CES 2010 latest news

Graphic from Taser's Protector website

(Credit: Taser International)

Taser International has developed software that allows parents to monitor and control what their children can do with their cell phones. The service, called Protector Family Safety Platform, lets parents monitor their child's incoming and outgoing phone calls, texts and media. Parents can block calls or messages, listen in, and even record calls.

Taser International Vice President Steve Tuttle tells Larry Magid how the system works.

The YoGen generates power for cell phones

(Credit: Easy Energy)

There are all sorts of devices that provide a quick charge for a cell phone or other gadget when you can't get to an electrical outlet. Most, like the Energizer Energi To Go products, require you to insert AA batteries that transfer energy from the AA battery to the device's internal battery. But Easy Energy has a battery-free solution.

Spokeswoman Allison Morrison told me about the company's YoGen product, which is like a yo-yo that generates power. It's a handheld device with a cord. Pull the cord a few times and it generates enough power to use your phone for a few minutes. It's probably not something you would ever use for a full charge, but it could be a lifesaver if you have to make an emergency call while your phone's battery is dead. The device costs $39.99 and is available online.

There is an iPhone adapters as well as adapters for most phones, including the BlackBerry. ... Read the full post at CNET's CES 2010 blog

Sennheiser/Adidas 'phones

(Credit: Sennheiser)

Sennheiser and Adidas worked together to create sports headphones. Sennheiser product manager Eric Palonen showed off some earbuds that include an "ear fin," saying that "we took a lot of the weaknesses of a typical headphone and made them a strength for the sports community." The ear fin, a small rubber extension near the ear pieces, keeps the phone from falling out of your ear. They also have water resistant cables that you can wash when dirty.

They range in price from $80 to $120. While these weren't 't the most exciting technology at the show, they are definitely handy, especially for runners. Adidas has created a device called "MiCoach pacer" that plugs into your MP3 player and headphones to track your heart rate and provide real-time audio feedback.

Bruce Fredrickson tells Larry magid about No Geek Needed router and video grabber.

(Credit: Joshua Weinberg)

Bruce Fredrickson says the the router and video grabber from his company can be installed in less time than it takes to boil an egg. Fredrickson, who is chief marketing officer for No Geek Needed, says he's tired of having to go to neighbors' houses to help them install things.

The company's strategy is to make all the decisions for the user, giving people nothing to think about when they install the product, such as what type of security to add to their router.

Larry Magid speaks with Dave Taylor of AskDaveTaylor.com.

(Credit: Joshua Weinberg)

Dave Taylor is a tech author, journalist, blogger, and question answerer. His Web site, AskDaveTaylor.com, is a place where anyone can submit a question or learn from his many previous answers. Larry Magid asked Taylor about his most common questions, which turn out to be password recovery for people who's social-networking sites were commandeered and iPod issues.

Magid and Taylor also talked about what impressed them at CES. Taylor's response was "smart energy monitoring for the home."

Harry McCracken of Technologizer talks with Larry Magid at CES Showstopper

(Credit: Joshua Weinberg)

CES was awash with nontraditional PCs like tablets, slates, smartbooks, and Netbooks. Harry McCracken, founder and chief blogger at Technologizer and former editor-in-chief of PC World, talks with Larry Magid about the nontraditional PC devices he saw at CES and one device that has never been seen in public--the Apple tablet that is rumored to be announced on January 27.

McCracken thinks that Apple's sofware is what will distinguish its device from the ones he saw at CES.

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Tiwi device mounts on windshield.

(Credit: Inthinc)

There are plenty of things for parents of teens to worry about, but almost nothing is as scary as when your kid ventures out behind the wheel of a car or rides in a car with another teen driver.

Each year more than 6,000 teens are involved in fatal accidents. Motor vehicle accidents are the leading cause of death for teens.

Still, most parents allow their teens to drive. You can't sit in the backseat every time your kid takes the wheel, but thanks to the Tiwi, a $299 device that mounts to the windshield of your kid's car, you can now virtually watch and nag your kids as they drive.

As Inthinc CEO Todd Follmer explains (scroll down to listen to interview), the device can track the car's speed and location and the speed limit. The Tiwi, which has a GPS and cellular modem, will use voice to tell the driver when to slow down. The device is also integrated into the vehicle'... Read the full post at CNET's CES 2010 blog

Phlip McKenny, CTO of HP Personal Systems Group

(Credit: HP)

Philip McKinney is vice president and chief technology officer for the Personal Systems Group at Hewlett-Packard, where he oversees the group's long-range technical strategy and research and development. At the Showstoppers press event at CES, McKinney was walking around with a couple of new latops PCs and a new portable VGA pico projector.

Larry Magid and McKinney talked about these products, but Magid couldn't help but ask about HP's slate PC prototype that Microsoft Steve Ballmer showed off during his keynote address. McKinney wouldn't go into much detail about this unannounced product, but Magid got at least a bit of information out of him.

Absolute Software VP Mark Grace

(Credit: Absolute Software)

The company is the publisher of LoJack for Laptops, a software product that tracks lost and stolen laptops. The company, according to Grace, has extensive relationships with law enforcement around the world. The product tracks the laptops through the IP address "behind the scenes," according to Grace. "Once that system calls into our servers we get three out of four back...we help get the subpoena and get the warrant and help law enforcement to go knock on the door to find out who's using it."