Category Archives: CES 2012

Sennheiser – High Quality Headphones

CES 2012, Gadgets

SennheiserWe couldn’t go to CES this year and not catch up with our pals from Sennheiser and talk to our good friend Eric Palonen for another session of what’s happening in the audio world. Eric, although not decked out in the Adidas gear this year, talked with us about three products that were unveiled this year.

Starting with the product that was being slowly uncovered on Facebook in the month leading to CES, the audiophile in all of us let out a cheer when Sennheiser announced their HD 700. They are bringing a brand new sound to you by having the sound hit your ears at an angle, which provides a wider sound stage. By adding a noise-dampening frame across the entire headphone, they are able to bring pure, natural noise to your ears like never before. The HD 700 is perfect for the mastering engineer or the person who wants audio playback that is actually a representation of what was recorded without bass or mid-range enhancements.

We then got to see the HD 800, which looks like something out of Tron but with every design element being functional and purposeful. The 56mm transducer is the largest in a production headphone, is placed inside a larger, yet thinner earcup. The thinness does not mean the set is uncomfortable, though, as the headphones come with two sets of swivel points and microfiber cushions. These are perfect for the audiophile who has $1,500 to spend on a set.

On the more affordable side, for $350 Sennheiser has the Imperior series, based off the HD 25. The Imperior is made for the portable audio market, in that it enhances the music the best way with the loudest output without the need for a battery. It comes with an Apple in-line remote and mic adapter but is still made to work on any smartphone and MP3 player with a standard 1/8″ terminal.

All in all, good stuff out of Sennheiser this year and we’re excited to see them making headphones for all types of people and price ranges.

Interview by Nicholas DiMeo of F5 Live for the TechPodcast Network.

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Prize Monkey – Rewards for Fun

CES 2012, Mobile

Prize MonkeySeeing a big, yellow vending machine in the middle of the convention floor is sure to make anyone stop and wonder what it is. Upon closer review, a large LCD screen with a monkey on it further peaked my curiosity. Naturally, we had to talk with Brad Thorne, co-founder of Prize Monkey to give us some insight on what the project was about.

Prize Monkey is based off the idea that people love free stuff and the instant gratification that goes along with it, specifically when you use your mobile device. Using their “un-kiosk” and the cloud, users can interact with the monkey on the screen and impact his actions based off of input from their phones or tablets. Prize Monkey looks to partner up with different companies who create different promotional products to appeal specific demographics.

For CES 2012, Prize Monkey created a small demonstration of their product and by using an iPad, you go to the site, enter your email address and you will earn some “bananas” that you can then tap on to redeem a prize from the vending machine, in this case it was a small table hockey toy. Of course, the natural extension is making loyalty points important again and Prize Monkey looks to venture into supermarkets and even sports stadiums. There is some definite potential here if the right companies want to get on board and turn common social interactions into exposure for their brands.

Interview by Nicholas DiMeo of F5 Live for the TechPodcast Network.

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Fulton Innovation – Wireless Power Consortium

CES 2012, Wireless

Turtle BeachThis was by far Nick’s favorite thing at CES 2012. Fulton Innovation has decided to get ahead of the companies wanting wireless inductive charging and has joined the Wireless Power Consortium and has teamed up to create the Qi (pronounced “chee”) Standard using their E-Couple technology to unite the world and cut that final cord that ties us all down.

Motorola, Sharp, Energizer, LG and Samsung join the list of over 80 companies that will allow interoperability across their devices and chargers, which will allow consumers to charge essentially any compatible device (with the option to retrofit) on their desk, in their office or even in their car, because at the end of the day, it’s all about convenience.

The idea for wireless charging doesn’t only extend to the phone sector. All mobility is looking to get some love as tablets and laptops can also be made to do the same thing. You can purchase an adapter module, bolt it under a table and you have wireless charging whereever you want it. Imagine setting a blender on a spot in your kitchen and it charges with no wires. Then, using the same spot on your induction range compatible top, cooking with a pan that can go from boiling to simmering using autonomous functions. For the ladies, you could have a designer bag with charging capabilities so your phone doesn’t have to be taken out to plug it in.

The possibilities are endless and we’ve mentioned it throughout our CES coverage on our shows which you can find here.

Interview by Nicholas DiMeo of F5 Live for the TechPodcast Network.

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Canon – HD For All

Cameras, CES 2012

CanonBeing avid Canon fans and users ourselves at F5 Live, you could imagine our excitement to see what cool camcorders were in store for us this year at CES. In speaking with Ben Thomas at Canon, we learned that six new Vixia video cameras have made their way to market, in both the M series and R series.

The M series, the higher end of the two model lines, features built-in WiFi, severl new menu enhancements, a new image stabilizer called Intelligent IS and a 20% increased low-light performance than that of its predecessor. New this year to Canon is their driven focus on the ability to share the content you create. Before, it was extremely easy to produce content but getting it to your friends and family could sometimes be a chore. With Canon now moving to native mp4 support on top of its AVCHD file format, users can now get those files onto the web fast. Helping that cause is their new app called Movie Uploader, which is currently available on the computer and Apple devices. By using the app (or plugging it straight into the computer and hopping onto Canon’s site), you can share and upload any video you’d like to Facebook, YouTube or as an attachment in no time.

For the R series, these entry level models now pack a punch as they too include built-in WiFi. However, here’s where consumers looking for a new camera need to pull the trigger. These little guys have a 32x optical zoom and still have the Intelligent IS so you can zoom to your heart’s content. Oh, and it also has a mic jack, headphone jack and is DLNA capable. Add that to a pricepoint of $349-$549 and you have a Canon camera that become your best friend forever.

Interview by Nicholas DiMeo of F5 Live for the TechPodcast Network.

Also check out – Canon VIXIA: Six New Models With WiFi, iPhone Tethering

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California Audio Technology – Top-of-the-Line Speakers

CES 2012, Home

California Audio TechnologyHigh above the Vegas Strip in the Venetian Hotel during CES 2012, we found audio company CAT, or California Audio Technology. They are a high-end consumer audio company that has been in business for 22 years and recognizes that while there may be a decline in the economy, people aren’t skimping out on good, professional quality audio components for their homes or recreational vehicles.

What makes these audio products different from the rest in their market is the top of the line materials used in the components. President and Co-founder Brian Barr jumped into details and said that their loudspeaker enclosures are made of Corian, Avanite, stainless steel, concrete, marble and/or granite. These are the same materials you’d find in the aerospace industry or even in a race car. For the actual speaker components, these 120 pound beasts boast an high-grade aluminum cone, the largest neodymium magnet on the back of the driver and a solid copper faceplug, perfect for dissipating heat.

Interview by Nicholas DiMeo of F5 Live for the TechPodcast Network.

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Kodak Playful Dual, M750 Easyshare

Accessories, CES 2012, ,
Kodak
Kodak

It was announced on Thursday that Kodak will be discontinuing their camera products. Both of these cameras will not be released. Nonetheless, it was a great interview with Jennifer Cicney of Kodak.

You can Read my thoughts on this.

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

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Timbuk2 Cases Water Resistant, Customizable

CES 2012, Mobile, ,
Timbuk2
Timbuk2

Mike Wallenfels of Timbuk2 joined us at the TPN CES Live coverage to talk about their bags. They create innovative bags since the days of the messenger bag. Now with the Deluxe laptop messenger, you can keep your laptop safe from water.

They also have cases that allow air flow. These padded cases cools off your hardware twice as fast. Timbuk2 has several bags you can get for affordable prices.

Many different prices on cases for iPad, Kindle, PC and Mac. If you go to their website, you can also customize your case.

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

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MXL Tempo Microphone Connects to iPad, Computer

CES 2012, Gadgets, , , ,
MXL
MXL

MXL was at our booth talking about their newest Mic, the MXL Tempo. This is a microphone that connect to an iPad.

The challenge of connecting a condenser mic to an iPad is the power. The iPad sends a lower power signal, so you need to adjust at the microphone.

MXL Tempo uses the camera adapter to send the audio signal to the iPad.

Tempo is available now for $79.95

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

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Panashiba All In One iPhone, iPad Dock with HDMI Splitter

CES 2012, Gadgets, , , ,

International company Panashiba showed off the Panashiba AIO-101 – an all in one iPad, iPhone dock for your night stand. Additionally, this is a 4-port HDMI splitter.

You can have a DVD or Blu-Ray player close to your night stand, and switch to your TV at the foot of the bed. With an app (available soon), you will be able to watch from the TV, or turn to your side and watch a movie right from the iPad.

The AIO-101 is expected to be in the US shortly, and is expected to be $169.99.

Interview by Jeffrey Powers of Geekazine

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Motorola MOTOACTV Fitness Watch, MP3 Player

CES 2012, Gadgets, , , ,
Motorola Motoactv
Motorola MOTOACTV

Motorola showed off the MOTOACTV fitness watch at CES. This is the world’s first GPS fitness tracker and smart music player.

Wear MOTOACTV on your wrist, or connect to a bike. It will keep track of the calories, steps, and more. If you have a Bluetooth heart rate monitor, connect it to the MOTOACTV, and it will track your results.

You can download your information to the computer and put up on the Motorola MOTOACTV website. Share with your friends, and have little healthy competitions.

The built-in MP3 player also can determine which songs affect your exercise. The performance playlist will help you power through. You can also set a “Fit song”, which could help you when you need that extra boost.

MOTOACTV is available in 8 GB ($249) and 16 GB ($299) models.

Interview by Jeffrey Powers of Geekazine

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