Besides 3D, ebooks and media players, another popular phrase thrown around this year’s CES is multi-touch. And one of the more impressive pieces of multi-touch hardware I’ve seen so far is 3M’s new M2256PW LCD display. Using the company’s ‘projected capacitive technology’ the display is able to recognize up to 10 simultaneous touches, with a response time of less than 15 milliseconds. Now the response time is faster with less touches at one time, but even when using every finger on both hands the display is very, very responsive. I was expecting there to be a lot more lag, but it’s barely even noticeable.
Besides random doodles and sketches, the new 22-inch 1680×1050 pixel resolution display will let you interact with more real-world applications like the Autocad demo 3M was also showing at their booth. But let’s face it, I can’t think of 10 different things I’d need to do at once in a 3D application, or any app for that matter, so the technology seems better suited for larger displays where multiple people could interact with content on-screen at once. However the M2256PW will be available for sale sometime this year.
Thanks to Eye-Fi and Novatel’s MiFi, we’re going to be trying out a live photo stream here on OhGizmo. As we’re walking around the show floor, we’ll be taking pictures, which are getting saved to Eye-Fi cards. The MiFi is a portable 3G router, and the Eye-Fi cards should (should!) be uploading pics through the MiFi to Flickr as soon as we take them (remember our review? It’s fast). Then, they’ll pop up here in the slide show.
We spend a lot (like, seriously, a lot) of time looking at stuff at CES, and we can’t write about all of it, so this gives you a chance to see what we’re seeing pretty much as we’re seeing it. Some of the stuff we’ll end up writing about, but if you have a question about a specific thing, just leave a comment and we can probably get you more info.
So, that’s the idea! If it doesn’t work (i.e. the pics don’t update to new ones), it’s probably because there are about 100,000 people here all trying to use 3G at the same time, not to mention the thousands of computers all spewing out wireless interference. Or, our router ran out of batteries. Also, remember that you’ll have to reload the page to see the newest stuff, since as far as I can tell the slide show doesn’t auto-update.
Oh, and special thanks to Eye-Fi and Novatel for making this sweet setup possible.
We covered the Neato Robotics XV-11 robot vacuum in detail on BotJunkie back in December, and last night at Digital Experience here at CES we got a chance to check it out in person. Just to recap, the Neato is unlike most other robot vacuums in that it isn’t a gussied up Roomba knockoff but rather an original design, the flagship feature of which is a laser based room navigation system that can clean much faster and more efficiently than a Roomba’s pseudo-random patterns. Check out our earlier post on BotJunkie for more details, or just watch the demo, narrated by Neato Robotics CEO Max Safai, right after the break. Read the rest of this entry »
When someone (like Lenovo) says that they’ve got this laptop that runs on a cell phone processor, and that they’re calling it a “Smartbook,” your first thought might be a mental eyeroll. So it helps when someone (like Lenovo) plies you with alcohol and desserts, and then points out that it’s really a pretty decent idea. The Lenovo Skylight has a 10 inch screen, a full size keyboard, and integrated WiFi and 3G, all of which you’d expect in a mobile connectivity netbook. It’s missing three things that you’d also expect: a 2.5″ hard drive, Windows, and an Atom processor, and Windows. Instead, it uses a couple microSD cards (one of which is swappable), a customized version of Linux, and a 1ghz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor with 512mb of RAM that’s strong enough to play back 720p HD video. Put that all together and you get a lot of functionality coupled with a 10 hour battery life (think 6-8 in normal use) in a wicked skinny package that weighs less than 2 pounds.
The OS is heavily focused on web integration, as you’d expect from such a low power computer. One of the most interesting physical features is a long and skinny USB accessory slot… They had a 16 gig USB drive in there, but hypothetically, you can plug anything you want into it, like some extra media buttons or maybe a webcam or something.
Lenovo is still working on their customized operating system, video playback, and other stuff like the touchpad. Everything should be ready to go by April of this year, when you’ll be able to pick the Skylight up for, uh, $499. Another option will be to buy it along with a 3G data plan from AT&T, which will likely subsidize it quite a bit, but still, for what it is, that seems like a lot of money… Even if it is so little and roundish and cute.
There’s little argument that inductive charging is the way of the future. After all, who wouldn’t want to eliminate cords from their mobile devices and charge one simply by setting it on a mat? Energizer is no stranger to the idea, and have been working on a new Wireless Charging Mat that they hope will help pave the way for this revolution.
Energizer has been working with the Wireless Power Consortium to craft a charging pad that will adhere to all forthcoming standards (dubbed Qi). The idea is that once the standards are set in place (which will hopefully be in the near future) people will be able to charge all compliant devices with this pad. Until such devices hit the market, you will still be able to use this with a Blackberry or iPhone using the available adapters, which come in the form of phone cases.
Flash drives are great, but if you’re looking for a backup solution for your notebook/netbook, they aren’t generally your first choice. After all, who wants to mess with plugging it in every time you want to do a backup, only to have to remove it again later? Lexar was showing off their new Echo ZE Keys, which are some of the smallest flash drives on the market. They’re small enough to stay plugged in at all times, which is why they might be a great option for backing up your laptop or netbook.
The tiny drives measure just 20.1 by 15.1 millimeters, making them one of the smallest in the world. Of course with a capacity of up to 32GB, small isn’t always the best word to describe them. Each drive comes loaded with Lexar’s Echo backup software, with features like targeted file backup, file versioning and 128-bit encryption. Look for these next month with a price tag of around $140.
3D TV is a huuuuuge deal at CES this year. I’m not sure whether it’s as huge a deal for consumers as it is for the companies making the TVs, but either way, it’s what they’re pushing. The reason that 3D TV is kinda lame is that you need special glasses to get it to work (with some exceptions). This is, to put it mildly, an inconvenience, but the real problem is that the glasses are totally dorky looking and nobody will ever take you seriously if they catch you wearing a pair.
These glasses, made by Gunnar, are actually pretty stylish while still being able to 3Dify what comes out of that 3D TV that you’re certainly going to buy. Of course, you won’t find pairs of these in a big bin on your way into the movie theater, but if you DO actually go out and buy a 3D TV, and you somehow manage to find 3D content, these might be a worthwhile investment. They start at $90 and go up to a couple hundred, and are available now.
Today Mophie unveiled their latest case for the iPhone, which does more than just protect your device. Their new Mophie Marketplace is actually a credit card reader specifically for the iPhone. The case extends a little bit past the bottom of the phone, to accommodate the reader. When combined with Mophie’s specially-designed app, anyone with a merchant number can process cards right from their iPhone.
The case looks very much like the Juice Pack Air that I reviewed last year, and similarly interfaces through the 30-pin connector. It also has the same micro-USB connection which will allow you to sync and charge your phone without removing the case.
The application is very straightforward. You just open it, slide the credit card and fill in the amount you want to charge. Turn the phone on its side (to landscape mode) and it will automatically display a line on which your customer can sign with their finger. Hit the button to process, and it will show a notification which tells you whether or not the transaction was approved. You can also use one of several other credit card processing apps on the market, so you aren’t tied down to the one from Mophie. The case will be out later this year with a price that has yet to be determined.
There’s nothing new about the idea of an ergonomic keyboard. The logic behind them is that your average keyboard is not designed with your wrists in mind. Most of them are split down the middle, with your hands being at slight angles, rather than running parallel. However, since repetitive motion is still an issue, wouldn’t typing on an angled keyboard still be bad after a few hours? Smartfish thinks so.
While checking out some of the booths, I cam across a rather interesting keyboard. At first glance the ErgoMotion looks like any other ergonomic keyboard. While it is based on the same principals as most, it has one major difference: a motor.
Related Tags: CES2010, Displays, Innovation
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