Category Archives: CES 2012

New Sony Google TV Products



Sony was the first to market with Google TV and, while the platform had a rocky start, Google is sticking with it and working hard to improve it. Sony is also sticking with it and at CES they showed off their latest Google TV products. The two big releases are a new version the Sony Google TV-enabled BlueRay player and a brand new Networked Media Player with built-in Google TV. There is also a new dual-sided remote control with a simplified user experience – one side has the basic buttons along with a touch pad for mouse-like control , while the reverse side features a QWERTY keyboard which is only active when it is facing up, eliminating those accidental clicks.

The BlueRay player and Networked Media player are expected to be released sometime in the late spring or early summer. No pricing information is available as of this writing. You can check out the boxes and the really cool new remote control in the video below.

Interview by Todd Cochrane of Geek News Central for the TechPodcast Network.

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IOGear Introduces HDMI Switch with 2D to 3D Conversion



According to IOGear about 70% of the people currently looking to buy new TV’s are leaning towards 3D, but are scared off by the lack of available programming. That’s why they have decided to produce what is the worlds first conversion box for making 2D content available as 3D, that also has upscaling features and an HDMI switch built-in.

This new HDMI switch has 4 ports and it does a lot more than simple conversion. This as-yet-unnamed IOGear box allows the user to make adjustments to get the 3D picture looking right for their individual tastes. Since it has four HDMI inputs you can also up-convert your 2D DVD’s as well. It also upscales resolution types by turning 480 into 720 and 720 into 1080, which then converts to 3D, making all of your existing content available in 3D. The box is expected to be available in March for an MSRP of $199. That’s about double a basic 4 port HDMI switch, but it contains functionality which can’t be had all in one box until now, and it’s all in one very small box. You can check it out in the video below. Now all it needs is a name.

Interview by Todd Cochrane of Geek News Central for the TechPodcast Network.

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LG Styler Overview



LG Styler If you are a businessman or women you know how important it is to have your cloths wrinkle free and smelling fresh. You also know how expensive dry cleaning can get. LG may have an answer for you, the LG Styler. The LG Styler is about the size of a storage wardrobe. The cloths hang from a rack and steam is used to gently remove wrinkles and odors. There are no harsh chemicals involved. It takes about thirty-nine minutes to steam and dry a shirt.

Right now the LG Styler is only available in S. Korea and Japan, but they hope to have it available in the U.S for around $2,000 by the end of the year. At this point LG is looking at selling the Styler not only to individuals, but also to high end hotels and other companies that cater to the business travellers. Wouldn’t it be nice to get to a hotel room, unpack and place your shirts in the LG Styler and then in less then 40 minutes you are ready to go. Your cloths smell fresh and are wrinkle free. The LG Styler isn’t supposed to replace dry cleaning, but it might keep your cloths ready to wear between dry cleanings.

Interview by Todd Cochrane of Geek News Central

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Ford Focus Electric at 100 MPGe



Ford Electric
Ford Electric

Eric from Ford talked with Jeffrey about the Ford Focus Electric at CES. Items discussed included the internal battery system, the interactive charging system inside, strength of the vehicle, recycled material, and how these vehicles can be 100% made in the USA.

Over 50% of the body is high-strength steel. The battery is around this steel, which will protect you and the battery in case of a crash. With the new Ford assembly line (a video Jeffrey recorded in December), a power train vehicle build can be switched at a moments notice.

The best part is the Focus Electric will get you over 100 miles per charge. That, along with recycled bottles and rubber making the seats, floormats and gaskets around your car, this is a truely green vehicle for you.

Interview by Jeffrey Powers of Geekazine

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LG Pentouch For a PC and TV



The new LG Pentouch technology connects to your TV and a computer to bring touch-screen technology to your flat screen TV. The Pentouch consists of the box for connecting a Windows PC to the Plasma TV, which comes along in the package. It all works on WiFi so there won’t be any messy cables either. It’s geared more towards a business than home user as it essentially turns the TV into a whiteboard, but there are a lot more features than just that. You can also edit Office documents and there are two pens included so that two people can work on the screen at the same time.

There is no exact release date yet, although LG hopes to make it available in the early Spring. There is also no price point as of yet, although with a plasma TV included you probably shouldn’t expect it to be too cheap. You can find out more by visiting LG and by watching the video below.

Interview by Todd Cochrane of Geek News Central for the TechPodcast Network.

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Trikke A Fun (Electric) Ride



Trikke If you live in the city or suburbs and are looking for a vehicle that you could ride to work and have fun doing it, then you may want to take a look at the Trikke. As the word indicates the Trikke is a three-wheeled electric vehicle. Because it has three wheels it is very stable and easy to ride. You simply turn the throttle and go. You can lean into the curves and the wheels never leave the ground. It folds up so you can easily fit it in the back of a car or carry it into the office. A Trikke weights between 35 and 48 pounds (with battery) depending on the model, so you are probably not going to want to carry it far. You can plug it into any outlet to recharge it. A battery takes about three hours to fully recharge. On a fully charged battery a Trikke will go from 10 to 24 miles depending on model and weight of the rider. You can reach speeds up to 17 miles per hour.

Trikkes are available in different colors and models and the prices range from $1300 to $2200 depending on the model. If you are a skier a Trikke would be a great way to keep in shape for the skiing season. You use the same muscle and movements on a Trikke that you do for skiing and it is low impact. Easier to ride than a bike and a lot better on the bottom.

Interview by Todd Cochrane of Geek News Central

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The Mighty Dwarf BlueII Bluetooth Speaker



Today most of us travel with portable music devices, and in a lot cases that’s now our smartphone or tablet. Those device don’t always have very good external speakers, but most them do have Bluetooth capability. That same Bluetooth technology is now built into external speakers, which really helps to bring these new portable devices to life.

The new BlueII Bluetooth speaker from Mighty Dwarf brings surface induction to the external speaker world. By using the surface the speaker is sitting on to amplify the sound Mighty Dwarf has added a whole new dimension to this external speaker. For those with a device that doesn’t feature Bluetooth technology there is a model for you as well.

The new BlueII will be available in March of this year and carries an MSRP of $120 for the Bluetooth model, and $100 for the standard version. There are also other versions already available in the $75 range. You can visit Mighty Dwarf to find out more, and also check out the video demo posted below.

Interview by Todd Cochrane of Geek News Central for the TechPodcast Network.

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Godaddy.co Super Bowl 46 Extravaganza



We have been running some very hot GoDaddy deals here at TPN. Every Super Bowl GoDaddy turns up the heat with their GoDaddy ads. We are going to have an amazing GoDaddy offer to celebrate Super Bowl 46.

This year no wardrobe malfunctions because there is no wardrobe, so if you want a sneak peak at what the GoDaddy has planned for the Super Bowl check out this behind the scenes video hinting at the ad spots that will run during the game.

We have some amazing GoDaddy Deals as seen on this site make sure you cash in now..

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Take Control of Your Car with Mavia



Mavia DeviceTodd chats to Madison of Mavizon about their new Mavia automotive product which keeps tabs on your vehicle in more ways than one.

Mavia is a small box (see picture left) that plugs into your vehicle’s ODB-II port – that’s the connector used by technician’s to check on the car when there’s a problem. The Mavia combines readouts from this port with its own internal GPS receiver to provide location and technical information that is sent back to an online hub at www.mymavia.com. Android and iPhone client apps can be downloaded too.

The MyMavia hub will show data on the vehicle such as gas mileage and distance to next service, plus any diagnostic error codes. MyMavia can interpret some of the diagnostic codes and it enables the owner to consult other resources, online or otherwise, to find out more on what’s wrong with the car. MyMavia incorporates location services too, showing where the vehicle is on Google Maps and there are connections to social sites like Foursquare.

The Mavia is in a beta testing phase so pricing is not confirmed but is expected to be around $200. The device will be available from retail outlets later in the year and requires no special fitting; it’s a self-install.

Interview by Todd Cochrane of Geek News Central for the TechPodcast Network.

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Careverge Takes A Social Approach To Health



Careverge logoThe fast pace of modern Western life doesn’t lend itself to a healthy lifestyle and many of us struggle to keep on top of the weight and exercise regularly, including myself. Careverge can help as a one-stop health and well-being site that brings together fitness, health and support in one place. Careverge’s Henry de Phillips talks to Jamie Davies of the and the Nursing Show about what the site can offer.

Careverge’s approach is to create a social networking environment to encourage good health behaviours rather than to simply sell a product or a plan. The site brings networking, gaming and recommendations together so that within only a few moments of starting to use the site, the individual is given personalised suggestions on reading and possible activities. The focus of Careverge is to encourage people to health through fun while providing quality health information and support to reach their goals.

Careverge is free to use for consumers.

Interview by Jamie Davies of the and the Nursing Show.

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