David Carnoy
David Carnoy, executive editor with CNET, a division of CBS that is a leading technology news Web site. He has been reviewing consumer electronics for more than 15 years. www.CNET.com
At last year’s Consumer Electronics Show, it was the 3-D television sets that drew heavy attention—but few sales when they hit retail stores. This year, ultrathin, large-screen TVs featuring organic light-emitting diode (OLED) technology with extra-vivid colors dazzled critics, although they likely will be slow to catch on at $10,000 for a 55-inch set.
In contrast, some of the products introduced at this year’s show in Las Vegas are useful and inexpensive enough to wow consumers as much as critics. Here, some of the most appealing…
Two handy new devices for making and receiving phone calls…
Videophone that can make free calls through your TV. You may already have heard of Skype, the service that offers free video calls through your computer. Now a pair of new wireless devices makes it possible to make and receive Skype calls through a high-definition TV so that you can see the high-quality image on a big screen in your living room. TelyHD from Tely Labs already is on the market ($249, www.Tely.com), while the similar Samsung inTouch is due out soon ($199.99, www.Samsung.com). Though a computer is not necessary, these devices do require high-speed Internet service and a TV with an HDMI port.
Easy cell phone. If all you want from your cell phone is the ability to make and receive phone calls easily, the emporiaSOLIDplus might be for you. Emporia, an Austrian company, has been making easy-to-use communication products for 20 years, but it only now is entering the US market. SOLIDplus has an oversized, easy-to-read display, large buttons, an extra-loud speakerphone, a simple user interface—none of the complexities of smartphones—and a one-touch “call for care” button to quickly reach an emergency contact. It’s also rugged enough to survive most drops. The SOLIDplus is expected to reach the US market this spring. The company had not yet announced which carriers will offer the phone, but AT&T and/or T-Mobile are the most likely, based on Emporia’s technology. Price: Less than $150 unlocked (adaptable to various carriers)…or less when subsidized by a carrier. www.EmporiaTelecom.com
A great new video camera to transmit events live…
Digital video camera that can send images directly to the Internet. The new Sony Bloggie Live HD Camera is a compact, lightweight digital video camera that lets users live-stream video directly to the Internet. Now if a family member can’t make it to Junior’s graduation or basketball game, you can shoot it so that he/she can watch it live online. Important: For the live-streaming feature, the device requires an accessible WiFi signal at the shooting location. The Bloggie also can record high-definition video on the camera’s eight-gigabyte internal flash memory and upload it wirelessly to the Internet or a computer later. It’s capable of taking 12.8-megapixel still images, too. It’s already on the market. Price: $249.99. http://Store.Sony.com
Hundreds of products at this year’s show claim to reduce electricity usage. Trouble is, most of them save only pennies a day or less, not enough to justify their cost. Among the energy savers that might save enough to be worth buying…
Simple, inexpensive home automation. The Belkin WeMo Home Control Switch lets you turn on or off an electrical device in your home from anywhere in the world, with an app for your smartphone. It could be a money saver if you use it to turn off an electricity-hog home appliance, such as an air conditioner or your computer, that you forgot to power down when you dashed out the door. Or combine the Home Control Switch with the WeMo Motion Sensor so that lights and other electrical devices turn on or off whenever you enter or leave the room. (Both devices draw a nominal amount of electricity.) These are far from the first home-automation products capable of these feats, but unlike earlier devices, WeMo is inexpensive and WiFi-based, so there are no installation costs. It’s due out this summer. Price: $49.99 for a Home Control Switch that controls one outlet, or $99.99 for the Motion Sensor and a Home Control Switch. www.Belkin.com
Thermostat that teaches itself to heat your home efficiently. The Nest Learning Thermostat studies your family’s daily and weekly habits by asking you a few simple questions after installation and analyzing when you adjust the temperature manually during the initial week or so of use. The Nest has sensors that can detect if everyone leaves the house without remembering to turn down the heat or air-conditioning. Then it attempts to adjust your home’s temperature to minimize heating and air-conditioning bills without sacrificing comfort. It has WiFi, too, so you can access it from a computer or smartphone when you’re out and ensure that the home’s temperature will be comfortable when you return earlier than usual. The Nest’s makers say that the device will save home owners an average of $173 in year one. If so, it will pay for itself in a little over a year, particularly if you’re capable of wiring in the thermostat on your own—it’s about the same difficulty as installing a light fixture. Price: $249. www.Nest.com
Affordable LED lightbulbs. You may already know that LED lightbulbs use significantly less electricity than other bulbs—85% less than standard bulbs and 35% less than compact fluorescents. But if you are like most people, you haven’t switched to LED bulbs yet because of their price—typically upward of $35 per bulb. Lighting Science’s A19 LED World Bulb is a new omnidirectional 60-watt equivalent bulb that is expected to sell for less than half that price. Its maker says that the bulb will pay for itself in about eight months—not bad for a bulb that may last 17 years. It’s due out in the US by the end of 2012. Price: Less than $15. www.lsgc.com
Digital devices that track activity and estimate how many calories have been burned are nothing new, but a clever device has improved on the concept…
More accurate exercise tracker. The BodyMedia FIT Armband doesn’t just measure how long you’ve been exercising to gauge how many calories you burn. It collects data from the surface of your skin, including skin temperature, perspiration rate and rate of heat dissipation, then uses that information to estimate caloric burn with 95% accuracy. It compares the number of calories burned with the targets you have set and acts as a coach, offering detailed advice for how to meet your goal—spend a half-hour walking on the treadmill before bed, for example. Price: $179 plus $6.95 per month for access to the FIT coach personal feedback and occasional software upgrades. www.BodyMedia.com
