I reviewed all the notes I took at CES and decided it wouldn’t be fair not to do this last list as it has some interesting things on it. Be sure to register at the top right so you can rate the column and ask questions or comment at the end. Thanks!

The iType is an iPhone- or iPod Touch-compatible keyboard that gives users the advantage of full-sized keys for extended typing sessions. Of course, it won’t fit in your pocket, but be honest, there are times when u wish u had an easier keyboard to tweet with, aren’t there?

The Ion Tape Express offers one of the easiest and smallest ways to transfer your old cassette tapes to MP3. The USB-equipped portable cassette player includes EZ Tape Converter software that guides you through the conversion process and imports your recordings directly into iTunes. 

The Ion Powerplay LP uses a single USB cable for both power and data transfer. When it comes to ripping those old records to MP3 files, it doesn't get much simpler than this. I keep looking at  the cabinet in my garage where all my 78s and 33s are and each time one of these kind of easy conversion items comes along, I feel guilty again. Any volunteers willing to help? 

The Scosche flipSYNC offers an extremely compact and handy way to keep an iPod/iPhone USB cable on your keychain. Great for people who can never find an iPhone cable when they need one. This includes lots of folks I know…r u 1?

Making a case for the "Chumby category" is the Sony Dash. This tabletop Internet gadget features a 7-inch color touch screen (measured diagonally) and has access to more than 1,000 free Internet apps, including news, calendars, weather, sports, social networking, and more via your existing home wireless connection. On top of that, you can tap into audio and video content from Sony's Bravia Internet video platform, from sources like YouTube, Pandora Internet radio, Epicurious, Crackle, Livestrong, and Blip.tv. This is ideal for those no computer folks who still would like to have access to some PC kinda stuff without the PC.

At CES 2010, Panasonic launched a new line of midrange cameras, the FH series. It replaces the FS series in the company's Lumix camera lineup. The top of line is the 14-megapixel FH20, which features an 8x zoom lens in a compact body. The 14-megapixel Lumix FH3 and 12-megapixel FH1 fill out the series and feature 5x optical zoom lenses. All three models can record 720p HD-quality video and feature Panasonic's Venus Engine IV image processor that promises to boost AF and shutter lag speeds. And just think, only a couple years ago, it was predicted that 5 megapixels would be it! Oh well, as the MAN says, “The desert is strewn with the bones of prophets.” 

You can now use muscle power to charge your electronics. Easy Energy at CES 2010 showed off the YoGen hand charger. When you pull the string, it turns a mini flywheel that produces a steady stream of power--up to five watts--for small, portable devices. One minute of pulling is enough to charge a cell phone, according to the company. Easy Energy is adapting the same flywheel alternator technology for a pedal-powered laptop, called the YoGen MaxT, which is still under development. Nice to have had one for the Tsunami alert!

General Motors was at CES 2010 showing off its smartphone application for remotely controlling the Chevy Volt. Having tools to manage charge time and track remaining range will be very important for electric vehicles, as consumers need to adjust to a different fueling system. The application, which will run on the iPhone, Blackberry Storm, and Android smartphones, lets people view range, mileage, and to schedule charging to take advantage of off-peak rates. It also has remote control functions, such as turning on air conditioning while the car is still plugged in, rather than drawing on the battery, and remote unlock. The Volt is due for release in November of this year for about $40,000 before tax credits. Would u believe another app? Do u think as an incentive to buy the car u get an iPhone too?

"Parental Controls" is a term that has been widely used to describe tools that allow parents to choose appropriate content for their children. Parental control software has been developed for everything from TV to the Internet. Safe Eyes falls in the later category of Internet parental control software. Safe eyes is a flexible set of tools that allows anyone to determine the type Internet usage that is appropriate. This may bring on squawks from teen kids/grandkids, but unfortunately, there are just too many kooks out there and safe always trumps sorry, and I do not mean the “Donald”

Make your mobile phone into a home phone and your home phone into a mobile phone with the Gigaset One. Now you can make and receive mobile calls on any corded or cordless phone around your home. No land line needed. Your home phones become an extension of your Bluetooth enabled mobile phone. Connect up to three Bluetooth mobile phones. No more mobile dead zones or diminished audio quality. U didn’t throw away your old land line set when you went cellular, did u??

If u weren’t as prepared for the Tsunami which we were fortunate enough to miss…sort-uv, then take a look at www.eton.com and www.redcross.org

Do More than cross your fingers; get an emergency radio. It is an important part of any emergency kit.
Eton Corp. Features a half dozen Red Cross radios and emergency flashlights…they offer a monetary donation to the ARC for each product purchased. 

Wellcore is an upscale, wireless monitoring system that adds new features to the standard emergency pendant alert system for seniors. For example, it monitors activities, detects falls automatically, delivers messages, asks to be worn and protects on the go when paired with a Wellcore-compatible cell phone. Wellcore allows 24/7 protection anywhere within the cell phone’s coverage range. When a fall is detected, the cell phone summons emergency responders to the exact location of the fall using the cell phone’s GPS, and caregivers are alerted. This feature allows flexible mobility while providing maximum security for seniors. I am waiting to  hear from them with a date this is available!

AND, that is the END…next time I will tip you off on where to get the top, absolute must-have, freebies for your computer so stay tuned. Have fun, but careful as u enjoy all the new goodies out there.

Aloha, Lou