More and more imaging manufacturers are discovering what tremendous opportunities the annual CEA Line Shows event in New York holds for them as a mid-year stage for their latest and greatest. At the 2010 show, held this week in Manhattan, several imaging companies used the crowded show floor to demo their various new hardware and software solutions.
A convenient midtown location at 7 West 34th Street provided the back drop as over 60 consumer electronic vendors grabbed booth space to present a wide range of “must have” gadgets and gizmos ranging from 3D TV to solar powered charging devices.
We’ll take a closer look at what made news from the digital imaging side of the equation in this space as accessories, storage, capture and output needs were all impressively addressed.
We’ll present what was on tap in the same order we stumbled upon it as we strolled the show floor.
Tiffen showcased a nifty solution for all those iPhone owners out there, at least the ones that are having trouble recording steady video/pics with the device, as the company demonstrated the Smoothie. A super-light metal frame with quick-release grip to hold the phone itself; a rigid vertical handle; and their Steadicam product’s usual stabilization technology that keeps the camera still and steady while you’re moving it around are all a part of the Smoothie. The iPhone grip also detaches for use as a desktop support, or it can be attached to a standard tripod. Very cool and it fills a major need.
Tiffen also announced the new Photo fx Ultra, a version of its award winning photo enhancement app, is now available for the Apple iPad at the Apple Store. Photo fx Ultra offers, as Tiffen explains, “An elegant new user interface that takes full advantage of the increased screen size.” Included with the iPad app is a new Color Correct filter, a choice of 68 filters organized into 7 different filter groups, 836 presets and parameter choices, 65 different color or black and white film looks, search capability, the ability to share filter effect set-ups with Tiffen’s Dfx Digital Filter and much more for $5.99.
ToCAD America rolled out their impressive Sunpak line of photo accessories including the Sunpak 423PX Tripod with Pistol Grip Ball Head. This model is a carbon fiber tripod that can be used for photo as well as video. It has a Pistol Grip ball head, so you can move the head in any position quickly and easily with the squeeze and release of the trigger lock.
HP was anxious to roll out an entirely new category in the home printing market as they demo’d their web-enabled printing solutions designed for the cloud that will, for the first time, allow people to:
• Print from any email device to any new ePrint-enabled printer from anywhere in the world through the new HP ePrint platform
• Store documents or files in the cloud and print direct when needed;
• Transform their printers into publishing platforms from which they can customize print apps and schedule timed delivery of content – such as news from msnbc.com and Yahoo! and creative after-school activities from Disney – directly to their home or business printers;
• Manage and customize their full printing experience through the new HP ePrintCenter to enjoy relevant, fun and interesting content that is formatted for efficient printing.
The line-up of these new printers includes the HP Photosmart Premium e-All-in-One, HP Photosmart Plus e-All-in-One, HP Photosmart e-all-in-One and the HP Photosmart Premium Fax e-All-in-One
Among the may nifty new products at Pandigital’s booth was their new Novel 7-inch color eReader that has a touch-screen display that allows the user to easily navigate through the various functions of the eReader, including browsing and purchasing from over one million books, magazines and newspapers from the Barnes & Noble bookstore. You can even share books with your friends for 14 days with the lend feature. The 2GB of integrated memory lets you store hundreds of books along with photos and video too and it can also house up to a 32GB SD/SDHC card to access even more files.
Pandigital also introduced their new line of very cool digital greeting cards. Each card has a 1.44″ LCD built right into the card, and can hold as many as fifty pictures at a screen resolution of 142 x 142. They're available in a variety of designs including birthday, Christmas and Valentine's Day. The cards have a total battery life of around two and a half hours when activated.
Liquid Image continues to bring innovative video masks and goggles to the market that produce high quality, underwater (or above) HD video. The Summit Series HD is a snow goggle with an integrated HD video camera that contains a wide angle lens to capture all the action while skiing and boarding. The hands free unit has a 5.0 MP camera mode and a video mode that records HD720P with audio. Liquid Image has clearly erased the word “gimmicky” from these kinds of products as the quality of the captured video is most impressive.
Targus displayed their wide range of laptop computer cases and accessories at the show along with their new Screen Protector for the Apple iPad. The Screen Protector reduces fingerprints and smudges on the devices’ screen thus maintaining clarity. “With the added features of anti-glare treatment and specially formulated adhesive that prevents bubbles and peeling, it is the most comprehensive screen protector for your iPad available on the market today,” the company explained. Targus also manufactures Universal Screen Protectors for digital cameras and video cameras.
Along with their complete line of high speed, high capacity CompactFlash, SD, SDHC, xDPicture Card, MicroSD and MicroSDHC flash cards, PNY also introduced their new Active HDMI Cables that are certified for the latest High-Speed HDMI® 1.4a standard and that utilize new technology for an ultra-thin design. These Active HDMI Cables feature built-in chip technology that controls audio and video signals to enable an optimal HD experience in 1080p and beyond while maintaining an ultra-thin profile. Guaranteed to deliver 10.2Gbps (gigabits per second) for consistent, high-quality performance, PNY’s Active HDMI Cables are available in a more sleek, slender, and flexible cable design. These latest cables also allow for advanced display technologies, including Blu-ray 3D functionality.
Among their impressive array of slick little mobile accessories Scosche unveiled the world's first dash-mount kit for the new Apple iPad. Meant to take the place of a standard car radio, the iKit both charges the iPad through a USB port and enables audio usage of the device, while also sporting a rotating mounting system. It can be used to listen to satellite radio and Pandora, as well as the user's own personal iPad library through iTunes. The system can also pivot the iPad towards the passenger, giving them access to Web surfing and all other iPad functions.
Though not exactly an imaging company, MoBeam is a Cupertino, Ca-based company that offers up technology that enhances the “digital wallet” theory and their new numi key device gives consumers the opportunity to store all of their loyalty/frequent shopper cards on one digital device that can be used at any checkout lane with a laser bar code scanner. The numi key’s patented technology converts any bar code to light that imitates a bar code when beamed into any existing laser bar code scanner. The company plans on expanding the tech to offer digital coupons and gift cards on the numi key as well. Retailers will want to take a closer look at this nifty little device.
It certainly stands to reason that you have to keep all these great digital gadgets clean and CEA Line Shows offered up a cool (and kinda gooey) solution on that front as well as the makers of CyberClean demo’d their newly advanced patented high-tech cleaning compound for a wide array of CE devices. CyberClean formula is specifically formulated to catch dirt and kill germs on all devices and surfaces. The gel-like product, unlike traditional cloths, is reusable and biodegradable with an environmentally friendly membrane. Cyber Clean cleans cavities, where conventional cleaners fail, and does not leave any residue.
Sony had an impressive presence at CEA Line Shows and amid their jungle of 3D TV technology stood their incredibly compact, interchangeable lens digital camera with 3D integration. The new NEX-5 captured images with the quality of a DSLR in that aforementioned compact body for ultimate portability.
Add impressive HD video performance to the mix as well as the NEX-5 features an APS-C sensor to continuously adjust focus and exposure while recording video. The NEX-5 camera offers Full HD movie capture (1080i AVCHD and 720p MP4) with Full HD 60i recording. With 3D Sweep Panorama mode, the camera can shoot 3D panoramic still images with a single lens. Sony told those in attendance that the high-speed burst of frames is stitched together using innovative processing techniques to automatically create detail-packed 3D panoramas. These files can be enjoyed in 3D on compatible 3D televisions (other accessories may be required).The NEX-5 will be priced around $650 and available in July.
Parrot had show attendees ducking and dodging their new Parrot AR Drone – a four tiered helicopter which is part video game, part video camera and fully controlled by your iPhone. The flying saucer-esque device has two video cameras, one facing the front and one on the bottom, which allows the user to stream the video onto their iPhone.
It was gadgets galore in Manhattan this week and CEA Line Show was most definitely the place to be to see them all.
