ces2013

LAS VEGAS--Looking for bleeding-wallet-level headphone gear? The Sennheiser IE 800 earphones emerged at CES Unveiled, costing $999 and promising the best in-ear performance anywhere, period.

The IE 800s have been hanging around for much of 2012, but they're making a stronger push at this show. The extremely tiny buds have an absurd range of 5Hz to 46,000Hz. A dual-vented design is meant to reduce any unwanted distortion, and the overall sonic impact is meant to be extremely natural, with a slightly elevated bass level to counteract the noises of commuting.

Listening to them, they are impressively crisp. But $… Read more

LAS VEGAS--Here at the CES Unveiled press event, HMDX, makers of the Jam Classic -- one of the neatest Bluetooth speakers I've seen (I actually received one as a holiday gift) -- revealed a line of new products to build on the momentum it gained in 2012.

First up is the Jam Plus, which is a step up from the Jam Classic. Just like its predecessor, the Jam Plus speaker works with Bluetooth-enabled devices up to 30 feet away and comes with a rechargeable battery that provides up to 4 hours of wireless play. As for sound quality, the … Read more

LAS VEGAS--A company called GlobaTrac is hoping to make a big business out of the painful reality that airlines are so good at losing luggage.

GlobaTrac, based in Los Angeles, is at CES 2013 to show off Trakdot, a small, battery-powered device that sits in your suitcase and tracks your luggage -- whichever airport it might end up at. The device works using GSM -- the Federal Aviation Authority won't allow such devices to use GPS -- and sends messages directly to as many cell phones as you assign to it. So if you're flying to Paris, and … Read more

LAS VEGAS--Expectations are high for Sony, which tomorrow will hold its press conference at the 2013 International CES. The event kicks off at 5 p.m. PT (8 p.m. ET) on Monday and CNET will be there to cover it live. We'll have a live video stream, along with a live blog full of news and analysis.

You can tune in to the blog and video stream here:

The company is expected to unveil news versions of its smartphones, as well as new TVs and cameras.

The Light Marker for iPad is Griffin Technology's latest collaboration with Crayola to make more kid friendly products, and this gadget looks like it will be a hit.

For $29.99, you can get a glowing marker-shaped pen that interacts with your iPad's front-facing camera to let you freehand draw, paint, and color on your iPad screen. After touching the glowing tip of the pen to your front-facing camera you simply point the pen in the direction of the iPad (from a couple of feet away) to see a laser-pointer you use as your drawing instrument.

Directing the … Read more

LAS VEGAS--No CES can start without a mention of the Parrot AR Drone, the expensive flying machine you control with an iPad. I've managed to crash and break it pretty much every time I've tried to use one, and perhaps it was people like me Parrot had in mind when it came up with its new GPS add-on.

Plug it into the USB port underneath the main cover, and you can set up a flight plan using open-source software. The AR Drone will then fly the route itself without the need for human intervention.

If you'd rather … Read more

LAS VEGAS--The iSpO2 by Masimo ports the hospital checkup experience to iPhones and iPads and makes on-the-spot pulse readings available to active types wherever they are.

iSpO2 is a consumer pulse oximeter that connects to most Apple i-devices and comes with a sensor that you slip on to your ring finger for immediate oxygen, pulse rate, and perfusion index readings.

While not intended for home use, the idea behind iSpO2 is to help fitness fanatics, aviators, skiers, and extreme sports enthusiasts find out crucial information on their vitals without the need for a physician. Max Safai, senior vice president of … Read more

LAS VEGAS--Fitness gear and wearable tech are one of the burgeoning trends of this year's CES, and Fitbug was at the CES Unveiled press event previewing scale, heart rate, and blood-pressure monitoring gadgets.

The Fitbug Orb is a $49 wearable device with both clip-on and watchband attachments, competing in an increasingly crowded space. It uses the same technology and infrastructure as Fitbug's other wearable tech including the Fitbug Air, and works with the iPhone 5, 4S, fifth-gen iPod Touch, third-gen iPads and higher, and the Samsung Galaxy S3. Bonus: it has an "underwear clip" for discrete … Read more

LAS VEGAS--At CES Unveiled today, the Canadian audio company, Matrix Audio, demoed its newest (and smallest) member of its family of portable speakers.

Known as Qube, the $49.99 speaker measures 1.5 by 1.5 inches and is about the size of a golf ball. It connects to devices through an auxiliary cord that plugs into any 3.5mm headphone jack.

With its aluminum finish and polished colors, Qube sports an attractively compact design. Currently, it comes in black, silver, and red, but will come in three more pastel colors at the end of February.

The speaker will be … Read more