Note: This post is an archive of the Live blogging session during Sony's press conference at CES 2009, in Las Vegas. To see it from the start, go to the full post, start from the bottom of the post and make your way up.

Jan 7, 17:04 PT.

Jan 7, 17:03 PT.

Jan 7, 17:02 PT.

Note: This post is an archive of the Live blogging session during Samsung's press conference at CES 2009, in Las Vegas. To see it from the start, go to the full post, start from the bottom of the post and make your way up.

Jan 7, 14:42 PT.

[CES 2009] Qualcomm took the opportunity to announce the G-Core at CES 2009, claiming it to be the first GPS device manufacturer that utilizes Qualcomm's MEMS-based mirasol display in the G-Core Mini Caddy. This GPS golf range finder will allow golfers to view the range finder in direct sunlight and for extended periods of time, and best of all is, it doesn't weigh more than a golf ball at a mere 36 grams, making it a snap to tote it around with you when you're on the green. The Mini Caddy is equipped with 1GB of internal memory and is able to store information on over 25,000 golf courses worldwide - should be more than enough since we don't think the average golf enthusiast will ever play all those courses in a single lifetime.

[CES 2009] Motorola launched this first CarbonFree certified cellphone (according to Moto) at CES. It is made from plastics coming from recycled water bottles and the plastic elements of the phone are also recyclable. The packaging is also super green: it uses 100 percent recycled paper and vegetable baser ink. A pre-paid envelope helps to encourage the W233 new owners to return their previous mobile phone for recycling and be part of the environment preservation dynamic. CleanTech is super hot this year and Moto dedicated an entire phone to it. It will be available Q1.

Quick Specs

• SMS, MMS
• Optional 2GB removable memory
• WAP Browser
• USB (mini)
• Bands/Modes 850 / 1900 GSM
• Display 128 x 128 65k CSTN display (1.6”) (user removable font house)
• Talk time up to 9 hrs (550 min.) and standby up to 18 days (450 hrs)
• Learn more on the product page

[CES 2009] I was happy to get my hands on the Motorola Aura at CES. The phone was announced in October and started to ship beginning of December. I love shiny elegant gadgets and this one fits the bill, but the price tag is a bit over the top: $1,9999. The cost can be explained by the “world’s first circular mobile phone display” with its scratch resistant 62 carat sapphire crystal lens that features 16 million colors at 300 dpi. The display is really nice, indeed. If the economic turmoil has not affected you, feel free to order it from the Moto site.

Quick Specs

• MMS, SMS, Email, Browser
• Audio AAC, AAC+, AAC+ Enhanced, MIDI, MP3, WAV, WMA v10, WMA v9
• Video Capture/Playback – Camera 2 MP, Fixed Focus
• On Board Memory 2GB
• Connectivity Stereo Bluetooth3 USB 2.0
• GSM Quad Band EDGE Class 12, GPRS Class 12
• Display 1.55” in diameter, 480 pixel diameter, LCD, 16 million colors, 300 dpi
• Talk Time Up to approximately 7.3 hours4
• Learn more about the craft on the product page

[CES 2009] We have already posted about the MSI X320 launched at CES. See the photo gallery of this ultra thin new notebook. According to the company, the X320 is the first model of the upcoming MSI X-Slim Series. It will be available in April for about $800 (no exact pricing yet).

Quick specs

• Intel Atom Z520
• Hard drive 160-GB - 5,400 RPM
• 13.4” LCD with 16:9 ratio - 1366x768 resolution
• Weight: 2.9 pounds (1.3 kg)
• Maximum thickness: 1.98 cm
• Minimum thickness: 6 mm
• Bluetooth, WiFi
• 3 USB ports, Ethernet
• VGA out
• Battery life up to 10 hours

[CES 2009] Samsung unveiled its new flagship portable media player, the P3, at CES. It is an upgrade of the P2. Like the previous model, the P3 features a 3” WQVGA TFT display (480x272), FM radio, Bluetooth, and an 8 GB version. The new P3 gets the updated DNSe 3.0 sound enhancement technology, an upgraded EmoTure™ touch interface with true haptic feedback, voice recording, 16 GB & 32 GB versions and a music easy access key called the “Music Hot Touch Key” . The P3 will be available in the first half of 2009 in 4GB, 8GB, 16GB and 32 GB storage capacities, in matte black or matte silver. No word on the pricing.

Quick specs

• Music Hot Touch Key
• 3-inch WQVGA TFT-LCD touch screen
• 16:9 widescreen video player
• 4GB, 8GB, 16GB and 32 GB
• Samsung’s updated DNSe 3.0 sound enhancement technology
• 0.39 inches thin
• Voice recorder
• Bluetooth
• FM radio

[CES 2009] I got a quick overview of the new Webbie MSH-CM1 camcorder that comes in 3 bright colors: orange, purple and white. It is available now at SonyStyle for $199.99 and it offers an easy connection to the web via USB with a built-in proprietary software. Check out the photo gallery.

Quick specs

• 5-megapixel still photos
• HD MP4 1440 x 1080 video resolution
• 1440x1080/30p, 1280x720/30p, 640x480/30p Video recording
• Selectable NTSC/PAL video out
• 2.5" swivel screen, 7 oz.
• Built-in LED Video light
• 5X optical, 20X digital zoom
• Memory Stick PRO Duo ™ media recording (up to 16 GB = 340 min in 1080p)
• Internal lithium ion battery, up to 85 minutes of continuous recording

Update 06/05/09: we also tried the final retail version of the Palm Pre in this Review

Now that our heads are cool and that we have a little more perspective, it's time to tell you what we think of the Palm Pre, after having spent a little time with it at the show floor, right after the Palm event (check out the live session).

Look and feel

This is a matter of personal preferences, but it's fair to say that most people find the Palm Pre design to be nice and less "boxy" than competing smartphones like the iPhone and the G1. It is small when closed and fits nicely in the hand when closed or opened. The Palm Pre is built with quality materials and you can tell, it looks good. It feels good.

Best of show: Palm Pre

Palm had the most anticipated product announcement of the show, and did not disappoint. The Palm Pre is shaping up to be the most exciting phone of the first half of the year, although rumors have it that HTC is trying to catch up. Palm also had the best press event, closely followed by Samsung and Sony. Unlike iPhone-killer "duds" like the BlackBerry Storm and others, this is the first phone that can actually Challenge the iPhone on its turf. Challenges remain, such as getting developers, apps, app store but the foundation seems solid.

Our Palm Pre live coverage @ CES
Official event video from Palm (Flash, download), Product page  

[CES 2009] I got my hands on the famous WiFi camera that Sony launched at CES. I was given an on-screen demo of how easy it is to upload a picture on the main multimedia websites such as Picasa or Youtube from the device’s basic web browser. Note that the camera on the picture was not connected to the Internet, the demo was done by a Sony representative on another one connected on the monitor (see pictures in the gallery).

It is the first camera with a web browser, it gives a quick access to the pre-selected websites but you can browse and upload to any site you want. The camera can connect to secure and public WiFi hotspots, including hotels and airport. For $500, you get a 10 MP camera with a “free” WiFi connection with AT&T, that’s cool.

Specifications after the jump, check out the photo gallery.

[CES 2009] The perCushion from Urban Tool is on parade at CES this year despite being out for a fair bit already, but it is still cool to see a pillow that features built-in Bluetooth connectivity, allowing you to pair it up with any Bluetooth-compatible device to enjoy your music before you drift off to sleep without having to resort to wearing a pair of earphones. It seems that the perCushion has received a minor but important hardware refresh - we reported about the perCushion's weakness last year concerning the lack of stereo speakers, and it seems as though Urban Tool has taken note of that by including stereo speakers into this revision, maintaining the microphone to double it up as a handsfree cell phone kit.

[CES 2009] We stumbled upon the IcePhone while trawling through millions of square feet at the Sands Expo and LVCC to bring you the latest happenings at CES 2009. It looks every bit as sexy as when we first caught whiff of it last November, and we like the way it opens up and closes seamlessly despite being a three-tiered hardware. Unfortunately, there is still no pricing attached to the IcePhone nor availability Stateside. What is your psychological limit when it comes to forking out the cash for a phone like this? Bear in mind this handset is meant to be used during emergencies only, although it would function as a pretty decent everyday phone.

[CES 2009] Are you a road warrior who's often outdoors more than you're indoors? Those who lean more towards the old school way of doing things will probably want to have a healthy balance between a paperless and documented life, and this is where the PLANon Prinstik comes in handy. Touted to be the smallest Bluetooth printer in the world, it allows you to print out documents from your device, be it a PDA, smartphone or laptop - just make sure the formatting's right or else you would end up being more frustrated instead. We don't see this product taking off in a big way though, since most people we know these days won't just print out a single page for reference - chances are your device is able to store that in PDF format for future reference. All the better for our environment, of course. Still, there might be some rare moments where you might need this, but it probably won't amount to a life-or-death situation to warrant a purchase.