The 2012 OnCE Highlights

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2012Truly, what a year this has been. The world might not have ended on 21 December (blame the Mayans for that one), but the year did feel like an end-of-season finale for our business, challenging the excitement of 2011. Now, as we face a brand spanking new 2013, join us as we take a look back at the past 12 months...

The Best Buy Saga: So, back in April Brian Dunn resigned as Best Buy CEO following allegation of personal misconduct, later revealed to be an "inappropriate relationship" with a female employee. Then no other than Best Buy founder Richard Schultze was forced to resign from chairman, due to his failure to report said relationship. Who'd have thought? Now Schultze tries to buy Best Buy back while new CEO Hubert Joly hopes to turn the retailer around in a world of showrooming and failing retailers...

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Garmin Takes Over the Dashboard

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The latest Garmin concept on show at CES 2013 is more than a simple GPS device-- the K2 infotainment platform promises to turn car dashboards into a "digital cockpit."

Garmin k2Taking inspiration from the Garmin's own avionics and marine divisions, the K2 replaces traditional instruments panels with a 10-inch display and a 12-inch infrared button panel. The display is multitouch and glove-friendly, and users can configure functions via PCa and online Garmin portal.

Voice control and smartphone integration are also available, providing access to navigation, diagnostics, office features, communications, music and real-time online information.

Powering the system is the next-generation TI OMAP 5 processor.

The K2 platform will not be available and as a standalone product-- instead it should be integrated into future cars from the likes of Chrysler and Honda, who already make use of Garmin technology.

Go Garmin Next-Generation Infotainment System Turns Car Dashboard into Digital Cockpit

HP at CES: Monitors, Media Streaming

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It might be the 1st day of CES 2013 but HP has a swathe of announcements-- including a display with integrated Beats Audio and the Pocket Playlist wireless media streaming device.

HP U160The Envy 27 is a 27-inch 1080p IPS monitor boasting integrated Beats Audio technology in the shape of a built-in upward-angled sound bar. HP promises an "immersive audiovisual experience," with rich bass, great midrange and high frequences.

It includes headphone jack, subwoofer and digital audio output and is just 13.95mm thin at the top.

Meanwhile the U160 is a first from HP-- a portable USB-powered display. The 15-inch 1366 x 768 monitor is just 3cm thick and has a handy "flip and fold" stand making it look ideal for customers on the go.

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Lenovo Takes on Tabletop Computing

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Lenovo's "portable" All-in-One (AIO) PCs grow to massive sizes at CES 2013 with the IdeaCentre Horizon-- a 27-inch battery-powered "table PC" based on the idea of multi-user input.

Ideacentre horizonSimilar to the Sony Vaio Tap 20 you might recall from IFA 2012, the Horizon 27 is slim (27mm) and designed to lie flat on any surface. Internals include Core i7 processors, discrete graphics (maxing out at Nvidia GeForce GT 620M) and up to 1TB of storage.

Windows 8 is the touch-friendly OS of choice, even if users can switch to the "Aura" moon-dial UI providing quick access to games, photos and media.

Lenovo is selling the device for families, with pre-loaded games from Ubisoft and EA Games (such as Monopoly) and bundled joysticks and e-dice. An optional keyboard-equipped stand allows use in the more traditional desktop mode.

Also seen at CES 2013 is another Lenovo table PC-- "Gamma," a massive 39-inch prototype based on the same "interpersonal computing" concept.

Go Lenovo Pioneers "Interpersonal Computing" With Table PC

LG Ultra Short Throw Laser Projection at CES

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LCD, Plasma or OLED? LG goes for neither at CES 2013 with the Hecto Laser TV-- not actually a TV (despite the name) but the combination of ultra short throw (UST) laser projector and special 100-inch screen.

LG Laser TVProviding 1080p resolution with a 1000000:1 dynamic contrast ratio, the projector is also easy to install. According to LG users can place the unit just 56cm away from the screen, mounting it on either floors or ceilings.

It includes digital tuner, 10W speakers, x3 HDMI inputs, RS-232 port, WiDi/Miracast compatibility and Smart TV capabilities (controllable via LG Magic Remote).

LG claims the laser system uses specialised lamps and runs for up to 25000 hours before requiring replacement. The device features LG's "Dynamic Arc" design, while the screen adopts the slim bezel LG Cinema Screen aesthetic.

Go LG Announces Cinematic 100-inch Class Laser TV

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