TechBite by Steve Bass: Newsletter #53

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Quick Hello: Hey, Leo, thanks for the mention -- and hello and welcome to Leo's fans.  

CES: An Electronic Candy Store
Going to the Consumer Electronics Show is like walking into a huge candy store; on this trip I spent two days roaming around the seven gigantic exhibit halls packed with electronic gadgetry.

I started my first day sweeping the Central Hall, the largest of the bunch. At noon, I hustled over to a press-only event, visited with about 20 vendors, and because they fed us, traded stories with media cohorts over lunch. Then I was back on my feet, with more to see at the North Hall, including a new area for small companies.

That night, I headed for TigerDirect's Build Your Own PC Race for Charity. Here's a video of the race. I'm number 26, but they focused on the cute blonde in the front and never bothered showing anyone on the other side of the room. (And no, I didn't win this year. Out of 31 contestants, I came in 11th. My glory days were in the early years of IDE drives and old-fashioned power connectors, and I came in first in 1989.) [top]

Later on the same night, I hit ShowStoppers, a media brouhaha with 100 vendors lining the walls and aisles, their tables stacked with products they're pitching. The vendors were at ShowStoppers to schmooze the hordes of journo-types into writing about them. We attended to see what's new, and use our skills (I'm a black belt schnorrer) to talk the vendors into giving us free samples (and more often we'd get promises of freebies).

We were also there to belly up to the feeding troughs -- turkey, roast beef, sushi, and pasta -- and to scarf up adult beverages.

In the first ShowStopper's walk-around, I usually sniff out the schlock, the off-the-wall companies with products I'm not at all interested in trying, and neither would you. After a refill at the bar -- hey, it's strenuous interacting with marketing types -- I stop and kibbitz with vendors. "Give me your best two-minute pitch," I say, otherwise I'll get my ear chewed off for an hour, and risk having the line at the bar get long.

In my two days at this year's show, I found about 30 products with potential. Some I'll actually get to try; others are so weird, I'll just describe them to you. By the way, CES is a showcase for retail buyers, not end users, so many of the products won't be available until next spring. [top]

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CES Hits and Misses
Some of the products I found at CES are keepers -- useful, decently priced, and worth buying. Lots of others products are on the fringe. I'll have more of each next week.

Animated, Digital Name Tag
Say you're on the geeky side, using hackneyed pickup lines at singles bars -- hey, did you upgrade to Win 7 or switch to Linux? -- and being ignored. On your next night out try wearing a Video Name Tag. Connect it to your PC (via USB), load it with some text and graphics, and stick it proudly on your chest. The 320-by-240 resolution display will play for 10 hours before it needs recharging.  

Outside the press room, the guy from Video Name Tag was holding an impromptu press conference. Watch my homemade video to see how he attracted everyone's attention. [top]

Cute, but at $200, the Video Name Tag is a miss.

Locked Up Tight
Every year at CES, like clockwork, Otterbox passes out free waterproof cases. At $12, these little boxes are cheap, and handy. Twenty years ago I'd have used one to keep my rolling papers and weed safe and dry (no, I don't know if they're smell-proof). Life changes. Nowadays, the box keeps my Lipitor and Cozaar nice and dry. Definitely a keeper.

Lock up your valuables in an OtterBox.

Jumping Out at You
"Grab a pair of glasses," the reps at Panasonic and Samsung said, "and have a look." (They sometimes talked in unison like Tweedle Dum and Tweedle Dee.) I'll tell you what -- watching the animated movie "Up" on a 3D HDTV is jump-out-at-you stunning, life-like and breathtaking. And the manufacturers are pushing them hard. But with a two-year-old Samsung DLP screen in my living room, and the economy still tanking, it's silly for me to even considering buying one. Tell you what -- you get one; I'll swing by with a six-pack.

Suave 3D Glasses
Whether you buy a 3D TV set or go to the theater to watch "Avatar," you'll want comfortable, distortion-free 3D glasses. Get them for $20 to $30 dollars from MicroVision Optical. They look lots like sunglasses, or those polarized glasses for fishermen (they didn't help you catch fish, though, right?). MicroVision Optical also sells glasses that'll fit over your regular specs; prescription lenses are available, too. Me, I'll stick with the cheapie cardboard ones I got in 1965. [top]

Block that Text Message
You can stop your kids -- or employees -- from using a smart phone's calling, downloading, and texting features. tXtBlocker lets you disable or limit specific smart phone features in locations such as a work site, school, or moving car. For example, you could block incoming and outgoing text messages, based on a vehicle's speed. The phone's administrator (read: parents) could set general usage limits, allowing outgoing 911 calls, say, or incoming calls from Dad, all from the company's website. When it's available, the service will cost $10 per month plus activation or $100 per year.

ZoomSafer is similar -- it controls the smart phone's use in moving cars. ZoomSafer locks the keypad when the phone is in a moving car, automatically replies to calls or messages, and tells the administrator when the phone's user is driving. My choice? Easy: ZoomSafer is inexpensive at only $3 per month or $25 for a one-time fee. And there's even a seven day trial. [top]

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Time Wasters
Optical illusions that'll make you seasick, magic cheeseburgers, and a brain strainer.

Image of the Week: A Rainy GIF

Kind of what it looks like at Bass Headquarters this week. [Thanks, Craig.]
If this doesn't animate in your e-mail app, click here.

Free Candy for You
Yep, I'm doling it out for all you nice boys and girls who pass along my newsletter to the crowds you hang around with at the singles bar, your weekly Sierra Club hike, and maybe even the waiting room at your dentist. Forward the newsletter or send 'em this link: http://www.techbite.com.

By the way, if you're enjoying this newsletter and getting something out of it, become a TechBite member by sending us some financial support using PayPal. I promise, good things will eventually come your way... [top]

Steve Bass is the publisher and self-appointed Chief Content Officer at TechBite; he continues to experience the cool feeling of having his own newsletter. Send him your feedback at TechBite. To sign up for TechBite's free Steve Bass Technology newsletter, head for our signup page.

Steve's also the author of "PC Annoyances, 2nd Edition: How to Fix the Most Annoying Things About Your Personal Computer," available on Amazon. It covers XP, but not Vista. If you haven't purchased your copy today, don't wait, supplies are limited...

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