Ten techs for the digital living room

The digital living room is finally becoming a reality for millions of people as technologies become cheaper and easier to use.

Here, the BBC News website picks some of the key technologies on offer at the Consumer Electronics Show for grabbing, watching and listening to music, television and films anytime and anywhere in the home.

A TOUR AROUND THE DIGITAL HOME

Digital home

Many of the technologies on show at CES are designed to live alongside people in their homes or make a house easier to manage.

Network control panels, TVs linked throughout the house - is this the digital home of the future?

BBC technology correspondent Rory Cellan-Jones took a tour of type of house we could soon be living in in the digital age.

Home servers are now affordable

As the prices of storage has tumbled home server technology has become a practical reality.

The boxes are often designed to be tucked away under the stairs and can hold terabytes of data.

The networked devices can be used to store movie, film and music downloads that can be accessed by any computer on the home network.

On display at CES were boxes from Promise Technology and Buffalo. Some come packaged with media players that can be plugged into the TV to access the content directly.

Microsoft is also pushing its Home Server software at the show. The program allows users to backup and store files from multiple machines on to a home server.

The centrally stored content can then be accessed by any networked machine anywhere in the house or in the world.

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The device includes a remote control

For those people baffled by home networking, companies like SanDisk have come up with a solution for moving TV around the home.

The firm's Sansa Take TV looks like a USB memory stick but also includes an infra red remote and media player.

Downloaded files can be dragged and dropped on to the device from a PC.

The 4GB or 8GB gadgets can then be plugged into a cradle that connects directly to the television.

The remote control allows the user to browse and watch files.

Like other hardware manufacturers SanDisk has struck content deals with film and TV studios.

Programmes for the mini media player can be downloaded from the company's website Fanfare.

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The alliance aims to make the digital living room a reality

One problem with the digital future is that there are so many different wireless standards and proprietary systems that many devices are incompatible.

But now a consortium of companies hopes to change that.

The Digital Living Network Alliance (DNLA) is made up of more than 250 companies and is trying to standardise wireless and wired networking.

Products that are certified by DLNA will communicate and share content with each other regardless of who made them.

A DLNA certified camera for example will automatically be able to talk to a certified television, printer, picture frame or media player.

Already there are products from the likes of Sony, Nokia and JVC that conform to the standards.

The alliance is also trying to negotiate standards for digital rights management (DRM) systems so that copyrighted content can be moved between different devices.

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The viewer can watch Tv and download real time feeds

Smart televisions that connect directly to the internet were on display at CES.

Sharp for example showed off a range of televisions that have an Ethernet port on the rear.

The televisions connect directly to a service the firm has called AQUOSnet.

The facility allows users to download widgets that appear as small windows at the side of the screen that can display sports scores or weather information, for example.

Sharp says it will also offer customer support over the internet link.

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The device plugs into a hi-fi system

For those people who want to listen to music through a stereo but have a large music collection stored on their PC, help is at hand.

The Slim Squeezebox has offered a solution for a number of years.

Now owned by Logitech the firm's latest offering is the Squeezebox Duet, a device that plugs into a standard hi-fi.

The wireless box automatically detects music stored on networked computers and allows it to be played through the stereo.

A remote control with an LCD display allows users to browse their music collection using a scroll wheel. It can be used with multiple receivers.

The box also allows users to tune in to internet radio providers such as Rhapsody and Pandora.

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Projectors are becoming smarter

For those people that want a big screen experience without splashing out on a large screen television, projectors offer one solution.

At this year's CES, Toshiba showed off its latest wireless projector.

The device is able to create a massive 60in image from less than one metre away for a wall.

It can project a bright 120in image from less than two metres away.

As it is wireless, it can pick up streaming content from a networked PC and also has inputs that allow it to connect to an Xbox 360 or DVD player.

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3D TV can have other uses

With more and more choice of television and films, conflicts over what to watch on the living room TV naturally arise.

But dual screen TVs could offer a solution.

At this year's show, Samsung showed off a 3D plasma television that used polarised glasses.

And, according to the company, the same system could be used to show different images to different people at the same time.

The drawback is that both would have to wear spectacles to watch their favourite show.

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Universal remotes do away with clunky keyboards

As the PC moves into the living room and connects to the TV, manufacturers are looking to do away with the clunky keyboard and mouse normally used to control them.

One product that allows users to do this is the Logitech diNovo Mini, a handheld keyboard and remote.

The palm sized clamshell device has a backlit keyboard, so that it can be used in the dark, and media control keys.

A circular touchpad can also be used as a cursor for navigating through menus.

The device uses Bluetooth to control the action from up to 10m away and comes complete with rechargeable batteries.

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Digital picture frames are becoming more affordable

On of the problems with digital photography is that to display them around the home, a person would need to print out the image.

But increasingly the humble picture frame is going digital and becoming smarter.

At this year's CES there were frames with slots for memory cards; wireless frames that would stream pictures from the nearest networked PC and others that contained near field communication (NFC) technologies.

If the user had snapped a picture on their mobile phone it could be instantly uploaded to the frame by putting the two in range of each other.

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The Life Wall is a prototype

Although probably still many years away from commercial televisions, several companies are starting to talk about facial recognition for the living room,

Panasonic showed off its Life wall - a huge interactive display - which incorporated the technology for what it called "stay-with-me-TV".

The technology would use facial recognition to follow a persons movement around the room and optimise the size of the display depending on their position and distance from the screen.

Other companies, such as Sony, talked about using the technology to automatically switch on parental controls if a child was viewing the set.

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Future television switches on

Everything about the televisions on show at CES is extreme.

Alongside a raft of new high definition LCD displays was the world's largest plasma display - a 150in behemoth from Panasonic - the world's thinnest commercial screen - just 3mm thick - and the world's first laser television.

The latter was debuted by Mitsubishi, a company that has claimed a number of television firsts including the first true high definition sets.

The firm describes its laser technology as a "new category" of screen, in addition to the likes of LCD and plasma displays.

It claims that current high-definition televisions only display 40% of the colour spectrum the eye can see. Lasers, it says, offer double that.

There is a lot to overcome in terms of physics and the materials

"Laser is all about light source," said Frank DeMartin of Mitsubishi. "It's the purest light source on the planet; it's the most intense light source on the planet."

The 65in sets use three lasers - red, green and blue - that project the image from the rear of the television. The result is vivid colour and crisp images.

Third dimension

The firm has not revealed how much the screens will cost but said it will start to ship them to retailers later this year.

Other firms have expressed an interest in the technology.

Laser television offer crisp images and rich colours

"We are studying laser technology but still it is far from commercialisation," said Sang Huang Shin of Samsung.

Instead, Samsung has decided to focus its efforts on other television technologies.

The Korean firm has shown off 3D plasma screens, which it says will be available to consumers in 2008 and will be a world's first.

The 42in and 50in screens rely on software, running on a PC connected to the screen, and polarised glasses to create the 3D image.

"We cannot realise the 3D function without glasses," said Mr Shin.

Although technologies do exist to produce a 3D experience without the use of spectacles, according to Mr Shin, they have drawbacks.

"Without glasses, eyes quickly become tired," he said.

Bright lights

Samsung are also showing off their prototype OLED displays.

Organic light emitting diode (OLED) televisions are brighter than LCD displays and are ultra thin.

Sony introduced the first commercial OLED screen last year

Sony released the first commercial set in October 2007. The 11in display was just 3mm thick, including the case.

OLED screens are more energy efficient than LCD panels as they do not need a backlight to boost brightness.

"The huge advantage is that it is an emissive material," said Stan Glasgow of Sony. "So we are directly putting the colours on the screen."

But it is difficult and expensive to make large screens using the technology.

Sony is showing off a 27in prototype at CES, whilst Samsung has a 31in screen.

"It's very complex - it's a new technology," said Mr Glasgow. "There is a lot to overcome in terms of physics and the materials."

The diodes emit a brilliant white light when attached to an electricity supply.

We're going to be able to recognise who is watching the set by their eyes and change parental controls automatically

Different organic materials produce different colours and are combined to produce a colour display.

The screens are brighter than LCD panels and also have better contrast ratio - resulting in sharper pictures.

At the moment the televisions are extremely expensive. Sony's first 11in screen costs 850.

As a result, Mr Glasgow believes that it will continue to be a niche product for some time.

"It will be the premium television of the future," he said.

Fun walls

If and when it finally comes to mass market, the ultra thin televisions will be competing with televisions packed with a range of new features.

Panasonic showed off the world's largest plasma screen

"I think we are going to be able to interact with voice and movement," said Mr Glasgow.

"We're going to be able to recognise who is watching the set by their eyes and change parental controls automatically."

Some firms are already showing off prototypes of the technology at CES.

Panasonic have demonstrated its interactive life wall which features facial recognition to bring up customised displays and information.

The large scale prototype which is envisaged to take up the entire wall of a room also detects the distance from the viewer to the screen and optimises the size of the image accordingly.

"I think we are gong to see a whole bunch of really consumer friendly applications that will make the TV much more automatic for people."In pictures Fighting back Human sacrifice

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Sony rethinks flat screen focus

Sony hopes OLED screens will re-invigorate its TV business

Sony has said it will no longer produce a flat-screen TV technology once seen as a rival to LCD and plasma displays.

The firm said it will stop making rear-projection televisions in February 2008 because of falling demand.

Instead, it will focus on flat screens built using liquid crystal display (LCD) and organic light-emitting diode (OLED) technology, a spokesperson said.

The Japanese electronics giant recently showed off the world's first commercial OLED TV, with a screen just 3mm thick.

The 11-in (28-cm) energy-efficient display costs 850 and produces crisp, vivid images.

The technology is expensive and difficult, but forms a key part of Sony's attempt to recapture the television market.

In the six months to September, the firm lost 60 billion yen ($526.3 million) on its TVs.

The loss-making rear-projection televisions - which use a projector, lenses and mirrors to create images on large screens - have fallen in popularity.

In October this year, Sony lowered its sales forecast by 43% to 400,000 for the technology, popular in the US for home cinemas.

By contrast, the electronics firm expects to sell 10 million LCD televisions in the year to March 2008.

Other firms have already pulled out of the rear-projection TV market. Earlier this year, Hitachi withdrew its rear-projection TVs from the North American market, while Seiko Epson has also halted production.

Most electronics makers are focusing on cheaper LCD and plasma display panels to build large flat screen TVs.Blow by blow Life in the freezer The hit list

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Destination of 'recycled' electronics may surprise you

SAN FRANCISCO, California (AP) -- Most Americans think they're helping the earth when they recycle their old computers, televisions and cell phones. But chances are they're contributing to a global trade in electronic trash that endangers workers and pollutes the environment overseas.

Discarded electronics pile up at a recycling event Thursday in Bloomington, Minnesota.

While there are no precise figures, activists estimate that 50 to 80 percent of the 300,000 to 400,000 tons of electronics collected for recycling in the U.S. each year ends up overseas. Workers in countries such as China, India and Nigeria then use hammers, gas burners and their bare hands to extract metals, glass and other recyclables, exposing themselves and the environment to a cocktail of toxic chemicals.

"It is being recycled, but it's being recycled in the most horrific way you can imagine," said Jim Puckett of the Basel Action Network, the Seattle-based environmental group that tipped off Hong Kong authorities. "We're preserving our own environment, but contaminating the rest of the world."

The gear most likely to be shipped abroad is collected at free recycling drives, often held each April around Earth Day, recycling industry officials say. The sponsors -- chiefly companies, schools, cities and counties -- often hire the cheapest firms and do not ask enough questions about what becomes of the discarded equipment, the officials say.

Many so-called recyclers simply sell the working units and components, then give or sell the remaining scrap to export brokers.

"There are a lot of people getting away with exporting e-waste," said John Bekiaris, chief executive of San Francisco-based HMR USA Inc., which collects and disposes of unwanted IT equipment from Bay Area businesses. "Anyone who's disposing of their computer equipment really needs to do a thorough inspection of the vendors they use."

The problem could get worse. Most of the 2 million tons of old electronics discarded annually by Americans goes to U.S. landfills, according to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency data. But a growing number of states are banning such waste from landfills, which could drive more waste into the recycling stream and fuel exports, activists say.

Many brokers claim they are simply exporting used equipment for reuse in poor countries. That's what happened in September, when customs officials in Hong Kong were tipped off by environmentalists and intercepted two freight containers. They cracked the containers open and found hundreds of old computer monitors and televisions discarded by Americans thousands of miles away.

China bans the import of electronic waste, so the containers were sent back to the U.S.

The company that shipped out the containers was Fortune Sky USA, a Cordova, Tennessee-based subsidiary of a Chinese company. General manager Vincent Yu said his company thought it was buying and shipping used computers, not old monitors and televisions, and is trying to get its money back.

Fortune Sky exports used computers and components to China, Malaysia, Vietnam and other Asian countries.

"There's a huge market over there for secondhand computers that we don't use anymore," Yu said. "I don't think it's going to cause any pollution. If the equipment can still be used, then that's good for everybody."

Yu refused to say where he bought the material, but Basel Action Network tracked it to a San Antonio, Texas, company that collects computers, printers and other electronics from schools and businesses.

Activists complain that most exporters don't test units to make sure they work before sending them overseas.

"Reuse is the new excuse. It's the new passport to export," said Puckett of Basel Action Network. "Other countries are facing this glut of exported used equipment under the pretext that it's all going to be reused."

At the other end at customs, the goods don't always get checked either.

"It is impossible to stop and check every single container imported into Hong Kong," said Kenneth Chan of Hong Kong's Environmental Protection Department. "Smugglers may also deliberately declare their ... waste as goods."

In the first nine months of this year, Hong Kong authorities returned 85 containers of electronic junk, including 20 from the U.S.

Exporting most electronic waste isn't illegal in the United States. The U.S. does bar the export of monitors and televisions with cathode-ray tubes without permission from the importing country, but federal authorities don't have the resources to check most containers.

The EPA recognizes the problem but doesn't believe that stopping exports is the solution, said Matt Hale, who heads the agency's office of solid waste. Since most electronics are manufactured abroad, it makes sense to recycle them abroad, Hale said.

"What we need to do is work internationally to upgrade the standards (for recycling) wherever it takes place," he said.

The EPA is working with environmental groups, recyclers and electronics manufacturers to develop a system to certify companies that recycle electronics responsibly. But so far the various players have not agreed on standards and enforcement.

Many activists believe the answer lies in requiring electronics makers to take back and recycle their own products. Such laws would encourage manufacturers to make products that are easier to recycle and contain fewer dangerous chemicals, they say.

Eight states, including five this year, have passed such laws, and companies such as Apple, Dell, Hewlett-Packard and Sony now take back their products at no charge. Some require consumers to mail in their old gear, while others have drop-off centers. HP says it also now designs its equipment with fewer toxic materials and has made it easier to recycle.

Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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