G4′s CES 2008 Best of the Best list

Now that CES is about over, it’s time for companies to start rolling out “Best of CES” lists. G4′s gone one better and compiled its own “Best of the Best” list, likely based on the items the TV crew could fondle between producing its live-ish coverage. (PS: CNet’s recent acquisition, Natalie Del Conte, is yummy. Thank for putting her on screen, G4).

The fifteen-item list is divided into three subcategories with five items each: Mainstream Tech, Hardcore Tech and Media Tech. None of the items are game specific, though a few could be used with games including the Sony XEL-1 OLED TV, Pico Projector and the Asus Eee PC 4G laptop and possibly the Lightglove Virtual Controller.

Here it is, straight from G4.

G4′s CES 2008 “Best of the Best” Mainstream Tech – 20-somethings will likely line up overnight in order to get these products first:

• Sony XEL-1 OLED TV - 3mm deep and featuring 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio, 1080p resolution, 100% NTSC color reproduction and OLED screen.
• Motorola ROKR E8 Mobile Phone – iPhone killer? Music-focused mobile phone features touch screen keyboard, navigation wheel, video camera and FM radio tuner.
• Panasonic HDC-SD9 HD Camcorder – World’s smallest SDHC card-based HD camcorder. Records at 1920x1080p, features 10x zoom and is about the size of a can of Red Bull.
• Asus Eee PC 4G Laptop – Robust, power efficient and cost-effective 4GB hard drive with 7″ display. Supports Linux, Windows XP and is WiMax-enabled. Solid-state disk requires no moving parts, meaning its good for kids (and takes a beating).
• Texas Instruments’ Pico Projector - 1.5″ DLP movie projector can beam DVD quality images on to a flat surface.

G4′s CES 2008 “Best of the Best” Media Tech – the products most likely to have an impact as the mass media landscape evolves at a frantic pace:

• iRiver WING – Compact, ultra-portable PC with 4GB Flash storage, full QWERTY keyboard, 3.5″ OLED touch screen, WiFi. Also features instant message and SMS/MMS support.
• Sirius Backseat TV Audio/Video Tuner – SCV1 receives Sirius radio and family-friendly Sirius Backseat TV content. Mounts in vehicle to provide live audio and video.
• Archos 705 WiFi – Device combines portable media player with media storage center capabilities. Available in 80GB and 160GB models.
• Panasonic/Comcast AnyPlay Portable DVR/DVD/CD Player - Portable media player features DVR capabilities within portable media player.
• Slingbox Modem - All-in-one streaming device and cable modem allows remote control of cable TV services.

G4′s CES 2008 “Best of the Best” Hardcore Tech – potentially beyond the average consumer, but the ultimate object of gearheads’ desires:

• Jook - Wireless music and profile sharing across all portable music player makes and models. Create and store personal profiles and music playlists to exchange between other Jook-enabled devices.
• Lightglove Virtual Controller – Non-impact, light-powered controller for electronics. Control of everyday gadgets literally at one’s fingertips.
• iTornado - USB BUS powered data transfer device moves large quantities of files between Macs and PCs at up to 25mb/sec.
• Arkados HomePlug - Uses residential electrical wiring to distribute audio from a single MP3 player throughout a user’s home.
• IOGEAR Portable Media Storage Center – Compact 250GB HDMI-enabled storage device designed specifically for HD media. Enables playback of content directly on any HD home entertainment system.

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