Best of CES 2008

Best of CES 2008

Details: Category: Trade Show Lists; Written by Rich McComas

The Consumer Electronics Show held in Las Vegas every January is always our favorite show, but often the most difficult to select a Best-of List from. Because this show is held only annually now (it used to be held twice per year, once in the summer in Chicago), a good portion of the product announcements are for gadgets that are just prototypes, slated for delivery much later in the year. Therefore, in many cases, we really don't have the opportunity to fully review the technologies before writing about them.

For 2008, however, we did find several items that we considered to be revolutionary, including:

Logitech Duet - Controlling your computer's audio library through your home entertainment system.
Bug Labs - An open source platform for creating computer projects and toys.
EchoStar TR-50 - A DVR for the rabbit-ear over-the-air TV crowd.
MagicJack - Unlimited phone calls for $20 per year, incuding a phone number and forwarding.
Dymo DiscPainter - A dedicated printer that "paints" full color CD or DVD discs in under a minute.
Intermatic Home Settings - Powerful z-wave controllers and modules for controlling lighting.

Who are the Gadget Gurus?

Gadget Gurus technology reviews are heard and read by millions of people across the United States, including more than a dozen print publications, dozens of tier-one radio stations, on third-party websites, and more than ever, online at our own website.

NEWS: This year, you will see a number of exciting announcements from Gadget Gurus, including podcasts, our syndicated "Gadgets-in-a-Minute" broadcasts, and our ever-expanding "Best Of" lists. Also, you will be seeing our portfolio of magazine "gadget pages" growing into a number of vertical markets.

TECH2 LAKE HOUSE

UPDATE - The exterior of the Technology Lake House is complete and we are now working on interior finishing and electronics. Last year, San Francisco's Channel 7 ABC News ran a special video report on the construction progress of the Technology Lake House, and we expect them back for a follow-up soon. Click HERE for a DLINK Live Video Feed with pan and zoom features (userid=user, no password, daylight hours only).

Ron Rosberg's current project home, the Technology Lake House, is currently under construction on the shores of Clearlake in Northern California. Even though the house is a wireless demo house, we have installed more than seven miles of wires in the walls for dozens of flat panel TVs, speakers, control panels, and sophisticated lighting. So far, more than a dozen technology and fixture manufacturers have agreed to sponsor this project, which has been simmering in Ron's head since he attended the first CES show in New York in 1967. The 7,500 square foot project (plus three existing rustic cabin guest houses) is being built on a five-acre Honeymoon Cove resort with 500 feet of beach directly across from Konocti Harbor Resort. This summer retreat will host technology gatherings annually, inviting Western states home builders, contractors, and technology consultants for a live open house showcasing the latest in home technologies. There is room to park plenty of boats, so plan on coming up for some lake fun after the project is complete. For more info, send email to ronald@usa.net, or call 707-995-2683. To see the latest photos, visit Ron's Flickr gallery.

We are currently looking for products to evaluate in these areas:

Home automation: lighting, security, and entertainment
A/V technology for the 500 SF home theater media demo room

Hot News on Cool New Features: The ENTIRE front of the home is made of 21 sliding NanaWall glass panels that fold into the walls, opening the entire home up to the lake during demo days.