Few Sideshow devices are currently available and generally manufacturers tend to slam users with a $200 price tag for a 2.5" TFT display with Sideshow capabilities... Once again, out of the left field, comes a Sideshow device that promises basic functionality for a resonable price tag of $49.95. The picoLCD-4x20 is full-speed USB device and displays Sideshow Glance Content via a blue alphanumeric LCD.  We find the device useful for Stocks, Windows Media Player companion and others.  The device, manufactured by mini-box.com,  also has Linux drives that work with LCDproc, a software package that pioneered Sideshow-like concepts by using small LCDs to display bits of information through a variety of plugins. So if you have a windows Vista PC (sorry, no Windows XP) or Linux and if you want to monitor snippets of information even when your main monitor is off, this device might be the perfect candidate for the job. Here is a step by step review containing snapshots and pictures of the picoLCD 4x20 device.  ...[Read more »]

Ricavision has finally unveiled the VAVE100 Windows® Vista SideShow remote control that provides direct access and complete control of home entertainment devices. Probably the coolest feature of this device is the Vista Sideshow capability meaning you can use it as a secondary display for a Vista PC. If you're a heavy Windows Media center user or home automators enthusiasts, the Ricavision WAVE100 SideShow enable remote appears to be awesome. It's capable of controlling over 20 home automation devices via IR and Windows Vista PCs over the 17-meter range. ...[Read more »]

The idea of using an electronic paper displays for e-books has been around for many years but using it in conjunction with Microsoft Vista Sideshow technology could pop up some interesting devices. This isn't a new idea, we saw already the E-reader prototype presented at WINHEC by the Ricavision a vista sideshow enabled device that has a reflective e-ink type display. We also saw the Intel Metro Notebook concept with a secondary 'e-ink' screen that make use of vista sideshow to access the email, read documents, appointment calendar, and much more. ...[Read more »]

Finally, from the same line of sideshow capable devices showed at Winhec 2007 by the Ricavision, the MK140 FM Magnet/Scribbler is not too different from the MK140 E-Chatter and Home E-Reader. The device is using WinBind Sideshow-compatible MCU solution and works like a modern-day sticky notes with Windows SideShow capability. ...[Read more »]

It is a Wireless E Ink e-reader that works with Vista PCs. It is a Microsoft Sideshow enabled display designed with a special purpose: reading electronic documents. To be more clearly it is about recently Home eReader showed at Winhec the annual conference where Microsoft sets out its hardware plans for Microsoft Windows-compatible PCs. Basically the Home eReader is a prototype based on Microsoft specification, designed by Microsoft and Ricavision using the WinBind Sideshow-compatible MCU solution. ...[Read more »]

Only few weeks after the ScreenDuo Sideshow Display release we were able to spot on a rather interesting Sideshow device from ECS EliteGroup Corp (details are a bit sketchy). While mentioned only as a feature, this device seems to be the best SideShow Auxiliary so far, at least from a design / form factor point of view... Submitted at the $1 Million Intel® Core™ Processor Challenge this product is one of the 6 competitor designs. ...[Read more »]

After few weeks of waiting we finally maganged to get the ASUS screenDUO Sideshow auxiliary display... By the way, we had to buy the entire ASUS motherboard + Remote Control + SideShow Display combo just to get to the ScreenDuo display... Our test results are less than stellar and I hope that people won't get dissapointed by the wonderful Microsoft SideShow technology just because ASUS came up with a less than desirable hardware device....[Read more »]

The Smartphone developer I-mate has introduced the Momento wireless digital picture frame enhanced and certified for Windows Vista featuring support for Microsoft Windows SideShow, the technology that allows external devices to display information from your pc. You can stream your digital picture from PCs, play directly from a digital camera's memory card or transfer photos via USB, and send pics to it via Wi-Fi (TCP/IP). ...[Read more »]

As first reported by Anh Huynh from DailyTech.com, the ASUS ScreenDuo will come packaged only with the M2N32-SLI Premium and P5B Premium Vista Editions. ASUS doesn’t appear to offer the ScreenDuo as a separate accessory disappointingly. Nevertheless, the ScreenDuo can display RSS feeds, pull up your schedule and other simple tasks that doesn’t need full computing power to complete. The ScreenDuo is a color QVGA TFT Auxiliary Display compatible with Microsoft's SideShow[tm] technology. Read the full story here.

RicaVision International, a leading provider of digital entertainment solutions will be announcing this new Vista Sideshow compatible hardware device at CES 2007. Aside a nice 2.5" color TFT display and SideShow compatibility, this remote control also has a very interesting feature: Long range Bluetooth capabilities. Long range Bluetooth, also known as Class A Bluetooth can have an effective range of 100 meters. When compared with a strandard Bluetooth implementation of aboput 10 meters, this device really stands out from the crowd. At 100 meters (300ft) such remote control should never get out of range, a feature that is becoming more and more important as these devices need constant communication with the PC for program updates or interractive sessions....[Read more »]

Apparently Phillips has an entire fleet of remote controls with built in SidesShow support. Go to http://www.remotecontrol.philips.com/index.cfm?id=1336 and see it for yourself. Interesting enough, these remote controls do not have a build in LCD nor operate via radio. They seem to be classic Infrared remote controls with sideshow support. Also on this page you will find 3 types of USB IR receivers, a standalone model as well as a card module for internal use.

Looks like Phillips is banking on the fact that not all remote controlls needs an LCD. Definitevely Phillips will win a price war when such units are compared with more expensive remote controls with build-in color TFT displays.

As reported by the CE-PRO magazine, Interlink Electronics is the first to announce a SideShow capable remote control. This SideShow enabled remote control will enbable customers "select songs, schedule recordings, navigate video clips and photographs, display TV program guides and even browse recorded TV shows--all right on the remote." Also, CE-PRO reports that Microsoft has swung a deal with its EPG provider TMS (Tribune Media Services) to extend the TV guide to remote devices via SideShow, no licensing hassles involved. This is big news, because if Microsoft extends TV guides information to the desktop via SideShow devices such as remote controls, etc, TIVO-like devices can become extint. Finally, Microsoft's Media Center vision is slowly gaining ground......[Read more »]