20 CES Products We Love Right Now

Over 20,000 new products debuted at the International Consumer Electronics Show 2008 in Las Vegas. Here are a few that caught our eye.

Linksys Ultra RangePlus Wireless-N Gigabit Router WRT310N

Cisco Systems' Linksys division launched a sleek new line of home networking products, including the Ultra RangePlus Wireless-N Gigabit Router. Notice what's missing? No unsightly rabbit ears sticking out the back: the vendor's new RangePlus internal antennas are out of sight. The device packs in a router, a four-port Gigabit Ethernet switch and a wireless access point based on the draft version of the 802.11n standard. It also includes 256-bit encryption and an SPI firewall. It is priced at $129.99.

Linksys also offered the latest member of its Home Control family, a new IP video surveillance camera. The Linksys Wireless-G Internet Home Monitoring Camera with Audio WVC54GCA includes its own Web server, enabling it to connect to a network over an 802.11g-based WLAN or via a Fast Ethernet cable. It provides either MPEG-4 or Motion JPEG video compression and can deliver up to a 640 x 480 video stream. It can be mounted on a wall or placed on its tabletop stand. It also includes a microphone to provide audio. It is available now for an estimated price of $119.99.

Microvision unveiled a prototype of its new itty-bitty pico laser projector, code-named "Show," that's small enough to fit in your palm yet promises to deliver wide-screen DVD-quality images. The device connects directly to laptops, mobile phones, portable media cameras, digital cameras and other mobile devices to project high-resolution pictures and video onto any surface. Microvision says the projected images can range anywhere from 12 inches to 100 inches in size and that the production version should offer 2.5 hours of continuous battery life, making it just perfect for watching a full-length movie. A commercial version is scheduled for release by the end of 2008.

The war between the Blu-Ray Disc and HD DVD formats for supremacy in the high-definition DVD market raged at CES. But for consumers that want to play Switzerland and aren't yet ready to pick a side, LG Electronics comes to the rescue with its LG Super Blue Player Model BH200, a DVD player that supports both. It also improves playback of standard DVDs and plays audio CDs as well. It sells at retail for about $800.

LG Electronics also rolled out a full line of 24 new LCD high-definition televisions ranging from 19- to 52-inches. The new models in the Super Slim series include a 1.7-inch think LCD, wireless HDTV capabilities and invisible speakers. They also score points for style with red accents and a high-gloss black finish.

Model LG71, shown here, is available in 47-inch and 52-inch versions. It provides wireless 1080p LCD HDTV via an integrated 802.11n system that works with a separate wireless receiver with a 50-foot radius. The televisions are scheduled for availability this year. Pricing was not disclosed.

Sprint at CES revealed that a soft launch of its Xohm WiMax-based mobile wireless Internet service is underway with employees in several cities, including Baltimore, Chicago and Washington, D.C., ahead of a scheduled commercial launch across select U.S. cities later this year.

To support its WiMax bid, Sprint has signed on several partners, including Amdocs, which will maintain the Xohm Internet portal, SwapDrive for hosted storage, eTelecare Global Solutions for customer care and McAfee for online security for computers connected to the WiMax network.

In addition, several hardware vendors also disclosed plans for Xohm-compatible devices, including OQO, which will embed wireless connectivity into its ultra-mobile PCs, and AsusTek, which is also building devices with WiMax support. ZyXel and its chip partner, Sequans, said they will be building an access device for the service, dubbed the ZyXel Max-206m2 (pictured). The device is a 4G modem/router with built-in residential gateway functions. It is scheduled for release in the second quarter of 2008.

Fujitsu offered a super-futuristic view of its technology plans by showing off several concept computers it's toying around with. The Fabric PC is a notebook based on the concept of electronic paper. It's flexible and easy to carry, yet Fujitsu envisions it as a fully functioning PC.

Fujitsu also has its crystal ball aimed at the retail market, showing off a portable information terminal that sales clerks can wear on their wrists. The device would put information such as bridal registries, inventory levels and product specs and inventory location right at their fingertips.

Another prototype up Fujitsu's sleeve is its Cardviewer, a device that includes a base unit as well as two or more detachable faces that act as electronic paper for sharing data. Hand it to a friend or colleague and the information stays on the screen, the vendor says.

Built for folks who really, really like the outdoors, Spot introduced its Satellite Messenger, a personal safety device that links that hikers, mountaineers and the like can use to keep friends and family updated on their progress or to contact an international 9-1-1 emergency call center if things go awry. Using GPS and commercial satellites, the device allows communications in remote locations that are far beyond the reaches of cell phone towers.

It's waterproof, it floats and it's built to withstand temperatures from -40 degrees to 185 degrees Fahrenheit. And it's good enough for survival expert Les Stroud, host and producer of "Survivorman," seen here, who has agreed to endorse it. The device costs $199, plus an annual service fee of $99.

Is there such a thing as a TV that's too big? Panasonic is seeking to find out. The company offered the first public viewing of its forthcoming 150-inch HD plasma display, which it touts as the largest in the world. It offers 2000 x 4000 pixel resolution, more than four times the 1080p HD specification and boasts an effective viewing area that is 11 feet wide and over 6 feet high, "bringing new meaning to the words 'reality TV,' " said Toshihiro Sakamoto, president of Panasonic AVC Networks, the consumer electronics and PC manufacturing arm of Matsushita Electric Industrial Co.

Sakamoto also showed prototypes of new super-thin displays, including a 50-inch plasma TV that is less than one-inch thick and weighs half as much as previous models.

E-detail was on hand to show off its Multi Web Pad dual-display tablet PC. The smaller display folds down in the back so that a user can sit behind the device and still see what they are presenting on the main screen to customers and colleagues, eliminating that uncomfortable closeness that comes when multiple people try to crowd around a laptop to see a Power Point presentation. The tablet has a touch screen and includes WLAN support and a camera. It is priced at $1,200.

Netgear's new RangeMax wireless products promise to deliver faster wireless networking speeds at longer ranges. They combine three technologies: the Draft 2.0 version of the 802.11n wireless protocol, simultaneous support for the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz frequencies and new "metamaterial" antennas, which are smaller and can be placed closer together without causing signal confusion, the company says.

The new RangeMax Dual Band Wireless-N Router WNDR3300 also includes automatic quality of service features for traffic prioritization, a built-in four-port 10/100 switch and a "Push 'N' Connect" function that uses the Wi-Fi Protected Setup standard and eliminates the need to input security password keys. It's available now at a retail price is $129.99.

The Netgear RangeMax Wireless-N Gigabit Router WNR3500 offers similar features to the Dual Band router but adds a 10/100/1000 switch with one Gigabit Ethernet WAN port and four Gigabit Ethernet LAN ports. It's available now at a retail price is $159.99.

Netgear also launched several new consumer storage devices in its ReadyNAS Duo family, a group of products that support up two SATA hard drives. The new units include the 500GB Gigabit Desktop Network Storage RND2150, 750GB Gigabit Desktop Network Storage RND2175 and 1T Gigabit Desktop Network Storage RND 2110. The new devices are scheduled for availability in the first quarter. Pricing was not disclosed.

PlumChoice at CES launched a new line of remote services dubbed SafeLink that it wants to sell through channel partners. The services, aimed at consumers and SMB, customers, include technical support, backup and security. The company has about 300 agents providing services ranging from break/fix to spyware and virus remediation, driver and operating systems issue resolution, said Ted Werth, founder and CEO. The company this month is launching a reseller affiliate program for VARs and integrators.

WowWee's Rovio Wi-Fi Webcam is a three-wheeled robot that can be controlled remotely via the Internet using any Web-accessible device, including cell phones, PCs and gaming consoles. Check on the dog. See if you remembered to turn the iron off. Users can check on their home or office with the NorthStar-enabled device while they're away, receiving streaming video and audio streams to let them know what's going on back at the ranch. It is scheduled for availability this fall and will be priced at $299.

Hitachi wowed high-def video addicts with its DZ-BD70A Blu-ray Camcorder, which can record approximately one hour of HD video on an 8cm single-sided Blu-ray disc. Offering sharp images and rich color, it features a widescreen 2.7-inch LCD view finder, 10x optical zoom and 500x2 digital zoom. It is priced at $1,299.

Actiontec Electronics' zControl line of home automation gateways gives users remote control over household electronics, including lights, security, cameras, thermostats, motion detectors, garage door openers, motorized shades and automatic sprinklers through the home network. The first generation of the zControl product, scheduled to ship next month, will be a standalone unit that connects to the home router and can be accessed by PC or cell phone.

Later versions will be integrated into Actiontec's wireless routers and DSL gateways for sale through service providers. The Actiontec zControl Starter Kit, including the zControl unit, one indoor camera with motion detector, one lighting control module and a remote control, will be available in February for $399.