I spent the first part of 2008 at the gigantic Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas…how gigantic was it? Following are the official CES numbers: With a record 1.85 million net square feet of exhibit space – the largest in show history – featuring more than 2,700 companies launching their latest innovations, the world’s largest tradeshow for consumer technology wrapped up four full days of technological innovation. More than 130,000 industry professionals were in attendance.” Major trends sweeping the show floor and defining the future of the consumer technology market included digital entertainment, HDTV, green technology and free trade.
In addition to the hottest consumer technology gadgets, the 2008 International CES featured a dynamic lineup of keynote speakers. Microsoft’s Bill Gates delivered his 11th and final pre-CES keynote sharing his vision for the next digital decade.
So, with that in mind, the question always is…how can you possibly see all that stuff in only 4 days? Simple answer is you can’t. So as those of you who read my 2007 columns about CES know, I’m a big fan of the ShowStoppers Event. For those who are new, here is what ShowStoppers says about itself: “ShowStoppers produces press-only events where hot companies with cool products meet reporters and analysts. Our events showcase home electronics, office and storage tools, peripherals and components; digital entertainment, photography, video and imaging, cyber games, mobile communications, telematics and navigation; broadcast, wireless and satellite communications; telecommunications and Internet services; web-hosted and Web 2.0 services, digital TV/HDTV, e-commerce, home theater, home networks & SMB appliances, healthcare, home and business security gear, personal electronics, robotics, VOIP, WiFi and WiMAX – and all things digital for work, for home, and play.”
What this means to people like me is an opportunity to checkout what some would call the cream of the crop in a much less hectic fashion along with a much better chance of talking with the folks who can answer your questions and perhaps most important…a chance to see and feel up close the products themselves.
OK, with that lengthly intro, let me preview what follows: ShowStoppers has six categories they have setup in the LaFite Ballroom of the Wynn; 1. Audio, video, digital entertainment. 2. Auto, wireless, mobility, entertainment. 3. Productivity, security & software. 4. Computers, printers, cameras , digital media. 5. Discoveries. 6. Startup pavilion. I have selected one item from each category with a short summary of each, provided by the vendor, my comment(s) and the URL, where you can learn more about the product.
Animusic
Here is a comment I read on their webpage from an obvious fan: “It took my breath away..the sound the color the movement, the overall creativity and technology that you all put into this. Don't stop! I can't wait for my grandchildren to see and hear this.”
Believe me, this is an understatement at best as these DVDs are incredible and will fascinate listeners of all ages. Visit http://www.animusic.com/ for everything you ever want o know about these DVDs. You will be able to read many more comments, but most important, you can see and listen to clips from them as well.
Zoomback
"A Lost Dog Can’t Talk…But Now He Can Text" Each year, shelters overflow with animals who have become separated from their families. Fewer than 15% of these lost dogs ever find their way home.
Several options are available for dog location and identification: tags, tattoos, even 'chipping' (embedding a dog with a small microchip). These methods require physical proximity to a dog on the loose. Unfortunately, as too many pet owners know, some dogs are never found, leaving distraught owners and their families without their beloved animals.
The Zoombak Advanced GPS Dog Locator uses satellite and cell phone signals to help locate lost dogs in real time. Our lightweight, water-resistant locator attaches to a dog’s collar, making it easier for owners to locate a lost or stolen pet. Zoombak is recommended for dogs 15 lbs and over."
That’s the good news folks, but unfortunately, it isn’t available in Hawaii, but it is such a neat idea, I just had to include it in my list. For more info and coverage map, visit http://www.zoombak.com/
Diskeeper
As many of you know, I have for quite some time been a big fan of diskeeper as an automatic defragmenter. The 2008 version is no exception. Here’s what they say and I agree!
“Diskeeper 2008, is the most automated performance enhancement defragmenter ever built. New features include the ability to defrag in the most extreme levels of low free space or the highest levels of crippling file fragmentation. Intelligent defrag dynamically chooses which software engine will net the most performance gains on a given system or environment. This is all done completely transparently, in real time, tapping the full power of otherwise unused idle resources with a highly advanced background processing technology called, InvisiTasking.” Visit http://www.diskeeper/ for a full review of it’s capabilities and a free trial you can download.
Corsair Flash Padlock
This is a must for all you road warriors. No need to worry about losing all your sensitive data and records while you’re on the road and your laptop gets stolen. Put it all on a Corsair Flash Padlock. I just got a new laptop and that’s what I intend to use rather than putting it all on the new one. Here’s some of what they say about it: “Corsair’s Flash Padlock gives users the confidence of having a hardware-secured lock to protect their data on an USB drive. Featuring auto-lock hardware security, Flash Padlock is the best way to secure your data while on the go. This prevents any unauthorized access or 'Brute Force' attack to the data on Flash Padlock. Users can program in a PIN, much like they do for an ATM machine, to lock/unlock their data. An easy to use keypad in conjunction with lock/unlock indicator lights makes the Flash Padlock highly intuitive to use. Lastly, the Flash Padlock is fully plug-and-play, and requires no software or drivers to work properly. Features : Auto-Locking – Self locking after removal from computer; Customizable PIN – Set your own PIN and make it easy to remember; Easy to Use – Direct keypad access and indicator lights make locking/unlocking simple Plug and Play – Hardware based security works without installing or running software; Platform independent – Works on Windows, MAC and Linux platforms without the use of software.” Visit http://www.corsair.com/ for more on this neat security manager.
AMD Live Explorer
"The new AMD LIVE! Explorer provides an immersive way of managing and interacting with your entertainment library. Explore your complete digital collections of music, photos, and videos in a single window, in full 3D. The AMD LIVE! Explorer is available for free with the purchase of a new AMD LIVE! PC. The AMD LIVE! Explorer runs best on the AMD Phenom™ 9000 Series quad–core processor."
And now…the good news…you can download the beta of this super new program free! It’s really nifty to see it in action…even if you don’t do the download, go take a look at: http://www.amd.com/ and click on amd live explorer.
Retrevo
Now this is a really great idea. It’s a site that matches you up with…electronics! Yup, take a look at what their how to use retrevo page says: “How to use Retrevo depends on what you want to do. We can help you find that right product, new usage tips or troubleshooting and support answers - including taking you directly to the specific page in a pdf manual! Our goal is to give you answers for all your electronics needs from before you buy to after you've had the product for years, and everything in between. Retrevo is the place to help you enjoy the experience of electronics products. Staying with our philosophy of keeping things simple for everyone, we'll focus on some of the key features of the site and include a couple common use cases. We're confident you'll be able to take it from there.
I really like this one. For more, visit: http://www.retrevo.com/
That gives you a tiny taste of some of the goodies from this years show. I’ll probably do more for next time if you let me know you’d like more {:-)…but before you go, I would recommend you take a peek at CNET’s best of show award:
Philips' Eco TV
Sips power and saves the rainforest. “At CNET, we take HDTV power consumption seriously, which helps explain our excitement when Philips announced its Eco TV. The 42-inch, 1080p resolution, flat-panel LCD, model 42PFL5603D (due in March, $1,399 MSRP), is packed with power-saving features. Chief among them is the ability to dim the backlight--by up to five times peak brightness--in response to program material, much like the local dimming found on Samsung's LED-based LN-T4681F. Dimming the backlight in darker scenes has the dual benefit of saving power and improving black-level performance, according to the company.”
Also, be sure to see what CNET picked as the best products in 10categories at: http://ces.cnet.com/best-of-ces.
That’s it for now… remember to enjoy all these new electronic wonders while being careful out there.
Aloha, Lou
