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New iPhone promises sharper display, thinner profile, and more

Jun 7, 2010 Technology

The iPhone 4
Photo: Apple

Apple today announced its fourth-generation smart phone, the iPhone 4, with virtually all of the expected improvements plus a few surprises.

The leading surprise was arguably the addition of a built-in gyroscope that responds to movement along six axes of motion, and promises to enable new kinds of video games—including a stacking puzzle that Apple boss Steve Jobs demonstrated during his presentation.

The iPhone 4 will be available June 24 for $299 and $199 for its 32 GB and 16 GB models, respectively, with pre-orders beginning on June 15. It will be the thinnest smart phone on the market, at just 9.3mm thick—or 24 percent thinner than its predecessor, the 3G S. (That older iPhone will remain available, at a reduced price of $99 for an 8GB version.)

Held as part of the Apple Developers Conference, Jobs’ presentation also unveiled some enhancements for all iPhones, except the first-generation 2G model, that arise from the new iPhone operating system, dubbed iOS4.

These enhancements include the expected ability to multitask; Jobs demonstrated how iPhone users will, for the first time, be able to check e-mail, view Web pages, and stream music at the same time. And they'll also be able to view e-mails from multiple accounts, and open PDF files by using the iBooks app now available for the iPad, a version of which is being added for iPhone.

Playing catch-up with other smart phones, especially Android models, iPhones will also now have the ability to share photos and videos to social networks or e-mail in one click, directly from the camera. Video editing is also upgraded; you’ll now be able to record, edit, and then, with a few taps, e-mail video right on the phone. And the new iMovie for iPhone app, a $5 download, will allow more advanced on-camera editing like adding transitions, titles, photo stills, and importing music from iTunes for the soundtrack.

You’ll also be able to use more search engines on your iPhone. In addition to Google, iOS4 will add native support for Yahoo! and Microsoft's Bing.

Here are other features of the iPhone 4 itself, most of them predicted in advance by some pundits, including me:

A sharper display. iPhone has been behind many of its competitors in terms of pixel density, which generally equates to sharpness. However, with its 960×640 screen, dubbed “Retina,” iPhone 4 is capable of delivering 326 pixels per inch (ppi), putting it ahead of the best Android phones such as the Motorola Droid and HTC Evo, whose displays are around 250 ppi.

In a side-by-side demo with 3 GS, pictures and text indeed appeared much sharper on the iPhone 4, yet they also appeared to be a bit darker. We'll just have to wait to test the new phone in our labs.

The screen is also claimed to be more responsive, which Jobs demonstrated by using a new version of Guitar Hero for iPhone; together, he claimed, the screen and app will provide Guitar Hero players with a "richer" air-guitar experience.

One screen surprise: The new iPhone’s screen is the same 3.5-inch size as the 3 GS, meaning iPhone will lag behind the likes of the HTC Evo 4G and Samsung Galaxy S, with their 4-inch-plus screens.

A better camera. iPhone 4 also upgrades the current 3-megapixel camera to a 5-megapixel one, and claims a better, backside-illuminated sensor, too. And, in a game of catch up with other cameras, has added an LED flash that stays on for video recording.

In another catchup move, there will finally be an iPhone that’s able to shoot HD video (in 720P format at 30 frames per second).

A second camera for videoconferencing. Taking it’s a cue from HTC's Evo, iPhone 4 has a front-facing camera to facilitate video conferencing. The feature, called FaceTime, is free but will only work over a WiFi connection in 2010. However, at today's demonstration between Steve Jobs and someone else, the transmission appeared to stall several times.

Improved battery life. In spite of the demands of multitasking, which typically boosts power consumption, Apple claims to have improved battery life on the iPhone 4. Each charge, it says, will allow the device to run for 7 hours of 3G talk, 6 hours of 3G browsing, 10 hours of WiFi browsing, 10 hours of video, or 40 hours of music.

A new case. iPhone 4 has a flat, glass back, two buttons on the side for volume control, and a second microphone on the bottom, to allow for noise cancellation. Its stainless-steel trim also acts as an antenna.

We'll have more details on the new iPhone soon.

—Mike Gikas

Tags: News, service-providers, wired/wireless network

Report from Philly: 3G vs. 4G on Sprint smart phones

May 28, 2010 News

Fourth-generation phones may well deliver on their promise of faster data downloads, at least based on our tests of the first 4G phone, HTC's Evo 4G.

The Evo runs on Sprint’s 4G network in Philadelphia, one of only a few dozen cities that currently have 4G service. Our informal testing zone was beautiful Rittenhouse Square Park, in the heart of Philadelphia, where we found strong signals for both 3G and 4G Sprint networks. Since as yet we have only a single advance press sample of the Evo, which launches next week, our control was another HTC phone, the Hero, running on Sprint’s 3G network. To further equalize the test, the Hero, like the Evo, runs on the Android 2.1 operating system.

Here's what we found:

Web pages loaded faster in 4G. We downloaded pages from a variety of Web sites, from well-known news sites like CNN and the New York Times to other popular sites like Facebook and Hulu. Evo was generally faster downloading Web pages. Typically, pages loaded about a third faster, the time difference to load a page was about a second or two in most instances. One exception was the home page of Hulu. Evo seemed to get hung up temporarily on the page's dozen or so video thumbnails, whereas the Hero seemed to download the page much quicker. The reason may have something to do with Evo's Flash Lite support.

Video was smoother and more consistent. I used the phone's onboard YouTube apps to stream a few videos, including those on ConsumerReports.org. Evo's YouTube app is a special HQ version designed to optimize video performance on 4G networks. At first glance, they appeared equally sharp on both phones. However, I soon realized I was able to make out more details, like the text on a sign that may have been in the background, on the Evo. In addition, videos on the Evo appeared consistently smoother than the Hero's, with fewer interruptions. They also seemed to start much quicker.

As expected, battery life appears to be affected. We know from our lab tests that faster networks tend to be harder on battery life. And it seems from my informal experience with the Evo, that may hold true for 4G. We turned on both fully charged phones at 10:20 a.m., as we reached the outskirts of Philadelphia, and immediately began performing a variety of video downloads speed tests for the next 3 hours. By the time we reached the New Jersey border at 2:50 p.m., the Evo's on-screen low-battery-warning-alert tripped on. But the Hero's battery icon indicated I had only used about one-third of the phone's battery life. (Of course, there are many factors beyond network speed that affect battery life, such as display, signal sensitivity, and the capacity of the battery itself. And these are, after all, different phones. We'll just have to wait for the more-conclusive results from our labs.)

The 4G network never reached its maximum potential. Sprint promises a maximum download speed of 5,000 kilobits per second (kbps), but we were never able to record anything faster than 3,500 kbps using two speed tests: the FCC Broadband Test and Ookla's Speed Test (both are available as free downloads from the Android Market). Evo was more on target with upload speeds, sometimes coming within a few kbps of the 1,000 kbps cap placed by Sprint.

The data-speed needle jumped radically as we moved about in our relatively small test zone in the park, sometimes registering as little as 300 kbps for the Evo. But even at its slowest speeds, both download and upload, the 4G network speeds recorded on the Evo often measured higher than the 3G speeds displayed on the Hero. When the Evo dipped to 300 kbps, for example, the Hero was less than a 150 kbps for the HTC Hero. Neither of which is respectable for 3G.

Upshot: Our quick tests suggest Sprint's 4G service is indeed significantly faster as promised, and maybe worth the extra $10 for the heavy data users living in the few cities where it's available. In the meantime, our lab technicians are currently performing a multitude of other tests to get it into our smart phone Ratings (available to subscribers) in the next few weeks. 

—Mike Gikas

Related: First impressions: Sprint's Evo 4G, running on a 3G network

Tags: cell phones, mike gikas, mobile-phones, wired/wireless network

The 3G iPad: Some issues with video in our tests

Apr 30, 2010 Technology

Apple delivered its new 3G version of the iPad today, and we jumped on ours right away to see what it has to offer. Our early tests turned up some issues with using it to stream videos.

Signing in to the 3G network for the first time was quick and simple. After syncing with iTunes, all you need to do is start the Web browser, and the iPad will request your credit card info.

3G was slower than Wi-Fi. Download and upload speeds were significantly slower than the Wi-Fi version, but still fast enough for routine Web browsing.

You can’t stream all sources on 3G. We downloaded the ABC Player app, which lets you watch episodes of the network’s shows on the iPad. But when we tried to watch a show, a message popped up that said cellular networks are not supported at this time. Our attempt to download a TV show over 3G from the iTunes store was also thwarted. This time, the message was that we’d need Wi-Fi or use iTunes on a computer to buy the video. If you’re planning to watch a lot of videos, download them from home over your Wi-Fi network.

Video quality varied by app. We were able to watch YouTube videos and stream Netflix movies. The YouTube videos weren’t fun to watch since the images were blocky and lacked detail, and looked significantly worse than the iPad running on our Wi-Fi network. Netflix movies looked better. They were enjoyable enough to watch, though still softer than what you’d get on a DVD or what you can download from iTunes.

Video quickly eats into the cheapest iPad 3G plan. AT&T offers a $15 plan under which you can download 250MB a month. (There’s also an unlimited plan for $30 a month.) But don’t expect to watch a lot of videos or do heavy downloading under the limited plan, since that amount of data gets eaten up pretty quickly. We used more than a third just watching a few YouTube videos, viewing a five-minute segment of a Netflix video, downloading some small apps, and buying a couple of books.

We’ll be running more tests on the iPad 3G over the weekend and next week, but here’s our take so far: You won’t want to buy the iPad 3G to stream videos; we encountered too many problems. It might come in handy for Web browsing and e-mail, but odds are you already have a smart phone to do just that. Unless you want to spend another $30 a month to browse on a large screen, we recommend a pass.

—Donna Tapellini and Chris Lam

Tags: in the labs, ipad, News, video, wired/wireless network

Comcast Net victory is bad news for consumers, say advocates

Apr 8, 2010 News

Internet providers have won a significant battle in their campaign to be able to play traffic cop on the Internet, and consumer advocates are concerned.

The U.S. Appeals Court for the District of Columbia ruled that the Federal Communications Commission lacks the jurisdiction to order Comcast, and any other Internet provider, to treat all Net traffic equally and indiscriminately. The ISPs object to a Federal Communication Commission requirement that mandates such so-called net neutrality, arguing that they're entitled to send surfers who download a lot of large files, such as movies, to a slow lane.

Download a PDF of the U.S. Court of Apeals' decision here. (A new borwser window will open. Adobe Acrobat or equivalent software is needed to view the file.)

Consumer advocates, including those with Consumers Union, the parent company for Consumer Reports, have reacted with dismay to the ruling. CU advocates blogged on HearUsNow.org that "consumer lost big, really big" in the decision, which they say "appears to allow broadband providers to engage in a whole host of egregious anti-consumer activities."

The decision is also a setback to the FCC in its plans, via its National Broadband Plan, to enforce Net neutrality for wireless broadband service in addition to home ISP service. However, in a statement, the Commission said the decision "in no way disagreed with the importance of preserving a free and open Internet" and "did not close the doors to other methods to achieving this end."

But the statement did not specify what those methods might be. Whatever they are, they're likely to create significant political debate, especially since, as the Wall Street Journal points out, opponents of net neutrality (and some supporters, such as Microsoft), are spending heavily on lobbying around the FCC's plans.

—Paul Reynolds.

Tags: computers and internet, digital media, Photography, Technology, wired/wireless network

CTIA 2010: Sprint launches the world’s first 4G phone, the HTC Evo

Mar 24, 2010 News

HTC Evo 4G
Photo: Sprint

As expected, Sprint, a pioneer of fourth-generation cellular technology for laptops and netbooks, today launched the world’s first cell phone for use on these high-speed 4G networks. A true game-changing device, the HTC Evo 4G, available this summer at an undisclosed price, will use the Android operating system and be equipped with a host of features to exploit the greater speed and capacity 4G promises. 

For example, Sprint says the smart phone, which has a 4.3-inch screen, will be able to wirelessly send images from its 8-megapixel camera at full resolution, thanks to the increased bandwidth offered by its 4G technology. 

The phone can also stream video from the network to your HDTV in full high-def resolution, the carrier claims. HD videos streamed via an HDMI connection to an HDTV at the launch event here in Las Vegas indeed did appear to be impressive. 

A new YouTube service, known as YouTube HQ, will also launch with the phone, promising unequalled video quality compared with other mobile devices, Sprint says. In a YouTube “stream off,” at the launch event, the Evo, running YouTube HQ, did seem to outdo a Motorola Droid running regular YouTube on Sprint’s 3G network.  

However, Sprint did not disclose the battery-life performance of the Evo, saying only that the phone had “done well in our tests.” The additional power demands of high-speed networks have contributed to delaying rollout of 4G to phones. Laptops, with their larger batteries, have so far been better equipped to handle the increased power drain imposed by the new technology. 

Sprint also didn’t announce pricing for the Evo’s 4G plans. 

I’m meeting with Sprint later this evening to learn more about the Evo, and expect to blog again on this breakthrough device as CTIA 2010 continues here in Las Vegas.

–Mike Gikas

Tags: Internet, mobile electronics, mobile-phones, Technology, wired/wireless network

Consumers Union responds positively to FCC’s broadband plan

Mar 16, 2010 News

In response to the National Broadband Plan presented to Congress today by the Federal Communication Commission, Joel Kelsey, a policy analyst with Consumers Union (the nonprofit parent company of Consumer Reports) released the following statement.

We commend the commission for the goals and the vision in this plan to bring affordable, high-speed Internet access to all Americans. The U.S. has fallen behind other countries, both in terms of how many people have broadband and the speed of those connections. This plan seeks to knock down the biggest obstacles to bringing high-speed Internet to more people at a reasonable price. This is the first step in a long process. The commission has laid out a lot of important questions the government must answer to put us on the right path, and we look forward to working with the commissioners and Congress on the road ahead.

In its own statement today, the FCC detailed its vision for the American broadband network [PDF] by 2020. Among other goals, the plan calls for promoting competition in the broadband market and closing certain "broadband gaps." Those gaps include the 100 million Americans who currently have no broadband access at home (especially in rural areas and among "vulnerable" populations) and the shortage of broadband spectrum for mobile devices.

—Nick K. Mandle

Tags: computers, Internet, Technology, wired/wireless network

FCC broadband plan expected today

Mar 16, 2010 News

Starting today, get ready to hear a lot (more) about access to high-speed broadband, whom should control the broadcast airwaves, and the role of the federal government in regulating both.

The Federal Communications Commission is scheduled to send its long-awaited National Broadband Plan to Congress, a move that will further propel issues mostly discussed among the telecom industry, advocates, and regulators into the political arena.

[Update: Watch live streaming of the FCC's presentation of the National Broadband Plan to Congress through 12:30 pm EST.  Read the entire plan for yourself here.]

In the executive summary [PDF] on today's report, the FCC reaffirmed that universal access to broadband will be the plan's top priority. Plan goals include that "every American should have access to robust broadband service," and that 100 million residents should have access to speedy service of at least 100 and 50 megabits per second for download and upload, respectively.

The summary also outlines plans for further subsidies to wire rural areas for broadband and the New York Times reports the plan will include "a controversial auction of some broadcast spectrum to free up space for wireless devices, and the development of a new universal set-top box that connects to the Internet and cable service."

The plan is likely to trigger furious debate, including lobbying from industry representatives and responses from consumer advocates, including Consumers Union, the parent company for Consumer Reports.

—Paul Reynolds

Tags: digital cameras, Internet, wired/wireless network

FCC broadband plan expected today

Mar 16, 2010 News

Starting today, get ready to hear a lot (more) about access to high-speed broadband, whom should control the broadcast airwaves, and the role of the federal government in regulating both.

The Federal Communications Commission is scheduled to send its long-awaited National Broadband Plan to Congress, a move that will further propel issues mostly discussed among the telecom industry, advocates, and regulators into the political arena.

[Update: Watch live streaming of the FCC's presentation of the National Broadband Plan to Congress through 12:30 pm EST.  Read the entire plan for yourself here.]

In the executive summary [PDF] on today's report, the FCC reaffirmed that universal access to broadband will be the plan's top priority. Plan goals include that "every American should have access to robust broadband service," and that 100 million residents should have access to speedy service of at least 100 and 50 megabits per second for download and upload, respectively.

The summary also outlines plans for further subsidies to wire rural areas for broadband and the New York Times reports the plan will include "a controversial auction of some broadcast spectrum to free up space for wireless devices, and the development of a new universal set-top box that connects to the Internet and cable service."

The plan is likely to trigger furious debate, including lobbying from industry representatives and responses from consumer advocates, including Consumers Union, the parent company for Consumer Reports.

—Paul Reynolds

Tags: computers, internet/online, Technology, wired/wireless network

CES 2010: Blu-ray players get more streaming services now, 3D later

Jan 15, 2010 News

Samsung's slim BD-C7500 Blu-ray player
Photo: Samsung

While 3D TV certainly garnered a lion's share of the attention at CES, one key element to its success will be the availability of 3D content that can be played on 3D-enabled TVs. Now that the Blu-ray Disc Association has finalized its 3D specifications for players, several major brands announced Blu-ray players that will include 3D capability. Beyond 3D, many new Blu-ray players can act as Internet entertainment gateways, providing access to the growing library of content—including streaming movies—available via the Web.

Here's a quick summation of what happened in the Blu-ray area at CES:

LG's BD590, with a built-in 250GB hard drive
Photo: LG Electronics

LG Electronics: LG announced several new Blu-ray players with access to LG’s NetCast online service, which offers streaming movies from NetFlix, CinemaNow, and Vudu, plus Pandora Internet radio. The BD590 is the only Blu-ray player we’ve so far seen with a built-in 250GB hard drive that can be used to store music, photos, videos, and movies purchased from Vudu. The flagship player, which has built-in Wi-Fi, is DLNA compliant, and it includes Gracenote’s MusicID-Stream, which provides info on a song or artist playing in a movie or video. Other models include the BD570, which has the same features as the BD590 except for the hard drive, and the BD550. 

LG also announced several new Blu-ray home theater systems, including the LHB975, a 5.1-channel system with NetCast access and wireless rear speakers and subwoofer.

Panasonic: Panasonic’s 3D-enabled Blu-ray player is the DMP-BDT350, which features dual HDMI outputs, one HDMI 1.4, and the other HDMI 1.4-compliant. I was told that the player will send 3D TV Blu-ray signals to a newer 3D TV via the HDMI 1.4 output, while the HDMI. 1.4-compliant output (presumably it's lacking the 3D feature) is used to send audio-only signals to an A/V receiver equipped with with either HDMI 1.3 or HDMI 1.4 inputs.

Panasonic's 3D-ready DMP-BDT350
Photo: Panasonic

The company also announced three standard Blu-ray models that will be available this spring: the entry-level DMP-BD45, the DMP-BD65, a step-up model, and the top-of-the-line DMP-BD85. The BD65 and BD85 models have access to the company’s Viera Cast online service, which includes streaming movies from Amazon and Netflix and Pandora Internet radio, plus internal decoding of Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master audio. The BD85 has 7.1-channel analog audio outputs and a “tube sound” simulator, and comes with a wireless Wi-Fi adapter; the adapter is an option on the BD65 player.

Panasonic, which launched the industry’s first portable Blu-ray player last year, announced two new portable Blu-ray models: the DMP-B500 and DMP-B100. The B500 has a 10.1-inch screen, the B100 8.9 inches, plus built-in wireless capability and access to the Viera Cast online service. Both have SD card slots; the B500 supports high-def AVCHD video files.

Samsung: Samsung unveiled several new Blu-ray players that will support its Internet@TV online service, now with Samung Apps,
which includes access to streaming movies from Blockbuster, Netflix and
Vudu. The BD-C6900 is its entry into the 3D sweepstakes. The player has a glossy transparent top, 7.1-channel analog outputs, and built-in Wi-Fi. It’s also wireless DLNA compliant.

A super-slim flagship player, the BD-C7500, is just 1.1 inches high. The player, which can be wall mounted, placed on a 25-degree stand or placed flat, has a grayish woodgrain design. The BD-C6500 player, a step-up model, shares many of the C6900's features, except for the 3D capability, and has a more conventional design. A third model, the BD-C5500 lacks some features found on other models, such as built-in Wi-Fi support. All the new players will launch this spring at still-undisclosed prices.

Sharp: At Sharp, the big news was Blu-ray players with
access to streaming movies from Netflix: the mainstream BD-HP24U ($280) and a step-up player, the
BD-HP70U ($500), a wireless-ready model that has a second USB port that
accepts an optional Wi-Fi dongle. Both are slim-line models with piano-black finishes, and they'll be available during the fourth quarter
of this year.

Sony's 3D-ready BDP-S770
Photo: Sony

Sony: At CES, Sony was one of a handful of companies announcing a 3D-enabled Blu-ray player, the BDP-S770, as well as several standard models that feature the same “monolithic” design used in several new TV series.

The 3D-capable BDP-S770 player, available this summer, comes with built-in Wi-Fi, internal decoding of Dolby TrueHD and DTD-HD Master audio, and access to Sony’s Bravia Internet Video platform, with access to streaming movies from Netflix and Amazon Video on Demand, plus Pandora and Slacker Internet radio. It can also play SACD audio discs, and it can upscale both standard DVDs and Internet video. It’s DLNA compliant, allowing you to share content stored on a home PC via a home network.
Two other Blu-ray players arrive this spring. The BDP-S570 is a step-up model with many of the same features as the S770, but without 3D capability. The BDP-S370 is a Wi-Fi-ready model.

Sony also announced three new Blu-ray home-theater systems, which include access to the Gracenote entertainment database to get artwork or information about an actor. The models can be controlled using an iPhone or iPod Touch using a free app that can be downloaded from the Apple app store. One model, the BDV-HZ970W, is 3D-capable.

Toshiba: Toshiba hit CES with three new Blu-ray models, including the 3D-enabled BDX3000. The player, as yet unpriced, will arrive in the second half of the year. All the new models will have access to online services, including streaming movies from Netflix and Vudu, plus Pandora Internet radio.

Two more mainstream models, the BDX2700 ($250) and BDX2500 ($200), will arrive this spring. The main difference is the 2700 has built-in Wi-Fi, while the 2500 is wireless-ready. Both have 7.1-channel analog audio outputs and support for AVCHD video.

Vizio: Vizio's newest Blu-ray player is the VBR200W, a full-featured, Wi-Fi-enabled model that includes the new Vizio Internet Apps (VIA) platform, with access to services including movies from Netflix and Vudu, plus Pandora Internet radio. The player will be available in March for $200.

—James K. Willcox

Tags: james k. willcox, News, Technology, wired/wireless network

CES 2010: Panasonic expands Viera Cast content, adds LED-lit LCD TVs

Jan 8, 2010 News

Panasonic has added patners to its Viera
Cast Internet service.
Photo: Panasonic

Although visitors to its booth were most likelyy wowed by its 3D theater and Avatar demos, here at CES Panasonic more quietly expanded the content available via its Viera Cast online service, and launched a line of LCD TVs with LED backlights.

The company also boosted the energy efficiency of its TV lineup, so that all its 2010 models will be able to meet the more stringent Energy Star 4.0 requirements.

To enhance its Viera Cast Internet service, Panasonic added new content partners, most notably Skype, Netflix, Pandora, Twitter and Fox Sports. The company also added USB connectivity to its Viera Cast models, so these TVs can now connect wirelessly to a home network via an optional wireless USB adaptor.

Here’s a quick rundown of the new models:

Viera Plasma TVs
As we’ve reported, Panasonic’s first “Full HD 3D” plasma TVs, which provide 1080p resolution to each eye, will ship this spring. The five models in the VT25 series, in 50- to 65-inch screen sizes, each come with one pair of 3D shutter glasses. Beyond 3D, these models have Viera Cast, Viera Image Viewer for viewing digital photos and HD video recorded on an SD memory card, and THX certification (and THX Movie Mode) and ISFccc calibration capability.

Other plasma models include:

• G25: The replacement for the current G15 series, these 1080p plasma sets are available in 54-, 50-, 46- and 42-inch screen sizes. They have many of the same features of the VT25 series, but without 3D capability.
• G20: The Viera G20 series, in 54- and 50-inch screen sizes, are 1080p plasma models that replace current G10 sets. They have many of the same features of the G25 models, but with no ISFccc calibration capability.
• S2: The replacement for current S1 plasma sets, the Viera S2 plasma series are 1080p models that range in size from a 42 inches all the way up to a 65-inch behemoth. Though these sets lack the Viera Cast online service, they do have the Viera Viewer. Another interesting feature is a “Clean Touch” bezel, supposedly more resistant than most sets to fingerprint blemishes.
• U2: The U2 series is now Panasonic’s entry-level 1080p series, in 50- and 42-inch screen sizes. They don’t have Viera Cast, but do include Viera Viewer.
• C2: For budget-conscious consumers, the C2-series plasmas– in 50-, 46-, and 42-inch screen sizes—have similar features to U2 models, but come with 720p resolution.

Viera LCD TVs
The big news for Panasonic in LCD TVs is the addition of the first models with edge LED backlights. The top of the line LED-backlit LCD sets are two D2-series 1080p models, in 37- and 42-inch screen sizes. These models feature 120Hz technology, a universal iPod dock, plus the Viera Image Viewer for viewing digital photos.

Keep checking back with our blog for reports on other news from CES.

—James K. Willcox

Tags: internet/online, lcd tvs, television, wired/wireless network