Sharp AQUOS SH-06D

Sharp's AQUOS SH-06D will most probably never leave the Land of The Rising Sun. That doesn't stop us, however, from lusting after its 4.5-inch. This 720p display also manages 3D, spread across a slinky 10mm frame that houses NTT DoCoMo's recently launched NOTTV streaming broadcast system. The device arrives in pink, white and blue options -- all provided with a matching dock and built-in aerial. Like several eastern phones with the ability to tune into live TV broadcasts, the AQUOS SH-06D has its own extendable antenna built into the side. The device, despite its largely plastic build felt solid in our hand, although the minuscule power and volume buttons proved difficult to manipulate at times. The screen technology is still a closely guarded secret, but it aims to bring both 3D functionality alongside a crisp HD display performance during two-dimensional antics. Viewing angles are great -- a welcome trend we've seen on plenty of handsets at this year's MWC -- but the heavily customized Android 2.3 skin took away some of that sheen. Applications are stowed away into several drop-down menus that took some getting used to -- regardless of any language barrier. Sharp hasn't revealed any plans to join its Japanese competitors in the frenzied global smartphone market, but some import options wouldn't go amiss. See why in our hands-on right after the break.

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Roku's Streaming Stick

Roku's Streaming Stick shrinks the Roku box into a dongle

 

Roku's Streaming Stick packs all the functionality of a Roku box into USB drive-like stick.

(Credit: Roku)

Roku announced the Streaming Stick this morning, which essentially squeezes all the functionality of a typical Roku box (including Wi-Fi, processor, and memory) into a a device that looks like a USB flash drive. It doesn't require an additional power cable or a separate remote, instead allowing you to use your TV's standard remote to navigate Roku's software. Roku's platform currently supports over 400 channels, including Netflix, Amazon Instant, Pandora, MLB.TV, HBO Go, MOG, and Rdio.

 

Roku sees the Streaming Stick as an alternative to individual manufacturer's Smart TV portals, which quickly become out of date and rarely receive updates a year after they're released. Not only is it more likely the Streaming Stick will be updated more frequently, but it's also a lot more affordable to swap in a new, improved Streaming Stick if the current hardware becomes outdated.

The Roku Streaming Stick connects to the back of your HDTV, but it requires an MHL port.

(Credit: Roku)

The big catch of the Streaming Stick is that it requires an MHL port, which is a relatively new connection type supported by only a few HDTVs. That could quickly change over the next week, however, as manufacturers roll out their new lines of HDTVs atCES 2012. There are also MHL-to-HDMI adapters available, although they require power, which considerably cuts down on the Streaming Stick's simplicity. (At that point, you may want to consider an actual box.)

The Roku Streaming Stick won't available until the fall and there's no pricing yet, although Roku told us it will be between $50 and $100. Best Buy's house brand Insignia will be one of the initial partners, although the Streaming Stick will work with any HDTV with an MHL port.

Samsung Series 5 Ultrabook

Samsung Series 5 Ultrabook listed at US retailer for $900.

Looks like that 13.3-inch Samsung Series 5 Ultrabook we saw honeymooning with a 'friend' in Korea is almost ready to head over to the States. JR.com has listed it as "coming soon" for $899.99 along with a spec sheet that details the same 500GB/16GB hybrid drive we saw previously, along with a Core i5-2467M serving up CPU horsepower and graphics, 4GB of DDR3, 1366 x 768 LED backlit display, a single USB 3.0 port and WiDi. The weight and dimensions seem slightly chunkier than last reported though, with thickness reaching a maximum of 0.69-inches and a weight of 3.24 pounds -- still, it's a lot more shapely than the 1TB 14-incher it left behind.