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The next superstorm could strike anytime. If you're concerned about having electricity, the MetAir Solstice packs a whopping 55,000 mAh of power.

This portable charger from QuantumSphere has power equivalent to 115 D-cell batteries under a 2 amp load.

It's being billed on a Kickstarter campaign as the world's most powerful portable device charger. … Read more

If Luke Skywalker had a living room with a big-screen TV, he would also have a hand-carved X-Wing Fighter coffee table made of wood and glass. The detailed model looks like it's in mid-flight, except instead of blasting the forces of the Dark Side, it's calmly guarding your coffee.

The table is designed so that half of the spaceship is above the glass and half is below. That means it takes up quite a bit of space that could otherwise hold mugs, half-eaten bags of Doritos, and vintage issues of "Starlog" magazine. Still, the design is so cool, you won't miss having the extra room.… Read more

LAS VEGAS--Home automation is all over CES 2013. Tucked away in a small booth is Ivee, a company known for its voice-controlled alarm clocks. The newest Ivee creation is the Sleek, a voice-controlled home automation gateway.

You can tell Sleek to turn down the temperature, report stock prices, and share the weather. A pleasant woman's voice communicates with you in turn. This really is like having a HAL for your home, only this particular device hasn't reached sentience yet. She doesn't seem to have Siri's snarky streak, but if you ask her, "Who is Siri?" Sleek will reply, "She is not important."

Sleek is already compatible with Belkin's smart plugs. Ivee also mentioned working with the Nest thermostat, but Nest says it hasn't opened up compatibilty with anyone. Sleek could potentially hook up with all sorts of home automation devices. Ivee is looking at a summer release at a price of $199. … Read more

LAS VEGAS--Everybody walking by the CTA Digital booth at CES 2013 does a double-take at a colorful plastic object on the ground. They stop and stare. They take pictures. One woman declares it the best thing she's seen at CES. It's the iPotty for iPad, a toilet-training device for digitally connected kids. It's a fairly straightforward potty trainer with a holder designed for the iPad.

The first thing I look for is splash protection for the tablet and, fortunately, it's there in the form of a plastic sheet that fits over the iPad. There's a lid that turns the contraption into a seat. There's also a pee guard for the boys. All of it comes apart for cleaning.… Read more

LAS VEGAS--Locator devices that let parents keep track of their kids are nothing new. Evado Filip decided to do things a little differently with the VivoPlay, a watch geared for the 5- to 12-year-old crowd.

Many parents don't want to cough up a real cell phone for their little dears until they get pretty close to being teenagers. The VivoPlay includes GSM, so parents and kids can get in touch when necessary, but it's not a full-blown cell phone with all the related texting and possible cyberbullying issues. This feature elevates the watch from a location device to a communication device.… Read more

LAS VEGAS--The paperless office is a utopian dream. We're still surrounded by mountains of paper, especially organizationally challenged people like yours truly.

Enter the iMD Smart Filing System, a rather charming blend of analog and digital tech. Shown off at CES 2013 by the unheralded iMicroData, it lets you find an individual paper folder and its contents in old-school filing cabinets.

If you've lost your birth certificate, for instance, you just look it up on the app that comes with the system, and it'll tell you what drawer to look in.

It's almost as simple as completely analog filing cabinets, but you don't have to use your brain all that much. … Read more

Most people still choose to handle home security the old-fashioned way. They have a big slobbery dog or they pay a security company to monitor their home. For people who are allergic to pups and don't want to deal with security contracts, startup iSmart Alarm is hoping to turn the iPhone into the focal point for home security.

The system is made up of several parts that can be mixed and matched as needed. There are cameras, motion sensors, contact sensors for windows and doors, and a remote tag for tracking kids or pets (or both). The brains of the system is a square device called the CubeOne that plugs into an outlet and connects up to your router.… Read more

LAS VEGAS--Lowe's might not be the first name that comes to mind when you're thinking about cutting-edge home tech, but the company has quietly moved into the field with a series of simple, do-it-yourself kits called Iris.

Pulling together technology from a huge range of vendors, including Verizon, Sylvania, Schlage, First Alert, GE Jasco, and Radio Thermostat of America, Lowe's is offering three Iris kits as well as a new senior monitoring pack called Iris Care.

Iris Care lets you monitor a person's habits and routines remotely. When it detects something abnormal, such as a door … Read more

The Moebius House doesn't look or sound real. It's designed to be built on a Korean island in a forest growing on volcanic rock. It's inspired by the unending brain teaser known as a Mobius strip.

Design firm Planning Korea has tackled some creative projects in the past, including designs for a mega-bridge over the Han River and a cocoon-shaped house that looks like it could hide a giant insect inside. It's no wonder those same architects saw a Mobius strip as a good basis for a house.… Read more