What’s new in gadgets

 2007 Consumer Electronics Show, MacWorld debut latest consumer technology

 It has been a big week in the world of the wired as the Consumer Electronics Show, or CES, convened in Las Vegas. Fat with announcements and introductions, CES is the favored platform of manufacturers looking to tout their latest gadget. This year was no exception.

 The all-in-one iPhone

One of the more noteworthy introductions of the year was not made in Las Vegas, but a few hundred miles west in San Francisco. Steve Jobs, spiritual leader of Apple Computer Inc., took great pride in unveiling his new iPhone at the MacWorld convention rather than at CES.

The big news of that annual Apple love-in was downplayed a bit in the midst of all the smoke and mirrors: Apple Computer had changed its name to a more streamlined – and perhaps more revealing – Apple Inc.

I’m not sure what impact another $500-plus telephone will have on the market regardless of how many songs it holds or movies it plays. The iPhone is unbelievably cute, but unforgivably expensive. I do not know many people ready to shell out $599 for the 8GB model, but I could be mistaken.

I do know that the name change will have impact for all parties concerned. Regardless of what was stated at MacWorld, the new nomenclature clearly indicates, at least to me, the direction the one-time Cupertino computerists were planning to take in the future.

Apple has been best known for its portable music distribution and delivery systems for quite some time. While its computers were scratching out a smaller than 5 percent share of the market, its iPod has defined and dominated the portable music player industry. Online dealer iTunes Music Store has sold more than 2 billion songs at a buck apiece and shows no sign of a slowdown.

The iPhone, a very pretty little widescreen model with built-in iTunes and handy Wi-Fi, is truly a revolution in telephone technology. Gadgeteers accustomed to carrying a phone, a camera, an iPod and a Blackberry, for example, can now get away with just one device. Still, someone else will be carrying $500 or $600 of their money. It will take time to see if the iPhone is well-received. Expensive or not, I want one, but I want everything I see this time of year.

At last! A phone you can see

Speaking of being able to see telephone innovation, back at CES, GreatCall announced a truly innovative addition to the ever-growing line of portable telephone devices. Its Jitterbug Dial telephone should be a big hit with that aging but still tech-friendly segment of society known as the Baby Boomers.

You can see it. That sums up the Jitterbug Dial. The buttons are huge. The screen is bright and visible. The controls are color-coded and intuitive. Best of all, it works like a telephone. When you open it, you hear a dial tone. When you close it, you’ve hung up. Even the technophobes out there will be able to use a Jitterbug Dial easily.

A well-conceived voice command system makes using the Jitterbug Dial even easier than some of its more expensive counterparts. Younger users may complain about its lack of cutting-edge features, but more mature users will welcome a phone that performs its main function – sending and receiving calls.

Don’t expect to have to break your piggy bank to get one. A new Jitterbug Dial costs only $147. Service is purchased in blocks of minutes rather than by committing to a long-term contract. The phone is comfortable to hold and use, easy to see and hear, and an idea whose time has truly come. Check it out at www.gojitterbug.com.

TV: bigger is better

The future of home entertainment was revealed last week as Sharp and several other companies introduced their 100-inch-plus LCD flat-panel televisions. I want one.

The Sharp Aquos line has been my personal favorite since its introduction. The new 108-inch killer screen offers 1,920-by-1,080 resolution in a room-filling package that should redefine the home theater experience for anybody who can afford one. While no price has been announced, expect it to be somewhere between a year’s pay and the national debt when the big sets hit stores this summer.

Several other companies debuted their ultra-big televisions at this year’s CES, putting a point on the true reality of television: It is never big enough. When you have your 108, you will be yearning for that snappy new 256-incher that just came out. Soon houses will be designed to accommodate televisions instead of the other way around. I call that progress and I am ready to do my part. Watch the news for a chance to view Sharp’s revolutionary new LCD television.

HD or Blu-Ray … or both in one

Sony made my decision when they incorporated Blu-Ray technology into the PlayStation 3. For movie lovers not addicted to gaming consoles, the new war of the formats between Blu-Ray and HD has been the source of considerable consternation. It is difficult to be the first kid on your block with the newest gear if you cannot decide which way to go. Fortunately, that decision has been taken out of play.

The kind folks at LG announced their Total DVD Player at CES. For a price, users will now be able to enjoy HD and Blu-Ray disks in the same player. Now you will be free to choose the highest-quality version of your preferred content without regard for studio or format. See disk, buy disk, play disk – it is as easy as all that.

There is a downside. This handy player is expected to hit the shelves bearing a $1,200 street price. That should hold for a few months, long enough to shake the gotta-have-it-now nuts out of the trees. When the smoke clears and this unit is $600, there may be room for one at Stately Granese Manor.

This is just the tip of the iceberg. CES 2007 featured goodies that may never make it into distribution and gadgets that will become an integral part of everyday life in the Information Age. The makers have made their presentations. Now it is time for us, the consumers, to choose the winners and losers with our nearly-maxed MasterCards.  It looks like I will need a little more shelf space in my home entertainment area again this year.

Have you got a favorite new gadget? Are you worried that Apple Computer is no more? Do you prefer HD or Blu-Ray? Send your thoughts and comments on consumer technology to me. I am especially anxious to hear from iPhone users who have had a chance to work the bugs out of their new phone.