CES 2007

Coby's 20GB MP-C951 MP3/video player

If you buy one of Coby's new MP3 video players when they become available this spring, you'll also get a coupon good for 50 songs from eMusic.

The flagships of Coby's new models are the 20GB MP-C951 ($249) and the 30GB MP-C961 ($279 to $289), both stylish players with red-backlit, touch-sensitive buttons arrayed on a handsome black plastic case below a bright, 2-inch LCD. Both units can handle a variety of A/V formats--MP3, WMA, OGG, WAV, and Xvid--and include an FM radio with recording capabilities and a voice recorder.

Also eligible for an eMusic coupon are the smaller (1.66-inch LCD) but similarly styled and featured MP-7055 (512MB, $69.95), the -7085 (1GB, $79.95), and the -7095 (2GB, $89.95) flash players, as well as the white mini MP-C7052 (512MB, $59.95), the -7082 (1GB, $69.95), and the -7092 (2GB, $79.95), which sport a 1.8-inch LCD and the same set of features and format support.

All of these players come with an installation CD, stereo earbuds, and a USB 2.0 cable, and all are compatible with Windows and Mac OS X.

Philips DCP850 with iPod and 8.5-inch swivel screen

Instead of having to choose between a portable DVD player and an iPod, now you can tote both using one of two Philips portable DVD players. Both the DCP750 ($149), equipped with a 7-inch screen, and the 8.5-inch DCP850 ($199) have a well that accommodates a remote control that, when ejected, can now handle an iPod.

In addition to playing from an iPod, you can bring media in via the players' SD card slots. Both decks can translate a variety of MPEG-4 video formats including DivX, and most CD and DVD rewritable formats including SVCD. The players' most distinctive feature is the swivel screen, which can be rotated a full 360 degrees and laid flat and flush with the screen up.

The remote is a bit confusing--there's no volume control that we could find--and we had trouble getting the iPod video to show up on the screen. But the floor samples were preproduction models, and we were assured that these hiccups would be solved when the units hit stores sometime in the next couple of months.

Seamless Internet's S-XGen ultramobile PC

In what seems to be the Swiss Army knife of portables, the S-XGen ultramobile personal computer (UMPC) from Seamless Internet includes an Intel PXA270 Xscale 520MHz processor running Windows CE 5.0 operating system, Microsoft Office Mobile, 256MB of RAM, a 20GB hard drive, Wi-Fi (802.11b), Bluetooth and tri-band GSM/EDGE/CDMA EV-DO network access, Ethernet and USB ports, a 4-inch TFT LCD touch screen, a 280 pixel Web video camera, and a fold-out QWERTY keyboard, all of which collapse into a package measuring 6.5x3.8x1.25 inches and weighing 14 ounces.

Eight hours of battery life accommodates a full day of computing as well as MP3 and video playback. Considering this exhaustive list of attributes and its price--$1,395--the S-XGen is clearly targeted toward the serious mobile warrior.

Harman Kardon unleashed its nifty Drive+Play 2 for gadget-loving drivers everywhere. With an impressively simple setup (you can hook it up in a couple minutes sans tools), you can have a single interface for everything from your iPod or Zune to your phone or satellite radio. The 3.5-inch color display is easily mountable on your dash with screws or adhesive, and a 2.4GHz wireless control knob lets you navigate the very iPod-like skinnable menu system for "distraction-free browsing."

The system is powered by a cigarette-lighter module that doubles as an FM transmitter, line output, and charging hub. If you don't want to use the FM transmitter, you can just wire the Drive+Play 2 directly to your car stereo. There's also a Harman Net expansion port for adding more stuff, such as a Bluetooth hands-free system.

The software interface is pretty cool too: it automatically creates music channels based on what's on your music player, so you don't have to browse too much while trying to rack up points for running down pedestrians. It drops this spring for $399.95.

Depending on where you get your video content, it can be a real pain to get movies and TV shows onto your iPod or PSP. Enter Streaming Networks' iRecord PRM-100 ($199.99), which lets you record video in real time directly to any USB mass storage device at a rate of around 3 hours of recording time per gigabyte in H.264/AVC format (with AAC audio tracks). Now you can record your gaming sessions and prove to your friends what a great Halo 2 player you are. You can even record music in MP3 format, though real-time music encoding isn't exactly popular these days.

Challenging the Keyspan TuneView is iJet's black two-way RF iPod remote (available in March for $129.95), which lets you view your tracks and control your player from up to 500 feet away. (This was measured in an open space, always a popular RF-range caveat; since there are walls in the real world, your results may vary.)

The iJet is a fraction of TuneView's size, just a bit smaller than a Nano. Both your iPod and the remote charge in a dock, which transmits the contents and EQ settings menus to the remote for viewing and choosing in its 4-line OLED.

The iJet, which is likely to be marketed by DLO through a new partnership between the two companies, also can control Apple's Jukebox function. ABT was showing an all-black version; there may or may not be a white version.

A full charge of iJet's rechargeable battery supplies enough juice for six hours of constant use and weeks of just lying around not being used. But since it's small enough to lose, we'd keep it in its dock.

HandHeld Entertainment's Zvue Model 260

One size fits all with the latest memory-free MP3/video player from HandHeld Entertainment, the Zvue Model 260. Instead of making several models of different capacities, Zvue lets you decide how much memory you need. The entry level configuration of the Model 260 ($99.99) will include a starter 512MB SD card instead, but the slot will accept a card as large as 4GB when it becomes available mid-year.

Physically, the silver-and-black player bears more than a passing resemblance to an iPod. It measures 4.16 x 2.4 x 0.5-inches, a hair long and thicker than a video iPod, and at 3.93 ounces is about an ounce light. It's got a square, 2.5-inch color screen, three transport keys just below the screen, a small speaker and a circular menu navigation wheel on the bottom half.

To support its entire line of players, Zvue has its own iTunes-like store for videos at its Web site. You can also use the 260 to access open source video sites Dorks.com, FunMansion.com and YourDailyMedia.com.

Three versions of the thin Wallet MP3 player

The MP3 player takes on a whole new dimension--literally--with the Walletex Wallet MP3 player. It measures a measly 2mm/0.091 inch thin--thinner than a pair of credit cards and slim and tough enough to store in a credit card wallet slot.

On one side of the player are the usual transport keys that require a forceful push, which means the thing won't accidentally start playing when it's in your wallet and you're sitting on it.

Sticking out from one end is a unique all-purpose sliver USB jack that's the same thickness as the rest of the unit. This jack can be plugged into a standard USB plug for syncing and battery charging (2 hours to a full 5-hour play charge) and is also the headphone jack; the lanyard earbuds have a plug that fits around the sliver.

The top can be imprinted with any logos or graphics, so even if you can't find one in a store, there's a good chance they will be a popular promotional item. There will be 1GB ($80) and 2GB ($150) versions when they become available in March, and versions as copious as 8GB are possible.

(Credit: Michael Kanellos/CNET Networks)

Many people spend the entire week at CES trolling the three main halls occupied by such companies as Samsung, LG and Sony. They all have huge booths--Samsung took the cake with 2,500 square feet--and tons of products to fill them.

But the international hall in the Hilton is far more interesting. It's populated by hundreds of small companies grouped by nationality. Most are from Asia, but there are also sections for Denmark and Australia.

First, there is the sheer variety of names: Best Rainbow Technology (appliances), Billionton Systems (LCD panels), Nice Fountain Industrial (cables), Millionway International Industrial (GPS parts, I think), Harmonious Key Classic, Evermore Technology (no ravens in booth), and Chiefdom Electronics are some of the names.

In the Taiwan Area, Good Way Technology Co. Limited is just a few booths away from Good Man Corp. (Zippy Technology separates them). Nearby is Action Star Enterprises (batteries).

(Credit: Michael Kanellos/CNET Networks)

Second, it's here where you see the aggressiveness to leap on a new trend. Nintendo put out the Wii only a few months ago, and Esel, a Canadian-Chinese company, has already developed a line of paddles. On display at the show, the company has a light gun, a golf club, a tennis racket and a steering wheel.

Third, you get to see deals get made. Nearly every one of these booths has a card table, and any hour of the day you can walk by and see people negotiating for passive capacitors or cable housings.

Fourth, even though you've probably never heard of most of these companies, you probably own a bunch of their products.