Verizon's first Droid ad goes on the iPhone attack

Click for the the Droid promo site (with ad).

Verizon has begun running a hard-hitting ad aimed at building excitement for its first phone powered by Google's Android-operating system. Dubbed the Droid, the phone, which until recently went by the code name "Sholes," is expected in early November. It joins other Android-powered phones already on the market, including T-Mobile's G1 and myTouch, HTC's Hero on the Sprint network, and the Motorola Cliq, which debuts this Friday.

The ad, which first appeared on network TV over the weekend promotes the Droid mostly by assaulting the iPhone, the Apple smart phone.Over happy pop music and rapid-fire images, apparently to emulate Apple's own advertisements, the ad highlights the iPhone's limitations, including these:

• The lack of a physical keyboard
• An inability to run simultaneous applications
• The absence of a 5-megapixel camera
• It's hard to personalize
• Its batteries are not replaceable by the user

The happy music ends abruptly, and the ad shifts to emulating a futuristic broadcast alerting the masses that a new mobile challenger will arrive in November. Viewers are directed to DroidDoes.com, a Verizon site that brags that the Droid possesses the missing iPhone features. It also highlights the new 2.0 version of the Android operating system, which succeeds the existing 1.5 version.

Some people who’ve handled the device say the Droid is the most sophisticated mobile device to hit the market to date from a hardware standpoint. When you combine that with the Verizon network, a consistent leader in our cell-phone service Ratings, available to subscribers, you’ve got a promising challenger to the iPhone.

Vizio XVT LCDs have high-end features

Vizio VF551XVT 1080p LCD TV
Click to enlarge.
[ Photo courtesy of Vizio. ]

Vizio, a company whose low prices have helped make it a top-selling brand of LCD TVs, is coming out with a new series of 1080p HDTVs offering step-up features, such as 240Hz technology and LED backlights, at prices well below those of more established brands.

In July, we’ll see the first Vizio sets (“240Hz SPS”) that combine 120Hz refresh rates with a scanning (flashing) backlight to produce a 240Hz effect—the same process used by models from LG and Toshiba.This fall, Vizio will offer its first TVs with LED backlights: 47- and 55-inch XVT-series "TruLED" models.

The company is also introducing its first VIA (Vizio Internet Apps) Internet-enabled models, which use Yahoo's widget platform to access online content from various providers, including movie services from Netflix, Amazon Video on Demand, and Vudu. Also in the pipeline are two new slim-line models—in 32- and 37-inch screen sizes—that are just 2.5 inches deep.

Vizio's new TVs use full-array LED backlights with local dimming, bucking the recent trend toward edge-lit LEDs from companies such as Samsung. Vizio executives told us that for larger-sized screens, full-array LEDs offer better brightness uniformity and viewing angle. The company also said its LED backlights can be completely turned off, which could improve black-level performance. In our tests, we’ve found that models with full-array backlights offered better black-level performance than edge-lit sets, although a halo effect may be visible at times. The company said it will likely use edge-lit LEDs in smaller screens later this year.

Buzzword: Blogola

You’ve likely heard of the “payola” schemes of early broadcast radio, where local radio stations would receive money from record labels for giving certain artists’ songs preferential air time. Now you may hear a lot more about so-called “blogola,” which some say is the Internet-era equivalent.

The term describes the acceptance by some blogs of free products or services, or other gifts and remunerations, from companies looking for a positive review of their offerings. It’s controversial enough to have now attracted the attention of the Federal Trade Commission.

The AP reports that the federal agency is looking to implement a set of guidelines to combat blogola and enhance transparency in the blogosphere. Unlike journalists who work for news organizations that have a set of ethical standards, many bloggers, who are often self-employed, have no official obligation, and many do not disclose gifts and perks they receive.

Some of the highest-profile cases of blogola have involved technology blogs. In 2006, Microsoft, AMD, and PR firm Edelman were criticized when it was revealed they had sent Acer laptops pre-loaded with Vista to prominent bloggers, hoping for a review of the then-new operating system.

If you’re a regular reader of this blog, you know how Consumer Reports operates: No blogola or payola here. For the record, our policy is to accept no gifts—including free products or trips—from any manufacturer. (We will sometimes make exceptions for modest items provided to all media, such as food at news conferences or thumb drives that contain product information.) Neither do we run ads, as you may have noticed on ConsumerReports.org or in our magazine.

What do you think of the FTC’s initiative? Is it a necessary move, or, as Caroline McCarthy at CNet has questioned, will the attempt to regulate the diverse and crowded blogosphere be like “herding cats?” —Nick K. Mandle

Update: For another take on the FTC's plan for bloggers, check out Jeff Blyskal's post on the Consumer Reports Money Blog.

Environmental roundup: A wealth of useful info

From information on recycling used gadgets to energy efficiency, Consumer Reports can help you keep the planet green, and save a little of the green stuff in your wallet. In honor of Earth Day, here are seven environmentally friendly resources to be found in the Consumers Union family of web sites:

1. This blog. Check out our periodic reports, reviews, and commentary on environmental products and trends on the electronics industry. Save some cash and keep a gadget from ending it up in the garbage by investigating refurbished or open box products.   Click on the “Environmental/Green” index at the bottom of this blog to see what else we’ve covered.

2. Greener Choices. Our sister site, GreenerChoices.org, is a treasure trove of consumer eco-info. Instead of filling up landfills, with your old computers, cell phones, TVs (which may contain toxic parts) check out your other options at the Electronics Reuse and Recycling Center.

Also, check out what that environmental-sounding product label really means, which manufacturers offer free recycling programs, and how to calculate your carbon footprint.

3. Our buying advice. After you’ve bought a TV, camera, or other electronic device, its energy consumption may have you spending more green(backs) than you expected. For example, did you know that plasma TVs consume more energy than LCDs? How about what to look for to keep your computer energy efficient? Before you buy, see our expert’s advice at the Electronics page at ConsumerReports.org.

4. Our Ratings. Which AA batteries will give you the most juice for snapping more shots? Which laptops run the longest before needing a recharge? In addition to testing for performance and ease of use, our lab technicians take energy considerations into account. Most of our Ratings are available only to subscribers.

5. Consumer Reports on Home, Garden, and Appliances. How does that fridge or air conditioner do, energy-wise? Take a look at the Earth Day Guide to find out. Their blog is also chock-full of tips and news on slashing bills and making your home more energy efficient.

6. Consumer Reports Cars. Looking for a fuel-saving car? Check out the Guide to Driving Green, as well as the Cars blog, for help. 

7. CR Money.  OK, not exactly the kind of “green” Earth Day is advocating, but given the current economic climate, why not cruise over and see what our financial experts are saying? They’re green-minded all year long. —Nick K. Mandle

Out with the old: The trade show season starts

With the peak buying season over for consumers, save for Superbowl-driven sales of flat-panel TVs, it's time for wholesalers and retailers to begin their buying spree, so store shelves will be full of new gear 10 or so months from now.

Their season opener is the 2008 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES), a behemoth that opens on Monday and will draw hundreds of thousands of people to some 1.7 million square feet of exhibits in Las Vegas. While most of what's on display is electronics hardware of every description, what's creating buzz so far about the show isn't really gear. Instead, paralleling the evolution of consumer electronics itself, the news at CES is becoming less about hardware alone and more about intermingled bundles of content and compatible equipment.

Earlier this week, for example, Netflix, the mail-order DVD rental giant, previewed its big CES news by announcing plans to also begin delivering movies online to some LG-brand HDTVs using set-top boxes built by LG Electronics. [Jan. 4, 2007 UPDATE: A closer look at both companies' press releases reveals that LG will produce set-top boxes to deliver Netflix online content to "large-screen home theater HDTVs," not to just "some LG-branded HDTVs" as we originally and erroneously stated. —Ed.] The annual five technology trends to watch in 2008, from the Consumer Electronics Association, CES's organizer, are resolutely "soft," comprising retailing, radio, GPS services, and the CE production cycle. And the industry spokespeople invited to speak at a recent CES media preview were content types from Universal and Sony studios, talking about their plans for big displays and splashy showcase events at CES.

That's not to say the show won't overflow with new equipment, or that we won't report on it and the trends it embodies. Dean Gallea, Consumer Reports' test-program leader in computers, expects to see a continuing stream of smaller, lighter, and less expensive laptops. Mike Gikas, Consumer Reports' editor for mobile devices, will be looking at how small and capacious the new MP3 players are and how they’ll connect to other gear (he’ll also look at cordless phones and cellphones, though the latter has its own show later in the year). Jim Travers from Consumer Reports' Cars section will be looking at the next generation of GPS navigators, those runaway hits of the past holiday season, as well as other after-market automotive gear; his posts will appear both on this blog and our Cars Blog. And Jim Willcox will cover HDTV and other audio-video gear; he expects to see more examples of TVs that use OLED, a new technology that makes flat-panel sets look positively chubby, and of sets that use lasers as a light source. I'll also be at CES, and will weigh mostly on trends that transcend the categories above; examples are electronics recycling, content protection, and networking.

CES is only the first and biggest of the industry showcases early in the year. Just days behind, beginning January 12 14, is MacWorld Conference & Expo in San Francisco, the meeting of the Apple Macintosh tribe; Tom Olson, our computer database expert, will be blogging from that event. Late in the month comes the digital-camera trade show, PMA08, also in Las Vegas. Let the exhibits, the hoopla, and the buying begin.

[Jan. 4, 2007 UPDATE: The correct start date for MacWorld show is Jan. 14, 2008. We also neglected to mention that Consumer Reports' editor Terry Sullivan will be reporting from the PMA08 show when it begins Jan. 31. —Ed.]

—Paul Reynolds