The Gadgets That Wowed'em At CES

The Globe and Mail has compiled a list of the hot gadgets from CES in Las Vegas and as expected there is a lot of 3-D action but what I didn't expect was a reborn Polaroid Instant camera! Also on the list is the Mint floor cleaning robot, tv on the iPhone, wireless charging, and a game controlling glove from Iron Will Innovations. Seems to me there must have been a lot of wow and equally as much deja vu going on in Vegas. Everything old is new again...

Update: For more on the Polaroid visit http://www.the-impossible-project.com/

3-D TV Making Noise At CES

The big TV manufactures are all at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) demoing or promising televisions that "have three-dimension-enabled televisions, providing the same sort of immersive high-definition depth found in movies such as the box-office blockbuster Avatar."

There is so much hype that Sony chief executive Howard Stringer has said, "This whole thing is turning into the CES 3-D show." While Avatar producer Jon Landau said "3-D is not about gags coming off the screen, it’s about creating an immersive experience," he said. "It heightens the experience, it becomes a voyeuristic experience."

"It’s not just smoke and mirrors. It’s real," said Yoshi Yamada, North American chief executive for Panasonic.

Sort of makes you wonder if that HDTV purchase was a good idea or if next Boxing Day might have been a better option? I'll save my comments until I can actually see how the products preform. Besides, how much content is available and do we really want to watch everything in 3-D? Perhaps the makers of Gravol will be the big winner? Time to buy some shares...

3-D Coming To Your Living Room

It came roaring back into the theatre! Nary a week goes by that does not have a title on the marquee, and now companies are hoping to bring 3-D viewing to your home. The upgrade is possible, Panasonic has unveiled it's 3-D TV and much time and effort has been spent by the industry to make it happen. The big question is, are consumers ready to make the leap so soon after jumping on the HD bandwagon? I don't think I'm ready to make the investment... However, “This is what people want,” said Luc Duchaine, a senior brand manager at game company Ubisoft who's hedging their bets on 3-D. “These things will happen very fast, we believe.”

Globe and Mail story here.