CES

It’s been awhile, but Ooma’s next generation release just made its way to CES. The Telo offers unlimited, free VoIP calls over the Internet across the US and features a new, cordless handset offering high-def DECT 6.0 voice, a connected phonebook, mobile transfer, speaker phone and musical ringtones. The kit is expandable to six handsets and judging from the base unit, we’re looking at an answering machine as well. Apparently Telo also integrates your cellphone into the mix somehow, something the current Ooma can’t do. According to Rich Buchanan, Ooma’s chief marketing officer, Telo “helps combine the home phone and cell phone so you can enjoy the benefits of both without any compromises.” We’ll figure out how once the floor show opens tomorrow. Telo will be available in the first half of 2009 for an undisclosed price.

We reckon this whole “new Pacemaker” thing is becoming an annual occurrence for Tonium, as it has just introduced a revamped Pacemaker DJ system nearly a year to the day after we toyed with its prior iteration. The new flavor sports a “completely reworked” user interface, one that’s supposedly user-friendly and “extremely intuitive” for the first-timers. Additionally, Tonium engineers have added in auto beat match for seamless track blending along with a 60GB hard drive that should store around 15,000 tracks. No price is mentioned, but it ought to be on store shelves across the US this Spring. Check the full release just after the break.

Tonium’s New Pacemaker Makes DJing Accessible to Everyone

Stockholm, Sweden – January 6, 2009 – Today, Tonium announced a new Pacemaker that will truly bring DJing to the masses and right into the hands of the next DJ generation.

The Pacemaker DJ system is a musical sketchpad that fosters unprecedented creativity and expression. No other device will let you mix tracks on the train to work, mash up albums at a backyard barbeque or experiment with soundscapes on a secluded beach. Tonium’s new Pacemaker is intended to further this concept by making DJing possible for everyone.

The new Pacemaker’s user interface has been completely reworked. The result is a user-friendly, extremely intuitive interface that gives first-time users the ability to instantly DJ when they first take the device out of the box. In terms of features, Tonium’s engineers have given the new Pacemaker auto beat match, allowing novice DJs to seamlessly blend tracks together by the click of a button, allowing anyone to learn how to mix in less than 2 minutes. This Pacemaker boasts a 60GB hard drive, capable of storing 15,000 songs.

“The concept behind the new Pacemaker centers around accessibility,” said Ola Sars, Tonium’s Vice President of Sales and Marketing. “Our company was founded on the belief that musical inspiration should be created by anyone and shared with everyone. With the new Pacemaker, the goal was to remove all barriers and let anyone interact and experiment with their music.”

Tonium’s new Pacemaker will be on shelves at major retailers across the country this spring. Once available, Tonium will release an announcement with detailed product specifications, ushering in the next step in the music interaction revolution.

About Tonium:

Tonium (www.tonium.com) is a Swedish company, established by a tightly knit group of passionate people with a background in music, design and engineering. With a flair for innovation, Tonium exists as a company dedicated to promoting the sharing of musical tastes in a socially engaging context. For Pacemaker info, go to www.pacemaker.net.

iLuv has been on a serious roll here lately, and just when you thought it couldn’t possibly pump out another iPod clock radio, well, it couldn’t. Instead, it’s offering up a 9-inch portable multimedia player which accepts content via USB, SD card or MMC card. The i1166 is DivX certified and features video output, a 3-way power source (AC, DC car adapter and the built-in Li-ion battery) and an iPod charging / remote control. The price is still being determined, but the ship date is set in stone for March. Full release, per usual, is after the break.

iLuv Unveils the i1166 9″ Portable Multimedia Player – Compact, Big Screen Solution
For Travel Entertainment

“Best of Innovations 2009″ Award Winner for the Portable Multimedia Category Unveiled at CES 2009 LVCC Central Hall Booth # 12114

i1166 Features Digital Photo Frame Capability, Built-in memory card / USB Slot and DivX video playback

PORT WASHINGTON, NY – (January 6, 2009) - iLuv, the leader in innovative audio solutions, is proud to unveil their best 2009 invention from a new line of enhanced and creative products, the i1166 9″ Portable Multimedia Player for iPod and DVDs. This year’s “CES Best of Innovation 2009″ award winner in the Portable Multimedia Accessories product category, the i1166 brings hours of widescreen personal multimedia entertainment to travelers starting March 2009 at www.i-luv.com . Price to be determined.

“iLuv is honored to receive the highly acclaimed award ‘Best of Innovation 2009′ for our newest edition of a portable multimedia player for iPod and DVDs, the i1166, ” said Robert Caputo, iLuv Sales VP. “We are confident that the i1166 will offer consumers only the best of portable entertainment options whether on a trip, in a dorm room, play room, poolside or in the office for small presentations. The i1166 with its multimedia capabilities and digital photo frame brings a world of options to every user.”
i1166 9″ Portable Multimedia Player for iPod and DVDs
This compact and light-weight portable DVD player with iPod dock features a multitude of functions and the hottest technology all in one

Features
• Compatible with all iPod with video capability
• DivX® certified to play DivX videos
• Enhanced user interface with detailed controls
• Video output for TV connectivity
• Built-in USB / SD / MMC slot - can support the new slotMusic
• 3-way power source - AC, DC car adapter or Built-in Li-Polymer Rechargeable Battery
• Charges your iPod when docked and features iPod full remote control
• Convenient On-Screen Display, multiple subtitle, angle, and audio functions
• Fast motion playback and zoom operation
• Digital Photo Frame to view photos from built-in memory, memory card, USB, DVD±R/RW, or CD-R/RW
• Includes remote control

Compatible with all iPod with video capability
Playable Media: DVD, DVD±R/RW, VCD, CD, CD-R/RW, MP3, MP3 CD JPEG, Kodak, DivX, MPEG4

Garmin’s gone all diversity-happy on us this morning with three new chock-full-o-features portable GPS devices. The nüvi 885T is the real flagship here, offering speech recognition, lane assist junction view and MSN Direct traffic info and other cloud-based services. The unit centers on a 4.3-inch 480 x 272 touchscreen, and offers up Bluetooth for hands-free calling and an FM transmitter to pump turn-by-turn instructions and music through your car stereo. Unfortunately, the hotness doesn’t come cheap: the 855T goes for $800, with an MSN and Bluetoothless version going for $700. The zūmo 660 is built for motorcycle types, with a 4.3-inch glove and sunlight-friendly touchscreen display. There’s Bluetooth for pumping turn-by-turn directions to your helmet headset, and more of that lane assist goodness, but the $800 pricetag might quell your enthusiasm. Finally, the G5 offers up a 3-inch touchscreen, with what sound to be some pretty intuitive tap and drag functionalities. Pictures of the 660 and the G5 are after the break.

Read - Garmin nüvi 885T
Read - Garmin zūmo 660
Read - Garmin G5

Making clever use of peer-to-peer technology, Datto’s new Box 2 Box network-attached storage drive is boasted to continuously sync encrypted information with another NAS regardless of its location, connection, or impeding firewalls. The 160, 250, and 500GB-sized drives will be packaged as either single units or as a psychically-linked pair. The company is touting no annual fees, but unfortunately the upfront costs haven’t been disclosed yet. It sounds like the perfect solution for backing up your Office episodes with that secret lair you’ve got located deep within the Himalayas. Hit up the read link for full press release.

Read - Press release (PDF file)

We’ve been hearing about SuperSpeed USB 3.0 since CES last year, and now that the spec’s been officially released, we’re getting way more details at this year’s show — like new power features, which include the elimination of device polling to enable an energy-saving “virtual sleep” mode, more juice for bus-powered devices, and the ability to charge a completely dead device, which USB 2.0 can’t do. According to Intel’s Jeff Ravencraft, the spec is designed to last for the next five years, with room to pump 25 gigabits per second over a hypothetical optical connection. Sounds sexy — we’ll see how well this stuff demos when the doors open.

Not that we haven’t seen navigator manufacturers partner up with travel companies before, but it’s still pretty rare to hear of a PND maker looking out for the travelers and not just the completely lost crowd. Here at CES, Navigon has just announced a partnership with Rand McNally (the first of its kind, we hear), which will result in Scenic Routers and City Guides from the aforesaid firm being available on Navigon devices. The guides will provide over 250 scenic routers and pre-planned trips across all 50 states (we’re guessing the Road To Hana made the cut?) and Canada, and there’s also information on the best attractions and landmarks in more than 1,400 US / Canadian cities. The new data packs will be available on select Navigon units as well as in retail outlets and Navigon.com this Spring for $19.99 each.

If you thought Eye-Fi was a great invention already, then boy, do we have a treat for you. Here at CES, the outfit made famous for pumping out delightfully simple WiFi SD cards for wireless image uploading is taking the next logical step by embracing video. It’s currently developing a system that will enable its WiFi SD cards to upload videos directly to YouTube, and if you reckoned the first iteration would be stuck at standard-def, you reckoned wrong. In fact, it’s being designed from the ground-up to handle HD uploads from cameras like Nikon’s D90, but there’s no word yet on how soon the technology will be ready. The big question from us? Will this require an all new card, or can the video functionality be added to existing models? Check the full release after the break.

EYE-FI DEVELOPING WIRELESS VIDEO UPLOADS DIRECT TO YOUTUBE

New Technology Will Allow Users to Send Videos Automatically, Wirelessly from their Camera to YouTube and their Computer

CES, LAS VEGAS - Jan. 7, 2009 - Eye-Fi Inc., makers of the world’s first wireless memory card for digital cameras, today announced that it is developing a way for users to wirelessly upload videos from their digital camera to YouTube and a home computer. Eye-Fi will preview the technology at this year’s International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas January 8-11, in booth #32024 in the TechZone of South Hall Three.
“We’re aiming to do for video what we’ve already done for photos: provide the easiest, simplest way to save and share your digital memories,” said Jef Holove, CEO for Eye-Fi. “Our wireless technology makes it effortless to upload videos to YouTube using the digital camera you already have, without the fuss of special software. You won’t need to find a USB cable or even turn on your computer to get your memories in front of one of the largest audiences on the Web.”
According to a recent InfoTrends study, Video End-User Research: 2008, the point-and-shoot camera is now the most commonly used device for capturing memories on video. With Eye-Fi’s wireless SD memory cards for digital cameras, users can upload photos – and soon video – automatically through Wi-Fi networks. Eye-Fi hotspot subscribers can also upload their memories away from home at more than 10,000 Wayport and open hotspot locations across the U.S.
Eye-Fi is designing its video upload service to support full-resolution HD video, with newer cameras like the Nikon D90 capturing HD video, and Web sites including YouTube now testing display of HD video.
“Some of the most popular clips on YouTube are shot on digital cameras, rather than video camcorders,” said Holove. “Eye-Fi will give people the power to upload videos automatically, making it even easier for the YouTube community to post their life events, home videos and breaking news – virtually as they happen.”
Eye-Fi will also demonstrate its new video upload technology in the “Last Gadget Standing” event on January 10 from 10:30 - 11:30 a.m. PST in room N255-257 in LVCC, North Hall.
Eye-Fi’s wireless SD memory cards have won numerous awards, including Popular Science’s “Best of What’s New 2008″ and PC World’s “The 100 Best Products of 2008.” For more information, please visit www.eye.fi.
About Eye-Fi
Founded in 2005, the company is dedicated to building products and services that help consumers navigate, nurture and share their visual memories. Eye-Fi’s patent-pending technology works with Wi-Fi networks to automatically send photos from a digital camera to online, in-home and retail destinations. Headquartered in Mountain View, Calif., the company’s investors include LMS Capital, Opus Capital, Shasta Ventures and TransLink Capital. More information is available at www.eye.fi.

VTech’s not stopping with just a WiFi radio here at CES — oh no, it’s also introducing a snazzy new DECT line of telephones. Starting with the flagship LS6245, we’ve got a slim, stylish handset that packs both DECT 6.0 technology and Bluetooth, enabling one person to be on the main handset while a BT-enabled phone taps in as well. The entire lineup features touch sensitive buttons, caller ID, speakerphone, selectable ring tones and a 50-name / number phonebook directory, with the V.Style LS6215 even offering touch tech in the base unit. Each member of the ‘09 line is priced under $100, and the whole crew should be available for budding seniors in the first half of ‘09.

Gallery: VTech’s new DECT 6.0 telephones are too swank for grandma

Technical Audio Devices (TAD), a subsidiary of Pioneer, has a little something to show audiophiles that may lure them away from their CD transports yet — a new 2-channel audio format for Blu-ray discs that it unapologetically claims “rivals 2-channel analog sound.” We’re not sure if that means reel-to-reel or vinyl is in the crosshairs, but the company is putting its apparently-unnamed format up for demo at CES. The demos are being hosted by none other than audiophile classic Sheffield Labs recording engineers Bill Schnee and Doug Sax, who have picked out some choice cuts to be played on pro-level TAD Compact Reference monitors and associated electronics; no word on if whiskey is part of the demo.