CES - Gadgets

EchoStar's Sling Media division made a splash at CES 2009 with the "SlingLoaded" EchoStar 922 DVR, an HD DVR that included built-in Slingbox technology for accessing your recorded programs elsewhere in the home--or anyplace you've got an Internet connection. Unfortunately, the DVR 922 still hasn't been released--but that hasn't stopped Sling from announcing four new products, including some departures from the company's tried and true (if niche-y) Slingbox products.

The new products include:… Read more

Otterbox is known for its ultraprotective iPhone cases. Now M-Edge, which specializes in Kindle cases, is doing the same for the Kindle, with an announcement that it will sell the first waterproof Kindle case this spring.

The company says the Guardian is made of molded plastic and protects your Kindle in all water environments up to 1 meter deep, whether you're in the pool, ocean, or just soaking in the tub. Your e-reader is totally sealed in the case, but you can still access all the buttons through "flexible sealed button cutouts." Even better, the case turns … Read more

Last year, iHome came out with a higher-end iPod/iPhone audio system called the iP1 as part of its new Studio Series line. That compact system had an arresting design and good sound. Now the company is expanding the line with the more affordable iP2 ($199) as well as a portable unit, the iP49 Rechargeable Audio System with Alarm Clock & FM Radio for iPhone/iPod.

Like the iP1 and iP2, the iP49 is equipped with the patented Bongiovi Acoustics DPS technology that the company describes as a "complex, chip-based algorithm, custom-tuned to each and every product to maximize … Read more

Last year, iHome came out with a higher-end iPod/iPhone audio system called the iP1 as part of its new Studio Series line. That compact system had an arresting design and good sound. Now the company is expanding the line with the iP2, which isn't quite as sexy as the iP1 but carries a lower price tag of $199.

The iP2 is equipped with the patented Bongiovi Acoustics DPS technology that the company describes as a "complex, chip-based algorithm, custom-tuned to each and every product to maximize performance and provide studio quality sound, the way the artist intended … Read more

Late last year, Pure, a global company based in the U.K., released a family of Internet-connected radios overseas. Now it's bringing them to the U.S. market.

While the company is offering several products, including the Evoke Flow, Sirocco 550, Siesta Flow, and Oasis Flow, it's highlighting the distinctly designed Sensia, which features a 5.7-inch color touch screen and costs around $350.

The company says its digital and Internet-connected range of radios work together with Pure's proprietary radio and media portal, the Pure Lounge, which "enables a two-way flow of information between the radio, … Read more

With plenty of e-readers expected to be trotted out at this year's CES, Hearst Corp.-backed Skiff and Sprint are hoping to attract attention with a reader that's thinner and larger than anything currently out there. In Las Vegas, the companies will be previewing the Skiff Reader, which features an 11.5-inch touch-screen display (1200x1600 pixels) that's just over a quarter of an inch thick and is designed for reading newspaper and magazine content along with e-books and personal documents.

Company reps say the Skiff Reader is the first consumer product to feature LG's "metal … Read more

Innergie may have found a solution to the traveler's burden: carrying various power adapters for each device. The mCube90 is a universal power adapter and surge protector that can be used on airplanes, in cars, or at home. And it fits in the palm of your hand.

It's the result of a joint effort with Green Plug, a company that created technology which allows communication between devices and power sockets.

Green Plug's GreenTalk technology stops devices from drawing energy when fully charged. Innergie joined forces with Green Plug "because of the open systems power interface provides … Read more

Analysis of your sleeping habits (or perhaps, lack of) usually involves an overnight stay at a hospital where you are covered in wires and surrounded by machines. However, in 2003 three sleep-deprived students at Brown University in Providence, R.I., thought that consumers should be able to monitor their own health.

Enter the Zeo Personal Sleep Coach, a device that lets uses measure, track, and analyze their sleeping patterns at home.

It's a gadget that, according to Zeo, functions like a professional sleep monitor, but with only two parts: a headband and a wireless receiver designed as an alarm … Read more

One of the big tech stories of 2009 was the transition of the U.S. broadcast TV standard from analog (NTSC) to digital (ATSC). But while ATSC broadcasts offer crystal clear high-def images, they have at least one drawback: unlike analog broadcasts, digital TV is tough to receive if you're on the move. That means that even "portable" digital TVs have to be locked down with a carefully pointed antenna before you can really watch them.

Thankfully, Mobile DTV is aiming to change that. The new standard is optimized for small screens and access on the move. … Read more