soundandvisionmag.com - Brent Butterworth - Websites and cable TV channels are packed with news from the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. But with thousands of exhibitors spread out through several convention halls and hotels, there are always lots of stories that go overlooked. Here are four we found especially exciting:
Energy-saving innovations: The electronics industry has come up with some entirely new products that help save energy without sacrificing convenience. One of our favorite examples is the Klipsch LightSpeaker. The LightSpeaker (pictured below right) combines a 2.5-inch speaker with a powerful LED lamp. It fits in a standard recessing lighting fixture, and it installs just like an ordinary light bulb. A wireless transmitter sends sound from an MP3 player, a TV, etc., to the speakers, and a remote dims the light and controls the sound. Klipsch says the LightSpeaker’s efficient LED consumes only 10 watts but puts out the same light as a 65-watt incandescent bulb. A package with two LightSpeakers, a transmitter, and a remote costs $599.
Another great green product is the Regen ReNu Audio Dock (pictured at top). The dock has a solar panel/battery pack that you can hang in a window to change. Place the charged panel in the dock, insert an iPhone or iPod, and you can listen to music for up to 60 hours on a single charge. A backup power supply assures the ReNu will never fall silent. The solar panel/battery pack costs $199 and the Audio Dock costs $249.
Skype on your TV: Lots of people now sit in front of their computers when they want to make video phone calls through Skype. Now LG and Panasonic make it possible to see and hear distant family and friends from the comfort of your couch. Both companies will soon offer Internet-enabled TVs with Skype built in. Using Skype through these TVs should be super-simple. As with many new laptops, the TVs feature a built-in camera and microphone. And you’ll enjoy a much bigger picture than you’re probably getting on your computer monitor or laptop.
Ciao, CDs: More and more consumers are using less and less “physical media” (i.e., CDs and DVDs). Instead, they’re streaming their audio and video entertainment from the Internet, through home networks, or from iPods and smartphones. Many new products at CES were designed specifically to suit these trends—they don’t even have CD slots. One that caught our eyes was the Pure Sensia (pictured at left), a desktop audio/video system that looks almost like a big Easter egg. Each end of the Sensia has a speaker, and touchscreen fills the middle. The $349 Sensia plays any of thousands of Internet radio stations, and also streams content from computers and hard drives that are connected to your home network. The only concession to old-fashioned media is the built-in FM tuner.
Alpine and Sony took the bold step of launching new auto sound head units that have no CD playback capability. You get your music from a docked iPhone or iPod, or from the units’ AM/FM tuners.
Pencil-thin TV: TVs are rightly getting lots of attention at this year’s CES, but our favorite new models—the Samsung 9000 series—got a little lost in all the hubbub about 3-D and Internet connectivity. According to Samsung, the 9000 series TVs measure only 0.3 inches thick, which is about the same thickness as a pencil. An ingenious stand (which doubles as a wall mount) provides all the connections. Not only is this slim, silvery set incredibly sexy, it also includes a touchscreen remote control/video screen that lets you keep tabs on the ball game while you’re watching the latest DVD. The sets are 3-D capable, so when the new 3-D Blu-ray Disc players come out later this year, you’ll be ready.