first time at the show. Like Panasonic, has also chosen to use glasses. As Miyuki Nakoyama, assistant manager of Sharp's Tokyo PR and media liaison office explained, the company is using "a field sequential format for 3D, that is displaying the picture image for the right and left eye at the same time and dividing that image by the glasses to see 3D";.
Due to the LCD technology implemented into the 3D display the company claims the image has a high resolution and a much brighter picture.
PC World can confirm the dinosaurs flinging each other out of the screen and into space really did seem to bulge right out of the screen.

Posted by Ted Gibbons at 5:12 AM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 )

Microsoft has provided a recommended retail price (RRP) for the consumer and small business SKUs of Windows 7 after retailers jumped the gun on the software giant's official New Zealand price announcement.

Windows 7 will be officially launched on October 22 but until now, Microsoft has kept the New Zealand RRP for the software close to its chest.

Today, a Microsoft spokesperson told PC World that the RRP for the consumer-oriented Home Premium edition would be $389.95 for the Full Package Product, or $249.95 for the upgrade version (which upgrades Windows Vista to Windows 7). The Professional edition, which incorporates improved networking and encryption features and is aimed at small business users, had a RRP of $599.95 for the FPP or $499.95 for the upgrade version.

The release of the RRPs follows a decision by retailers including Computer Lounge, Ascent Technology and Playtech to release their prices for Windows 7 on their websites.

The spokesperson said he did not believe Microsoft would have any problem with retailers' decision, even if they had beaten Microsoft to the punch.

"Because the price is set by retailers and not by Microsoft, it's the retailers call when they put out prices."

Prices could drop and become even more competitive around the time of the New Zealand launch, he said.

Posted by James Heffield at 4:57 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 2 )

Sony's ultraportable handheld PSPGo hit stores today. Anyone who gets in a buys one and registers it in the first ten days of release is eligible for a free download of driving simulator Gran Turismo, which is also making its handheld debut.

PSPGo replaces the original PSP's UMD drive (there goes another digital format) with 16GB of flash memory, making it easier for users to load their own content like photos and music.

Additional digital content and services are available through PlayStation Network. Content offered includes new games, free demos, PSone classics for PSP, add-on items for game titles and trailers.

"In addition to Gran Turismo, PSP owners are set to enjoy other brand new, made for PSP, PlayStation franchise titles including MotorStorm and last year's PlayStation 3 monster hit, LittleBigPlanet," said sales and marketing director David Hine.

Keeping content organised is down to a new software application, Media Go, bundled with PSPGo. Users can access and download entertainment content on PlayStation Store via their PCs and then transfer it to PSP.

Mini games are also on offer. Fifteen games will be available at launch, across genres including arcade-style games, racers and parlour games, with more than 50 games due to be on offer by the end of the year.

In addition, Digital Reader for PSP will launch with Digital Comics this December. Titles will be available from Marvel Entertainment and IDW Publishing featuring characters including Spider-Man, X-Men, the Fantastic Four, Transformers and Star Trek.

Posted by Ted Gibbons at 2:25 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 )