Getting Your Gadget Fix at CES 2007
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Think of it as a different kind of lust in Las Vegas. As more than 140,000 people crowded into the town to see what the International Consumer Electronics Show had on offer this year, 2,700 vendors showed off the wild, the wacky, the weird, and even some truly worthwhile items. In this second of a two-part article, we look at what devices stood out, in one way or another.
First let's take a look at the devices that can help make your life easier. These might not be the coolest at the show, but they'll be the ones you turn to again and again and might wonder how you ever lived without them.
CNet awarded the LG BH100 the title of Best in Show, and it's easy to see why. If you've been watching the format war between HD DVD and Blu-ray, you know it's been getting ridiculous. Rather than invest in one format or the other and risk winding up with a Betamax in the making, you can buy this one player that handles both formats. The device lets you seamlessly switch between the two formats, and watch true HD movies in either format. You won't have to wait very long before buying one of these either: it will be in stores by February of this year. It's very nice if you can afford the $1,200 price tag.
Columnist David Hayes gave the Flic Scanner Media Organizer from Microvision his "I've got to work this into the budget" award. If you collect CDs, DVDs, books, and other things with bar codes, you may have dreamed of getting everything perfectly organized - or at least having a database so you won't buy the same thing twice. This little handheld device brings that dream a little closer. It's a bar code scanner that works in conjunction with the company's software; scan your items, plug the scanner into your computer, and the Collectorz.com software retrieves cover art, title, and track information and loads it all into a database for you. You can even use the system to let your friends check out your stuff and set reminders after it's been gone for a set time. At $200, it could be a giant leap forward for getting command of your clutter - or make it amazingly easy to indulge your anal retentive tendencies.
Anyone who has a lot of devices to recharge will appreciate these next two items. Powercast's product can beam electrical power to devices that are three feet away. Basically, its transmitter sends out a continuous, low radio frequency signal. Any device that has either AA or AAA batteries that sits within its range will be continuously recharged, as long as the device has a Powercast receiver. Imagine never having to replace the batteries in your wireless keyboard or mouse. Fulton Innovation offered something similar. Its eCoupled Technology lets users charge their devices simply by placing them on a charging surface rather than having to plug into anything.
Nobody likes to get stuck in traffic; Dash Navigation stands out as a company that's trying to do something about this problem. Its Dash Express navigation device sends wi-fi and cellular signals anonymously from your car; that data is aggregated and sent to other Dash drivers in the area, so everyone knows when there's a slowdown. So if you're in a slowdown and there are other Dash drivers moving through the area, it can tell you how long you can expect to be delayed and recommend alternate routes. Thanks to a deal with Yahoo, Dash users can search Yahoo Local directory for nearby businesses, choose a destination from the results, and get a route to it with just a click. Alas, the company's web site (www.dash.net) didn't have any pricing information, but it did have a sign up for those who wanted to be the first in their areas to get the device.
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