Category Archives: CES 2012

Catch: Organize Notes from the Messy Desk

CES 2012, Mobile, , , ,
Catch
Catch

Steve Brown, CEO of Catch joined us. It’s a private journal for all your ideas on your mobile device. Catch takes the messy desk and lets the organization come together.

You just put your information in the phone. Tag it with specific names. Then, when you want to look back, search on the tags.

Catch looks at the stories. Instead of post-it notes all over the place, you can have the journal on the phone.

Steve was also catching all lyrics from his band. That way, he could come back to get all the words they were thinking of.

Catch Notes is a free service, and available on Android and iOS devices.

Interview by Jeffrey Powers of Geekazine and Steve Lee of Waves of Tech

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Sonomax Eers: Custom Molded In-Ear Headphones

Accessories, CES 2012
Sonomax
Sonomax

How can they be off-the-shelf yet custom-fit? Easy, Sculpted Eers can be bought off-the-shelf in stores or online but come with a custom-fitting kit that takes five minutes to mould your ears and make a personalised earphone.

Nick from Sonomax, manufacturers of Scuplted Eers, gets Andy fitted with Eers at CESas you watch. The Sonofit custom-fitting kit inserts small bladders into each ear which are then filled with a quick setting silicone mix. The bladders expand to perfectly fit the ear and it’s completely painless. After 5 minutes the silicone has set, then it’s simply a case of detaching the Eers from the kit and fitting a small cap to each earphone to finish the process off.

Available now, Sculpted Eers cost CAD $199 for the single driver model and CAD $299 for the dual driver. There’s a store finder on the website or you can order on-line. New models are in the pipeline as well.

Interview by Jeffrey “Noddy” Powers of Geekazine and Andy “Big Eers” Smith of Geocaching World.

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ARIN: Completion of IPv6 Transition

CES 2012, Computers

John from the American Registry for Internet Numbers (ARIN) chats with Jeffrey and John on the transition from IPv4 to IPv6.

In the past year, the last remaining IPv4 addresses were handed out to global regions. Some areas of the world have already run out of unallocated addresses, so it’s essential that in the next few years everyone starts using IPv6. This year, theWorld IPv6 Launch happens on 6 June 2012, with internet service providers (ISPs), networking equipment manufacturers and web companies permanently enabling IPv6 for their products and services. This is a big step forward in the transition to IPv6 but don’t worry, IPv4 isn’t going away for at least 10 years.

Warning…this interview is for advanced users only.

Interview by Jeffrey Powers of Geekazine and Andy Smith of Geocaching World.

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PenClic – A Mouse Shaped like a Pen

CES 2012, Gadgets

Penclic is a Swedish company that has an innovative new take on the plain old computer mouse.  The mouse actually looks a bit like a pen resting in a fountain, as it protrudes from the top of the small mouse.  This allows the user to control the movement in a more ergonomic manor, more like old fashioned writing than actually elevating the wrist to move a traditional mouse.

At the moment the Penclic mouse is only available in a right-handed model, but lefties won’t need to wait long for their version.  The pen shaft actually rotates so that each user can find the most comfortable position for  his or her self.  The left, right, and center click buttons are all located on the “pen”, which also has two additional buttons for web surfing – back and forwards.  The mouse is wireless and has a small rechargeable battery.

You can see the mouse demonstrated in the video below. You can buy it from many retailers in the U.S., including Amazon for an MSRP of $89.  You can also visit Penclic on the web, but the site is in Swedish.

Interview by Jeffrey Powers of Geekazine.

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AfterShokz Uses Bone Conductive Technology for Sound

CES 2012, Gadgets

We learned about bone conductive technology a few years ago, when it was in it’s infancy. AfterShokz has taken it to the consumer. The new headphones boast a healthier environment because they go over, instead of in, the ears and rest on the cheek.  You are not closed off from the world while you’re running, biking, etc.

There are three models of AfterShokz, one of which has an inline microphone making it suitable for phone calls as well.  The models begin at $59.95 for the Sport, and go up slightly for the Mobile and Gaming models.  There is also a Bluetooth model in the works.  You can learn more in the video below and by visiting .

Interview by Jeffrey Powers of Geekazine.

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Gunnar Digital Performance Eyewear

CES 2012, Video, ,

Gunnar Phenom EyewareGunnar‘s digital performance eyewear is a range of spectacles designed for people who spend too much time in front of a screen. Typically stylish and yellow-lensed, Todd occasionally wears a pair of Gunnars while doing the GNC show.

Joe Croft dropped in to show off the latest specs and Gunnar currently has a four-way line-up with Advanced Computer, Advanced Gaming, Premium 3D and Advanced Outdoor eyewear. As you might guess, three out of the four are primarily for indoor use only.

The eyewear is for those people who use computer screens all day and the glasses help with the typical symptoms of prolonged computer use, such as a lowering in the blink rate leading to dry eyes, tired eye muscles from short range focussing and poor light quality from fluorescent lights. The technology in Gunnar glasses addresses each of those issues to make the eyes more comfortable while using a computer screen.

The new Spring 2012 collection is now out at . Prices from $80 – $300 for standard lenses. Budget up to $700 for custom prescription lenses from Zeiss.

Interview by Todd Cochrane of Geek News Central and Steve Lee of Netcast Studio for the TechPodcast Network.

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Guardian Trace for Your iOS Device

CES 2012, Mobile, ,

Guardian means security, but a new company called Baytan labs is taking that security into the mobile world with the Guardian Trace for iOS devices. It works with your device’s contacts list and can be set up to send easy alerts if you find yourself in a bad situation. A countdown is begun if you fail to deactivate with your PIN and when it reaches 0 an alert is sent to the contact(s) of your choice via both email and text stating that you have failed to check in from whatever event you enabled, such as a jog or date. The alert will also include your last known location.

The app can also be used on an iPod, which, if you are going for a run, is useful, since that is a common device to carry along. The app also has a simple “Send Panic Alert” button so if a situation unexpectedly arises you can quickly send a message for help. The app is currently free, although that will apparently change later when some premium services will become available. It is currently only available for iOS devices and you can find out more by visiting Baytan Labs.

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

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Diamond Wireless Range Extender and Set-Top Box Preview

CES 2012, Home, ,

Diamond Wireless Range Extender WR300NI remember building a PC many years ago and at that time, Diamond Multimedia was one of *the* graphics card companies. I even seem to remember that it was VL-bus card, so that dates it to a pre-Pentium era. Anyway, it’s great to see that Diamond is still around when so many others have fallen by the wayside. Todd interviews Louis Kokenis from Diamond Multimedia on the latest products.

The Diamond Wireless Range Extender has three functions in one. First, it’s a wireless repeater that eliminates deadspots in wireless coverage. Second, it’s a wireless bridge that will connect a wired network device to the wireless network and third, it’s a standalone wireless access point, creating wireless hotspot from a single network point. With regard to the last mode, the WR300N’s small size means that it’s great for travelling and creating a wireless network in a hotel room. On-sale now for around $60.

Diamond will be introducing an Android-based TV set-top box that combines web browser, media player, ebook reader, game console, anything that can be downloaded from the Android Market. It won’t be tied to any particular media provider as it will either be able to download an app, e.g. Netflix, or else it will be able to browse to any website and play media directly. Sounds cool, especially if it runs ICS.

Interview by Todd Cochrane of Geek News Central and Steve Lee of NetCast Studio for the TechPodcast Network.

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Nyxio VioSphere Splits your TV and PC

CES 2012, Gadgets,

Nyxio is a new company that is looking to integrate your computer and your TV. They have a product, the VioSphere, which literally splits your monitor screen into half PC and half television. The VioSphere is a touch-screen monitor that has a built-in web-cam and microphone to allow you to video-conference while you are watching that big game on the other half of your screen. It’s like the old picture-in-picture TV features, which allows you to watch both or go full-screen with one or the other.

It functions like an all-in-one PC with a DVD burner also built-in. While it runs on the Windows platform they also are partnered with Bluestacks to include Android apps as well. It also comes with a wireless keyboard and built-in WiFi. As for the TV end of things, it just takes a normal coax input. The VioSphere comes in a wide range of sizes spanning 21″ (although their website states the low end at 32″) all the way up to 65″. A price point isn’t given in the video, but you can learn a lot more info on the product. You can also visit Nyxio online for additional information.

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

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CTX Technologies Mini All-In-One Computer, iPhone Dock

CES 2012, Computers,

ctx technologies logoThere are some very small computers on the market these days, but CTX Technologies may have one of the most interesting of these new small-form-factor devices. The new box has a mini touch screen and a projector with range up to 80 feet so this tiny screen can be seen as a very big screen on your wall. It has an Intel Atom processor, HDMI port, USB, WiFi, Bluetooth, and more.

CTX Technologies also showed off an iPhone dock that not only charges your handset but can project a virtual keyboard onto the surface in front of it and allow you to type emails, documents, or whatever simply by touching the “buttons”.

The MISEETX computer will be available in April for around $600, while the iPhone dock retails for about $110. You can find more by visiting CTX Technologies and be sure to check out the video demonstration below.

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

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