The new Nike + SportWatch GPS at CES 2011

I saw this watch from shoe giant Nike last night at the CES 2011 event Pepcom. The Nike+SportsWatch GPS uses the Nike+ sensor based in the shoe for tracking time, pace, distance, calories burned as well as heart rate.

It also has something else: a GPS powered by TomTom. This allows the watch to track “what a user does, how they do it, and then motivates the user to improve on previous performances over the each route”. After the user is completed with their run or other exercises, they can take off their watch and connect it to a PC with the built-in USB dongle. From there, data is uploaded to the NikePlus.com site for viewing of completed runs, setting new goals, as well as interacting with other runners.

I’m sure that this technology comes in handy for those that like to run. However, I can’t help but wonder why this tech couldn’t be put on a new version of an iPod nano. After all, most people are mounting their nanos on their watches anyway. Perhaps in the next version of the nano.

The new Nike watch won some awards from CES for innovation in both the Health and Wellness and Personal Electronics categories.

Razer Onza Tournament and Standard editions of Xbox 360 controllers announced

Razer certainly ain’t playing around when with a couple of new releases – the Onza Tournament and Standard editions of Xbox 360 controllers. Of course, Razer has more often than not been associated with gaming hardware for the personal computer, but not quite so with the video game console environment. Well, all of that is going to change from now on as Razer has just announced both the Razer Onza Tournament and Standard editions for Xbox 360 owners. These new controllers are high precision devices that certainly intend to deliver the best gaming experience possible for everyone who places top priority on accuracy and responsiveness when it comes to gaming. After all, there surely isn’t a fate worse than death when it comes to losing to your hated rivals online, right?

Specially built for the hardcore competitive gamer, the Razer Onza Tournament Edition will deliver superior customizability with adjustable resistance analog sticks. This is one of the main reasons why Onza’s tagline “Resistance is Futile” translates to having nothing to stand in your way for exceptional precision. Twist the analog sticks in one direction and they will be more resistant, offering a steadier control whenever you game, while doing otherwise in the opposite direction will result in quicker, fluid movements.

As for the Razer Onza Standard Edition, this model will come with Multi-Function Buttons (MFB) on the controller’s shoulders that enable the remapping of critical buttons to virtually any location under your fingertips. This will not only increase the efficiency of game control, but will also aid those with disabilities unable to reach specific functions on a crappy standard controller. In this way, Razer paves the way to enable everybody to play. Both Standard and Tournament Editions will ship with MFB, Hyperesponse technology, PC compatibility, and a 15 foot cable. Retailing for $49.99 a pop, you can place a pre-order this coming January 17th.

JVC touts a world’s first – 3D camcorder that does full HD

JVC intends to remain on the cutting edge of technology by rolling out the first consumer camcorder in the world that is capable of recording in full HD, courtesy of the new JVC-developed high-speed processor which is capable of producing a couple of simultaneous Full HD images. The model in question? The GS-TD1, where it will utilize a couple of camera lenses and a similar number of 3.32 megapixel CMOS sensors – one for each lens – in order to help it capture three-dimensional images in the manner where human eyes work. This new high-speed imaging engine is capable of simultaneously processing the two Full HD images, where left and right images at 1920 x 1080i – using but a single chip. Want to know more about the GS-TD1? Read all about it in the extended post.

The newly developed “LR Independent Format” is what allows the GS-TD1 to be the world’s first consumer-oriented camcorder capable of 3D shooting in Full HD. Of course, this doesn’t mean that JVC’s new camcorder is unable to do more than that – no sir, it offers much more, boasting of different shooting modes as well, including the widely used “Side-by-Side Format” for AVCHD (3D) and conventional AVCHD (2D) shooting. The JVC 3D Twin HD GT Lens is touted to set a new standard in high-resolution lenses with extra-low-dispersion glass for crisp, high-contrast images, while multiple aspherical lenses pave the way for fine image reproduction. Other hardware specifications include round iris diaphragms which enable beautiful bokeh effect (background blurring) shooting of video and stills alike.

Apart from that, you will also find that the GS-TD1 (why do they come up with hard-to-remember model names?) will sport a 3D optical 5x zoom, Optical Axis Automatic Stabilization System for disparity control to give depth to 3D images, JVC’s BIPHONIC technology for dynamic 3D sound and Automatic Parallax Adjustment to optimize the 3D-video comfort zone. It will arrive in the market this coming March for $1,999.95, placing it well out of reach of the ordinary consumer. Oh yeah, you will also need to remember that purchasing this means upgrading the rest of your home entertainment ecosystem in order to accommodate 3D capability.

Glove Box Battery Jumper

Having a dead battery in your car is not something everybody wants, but it does happen to the best of us from time to time. Well, in such an event, you can always rely on the Glove Box Battery Jumper to help you out of a particularly tight position, and even better is you won’t need to have a friend or stranger who is willing to “lend” their car’s battery for you to jump start it. This device will help juice up your car’s battery from the comfort and safety of the driver’s seat, and to make it a whole lot more convenient, it is tiny enough to store within the glove box. The 30-volt battery will plug into your vehicle’s 12-volt lighter outlet, and is capable of jump starting your car’s battery in just 10 minutes. Heck, it is good enough to provide a two-amp “trickle” charge, even in temperatures as low as -10º F. Doing something as simple as reversing a switch will allow the device to recharge in 30 minutes from a running car. Each $34.95 purchase already comes fully charged, where it is good for up to five years of power.
   

Satarii Star has its eye on you

Do you use your iPhone often for Facetime? Well, if you’re one of the select few who does so, then you might want to check out what the Satarii Star is capable of doing. This unique device will definitely need your iPhone to remain docked within, where it can swivel around to track your movement. To make things more flexible, it allows you to dock your iPhone in either portrait or landscape mode, literally allowing you to position it where you want it. As for the second part of this setup, it comprises of a small tracking device that allows you to clip onto the subject. The tracking device will communicate with the base within a 25 foot radius, where the base can rotate up to 180 degress, aiming at the tracker always. No idea on when it will be released commercially and for how much, since this is still part of an in-development project from a team of California-based designers.

Skype to buy Qik

Skype and Qikl, two halfs of a familiar apple, are going to become one. Skyqik?

Two companies that really turned the mobile world upside down over the last few years are merging. And it’s HUGE news. No, we’re not talking Google and Apple. That would be world war III. We’re talking about Skype announcing at CES that they’re buying QIK. And considering they use similar color schemes, why not?

QIK made headlines a few years ago by making it possible to broadcast live video from one’s smartphone to the Internet. That’s very Skypelike if you think about it and Skype agrees, which is why it’s buying Qik. And skype’s goal will be to make a “a richer, more integrated experience that will allow people globally to share experiences in real-time video across different platforms.”

And with Skype’s amazing quality when 20 million of your closest friends are online, and Qik’s video capability across multiple platforms, the result will be huge. And considering Skype just published their video chat app for the iPhone, you can bet that Cupertino is paying close attention to this one.

Skype to bring Video chat to Android

Skype Video Chat for Android ... coming soon to a Droid near you.

Fresh off releasing video chat capability for the iPhone, Skype isn’t wasting time resting on their laurels, as they plan to bring it to Android sooner than you think.

According to a demo seen by some Engadget geeks at the Motorola booth at CES. The Demo was on their prototype Motorola Droid Bionic, and while it wasn’t a working demo, mind you,it was far enough along to demo the interface, show access to a caller’s contacts and initiate a call (which doens’t connect just yet) … that clearly shows that Skype is hard at work to make it happen and is comfortable enough to show it to the masses to get them psyched about it.

And considering the Droid Bionic is 4G going over Verizon’s LTE network, it’ll be lightning fast and no doubt crystal clear. Considering the news that they’re buying Qik, and having already fired a broadside square at Apple’s Facetime app, it’s clear that Skype is up to something serious for 2011.

Fujitsu ScanSnap S1100 document scanner is one of the world’s smallest

Fujitsu certainly wants to grab headlines by the scruff of its neck with the ScanSnap S1100 document scanner, where it is touted to be one of the smallest in the world without compromising on performance and functionality. The new ultra-portable scanner will tip the scales at slightly more than 12 ounces, cramming inside enough technology to pay homage to its larger brethren in the series despite sporting a new sleek style that allows you to easily fit it into a briefcase or purse and digitizes your documents anywhere, and at any time. Live product demonstrations of the new ScanSnap S1100 can be seen when CES 2011 opens to the public, so we’re stoked to have a look.

The ScanSnap S1100 was specially designed to see action with a PC or Mac, where it will rely on its innovative paper path system and fast front-side color scanning functionality to quickly scan anything ranging from contracts and long receipts to business cards and plastic IDs. A single USB cable is all it takes to power the ScanSnap S1100, where it will convert all scanned data into searchable PDF files while enabling you to quickly transform your paperwork into editable Word and Excel files. Apart form that, ScanSnap S1100 lets you to scan documents directly to Evernote and Google Docs cloud services, making it a snap to store your paperwork and photos from just about anywhere as long as you’re hooked to a decent Internet connection.

A single push of the button lets the ScanSnap S1100 make short work of a letter-size sheet of paper – taking just 7.5 seconds of your life, scanning it in 300dpi and color to boot. Continuous Document Feeding (CDF) will let users scan multiple-page documents into the PDF format by simply pushing the “Scan” button and inserting each page into the scanner. Once the scanning is complete, users will just need to push the “Scan” button again to end the scanning task while converting the data into a PDF. The Fujitsu ScanSnap S1100 can already be purchased for $199 in the US – business minded folks, how about putting this on your wish list?

BlueAnt S3 Speakerphone targets yakking drivers

We all know that talking on your phone while driving is a definite no-no, and unless you have a hands-free kit with you, doing so will only endanger your life as well as that of others on the road. Why take the risk when you can always do your part in being a law-abiding citizen (and treasuring your life as well as that of others) with the BlueAnt S3 Speakerphone? This latest release from BlueAnt Wireless comes in the form of a visor-mounted car speakerphone which will draw upon the company’s extensive experience with voice-control features, such as voice answer/ignore, caller name announce and text-message readout, all without breaking the bank – sweet words in these economically challenging times, eh?

The S3 will definitely not tarnish BlueAnt’s heritage of delivering products with superior voice quality, outstanding wind, road and background noise reduction and superior call clarity. To make matters more enticing, the new BlueAnt S3 will come with a useful auto reconnection function that makes sure the device is more than ready to handle the user’s voice commands without sacrificing battery life. It does so by reconnecting the speakerphone to the driver’s phone automatically courtesy of built-in vibration sensor.

The S3 was specifically designed for drivers who want a fully featured, value-priced speakerphone that boasts simple voice prompts, where it will be able to utilize text-to-speech technology which reads out text messages via a free, downloadable application. Not only that, the S3 is capable of announcing the caller’s name from a list of up to 2,000 mobile phone contacts whenever the phone rings.

A bunch of other standard features on the BlueAnt S3 Speakerphone will comprise of true multipoint technology for connecting and conducting calls on two mobile phones simultaneously and A2DP for audio streaming of music, podcasts and turn-by-turn directions from a GPS navigation application. It offers up to to 20 hours of talk time; and 600 hours on standby, where $79.99 will net you the S3 in the first quarter of the year alongside a two-year replacement warranty. What you see above is the S3 Compact just for reference’s sake.

RedEye Mini Universal Remote

The £49.99 RedEye Mini Universal Remote for iPhone and iPad is something that couch potatoes who thrive on iDevices might have been waiting for, as this pretty interesting gizmo can be plugged into the iPhone or iPad’s headphone socket, giving you instant control over the TV, stereo system, Sky/digibox, DVD player or virtually any other device that receives its command from IR signals. Boasting a range of up to 30 feet, it ought to be more than enough for just about any kind of living room unless you live in a palatial mansion, that is. The RedEye Mini doesn’t need batteries since it acts as a parasite to your iDevice when connected, resulting in one less charger to tote around on your travels. With its online IR code database, you can even gain control of devices even if you don’t have the original remote to hand. Could this be perfect to pull off another Gizmodo-like TV prank at this year’s CES?

Fujifilm FinePix XP30 camera sports GPS capability

Fujifilm wants to keep innovation flowing with the FinePix XP30, where this latest addition to the FinePix range will sport GPS capability, with the company touting it to be the first in the world for an outdoor compact camera. How about its performance, you ask? Well, the Fujifilm FinePix XP30 will come with a 14.2-megapixel sensor alongside CCD-shift image stabilization, a 5x optical zoom, fact detection and automatic panorama functionality among others. Sounds like a pretty good deal to us, considering all you need to fork out is $239.95 from next month onwards, while the non-GPS version (FinePix XP200) is $40 cheaper just in case you need a techy yet useful gift for the coming Valentine’s. Not only does it have GPS capability, it is also pretty tough being waterproof up to 5 meters, dust proof and sandproof while shrugging off drops of up to 1.5m.

Wowwee Cinemin Slice on display at CES 2011

Wowwee has done much with projectors, like the Cinemin Swivel, and they put their best foot forward on display at CES Unveiled last night with the Cinemin Slice.

The Slice is a portable pico-projector that is designed for Apple products such as the iPod, iPod Touch, new iPod Nano, iPhone and iPad. It comes with the docking trays for them all. It also has a Mini-HDMI and AV ports for other Personal Media Players (PMPs), as well as a VGA port for a PC, laptop, or netbook.

For those that want their content on the big screen, it can do this. It is able to make a 60-inch image from about 10 feet away, with a viewable range of 125 inches. The resolution is WVGA at (854 x 480), a 16:9 aspect ratio, and it is very bright at 16 ANSI lumens.

I have used projectors before, and have found that most of them are weak when it comes to sound. This doesn’t seem to be the case for the Cinemin Slice which has 6 watt stereo speakers.

Other features include a headphone jack as well as an infrared remote control. The Cinemin Slice is available for pre-order and should ship sometime in the first quarter. The price is pretty up there at $429.99.

The House of Marley rocks some new products, including the Roots Rock Speaker Bag

Last night at CES Unveiled, the House of Marley was on display. For those who have not heard, the House of Marley want to bring consumers premium quality and eco-conscious products that embody Bob Marley and the Marley family’s values of equality, unity, sustainability, and charity.

On deck was Rohan Marley, son of the Reggae music legend, and I got to see him and this Roots Rock bag that you see here. The Roots Rock is a speaker bag, for lack of a better word. I have never seen anything like it, but I wouldn’t be surprised if I see a lot of imitators of it, assuming it is original.

The Roots Rock Speakerbag is designed to put an iPhone/iPod inside for docking and charging. It will blast your music with 4-inch speakers with 1-inch tweeters for 36 watts of sound. The Roots Rock is also designed for portable and permanent playing. It is battery powered or AC powered, and comes with a 3.5 mm cable and Aux-in cables.

I don’t have a release date, but the Roots Rock Speakerbag will sell for about $249.99, and the bag is interchangeable. So if you don’t like the pattern, you can switch it out with something like it for accessorizing.

Diving into the Kindle 3’s alternate features

The Kindle has several features you may not know about ....

The Kindle 3 was one of the hottest selling ebook readers of the holiday season. And for reading books, there’s really nothing better to curl up on a cold winter day next to the fire. But not many know that the Kindle has other useful features which may turn this eBook reader into a serious internet device.

Under the “experimental” option in the main men, the Kindle offers three pet projects they have added to the ebook reader for real world testing – Web Browser, MP3 player, and Text to Speech.

The web browser works just like your basic browser, only imagine that you’re trying to use it and your mouse is broken. Now you have to navigate with keys instead of pointing and clicking. This is the web browser experience. Not very great for every day use, but if you find yourself reading a passage of a book and you want to share it on Facebook or fire off an email to a friend, it’s certainly useable.

Next is play mp3. This is a nice feature in that users can load the Kindle with some of their favorite MP3s, and then listen to them while reading. Excellent if you find yourself on a bus or train for a few hours and just want to pass the time.

A useful feature for disabled readers or kids who just want a bed time story and mom or dad aren’t around to read. Users can start Text-to-Speech in the “text menu.” Press the Text key to enable (Aa button, right of the space bar) and the SYM key together to turn on/off. The Kindle will then begin reading to you.

In addition to these, users can also download PDF files free to their kindle by emailing them and tagging them with @ free.kindle.com in the email address. Finally, users can manage their social networks. Going into the settings feature under the menu button, users can log into both Twitter and Facebook and share thoughts.

If you’re new to the Kindle experience, check out these useful features.

Joby unveils two new iPad Accessories at CES 2011

Most of you are familiar with Joby, and they are most famous for their Gorillapod accessories. These are tripods with some very flexible feet for cameras, flashlights, and even the iPhone 4. At CES 2011 Unveiled last night, the company revealed that they have two new iPad related products.

The first is the Yogi, and it is a case for the iPad with those famous Gorillapod legs (seen on the left). Not only can the user take these two legs and twist them around to mount the iPad in many places, but it makes the iPad so it literally stands on two feet for viewing in portrait and landscape mode, perfect for those who like to watch iPad vids.

The second iPad product is the Ori, and it doesn’t have the Gorillapod feet. It does allow the iPad to stand up by itself. Not only can it stand it up in portrait or landscape mode like an easel, but the case itself can fold up and around the iPad, giving the user an extra layer of metal protection for their favorite Apple tablet.

I wasn’t able to get the release dates, but I do have the prices. The Joby Ori will sell for about $79.95 while the Yogi will go for about $49.95.