|
|
|
|
February 1, 2010 CES 2010: Part III Present and future technology was on display in the Las Vegas Convention Center at the 2010 International Consumer Electronics Show. Previous columns gave you a peek at some of the new and exciting devices (see them at www.norma-tony.com) but there was more:
Verbatim TUFF-‘N’-TINY Micro USB Flash Drive (www.verbatim.com) is a tiny thumb drive available in color-coded 4, 6, or 8GB sizes ($15, $20, $25). It is encapsulated, solid and ruggedly made to survive back packs, purses, key chains and such, in spite of its diminutive size. This cool device comes pre-loaded with a V-Safe 100 security application, allowing you to password protect the whole drive or a portion of it. Good things come in small packages.
WikiReader (www.thewikireader.com $99, 2X annual update subscription via SD card, $30) brings the world of Wikipedia, the popular online encyclopedia, to your pocket or purse in a stand-alone device. The WikiReader holds more than three million entries from the online site and is quickly and easily searchable for information by keyword(s). Check previous searches via the History feature or use the Random feature just for fun. The 3.5-inch touch screen provides a virtual keyboard and selection and scrolling functions. The clear, easily readable LCD screen is not back lighted, so you’ll need good ambient lighting to view. We found ourselves quickly becoming information addicted.
Duracell myGrid (www.durcell.com, pad $79.99) is much welcomed technology that eliminates the need for multiple chargers and cables for your mobile devices. The pad can accommodate as many as four different devices simultaneously for wireless charging, although you need a power sleeve or adapter clip for your specific device ($39.95 each). Drop your cell phone or other device on the pad, and it starts charging immediately--quick and easy.
Add color, sparkle, fashion and fun to your iPod ear buds using the new DEOS Couture Earphone Covers (www.deoslive.com, $9.95 +). Styles range from simple silicon to crystal accented to full Swarovski crystal encrusted covers in more than a dozen colors. White and black diamond and exotic black titanium styles are also available for those with very deep pockets.
Digital camera SD memory cards have gone wireless with the Eye-Fi (www.eye-fi.com $49 - $149) SD wireless memory card series. In addition to standard 2, 4, or 8GB memory, these cards incorporate wireless Wi-Fi that automatically uploads photos or videos to your computer when your camera is within range of your home wireless network or any of 30 pre-selected Wi-Fi hot spots (Starbucks anyone?). Depending on your configuration, the uploaded photos will be sorted into folders, automatically backed up and sent to your favorite sharing site such as Flickr, Picasa and others. Two of the SD card series automatically Geotag each photo if there’s a hot spot in the general vicinity, and one of the cards will also clear the memory card as it uploads, providing virtually endless memory for your shooting. More to come; stay tuned. |
