Join Look Out Motion-control, here comes the Cywee!
I hold to the belief that the coolest gadgets are probably the ones that we do not know about. I met with a lot of big names at CES today like Panasonic, Samsung, and Pioneer, but one of the most amazing devices that I found was the Cywee.
The Cywee is a combination of a motion control mouse like the Logitech MX Air and a gun controller for video games. It connects to a PC by plugging in a wireless USB key. From there, the user can have a more realistic first person shooter experience using the trigger underneath. The rest of the control is all about motion, and if the user holds it at each end, it works like the controls for Mario Cart for the Wii.
Continue reading » Look Out Motion-control, here comes the Cywee!
Newber location aware phone number
Mobile applications seem to be a bit of a theme this year and Newber is joining the fray with the launch of it’s location aware business number service.
The aim is to move away from dependence on a mobile by routing the calls to the nearest landline near you. It adds a second phone number to your iPhone – calls to that number go either to the mobile or a landline near your current position, depending on your preferences.
It uses the GPS in the iPhone to work out where you are and routes the call appropriately.
Versions for Palm, Blackberry and windows mobile are in the works and it will be available in the app store “soon”.
CES: Palm’s Hail Mary gets best of show
With Palm’s stock plummeting almost by the day, it was a rather bold move to introduce a new smart phone to take on the iPhone and the Blackberry. But Palm’s hail mary pass to introduce the new Palm Pre has yielded the coveted BEST OF CES: BEST IN SHOW award. It also won the Best Cellphone category. And it’s got everyone talking about it. So much so that Palm’s stock has risen 38% since the announcement. Nice job for a company that was on the verge of closing it’s doors.
Continue reading » CES: Palm’s Hail Mary gets best of show
Ohmetric 3 in one power
Ohmetric will be launching this neat 3 in one power adapter later this year. It powers laptops and phones with dedicated adapters and there’s a USB port for iPods etc.
The whole thing winds up into a small package for travel and comes with adapters for 20 different types of power connector so you should be able to find something to fit your toys.
The only downside is the price – estimated retail price is around the $200 mark so it’s not particularly cheap
Nyko Wand is more advanced Wiimote
Since I always love Nyko’s products for the Wii, I couldn’t wait to see what they had to show at CES 2009. I was not disappointed, even though their newest Wii accessory, the Wand, is quite similar to a product that already comes with the Wii.
Hey now, there are a lot of differences between the Wand and the Wiimote. For starters, the Wand has a rubberized grip so it won’t slip out as easily, the 1 and 2 keys are enlarged, and look at that A button, it is red, baby!
Okay, I know what you are thinking. Uh…yeah, it’s still just a Wiimote, man. Well, it does have a built-in speaker, vibration function, and a 25 foot wireless range.
Oh, who am I fooling, it really is just a…wait a minute, the Wand has Trans-Port technology. That means that there are some special connectors on the base that are not on the regular Wiimote. This allows the Wand to be put in a new kind of Pistol Grip, which is not yet in Nyko’s current catalog. This Pistol Grip is a first for guncase mods, because a second trigger on the back of the gun allows the player to use the A key and B key.
Continue reading » Nyko Wand is more advanced Wiimote
ViewSonic gives you video games (and a projector) in 3D
Last night, I experienced the thrill of the BCS Championship Live in 3D, and today, I got to play video games in 3D for the first time at ViewSonic’s display in the Bellagio. Yeah, there’s never a dull moment at CES.
Viewsonic showed off not one, but two 3D products with the VX2265WM desktop LCD monitor and the PJD6220-3D lightweight portable projector. Of course, to see the 3-D effect, I had to wear the glasses. They were not the old-school red and blue ones, but NVIDIA GeForce 3D Vision glasses.
Somehow, these glasses worked in unison with a special light emitter to create the 3-D effect that we all know and love, and I played a game of Tomb Raider: Underworld that was like no other. Just to let you know, the 3-D glasses have to be charged with a mini-USB cable, but they are good for 40-50 hours of use.
Continue reading » ViewSonic gives you video games (and a projector) in 3D
The Tunebug and other fun with NXT Technology
Some of you may remember when I reported on Teac’s new iPod Docking Station that uses the NXT flat speaker system. Ever since then, I just keep running into NXT products. Last night, I opened the Soundbag that I received from the Sharper Image party, and the NXT logo was there.
This morning, I attended the NXT breakfast at CES and I discovered another nifty product that uses NXT’s Surface Surround Sound technology. The Tunebug, designed by Silicon Valley Global, has the unique ability to turn any flat surface into a speaker.
In order to prove this, Dick Brown, president of Silicon Valley Global, placed the Tunebug on an ordinary piece of cardboard. He held the cardboard out like a tiny diving board, and I could hear clear sound as the flat surface became a speaker.
Continue reading » The Tunebug and other fun with NXT Technology
Powermat – wireless power comes a step closer
“Wireless” recharging has been in development for a while – last year at CES we were impressed with WildCharge who were showing a concept product.
New kid on the block Powermat is also looking impressive. Powermat claim their product is superior because it doesn’t need metal to metal contact so the recharging surface can be embedded within desks, kitchen worktops, walls etc.
Powermat is also unique in that it can handle the high power loads demanded by things like laptops, TV’s and kitchen blenders.
Look for the technology in the shops Q3/Q4 this year. You’ll be able to buy the mat and a series of adapters and sleeves to enable existing devices.
If nothing else, the idea of dumping the plethora of different chargers we currently lug around to enable our digital life and replacing them with a single mat and a few adapters is appealing. It looks good but the real fun will start when one of these companies (and there are a couple of players in the market) manages to persuade a device manufacturer to embed it. If we see a standard emerge it will really take off.
