Tag Archives: CES

My Ford Touch Improves Menus, Updates Available on All Cars

CES 2012, Mobile, , , , , ,
Ford Electric
Ford

While at the Ford Booth, we got to see the new updated My Ford Touch system. Back in November, they updated the software so consumers could move around the screen without having to look at the display.

The four corner system gives you a proximity so you know where to press. One corner you will have navigation, another will see temperature settings.

The in-car navigation system also has been improved. With additional 3D view, you can get an idea which direction you are heading.

Jeffrey Powers of Geekazine goes through the systems with Bridget on MyFordTouch. Best part is this update is available now. You can download and install, or you can head to your Ford dealer and they will install for free.

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Acoustic Research AirPlay Wireless Audio System

CES 2012, Wireless, ,

Jeremy from Vox International, representing Acoustic Research, dropped by the TPN studio at the Consumer Electronics Show to talk a little bit about the new AirPlay Wireless Audio System that they introduced at the show. As the name implies, the system is based on iTunes and it allows you to free your iTunes library from you computer or mobile device and stream the audio anywhere in your house.

While there are a number of AirPlay devices on the market, Acoustic Research hopes to separate themselves from the group by, not only their famous name, but also with quality and pricing. Users will be able to tether multiple players together so that they can have them in separate rooms, creating a whole-house audio system.

The box has 10w x 2 for audio power and will be available this April for $129.99. You can learn more from Acoustic Research.

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

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Adventure Cameras by Contour

CES 2012, Health,

Contour Contour came by the TPN.TV booth at CES this year and showed some great action sports cameras; the Contour Roam, the Contour GPS and the Contour Plus. Theses cameras are great for filming while hiking, snow boarding, biking, skiing and other action sports. They all use a micro sd card up to 32 Gb. You can get up to eight hours of video at 1080p and up to twelve hours at 780p. They all take removable lithium batteries which run for about three hours of video taping . They also adjust the white balance and the exposure to create crisp clear videos. These cameras are waterproof up to 1 meter. With the water proof case you can go down to 60 meters, great for scuba diving or snorkeling. All three cameras can connect by USB cable. Both the Contour Roam and the Contour GPS have an internal microphone only.

The Contour Plus includes the internal microphone but it also has a mic cable out jack, this along with the ability to connect a HDMI cable adds live streaming capability. Now you can live stream your adventures directly to Ustream using the Cerevo Live Shell. Now instead of telling other people about your adventures, they can watch them as they are happening. You can control the camera on the Contour GPS and Contour Plus thru the Contour Mobile App on the iPhone or an Android phone The Contour GPS and the Contour Plus both have GPS included so now you can map your adventures. The Contour Roam at $199 is the newest phone and should be available soon. The Contour GPS and the Contour Plus are available now and are $299 and $499 respectively. Not only does Contour offer great action cameras but they also have some great mounts, including ones that allow you to mount camera directly to your helmet, pole, roll bar, surfboard and many other objects. So if you are into adventure sports and filming, Contour has everything you need and want.

Interview by Todd Cochrane of Geek News Central and Don Baine The Gadget Professor of Geek News Central

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Yurbuds, Ear Buds for the Athlete

Accessories, CES 2012,

Yurbuds Most people like to listen to music while exercising. The first thing you learn when you start exercising is that your ears sweat and most headphones don’t stay in sweaty ears. There is nothing more frustrating than having your ear buds constantly falling out, while exercising.

The company Yurbuds understands this frustration, they are athletes who make products for athletes. Their newest product is the Yurbuds Ironman Series. The Ironman Series Yurbuds are ear buds specifically designed for the athlete who carries an iPhone or iPod Touch. There is a three button control on the center Y which allows you move forward and backward through tracks, control the volume, and answer calls. On the other side of the Y is the microphone. What really makes the Yurbuds special are their proprietary twist and lock technology. Place the ear buds in your ear twist and lock them in place. Now no matter how much you sweat or it rains they will not come out. They are made of a medical grade silicon, so once they are locked into the ear they are very comfortable. They have a great sound quality, the speakers in the ear buds are tuned with the drivers and sound tunnel. The speakers in the ear buds are protected by their ergonomic design. You can remove the silicon cover and clean them with a little soap and water.

There is a life time guarantee on the product for damage done by sweat or rain. The Ironman Inspired earbuds cost $59.99 and are available through the Web site and various retailers including , Dick’s Sporting Goods, Apple and Target. Whether you are a world-class triathlete or a weekend runner Yurbuds were made for you.

Interview by Todd Cochrane of Geek News Central and Don Baine The Gadget Professor of Geek News Central

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Nero Kwik Media Media Manager

CES 2012, Computers,

Todd and Don talk to Martin Stein Senior Vice President of Global Products at Nero about Nero Kwik Media at the TPN booth at CES. Nero Kwik Media is a program that will sync all your media (pictures, videos, audio and music) across all the devices in your home.

Kwik Media Features (from the website):

  • Move all the files your heart desires to and from your PC and mobile devices
  • Play back Blu-ray movies
  • View HD video projects on DVD and watch Hollywood Blu-ray movies on your laptop
  • Burn Audio CDs from MP3s
  • With just a few clicks, you can create a CD mix from your favorite playlists
  • Play back your favorite jams from your laptop and rip Audio CDs to add to your computer
  • Find and organize friends by faces
  • Easily organize photos of friends and family by faces
  • Browse and organize photos, music and videos in one place
  • Conveniently create projects to burn and share straight from your library
  • Make quick and easy edits of photos before sharing or adding to slideshows
  • Share videos on Youtube or myNero
  • Upload your photos, music and videos to social media websites with just a few clicks
  • Edit slideshows with effects
  • Add exciting, animated background themes to slideshows
  • Sync your music playlists as well as photo and video album contents from your PC to any mobile device with USB mass storage

For more information or to get your copy of Nero Kwik Media, go the website kwikmedia.nero.com

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Toshiba Glass FREE 3D TV’s

CES 2012, TVs, ,

Todd and Steve Lee (from Waves Of Tech) talk about seeing the 3D TV’s at the Toshiba booth at CES 2012. The one that impressed them the most was Toshiba’s 55inch 4k tv which will ship sometime in “early 2012” and cost somewhat less then $10,000. I personally don’t know how much I would use the 3D on the set, but I would LOVE the 4K. Now to get more 4K content. Anyone have a Red camera I could borrow?

For more information, go check out the Toshiba Website us.toshiba.com

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Cobra iRadar detector and smart phone app

CES 2012, Gadgets, ,


Todd talks with Chris from Cobra about their new iRadar App and Radar Detector. The iRadar detector connects to your smartphone (iPhone or Android) via bluetooth so that you get the alerts on your phone. The newest thing is they added the iRadar community to the app which allows you to see alerts from other users of the iRadar app so that you can be aware of those radar traps along your way. (Of course, nobody speeds… right?)

The detectors are available now for around $130 at most retailers or at cobra.com and cobrairadar.com

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Sony’s new Cameras with the OLED Viewfinder

Cameras, CES 2012,


Todd talks with Al Dean from Sony about the SLT A77V and A65 Cameras and their incredible OLED Viewfinder.

When Todd walked up to it an looked into the viewfinder he said a few words that were not fit for video. But, he regained his composure and did the interview.

The A65 and A77 cameras use a translucent mirror which means that the mirror does not have to move out of the way to make a shot. The A65 will shoot 10 frames per second (double what normal mirror viewfinder cameras can do) and the A77 can shoot 12 frames per second. Also, when shooting video, the mirror stays in place so the viewfinder works unlike most other DSLR type cameras.

The A65 goes for $1000 with lens kit and the A77 goes for $1300 for the body only and $1999 with the lens kit. They are available in limited quantities now with general availability later this year.

For more information go to Sony.com

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Canon VIXIA: Six New Models With WiFi, iPhone Tethering

Cameras, CES 2012, , , , , , , ,
Canon Vixia
Canon Vixia

Video content creators, listen up. Canon has upgraded their VIXIA series to include some great new features. These cameras run high end – up to 24MB on AVCHD. They can also be switched to MP4 mode, so you don’t have to convert a video before uploading to YouTube.

Jeffrey Powers talks to Ben Thomas about the VIXIA R-32 and VIXIA HFM-52. These are two-of-six models upgraded to get you better images, and WiFi capability.

The WiFi can also be tethered to an iPhone (via app), so you can push content up on various hosting platforms.

The R-32 is the low end consumer model. They upgraded the stabilization to a four-mode system. You can turn on or off, and when you place on a tripod, it turns off automatically.

The higher end HFM-32 has a LUX rating of 1.2 and a shutter speed of 1/30th of a second. This is great for low-light situations.

Canon also makes a waterproof case for divers to go 100 meters below water.

The R series starts at $349. The HFM-52 costs between $549-$749

Interview by Jeffrey Powers of Geekazine

Also check out – Canon – HD For All

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Blue Microphones’ Tiki, Mikey and Spark

CES 2012, Gadgets,

Blue Microphones LogoIf you’ve listened to the Geek News Central podcast for a few years, you might have heard Todd talking about Blue Microphones as his mic supplier of choice. Here Todd and Don talk shop with Jon Maier.

Blue Microphones returns to CES this year with three new mics, all in the portable space. The new Mikey Digital is designed for the Apple’s newer digital connector rather than the older analogue one, meaning that more digital processing can be done on the microphone itself. In particular, auto-level sensing can adjust the input gain depending on the loudness of the source.

The Tiki is a brand new small USB device that’s been in development for over a year. It plugs directly into the USB port on the side of a laptop and has intelligent signal processing so that extraneous noise, such as typing, is ignored. It’s aimed at Skype and Google Talk users but it’s still a high quality recording device, so if needed, the DSP can be turned off to record live music as naturally as possible.

The studio-grade Spark Digital is a USB and iPad version of their pro mike, the Spark, both of which have glorious retro looks. Sitting in a shock mount, it looks great. Utility-wise, the Spark Digital converts the iPad into a mobile studio.

All the mics are expected to be available in the spring. Prices are $59 for Tiki, $99 for the Mikey Digital and $199 for the Spark Digital.

Interview by Todd Cochrane of Geek News Central and Interview by Don Baine, the Gadget Professor, for the TechPodcast Network.

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