Author: John Herrman

CES is rotten with Microsoft Surface tables, but there can be only one king. This is Kodak’s 25-foot-long, multi-faced touch table. It is huge.

I wouldn’t ask, if it weren’t for Google’s Nexus One support forums overflowing with complaints. Ours are pretty patchy with 3G too—so what’s going on?

The complaints center around the phone constantly switching between 3G and Edge networks in areas that should have full 3G coverage, getting poor 3G coverage in general, or more often, both. The most damning complaints are the comparative ones. From user firerock:

I have G1 & Nexus sit side by side at my home. I can say that G1 has a better radio/antenna than Nexus. G1 has a solid 3 Edge bar but Nexus only has 1 Edge bar. Yes, I intentionally tested at my home where the signal is weak to see how good the phone can hold onto the signals.

Lest you worry this is a fluke, but the image above, shot by another user, shows the same thing, as do dozens of other complaints.

While the support thread is getting longer, and the whining louder, the evidence is still firmly anecdotal. So, new Nexus Oners: is your 3G terrible? [Google Mobile Help Forum]

The Best Buy Geek Squad‘s PC and Mac optimization services are worse than a bad deal, since they can actually make your new computer slower. Apparently Best Buy heard our heckling: bullshit optimization is on its way out.

A tipster sent us this memo, which outlines Best Buy’s new Best Buy Installer Software, which is an app that lets customers choose which apps (and bloat) to install on their new computers, excluding Dells and HPs. It’s never good when a store starts adding their own software to new computers, but one preinstalled bloat app is better than 20, even if said app leads you straight to others. Oh, and Best Buy earns about $5 from software companies for each BBIS install, so make of that what you will.

Anyway! Here’s the meat (“this” refers to BBIS): Best Buy’s pitch is that their new service negates their old one, and that Windows 7—which has been out for three months now, by the way—starts up fast enough that optimizing it, whatever that means, isn’t necessary. But remember, their optimizations don’t help in the first place. The Geek Squad optimization brand is tainted, so this smells like damage control more than anything. Full memo below. —Thanks, M!

Ford Sync-equipped cars will soon get apps, but not in the way you’d expect: instead of running on the Sync platform, they’re simply controlled by it. The actual app—like Pandora, seen here—runs on your smartphone.

The forthcoming Sync development kit, then, isn’t for developers to write new apps for Sync, but to give them the tools they need to write smartphone apps that can communicate with Sync cars’ head units. For Pandora and Stitcher, this means controls and track info are run through the steering wheel buttons and head unit LCD; for OpenBeak (new name for TwitterBerry) this means that your Ford will read your Twitter timeline aloud.

As we’ve said before, this makes sense. It’d be tough to convince people write standalone apps for a car, but not too hard to convince smartphone app developers to add Sync compatibility to their existing iPhone, Android or BB apps. [Ford]

Sources tell TechCrunch that HP’s new tablet—seen here in the proud grasp of one Steve Ballmer, with Windows—could come with Android, too. Is it wrong that I’m way, way more excited about that version? No. No it’s not.

And HP tablet with Windows seven will probably be one of two things: a raw Windows 7 machine with Microsoft’s limited touch-friendly optimizations, which would be terrible; or Windows 7 with some version of HP’s TouchSmart interface—like the one they use in their AIO desktops and touch laptops—which has the potential to be equally terrible.

Windows 7 is designed for mice, keyboard and the occasional finger—Android is an OS designed for touchscreens, and the HP tablet is basically a giant touchscreen phone. Ballmer’s mention aside, the Android version of this tablet— which is “almost identical in every respect to the one he showed off except for the OS,” according to TC’s source—could be the tablet that really matters here. [TechCrunch]

Sprint’s Overdrive hub is a lot more than a cellular modem: It’s got dual 4G/3G connectivity, shared connections with up to five devices over Wi-Fi, and can serve as a sort of mini NAS, with shared microSD storage.

Early leaks of the device were mostly right, but given that the Wi-Fi range is even further than expected—150ft, Sprint and Sierra claim—actually undersold it a bit. (WiMax is fast enough, and that Wi-Fi range is long enough, that you could conceivably use one of these as your primary source of internet at home. Nuts, basically.) A 1.4-inch LCD screen lets you know who’s connected to what and how, and gives you a precise battery reading—fixing one of the dumbest problems with Verizon’s Mifi. Actually, all around this device feels like the MiFi on steroids—it’s even a bit bigger, at about 3 x 3 x .6 inches, though that’s still pretty compact for what you’re getting here.

The Overdrive goes on sale January 10th for $100.

With a two-year service agreement, ha! Thought you were getting out of that one, didn’t you! Never. [Sprint]

UPDATE: For scale:

If you’ve caught a good whiff of CES, you know it smells like tablets. And if you’re up on tablets, you know they’re supposed to save print, or something. And this, the Blio ereader software, is part of the plan.

Designed and conceptualized in part by futurist/engineer/inventor Ray Kurzweil, Blio diverges from traditional ereaders in a couple of ways: first, it’s software, intended to be loaded on a variety of devices, from tablets to iPhones to laptops; and second, it’s full-color, animated and interactive. It contains web content, video and audio embeds. It can render in a variety of ways, all of which are smoothly animated.

On both PC and iPhone, the rendering is smooth—with colorful books, like reference texts, the effect is impressive, with interactive diagrams, video and clickable text. (Though you’d be right to point out that this kind of tech already exists, and it’s called the internet.) Outside of highly visual books, magazine and newspaper are an obvious use for this thing, and though those partnerships haven’t been solidified yet, they’re coming. The iPhone app was good by iPhone ebook reader standard, but the full-page image-and-text rendering felt like a gimmick on a small screen—most of the time you’ll end up reflowing the raw text on your phone, a la the Kindle app.

But Blio the app is only part of the story—the store that its tied to is what really matters. Backed by Baker and Taylor, the world’s largest book distributor, Blio plans to launch with over a million titles; a couple hundred thousand will be newer/paid titles, while the rest will be public domain material. It’s DRMed like any other ebook store at the moment, and like the Kindle Store, can sync your purchased content—including your position in a given book—from device to device. There’s plenty of oomph behind the project, and with a few good devices—tablets, basically—I could see it working out.

That said, I’m worried about how complicated platform is, especially since there’s DRM involved. Publishers set the price, and they can sell multiple editions of the same book with different “features”: one might have an audio track or special text-to-speech voices, while another could be plain text. I can’t imagine modular ebooks taking off. And, weirdly, publishers will be embed to include content from outside the text, meaning that for some books, an active internet connection might be required to get the full experience. Score one for the awkward HTML comparison, score 0 for being sure that you can read the content you thought you purchased. But these are minor concerns.

Point is, you’re going to have to read books on your tablet in something, and it wouldn’t be a terrible thing if that something was Blio. The app will be available for PC and iPhone come late January/early February, and it will be free.

On another note, if you’re wondering why Ray Kurzweil’s involvement is a big deal, well, ask Joel Johnson, who filmed the above video:

You’d be forgiven for making the jump from “LG’s new Blu-ray player has a hard drive” to “LG’s new Blu-ray player can rip and store your movies,” but you’d definitely be wrong. Still, the BD590 has its charms.

LG’s been taking networking in Blu-ray players seriously ever since introducing Netflix streaming with the BD300 in mid-2008, and basic connectivity has since become more or less an industry standard, with each generation of new players edging closer and closer to become generalized settop boxes, not just optical media players. So it makes sense, I guess, to throw some storage in there.

The BD590 touts its storage for music—it will rip CDs, at least—home/downloaded movies, and photos, all of which can be transfer either by USB or Ethernet port, though apparently not through its 802.11n Wi-Fi connection. On that note, wouldn’t a NAS/Blu-ray/media center box be kind of amazing? Anyway.

DVD and Blu-ray archiving are sadly absent, though there are some pretty obvious technical and legal reasons behind that decision. (250GB isn’t very much space when you’re talking raw Blu-ray rips, and the only way to circumvent Blu-ray encryption is by full-on cracking it, which the MPAA could have issues with.)

The BD590’s price is TBD, but a $300+ tag wouldn’t be surprising. We’ll find out more as we approach the box’s Spring/Summer release date. [LG]

Leading LG’s 2010 portfolio of Network Blu-ray Disc Players is model BD590 – the only Blu-ray Disc player to feature an integrated hard drive, thereby creating a Media Library that delivers easy storage and instant playback of music, photos, personal videos and movies purchased from the VUDU service.
With its built-in 250GB hard drive, LG’s BD590 enables consumers to consolidate their digital media files in a single device for exceptional high-resolution enjoyment. Consumers can quickly copy and archive their CD music collection onto the BD590 by making use of the product’s MusicID® feature powered by Gracenote®.
For the first time in any home Blu-ray product, the BD590 will feature Gracenote’s MusicID-Stream™, which allows consumers to hear a song playing in a movie or TV show by simply pressing a button on their remote control. Gracenote then returns rich information on the song, such as artist and genre, along with album cover art. Photos or personal videos that may have been scattered throughout the home on PCs or digital cameras can now be simply imported via the USB or Ethernet port to create a single organized library of personal memories.
Through LG’s NetCast functionality, the BD590 also allows consumers to purchase movies from VUDU, with the option to stream or store movies directly on the hard drive. Consumers also will enjoy built-in Wi-Fi connectivity that allows consumers flexibility when installing a home entertainment system by connecting directly to any existing 802.11n wireless home network. Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA) functionality expands entertainment options by enabling easier access to family videos and pictures stored on other DLNA-enabled systems, allowing consumers to enjoy their favorite memories on the big HDTV screen, rather than smaller computer monitors.

Nothing says business like a BlackBerry. Except, obviously, a swanky PowerPoint Presentation. Ok, let me try this again: Nothing says biz-ness like the BlackBerry Powerpoint Presenter, which lets you conduct PowerPoint presentations from your BlackBerry, without a computer.

The BlackBerry PowerPoint presenter is a gadget with a singular focus: it stores up to 100 slides of PowerPoint presentation, which it can display through any projector or TV that can connect to a VGA or S-Video source, and which operates without the need for a PC running PowerPoint; nearly any BlackBerry handset can serve as a remote. Release date hasn’t been solidified yet, nor has pricing but hey, totally just expense that shit, brah! Right. More details forthcoming later today. UPDATE: It’ll cost $200, later this year. Youch. [BlackBerry]

The Zi8 is one of the best pocket camcorders around, but maybe the biggest. The Playsport takes the Zi8’s guts—including its 1080p video, 5MP still photo sensor—and crams them into a small, waterproof shell. And? It’s cheaper.

Like the Zi8, the Playsport shoots 1080p video at 30fps, as well as 720p at 30 or 60fps. Video is stabilized—which works fairly well to reduce image shimmering in the Zi8—and displayed on a 2.0-inch LCD. Storage comes by way of SDHC, while power draws from a rechargable Li-Ion battery. Basically, it is the Zi8, except it’s noticeably more compact, and it’ll shoot video up to 10 feet underwater.

It’s one of the first seriously rugged pocket cams on the market, but it won’t be the last—as cellphone cameras and regular point-and-shoots start to take better video, dedicated pocket cams will have to do something special to justify their existence. Hence, the swimming. The Playsport will go on sale in April, for $150. [Kodak]

Rugged KODAK PLAYSPORT Video Camera
Captures Adventures in HD – Even Underwater

Kodak engages consumers online to find new name “PLAYSPORT”

Rochester, NY, January 7, 2010 – Eastman Kodak Company today introduced the new KODAK PLAYSPORT Video Camera, a rugged, durable and pocket-size HD video camera with an appetite for adventure. The KODAK PLAYSPORT Video Camera is specifically designed for consumers with active lifestyles, allowing them to capture full 1080p HD video – even underwater* – with the touch of a button.

The KODAK PLAYSPORT Video Camera is waterproof up to 10 feet and features built-in software and USB cable output so users can edit and easily share with family and friends through sites such as YouTube and Facebook. The KODAK PLAYSPORT also features electronic image stabilization and KODAK Imaging Science for sharper videos with vibrant colors and less blur.

“Today’s consumers want to easily capture and share life’s moments anywhere they happen without trading off quality,” said Phil Scott, Vice President of Marketing, Digital Capture and Devices, Kodak. “We designed the KODAK PLAYSPORT Video Camera with this in mind, combining the superior features of our HD digital video cameras with a rugged, waterproof exterior so consumers can capture their KODAK Moments in more places – from the inside of a halfpipe on a snowboard or while duck diving on your surfboard.”

KODAK PLAYSPORT Video Camera Features:
• Waterproof up to 10 ft. (3 m)
• Full 1080p HD video capture at 30 fps
• Electronic image stabilization
• Brilliant 2.0″ color LCD display
• Capture 5 MP HD stills (16:9)
• Edit and upload to the Web with built-in software and included USB cable
• Smart face tracking technology
• Incredible low-light performance
• Expandable SD/SDHC Card slot for memory cards up to 32 GB, that can record up to 10 hours of HD video**
• Li-Ion rechargeable battery with in-camera charging
• HDMI cable output (HDMI cable included)
• Remote control compatible (remote control sold separately)
• MAC and PC compatible
The KODAK PLAYSPORT Video Camera will be available in Abyss (black), Wave Crash (blue) and Adrenaline Rush (purple) for US $149.95 MSRP beginning in April 2010 at major retailers including Best Buy and Amazon.com, as well as Kodak.com. The KODAK PLAYSPORT Video Camera is also now available for pre-orders on Amazon.com.
*Colors and availability may vary by region
Product Accessories
A range of accessories are available for the KODAK PLAYSPORT Video Camera, including:
• KODAK SDHC Memory Cards, available in 4, 8 and 16 GB customized for optimal video capture
• KODAK Adventure Mount for helmet, handlebars and more
• KODAK Flexi-Tripods
• KODAK Cases, Camera Bags and Neck Straps
• Remote control
• KODAK Li-Ion Rechargeable Digital Camera Battery KLIC-7004
• Battery charger options including KODAK Li-Ion Universal Battery Charger K7600-C, KODAK Solar Charger KS100-C+2, KODAK Portable Charger KP100-C+2

Consumers Help Name Newest Video Camera
Through crowdsourcing, a technique utilizing mass collaboration to achieve a business objective, Kodak received thousands of naming suggestions via Twitter and its 1000 Words blog, for the new video camera. Two winning entries were chosen: Mike Colbourn of Williston, Vermont, entered the name ‘Play’, and Jim Culver of La Mesa, California, entered ‘Sport’. Mike and Jim won a trip to Las Vegas and the 2010 International Consumer Electronics Show to join Kodak in announcing the new name.

Kodak is also introducing a new Mobile Marketing Tips guide at the Consumer Electronics Show.

* Up to 10 ft. (3 m) under water
** Record approximately 20 minutes per 1 GB at HD 720 at 30 fps.

Kodak’s first wave of cameras basically embodied the commodity point-and-shoot: they were cheap, simple, and not particularly good. The Slice, their first touchscreen P&S, is their first attempt at something better.

The Slice is the only camera that stands out in Kodak’s new P&S line, not just for its touchscreen, but for its price. $350 gets you 14MP still shots and 720p, 30fps video, optical image stabilization, a Lithium Ion battery, and facial recognition and tagging. It’s a sleek little slice slab of phone, but honestly, touchscreen point-and-shoot isn’t?

$350 isn’t play money, and it edges dangerously close to high-end point-and-shoot territory, where it’d have to compete with the likes of the Canon S90, which seems like a pretty terrible idea. But with these kinds of cameras—that is, featureless rectangular prisms that are supposed to take pictures—the proof in in the pictures. [Kodak]

KODAK SLICE Touchscreen Camera Lets You Share
and Relive Moments Instantly

New Digital Camera Boasts Sleek Exterior with Thousands of KODAK Moments Inside

Rochester, NY, January 7, 2010 – Eastman Kodak Company today announced the latest addition to its consumer digital product portfolio, designed to make it easier than ever for people to share pictures with family and friends anytime, anywhere. The KODAK SLICE Touchscreen Camera lets consumers carry a personal photo album worth sharing and reliving at all times. With a sleek and intuitive 3.5-inch touchscreen, and the KODAK SLICE Search Feature, consumers can find the pictures they want from up to 5,000 that can be stored on internal memory. Then, they can easily share those pictures right from the back of the camera.

“Kodak knows that consumers want the ability to share life’s memories at a moment’s notice, whether it’s pictures that evoke a tear or just the funny everyday moments,” said John Blake, General Manager, Digital Capture and Devices and Vice President, Kodak. “The power of sharing and reliving life’s moments drove the development of our new SLICE Camera. It provides instant access to all of your KODAK Moments, and it’s right at your fingertips.”

Store, Sort and Share with the SLICE Camera
With the ability to store up to 5,000 pictures in HD resolution, the SLICE Camera’s onboard KODAK SLICE Search Feature and Face Recognition allow consumers to sort through thousands of pictures by person, place, date, or occasion in order to locate and share a collection of treasured moments.

The touchscreen and Share Button allow consumers to tag pictures directly on the camera for effortless uploading to popular sharing sites including Facebook, KODAK Gallery, Flickr, and YouTube. Pictures can also be tagged to email or to send directly to the new KODAK PULSE Digital Frame.

KODAK SLICE Touchscreen Camera features include:
• Intuitive 3.5-inch, 16:9 LCD touchscreen with anti-reflective coating
• KODAK SLICE Search Feature and Face Recognition to easily sort, locate and share pictures
• Share Button for easy upload to Facebook, KODAK Gallery, Flickr, YouTube sites and e-mail
• Store up to 5,000 pictures in HD resolution
• Stunning image quality with a 14MP CCD sensor and 5X SCHNEIDER-KREUZNACH Lens
• Built-in optical image stabilization
• 720p/30fps HD video capture
• Kodak’s exclusive Smart Capture feature, which analyzes scenes and automatically adjusts camera settings to deliver beautiful pictures more often
• Compatible with PC or APPLE iLife Software
• Li-Ion rechargeable battery included
The KODAK SLICE Touchscreen Camera will be available in black, nickel and radish for US $349.95 MSRP beginning in April 2010. Best Buy will initially be the exclusive retailer for in-store sales. The KODAK SLICE Touchscreen Camera will also be sold online at Amazon.com and Kodak.com.
Kodak is also introducing a case for the SLICE Camera, which was designed in a competition among accessories students at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) in New York City. The final case design was chosen by celebrated designer Steve Madden and FIT faculty.
*Colors and availability may vary by region

The Spring Design Alex, the other dual-screen Android ereader, is what I had hoped the Nook would be: an ereader for hardware nerds.

The hardware is thin to the point that you worry it might snap—a common thread in ereader design, actually—but it feels about as sturdy as a Kindle. The screen is standard matte E Ink, which did a good enough job at blotting out the harsh lighting in the conference center. The bottom screen is a bit taller than the Nook’s, giving the whole device a gangly look. But it’s not the screens that matter, it’s what’s on them:

That is to say, whatever you want. The Nook’s screens are like content ghettos, with the top intended just for ebooks, and the bottom for navigation. On the Alex, there’s effectively no barrier. Ebook navigation is similar to the Nook’s, with the faster bottom screen serving as a touch interface for the top, non-touch screen, but it’ll also run any Android app, stock or otherwise, including the browser, email client, and music player apps. Best of all, you can push content from the bottom screen to the top whenever you want, meaning that you can navigate to a web page on the bottom screen, then once it’s rendered, send it to the top.

There’s a steep learning curve and it doesn’t feel like the interaction between the two screens is fully worked out, but it’s no less awkward then the Nook, and capable of a lot more. I wouldn’t call it the Nook on steroids, because in some ways, the Nook feels disabled. So, I guess it’s like the Nook, except without two shattered kneecaps? That’ll work.

The only hitch: it might be tough to convince a wireless provider to agree to unlimited, free, no-contract data like the Nook’s or Kindle’s, because this thing is primed to use a lot of bandwidth. Not coincidentally, you can’t buy this thing yet. That said, an official announcement of some sort is due this Thursday, so don’t give up hope.

What would CES be without a few absurd concepts from Asus? This year’s concepts are unabashedly futuristic, united only by their penchant for touch and gesture controls, and a terrible name: Waveface. Let’s have a look at it:

There’s a notebook, which folds flat! A TV, which you control with your hands! A watch, which is made entire of display material! It’s more or less the kind of stuff you’d expect to find in a fourth-year industrial design student’s portfolio, except with the backing of a company worth billions of dollars

The Waveface moniker was not explained, which is probably for the best. Waveface. It “may take around five years. It’s possible.”

So, you’re a large consumer electronics company: how do you differentiate your midrange laptops from the dozens of other near-identical product on the market? You make them out of bamboo, sort of!

This announcement is less an individual laptop—the U53 was barely spec’d, though the previously rumored version of the device, the U6, was pegged at around $2,000—and more an assurance that Asus hasn’t given up on its Bamboo “eco” PC line, which had, as of June, looked kind of dead.

Evidently, though, they’re solidering on with it. Also assured at this press conference: that said forthcoming Asus bamboo eco-laptops (they’re “eco” because you have to kill a specific plant to build them, or something) won’t have parasites. Welcome to CES, everyone!

Last CES, Asus unveiled a ridiculous—and ridiculously cool—laptop concept called Airo. It was razor-thin, boldly styled, and most importantly, interesting. Today, they’ve unveiled the final product—the G73—and it’s… a Core i7 gaming laptop, with some extra edges.

There’s nothing expressly wrong with Asus’ new number; actually, it’s a solid option, if you’re into desktop replacement laptops. It’s got:

• backlit keyboard
• rear to front cooling vents
• 1080P screen
• ATI Mobility HD5870 with 1GB RAM
• BD option
• And of course, a Core i7 processor.

Again, it’s fine, but it’s no Airo: this is a perfect example of how a product goes from optimistic concept to generic product line-filler, in a single year. The stealth concept, originally oozing with sex, has morphed into a derivative stealth bomber tribute.

Since launch, Android has descended into a confusing soup of hardware manufacturers, carriers and software versions, while Google has watched, helplessly. Starting today, they’re taking Android back: Google’s selling Android phones through a unified store, starting with the Nexus One.

Aside from the best-in-class hardware, the potential for newness with the Nexus One (hands-on here) was centered around how they’d sell it. And they have taken a fresh approach with the Nexus One, to an extent: This is the first Android phone sold directly by Google. They’ve opened a new store, from which they plan to sell Android phones from a variety of carriers and manufacturers—Verizon is up next, presumably with the Droid—and which will serve as a single, unified storefront for basically every Android phone on the market. It’ll be a way for people who want to buy one of those “google phones” they’ve heard about—by which they mean an Android phone—from a storefront that lets them compare not just hardware, but carrier and pricing options.

On its own, Google.com/phone isn’t a game-changer, but its a sign that Google’s aware of how fragmentation—not just in software, but in brand identity—could pull Android down, and that they’re willing to do something about it. [Google]

Sorry guys, Google’s not changing the game today: the Nexus One will be priced like any other smartphone: $180 on contract with T-Mobile, $530 unlocked, both available through Google’s online store. It’s what we’d heard, if not what we’d dreamt.

Buying the phone on contract with T-Mobile is exactly like buying any other smartphone on T-Mobile, aside from the fact that the storefront you’re purchasing from may be Google’s. If you’re buying it unlocked, though, there are some serious caveats: namely that this is a GSM phone, which means that it’ll only work with T-Mobile or AT&T, and that of the two, the Nexus One is only capable of 3G data connectivity on T-Mobile. So “unlocked” here is more or less meaningless, but hey, no contracts! So there’s that.

Google handed the Nexus One out to employees weeks ago, and we even had a change to play with one—in other words, little was left to mystery with the Nexus One, as phone. As a product, though, it had potential: Google’s a cash-rich company with a habit of giving things away for free, so… free phone? A partially subisidized, no-contract phone? A Google telco company? Ha, nope. But still, it’s a hell of a phone at a reasonable price, so that’s worth something. [Google, Nexus One Liveblog]

UPDATE: Existing T-Mobile customers are pretty much getting screwed on the Nexus One discount. Only new customers are eligible for the $180 price.

The Nexus One is here, and it brings gifts: Google Earth, a fantastic app that was inexplicably released for the iPhone before its parent company’s mobile OS, is coming to the App Market.

So how is it better than Google Earth on the iPhone? Voice search. Just say where you want to go. And we’re betting the whole experience is a bit smoother thanks to the Nexus One’s oomphier internals.

iRiver’s Story eReader has taken its sweet time making a stateside appearance, and as of today, it’s still not here. But it’s coming! Sometime in January, to be “specific.” But will it be as comically expensive as its European counterpart?

Hopefully, no. But probably? Yes. The Story has reviewed fairly well, with testers citing attractive (if obviously derivative) industrial design, ePub support and a decent screen among its strengths, but with a sky-high price tag—the equivalent to $320—more or less pulling it out of the running, especially when cheaper reader like the Kindle and Nook come with 3G and Wi-Fi, the former being excluded on the Story, and the latter not making an appearance until “early Q2,” possibly at a premium.

In other words, iRiver: you need to make this thing cheaper, or else it will drown. Ok! [iRiver]

There isn’t a whole lot we don’t already know about the Boxee Box, the set-top box developed by D-Link and media center software company Boxee which stands to basically ruin the set-top box party for every other player. Except, that is, the price: Initial reports had it pegged at $200; now a needlessly cryptic press release puts it “under $200.”

In other news! The Boxee Box is otherwise exactly was we know it to be, and it’s still on track for a “H1 2010” release. Spec porn, albeit a bit rehashed:

Networking Pioneer and Popular Entertainment Software Create the Best Way to Get the Free Entertainment the Internet Has to Offer With No Monthly Fee
LAS VEGAS, NV—(Marketwire – January 5, 2010) – CES, Booth 36232, South Hall, LVCC — D-Link made lots of geeks and early adopters happy today by introducing the revolutionary Boxee Box by D-Link, winner of the CES Best of Innovations award in the Home Entertainment category.
The Boxee Box by D-Link reinterprets what TV should be. The Boxee Box delivers movies, TV shows, music, and photos from a user’s computer, home network, and the Internet to their HDTV with no PC needed. Additionally, Boxee’s core social features make it easy for friends to discover new content from each other through social networks like Facebook, Twitter, and more.
Internet Entertainment
Boxee is a popular PC, Mac, and Linux software program that lets users watch hundreds of thousands of popular TV shows and movies. Instead of sifting through millions of confusing Web sites, when users search on Boxee, TV shows and movies are delivered to them with the click of a remote control. Nearly a million Internet users around the world have already downloaded Boxee to enjoy their online entertainment.
The Boxee Box by D-Link takes the same popular software and offers it up as a great device — the perfect companion to a high definition TV. The Boxee Box by D-Link provides access to more than just traditional TV content. It includes a huge library that spans the Internet, such as university courses, panel discussions, academic lectures, presentations, web-only videos and more from TED, Stanford, FORA.tv, Kid Mango, Next New Networks and others. Boxee also makes it easy for users to add their own favorite entertainment sources with simple RSS or XML feeds available for most online video.
In addition to video content, Boxee users can access great music from sites like Pandora, last.fm, shoutcast, and We are Hunted as well as stunning photos from sites like flickr, Picasa and Facebook.
Personal Entertainment
For entertainment lovers who have built their own collections of digital media stored on their computer hard drive or home network, Boxee automatically identifies their content and downloads relevant cover art, synopses, reviews, subtitles, lyrics and more. This feature turns boring files and folders into beautiful media libraries that make it simple and appealing to navigate a collection of favorite movies, TV shows, and playlists with a simple remote. Furthermore, the Boxee Box by D-Link has extensive format support (see below) which ensures that when users hit the play button, they get instant gratification, with no need to download codecs or drivers. Also, with built-in 802.11n Wi-Fi support, it can transfer files without delay and from longer distances within a user’s home.
Social Features
The Boxee Box by D-Link keeps people connected with social features to help users discover new content from friends, experts, and tastemakers. The first step to discovery is sharing, and Boxee makes this easy by letting people recommend any playing content to friends. Additionally, Boxee automatically uses recommendations from a user’s Twitter and Facebook friends so they can find new content and instantly enjoy it on the big screen. Since anyone can build on top of Boxee’s open App platform, users can craft their own truly custom experience by creating or downloading plug-ins, add-ons, games, and more.
“We are pleased to partner with Boxee and to be the first with such a ground-breaking device,” said Nick Tidd, vice president of sales for D-Link Pan America and vice president of marketing for D-Link North America. “This powerful device with its unique form factor truly leverages Boxee’s service and is the best way for consumers to quickly access the growing volume of Internet content, organize it and stream it to their TVs and home entertainment centers.”
“D-Link’s successful track record in bringing to market, award-winning digital home networking products, and its global marketing, distribution and channel sales capabilities made them a great fit for our first hardware vendor,” stated Andrew Kippen, vice president of marketing for Boxee. “The Boxee Box by D-Link gives consumers what they want — an easy way to watch Internet or personal entertainment in their living rooms with a simple set-top box that costs under $200 and has no monthly fees.”
The Boxee Box by D-Link is scheduled to ship in the first half of 2010 through the company’s vast network of retail and e-tail outlets, and at D-Link’s online store, www.dlinkshop.com.
Supported Codecs & Formats
Boxee can be used to play/view practically all common multimedia formats, including:
VIDEO:
Adobe Flash 10.1
H.264 (MKV, MOV)
VC-1
WMV
MPEG-1
MPEG-2
MPEG-4
AVI
Xvid
Divx
PCM/LPCM
VOB

AUDIO:
MP3
WMA
WAV
AIFF
FLAC
AAC
DTS
Dolby Digital
Ogg Vorbis

PHOTO:
JPEG
TIFF
BMP
PNG

[D-Link]