The big Consumer Electronics Show came and went in Las Vegas last week and highlighted some unique gadgets for entertainment heads, auto fans and even stuff for the home. As it was an industry-only event, few commoners were likely able to sneak in to gawp at the latest 8K TV screens. Sad days for the hardcore tech geeks of the general public.
Still, a variety of blogs and news articles made it pretty easy to keep up with the new tech shown off over that weekend, even if there was a lot to find on the show floor. After scouring the many posts, I narrowed my favorites down to a top five coolest things seen in no discernible order:
Mad Catz - L.Y.N.X. 9 Transforming Controller
The L.Y.N.X. 9 forced a bit of jaw-dropping when I first saw it, if not a couple raised eyebrows. While it looks like it was ripped from a scene from the “Transformers” series, the L.Y.N.X. appears quite versatile at first glance. Built for mobile gaming, it can carry a smartphone via an onboard clip, or widen to fit a full-size tablet. It comes with a set of HDMI cables letting you connect your device to your television screen, and has a built-in mic and keyboard. There are lot more features packed into this thing, but it’s easy to balk at the steep $300 price.
Sixense– STEM (Sixense Tracking Embedded Module) Motion Controller
Using virtual reality (a big fixture at the show), the STEM controllers translate full motions to the headset you’re using, as seen in this lightsaber video from The Verge. I’m using a bit of bias here as a big Star Wars geek, but c’mon — I would want these in my house if I could afford the $400 price tag. As far as I can tell, the motions look nearly precise with no lag time. Despite being known as a gaming company, Sixense is also talking to retailers such as Target about using the STEM for virtual shopping; MTBS-TV has an interview video about that here.
Here’s one for the night cyclists. The Visijax is a lightweight, Teflon jacket with LED’s that signal a turn when a rider raises the corresponding arm. Another LED near the bottom of the jacket flashes repeatedly to show drivers and other riders behind you where you are. The jacket carries a 30-hour rechargeable battery and is water resistant. It’s a pretty simple design from the U.K.-based company and looks like a typical rider’s jacket besides the lights. It runs at $120, but for the hardcore riders (and those concerned about safety), it should be worth the price.
Harman – Personalized Earbuds via 3-D Print
How often do we buy earbuds, only to have them either pop out or slide around enough to mess up the audio? Harman presented a possible solution to this at the show, and its origins come from hearing aids. Demoed by the popular online tech blog Mashable, the user’s ears are scanned via laser through a movement tracker. Then, the results are sent to a 3-D printer that crafted shells shaped like the inner ear. They were later injected with silicone and combined with JBL earbuds for a snug fit. It’s a neat way to get something personal, but there was no mention of whether this would go commercial. Annie Park’s article on the tech is an interesting read, as it details the history behind the method.
Knowing full well it's a television, the sheer size of the 55-inch screen that was on the show floor still boggles the mind. It sported a 7680 x 4320 resolution of the newer OLED display and was on tap mostly as a way to gauge interest in 8K models, a highly advanced display format still in development. With 4 and 5K television screens out and about on store shelves, this particular beast won't be happening for a while. This is mostly LG going, "Yeah, we can do this," and then proceeding to do so. Pictures don't do it justice, but Gizmodo, a Gawker tech blog, has a particular write-up on the television at its site.
Reach the reporter at djulienr@asu.edu or follow @legendpenguin on Twitter
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