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LAS VEGAS--How would you feel if you were hospitalized and your doctor were talking to you through a 5-foot robot?

RP-VITA (Remote Presence Virtual + Independent Telemedicine Assistant) is a remote-, iPad-operated telepresence bot. It's become the first self-navigating communications robot to receive FDA certification, developers InTouch and iRobot said at CES 2013.

The machine is approved "for telemedicine consults inclusive of active patient monitoring in high-acuity environments where immediate clinical action may be required," InTouch said in a release. Specifically, it's cleared for "active patient monitoring in pre-operative, peri-operative and post-surgical settings, including cardiovascular, neurological, prenatal, psychological, and critical care assessments and examinations." … Read more

LAS VEGAS--iPad keyboard cases galore litter CES, but Belkin has some nice new models up its sleeve, including a clever one that converts your old Apple keyboard. I gave them a whirl over at Belkin's booth.

The Convertible Keyboard Case (top), announced at the show, costs just $49 and adopts a standard Apple bluetooth keyboard to become a pretty portable keyboard case. The foldable case essentially acts as a wraparound folio/stand, but its design is elegant, finding a way to fold the Apple keyboard's tubular back into the design without adding bulge.

The Ultimate Keyboard Case is … Read more

LAS VEGAS--Touchless gesture control may soon be possible on Apple's iOS devices, thanks to a startup that will be releasing a software development kit enabling the technology.

For some time, Israeli company PointGrab has been making its technology -- which allows users to control activity onscreen with little more than a wave of the hand -- available on a series of platforms, namely Windows 8, Android, and Linux. And next month, Apple's iOS will join the party.

In a demo at CES here today, Assaf Gad, PointGrab vice president of marketing and product, showed CNET how the technology … Read more

LAS VEGAS--D-Link's passion for 802.11ac Wi-Fi standard is both deep and wide.

Apart from the existing DIR-865L and the recently announced DGL-5500, which is the first 802.11ac router that uses a Qualcomm chip to offer StreamBoost technology, D-Link has two more 8021.11ac routers to show off at CES 2013.

They are the AC1750 Dual-Band Gigabit Cloud Router (model DIR-868L), and the AC1200 Dual-Band Gigabit Cloud Router (model DIR-860L). Both use the same Broadcom chip as that used in the DIR-865L. And similar to the DIR-865L, they are both cloud-based routers, allowing users to remotely manage their … Read more

LAS VEGAS -- It's time to fix a broken immigration system that encourages smart engineers to study at U.S. universities but prevents them from staying afterward, a Republican senator said at the Consumer Electronics Show.

Sen. Jerry Moran from Kansas said here today that he was disappointed Congress hadn't acted on his legislation, called the Startup Act 2.0, which was introduced last spring but has languished in committee.

Engineers and other people in science-related disciplines who are "foreign-born but U.S.-educated" should be allowed to remain here, Moran said. Chile and other countries &… Read more

LAS VEGAS -- Redbox Instant by Verizon isn't a Netflix killer, and it's okay with that.

Executives from the joint venture were at the Consumer Electronics Show to talk up its video streaming and DVD rental service, which went into beta a few weeks ago.

CEO Shawn Strickland, a former Verizon executive, wanted to make it clear Redbox Instant would not compete against Netflix. His service would offer up new and some older movies -- and only movies. He said he believes there's a segment of consumers who are hungry for nothing but a film experience.

"… Read more

Budget-conscious BlackBerry fans won't be left out of the upcoming switch to BlackBerry 10, according to a Research In Motion executive.

RIM Chief Marketing Officer Frank Boulben told Fierce Wireless at this week's Consumer Electronics Show that the company plans to hit all "price points" with the new devices set to launch later this month.

Boulben said that RIM expects to eventually hit all levels of the market including high, middle, and low. The company expects to release at least six new BlackBerry 10 devices in 2013. The first devices are expected to be an all-touch … Read more

LAS VEGAS -- A U.S. senator today blasted leaks from the Federal Trade Commission during its antitrust pursuit of Google, saying he intends to find out who was responsible for the disclosures.

"I'm determined to get to the bottom of this," Sen. Ron Wyden, an Oregon Democrat with a

Last week, the FTC said it had finished its investigation -- which had been encouraged by Microsoft and other rivals -- into possible unlawful activities by Google and had decided against filing a lawsuit.

"All parties deserve to know that there's not that kind of … Read more

LAS VEGAS--You can't really call AfterShokz products earphones, because they don't go into your ears. The term "headphones" works, though. Last year at CES, the company unveiled its original design, corded headphones that send the music into your mind via your bone structure. The new Bluetooth Bluez takes the same approach, but it's all done in wireless style.

The controls and battery are integrated into the part of the headphones that wraps around the back of your head. A rubbery strip helps customize the fit and keep them in place for active users.

The big selling point is how AfterShokz keeps your hearing available for more important issues than music, like your boss yelling at you, or a car coming up from behind while you're jogging. The $100 Bluez is a couple of steps up from the originals, ditching the hassle of cords and other dangly bits that can get in the way while you're exercising.… Read more