CES Unveiled 2012
Want to see CES before CES? The madhouse that is CES Unveiled is your best bet.
CES 2012
MyCharge external battery packs offer clever charging options
MyCharge was showing off a full lineup of battery packs for charging smartphones here at CES. Our favorite of the bunch is the MyCharge Explorer, which combined a 3,000mAh battery with an integrated AC plug so that it can act as a wall-wart for your devices. Actually, it can perform that duty for up to three, by dint of an integrated 10-pin connector for iOS devices, integrated microUSB cable, and a lone USB port as well. It retails for $79.99.
Stepping down a notch from that is the MyCharge...
CES 2012
Fulton's eCoupled wireless power now charges devices without direct contact
Fulton Innovations has shown off its eCoupled wireless power technology at CES for several years, and this year's biggest advance is spatial freedom while charging. eCoupled can now charge a cell phone even when it isn't directly placed on a charging surface — As long as its in the general area of a wireless power transmitter, the phone charges, even if it's inside a purse or bag. There's no word on the specific range, but direct surface contact is no longer a requirement. We'll be able to...
CES 2012
BiKN locater for iPhone tracks RF-tagged objects around the house (hands-on and pictures)
Scheduled for release this month, BiKN uses 802.15.4 — the basis for ZigBee, among other low-power wireless network protocols — to pair up your iPhone to a bunch of tiny tags that can be used to locate objects that you attach them to. The system is facilitated with a special RF-enabled case that you slide your iPhone 4 (or iPhone 3GS) into; after installing the BiKN app from the App Store, you can choose tags that you've paired and find out how far they are from you with a range up to...
CES 2012
Kivic One streams audio and video to nearly any screen via AirPlay / DLNA
The Kivic One is a neat little device, about the size of a MiFi, that can stream audio or video to nearly any display via AirPlay, WiFi direct, or DLNA. Kivic tells us that it's pushing for the eponymous device to appear in vehicles — it demonstrated it alongside a Pioneer car monitor — but conceivably it can stream video to any display that uses HDMI. There's no firm release date yet, but the company says the Kivic One should land sometime in March for around $200.
CES 2012
Goal Zero Sherpa 50 battery pack (hands-on pictures)
We just looked at Goal Zero's version two of the Sherpa 50 here at CES Unveiled 2012. At about the size of about four CD cases stacked together (and way smaller than its predecessor), this 50 watt lithium ion rechargeable battery pack powers devices on the go using its AC, DC, USB 2.0 and traditional laptop-charger ports. The pack itself charges in about four hours using a traditional outlet (and in about five hours using the solar panels) and can fully power something like a Macbook Pro, or...
Pure announces Contour 200i AirPlay speaker, Sensia 200D internet radio (hands-on pictures)
Pure is showing off some of its speaker wares at CES Unveiled today, including two new speakers we got to take a look at. The coolest of the bunch is the Contour 200i, an AirPlay-enabled speaker system that at $329 is a lot less expensive than some of its competitors. It's a nice-looking device, heavy and reminiscent of a 21st-century Egyptian headdress, and it supports docking iPads as well as iPhones and iPods. We also got a look at the Sensia 200D, a round little internet radio with a...
Qooq culinary tablet: recipes and videos in a kitchen-safe enclosure (hands-on video)
The Qooq (pronounced "cook") culinary tablet is a slate designed specifically for the kitchen. The device has a heat- and water-resistant enclosure with a kickstand around back, as well as an SD card slot, Ethernet port, USB port, and headphone jack under a protective cover. Its 10.1-inch display has a 1024 x 600 resolution, which runs atop a 1GHz Cortex A9 dual-core processor.
The OS is a customized version of Linux with a heavy emphasis on cooking; it's essentially a souped-up digital...
Apps & Software
Dish Remote Access app updated, now streams on-demand video on iPad
At the Dish booth here at CES Unveiled 2012, the company showed off its updated Remote Access app, which now streams on-demand video to the iPad. If you're a Dish customer currently subscribed to Blockbuster @Home or premium channels like HBO and Cinemax, you'll now have access to thousands of movies and TV shows (like Entourage and Curb Your Enthusiasm) right on your iPad.
Additionally, Dish announced a partnership with Google TV and an application called Thuuz, which we're told will track a...
CES 2012
3M's 46-inch multitouch table supports 20-point input (hands-on pictures)
3M has a monstrous 46-inch multitouch table on display at CES 2012 that reminds us of Microsoft's Surface. The display has a 1080p resolution, and currently supports up to 20 concurrent touches — though it's theoretically capable of tracking up to 60. Similar to Microsoft's take, 3M sees the technology being put to use in retail stores, military applications, and governmental offices. The software we saw was running off a Mac Mini, with basic Twitter and photo viewing clients. The table is...
Microsoft
Tobii Gaze controls Windows 8 with eye tracking (hands-on video)
We just had the chance to sit down with Tobii's Gaze eye tracking technology, which the company hopes will eventually be a mainstay in consumer electronics and be adopted by PC manufacturers in the years to come. The project is a direct result of research conducted in 2001 at Stockholm's Royal Institute of Technology. Tobii had numerous Windows 8-based demos on hand to exhibit its futuristic tech, including a photo gallery that allowed us to navigate through pictures by shifting our glance...
iHome iDM5 combines Bluetooth keyboard, speaker, speakerphone
iHome's not making iPod docks anymore (at least not exclusively, anyway), and has come out with a number of cool new products that it's showing off at CES this week. The coolest of the new batch is the iDM5, which connects to any Bluetooth device and is a wireless keyboard, set of stereo speakers, and speakerphone all in one device. We also got to check out the iDM11, a tiny portable Bluetooth speaker / speakerphone that is aimed squarely at the Jawbone Jambox — and at $69, it might have a...
Disposable body metric patch from BodyMedia coming later this year
Devices to monitor your health and exercise are nothing new, and neither are devices that communicate with apps on your computer or smartphone. BodyMedia has been offering all of the above for some time (its latest product is a USB-only body monitors that saves $20 off the retail price of the Bluetooth version), but it's planning on trying a few new things in 2012 and 2013. First is the Body Monitory Patch, a disposable body patch designed to track calorie burn, steps, and more — BodyMedia...
CES 2012
Oregon Scientific Time and Wireless Charging Station+, ATCMini camera, and more (hands-on pictures)
Oregon Scientific, the perrinneal seller of weather stations, alarm clocks, and assorted electronic odds and ends, came to CES with a number of new product announcements spanning the full range. Top billing goes to the Time and Wireless Charging Station+, a beefier version of the Qi-enabled Wireless Phone Charging Station it had already been selling. The idea is pretty simple — it's a combination alarm clock and Qi-compatible power mat for your phone — but the new model also integrates a...
Eton Rukus solar-powered Bluetooth sound system hands-on
Eton's showing off its new Rukus portable speaker system at CES unveiled, and we just got our hands on it — it's a small, lightweight device that streams music via Bluetooth, and the system is powered by a big solar panel that covers most of the Rukus' topside. It's got a few simple controls on the front, including power, a Bluetooth toggle, and buttons for volume, aux, and bass adjustments. Also accompanying the controls is a nice little e-ink display that shows off battery levels, solar...
Zomm Lifestyle Connect gives elderly a contact in case of emergency (hands-on pictures)
Zomm's always made products to help you track your stuff, but with the new Lifestyle Connect the company's fixed its focus on helping the elderly. The Lifestyle Connect is a small dongle that slips into a purse or clips on a shirt, and acts as an emergency response system for the scary "I've fallen and can't get up" moments. It connects to your phone via Bluetooth, and with the press of a button can alert one of Zomm's concierges (the company is using MyAssist for the service, the same folks...
Apple
Belkin to make Dyle Mobile TV accessories, bring live OTA broadcasts to your mobile device (hands-on)
Belkin just announced at CES that it's going to to be developing accessories that work with MCV's Dyle Mobile TV service, which brings live over-the-air television to mobile devices. The service currently gets its content from 15 broadcasting groups, as well as FOX, NBC, and more, and devices with the right ATSC TV tuners and the Dyle app can get service from preexisting OTA broadcasts — which means it doesn't use any of your precious mobile data. We learned a few days ago that MCV was w...
Behringer Soundscape Air iPod dock, Splash 100 and Tuff Tunes hands-on
Behringer's at CES with some sporty new audio products, and we just gave them a heft: the $100 Splash 100 wireless pool speaker, $129 Soundscape Air iPod dock with wireless speakers, and the $100 Tuff Tunes boombox. There's no fancy AirPlay to be had here, just straight-up 2.4GHz wireless audio peripherals (and a rugged boombox) but they definitely have some interesting designs at the show. The Splash 100 is a floating orb with an estimated 230-foot range, 3.5 hours of battery life and LED...
CES 2012
Lenovo IdeaTab S2 10-inch tablet hands-on pictures and video
Lenovo's IdeaTab S2 gives the Transformer Prime a run for its money, coming in at just over 0.3 inches thick and weighing 1.1 pounds. We got a quick look at it here at CES and found it running Android 4.0 with a clean skin — perhaps Lenovo's Mondrian UI layer wasn't quite ready for prime time. The tablet portion locks into the keyboard with a click and releases with a button — the connection doesn't look especially robust (especially with a half-dozen CES attendees pawing at it...
CES 2012
Lenovo ThinkPad T430u ultrabook and ThinkPad Edge S430 hands-on
Lenovo just hasn't been able to stop announcing laptops here at CES 2012, but amongst them all, the ThinkPad T430u ultrabook and ThinkPad Edge S430 have stuck out. Both laptops won't be available until the spring when Intel's Ivy Bridge processors are available, but Lenovo did bring two early prototypes to the show.
The T430u is really liked a slimmed down X1. It's got a very classic ThinkPad look, with the same comfortable chiclet keyboard that's on the X1. The early samples Lenovo was...
Apple
Griffin Twenty amp adapts your old speakers to AirPlay using an AirPort
AirPlay, the ability to wirelessly stream music out of your iOS device to nearby compatible speakers, is a pretty big deal to iPhone and iPad owners. Alas, thanks to some pretty silly pricing on AirPlay speaker sets, they've remained relatively uncommon and out of reach. Now Griffin's trying to capitalize on that market gap with its new audio amp, which straps on an AirPort Express and transforms any old set of stereo speakers into an AirPlay station.
The Griffin Twenty hooks up to the copper...
Withings introduces Smart Baby Scale for infants and toddlers (hands-on pictures)
Withings already offers a Wi-Fi enabled scale for tracking your weight, but they are introducing a version for the little ones here at CES Unveiled. The Smart Baby Scale folds up for easy storage and will cost around $150 when it launches in Q2, accommodating both infants and toddlers. Babies can be weighed with the included baby basket, which can be removed as they grow up. Weight information is transmitted to the free companion WiScale iOS app via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, and the data can be...
Android
Parrot Asteroid in-car navigators run Android 2.3 (hands-on pictures)
We just took a quick break from playing with Parrot's new AR.Drone 2.0 to check out the company's new Asteroid in-car navigation systems. These aren't the first of their kind from Parrot, but they're a huge upgrade: the last version of the Asteroid was based on Android 1.6, and this year's model runs Android 2.3. There are three different models of the Asteroid system: the tiny Asteroid CK, a modular, 3.2-inch device that you can mount to your windshield or dashboard; the Asteroid NAV, which...
CES 2012
LG to launch Android phones with VMware virtualization on Verizon 'in the coming months'
LG's here at CES 2012 showing off VMware virtual Android machines running on a Verizon Revolution — you can have a "personal" phone that you manage yourself, and then hit a button and click over to a totally sandboxed "work" phone that's managed by your employer. We've known LG and VMware have been working on this since February, but the big news today is that Verizon and Telefonica wil be launching a phone with the tech "in the coming months." No one's getting more specific than that, and...
CES 2012
SolarKindle sunlight-powered Kindle battery pack hands-on
Remember the SolarFocus SolarKindle we told you about yesterday? We just got to try out that Kindle shell case with an external battery pack, pop-out light and thin, flexible solar panel here at CES. While it definitely adds a bit of bulk, the $79.99 accessory ($59.99 for the non-solar version) adds some functionality to an e-reader too, as the comfortable soft-touch covered case can completely charge the Kindle's battery, we're told. Unfortunately, the pop out light doesn't evenly illuminate...
CES 2012
Two new iCade controllers debut at CES 2012
Ion Audio has introduced a couple new game controllers for your favorite iOS device, and — as you've probably guessed — CES 2012 is the place to check them out. The first, iCade Core (price TBA), is a desktop unit that is compatible with the iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch. Essentially a compact version of the original iCade cabinet, the device features a cradle that you can swivel from portrait to landscape mode, depending on the orientation of the game you happen to be playing. iCade...
Sculpteo iOS app: 3D printing without the printer
A new free iOS app from Sculpteo will let you craft 3D objects of your own without having to actually purchase a 3D printer. It works like this: you take a sideways photo of someone's face and the software automatically recognizes their profile, at which point you can order a vase or mug custom-printed with the silhouette. Users can also customize cups of varying sizes with 2D dot-matrix designs that can be previewed within the app before being printed three-dimensionally. We're told it takes...
Marvell's Armada 1500 reference design for Google TV hands-on
We're pretty sure Google TV's going to be a huge theme this week at CES, and Marvell's Armada 1500 chip might be a driving force behind its adoption. The company's known for creating these reference designs, creating specific chipsets for particular technologies — it's done so for everything from light bulbs to tablets (like the OLPC XO 3.0, which the company's also showing off at CES Unveiled), and its latest product is designed specifically with Google TV in mind. Of course, the 1.2GHz...
Lenovo LePhone S2 Android smartphone hands-on pictures
Lenovo's S2 Android smartphone isn't necessarily going to set the world on fire, as it's based on Android 2.3. However Lenovo says it has a secure kernel for enterprise use. It also has a very heavy skin that reminds us a lot of webOS — including a gesture area and card views. The gesture area works by swiping to the right in order to drop into a multitasking card view, where you can close apps by tapping a big red "x" button. There's a back gesture as well, which operates just like...
Lenovo K2 10-inch tablet with Android 4.0 hands-on pictures and video
We're just back from taking a look at Lenovo's K2 10-inch tablet running Android 4.0. It's a 10.1-inch tablet with a Tegra 3 processor, 2GB of RAM, and a fingerprint scanner on the back, where a camera and LED flash also reside. The tablet should be heading to China first and no word yet whether or not it will be coming to the US. In the scrum here at CES we were only able to spend a few minutes with it, but as you can see in the video below The IdeaPad D2 may able to live up to its...
