Tag Archives: CES

Wi-Ex zBoost Signal Boosters for Cell Phones

CES 2012, Home,

zBoost by Wi-Ex logo

zBoost by Wi-Ex is a range of signal extenders that will improve cell and mobile phone coverage in weak areas. Todd and Don discuss zBoost’s latest products from Sharon Cuppett, VP of Wi-Ex (and they get a mention on Wi-Ex’s blog)

Wi-Ex launched two new products at CES, the first being the zBoost 4G-V, a signal booster for 4G frequencies on Verizon, the largest mobile carrier with over 100 million subscribers. A whole 4G product line is under development, including dual- and tri-band boosters. Available in Q2 2012 for around $220.

The second is an in-car booster, the zBoost zForce, which comprises a cradle for the phone and a magnetised antenna for the outside of the vehicle. Powered from the cigarette adaptor, the zForce can boost coverage by about 10x, eliminating dead spots and increasing range in rural areas. Retailing at only $99, it will be available shortly.

(You’ll have to watch the Blue Microphone interview to realise this, but in this video Sharon borrows Don’s phone to demonstrate the zForce and then walks off with the phone at the end of the interview!)

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

[cessponsor]

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS | More

iBike Powerhouse for your iPhone

Accessories, CES 2012, ,

For a long time now cyclists, at least serious ones, have mounted mini computers on their handlebars. The devices provide information on time, distance, average speed, and even elevation and temperature. Now iBike is bringing us the ability to do all of this with our iPhone and eliminate that second device.

The iBike Powerhouse provides a weather-proof case for your iPhone that can be easily mounted on your bike’s handlebars and the accompanying app provides all of the data you are used to getting from a traditional cycling computer plus a whole lot of additional information such as a heart rate monitor, training plans, and more.

The product and app are the creation of real cyclists and coaches, so the information provided by the app is what even professional riders want and need to know. Check out the interview below with the iBike representative, who has a side job coaching Olympic and professional riders, to get more information on the iBike Powerhouse, along with pricing and availability. You can also visit iBikeSports to check everything out.

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

[cessponsor]

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS | More

Samsung Series 9 Notebooks

CES 2012, Computers, ,

If you are in the market for a new notebook computer then you may want to check out the latest offerings from Samsung with their Series 9 version, which was announced at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas just recently. Samsung calls it the world’s thinnest laptop, which is saying something given the MacBook Air and all of the new UltraBooks that were unveiled at CES.

The new Samsung Series 9 will come in both 13 inch and 15 inch versions. The new laptops are extremely thin and light and sport all-aluminum bodies. In addition, the Series 9 has a back-lit keyboard, a 128 GB or 256 GB SSD, an Intel Core i5 or i7 processor, and a high-resolution 1600 x 900 screen. The Samsung Series 9 notebooks should be available sometime this spring for an as-yet-undisclosed price. You can get a look at the 15″ version in the video posted below.

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

[cessponsor]

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS | More

Kidz Gear Volume Limiting Headphones

CES 2012, Home, ,

Volume Limiting Headphones

CES regular Jack Peterson talks with Todd and Don on the latest headphones for children from Kidz Gear.

Kidz Gear produces headphones with smaller headbands and ear cups to fit the smaller heads of children. This year they’ve brought to the market new wired headphones that have a built-in volume limiter that prevents children’s hearing becoming damaged through excessive sound levels. The headphones reduce the maximum sound level by about 20% into the 80-95 decibel range.

The new headphones are compatible with the iPad, iPhone and iPod ranges and include an inline remote and mic control. They’re available from the Apple Store or direct from Kidz Gear for $29.99.

An additional new product in the same vein is a volume limit cable which can be added to already-purchased headphones to make them safer for children. Priced at only $9.99, there’s currently a special price of $5.99 showing on-line.

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

[cessponsor]

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS | More

Parrot Introduces Cool Products like AR Drone Mark 2

CES 2012, Wireless, , ,

Parrot There are some products that are shown at CES that are just cool and everyone who is a kid at heart just wants, the AR. Drone by Parrot is one of those gadgets. This year at CES 2012 they introduced AR. Drone Mark 2. The Mark 2 (aka AR. Drone 2.0) is controlled by a smart phone or tablet. It has a one button launch. Once it is launched it will sit and hove till the next command. The AR. Drone Mark 2 can fly up to 150 feet in the air, or as far as wi-fi will allow. AR. Drone Mark 2 has stabilization and pressure sensor technology built into it. On the front is an HD camera and a standard def camera on the bottom. You can stream and record the video back to the phone via wi-fi. The video can then be uploaded to your favorite social site, including YouTube and Facebook.

It come with two hulls one for in home use and one for outdoor use. It is built to take some crashes, but if something breaks you can get replacement parts are on-line. The AR. Drone Mark 2 should be available according to Peter George of Parrot in the second quarter of 2012 for about $299.00

Once you are finished playing with the AR. Drone Mark 2, you may want to relax with a little music and some quiet time, well Parrot has you covered there too. They are introducing a pair of stereo cordless headsets that are noise canceling called the Parrot Zik . They work over either Bluetooth or the included cord. They run on a chargeable battery and give about 5 hours of listening pleasure. Once the battery runs down you can continue listening by connecting the cord. What makes the Parrot Zik headphones stand out besides the great style by French designer Philippe Starck are the controls on the headphones. There is a sensitive touchpad on the headphone which allows you to skip back and forth thru tracks by swiping right or left and control volume by swiping up and down. The headphones fold down flat to fit into a small carrying case. There is no price or launch date at this time, but they should be available sometime in 2012 at various retailers. All together Parrot introduced seven new products at CES 2012, including three additional products in the car environment and the asteroid marketplace. You can take a look at all of them at their Web site Parrot.

Interview by Todd Cochrane of [Geek News Central](https://geeknewscentral.com ) and Don Baine The Gadget Professor of Geek News Central

[cessponsor]

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS | More

iLuv Wins With New Travel Gadgets

Accessories, CES 2012, ,

iLuv LogoiLuv will be familiar to many with their extensive range of matching accessories for tablets, smartphones and MP3 players. At CES this year, iLuv won no less than 5 CES Innovations Honoree awards to add to their collection of accolades. Todd gets a review of their latest products from Peter of iLuv.

The DreamTraveler is combined iPhone dock, USB charger and mains power strip squared aimed at those unfortunate souls who have to spend time in poorly equipped hotel rooms. It has two USB charging ports, three power outlets and an Apple connector for charging iPhones, iPods and iPads.

For the international traveller, iLuv has the RockWall, a dual USB charger that comes with the right mains plugs for different countries round the world.

Finally, the Mo’Beats is a portable tablet or smartphone cradle with Bluetooth wireless speakers that has a built-in lithium-ion battery which will run for about 4 hours.

All the products will be available in April or May. The Mo’Beats SRP is expected to be $89.99 but the website is currently showing $99.99. I think Peter gets his prices mixed up in the video as the RockWall is priced at $49.99 on the website and the DreamTraveler is $129.99.

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

[cessponsor]

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS | More

New Sony Google TV Products

CES 2012, Video, , ,

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.

[cessponsor]

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS | More

IOGear Introduces HDMI Switch with 2D to 3D Conversion

CES 2012, Video, , , ,

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.

[cessponsor]

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS | More

LG Styler Overview

CES 2012, Home,

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

[cessponsor]

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS | More

Ford Focus Electric at 100 MPGe

CES 2012, Mobile, , , , ,
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

[cessponsor]

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS | More