Hey folks, Valkor. After our meeting with Klipsch, it was off to Pepcom's Digital Experience: One room, a hundred plus vendors, and a sea of people, including yours truly, all waiting for the chance to check out some hot, new, and innovative products. Plus food, drinks, and sexy babes painted up as animals (check out CES 2010 PerfectView for that and more). So basically this was the warm up run before I tackle the north, central and south hall of the big show.
Divx – If there's one technology that I pride myself on loving then it has to be Divx, makers of audio/video compression software that surpasses all others in quality and size. I don't care what anyone says, Divx kicks ass, accept nothing less than the best. They reps were on hand showing off Divx TV, if you have an internet enabled television, Blu Ray player, or mobile device, then you're ready for Divx TV which will allow you to watch all your favorite internet shows, movies, and web shows without a PC.
General Imaging – GE imaging is looking to make a name for themselves, stepping away from the refrigerators and washer and dryers and moving on to digital cameras, fully loaded, all with an affordable price. We've covered GE Imaging at past Pepcoms. This round we have the A1255 (12 MP), the A1455 (14MP), the E1480W, and the E1486TW. Both the A12/1455 offer a 2.7inch screen, face and smile detection, pan-capture panorama, optical image stabilization, 5x zoom and so much more. The E1480W and the E1486TW are both 14mp offering a touch screen 8x zoom, and all the other features the A series has. Aesthetically they look great and the screen images are very clear. And as always we'll keep you post on more from GE imaging from future reviews and events.
Jabra - Makers of Bluetooth earpieces, Jabra was on hand showing off the latest in Bluetooth technology, starting with the Jabra Cruiser, which is a Bluetooth speaker giving you the option of talking hands free while on the road. I have to say it looks sleek and with a name like Jabra tacked on it, expect nothing but quality sound. Next up is the Jabra Extreme with Noise Blackout (Noise cancellation), which will make your voice sound exceptionally clear in the noisiest of situations. But the most intriguing and most unique of all is the Jabra Stone. This puppy actually has its own recharger, features a unique design that takes the mic away from the face and promises awesome sound quality while also featuring Noise Blackout. I give it big ups for being very different in style. Finally Jabra did have on hand a pair of Bluetooth headphones. I don't have a name but I will update as soon as I can.
Nyko – Famous gaming accessories maker, the company was on hand showing off "The Wand+", which is a Wii controller feature Wii motion+ so you don't have to buy an extra piece; it's already there. Plus I am a big fan of the color (black). Another plus in my book is the Media Hub Slim, which acts as a USB hub giving the player 4 USB ports rather than two. And having the 40 gig PS3, the Media Slim is a welcome addition.
Speck
– We've covered the Corefly Messenger bag and Speck is back in the Val-Cave radar as they were showing off the limited edition Artsprojekt fitted cases with some really funky original artwork done up by original artist. The Val-man has one on hand and we'll get a full on review for you guys ASAP. Also I gotta give it up for the CrispView simply because "View" is in the name. CrispView is a screen cleaner that you can use on laptops, GPS, and other mobile devices. But you know why I give Speck huge ups? They had Beer at their CES booth. And right next to that? Hottie babes. How can you go wrong either way?
Powermat – Powermat is taking the world by storm with their wireless technology and mats that allow you to charge up to (in some cases) four devices at one time, saving you energy and massive cord confusion. Well the folks at Powermat are taking things to the next level by introducing batteries with the Powermat technology. This way you don't have to by the battery backpiece for your mobile device, simply pop in the battery and set it down on the mat for a full charge. Plus they are now offering mats and recharge options for netbooks as well and even a Powermat car charger. I can't wait to see whatelse this company has in stored for us.
Wilson Electronics – Yea you know Wilson as that ball Tom Hanks had a ballmance with in "Castaway", but hopefully that'll all change and you'll know the name as the company who brought new life to your mobile phone. The DB Pro is a signal enhancer/booster meant to increase your signal indoors. And I am one who can attest with AT&T, I needs my signal boosted. We'll be sure to follow up with Wilson on this and other product they may have in store for us.
SRS – Now here's a company with some balls; SRS actually called out the folks at Dolby on their volume control product called the "MyVolume adapter". What the adapter does is to keep the volume even, especially when a show changes to commercial, which we all know goes higher than the actual program. And from my standpoint it would appear they SRS succeeded. Not only that but I walked away with one of their MyVolume adapters to put it to the test. Look for a full review shortly.
Logitech – Maker of webcams, optical mice, and speakers have completed acquisition of a company called LifeSize, a company that produces HD video conferencing system called the "LifeSize Passport". From what was shown, the entire package looked pretty impressive as they showed off live HD video feed from India and Austin, Texas, with little to no lag and only a small delay. Not to leave the company completely out of the picture, they did have on hand the LapDesk N700 with it's integrated speakers and cooling system. It wasn't running but it promises to power the Lapdesk through the laptop's USB port, provide stereo sound and cool air to keep everything... well cool. Should be interesting match up against the number one cooling system in the world. Oh you know who you are.
Nero – We've covered Nero in the past and it was great to be able to check em out again. This time around we have Nero 9 Reloaded, which adds new features and improves others in the Nero 9 product, including compatibility with Windows 7 (which also powers the Val-Cave systems. Damn right Windows 7 was my idea. Heh) as well as the ability to author Blu-Ray discs. Nero is also looking to make it easier for all you smartphone users to synch better with your PC with Nero MobileSynch. Music, video and pictures can now be moved, hassle-free, with Nero's Mobile Synch. Finally there's Nero's Music2Go, which should be a huge hit with the DSi crowd as you're now able to port your music from your PC over to the DSi. Now this will be a most interesting product to check out and I'm sure resident writer LoneWolf will be all over it.
There were tons of other companies I could and should have stopped to visit, but given the time between checkin out product and chuggin drinks, I had to make some moves. Rest assured will try to follow up with all companies of interest, but for now enjoy this small sampling and stay tuned for more previews direct from the CES floor.