GPS dogtags, phablets, eye-control and more cute and kooky CES moments
The gems and dross from a show most agree had a dearth of genuine scene-stealers
Hewlett-Packard’s all-glass-encased Spectre was probably the most eye-catching of the so-called ‘Ultrabooks’ and drew throngs of onlookers. Intel is hoping the new generation of ultra-thin, instant-on, lightweight laptops – essentially a riposte to Apple’s MacBook Air – will safeguard its market share as tablets and smartphones encroach on its traditional personal-computing turf.
Samsung Note, the beefed up “phablet” with a 5.3 inch screen that sits somewhere between a phone and a tablet.
Tagg, a GPS-enabled dog or cat collar so you need never lose your beloved companion again. A minute GPS unit clipped to pet collars will send an alarm text or email to your app-installed smartphone should Snuggles wander outside of a prescribed zone.
The Tobii, which tracks eye movements to execute commands – what it calls “gaze interaction” – taking gesture-controlled interfaces a step further and upping the sophistication ante. Along with Nuance’s voice controls and Microsoft’s Kinect gesture-recognition technology, it offers an alternative to the fast-getting-old keyboard-mouse input model in an era of touchscreens. Zoom, auto-center, destroy virtual asteroids – moving just your eyes.
A Panasonic prototype combo digital photo frame and Skype terminal. “The idea of some engineer who has been locked in a room for 10 years,” one observer quipped.
A show-goer tries out a Samsung prototype Internet-enabled refrigerator with a 10.2 inch screen during the 2012 International Consumer Electronics Show. One of the company's WiFi fridge streams Pandora and Twitter. Seriously, It’s OK to take a break from the Internet every now and then.
Strangest mascot: Dish Network Corp’s stunt with a fidgety live kangaroo onstage, to launch its new “Hopper” HD DVR package.