CES Day 4 Part 1

Although this is the last day of CES 2010, the material I have gathered will keep me busy for a few weeks yet.

Of the three days I attended CES, (Saturday was a no-go day for me as it is the Sabbath), today was the least hectic. I guess a lot of people have already headed home. For this I thank them, as it gave me an opportunity to actually spend some time looking at the products I was interested in seeing.

In the category of “I still don’t get it” is the very popular 3D TV. If I lived alone in a cave (with reception of course), I can see the benefit of 3D TV. However, it is not exactly the item you have in your family room and invite 10 of your closest friends over to watch the latest release in 3D – unless you fork out for 10 pairs of 3D glasses. (Without these glasses the TV will appear out of focus). To me this goes in the “wait and see” bin. I raised this question with representatives from Sony, LG, Panasonic and Samsung – and none could confirm that the glasses used for their system would work with another. (There goes the idea of “come over to watch a movie and don’t forget your 3D glasses” invitation.)

The eBook revolution is still a big question for me. Having given it a lot of thought over the past 48 hours, I am still unclear. Tempting as it may be (and those of you who know me know I need NO reason to get my hands on new technology), I am not sure if I would actually use one. I mean, can I sit in the sun and read my eBook? Can I get the titles I want on it – as soon as they become available on traditional media (ie paper)? Can I make notes on technical journals (assuming they are going to be available)? Etc. And of course there is still the airline issue. Can’t use it for half of the Sydney/Melbourne flight. Do I bring a book to fill in that time? More on eBooks in future blogs.

On the WOW side, in the category of “finally someone is thinking of the techno-traveller”, I spent time with the folk from Cocoon who produce an amazing range of protective, yet stylish carry bags for netbooks, notebooks and gaming products. Until now the issue has always been marrying the technology you need, with the bag to carry it and the associated peripherals – all without having them run riot in your travel bag or scratch your new PC whilst being transported.

Enter the Cocoon GRID-IT™ Organizer. Best described as an elastic weave mounted on a backing board that holds your accessories safe and secure – and looks good to top it off. Check out the range here and the Media Vault on their webpage.

 Not only do they solve the problem of securing your “bits and pieces” in your bag, they also produce “Airport friendly” products that makes life that little bit simpler when going through the airport security checks.

The GRID-IT™ Organizer fits neatly into their bags and is definitely a product I will be using.

CES Day 4 Part 2

How many ways can you dress up your iPhone? I lost count early in the show. But a company that did appeal to me was MusicSkins. They recently signed up to produce 8 exclusive Beatles iPod and iPhone Skins.

These skins are made in the USA of ultra premium vinyl, making them tough but not too thick. Given that they incorporate 3M Adhesive technology, they are easy to put on and take off, and prevents air bubbles forming. You can even design your own unique cover from their website.

My iPhone is currently sporting a Beatles skin- and putting it on took less than a minute.

Unless you’ve been in solitary confinement for the past couple of years, you would be aware that the interactive game industry continues to find new ways to keep gamers occupied with every possible “must have” accessory. The past year has seen Guitar Hero™ expand into a full band (Rock Band™) – with drums and microphone/stand. This worked well if you and your friends all had the same system.

You Rock Guitar™ is the first guitar to bridge the gap between video gaming and playing real music. It has frets, digitally sampled guitar sounds, and strings to pluck – a big difference from the current “guitars” on the gaming market.

You Rock Guitar handles the various console issue through GameFlex™ cartridges – so one guitar can be used with Wii, Playstation 3, XBOX 360, PCs, iPhones. Use with headphones or through an amplifier, this battery operated digital guitar easily plugs into Garage Band, Cubase, Finale, Acid and other popular music programmes.

If you are a serious music gamer, guitarist, or want to learn to play, You Rock Guitar™ might be just what you are looking for.

Coming soon

… sound you can wear, solar panels and phone/laptop tattoos, followed by my continuing education about eBooks. Thanks for reading, and please keep the comments / questions coming.