The Best Of CES 2012

As you’ve probably read here and elsewhere, if you were expecting the major consumer electronics companies to show up to CES 2012 with their latest and greatest hardware that would revolutionize your life, it was something of a disappointment. Most devices, especially those from major companies, were basically updates to the previous year’s line up, with more WiFi and 4G connectivity. That doesn’t mean there weren’t amazing products and technology being shown off in Las Vegas. Sure. A lot of fascinating gadgets weren’t aimed at consumers and some were more technology than products, but there were definitely some items at the show that made my eyes widen.

Oddly enough, perhaps the most awesome things at the show were both in the Verizon booth, although not created by Verizon. The Golden-i is a complete integrated mobile communications headset created by Kopin. Looking like something out of a 90’s military sci-fi film, it combines a heads-up display, head tracking, and voice command, along with highly modifiable software, basically turning anyone into Lobot from The Empire Strikes Back, without the painful cybernetic surgery. With a few voice commands, I had access to onscreen instructions from the internet, the ability to move and view external cameras, all without moving my hands. This is a device I will be following up on, because it was too amazing to give it the time it needed at CES.

No surgery required.

The other device in the Verizon booth was VGo, a telepresence robot. Looking something like a vacuum cleaner with a video screen and a camera mounted on top, I was able to communicate with a rep for the company in Boston while still feeling like they had a presence in the Las Vegas Convention Center, all with a minimum of lag. It’s still a few steps off from lifelike android avatars, but it’s a huge step in that direction.

One of the more pervasive technologies at CES was waterproofing. Ever drop your phone in the toilet? If companies like HzO and P2i have their way, you won’t have to be praying that a bag of rice will dry out the internals, because the electronics can all be safely encased in an invisible, water-resistant film of nanotech. You know that iPod that Apple wouldn’t replace for you because they claimed it had water damage? Imagine that never being a problem again (well, assuming you weren’t going deep sea diving with it, because there are limits).

Perhaps the coolest piece of consumer-level technology that was actually at the show (Samsung’s gesture and voice-controlled TV was only shown in a video) was from Razer, best known for creating gaming PC input devices. They went and made themselves a tablet, currently known as Project Fiona. Except whereas most tablets are thin, sleek things, this one is a giant monster, twice as thick as even the most bargain-basement tablets. What makes this device so incredible? It’s a full-on gaming PC on a 10.1″ slab, able to run The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim at maximum levels. In truth, its competition is less with tablets like the iPad or the Amazon Fire, but with handheld gaming consoles like the PS Vita. Basically, it’s a Gameboy that puts your state of the art desktop to shame. It’s also cost-projected at $1,000, so it’s not exactly a mass-consumer device, but you’re lying if you’re a game fanatic and say you don’t want one.

Eerie glow not from radiation, but fueled from dreams.

OK, technically the DROID RAZR MAXX is something that came out last year with some slight modifications. But when that slight modification is battery life on a 4G phone that makes comparable flip phones seem like they’re hooked up to a pair of AAA batteries in comparison, that’s pretty amazing. Sure, calling it a RAZR seems a little off, as it’s nowhere near as thin as the first DROID RAZR, but the earlier model sold well and that’s marketing for you. None of it matters, not with a battery that can supposedly stay charged after talking on it for 21 hours straight! The biggest complaint about 4G phones (assuming the network isn’t crashing) is that you can’t get through an entire day’s use with them without needing a charge. Assuming the RAZR MAXX holds up to spec, that complaint has been answered.

While there may not have been one device to rule them all, there were definitely some awesome pieces of technology at CES. You just had to get out of the booths of the “big boys” and wander around a bit.