CES still has a lot of somethings for everyone

By Gregg Keizer, INW
iApplianceWeb
(01/13/03, 12:08:54 PM EDT)

Las Vegas, Nevada -- This year's Consumer Electronics Show has proved it still has has something for everyone.

This once-sprawling trade show has fallen on tough times, with attendance off its heyday. But it manages to pack in everything from plasma HDTV displays and audio sound systems to batteries and the occasional PC.

CES even squeezes in some new gear and gizmos that play to the enterprise. That's not surprising, what with the cross-pollination of IT and entertainment that's been going on for years, whether networks in the home to connect every entertainment black box or Gameboy-looking PDAs toted around the office.

MobileWise, for instance, used CES to tout its wire-free charging base, a blotter-sized pad that can recharge any device -- from cell phones and PDAs to notebook computers -- equipped with the MobileWise chipset simply by placing the device on the pad. Devices can also be powered directly from the base pad, giving rise to cordless monitors, for instance. The chipsets in the device and the charge base communicate, and decide on how much juice is needed. MobileWise has announced agreements with both Samsung (cell phones) and Acer (portable computers and PDAs) to incorporate its chipsets in selected devices debuting in 2003.

Microsoft, meanwhile, continued its aggressive push of Smartphones and Pocket PCs with a flurry of announcements at CES aimed at business e-mail users. Several companies, including Infowave Software Inc., Visto, Commtag, ViAir, and Spontaneous Technology are working on delivering e-mail products that will allow users to synchronize Smartphone or Pocket PC with their business's Outlook client, access e-mail on servers behind corporate firewalls, and sync contacts and calendar schedules via a wireless connection.

Logitech, a manufacturer of computer peripherals, said it would soon ship its Face Tracking software with all mid to high-end Webcams that feature digital zoom. Face Tracking uses a combination of skin tones, shapes, and movement to track a face, then directs the camera to pan, tilt, or zoom to lock onto that face. During a videoconference, for instance, Face Tracking makes sure the camera stays on your mug even if you're shifty in your seat.

Also at CES, Sony announced that it's enhancing the Clié PDA with wireless support and an application that lets users view Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and PDF files. The PEG-NZ90 is scheduled to show in the U.S. in February and will list for about $800.

Sound ID took time at CES to promote a new personalized, hands-free, Bluetooth-enabled earpiece. Using an Internet-based profiler, users generate a customized hearing profile, which is then used by the earpiece to adjust its signal processing, maximizing the intelligibility of the call. For aging baby boomers who are starting to show signs of hearing loss, it could be a bonanza.

And Bill Gates used the forum of his opening CES oration to plug Microsoft's first smart personal object technology (SPOT) device, a wristwatch that will show text messages delivered by the company's instant messaging service and display the user's personal calendar transmitted from a PC. Watchmakers such as Citizen and Fossil have signed on to produce these Dick Tracy-like watches.