Tips & Tweaks: Bass's Report From CES

In January I went to CES, the Consumer Electronics Show, in Las Vegas. I saw dozens of smart and innovative products to tell you about, a few really dumb things (which, who knows, you might like), and a handful of articles from PC World reporters. And yes, I know, CES was in January and now it's March. I've never been too good at deadlines. Either way, I have lots of stuff to talk about, so this week and next I present my CES roundup.

The CES Extravaganza

What, you don't know about CES? CES is a spectacular trade show with tons of things to see, touch, and try. Among other things, it covers computing, electronics, home stereos, speakers, and automobile accessories.

The 2006 show is set for January 5-8. Get details on whether you can attend at the official Web site.

If you've ever been to a high-tech trade show, such as Comdex, you'll know what I mean when I tell you that CES is a three-day show; it'll take that long to see everything.

BTW, CES has replaced the now-defunct Comdex as the show to attend. Comdex was the premiere trade show in the United States for 20 or so years, but it drove itself into oblivion in 2004 for lots of reasons. If you're curious, grab a quick Comdex history in "Comdex May Be Gone for Good."

I'm shocked to say my first Comdex was in 1987. You can read a piece I did for user groups about my experiences over the years.

Dig This: You have a deadline, I know; so do I. Since you need something more important to do, spend a little time making sure you're lacing your shoes correctly.

What's What at CES

Everywhere I turned at CES, PC World reporters and editors were scarfing up details about innovative products. Here are some of their reports from the field, along with cool products that I found (and they missed).

In "CES 2005: Photos From the First 24 Hours" our reporters profiled things that are worth a second look. One product that caught my eye was DesignTech's $140 Guardian 911 Phone, a device that calls 911 from a module hanging from your neck; you have to be within 600 feet of the base station, well within the area of most homes.

I found something equally valuable on my own: Eaton's HomeHeartbeat, a device that monitors your entire home. Sensors throughout the house alert you to household problems such as a water leak, doors or windows that have been left open, or appliances that may have been left turned on. Similar to the DesignTech device, it can be used to locate an elderly parent, or a child, within 60 to 90 feet of your home. If anything's amiss in the house, an alert can be sent to your SMS-enabled cell phone. There are other sensors and alerts available.

While I'm talking about devices to give you peace of mind, I have something worth knowing for those of you who have aging parents. At CES, I attended an Intel keynote. [Note to boss: See, I really was working.] After the intro with ultra loud music--a blast of bass flattened the crease of my pants--Intel's Chief Executive Officer Craig Barrett described a house designed with Intel technology to safeguard seniors. The system uses sensors throughout the house to monitor seniors, allowing relatives to keep tabs on their safety. There's more in "Intel Sets Its Sights on Elder Care."

Three Smart USB Flash Drive Gadgets

In the same "Photos From the First 24 Hours" article, you'll see Lexar's JumpDrive Lightning, a 1GB USB flash drive for $135. That's a good price for storage that big; but hold on, I found two devices that may be a better fit for you.

The first is SimpleTech's USB Flash Drive. It comes with a removable 256MB MultiMediaCard, a memory card you can use in your camera or MP3 player.

What I like even better is MediaGear's Keychain CompactFlash Reader. It doesn't come with any memory--and that's the beauty of it. Think about it: Buy one of these $10 gadgets (yes, you read that right) and you can snap in the small-capacity memory cards that you've stopped using in, say, your camera. That means your 8MB or 16MB Smart Media, Memory Stick, or CompactFlash card now becomes a dirt-cheap USB flash drive. Very cool, no?

Dig This: I wasn't particularly interested in the Super Bowl (right--that was in January as well), but my wife's a football fan, so I joined her in watching. My real interest was the commercials. There were a few good ones, though not enough to get me to LOL. For instance, Budweiser had a commercial that wasn't shown. Not that it is too outrageous; in fact, it's kind of lame. Yet the NFL nixed the ad. I don't want you to feel deprived, so here it is. If you want more Super Bowl ads, watch the full 2-minute GoDaddy.com commercial, and go to IFilm, which presents a roundup of all the commercials.

Bass on the Radio

If you want to hear me say dumb, inaccurate things about computing, spend an hour with me on Craig Crossman's Computer America. I also make fun of Craig's inane commercials any chance I get. The date's Monday, March 7, from 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Pacific. You can call and try to harass me at 866/606-8255, listen to a live streaming media feed, or hang out with me on the Computer America chat system while I'm on the air.

Next week? More CES articles and products I think are cool.

Steve Bass writes the "Hassle-Free PC" column in PC World's print edition and is the author of PC Annoyances: How to Fix the Most Annoying Things About Your Personal Computer, available from O'Reilly. Watch this spot for details on his "Updated and Revised" edition due out in late March. Sign up to have Steve Bass's Tips and Tweaks newsletter e-mailed to you each week. Comments or questions? Send Steve e-mail.