CES - Gadgets

LAS VEGAS--MSI was fairly coy about sending out pics of its Android-based tablet, the WinPad 100A. Luckily, the device was on display at the company's CES booth.

The WinPad 100A has a 10.1-inch capacitive touch screen and runs on Android 2.3. It wasn't clear whether the device will be upgradable to Honeycomb when the new OS launches, however.

Other specs and details include an ARM processor, a USB port, Mini-USB, HDMI, an SD card reader, a front-facing camera on the upper-left side, and a headphone jack.

Additionally, the device includes a G-Sensor gravity-detecting device, a GPS … Read more

LAS VEGAS--It is Saturday. Though some have sped off to the airport nursing contracts and hangovers, many still pour into the Las Vegas Conference Center seeking edification.

As someone from slightly outside the technological world, I pondered over dinner last what were the three most stunning surprises that made me reassess my own view of life, not merely of technology.

1. OTHER THAN AMERICA, THERE ARE ONLY FOUR COUNTRIES IN THE WORLD. I made it my business to wander over to the International Zone. I expected to find clever people from all around the world showing off their flying laptops, … Read more

LAS VEGAS--It seems that portable hard drives get progressively smaller as CES 2011 continues.

Yesterday, Verbatim introduced the USB 3.0 External SSD, which beat the recently reviewed LaCie FastKey both in terms of storage space and portability. Now, as the show is nearing its end, Pretec, a company known more as a maker of system memory, has unveiled an ultracompact USB 3.0 flash drive of its own, the i-Disk Rex 100.

Measuring 2.9 inches by 0.7 inch by 0.2 inch, the i-Disk Rex 100 is arguably the tiniest flash drive in the world that offers … Read more

LAS VEGAS--Hate it when you're jogging and your earphones drop out? Sonomax's Eers custom-molded earphones fit perfectly into your ears so music is isolated from ambient noise.

That means you can enjoy tunes at lower volumes and reduce the risk of hearing loss, according to Montreal-based Sonomax. The unique feature of its Eers series (initially dubbed "Soundcage") is that the headphones come in a kit with a silicone injection system that does the job in only four minutes.

The headphones are initially attached to a recyclable headband that's preloaded with medical-grade silicone. You fit it … Read more

LAS VEGAS--If you want your kids to get a leg up on their future digital careers, consider starting them young. Very young. The Vinci is a touch-screen tablet for babies and infants up to age 3 that helps tots learn about the world and stimulates their curiosity through interactive content.

Introduced at CES and launching in the first half of 2011, the Vinci has a BPA-free silicone handle that fits little hands, a 7-inch screen, a micro SD card slot and USB connectivity, built-in speaker and microphone, as well as a 3-megapixel camera. In order to protect wee ones from … Read more

LAS VEGAS--One of my happy surprises of 2010 was a Bluetooth speaker dock called Sound Platform from an upstart company called SoundFreaq. Stylish yet unique, with a premium sound, generous extras, and a down-to-earth price, the Sound Platform came out of nowhere to deliver a product few others can match.

So this year, in spite of being torn in a dozen different directions to cover tablets at CES, I made time to visit SoundFreaq to see what it's cooking.

For the company's sophomore product, SoundFreaq is going smaller, more portable, and more affordable. The SFQ-02 Sound Step is … Read more

Verizon Wireless did its best to steal the mobile show at its CES press conference yesterday. Not only did we get the long-rumored Xoom Honeycomb tablet, but the carrier also unveiled the first selection of handsets to go with its new LTE 4G network.

Admittedly, we're focused on the new handsets, like the Motorola Droid Bionic, the Samsung 4G LTE, the HTC Thunderbolt, and the LG Revolution, but Verizon had a couple of other tricks up its sleeve. In addition to Samsung's new Mobile Hotspot, which Bonnie Cha already mentioned, Big Red also unveiled another hot spot and … Read more

LAS VEGAS--The new iHome iA63 speaker dock and alarm clock makes it easy to switch your iPhone or iPod from vertical to landscape mode. With the touch of a button, the dock rotates your device with a snazzy spin so you can watch your movies and view images in wide-screen video mode.

The iA63 is iHome's newest addition to its line of alarm clocks, so it's compatible with the iHome+Sleep and Home+Radio apps with additional access to six customizable FM radio presets.

The iHome iA63 motorized alarm clock will be available soon for $99.

LAS VEGAS--At last year's CES, we put together a slideshow called "Sexy sells at CES" that highlighted part of the human element that companies use to help make their gadgets stand out on the crowded show floor--or at least encourage people to stop at their booths.

For some reason, this slideshow proved to be rather popular with our readers, so we thought we'd cobble something together this year.

Don't get the wrong impression. Not every company hires models to show off their wares and talk about their products. And even when they do, the product … Read more