CES: Gadgets, Gadgets and more Gadgets… By:
John Baer The
Consumer Electronics Show (CES), held in Las Vegas from January 9th to
12th, was undoubtedly the largest consumer electronics trade show in the
world. According to CES organizers, there was a turnout of more than
115,000 attendees, and over 2,200 exhibitors occupying a staggering 1.2
million square feet of convention center space. The
floor space was filled with some fantastic new consumer electronics –
60-inch flat screen plasma television screens, LCD computer monitors (only
a few inches in depth), satellite radio, home and car entertainment
systems, and digital photographic equipment. But the most intriguing
things on the convention center floor were the new state-of-the-art
consumer electronic gadgets. These
new gadgets are smarter, smaller, more portable and just plain cool. The
five gadgets that caught my eye while walking the convention floor are all
listed below – they’re very cool and inexpensive too. The
Digital Photo Viewer, by San-Disk Corporation (sandisk.com) is a simple,
fast and convenient way to view digital pictures on a television screen.
You just take the digital storage card from your camera and plug it into
the photo viewer; it’s that simple. People all over will be able to have
friends over for the traditional family slide show without all the bother. Are
you the type of person who needs to listen to music while sitting at your
computer? If the answer is yes, then MouseCaster, by Smartec, Ltd (mousecaster.com)
is the gadget you won’t be able to live without. The MouseCaster turns
your computer mouse into a digital FM radio and allows you to listen to
your favorite radio stations without the need for an internet connection.
You’re also able to record songs (software included), schedule your
favorite radio programs with an internal time function and even use it as
an alarm clock. Miraball,
by TopCom Technology Co., Ltd. (topcomtech.com.tw) is a clear plastic ball
(pictured above, about 1 foot around) that sits on a counter top or desk,
and provides a unique way to display computer-generated messages. Even
though I don’t really see a practical application for this device, I
thought it was very original and deserved to be mentioned. A
great way to keep the kids safe and calm during a home fire emergency is
by using KidSmart, a vocal smoke detector created by Smart Safety Systems,
Inc. (kidsmartdetector.com). The KidSmart detector offers parents the
opportunity to alert their small children (or other occupants) to a
potential fire by using a personalized voice message. The smoke detector
is battery operated, easily programmed and can detect both heat and smoke. And finally, HitchCam, by Show-FX, Inc.
(hitchcam.com) is a very practical and inexpensive device that will keep
you from backing your car, truck or SUV over the neighbor’s bicycle or
other hidden obstacles. The HitchCam comes with just a few components
(3.5-inch LCD color monitor, hitch cover and wide-angle camera, and 25
feet of power/video cable) and can be installed in 20 minutes, according
to the manufacturer. After looking over all the equipment, it’s a better
bet to block out the afternoon to complete the installation.
After wearing out my shoes for nearly two days, and viewing all the
industry exhibits, I think the show may have been more appropriately named
the Consumer Gadgets Show. |