Specifications

ManualsBrandsCardo Systems ManualsSoftwareScala-500 Combo

The Monthly Computer Chronicle

There are very few events impor-

tant enough to warrant a Special

Edition of our newsletter. Our long

time readers know we have de-

voted large sections of some is-

sues to especially valuable events,

such as Showstoppers.

Last Fall we started devoting a

Special Edition dealing exclusively

with Showstoppers. Their event

held in January during the 2005

Consumer Electronics Show was

so exceptional we felt it deserved a

Special Edition again.

Thanks to Steve Leon and his

whole team for putting on a truly

outstanding event.

N EWS AND VIEWS

HUCK HAJDÚ

IN THIS ISSUE:

NEWS AND VIEWS

SHOWSTOPPERS @

CES

CES REPORT—PART II

MCC

places virtual captions in the image without the need

for a special viewer.

Personal ImageManager helps users quickly organ-

ize their images, edit and enhance photos with a

single click, crop, add captions and even convert

images and photos between 14 popular formats.

The results can make anyone look like a pro.

Personal Image Manager users also have access to

in-depth, step-by-step online tutorials, tips and free

technical support. Users can also share images by

e-mail, send to Pocket PC or publish their photos to

the web with just a few, easy clicks.

(Continued on page 3)

J ANUARY 2005

S PECIAL EDITION

By Tom Vogt, Lee Schwab and Chuck Hajdú

Once again THE premiere press event at the 2005

Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas was

ShowStoppers. Building on the format established at

previous events at shows like COMDEX, PCExpo

and TechEXNY, this ShowStoppers was the mother

of all events. There were close to 80 venders! We’ll

do our best to give you some information on as

many of them as we can! Here goes:

ALLUME SYSTEMS

Allume Systems, Inc., showed their Personal Image

Manager, a new, innovative software that allows us-

ers to acquire images from almost any source in-

cluding digital cameras, scanners and CD/DVD’s.

Users can create an image archive and burn it to

CD for storage. The Personal Image Manager offers

digital camera users intuitive tools and powerful fea-

tures that make it easier than ever to Email, Edit,

Organize, Caption, Convert and Share photos. Per-

sonal Image Manager includes ActiveCaptions, a

unique, patent-pending caption technology that

SHOWSTOPPERS @ THE

2005 C

ONSUMER ELECTONICS SHOW

MCC

Summary of content (26 pages)

PAGE 1
The Monthly Computer Chronicle J A N UA R Y 2 0 0 5 MCC SPECIAL EDITION NEWS AND VIEWS CHUCK HAJDÚ IN THIS ISSUE: NEWS AND VIEWS 1 SHOWSTOPPERS @ CES 1 CES REPORT—PART II 2 There are very few events important enough to warrant a Special Edition of our newsletter. Our long time readers know we have devoted large sections of some issues to especially valuable events, such as Showstoppers. Last Fall we started devoting a Special Edition dealing exclusively with Showstoppers.
PAGE 2
Page 2 MCC CES REPORT—PART II After we finished our January issue we noticed a number of missing companies and products that we saw and found interesting. When you try to report on a show the size of the Consumer Electronics Show, it’s only to be expected. XACT Communications One of the companies we visited was XACT Communications. They justifiably well known for their fabulous wrist walkie-talkies, almost exactly like the ones Dick Tracy wore (for those of you old enough to remember Dick Tracy!).
PAGE 3
Page 3 MCC S H OW S T O P P E R S (Continued from page 1) For a limited time, Allume is offering users of other Image mangers products the opportunity to switch to Personal ImageManager for only $9.99, direct from the Allume website. This time-limited offer will expire March 31, 2005. share your favorite song, watch a movie, or make a multimedia presentation using your laptop speakers, you know exactly what we mean.
PAGE 4
Page 4 MCC S H OW S T O P P E R S (Continued from page 3) AMBIR TECHNOLOGY Ambir Technology, an innovative manufacturer and marketer of peripherals and accessories for laptops, desktops and mobile use, showed its next generation Xbrand Laptop Stand, which now features four USB 2.0 ports, 10/100 Ethernet and Audio. Ambir is the master distributor of Xbrand laptop products into the computer products market and the first to market a laptop stand with Ethernet and Audio ports.
PAGE 5
Page 5 MCC S H OW S T O P P E R S (Continued from page 4) the North and South American markets, they can cover Europe and Asia as well. SkyBox has a secure mounting structure that has been designed for most RVs, SUVs and minivans and the system has been tested for virtually all road conditions like all the Audiovox mobile video products. www.audiovox.
PAGE 6
Page 6 MCC S H OW S T O P P E R S (Continued from page 5) pitch and rhythm to enable adults and children alike to sing better and enjoy singing. Simple to install and easy for singers ages 8 to 108 to use, Singing Coach works on PCs running Windows XP, ME and 2000. Users get a high-fidelity headset with built-in microphone plus a selection of practice songs and free song downloads from the Carry-a-Tune Technologies online song library of 200-plus selections ranging from hits to standards.
PAGE 7
Page 7 MCC S H OW S T O P P E R S (Continued from page 6) tant scenes closer, while its powerful macro mode enables close-up shots up to 10 cm/3.9”. The 4340z’s video mode provides video capture at QVGA resolution up to 24 fps, with sound playback on a PC.
PAGE 8
Page 8 MCC S H OW S T O P P E R S (Continued from page 7) DivX(R)-media. YDP-305 DVD Player: With a suggested retail price of $79, the YDP-305 DVD player is a truly unique, ultra-compact DVD player great for use with TVs in any room in the house. Forwardthinking features include a 4-in-1 memory card reader and a USB port for conveniently viewing digital images.
PAGE 9
Page 9 MCC S H OW S T O P P E R S (Continued from page 8) LabelWriter 400 Turbo: The fastest personal labelmaker on the planet. Creates up to 55 labels in a single minute, Prints a single label in just one second, Small, sleek design conserves desk space, High resolution, 300 DPI creates laserquality results, The only label printer that is both PC- and Mac-compatible, Unique label release feature, Automatic label alignment . MSRP: $129.
PAGE 10
Page 10 MCC S H OW S T O P P E R S (Continued from page 9) the enterprise market. Executive Software’s latest addition, Sitekeeper, reinvents systems management software around one premise: simplicity. Engineered especially for small to medium size sites, Sitekeeper delivers the only easy-to-use software deployment, hardware and software inventory solution available. Fast and affordable, even on a 25 machine site, just two fullsite push installs returns your Sitekeeper investment in saved time and work.
PAGE 11
Page 11 MCC S H OW S T O P P E R S (Continued from page 10) the iolo web site www.iolo.com/sr IOLO TECHNOLOGIES iolo technologies’ Search and Recover Software Instantly Recovers Deleted Data, Including Documents, E-mails, Photos, Songs and Movies, via Easy to Use Tool Bar Wizards.
PAGE 12
Page 12 MCC S H OW S T O P P E R S (Continued from page 11) and two-player versions that will bring you back a decade. World Poker Tour TV Games enables game players to enjoy exciting, high stakes poker, similar to what nearly 5 Million television viewers tune in for each week, now available through a single, simpleto-use controller.
PAGE 13
Page 13 MCC S H OW S T O P P E R S (Continued from page 12) ganize and print high-definition color photos; and View flash tutorials, download templates and receive Lexmark product updates via Web links. www.lexmark.com. LucidLink (Interlink Networks) Enterprise-Class Wireless Security for Small Business. LucidLink secures your 802.11 wireless LAN with the same technology used by Fortune 500 companies, combined with the simplicity that small business demands.
PAGE 14
Page 14 MCC S H OW S T O P P E R S (Continued from page 13) data is then available to a variety of popular personal finance software programs such as QuickBooks, Quicken, Money and others. With any one of these programs, users can painlessly prepare tax documents, and submit electronically since the IRS recognizes and accepts these programs. Reports can also be saved in variety of formats including Excel, Word, HTML and Adobe (PDF). In addition, individual receipts can be emailed using Microsoft Outlook.
PAGE 15
Page 15 MCC S H OW S T O P P E R S (Continued from page 14) The unit measures just 14” x 8” x 11”, offering a shoebox-sized desktop footprint that allows it to be placed anywhere in the office. It plugs into the wall and comes with a UL-approved AC adapter. The Data Destroyer Office PRO is available through dealers and distributors at an MSRP of $149. www.norazza.com Norcent Technology Susan van Barneveld represented Norcent with some of their many Plasma and LCD televisions and home theater systems.
PAGE 16
Page 16 MCC S H OW S T O P P E R S (Continued from page 15) can compete in their favorite online gaming tournaments at ease for up to six hours. Nyko's Wireless Headset is the ultimate way to command the troops over Xbox Live. www.nyko.com OLIXIR TECHNOLOGIES Darshan Shah of Olixir Technologies was at ShowStoppers with their latest products: Mobile DataVault 3DX Rugged 80-400 GB External Hard Drives for individual backup/disaster recovery; transporting data; and reliable video, photo, music storage.
PAGE 17
Page 17 MCC S H OW S T O P P E R S (Continued from page 16) OTO SOFTWARE TOPICS Entertainment, Inc. and OTO Software were on hand to show their new Wi-Fi Defense system. Wi-Fi Defense was designed with the mainstream, non-technical consumer in mind, yet is powerful enough to offer security benefits to even the most advanced user.
PAGE 18
Page 18 MCC S H OW S T O P P E R S (Continued from page 17) tainment has finally arrived. Planetwide is leading the charge with its patent pending process which enables the digital download of music and content into real time online video game play for added entertainment value and purchase. Planetwide Games will feature this innovative technology with a line-up of popular musical artists, supermodels, and celebrities in Video Games and Video Game soundtracks.
PAGE 19
Page 19 MCC S H OW S T O P P E R S (Continued from page 18) car - wherever you go! Now you're not just limited to playing DVDs in your moving vehicle. RaySat brings you the variety of exciting programming available via satellite. All it takes is a sleek roofmounted antenna called the SpeedRay. Only RaySat's SpeedRay: Receives DISH Network and all other direct to home DBS providers in the USA and Canada, for access to over 500 satellite TV and music channels Provides excellent reception at highway speeds.
PAGE 20
Page 20 MCC S H OW S T O P P E R S (Continued from page 19) SALTON Adam Lombardo of Brock Communications represented Salton and introduced the latest addition to the Beyond Connect Home product line, the ePods digital camera and portable entertainment system.
PAGE 21
Page 21 MCC S H OW S T O P P E R S (Continued from page 20) the home or anywhere in the world with a highspeed Internet connection. An elegantly designed compact box that fits neatly into a user’s existing TV setup, the Slingbox will retail for $249 with no additional monthly service fees. Under the hood, the Slingbox is powered by a highperformance digital signal processor from Texas Instruments. The live TV streaming system leverages Microsoft’s latest Windows Media technologies.
PAGE 22
Page 22 MCC S H OW S T O P P E R S (Continued from page 21) or higher also required. www.sunbelt-software.com. Swissbit Can you imagine a 2" Swiss Army Knife with a USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory stick? Swissbit Group imagined it and created the SwissMemory USB Victorinox. The SwissMemory USB Victorinox looks like a traditional 2" Swiss Army Knife except it is a little thicker and weighs 34 grams. It comes with the usual knife, scissors, screwdriver and nail file.
PAGE 23
Page 23 MCC S H OW S T O P P E R S (Continued from page 22) The unique advantages of TomTom GO: Complete car navigation solution in one box including car mount. Smart and easy, door-to-door navigation. Switch on. Upload your maps. And go. Clear, high quality voice guided route instruction. Clear 3-D view – even in direct sunlight. Long-life rechargeable battery and cigarette lighter operation. Modern and sleek design to fit your style. Highly portable – easy to fit and remove in seconds.
PAGE 24
Page 24 MCC S H OW S T O P P E R S (Continued from page 23) Best of the Year in the anti-spyware category by PC Magazine. www.webroot.com XITEL Renee Blodgett, President of Blodgett Communications was on hand to demonstrate Xitel’s new SOUNDaround, a high quality audio solution that gives users a complete home theater-like experience without the need for expensive equipment or complex installation.
PAGE 25
Page 25 MCC S H OW S T O P P E R S Well, this concludes our coverage of Showstoppers and the 2005 Consumer Electronics Show. It was a hectic, extremely tiring week but well worth it. In closing we’d like to share a few more pictures of some of our favorite people.
PAGE 26
Page 26 MCC MCC The Monthly Computer Chronicle 3800 Parade Drive Clarksville, TN 37040-5545 Contact us at: (270) 423-3161 MCCEditor@aol.com Disclaimers: The opinions expressed in this newsletter are those of the individual authors and not necessarily those of the editors or publisher, any municipal, county or state governing body, the Congress, Senate or Executive Branch of the U.S. Government, the Government of Hungary, the United Nations or the United Federation of Planets.