Now available at our stores is the latest Blu-ray player from Samsung, the BD-P1600. Especially of note is its internet connectivity which not only allows you to receive firmware upgrades, but also allows you to stream movies from Nextflix and internet radio from Pandora. While there’s no official press release from Samsung yet, you can read more about it in the user manual [PDF].

For the latest pricing information on this unit, check out this link:
BD-P1600

Now available at our stores are the latest Blu-ray disc players from Panasonic, the DMP-BD60K and DMP-BD80K. You can read more about these new players in Panasonic’s press release

For the latest pricing information on these two units, check out these links:
DMP-BD60K, DMP-BD80K

Now available at our stores are some plasma and LCD HDTVs from Samsung’s 2009 product lineup. New features in this year’s HDTV line include wireless internet connectivity, increased energy efficiency and slimmer form factor. You can read more about these new sets in two press releases from Samsung: LCD, Plasma

For the latest pricing information on these HDTVs, check out these links:
UN40B6000, UN40B7000, PN42B450, LN46B650, UN46B6000,
PN50B450, UN55B6000, UN55B7000, PN58B550 and PN63B650

Now available at our stores are five receivers from Yamaha’s 2009 product lineup. Especially of note is the RX-V665 which is the successor to 2008’s best-selling home theater receiver, the RX-V663. You can read more about it and the others in Yamaha’s Press Release [PDF]

For the latest pricing information on the receivers, check out these links:
RX-V365, RX-V465, RX-V565, RX-V665 and RX-V765

Now for sale at our stores is Canon’s 2009 Powershot Line-up which consists of models designed for everyone from first-time camera users to photo enthusiasts. You can get all the details about these new cameras in Canon’s Press Release.

For the latest pricing information on the new PowerShots, check out these links: SX1IS, SX200IS, SD970IS, SD960IS, SD780IS, SD1200IS, A2100IS, A1100IS and A480

Now for sale are two HDTVs in Panasonic’s new X1 Series, the TC-P42X1 and TC-P50X1. Especially of note is these sets’ 600Hz “Sub-field Drive” which delivers crisp moving images (Note: 600Hz is 5 times the rate of most high-end LCDs and 25% higher than previous plasma sets). These two big screen TVs do have one downside in that they only have 720p resolution, but their attractive price point might offset this for many of you.

Now for sale are two HDTVs in Sharp’s BD80U Series, the LC46BD80U and LC52BD80U. The highlight of these sets is their built-in Blu-ray player (no other current HDTV set has one). Sharp says, “The BD series features a newly developed Advanced Super View (ASV) Superlucent panel for a dramatically bright and crisp picture with reduced reflection and a new AQUOS Pure Mode for convenient optimized viewing of Blu-ray titles…” Read more in Sharp’s Press Release.

Now for sale is the TomTom GO 740, which is TomTom’s first “connected” device. “Connected” means the GPS can act like a cell phone to bring you updated information as you navigate. TomTom says, “[The GO 740] is a connected portable navigation device that provides the industry’s best routing and helps drivers take control of their daily drive via automatic delivery of helpful features including: real-time traffic information, TomTom Fuel Price Service, Local Search powered by Google, TomTom Weather, QuickGPSfix and TomTom Buddies…” Read more in TomTom’s press release.

The final two days of CES 2009 were not filled with new product announcements like the days leading up to and the first half of the event. I guess that’s not too much of a surprise as manufacturers know any product announcement on the weekend won’t get as much attention as one that happened during the work week. That said, we don’t have any new products to tell you about that turned up for sale over the weekend.

With attendance down 20% from last year, people may think CES 2009 marked the beginning of a lackluster year in the electronics world. This could not be farther from the truth. What’s there to look forward to? Higher quality LCD displays. Many more WiFi-enabled devices like GPS systems, HDTVs and digital cameras. Plus, many new phones that pose a threat to the iPhone’s dominance. We can’t wait to tell you when you can get your hands on them!

Out in Las Vegas, manufacturers are halfway through the yearly exhibition called “CES”, where the public gets to learn about the new and exciting gadgets that will hit store shelves this year. It’s not unusual that you’ll hear about a product being shown off at CES and then find it never made it to the stores. Similarly, you might be able to order a product the moment it’s announced at CES, which is what we’re most interested in. So let’s take a look at some of the coolest products from the first two days of CES that you can already buy.

Garmin Nuvi 885T
“Combining two of Garmin’s most popular features – speech recognition and lane assist with junction view – the nüvi 885T lets drivers keep both hands on the wheel and takes the guesswork out of navigation…”
Read more in Garmin’s press release

Sony Webbie HD
“The Webbie HD cameras capture daily events in high definition video and 5MP still photos. Embedded software makes it possible to quickly upload content online in a few simple clicks. Two portable designs in three stylish colors—eggplant, orange and silver—reflect your personal style while capturing every wish-you-were-here moment…”
Read more in Sony’s press release

Sony CyberShot DSC-G3
“With a focus on making photo sharing easier and more convenient, Sony today introduced the CyberShot DSC–G3. It is world’s first Wi-Fi enabled digital camera that uploads photos and videos to Web sites through any public hotspot due to its built-in Web browser…”
Read more in Sony’s press release

Kodak Zx1 HD
“The Zx1 allows users to shoot and share high-quality video quickly and simply, with 720p HD video capture – at 60 or 30 fps – a vibrant 2.0-inch LCD screen, and built-in software for easy editing and sharing of content to YouTube and other social media and networking websites…”
Read more in Kodak’s press release

Sony VAIO P Series PC
“About the size of a business envelope and roughly as thin as a cell phone, the VAIO Lifestyle PC weighs just 1.4 pounds and is small enough to slip into a jacket pocket or handbag while integrating full-PC features…”
Read more in Sony’s press release