Keynotes

While this is my first full Consumer Electronics Show visit, it’s not my first time to an event similar to this: namely Mobile World Congress, aka MWC, the european event centered around the mobile world, this event taking place in February again this year. At Mobile World Congress, CTIA (another similar event in the Spring), and others, the keynote speech is one of three primary places you’ll get news in-person at the greater event. When we sat in the audience this year, it was either myself, Cory Gunther, and Vincent Nguyen, or just myself and Cory who sat side-by-side and knocked out story after story on the speakings of the people standing on stage presenting as fast as humanly possible whilst retaining the amount of high-quality writing and photography we require.

As you’ll see through the portals listed above, it ended up being in quite a few cases me being the writer – typing most of the time as the people spoke sentences, then deciding when each section was starting and ending so as to create articles that flowed well and presented a main subject with relevant details surrounding it. That’s only part of the story, of course, with Cory then handling the post after I’d saved it, editing and fixing up the articles with photos and video either he or Vince captured on the spot, posting these stories then inside a few minutes after they’d really “broken.” After a keynote was complete, we each time literally got up and ran out of the arena we were in to get to the next one, again and again through the first couple of days of CES.

Meetings

Because we’ve got a record of turning hands-on experiences into lovely posts for all of you out there in consumerland. We speak with these manufacturers, carriers, and developers as far in advance as we can, then we’ve got scheduled meeting places where we get our own quiet look at the devices that require just a bit more attention than the ones we see out on the floor. That’s not to say that the items we just see out on the floor aren’t as high quality as the ones we see behind closed doors – of course not – but different groups want to get closer to certain users, like yourselves, so they invite us in to get up in there. Below you’ll see footage from an ASUS meeting we had, and above is your humble narrator guiding the future in a Mercedes concept demonstration we’ll have posted later this week.

The Floor

The dreaded death-race of a massive event that is The Floor. This is where we get all the real oddities, not just smaller groups, but everyone we can that did not have an event or a meeting scheduled that has an excellent device or service. You’ll find that many of our posts from the floor hit the airwaves later in the week and even continue to pop up early this week, as once we’re on the floor, it’s all about collecting before we run out of time in Las Vegas. Gotta go home sometime!

Side Events

There are fabulously excellent side events that, similar to meetings, allow us to get a closer look at devices without the hordes of CES attendees smashing down upon us. These events are why there often times aren’t devices for hands-on looks after keynote speeches during the week, as the amount of people that attend the keynotes would require masses of units to satisfy them all. This way, these events can spread out the love. One of these events is Pepcom, they each time naming their show in accordance with the event it surrounds, this time calling it “Digital Experience.” Late last year we attended another Pepcom by the name of Holiday Spectacular 2011, a good time had by all! There’s also an event with a similar format by the name of Showstoppers where this year we had an interview table where we sat down and spoke to some of the more interesting attendees of the events and had a chat with each of them about their products.

There are also less formal events, several of which we weren’t able to get to simply because of the massive bulk of material we had to cover, Verizon‘s “Off the Record” event, for example. Individual manufacturers will also have side events that are a mix of product presentation and party – Toshiba had a lovely one at the TAO early in the week. It’s important for a person in my position to get snacks at each of these events, as well as water or juice, simply because quite often there won’t be time to stop for a meal.

How one handles all of this

There’s no hardship in being here, and I wouldn’t dare complain about writing for a full week about technology, gadgets, and services that bring our planet further and further into a fun, digital age. That said, my body doesn’t have the easiest time getting up around 6AM, typing and running until 2AM, sleeping for 4 hours and doing it again the next day. We did get to eat a couple of meals though, and the ultimate savior was three things: granola bars in the morning, Gatorade throughout the day, and one tiny packet of Airborne. That stuff is miraculous.

Again, please feel free to ask any other questions you’ve got about what we / I did during the week, how and why we did it.

Each Cygnett case comes with a complementary screen protector to make sure your precious devices don’t end up with any scratches. The first case presented was the WorkMate Pro for the Galaxy S II. The same case has been available for iPhone for some time, and they hope to expand to many more Android devices. The WorkMate Pro is shock-resistant, extra-protective, and made of dual materials.

Next up was the Frost model. It has a very smooth matte finish, and protects your device while still keeping it very slim. The Crystal variant was very similar to the Frost, but completely transparent. But the most interesting of them all was their Icon Art series. Artist Nathan Jurevicius created the them for the iPhone 4S, and they come in three different designs: Dr. Maybe’s Underwater House, Hootsville, and Chihoohoo’s Tea Party. Sophie wrapped up with an introduction to their latest InSound noise-cancellation headphones. After slipping them on, they were extremely comfortable and really worked well.

These Boogie Boards are being marketed as an eWriter and it basically provides a medium for easily taking and saving notes without wasting paper. This eReader like technology uses a simple stylus to take notes, draw images or anything else you’d like and with the latest edition you can now save and export them to your smartphone or computer over micro-USB.

This might not be extremely accurate or ideal for a professional or student — but it still manages to be an awesome tool for the office and many other scenarios. Being able to take notes that will stay on screen for as long as you’d like — then get erased with the touch of a button almost instantly is actually pretty cool. I could see kids really enjoying this, not to mention many of my family members joining in on the fun.

Boogie Board RIP has a place to store the stylus for writing, and the battery will basically last forever. The original didn’t have a replaceable battery but it was said to last for over 10 years. The new RIP battery can now be removed and replaced if needed although it offers the same 10 years+ of battery life rating. If you still have one by then you must be doing something right.

The Boogie Board RIP is more than a toy and will cost you a pretty penny at $129 but I couldn’t help but feel like it was just that — a toy. The thought of teachers having this in classrooms is actually an awesome concept and I’d love to see it on a larger scale.

As in past years, SlashGear was featured as one of the premiere technology press partners for the ShowStoppeers event. we’d like to take this oppourtunity to thank the organizers for their support and their service, without which we would not have been able to deliver our Insider Talk series of video interviews tonight. From all of us here at SlashGear, thank you Showstoppers!

We’d also like to extend a big thank you to all our presenters, who were kind enough to join us on-stage to demonstrate their latest products. We’ll be bringing our readers in-depth information and more hands-on coverage of the featured products and services. We’ll be here at CES until the end, bringing you the latest news from the show floor.

To apply the grip pad, simply peel off the sticker from the back and apply secure it on the rear of your tablet or phone. It is made of 100% polyurethane and each box contains one pad and a set of instructions for installation. The grip pad presented to us was for large tablets and measured 8.25 x 3.75 inches – perfect for your Apple iPad 2.

If Wrapsol could somehow add their technology built-in to phones and tablets, I presume it would do fairly well. With how easy screens crack when dropped, it would help prevent many of the accidents by providing an extra grip. Wrapsol also produces thin films to protect your device from getting scratched. Most of their products are available at Staples, but they are always in stock over at Wrapsol’s official site.

For those that don’t know, Rockchip is the increasingly popular manufacturer over in China, but are also responsible for the slew of cheap Gingerbread tablets that flooded the market in early 2011. They claimed the first Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich tablet back in December but not being approved by Google or having the Android Market we can hardly call it official.

At the ShowStoppers booth Rockchip had a thin and lightweight 7″ device but it wasn’t fully operational and was quickly removed from our cameras eye. Instead they were showing off their 10″ slate that had a striking resemblance to those Galaxy Tabs. Does the back look familiar to anyone else?

The Android 4.0.3 Ice Cream Sandwich prototype was running on a very early alpha build that was built from source — and according to that “about me” page it was only compiled a few days ago on January 8th. That is beta software if I don’t say so myself. The 10″ display was average at best and it was rocking a 5 megapixel camera around back. It was quick and stable and seemed to be a fully functional version of ICS although we didn’t have enough time to put it through the proper paces.

With Rockchip attending CES here in Vegas, and working hard to bring Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich tablets to more markets than China, we can expect to see another 3rd party unofficial tablet assault from Rockchip soon.

The X1 Hybrid is basically identical to the older version, so we’ll focus on the new Media Mode. This isn’t one of the “pre-boot environments” that was popular a few years ago. This is a completely separate operating system, which Lenovo says is a Linux-based open source system. The Media Mode launches from a Windows shortcut, immediately sending Windows into its sleep state.

Media Mode launches in under two seconds, and runs from the 16GB flash storage in the Qualcomm system-on-a-chip. It has access to all the network connections on the laptop, so built-in web browsing is a go. It can also access photos, videos and documents stored on the 16GB partition. There don’t appear to be any more apps than what are included.

The best part about Media Mode is the that it extends the X1′s battery life by double, according to Lenovo. That turns the standard 5-hour battery life into 10, and the extended slice battery from 10 to 20… assuming that you stay in the low-power mode.

The 13-inch ThinkPad X1 Hybrid will be available in the second quarter, starting at $1599.

The HP Spectr was the next bit of subject matter, the device working with Gorilla Glass in a whole new way, both inside and outside, with a high definition display and a powerful set of innards for a media fabulous experience. Beats Audio is of course integrated, complete with the red light, and performance and aesthetics sit at the head of the release. HP Folio 13 was next, with 9 hours of battery life and a 13-inch screen along with a thin overall chassis size made for an everyone-friendly experience. The third laptop you see on the table in the video is the HP Elitebook 2760p, another notebook which, as your humble narrator’s experience with the HP Elite line will tell you, is no joke when it comes to being hearty and powerful.

Have a peek at the interview video above and check out Chee’s Twitter feed at @AnyadeRogue. We presented Chee with one of our fabulously fashionable SlashGear messenger bags, of course, to send her back off into the world of fashion and extravagance. Have a peek at the rest of our Insider Talks from this event through our [CES Live portal] or our portal for Insider Talk for just the talks – and stick around the rest of the week for the rest of our CES 2012 coverage!

At first glance, you’d mistake the IdeaPad Yoga for a newer version of the U300. It’s a little lighter at around 3.5 pounds, a little thinner at 17 millimeters, and a little nicer with a soft-touch finish, leather wrist rest and a glass trackpad. The demonstration unit booted straight into a developer beta of Windows 8 with the Metro user interface, which is instantly accessible with the touchscreen. Flip the screen back, and the screen goes into tablet mode, with full control of the touch-based UI.

Controls for power and volume are located only on the book-style edge, making control in tablet mode possible. When the dual hinge goes past 180 degrees, the laptop keyboard (now facing down) is disabled. Standard Ultrabook internals power the Yoga, with Intel Core i3/i5/i7 and as much as 256GB of SSD storage.

Lenovo aims to bring the IdeaPad to market in the second half of 2012. Initially Windows 7 will be offered (presumably with some added touch functionality) and a reconfigured model with Windows 8 will be sold when the new operating system launches.

This device will run Android 2.3.7 Gingerbread out of the box, WCDMA and HSPA+ connectivity, and LPDDR2 1GB + 32GB eMMC on the inside to keep you running quick and at the top of your game. The battery is 1890 mAh strong and will last the whole live-long day with the smartphone running a completely custom user interface over Android. This device is both light and relatively thin (or thick depending on who you’re talking to), and as you’ll notice – it’s got three Android capacitive buttons below the display.

This smartphone has five home screens and its user interface is very similar to what we’ve seen with the Lenovo Android dual-core tablets of 2011, but the launcher is Lenovo’s newest for smartphones specifically. Playing video at full resolution, you’ll be able to scrub or jump to any moment without lag. You can connect straight to your Lenovo Smart TV via Wi-fi, streaming video over your home network.

The camera is a dual-LED flash having 8 megapixels on the back with a 5 megapixel camera on the front – HD for both sides! The gallery application that comes with the device is unique in that it’s got a sort of 3D view to it, viewing images, zooming in and out with great ease and without a hitch. The ports on this device are thus: a microUSB port on the bottom right of the device, a 3.5mm headphone jack at the top, and that’s it. There’s also a speaker grille at the top along with the power/lock button, and the back of the device is removable along with the battery.

Dual-Hyperthreading is being used on this device, taking all the bits of a process and making them work as effectively as possible, and the battery does not get eaten up while you process. The Intel Medfield chip makes all of this possible. This device is made to be an everywhere device, booting up in a matter of seconds and with details that make it great for education, business, and the home. Inside the device you’ll also find a compass, gyroscope, and GPS.

This device is upgradable to Ice Cream Sandwich, mind you, plans in the works for an eventual upgrade inside 2012 – though the interface will likely remain quite similar to what it is right this minute. This device will be released inside the second half of 2012 in the China market. We’ll have a much closer look at this device later this year when its much closer to release time – seeya then!

With an innovative new design these impressive fully open dynamic headphones will be one for the high-end that is for sure. Speaking about this new design, the ear cups have been designed with the sound waves coming in at a slight angle rather than straight on and flat like most. Sennheiser has also revealed their new ventilated magnet system design that will direct the airflow of the fully open cans in a way that will reduce distortion and present a cleaner sound.

The technology might be confusing for most but for the die hard audio fan this will surely be something you’ll want to look into. Essentially as the magnet delivers the sound the airwaves make their way out of the open design but it usually manages to find its way back around. The new magnet, along with the angled cup design allows for a flow that will direct this away from the cups and therefor give a better audio experience with less turbulence or distortion. In case you were wondering about the design of the cups, they are also designed all around the flow of air and soundwaves to keep things clean, clear, and crisp.

Enjoy a few photos below and hopefully we’ll have one in for review soon.

There are currently three different styles they are testing – one was built into the a case, the other slides over the rear, and my favorite is actually a thick rubber band that stretches over the whole device. As you can see, the rubber band is a solid color. They are considering making the rubber band transparent so it’s possible still view the band-covered area of the screen.

The band will also be easier to produce universally among the hundreds of Android smartphones. They plan on delivering the iCONIC to select Android devices – but why not include them all? The pictures can also be uploaded to Facebook, Twiiter and email just like the iPhone version. Again, nothing much has changed except offering their hardware to a huge new market.

SlashGear: Do you think 2012 is the year of wearable smart watches?

Twerdahl: I don’t think it’s the year of wearable smart watches, it’s the year of wearable technology. It’s a category that’s broadening rapidly. It starts with the technology that’s close to the body – lots of other countries are starting on this stuff. What makes WIMM different than companies like Sony Ericsson is that we’re developing a completely open platform, then licensing hardware with lots of brands. Later this year you’ll be able to buy a WIMM device from a mobile operator to pair with your smartphone, or a sports company to track your workout.

SlashGear: How many developers have you had so far interested in creating an app for the One?

Twerdahl: The response from developers so far has been tremendous. We’ve got over 2700 developers registered on the portal, and that’s a great start for a platform that isn’t available at retail yet. We’re working on an app store that’s in beta now, and will be available on the web and on the device itself. we’re also working actively with developers to showcase the first crop of great apps.

We’re focusing on a whole different range of applications that we’re calling microapps. It’s not everything that you get in a full fledged app – it’s simplified.  We don’t want to replace the smartphone – we love the smartphone. We want to replace the hassle of the information on the smartphone and make it more accessible.

SlashGear: What is your outlook for the future of the company?

Twerdahl: With WIMM, we develop modules for different manufacturers. WIMM One is for developers. We didn’t want to make a simple SDK or emulator, because that doesn’t give you the full experience with our gesture interface. The WIMM One allows developers to walk around with real hardware. We’re opening it up just a little for consumers, but for now we’re focusing on the developer community.

If you’re unfamiliar with the WIMM One, it’s a tiny Android device powered by a full ARM 11 processor, allowing for some impressive power on a gadget that’s just 1.5 inches square. It connects via WiFi or Bluetooth, and can communicate with Android and Blackberry via an app, and iPhones via the built-in Bluetooth capabilities. The developer kits are $299.99, but hardware developed by WIMM’s partners should be available this year.

With color Eink you maintain all the benefits from standard Eink but brings color to the table. Being based on the same monochrome technology it offers a layer over the top for color reproduction. It offers suburb battery life that will lasts literally for weeks. Being used in Russian schools for education purposes and already available we just wanted a quick look. It is extremely beneficial to the education systems to be able to have a easy to use and operate tablet for learning that is also lightweight and will last for weeks.

Already in mass production and being used across Russia we can expect more from JetBook and Eink soon.

And you’ll want to, since the company’s SDK has attracted dozens of developers to create new apps for the cuddly platform. The hardware includes multicolor LED lighting, a motor for the ears and a webcam, so there’s a surprising variety of notification and interaction apps that can run on it. Switch an app by tapping the Karotz nose with one of the tags – just as if it’s eating a carrot. The most useful is probably a live nannycam that can broadcast to the iPhone, iPad and a Facebook interface.

We stopped to talk to the company about its product at Showstoppers during CES 2012.

Other apps include weather notifications, remote music and Internet radio and basic interactions. The Karotz hardware is available now for $129, and the tiny Nanoz NFC tags and interchangeable ears are extra. Check out a full demo of Violet’s hardware below:

The Eton Rukus Solar powered boombox features a small eInk display on the front for navigation that is extremely low power making this battery powered bluetooth speaker system extremely portable, while still having great on battery life. Then slapped on top is the solar panels for that all important charging. They also offer AC charging for those rainy days or inside usage.

Enjoy our Insider Talk video with the new boombox below and look for it at etoncorp.com today for $149.

The ability to toggle devices or appliances remotely is a great feature for people that travel often, or even live in multiple homes. The software will can also tell what is plugged into the outlet. Through an ID chip placed over the head of the plug, anything can be named/configured. This will help you differentiate between multiple appliances.

When it comes down to it, the SafePlug could really protect your household. There have been countless times when a severe thunderstorm was passing over my house and there wasn’t a way to unplug my desktop computer. Installation is extremely easy, and their general ‘Bedroom Kit’ retails for $189.95.