The Consumer Electronics Show

If you were to ask what word(s) would most represent the 2012 CES, I’d say “BIG”, “SMART” and perhaps, “CONNECTED” and just to cover all the bases, “GREEN”. It’s been a huge show and the number of attendees I keep hearing is 160,000. Definitely a crowd, especially when you’re trying to get close to a gadget to see how it works.The organized press events, CES Unveiled at the Venetian, PepCom’s Digital Experience at the MGM Grand, and Showstoppers at the Wynn help with this by bringing together about 200 exhibitors for the press to spend time with in a much less crowded venue. BTW, smart applies in a big way to cars, they even had my Lime Squeeze Metallic Ford Fiesta (yup, that’s really the official color) on display, they promised to get it back to Hawaii in time for my return flight {:-). It was kind of fun after I told them I had one to be introduced to the rest of the folks at that exhibit as “he has one of these in Hawaii”. Got a lot of I visited Hawaii stories after that. Accessories for cars were everywhere in the automotive section… lots of partnerships are evolving and software is the buzzword for new cars.

As you can tell, there are an incredible number of things to see, so I’ve picked a few that I think you will enjoy and then in following columns, I’ll add to the list. Don’t worry, in a lot of cases the new items won’t be available for a few months so you’ll have time to decide which ones you can’t live without. To get started, here’s one you should really appreciate!

LG's Blast Chilling compartment

Many of us go to great lengths to ensure our drinks are cold because, let's face it, there's nothing more disgusting than a warm beer. Thankfully, South Korea's LG now offers a solution to the age-old beverage-cooling problem: its new "Blast Chilling" refrigeration technology.

LG introduced refrigerators with a special Blast Chilling compartment during a recent presentation at The Consumer Electronics Show. The Blast Chilling technology has aroused considerable attention. LG says that the feature, included in the new, French-door refrigerator the company is showing off at CES, can chill a 12-ounce beer or soda in just five minutes and a bottle of wine in roughly eight minutes.

According to LG, this is a significant reduction in chilling time, compared with the typical forty minutes it would take to chill a canned beverage, and the hour needed to chill a bottle of white wine. Not surprising, New Technology Comes with a hefty price tag.

It's part of what LG calls its "Smart Manager" technology, the name for appliances that can track data or communicate with other digital devices. In the case of LG's cutting-edge refrigerator, Smart Manager allows users to track what they've purchased, and even to design meal plans.

It's even claimed that Smart Manager will recommend recipes based on the ingredients cooling inside. This could be a particularly useful feature for people on special diets, such as those with diabetes. Users can have Smart Manager keep track of their refrigerated items simply by scanning grocery store receipts, or they can use the appliance's own voice-recognition capability to name the items they are putting away.

In addition, LG has given the Smart Manager fridge the ability to use WiFi (wireless networking) technology to connect with other LG appliances in the home. This will allow it to interact with washers, dryers, and ovens. However, the usefulness of these interactions has yet to be fully explored.

Acer's S5 Ultrabook 

Acer has announced the S5 Ultrabook, on the eve of CES 2012, claiming it to be the thinnest ultra-portable PC yet. The 13.3-inch MacBook Air rival arrives with a Onyx black magnesium alloy body, an Intel i-Series processor and is only 15mm at its thickest point. The device weighs in at 2.97lbs, while Acer is also pushing the MagicFlip I/O, a flap at the back of the device which reveals HMDI, USB 3.0 and Thunderbolt connectivity when lifted. The appearance of the Thunderbolt port is particularly noteworthy as, so far, the technology Intel created in collaboration with Apple has only featured on MacBooks and Mac computers. Thunderbolt promises connectivity speeds faster than USB 3.0 and Firewire, but there are currently few compatible accessories. The device also has Dolby Home Theatre Audio and will wake from sleep in 1.5 seconds thanks to Acer's Instant On technology. The battery will also last for a few weeks while the device is in sleep mode. 

Sharp's 80-inch LCD display arrives by car at CES 2012

Sharp offered up 60, 70, and 80-inch TVs and interactive displays at CES 2012; here's an 80 inch arriving atop of a SMART car! Every new model the company is releasing in 2012 will be 60 inches or larger. The company says the push to go big is because of an advantage Sharp has over other manufacturers — it has the only 10th-generation LCD display plant in the world, uniquely suited to manufacturing these screens that are 60 inches and larger.

TOSY Robotics JSC® introduces mRobo Ultra Bass™

TOSY Robotics JSC®, a leading robotics and high-tech toys manufacturer based in Vietnam, today unveiled mRobo Ultra Bass™, a state-of-the-art portable speaker that doubles as a dancing robot. Boasting two gigabytes of internal memory, the battery powered mRobo allows users to upload about 500 songs into the device via a USB port and select which tracks to play using a provided remote. The music will play through an integrated speaker, with the ability to produce bass at 40Hz. Once the music begins playing, mRobo, which can listen to its own music, music from other devices, or music streamed via Bluetooth, will instantly transform, growing a head, legs and arms, and will groove through a series of pre-programmed dance moves to virtually any genre of music.

Daymak Inc. announced the Shadow Ebike

Everything has to be smart these days. The smart bike just happens to be next on the list. Daymak Inc. announced at CES the Shadow Ebike. Yes, it’s a bicycle that interacts with an Android phone to control the bike’s functions. Daymak is billing the Shadow Ebike as the first wireless ebike that’s powered by their proprietary Daymak Drive. The Shadow Ebike will use the Android phone as the “key” to turning the bike on and off. The phone app includes the ability to create user defined pedal assist modes, tracking of top speeds, GPS, odometer, speedometer, trip data, altitude, battery life and history of all usage states. With the bike being wireless, it avoids the usage of wires which cause most accidents with other leading ebikes. The bike will go into production in spring 2012. For more information about the future of bicycles, you can check out the Shadow Ebike’s Web site. I suppose u r asking yourself, who needs a smart bike? Interesting question... let’s see how the market works out.

Sonomax Technologies, Inc. announced  the eers™ custom earphones

Sonomax Technologies, Inc. (TSXV: SHH) proudly announced  the debut of the next generation of eers™ custom earphones at CES 2012. The latest evolutions, the PCS-150 and PCS-250 models, continue to redefine the headphones experience offering exceptional sound and performance with an even better self-fit experience. Named CES 2012’s Best of Innovations winner in the Headphones product category, eers custom earphones are poised to be the next big thing in the earphones market. Custom molded to the unique shape of an individual’s ear canal in just five minutes, eers provide a set of earphones that will stay put, never fall out or cause discomfort in even the most extreme active environments while promoting safe listening habits. As the world’s first self-fit,  custom earphones, eers fill a huge void in the headphone market. With  that impressive introduction, I agreed to get a pair fitted… it was pretty easy and yes, in 5 minutes I had a pair of earphones that fit perfectly and sound wonderful!

The user will also be able to answer phone calls on their Smartphone through the use of the integrated in-line microphone. Struggling to hear the phone conversation due to exterior noise is now eliminated due to the incoming sound having the advantage of the acoustically sealed earpiece. Also included in this new product line is an entirely redesigned consumer packaging as well as enhanced single button activation for the SonoFit system which will greatly enhance the ease of use.

The Tamaggo 360-imager enables consumers to capture 360º images

The Tamaggo 360-imager is the first picture-taking device with fully integrated, built-in panomorph optical and software technology that enables consumers to capture 360º high-resolution, navigable images with just one click.  It operates in four orientations: Sky 360, Ground 360, horizontal panorama and vertical panorama – and is the first intuitive device
with position sensors that “know” if the user is holding it to capture 360º or if you are shooting for horizontal or vertical panoramic images. The Tamaggo 360-imager, which is a 2012 CES Innovations Design and Engineering Awards honoree in the digital imaging category, is ergonomic and comfortably fits in the palm of one hand. It will be available from retailers and e-tailers for under US$200 in Q2 2012.

The Tamaggo is different from a traditional camera in two ways: the experience in taking the picture and the experience in what you can do afterwards.  That's why they say it's not photography, it's Tamaggraphy. During Image Capture: No need to worry about what's in the “frame” or what's out; the Tamaggo 360-imager captures it all.  With one click and the imager held upright, the Tamaggo user can capture a  360º immersive image. Or, with one click and the imager held straight out in front, the user can capture a horizontal or vertical panoramic image. Plus, Tamaggraphers can be in the picture, either by holding the imager in a certain position or by using the integrated stand that triggers an auto-delay
timer for  remote image capture. Or they can hold the Tamaggo above their heads to capture 360º and remain out of the picture. After Image Capture: The user can pan around, or navigate, and zoom into their 360 images; then they can edit and crop into multiple scenes to create digital albums; and they can share navigable images via email or social networking.

 The Cube, a wireless mouse/presenter

If you've been mid-presentation and longed for a presenter over an optical mouse, you're about to get another option. Logitech has just announced the Cube, a wireless mouse/presenter hybrid in the same small package. As a mouse, the Cube scrolls via swipe gestures across the main panel via the company's Flow Scroll software with performance similar to scrolling on your touchscreen smartphone of choice. To engage presenter mode, all you'll have to do is pick the device up off your desk and the switch is made for you. The pocket-sized accessory connects to your PC using a diminutive Logitech Unifying receiver with 2.4GHz connectivity. Looking to take one for a spin? You'll be able to pick one up this month for $69.99

The BodyMedia LINK Armband

Activity trackers like the Fitbit Ultra and Jawbone UP can track how many steps you take and miles you cover, but they don't directly monitor your most intimate biological functions -- and thus can't report how many calories you've burned with unassailable accuracy. And then we have the BodyMedia LINK Armband. Armed with enough sensors to classify as an FDA-approved medical device, the LINK observes exactly what's happening on the surface of your skin to verify the effectiveness of your calorie-killing exercise crusades. You attach the band to your left upper arm, a location where the device is pre-callibrated for the most accurate data collection. From there, sensors measure your skin temperature, heat flux (the rate as which your body dissipates heat), and galvanic skin response (essentially a perspiration measurement).

All this is wrapped up with data from a 3-axis accelerometer to deliver, as BodyMedia claims, the most accurate over-the-counter calorie-burning monitor available. BodyMedia has been developing its system for 10 years, and this latest model, the LINK, taps a Bluetooth connection to directly transfer your bio data to iOS and Android apps. The LINK is available now for $179.

OK, that should get u going...stay tuned as I will tell u about lots more in my future columns. Remember to stay safe as u surf the net.

Aloha, Lou