2008 International CES
You may already be aware that the 2008 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) has been running in Las Vegas this week (ending today). It’s a gigantic annual event for companies that want to introduce their latest consumer gadgetry and for consumers who love to drool over it. I keep saying I’m going to go one year, but the thing is so big, I know I’d have to fight huge crowds for four long days and that just isn’t in my genes.
But I’ve been following the “goings on” at technology sites like engadget, Gizmodo, TechCrunch and Wired (more on their respective sites), enough so that I thought I’d link, in no particular order, to a few of the things I thought looked and sounded pretty cool. See what you think:
Optimus Maximus Keyboard - The oh-so captivating, completely configurable keyboard everyone’s been talking about. Watch the video hands-on…
Panasonic’s 150-Inch Plasma TV - Movie theaters should start to worry! (Crap, I’m going to need a bigger house!)
Panasonic’s 1-inch Thin Plasmas - Check out the photos! Thin is in!
SHOGO - the World’s First WiFi-enabled, Touchscreen Digital Photo Frame.
FlyTunes - Brings Internet Radio to Your iPhone.
Avis’ Upgraded Where2 GPS - A customized Garmin Nuvi 780 that will replace the StreetPilot-based units currently in Avis’ arsenal…
Pioneer Kuro Concept Plasma - Video Shows How Thin This Thing Really Is!
Canon’s Flash Camcorders - New Vixia line of nine-ounce HD flash-based camcorders.
Alienware’s Monster Wraparound Monitor - Humungous wraparound DLP rear-projection monitors aimed at gamers.
New Apple Mac Pro - Eight Cores and support for eight 30-inch Cinema Displays. Not sure why they announced this a week or so before Macworld; I assume it’s because Intel announced the new chips…
Control4 Home Automation - Centralized command over your media, home theater, lights, security system and temperature…
New Apple Xserve - Most Powerful Ever…
LG.Philips 52-inch multi-touch display - Watch the video and view the images. Very cool!
Heineken/Krups BeerTender - This looks cool! Built to hold a 5-liter Heineken keg and keep it tasting fresh and cold for about 30 days. The LCD indicates temperature and lets you know when beer is running low…
Panasonic/T-Mobile Wireless Lumix Camera - Integrated access to T-Mobile HotSpot and will give owners the ability to beam images directly to Picasa Web Albums…
Linksys Wireless-G Internet Home Monitoring Camera - Pretty straightforward home monitoring camera system…
iRobot Looj - A robot that treats gutters like an olympic event. Watch the video…
iRobi Helper Robot - Another domestic robot designed to help around the house…
CES, as you’ve probably surmised, includes thousands of products. I grabbed just a handful that caught my fancy while perusing the technology sites that had reps attending the four-day show and reporting what they saw. It’s an amazing event, at least for those of us who really love gadgets.
Doug
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Reader Comments (9)
Why did Apple announce their upgraded Mac Pro and Server at CES, just a week or so before Macworld? Makes no sense and very unlike Jobs who likes to to pop new developments out of a hat at his big show.
According to Jobs (via Gizmodo): "We're very excited about these new products and we think our customers will be too, so we wanted to kick off 2008 by getting them into our customers' hands as soon as possible. They're both available starting today."
What does that mean? Maybe just what he said. Maybe he did it because Intel introduced the new chips at CES. Maybe he wants to see how many "old" boxes he can sell before introducing some shiny new ones next week. Maybe. But one thing's for sure: Only Jobs knows.
Doug
Thanks! Now I am lusting for the 150" Plasma!
Some of the other gadgets were pretty cool too. The beer tender is a must have, and the iRobi Robot Helper to fetch for me. All I need then is a comfy reclining/vibrating chair with built-in speakers and I think I would be set. Oh, and the Optimus super keyboard with all the bells and whistles. Got to have that hooked up to my new 8-core Mac Pro. DOH!
I love this stuff! All of it! I may try to go myself next year! I might die from the buzz! But I'll die a happy man!
I....WANT....ALL OF....THE....COOL....TOYS!!!!
Big boy toys proving the cliche.
I know it's there but I will never understand it.
:=D~
Makes you wish you were a boy, doesn't it?
;=p
Hardly!
Can't wait to hear what Steve Jobs has up his sleeve!