Microsoft generates little buzz in CES 2010 opener

By Alex Johnson / msnbc.com (CLICK to read more)

"First the power went out Wednesday night, and when it came back up, Microsoft Corp. Chief Executive Steve Ballmer did little to add to the electricity.

Ballmer’s keynote address here the night before the International Consumer Electronics Show opens Thursday morning was highly anticipated after The New York Times quoted unnamed sources as saying Ballmer would announce a radical new tablet computer, which would be developed with Hewlett-Packard Co.

The speculation was that it would be the Courier, a miniature Internet device, or MID. Purported images of the Courier created a major buzz when they emerged in September — the Courier would be unlike any other MID on the market, boasting two iPhone-like multi-touch screens in a book-like 7-inch package."

Netbooks popularity expected to continue in 2010

By Rachel Metz / Associated Press (CLICK to read more)

"Small and inexpensive 'netbooks' were some of the most popular computers in the recession, wooing consumers with their portability and prices that were often below $400. Now with the economy improving, consumers will be asked to open their wallets to new styles of computers, including some costing a bit more.

Among the new offerings being unveiled at this week's International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas: lightweight, medium-sized laptops meant as a step above netbooks in price and performance. There also will be at least one 'smartbook' — a tiny computer that combines elements of netbooks and so-called smart phones.

That is not to say the netbook has reached the end of its line. PC makers including Hewlett-Packard, Lenovo and Toshiba are expected to show off new netbook offerings with such features as touch screens and the latest Intel Atom processors, which offer improved performance over the earlier Atoms that fueled the initial run of netbooks.

But the netbook's popularity has come at a price for the industry: slim profit margins for chipmaker Intel Corp. and the PC manufacturers.

For many PC makers, the rise of netbooks has meant falling revenue and profit from PC divisions. Hewlett-Packard Co., the world's largest computer maker, gets a third of its revenue from its PC business but just 15 percent of the company's operating profit, numbers that are shrinking thanks to netbook sales and price cuts on other machines."

Powermat broadens lineup for wireless charging

By Rachel Metz / Associated Press (CLICK to read more)

"Powermat USA helped consumers cut some power cords last year by selling mats that juiced up gadgets placed on top of them. They weren't seamless solutions, though, because they required add-ons such as special cell phone cases.

Now, the company is trying to streamline wireless charging with a battery that replaces the one that comes in your cell phone. Called the Powerpack, it lets users charge phones by just plopping them down on one of the company's mats.

Powermat was announcing the Powerpack on Tuesday at the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, along with other wireless charging products it will release this year.

The batteries are expected to cost $40 and begin selling in May. At CES this week, Powermat will show about a dozen Powerpacks that will be compatible with more than 50 cell phones from such companies as Nokia Corp., HTC Corp. and BlackBerry maker Research In Motion Ltd.

Powermat uses induction to charge electronics. When you place a Powermat-enabled device on one of its mats, the two exchange a 'handshake' using RFID, or radio-frequency identification technology. The mat identifies the device, determines how much power it needs and transfers energy to it. Once a device is fully charged, Powermat stops the electricity from flowing."