Filed under: Audio/Video, Computers, CES 2008

We’ve reported the rumors before, but now it’s official: Two of 2007’s coolest, only-in-Japan gadgets from Sony are getting the green light for U.S. release. Sony’s crazy-thin (.3 millimeters, about .1 inches) OLED-TV will hit store shelves this month for $2,500, a whopping sum for an 11-inch TV, but surprisingly inexpensive if you’re they type of early adopter who wants the latest in TV-screen technology — namely, Organic LED (OLED), which delivers brilliant, vivid color, high contrast with paper thin screen dimensions. (Sony actually had this OLED on SonyStyle store shelves here in Las Vegas to coincide with the press conference — a nice touch.)

Also guaranteed to make you the coolest person on the block: the Sony Rolly (pictured, above), a whimsical robotic-orb-cum-dancing-MP3-player from the same team that brought us Aibo (Sony’s robotic dog). About the size and shape of a Nerf football, the Rolly will play tunes on its internal memory, or stream music from your PC via Bluetooth. Its various moving parts and lights move more gracefully than any other dancing speaker we’ve ever seen, which isn’t that tough since we haven’t seen that many, but trust us — this thing is cool, in the completely useless way that only bonafide gadget heads will truly dig.

The U.S. release of the Rolly some time in 2008 will be a relief to anyone who’s been struggling with getting the doodad’s current Japanese-language OS to work with U.S. PCs since Sony will be offering up an official English-language OS to go with the U.S.-ready Rolly.

The introduction of the OLED-TV to the U.S. market is a milestone, because it’s quite possible that OLED will be the next big technology in televisions (not to mention displays for smaller gadgets like digicams and cell phones). The Rolly, not so much, unless you’d consider yourself one of the aforementioned gadget heads.

Either way, color us delighted.

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Sony’s Almost-Paper-Thin OLED-TV Coming to the U.S.
Samsung One-Ups Sony With 31-Inch OLED-TV
Sony Unveils First Super-Thin OLED TV
Pioneer Unveils Super-Thin, High-Contrast Plasma TVs

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Filed under: Audio/Video, Computers, Video Games, CES 2008

Sure, it might look like a portable electronic translator or text-messaging device, but Logitech’s Di Novo Mini, shown yesterday at the CES Unveiled preview in Las Vegas, is a much simpler affair. Designed as a miniature portable keyboard to type text into Web browsers, text message boxes, and video game chat bubbles, the Di Novo Mini connects wirelessly to Bluetooth-enabled computers, smart phones, and even gaming consoles like the PlayStation 3. The D-Pad lets you maneuver around the Tivo-like interface of Windows Media Center, too.

Why would you want this small keyboard when plenty of perfectly user-friendly big wireless keyboards exist instead? Well, for one thing, this one’s small enough to take with you, and it’s sexy looking with a transparent cover to keep dust out to boot. Only problem is, the thing uses Bluetooth, and we all know how erratic Bluetooth keyboards can be (very!).

Still, given its cool, distinctive design and diminutive size, the Logitech diNovo Mini Keyboard is getting saved in our neat-o files.

Related Links:

• The Worst Keyboards of All Time
• Wi-Fi Robo Webcam Can Be Controlled From Anywhere
• World’s First Remote-Control Beer Cooler

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Filed under: News

Maybe we’re remembering incorrectly, but we weren’t sure if the PS3 could move one million units across the holiday season. If that’s what we were doubting, we have to eat our words. In a press release, Sony announced their hardware sales and the PS3 moved 1.2 million hardware units in the holiday season (November 23 - December 31, 2007).

The good news for Sony doesn’t end there. The PSP moved 1.4 million units and the ancient, wise PS2 managed to keep up with its brethren, moving over 1.3 million units in this, it’s eighth holiday season. In recognition of this success, SCEA bigwig Jack Tretton said “The PlayStation brand ended the year in a very strong position and clearly indicates more positive momentum going into 2008. We are particularly pleased to have sold through 1.2 million units of PS3 during the holiday selling season.” We’re proud too, Sony. Excellent work.

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Filed under: e-Distribution Games

According to the ESRB, retro fighting fans are in for a treat. Street Fighter Alpha is returning as a downloadable title for both PSP and PS3. The ESRB has consistently been an early source for upcoming games, and we’re glad to see yet another fighter make its way onto the Network.

PSP and PS3 fighters are few and far apart. Tekken Dark Resurrection stands as one of the few fighters available on (ironically) both platforms. The upcoming addition of Alpha should be a nice way of passing the time until Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix, no?

[Via Filefront]

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Filed under: Polls and Surveys, Community

We had a big announcement this week — Warner Bros. declared Blu-ray exclusivity starting later this year. This means yet another huge library of movies will only be available on the Blu-ray format. This decision may have been swayed due to the fact Blu-ray films have outpaced their competitors since day one, or it may have been a giant burlap sack with a money sign painted on it. Who knows. This begs the question from your favorite Poll Police, though: do you think the format wars are ending?

We aren’t sure what to make of it, yet. It’s too early to really see the effects of the big announcement and the internet seems alight with people nailing the coffin shut when they didn’t look to see if anything was inside. Either way, it’s a step in the right direction for Blu-ray and its enthusiasts. Curious about last week’s poll? We are, too. Take a look after the jump.The keyword in this poll was “random”. You could chock it up to our lack of desire to research which games were prone to delay, but really, we just slapped up some random big-name titles of 2008. Clearly we all expect Final Fantasy XIII to get pushed to ‘09, and Killzone 2 garnered a lot of support, too. In the end, we all have our own thoughts and ideas. We should. Most of these games will get delayed. We expect at least half of this “random” list to hit in ‘09 and not this year. But we could be wrong. Only time will tell. Thanks for voting!

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Filed under: Google (GOOG)

The New York Times has an interesting piece this morning — “Google’s Lunchtime Betting Game” is as much about so-called “prediction markets” as it is about Google (NASDAQ: GOOG), its culture, and its driving values.

Prediction markets are speculative markets created for the purpose of making decisions (see Wikipedia’s page on predictive markets). The NYT article focuses on a specific project run by two outside economists, Justin Wolfers of the University of Pennsylvania and Eric W. Zitzewitz of Dartmouth College, and a Google economic analyst, Bo Cowgill.

The focus of the experiment is to study how information makes it way through companies. The study “used the betting patterns of employees and their demographic details to try to find common factors among people with similar opinions — is it type of job or level within the corporate structure, being friends or sitting close to one another?”

Over 1,000 Google employees took part in the study, betting fake Google dollars (called Goobles) on certain outcomes ranging from “Will Google Open a Russian Office?” to “Will Apple release an Intel-based Mac?”

You can read the entire report here.

What was the major finding?

The strongest correlation in betting was found among people who sat very close to one another, trumping even friendship or other close social ties.

The authors claim that companies should give more credence to where and how knowledge workers interact in the workplace, or “microgeography.” Since the study found that information traveled quickest among employees who were the closest together, the authors recommend packing knowledge workers in.

Are you packing in Google stock at $650?

Zack Miller the managing editor of IsraelNewsletter.com and a former equity analyst for a leading multinational hedge fund. Author holds a long term stock position in GOOG.

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Filed under: Deals, Competitive strategy, Google (GOOG), Microsoft (MSFT), Yahoo! (YHOO)

Now that Yahoo! (NASDAQ: YHOO) has lost its pole position as the leader of internet search on the PC, it is quickly moving its services to the handset market, hoping it is not too late. The announcement will be made at the Consumer Electronics Show.

According to The New York Times, “Yahoo is planning to announce that it has opened up some of its key mobile software and services to outside publishers and programmers in an effort to make Yahoo’s own mobile offerings more useful to more people.”

Unfortunately for the US portal company, Google (NASDAQ: GOOG), Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) and several handset companies are already working on similar projects. Cellular services providers also look to phone software and content to help them increase income beyond phone sales and voice service.

The Yahoo! announcement is a perfect example of the stretch many companies make around the Consumer Electronics Show. Each firm feels it has to make some significant announcement unless it wants to appear to be irrelevant. Yahoo!’s news is just a “me too” for mobile software services.

Douglas A. McIntyre is an editor at 247wallst.com.

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Filed under: Before the bell, Google (GOOG), Apple Inc (AAPL), Market matters, Halliburton (HAL), Schlumberger Limited (SLB), ConocoPhillips (COP), Research in Motion (RIMM), Deere and Co (DE), Anadarko Petroleum (APC), Cramer on BloggingStocks, Bunge Ltd. (BG)

TheStreet.com’s Jim Cramer says there are some names that will work here, but they’re a small slice of the total market pie.

Can someone, anyone, tell me why we can bank on this Fed? “The Fed has to cut 50 basis points or we are going to Dow 12,500.”

Yeah, OK. I get it. Fed panicked and cut 50 last time we were shocked with a weak employment number. Maybe they will do it again.

But I look at it a different way. This Fed thinks it is smarter than all of us. It looks at ways to tinker to bring down the short-rates without attacking them head on. They are clever.

Clever’s stupid.

I look at things very differently since last August. I look at the wrong course and think how that will impact the market.

It’s been such a right call. I developed a stress test of financial stocks in the fall struck at 100; it hit 50 on Friday. This basket of home builders, banks, insurers and savings and loans is a total referendum on what the Fed will do and you can tell from its trajectory the Fed trend of screwing up and doing the wrong thing is your only friend.

Which brings me to the obvious conclusion: why do people insist on thinking that “if the Fed doesn’t do this or that?.”

Why don’t we think, “What can we make money in, despite the Fed’s attempts to keep stocks from going higher?”

I think you can make money in those twice blessed: the stocks that help cure famine and give us oil alternatives: Monsanto (NYSE: MON) (Cramer’s Take), Deere (NYSE: DE) (