It’s impossible for any single news organization to cover everything shown at CES, but thankfully The Onion has distilled the show down to a brief highlight list covering some of the more important reveals and announcements made this year.

And oddly enough, RCA’s Airnergy Charger almost seems like it belongs on this list too.

[ The Onion - Highlights of the Consumer Electronics Show ] VIA [ CrunchGear ]

By Chris Scott Barr

PC gamers such as myself are always big on customizing our keyboards and mice. Generally that means mapping keys to specific functions and adjusting the sensitivity of the mouse. However, when given the ability, we love to take the customization to a higher level. In the past we’ve seen mice that have adjustable weights, which can make a difference.  However, Mad Catz has raised the bar when it comes to mouse customization with their new line of Cyborg R.A.T. mice.

The Cyborg R.A.T mouse is one of the craziest looking peripherals that I’ve seen. At first glance, it does not look like something that would be comfortable at all. However, after placing my hand on it, I found it to be exactly the opposite. In fact, thanks to the unique features it can become one of the most comfortable mice on the market.

When I say that this mouse is fully customizable, I don’t mean that you can just reprogram the functions of each button (though this is also possible). Rather, you can control the exact weight, length, width and even texture of the mouse. With a few twists of an Allen wrench (which is carefully stored within the mouse itself) you can change the very dimensions of the device so that it perfectly fits your hand.

Other notable features include a customizable DPI switch. Like most gaming mice, you easily switch between several different DPI with the click of a button. Unfortunately those resolutions are generally predetermined, with perhaps only one of them actually being of use to you. With the R.A.T. you can actually program what each of those settings are, allowing each of them to be useful. You’ll also find a precision button on the side. This is for those times where you have your mouse set to a high DPI, but need to be extremely accurate. As long as you’re holding down the button, your DPI is dropped way down, allowing you to focus on only a small area. Once you release the button, it goes back to normal.

The R.A.T. series currently four different models. The R.A.T. 9 includes all of the features and is wireless, while each of the lower models lose one or two along the way. Prices start at $129 and work their way down to $49, so there is a model for all budgets.

[ Mad Catz ]

By Chris Scott Barr

There was a time not all that long ago where Mad Catz was a brand associated with cheap gaming accessories that no one really cared all that much about. After the acquisition of Saitek, the company really turned things around. I had the pleasure of checking out their latest line of products, each one a quality piece of hardware. In fact, the first one I’m going to show you isn’t even related to gaming.

We’ve seen a number of solutions for controlling your living room PC and Mad Catz has their own. Under the Eclipse brand, the new litetouch keyboard is a sleek peripheral that wouldn’t look bad at all sitting on your coffee table. It’s a little smaller than your average desktop keyboard, thanks to the F-keys being dropped down and the arrow keys (and a few others) being brought in to the left of where they’d normally sit. If it’s going to be sitting out, smaller is generally better.

Where you’d normally find the number pad is instead a small LCD screen. When turned on, you’ll see one of three different sets of virtual buttons displayed on the screen. You have ‘number pad mode,’ ‘media mode’ and ‘MyEclipse mode.’ The number pad is pretty self-explanatory, as is the media mode. The MyEclipse mode has 12 keys with pre-defined icons which can be programmed to open an application, or up to three individual websites. There are also an extra 5 keys that can be programmed to do virtually anything else.

Also found on the litetouch keyboard is a trackball and left/right mouse buttons. After all, what good would a living room keyboard be without the ability to control your mouse pointer? The litetouch keyboard will be available this Spring in both wired and wireless varieties. Look for them at $99 and $129 respectively.

[ Eclipse ]

By Chris Scott Barr

These days buying music and putting it on your MP3 player of choice is a pretty simple task. Unfortunately for some of the older generation, even that can seem like a daunting task. Instead they’d perhaps just prefer to listen to the radio. Well if you’re looking to bring them into the age of MP3 players without scaring them too much, here is an interesting device that I saw while roaming the floor of CES.

Myine has created a rather curious radio called the Abbee, which is essentially used to record music. At its very basics, it  is your average FM radio that your parents and grandparents have used for years. The interesting thing is the small MP3 player docked on top of the unit. When you turn on the radio and hit the record button, that MP3 player will begin recording the music played (while automatically editing out the commercials and DJ talk).

Once you’ve let the device record for a while, you can take it off and use it as an MP3 player. There is no screen on it, so unfortunately you won’t have any way to see the song that is currently playing or anything. If there is a song that you like, just hit the star button and it will be saved. Otherwise once the 500 song (approximate) limit is reached, it will begin recording over the earliest songs (first in, first out) the next time you dock it an hit record.

It really seems rather simple to use, and could be good for those that really don’t mess with computers too much. The $249 price does seem a bit steep, though I suppose you are technically going to get a lot of free music (not of the highest quality of course) so you can factor that into the price. Most tech-savvy users won’t take much of an interest, but if you have an older relative they may very well love one.

[ Myine ]

By Chris Scott Barr

iPhone cases were everywhere at CES this year. You couldn’t go past more than a few booths without someone showing off their latest designs. Most cases were similar to others on the market, but with a different pattern, or a slightly different feel. It was always a refreshment to see something that actually brought something new to the world of iPhone cases. One in particular from Case-Mate caught my eye as I was exploring their booth.

Here in Vegas there is little reason to carry around a bulky wallet. I don’t need all of the stupid club cards that you have to swipe at the grocery store and whatnot. I just need my ID, debit card and room key. Those, along with my iPhone are really the only essentials that I need on my person. Wouldn’t it be great if there were a case that could hold all of them? Well Case-Mate thinks so too. Their iPhone ID Credit Card Cases are meant to hold your phone and two credit card-sized items. I think that three might have been a better choice, but then again I rarely have to worry about a room key. For $30 you can leave your wallet at home, while still having the essentials.

[ Case-Mate ]

By Chris Scott Barr

If you have an iPhone, it probably goes with you everywhere. But how many places do you take a cable to charge it? Since the iPhone is notorious for having less than spectacular battery life, it’s generally good to have a way to get extra juice to it when needed. Scosche was showing off their latest iPhone/iPod charge and sync cable at CES, which should be easy to keep on your person at all times.

The flipSYNC looks very much like an ordinary fob that you might have on your keychain. However, hidden within are two ends of a cable. One end for your iPhone/iPod and one that is an ordinary USB plug. As long as you have access to a free USB port, you’ll always have a way to charge and sync your device. These should be hitting the market soon for an undetermined price.

[ Scosche ]

By Evan Ackerman

Next door to CES is the Adult Entertainment Expo, and as a journalist, it’s my obligation to go. And I heard that the world’s first sex robot was going to be making its (her?) debut. On Friday I spent about 10 minutes interviewing the CEO of True Companion about the robot to get an overview and some background, and we’ve been promised a live demo today.

We’ve got a video after the break that’s probably NSFW, since it shows a scantily clad (but not naked) android and there is some mild discussion of sex. I’d probably call it PG-13, but certainly not R or X. If this type of thing bothers you, no worries, just skip this post.

Here are the facts from the press release:

-Roxxxy TrueCompanion is anatomically consistent with a human

-She can hear you, speak to you, feel your touch, carry on a conversation, and have an orgasm

-Artificial intelligence engine lets Roxxxy learn your likes and dislikes

-Comes preloaded with 5 separate girlfriend personalities, including:

-Frigid Farrah (reserved and shy)
-Wild Wendy (outgoing and adventurous)
-S&M Susan (“ready to provide your pain/pleasure fantasies”)
-Young (“she is oh so young (barely 18) and waiting for you to teach her”)
-Mature Martha (“she is very experienced and would like to teach you”)

-You can design your own personality profiles and share them online

I’m not really sure what I can possibly add to that, so here’s the interview:

If you have questions, now’s the time, we’ll pass them on to Douglas (the guy in the video).

[ Roxxxy TrueCompanion ]

Flip took an early lead in the compact & dead-easy-to-use camcorder market, but a lot of companies, including Creative, have caught up and even surpassed what the Flip is capable of with their own products. The latest version of their Vado HD camcorder features a vastly improved and sleeker design that comes in various colors, patterns and finishes that will definitely appeal to the average consumer.

But the Vado HD will also appeal to those who care more about functionality than flash. It captures video at 720P ‘HD’ which equates to about 2 hours of footage on it’s 4GB of built-in memory. It’s also got a standard-sized HDMI port (since requiring an uncommon HDMI to mini-HDMI cable is lame) and a swing out USB connection with a flexible rubber arm with I find more convenient to use. But anyone who uses a device like the Flip for interviews will appreciate the Vado’s audio port on top which can either accept a pair of headphones, or an external microphone for improved audio quality. $179.99 available sometime this year.

[ Creative Vado HD 3rd Gen ]

Not a fan of touchscreen keyboards but love the UI on the iPhone? Well now you can have the best of both worlds with Ion Audio’s new iType keyboard. I’m hesitant to call it an accessory, since it’s considerably larger and heftier than the iPhone, but that’s the price you have to pay I guess if you want a standard size QWERTY keyboard. (At least until Apple lets the iPhone work their wireless Bluetooth keyboard.)

With the iPhone mounted in the ‘cradle’ the iType reminds me a lot of Epson’s old HX20 portable computer, but slightly more functional. And I say slightly because thanks to Apple’s restricted SDK the iType can only be used with a custom app from Ion Audio. Not the iPhone’s native applications. So anything you’ve written or intend to write has to be copied and pasted into the app you need it, which is unfortunately a big drawback to the device.

The iDiscover Keyboard is essentially the same idea as the iType, but instead of providing a QWERTY keyboard you get a set of 25 piano keys in which to compose your mobile opus. Like with the iType it works exclusively with the company’s iDiscover Keyboard iPhone app, but it does include audio out connections and a headphone jack and can apparently even double as a MIDI controller for your PC.

[ Ion Audio iType & iDiscover Keyboard ]

Google Maps and its street view functionality is pretty slick, no question there, but a little competition never hurt anyone. So Nokia’s NAVTEQ is raising the stakes with its new fleet of LIDAR (light detection and ranging) and camera equipped vehicles which have spent the last year roaming the U.S. capturing 3D point cloud data of America’s highways and biways.

NAVTEQ True, which is what the company officially calls the new mapping collection system, is able to capture over 1.5 million 3D data points every second, from a range of about 120 meters around the vehicle. This includes items like street and speed signs, or objects as small as mile markers, but also provides data on the height of bridges or lane widths accurate to within a centimeter. What’s even cooler is that the system can be mounted to Segways, allowing the insides of buildings or malls to be mapped as well.

[ Navteq ]