DigitalLife 2007 started yesterday at the Jacob Javits Center and DragonSteelMods made our first appearance at the East Coast’s preeminent consumer electronics show. With over a hundred exhibitors, it was a technophiles wet dream. Although the Javits Center seems gargantuan in size, the show was relatively manageable and could be negotiated in under a couple of hours.
DigitalLife 2007 – Javits Convention Center – New York City
Author- Tom Ratas
Before and during the floor exhibits, there were keynotes and press conferences to be seen. Gateway started with a Press Breakfast to introduce it’s all in one pc appropriately named Gateway One. This jet black beauty features a built in 19” LCD screen, a Core 2 Duo processor, wireless keyboard and webcam. There are three different models available with pricing ranging from $1300 to $1800.
While, it does remind many people of the iMac line, there are relatively few all in ones for the PC crowd that look this good. Hopefully, the next versions will feature larger LCD options.
Some of the newer products included the innovative SpyKee, spy robot from the Erector Company from our youth. This wifi enable robot features a video camera, speakers and a microphone. With it, one can peak in on the happenings around the SpyKee from anywhere there is internet access. Mobile video surveillance!!! The SpyKee can be built in one of three configurations: the Rover, the Scorpion or the SpyKee. Another neat feature is that the SpyKee uses the same Erector configuration as all the Erector products for the past thirty years. Technically, that means, one can add their old Erector Set parts to the robot.
For the Star Wars nerd in all of us, Nikko Home Electronics features an R2D2 DVD projector that can display images up to 200 inches wide on ceilings and walls. Help me Obi-Won, you are our last hope. The best parts is that it comes with a Millennium Falcon remote.
Gelaskins is a novel way to protect your iPhone, iPod, laptop and RAZR from scratches and blemishes. These protective covers are made of a less than 2 mm #M vinyl adhesive technology to wrap your device up from harm. They are scratch resistant and have a photo quality finish.
This one is my favorite: Rough Night Out (https://www.gelaskins.com/skins.php?Device=8&Category=16&Skin=67&ProductCode=199). The iPhone model adds free digital wallpaper downloads to put on the iPhones startup screen. Plus, they offer Custom Skins for companies or people who have something to promote.
Xyber Technologies is start up computer company promoting Silent Desktop PC computing. These days, silent PC’s usually mean water cooled or low wattage, low power processors. Xyber has developed a new technology which produces a fanless PC using some of the more powerful processors available.
These PCs use a cooling system that operates by transferring internal heat into tubing filled with minute quantities of inert gas that evaporates as heated and flows to the cooler end of the tube, as the gas reaches this cooler side it condenses and returns to its original deposit, repeating the cycle again. Among its many benefits and advances, it consumes one quarter of the power of comparable high end systems, it requires little ventilation so you can lock it in a drawer if you like, it requires less space, it cools 19% more efficiently than regular air based solutions, it doesn't promote the transfer contaminants, dust, or allergens through the air, cooler components means longer life span and more efficiency, you can upgrade to virtually any component, and most importantly, you can enjoy computing without any annoying noise.
The most amazing fact is that these systems can run at 240 Watts for a system that typically requires 1000 Watts. For instance, their gaming system features a Intel Core 2 Duo 6400, Nvidia 8800GT 512 and Intel 775 Motherboard.
This startup PC Company definitely should be appearing on everyone’s radar in the near future, if their claims are true.
Palm and Sprint had a Press Luncheon to announce their newest collaboration, the Palm Centro. This device is familiar to anyone who has used a Treo for the past five years. Although Palm is a great company, they stopped being innovative sometime around the Tungsten line of devices. The Centro is a smaller version of the Treo 700P with all the features in a smaller form factor. The attractive aspect of this device that should appeal to most new cell phone purchasers is the price. With a target price of $99, now everyone from students to homemaker will have the same features as the business world that live on Treos or Blackberry devices.
Sprint has exclusivity with Palm on the Centro for a short period, which should give them a jump on the market. It is a good marketing strategy by Palm to set the price point at $99, since many people will now jump on the ability to have a smart phone for the same price as a Razr type phone.
Midway was featuring their next entry into the world of MMOG (Massively multiplayer online game), the officially licensed Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar. This game type should be familiar to anyone who has graced the realms of Everquest and World of Warcraft.
Apparently, Alyx Vance is the new Lara Croft, at least at Digital Life, as over half a dozen Alyx Vances were seen patrolling around the Convention Center. Also seen about were Ms. PacMan, Popeye, Olive Oyl, and some Hobbits.
Well, that is a brief recap of DigitalLife (http://www.digitallife.com/newyork/flash.html) 2007 in New York City. The show runs through September 30th and is open to the public. So if you are in the area, feel free to check it out.