CRI听力:CES in Vegas

According to its maker Samsung, this tiny device as big as your palm is the way tablets are heading in 2012. Bigger isn't better in the New Year as electronics devices slim down.

Here at the CES in Las Vegas, Samsung is launching its new Galaxy 7.7 tablet, so called because the screen is 7.7 inches wide, making it one of the smallest tablets on the market. And a small package means a more portable device and a lower weight. The Galaxy weighs just 340 grams and is designed to slip into a coat pocket or purse.

The Galaxy 7.7 is the first tablet to feature a Super AMOLED display that promises sharper colors, better contrast and a faster response time. The tablet packs a 1.4-gigahertz dual core processor and runs on the Android 3.2 Honeycomb platform. It is also able to make voice calls just like a mobile phone.

Kevin Packingham is Samsung's Senior Vice President of Products.

"The new Galaxy Tab 7.7 is a product that we're introducing to Verizon. It is a different take on the traditional tablet because it's smaller in size, but it's almost extremely thin. It takes advantage of the 4G network from Verizon, so we can do a lot of very interesting streaming applications on this device. And it's in a size that we think is very useable for most customers."

And one of the major tech trends already appears to be super-thin OLED televisions. Two years ago, the CES was all about 3-D sets, but now the manufacturers are outdoing one another creating thinner and thinner packages. None more so than LG, which is showing off its 55-inch Organic Light Emitting Diode (OLED) TV.

OLED televisions offer a much sharper image with better contrast between light and dark. They also offer a refresh rate that is 1,000 times faster than most TV sets currently on the market, eliminating the ghost effect when there is a lot of action.

LG's new TV weighs 7.5 kilograms and is just four millimeters thick, but there is still no word about how much it will cost when it hits the market.

Rival Samsung has a 55-inch OLED TV of its own, which it unveiled at a packed press conference.

Joe Stinziano, Senior Vice President for Samsung Electronics, says:

"Details are visible even in the darkest of scenes, and the Super OLED's ultra-fast motion response time virtually eliminates blur to deliver clear images even in the most action-packed moments. It's also amazingly thin and features an ultra-slim bezel. The image almost appears to float in the air."

But it wasn't just televisions at the CES. There were plenty of smart new solutions to age-old problems... like running out of battery power on the go.

Powerbag says it has come up with the answer. This rucksack lets gadget lovers charge mobile devices on the move, ensuring they never miss an important call or Tweet.

Dan Kurzon, Vice President of Sales at Powerbag, says:

"It comes with a USB and Apple mini-connector as well. It has a six thousand million-amp battery. Every bag, literally, you take this adaptor and plug the battery, plug the bag into the adaptor. It charges up all your stuff and it charges up the bag, so when you need power on the go, it's there for you."

And there was a surprise product introduction at this year's CES-Korean automaker Kia's new concept car.

The Naimo houses a lithium polymer battery that should give it a range of nearly 90 miles on a full charge.

One of the car's most interesting features is its lack of windshield wipers, Instead, it is outfitted with high-powered air jets to literally blast rain from the windshield. Also, its rearview mirrors have been swapped for mini-cameras for better blind-spot vision.

The Naimo remains a concept at the moment, but it is likely Kia will incorporate some of its high-tech features into its models. The CES runs from January 10th-13th.

For CRI, I am Li Dong.