The FPS Gaming Vest had a commanding lead but out of nowhere the Computerized Chopper starting getting a load of votes. After checking logs, IP addresses and what not, we’ve got to discount at least 200 votes for the chopper, so the official Coolest Gadgets coolest gadget of CES 2008 is the FPS Gaming Vest, which just shows that we’re a bunch of masochists that like being punched when playing games.

Surprisingly we only had 10 comments on the post, one of which will win the $50 Amazon voucher and according to random.org the winner is…..

…Ian, so congratulations and I’ll be in touch about where to send the voucher to. Thanks again to everybody who voted and commented and whoever tried to rig the vote err why!

We do have more contests and give-aways planned this year and some other exciting news, so if you haven’t subscribed to our feed () yet there’s no time like the present.

The popularity of the iPod naturally gave birth to the popularity of the iPod docking station. One of best that I saw at CES this year was the SoundWorks i765. The i765 is made by Cambridge, which is a company related to Creative, makers of the popular Zen PMP.

As an iPod dock and speaker, it definitely does its job with a built-in powered subwoofer that is “capable of filing any size room with rich, natural sound”. And even though I’m quoting from the press kit, I had an opportunity to verify this claim for myself. It’s true.

However, quality sound is only one of the i765’s amazing features. The user has the option to connect the i765 to a television using S-video. I was able to try it out, and it played a movie that I had on my iPod like it was a DVD.

By the way, the i765 can play DVDs, as well as CDs. It also has an AM/FM tuner with 16 FM and 8 AM presets. All of these audio and video functions can be controlled with the included wireless remote that can control the iPod as well.

You can purchase the SoundWorks Radio i765 for about $499.99 at the Cambridge SoundWorks site or at select Apple Retail Stores.

When I was at CES 2008 last week, there was a lot of hype over the Hitachi 1.5. In fact, Hitachi had these mobile billboards driven around all around the town proclaiming “1.5 is here”. I’ve always found ad campaigns like these a little awkward. They tend to assume that you know what the product is, which sort of defeats the purpose of advertising.

For those who do not know, 1.5 is a new display from Hitachi that is as thick as its name: 1.5 inches. Of course, the mere thickness (or in this case, thinness) is pretty impressive, but Hitachi packed even more features.

First, the 1.5 has a search engine that is designed for large-scale image and video archives. This program, also known as Similarity Based Image Retrieval System, can essentially use a picture to search for a bigger or similar picture.

Second, the 1.5 has a Personal Video Sharing feature with a built-in home data center. This allows for content recorded on a video camera to be shared between two homes. No PC is required for this.

The third cool feature is a Wireless HDTV System. This allows high-definition content to be distributed over WiFi from a Hitachi video gateway device. In other words, a user can share content among several displays at home.

The fourth feature is the IPTV user interface for “accessing, managing, and sharing content at home or on the go”.

The 1.5 is planned to be released shortly, and something tells me it will make quite a splash.

Source

So our short list of coolest CES gadgets is:

Computerized Chopper

The concept was to produce a product capable of operating under some pretty tough conditions and to show the potential of the current embedded technology. The result was the SwitchBack PC, a product which was already in development stages by Black Diamond. Read more »

FPS Gaming vest – Feel the Bullets

The FPS Gaming vest is a new gaming peripheral aimed at the first person shooter market. Looking like a flack jacket, the vest will actually “punch” you when you get hit. Not only that, but it punches where you get hit too. It doesn’t bruise, but you definitely know you’ve been fragged and where the shot came from. Read more »

Guitar Hero Air Guitar Rocker

Air Guitar Rocker is officially licensed with Guitar Hero but you don’t need to own Guitar Hero to play. Simply wear the supplied ‘heavy metal’ belt buckle, attach it to the included processor thingie and you’re good to go. Play your air guitar by strumming the plectrum in front of your groin the belt buckle. Read more (and watch the video) »

Please let us know what you think, other suggestions are more than welcome.

If you are reading this via our feed you’ll have to visit the site to vote. Thanks and good luck in the draw.

The picture to the left is simply a scan of a postcard that I received in the mail, and there are several things that make this picture special.

The first thing is that it depicts a handsome blogger who visited CES 2008 in Las Vegas, and is holding up a genuine Las Vegas napkin as “proof that I was here”.

The second thing is that the postcard is made from a picture from a cell phone. However, there was no work downloading the picture to a PC, or taking the time to print it out with a caption. All that it took was sending the picture from a cell phone to WYWH.mobi, and then the postcard was printed elsewhere and sent to its destination.

I believe that this WYWH (acronym for Wish You Were Here) service is very useful. After all, most people will send postcards when they are on vacation. I suppose that they could print out the postcards themselves, but who is going to bring their photo-printer along on vacation? I suppose you could print out your postcards when you come home, but doesn’t that defeat the point?

Fortunately, all you have to do is take a picture, send it to the WYWM.mobi, and they send your postcards off to your friends and relatives before you get home. Each postcard is about $1.99, which includes a caption on the front and room for a typewritten message. Unfortunately, this service won’t be available for a few months, but I think it’s worth the wait.

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After CES, I saw a lot of coverage on iRiver’s new line of products, but I was surprised that there was little on the new SPINN MP4 Player. Perhaps this was due to the SPINN being under a glass cage at the booth. Unfortunately, I do not know if they ever took the player out of its display case at any time during the Expo.

Therefore, I wasn’t able to see the biggest selling point on what iRiver calls its flagship model. I would have liked to see the easy-to-use SPINN System Toggle Wheel, which I was told uses 3-D technology for a truly unique interface.

The thing that iRiver wants to promote with this new type of toggle wheel is that it has the “warmth of analog technology”. Personally, I never saw a dial as having any warmth whatsoever, but I think I see what they are trying to do. Too many Portable Media Players have too many buttons and confusing scroller wheels, so perhaps it was time to go back to the old-fashioned dial method for ease of usage.

The features on the SPINN are many including a photo viewer, FM tuner, recording capability, Flash games (including Flash 2.0), a text viewer, and even a dictionary. The screen is a 3.2 inch WQVGA TFT-LCD with 480×272 resolution. All this, and it is Bluetooth compatible.

The iRiver SPINN should be available sometime in the Spring, but a price has not been set as yet.

Look’s like I’m having a bit of a session on bikes at the moment and the coolest I’ve found so far has to be the operational concept chopper produced in collaboration between Intel and Orange County Choppers with just a little help from Black Diamond. The concept was to produce a product capable of operating under some pretty tough conditions and to show the potential of the current embedded technology. The result was the SwitchBack PC, a product which was already in development stages by Black Diamond. They just needed to make it dirt, weather, shock and vibration proof (easy peasy) and ensure it was also ultra-mobile. And what better way to demonstrate all of this by putting it into a motorcycle.

The finished bike has fingerprint recognition ignition system, digital dashboard with a complete infotainment system including web access and other processor based operations. Another neat feature are the rear mounted cameras to see what’s behind you, thus eliminating the need for rear view mirrors. Capable of wireless connectivity, including Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and GPS and with plenty of other oh so cool features (I want one and I can’t even ride a bike!)

Guideline prices for the SwitchBack PC are from $6,000 to $10,000 (plus the cost of whichever bike you want to install it onto). Somehow I don’t think a little 125cc will do it full justice but I think that may be all I can get to start with.

All right, I believe this will be my last CES 2008 related story. I mean, it really is getting kind of old.

Basically, one of my last experiences plays out like this: I was walking along, minding a lot of other booth’s business, when some representative from ZAGG Inc. shows me the Invisible Shield.

The Invisible Shield is essentially glorified cellophane tape, but it is designed to protect cell phones and other mobile devices, such as this iPod in the photo, from nicks and scratches.

How well does it work? Well, I admire the salesperson’s demonstration. He had a Tupperware container filled with screws, and he put his own phone in there. Then he shook it up for a while, and there was not a scratch on it.

I thought that was pretty impressive, so I asked them it can protect touch screens, such as the iPhone. They said it was perfect for it, and it was even good for removing smudges. All someone had to do was wipe the device coated with Invisible Shield on their sleeve, and it removes prints and smudges perfectly.

The Invisible Shield is all about being custom made, so you have to make certain that you have the right Invisible Shield for your device. If you want to remove it, there is no sticky residue.

I’m not certain how much this device costs or when it will be available, but it certainly is useful.

For those that like to live by the laptop, I found a product at CES 2008 that can counteract the problems that result from constant usage. This product, known as the Dock, Lock, and Roll is developed by Hot Concepts, and I got a chance to talk to the inventor, Carl Jacobs.

The first problem of the laptop is how hot the laptop can get. In fact, if you keep it on your lap long enough, it begins to feel like a very hot cat laying on your lap. Fortunately, the Dock, Lock, and Roll has two little fans that can keep the laptop cool.

Another problem results from simply moving your laptop around. I found that I have to either pick it up to avoid scuff marks on the table, and the cables of my AC cord and mouse inevitably get caught in this messy shuffle.

Enter the Dock, Lock, and Roll, which has the ability to put itself on rollers with just a flick of a little switch. This way, the laptop can easily roll around or stay wherever you want to on the table.

Inventor and Sr. Account Manager Carl Jacobs is very proud of the rollers in this device for a very good reason. I believe they are patented, and they make the whole Dock, Lock, and Roll functional and very useful.

The Dock, Lock, and Roll links up with your laptop via USB to mini-USB connection. Speaking of USBs, it has three ports and some great multi-card readers for even more useful functionality.

I don’t have a price on this item, nor an availability date, but in my opinion, the Dock, Lock, and Roll can’t arrive anytime soon.

How many times have you had a family member over for dinner and they’ve looked at your framed photographs and quipped that they’d love a copy. You promise to have one made but life being as it is, you never seem to get around to pulling the picture out of the frame, driving down to the 1 hour photo to get a copy, and then drop it in the mail. Wouldn’t it be cool if you could just press a button and spit one out? That’s the cool promise of the Prinics’ Digital Photo Frame.

Although a tad wide for hanging on the wall, this digital photo frame includes a 300×300dpi printer built right into it. With a push of a button, the request for a copy can be fulfilled at one every forty-two seconds. Also on board are card slots to fit SD, MS, MMC and XD cards so updating the digital frame is a rather straight forward affair. Additionally, the frame has it’s own soundtrack with stereo speakers on board and the ability to play WMA audio.

And although no one seems to know for how much, it’s currently available in Korea. So just take your basic cost for a digital photo frame, add the cost of a photo printer and some speakers and you can guess pretty much what this will set you back.

Source & Photo Credit: The Giz

CES has had several surprises this week, and today is one of them as USB 3.0 cables have been spotted on the showroom floor.

USB 3.0 has been talked about for awhile now and everyone has been waiting to see if the promise of blazing transfer speeds can take on the king that is IEEE 1394 (otherwise known as Firewire) 800. Well, the specs are in and USB engineers claim to have squeezed up to nearly 5 Gigs a second (about 600 MB realistically) in transfer speed. Not bad, that’s about twenty percent faster than Firewire 800 set a few years back.

But the cool thing is that instead of turning off the entire port through the OS to conserve energy, the USB3’s system can detect a lack of use and cut the electricity portion of the plug all on its own. That’s pretty nice. The downside? Designers don’t expect USB 3.0 to hit the market until sometime in 2010.

2010?! If Moore’s Law has anything to say about it, by then we’ll be looking at new standards in HD that’ll render those kinds of speeds rather obsolete.

“Tighten your seatbelts, it’s going to be a bumpy ride.”

Source and Photo Credit: Engadget

If you’ve never been to CES before, it can get mighty tiring wandering around from Booth to Booth, looking at products. Some of them don’t look any different than others, so it makes it hard to find one that really stands out from the crowd.

I did find some serious stand-out factor when I passed the booth for Wacom. This Washington state company is responsible for the Cintiq series of interactive pen displays that operate off a digital pen.

We have covered them before, but I got a chance to see the Cintiq 12WX in action and was most impressed. All of the action involves pen-on-screen interface, with a very classy feel. It is about time that someone invented something that really emphasizes creative drawing in the digital world, without having to learn a new programming language.

In addition to the pen, the user can also interface with the Cintiq using two touchpads. There is one on either side of the screen, and they can do nifty things such as magnification and the like. There is also some serious button action going on for some great hotkey applications.

The Cintiq 12WX comes with a pen that allows the user to adjust for comfortable settings, and it is very comfortable to use. I believe that you can get this nifty device now for about $999.

More info…

22Moo International, the international developer and distributor responsible for such award winning technology such as the Sleeptracker and Dr. Mist products, had a very interesting display at CES this year.

This time, they were highlighting these wonderful viewing goggles made by a partner company, Yellow Mosquito.

Viewing goggles are nothing new, and the myvu and Vuzix iWear were prominently displayed at CES 2008. However, I found that the 22Moo was better than both of them.

The 22Moo goggles featured some rubber frame that totally enclosed your eyes from all outside light, something that other viewing goggles fail to have. This leads to an experience that closes off the outside world, but without the tight fit of something like swimming goggles.

As a result, the screen in front of you looks huge, despite the fact that it really is only a projection. I also found that with some specialty made DVDs, you can view footage in true 3-D. This made for a very awesome experience.

I don’t know where or when these goggles will be available, but I sure hope that the general public can get a hold of them soon. As far as I could see, they are available in many colors and styles.

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It’s easy to see how the Vestalife Ladybug Speaker dock for the iPod obtained its name. As you can see, the speakers fold out in a very aesthetically pleasing way, not unlike a real ladybug.

What you can’t see in the photo is the built-in three inch subwoofer that is installed on the other side. I found that it gave a lot better sound that most iPod docks, who usually opt for only two speakers and assume that they have done enough.

There are a lot of other great features to this device. For example, it has a USB connector for synchronizing with the computer, LED volume indicators, and it is both AC and battery powered.

Not only that, it can also charge your iPod. The Ladybug can support all kinds of iPod models including the iPod mini, iPod nano, as well as the iPod classic models.

Oh, and before I forget, the Vestalife Ladybug comes with a remote control and even a tote bag. It is no wonder that the Vestalife Ladybug Speaker Dock for the iPod won an Innovations Design and Engineering award at CES 2008 this year.

The Vestalife Ladybug should be available later this February. The red and silver editions are about $110 USD. There are also some Element Skateboard limited editions with cool patterns for about $125.

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It seems like every phone that I see at CES 2008 I want to make my next mobile phone, and the Samsung SCH-i760 is by no means no exception.

There is certainly a lot to like about this phone that Samsung was displaying quite proudly at CES 2008 this year.

Number one, it slides up to a QWERTY keyboard, which is always a seller as we enter into the era of the smartphone. This QWERTY keyboard is completely separate from the numeric keypad, which means no switching off from letters to numbers.

The phone has full Windows Mobile 6 Professional access, including Word, Excel, and Powerpoint. You can check your email and stay connected securely with Wireless Sync or Active Sync.

You can also use the phone as a tethered modem thanks to Broadband Access Connect, and it is fully Bluetooth compatible. It is also fair to rave about the music playing capability.

Oh, I forgot to mention the touchscreen, which works in cooperation with a stylus that fits nicely into the side of the unit itself.

Right now, you can purchase the Samsung SCH-i760 for about $449.99 with a 2-year contract price. It is also available at the Verizon wireless site for $349.99.

Source

If you’re always driving here, there and everywhere and are fed up of balancing your laptop on your knee when you pull over to check your mail or see where your next appointment is, then help is at hand in the guide of the Laptop Mount from PanaVise. I’m sure this will be a boon to most travelling business people.

It should fit most make of vehicle and can be self-installed. The idea is, as always, simple but effective. When installed, you have the ability to position the mount to the most comfortable viewing and working configurment. When not in use, you just unclip from the base and stash in the trunk of your car, or wherever else you may want to store it. Accessories include USB cooling fan, light and telescoping support brace.

The Laptop Mounts will be available by the end of January 2008 and retail at $199 for the base model.

To all those who work for Neonode, let it me known that the employee known as Claudia deserves a raise. The reason being is because there were many booths at CES 2008 that ignored me completely, even though I could bring them some easy press.

However, Claudia came right up to me and showed me the Neonode N2, and she had me at hello. She was legitimately excited about this product, and it was easy to see why.

The Neonode N2 was quite a tiny device that I hesitate to describe as a one-handed iPhone, but it certainly is the simplest description. Basically, you hold it in one hand, and you use your thumb to do all the scrolling movements.

You see, the Neonode N2 is small enough to fit in the palm of your hand, and although it will take a while to get used to the scrolling, it has an advantage over the iPhone touchscreen. You see, every time you push a number on the numeric keypad, you feel something of a small vibration. This is so different from the iPhone which has no tactile feedback.

The Neonode N2 is planned for an American launch sometime in the second quarter of 2008, and I have no word on a price. However, I do have a word to Claudia at Neonode: good work.

Source

The TPMS-201 (which I assume stands for Tire Pressure Monitoring System) is a set of valves that connect to each of your cars wheels, these then measure and transmit the pressure to a display unit that you mount on the dash. The display unit shows you each tires pressure or temperature in real time giving you the knowledge to pump your tires for optimum performance .

There are versions for both 4 and 6 wheelers, more info and availability over on DigiTire

I’ve heard and written about the Mova Globe before, okay it’s old but still cool, but this is the first time I’ve held and seen one in real life and it’s now even more cool and some what bewildering. The Mova Globe can be placed on static stand and it will rotate on its own. Though for the best effect check out the video of Business Develpoment Director, Alex Kalmanson holding it up.

The globe uses solar power and the earths magnetic field to perform it’s magic and as it uses 50 worldwide patents that’s as much as they were prepared to tell me.

The Mova Globe costs $100 – $150 and is wirth every cent IMO.

I believe that our Apple iPods are built to be durable, but they are not that durable. I’ve heard that thousands of cell phones are dropped into toilets everyday, so you can imagine that iPod’s are just as vulnerable. I don’t have a stat about how many iPods get flushed each day, but I imagine a nano would actually make it all the way to the ocean.

The iceBar2 is designed specifically to keep an iPod nano safe from water damage in any situation. Okay, not any situation, but up to three meters of water.

This iceBar2 Speaker System is a waterproof and shatterproof case which can protect the iPod from not only dust and scratches, and that wet foe: water.

You may note in the picture how the material is clear, but you might not know that it is also bulletproof. When you connect the iPod nano inside, the waterproof stereo speakers will play your tunes in any setting.

The iceBar 2 will certainly come in handy for the bathtub, or even a pool party. It is powered by four AAA batteries, and has an external power button so users can instantly turn the case on or off. This allows users to listen privately by adding their own earphones.

The iceBar 2 will be available in April at a price of $69.

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