CES 2013 - the GOOD, the BAD, the UGLY

Good...

Tactus' morphing touchscreen was quite likely our all-around favorite device at the show. It combines a great idea with interesting potential and that full-on science fiction wow when you first see the "keyboard" inflate. Tactus hopes to see products shipping with its tactile touchscreen this year in devices ranging from phones to devices for the visually impaired. We wish them well and look forward to checking out what may eventually come of this technology.

BAD...

Ok... Someone didn't get the memo...  With Samsung's giant Galaxy Note smartphones weren't a pain enough.  Huawei said, "Hey, I know, let's make an even bigger one!"  Huawei went and showed off its 6.1-inch Ascend Mate smartphone. A direct shot at the bow of the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 at its own game, a giant phone-tablet hybrid. It has a bigger screen, a faster processor and – quite possibly – a lower price. However, it loses out on the magic equation Samsung struck by the Note 2.

The one lone word than can accurately describe the Huawei Ascend Mate is “huge”. With a 6.1-

inch screen, this phone is unavoidably gigantic. If you have even a hint of an issue with large screen phones like the Samsung Galaxy S3, this is not the device for you.

Moreover, You might think that with a huge 6.1-inch screen, the Huawei Ascend Mate would offer the very latest display tech, but it actually lags behind the latest phones. With 720p resolution, it offers fewer pixels than the smaller 1080p Huawei Ascend D2. Pixel density is a “mere” 241dpi, which isn’t high enough to provide the “you can’t see the pixels” density of phones like the iPhone 5.  

UGLY...

Canon's PowerShot N. The tiny square camera has a flip-up 2.8-inch touch screen and an 8x wide-angle zoom lens, and does away with a shutter release button and zoom lever, using rings around the lens instead.  Now forgive the assessment, but it seems that Canon is going 1950's with the Oldsmobile look.

The PowerShot N does introduce a new Creative Shot mode, too, which will automatically create five different versions of a single shot using different color modes, crops, and styles in addition to saving the original photo. It's an unique option and the camera we tried did the edits fast, so maybe Canon has something here. At least with the mode,  not sure about the camera. Its cube-like body is awkward to hold, and the controls, which were moved the sides of the camera's body and touchscreen, feel clumsy. If Canon wants the point-and-shoot to remain relevant it should be less concerned with shrinking down its size, and more focused on beefing up its performance.

Sony Snafu

By far the most cringeworthy moment at CES came toward the end of Sony's press event,

during which the company unveiled its impressive new 4K OLED TVs.

Sony reps rolled out their crown jewel, the 56-inch model, onto the stage. Sony CEO Kazuo Hirai began talking up the TV, which features what he called the largest OLED screen available. (OLED TVs have no backlight. Their colors pop more vividly, and they're among the industry's thinnest and most energy-efficient televisions.)

Then, disaster struck: The dreaded Blue Screen of Death filled the TV window.

Hirai was still talking and gesturing to the TV when it struck. "Including this beautiful ..." He trailed off as he saw the blue error message.

"Interface screen," Hirai finished lamely, amid gasps and giggles from the audience.

Technical problems can happen in any demo, of course, but CES is a really terrible place for such a snafu -- especially when it involves one of your major new products.

Oh, Here Can You Hold This for a Second?

The tablet certainly attracted a crowd of onlookers at Panasonic's CES booth, likely drawn by its monstrous screen. The tablet has been designed with a wide viewing angle so 4K content can easily be shared with others.

The screen displays images at a 3840 x 2560 resolution in a 15:10 aspect ratio, which leaves the pixels almost imperceptible from up close. It uses a 1.8 Ghz Intel Corei5 processor to smoothly run applications on Windows 8 Pro, including Adobe Photoshop. An accompanying digital pen can be used for precision and to record natural handwriting, but a finger works just as well for swiping through pages and general navigation.

It's quite a bit heavier than other tablets on the market at 5.3 lbs (2.4 kg), but that's to be expected with the much larger screen. On the other hand, its 0.4-inch thickness rivals many smaller-sized tablets on the market and Panasonic claims it is the lightest and thinnest 20-inch tablet currently known to the public (not that the competition is fierce in the 20-inch sector).


Swiveling cat ears

With the power of your mind! Neurosky's brainwave scanning band really works, but are cat ears showing your feelings really the best use?

HAPIfork

Slow down and chew your food properly, or the HAPIfork will start buzzing; it doesn't check if your elbows are on the table though.

Dhama Pursuit business shirt

Stay cool, or warm, or just right. Dhama's Pursuit business shirt has built-in heating and cooling from 73 to 122 degrees – but no Jackie Chan moves.

Tylt Energi

Tylt's Energi backpack with a hefty battery can charge your iPad but it might also turn you bright green

Source(s):

• http://www.engadget.com/2013/01/14/ces-2013-best-of-show-roundup/
• http://www.techradar.com/us/news/world-of-tech/10-bizarre-gadgets-from-ces-2013-1125159
• http://ces.cnet.com/8301-34440_1-57563409/cameras-not-entirely-out-of-the-picture-at-ces-2013/
• http://ces.cnet.com/2731-34437_1-2034-2.html
• http://gizmodo.com/5974926/the-coolest-cameras-at-ces-2013
• http://www.businessinsider.com/hawei-6-1-inch-smartphone-2013-1?op=1

So “Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more;”

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About Rick Ricker

An IT professional with over 21 years experience in Information Security, wireless broadband, network and Infrastructure design, development, and support.

For more information, contact Rick at (800) 399-6085