The Top 10 gadgets from the Consumer Electronics Show

For the third consecutive year, Frank Gorman of Gorman & Williams graciously offered to write a few blog posts while in Las Vegas for last week’s annual Consumer Electronics Show. In his final post, he gives us his Top 10 gadgets from 2013 CES.

CES 2013 ended Friday. There was a lot to see and more buzz about new electronic technology than in other recent years. Here’s a list of the Top 10 technologies and/or gadgets that caught my attention.

1. Samsung’s Flexible Display

Samsung’s president showed off this prototype device during his keynote address. It was not on the exhibitor floor at 2013 CES. Instead of the rigid screen of your smartphone, imagine rolling up the screen like a dollar bill. In the future, you may be able to roll up your 65-inch flat screen like a rug and store it in the closet until the next use.

2. OLED TV

All the major electronics manufacturers at CES 2013 promoted OLED TV’s. (Here’s LG’s, for example.) OLED TVs were promoted last year, but today’s price puts OLED in the premium TV category, inhibiting consumer acceptance. OLED stands for “organic light emitting diode,” a solid state material that is also behind flexible screen displays. OLED technology is an improvement over liquid crystal displays (LCD) by producing higher contrasts, less energy consumption and thinner screens. A fixed but curved OLED TV screen was exhibited by Samsung. OLED is the next generation of screens.

3. Casio Lamp Free Projector (Short Throw)

This projector makes giving an audio/visual presentation a lot easier. You lose the lamp and the need for replacement lamps, can project a 60-inch image from only two-feet away and can connect wirelessly to a mobile device or laptop as well as hard connect through USB, HDMI, and RJ-45 ports.

4. Panasonic Wireless Bone Conduction Earphones (pictured above)

These earphones bring the sound to the inner ear through the bones, not the outer and middle ear. The earphones are placed over the skull bones in front of the ears. The Panasonic bone conduction earphones are good-looking and comfortable. Bone conduction earphones are recommended by some for hearing impaired persons. Check with your doctor first.

5. Fujitsu Scan Snap Desktop Scanner

This next generation scanner allows scanning wirelessly to a mobile device, as well as to a desktop PC through a USB connection. You can scan into PDF or JPEG formats.

6. Paro, the Therapeutic Robot

Paro is a cuddly, advanced, interactive robot that can provide the benefits of animal therapy to people at hospitals and extended-care facilities (without the unsanitary animal side-effects). Paro looks like a baby harp seal. He perceives his environment and he reacts to touch and voice. He can behave in a way that the user prefers. Paro has just arrived in the United States, but his therapeutic benefits have been enjoyed by people in Japan (where it was developed) and in Europe.

7. Nyne Bike Speaker NB-200 (right)

This compact speaker attaches to the handlebar and connects wirelessly to any Bluetooth mobile device. Without earphones, the rider can hear music or other audio and can answer a call through the built-in microphone.

8. AboutOne Family Organizer

This free app on display at the “Mommy Tech” zone helps organize information that is important for your family. You can share some or all of this information with another person, such as a babysitter/caregiver. AboutOne makes strong representations that your information is secure: it uses the same technologies and practices as banks, the information is encrypted, and further protected by McAfee Secure and TRUSTe EU-US Safe Harbor. Enhanced versions of the app carry a monthly fee.

9. Sony Wearable Action Cam with Wi-Fi (left)

This is a rugged, wearable HD camcorder that is waterproof and weighs only three pounds with battery. Mount it on your helmet and record everything you see as you ski, bike, hike, or whatever.

10. Duetta 2 Sewing Machine by Brother (right)

This is a combination sewing and embroidery machine that does it all – sewing, quilting, and embroidery. It has seven-point feed dogs for smooth feeding of materials, a 7-inch-by-12-inch embroidery area and a custom stitch feature that allows personalized stitches. There is a touch display screen that allows stitch and design selection and dual USB ports to import or export designs. For the serious sewer!

(All photos courtesy of Frank Gorman)