Looking Into the Future at "CES Unveiled"

Annual Consumer Electronics Show is about to begin

By CEN Staff

Before the doors of the 2006 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) open on Thursday this week, "CES Unveiled" took place on Tuesday night, a special press preview that revealed a variety of products that showed the world of consumer electronics in an explosive mode of growth and innovation. Reporters from Consumer Electronics Net were there, and picked out a remarkable group of new offerings from technology companies both large and small. Here?s their first-hand, next-day report.

eMagin x800 3D Visors
eMagin's 3D visors (see graphic above) use OLED technology to deliver a super-sharp image to a pair of video glasses that make it look like you're viewing a 105-inch screen from a distance of 12 feet away. Also attached to the glasses are earbuds, resulting in an iPod-like experience that can deliver either 2D or 3D video. The company was showing three different visors at CES Unveiled, one is now shipping and two which the company hopes will ship later this year. Its currently shipping model, the x800 ($899) showed a smear-free image that was dramatically clear. When I put these video glasses on, the effect was quite eerie, yet the OLED technology delivered extremely sharp video. It really did look like a huge screen was sitting right in front of me. These 3D visors also have what's called head tracking, which follows the movements of your head, giving you an impression that you're in a room full of large screens. Plug one of these babies into your PC, and it uses very little power, significantly extending the battery life of your laptop. The company was also showing a working $799 model without the head tracking, and one that had just one eyepiece, which would allow you to do daily activities while watching with the other eye. This is remarkable new technology at a lower price than we've ever seen.

ViewSonic 19-inch Monitor, LCD TV, Projector
ViewSonic was showing its latest 19-inch monitor aimed at the gaming market, its VX922. The successor to its previously-fastest VX924, this new monitor was launched in November and began shipping last month (December, 2005). ViewSonic claims the new VX922 is the industry's fastest, with a 2 milliseconds gray-to-gray latency. I noticed that DVD playback looks better on this successor to the VX924, a difference that ViewSonic attributed to the fact that this new model?s overdrive capabilities have been tweaked to improve video playback.

Also in the demo area, ViewSonic was demonstrating its new 37-inch LCD TV (graphic above), a remarkably sharp-looking 1080p monitor with an astonishingly low $1599 price tag. The company said this gorgeous new LCD display will be shipping at the end of this month, or maybe February.

In the same display area, there was a technical demonstration of a one-pound portable projector (above). Using a 800x600 LED, the tiny projector was able to toss 25 lumens at a very small screen. Equipped with its batteries, it can operate for 2 1/2 hours before needing a recharge, and it's aimed at the consumer market and will be priced at approximately $800. The company said we might see one of these the United States by the second quarter of this year. So if you feel like watching a movie with a projector on a camping trip, you might be able to do that this summer.

Shure E500 Earphones
Audio company Shure was showing its latest super earphones, the new model e500 (see above). The successor to its high-end E5c models that we favorably reviewed on these pages, the $499 headphones have three drivers inside, and move the crossover from the junction of its wires into the earpieces themselves. Another innovative feature is its push-to-hear button, where the headphone volume drops 90% when you push the button, and at the same time a microphone picks up ambient sound such a flight attendant asking you if you'd like to have another beer. I like the design of these new headphones, which have fewer sharp edges than the E5c, and lose those form-fitting ear holders that made those earlier earphones a bit less comfortable than these new ones. Shure executives said that rock stars will still want that secure fit of the ear holders on the E5c?s while using them as monitors on stage, but consumers want a more comfortable design. Look for a review of these nice-looking new earphones here on Consumer Electronics Net soon after these earphones ship in May of this year.

OtterBox Armor 1910
If you're looking for nearly-bulletproof case for your computer, iPod (graphic above), or other small electronics (or even cigars), Otter products will come to your rescue. The featured product from Otter at CES Unveiled was its new OtterBox Armor 1910, which is a nearly-impenetrable waterproof case for the HP iPAQ 6500. It looks great and protects your expensive device from whatever peril you feel like subjecting it to. The company also offers its own kind of industrial-strength cases for iPods, both nano and the shuffle and a version for the video iPod that company officials said is forthcoming. In order to flaunt its extra-strength protective capabilities and waterproof nature, Otter was handing out special party favors at the show, cases that were just about exactly the right size to hold a wet bar of soap and keep it from leaking all over the inside of a suitcase. Good thinking, Otter: that should come in handy for us road warriors who like to bring along our own high-quality soap, eschewing those lumps of lard the hotels leave in their bathrooms.