This year’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES) was dominated by a new breed of extremely light and durable notebook computers called ultrabooks. The biggest names in computing brought their best designs with them to the conference and were met with hugely positive reactions from tech critics.
However, whilst the ultrabooks were stealing the show, well-known makers of quality consumer gadgets, such as Sharp and Philips, were also showing off some exciting new designs just outside the limelight.
Sharp has long been known for its high quality televisions that offer excellent resolution, and this year the manufacturer has decided to re-vamp its product line with a brand new Sharp TV called the Aquos Freestyle. This innovative model stands to redefine the very idea of the ‘portable TV’, with its thin and lightweight design.
The Aquos features uber-convenient handles that make it extremely portable, comes in a range of sizes and, to top it all off, can even be used outdoors. There’s no word yet on an official launch date, but we can expect it to be made available to the wider public by the end of this year. Other highlights from Sharp’s news conference at CES included an 80inch TV, as well as plans to launch 17 new TVs with 60inch screens or larger within the next few months.
Elsewhere at the CES and on the audio side of things, Philips showcased a handful of unique and very practical audio accessories designed for the Android mobile device. Its range included in-ear and headband headphones and audio docks. These devices will be the first examples of audio accessories exclusive to Android, and will help in the system’s ongoing head-to-head battle with the iPhone, which already has various versions of these devices available.
New Philips MP3 and MP4 players were also on show, as the manufacturer makes its entrance into the world of the ever-popular and always fiercely competitive mobile operating system market.
