In a world filled with 1,000s of iPod docks, do we really need another one? 95 percent of them are crap. Pure unadulterated pieces of shat. Single drivers just don’t cut it. I was skeptical going into Tannoy’s suite, but my jaw immediately dropped when the i-30 was fired up. Two 100mm iCT drivers had a full, rich sound that knocked the crap out of Bose’s iPod dock, which was present for a comparison. The i-30 plays music and that’s it. No alarm clock or anything else to crap it up. It’s a hefty baby, but well worth the weight. Included on the dock is a video out, USB port for syncing with iTunes, 3.5mm input and an IR remote. It’s $399, but completely worth every single penny.
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Besides the launch of their portable SimpleTech mini USB drives, Fabrik also launched Fabrik Ultimate Backup at CES. If you’re like me then backing up can be a tedious pain the arse. I avoid it as much as possible. I just don’t have the time or patience to do it. Well, Fabrik realizes many consumers feel the same way and FUB makes the whole process simple.
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At any trade show, you’re bound to see some good stuff. This post, however, is not about that; it’s about the most ridiculous things I’ve seen so far here at CES, like the USA-themed piano above in Gibson’s tent. From the gawdy to the bawdy, feast your eyes on these abominations.
(More pics after the jump.)
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The forthcoming Limepc and LimeOS represent the ever-shrinking “motherboard-on-a-chip” concept, allowing fully functional computers to run off of an integrated hardware board that’s smaller than an iPod Nano.
The devices should be available in the US by the end of the year and will include varying versions of UMPCs, data-enabled HDTVs, thin-clients, smaller PDA-type devices, and all-in-one desktops. The rep with whom I spoke said that they’ll retail between $200 and $500, depending on which form factor tickles your pickle.
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Ahh, CES. Where the weak are killed and eaten. And where zillions of companies decide to debut products that should’ve been smothered at birth. But a few things actually managed to impress me so far as I stumble through CES and its constellation of surrounding events. So here they are, a handful of goodies I saw and heard that make my ears glad to be attached to my head.
At least, before Seth Porges (Popular Mechanics), Richard Blakely (Gawker), his assistant Nick, and I went to see Smashmouth at the Palms hotel. Now my ears simply hate me.
Images and first-hand accounts after the jump.
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If you watch this video and think, “Hey, I could build one of those,” do it. I’m telling you, man. This thing is really expensive. I asked the guy how much and he said that depending on the options, it starts at around $16,000 to $18,000. I thought he was going to say $1,600 to $1,800 but boy oh boy was I wrong. Plus, installation takes 6-10 hours. There’s more info at the K2 Mounts website.
If you have that type of money to throw around, then for the love of all that you hold sacred, buy it. Then invite all your friends over and ask if they want another tour of your house. They’ll look at you strangely at first, but tell them you want to show them something in the bedroom. That oughta make them less suspicious.
I love the new types of 3D technology coming to our homes. Sensio’s got a type they were showing off, and it works. I’m colorblind, so 3D usually just looks like crap to me, but their system is using the far superior polarized system, and it worked. They’re utilizing a combination of various 3D methods to pull this off, and the outcome is very god indeed. It didn’t pop out like most 3D, it was just 3D, which is the way it should be. They were quick to point out that the glasses weren’t theirs, which is good, as you can see how they looked. Sad.
Their stuff is coming to home theater sections later this year, though they didn’t have a confirmable date. We’ll keep an eye on these guys if they keep doing what they’re doing.
No, not the Wii, the Wü. Complete with little dots over the things of the U. This was one of many knock-off games present at CES, and almost certainly the most shameless, unless you count the guys who ripped off both Guitar Hero and Rock Band by offering alternatives for each one, under similarly altered names. The Wü people didn’t really want us to take pictures, but it was too good to pass up. Check out the rest of the pics inside.
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I just took this photograph in the South Hall at CES 2008. I am offering it here without comment.
Early in Colin Angle’s blogger round-table today, he recounted the story of Packbot, their first military robot. iRobot sent a team to Afghanistan in 2002 where they showed soldiers how to use and manage the new Packbot robot, a self-righting, remote controlled surveillance bot designed to enter a room or cave so soldiers don’t have to.
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Word of SanDisk’s TakeTV device got out a few months ago and after just seeing it in action, I can tell you that the video quality is pretty nice. The TakeTV isn’t going to be for everyone, but for those of us looking for an easy, quick way to dump video from the computer and watch it on a television, this offering seems pretty solid.
This was another product I was skeptical about. VR goggles? Do they ship with a copy of Johnny Mnemonic? But I put them on and lo and behold: the image was pretty good, it tracked my head movements so I could look around the cockpit, and they were even lightweight and had different nose-touch-piece-things for people of different nasal persuasions.
One kind was meant to be used as a single-TV, multiplayer solution not unlike what TI is doing with their Dualview technology, but this is a completely different approach. I’ve been impressed by these technologies which would have seemed completely outlandish a couple years ago, or say in 1995. But as you can see, they’re compact, well-built, and they don’t make you, or that classy lady pictured above, look like a total dweeb.
Vuzix iWear
We’ve been talking about Wireless HD and how it’s one of the things CES is all about, and Belkin showed me their new FlyWire Wireless HD solution, and it’s pretty sweet. It’s a combo of a transmitter that also acts as a media switcher and a single wireless receiver. The audio and video is sent wirelessly at resolutions up to 1080p to the receiver, where it connects to your HDTV via HDMI. You can see the various inputs in the photo after the jump. Belkin had a movie playing in HD-DVD (what!?) across the room with the set-up, and I have to say it looked as if it was coming off HDMI. No stutter, no distortion, no snow. If you’re trying to cut down on cable clutter, it’s worth looking at FlyWire.
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Next to Everex’s Eee-killer, they had another product, more a prototype than anything, but with a similar form factor. This one has its baby touchpad in a more traditional spot, which made it look even more lonely and puny. It truly is only about as big as your “tab” key, though it works surprisingly well.
I’d probably be the first to raise an eyebrow at the idea of a gaming vest that whacks you where you’re being shot/cut/bludgeoned, but these guys have made something that could really add another dimension to things, especially in creepy games like Silent Hill and Resident Evil (as if they didn’t scare me enough already). They put it on me, as you can see, and I tried out their custom FPS that uses the technology. When a monster shot me from behind, I thought somebody had hit me and I freaked out. It’s quick and punchy and it works. And, like so many new game accessories, it seems weird at first but quickly becomes second nature.
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Belkin makes a lot of great products. Belkin also makes a lot of questionable products. The Mouse Trap is a perfect example of the latter. Maybe it’s because I haven’t used a mouse pad in years, but I don’t see the point of having a special pouch to transport your mouse in when there’s a huge crease after you’ve unzipped it. Whatever, though, I’m sure someone out there wants it and will buy it. It’s only $12 and comes in other colors.
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NBC is posting that CES will leave Las Vegas, which is like saying the Pope will leave Rome.
Las Vegas’ 31st International Consumer Electronics Show could be one of its last, organizers said Monday, saying they believe they can get a cheaper deal elsewhere.
As I said before, CES is losing value as a venue for announcing technology. It is a trade fair where vendors and buyers meet to greet and eat assorted sweets. It’s in Las Vegas because the folks who run these companies love Vegas. Try running CES in Orlando or Madison and you’ll discover that the attendance will drop and the perceived value of the event will tank almost completely. I hate me some Las Vegas, but to put it anywhere else is just foolish.
Organizers blame rising cost of hotels, food and beverage [MSNBC]
Musicians, listen up. Making a good demo is key, and many do it digitally, as they should. This Tune Studio, along with your iPod, makes it way easy. The audio in the video above is hard to hear, but basically this violinish band is recording their performance using one of these (it was just off stage). You can start off your home studio for $249 this spring.
Two seconds later I kicked Biggs in the nuts.
Product Name: PathFindIR
Description: A thermal imaging camera that boasts the ability to let you see 5-times farther than normal headlights while driving at night. It’s currently the core thermal imager in BMW’s Night Vision nighttime driving aid system. Read More
