Page 2: HDTV Mounting, Laptop Power, More Stuff
HDTV Mounting
Philips has a new mounting system called Simply Straight and it is one of the most innovative products we've seen in a very long time. This is the type of product that you ask yourself why wasn't this done before. It is a simple to use HDTV mounting system consisting of an elliptical track that you screw to the wall and mounting brackets that hold the TV. The TV can then slide into the elliptical wall mount and is easily straightened from the same mount. Think about it this way, you don't have to worry about squaring the wall mount with a level or anything. You screw it in by eye and do the fine tuning while the TV is on the wall. Simple as that. It should cost around $70 which is a great price for this product. Seriously, buy it now. It works and is a perfect example of engineering done right.
Philips also showed off their wireless HDTV system. It can take a multitude of inputs and pump them over a wireless link. It is uses a non-standard band of 6GHz (if our memory serves) and can't go very far from the base station. It will probably be useful in the same room where you have the electronics in a closet and the TV mounted on a wall where cables just won't work. This kit will be expensive but there was no noticeable lag on the demo unit.
One more Philips product that was interesting was the Activa. Along with that, they have a music player that plays music according to the rate you are working out. The Activa is a whole wellness device and comes with a service for a few months that includes a "trainer" of sorts to motivate you and push you in the right direction. The cost after the initial trial is fairly reasonable (around $10 or so per month), but the device isn't released yet so we will hold off judgment until seeing it in action.
Laptop Power
We appreciate products that get the job done at a size that is reasonable. Power adapters for laptops have long been big and bulky but Antec turns that wisdom on its head by coming out with a compact 90-watt laptop power adapter. Normally, these high wattage adapters are large but Antec designed a product that is easily portable and this is why Antec is a company that many people watch when they make new products.
Antec also makes portable laptop stands. This one fits in a briefcase and gives you a nice angle to use a laptop on while your on the road. It also elevates it so you aren't heating up your lap while using the laptop.
Antec is about to release a new case series called Dark Fleet. It has a few nice features like the embedded 2.5" drive hot swap drive bay which is perfect for those new boot drive targeted SSDs. The normal bays are reconfigurable with different mounts for different size drives and the PSU can be mounted on the top or bottom of the case. We'll have a review of the DF series when it is released.
More Stuff
And there are a spattering of other products that caught are eye, but aren't really cutting edge or are all that interesting. Energizer is investing in solar portable technology and it is good to see a battery company doing this. We'll have Energizer reviews this year on ASE Labs.
We found this year's CES a bit of a let down compared to the large show in 2008. We hope 2011 will push the show to the large size it once was. It was nice to not finish the show in two days. Maybe the economy will finally turn enough to make this happen. One can hope.
Philips has a new mounting system called Simply Straight and it is one of the most innovative products we've seen in a very long time. This is the type of product that you ask yourself why wasn't this done before. It is a simple to use HDTV mounting system consisting of an elliptical track that you screw to the wall and mounting brackets that hold the TV. The TV can then slide into the elliptical wall mount and is easily straightened from the same mount. Think about it this way, you don't have to worry about squaring the wall mount with a level or anything. You screw it in by eye and do the fine tuning while the TV is on the wall. Simple as that. It should cost around $70 which is a great price for this product. Seriously, buy it now. It works and is a perfect example of engineering done right.
Philips also showed off their wireless HDTV system. It can take a multitude of inputs and pump them over a wireless link. It is uses a non-standard band of 6GHz (if our memory serves) and can't go very far from the base station. It will probably be useful in the same room where you have the electronics in a closet and the TV mounted on a wall where cables just won't work. This kit will be expensive but there was no noticeable lag on the demo unit.
One more Philips product that was interesting was the Activa. Along with that, they have a music player that plays music according to the rate you are working out. The Activa is a whole wellness device and comes with a service for a few months that includes a "trainer" of sorts to motivate you and push you in the right direction. The cost after the initial trial is fairly reasonable (around $10 or so per month), but the device isn't released yet so we will hold off judgment until seeing it in action.
Laptop Power
We appreciate products that get the job done at a size that is reasonable. Power adapters for laptops have long been big and bulky but Antec turns that wisdom on its head by coming out with a compact 90-watt laptop power adapter. Normally, these high wattage adapters are large but Antec designed a product that is easily portable and this is why Antec is a company that many people watch when they make new products.
Antec also makes portable laptop stands. This one fits in a briefcase and gives you a nice angle to use a laptop on while your on the road. It also elevates it so you aren't heating up your lap while using the laptop.
Antec is about to release a new case series called Dark Fleet. It has a few nice features like the embedded 2.5" drive hot swap drive bay which is perfect for those new boot drive targeted SSDs. The normal bays are reconfigurable with different mounts for different size drives and the PSU can be mounted on the top or bottom of the case. We'll have a review of the DF series when it is released.
More Stuff
And there are a spattering of other products that caught are eye, but aren't really cutting edge or are all that interesting. Energizer is investing in solar portable technology and it is good to see a battery company doing this. We'll have Energizer reviews this year on ASE Labs.
We found this year's CES a bit of a let down compared to the large show in 2008. We hope 2011 will push the show to the large size it once was. It was nice to not finish the show in two days. Maybe the economy will finally turn enough to make this happen. One can hope.