Look how old this is! I post at SearchCommander.com now, and this post was published 18 years 3 months 16 days ago. This industry changes FAST, so blindly following the advice here *may not* be a good idea! If you're at all unsure, feel free to hit me up on Twitter and ask.
I just got back from the Consumer Electronics show in Las Vegas, where I roamed the 1.47 million square feet of displays with 160,000 other people looking for the most unique and innovative products I could find. My hope was to hook up with some decision makers at some emerging technology companies, and I was not disappointed at all!
There are lots of places online to read about all the cool stuff from major manufacturers, but here, in no particular order, are my own personal “winners”, and links to their respective websites…
1. A 12 foot wide inflatable home theater projection screen. It comes with huge outdoor speakers, and it’s suitable for your next company picnic, or having your own drive in movie theater in your garage! Sima.
2. The Z800 3d visor that brought a crystal clear display and full 3d imaging to video games, including smooth head tracking ability. This was not like the “VR” toys of the mid to late 90’s, that gave me motion sickness with flickering movements. It was like looking through a 100 inch plate glass window at a completely 3D world. Once they integrate peripheral vision, the “in game experience” so highly sought after by millions will be complete. Emagin.com
3. A remote control finder is a keypad sized device that lets you find selected devices the same way you now set your car alarm, using the companies own rechargeable batteries in your remote controls. I predict that remote control finder “finder” will be out in 2007!
By Seoby.
4. GameRunner is a treadmill with adjustible handlebars and gamepad buttons that allowed me to work out while I was running through the jungles shooting bad guys in the computer game “Far Cry”. With those 3D goggles, it would have really been slick!
Gamerunner
5. A cell phone backup device that works for any Smartphone, storing all of your contacts, appointments and phone numbers, so you can easily restore when you lose the phone. There were two that I saw, one from AWS Products, and one from Spark
6. Two separate game controllers that give you a solid workout. One is upper body only, and the other is top to bottom. I played Need For Speed underground and after one race, I was sore the next day. Both products are coming to Best Buy this spring. Again, pair this with the 3D goggles, and it would you can see where all this is eventually going. PowerGrid Fitness.
7. A manufacturer of some very unique items that I saw nowhere else, including a Patent Pending detachable keychain dongle combo USB Mouse and memory stick drive supporting 7 kinds of digital memory. Chows Industrial Limited .
8. An android that fights back. This life sized real robot is designed for both martial arts training and adult fun in sports bars. Computer controlled punch strength auto senses contact with human skin, making injury impossible. (ha! don’t worry…I asked, and it is definitely NOT going to be running Microsoft anything!).
Self Defense Technologies.
9. Digital picture frames that you can give as a gift, then download new pictures daily, weekly or monthly via a subscription based internet connection. The gift that keeps on giving (and taking!) I can’t imagine these won’t be available without a pay subscription someday, but who knows? Until then, maybe it’s the next XM or Serius!
Ceiva Logic
10. Xavix – A home entertainment system that involves a small box and cartridges, similar to X Box or PlayStation, but you get wireless sporting goods to interact with on the display. Virtual Baseball, Tennis, Golf , Boxing and more are all simultated pretty darn well, and is an absolutely must have for kids like mine (and me of course) on a rainy day. This was so cool, I almost bought it the day I came back. I would have paid to try the 3d visor with these! Xavix
A few other things…
I saw an inflatable pool raft with drink holders and two comfortable hand grips, to control the direction for your twin directional motors. (Watch for this at Costco soon).
I saw Larry Page (Google’s co-founder) deliver his keynote speech. (okay, it was on a screen in the “overflow area” , but he was still right there). Read all the Day 1 CES keynote speeches here
I saw a 110 inch flat panel monitor, and for contrast, a 1/2 inch postage stamp LED running The Matrix movie as clear as a bell.
I saw a really amazing kids toy called “Fridgigears” (what an idea!) , and I saw auto sensing hands free open/close home trash cans both available at Target very soon if not already.
The most amazing thing I saw though, was a brand new poker player who had never before sat in a casino, flop a Royal Flush. He got so obviously excited that everyone else folded before the turn card and he barely won any money at all…
