Reflecting on the Best of CES 2010 - Page 4

Wi-Fi Printers, Peripherals, and Power

At CES 2010, Wi-Fi enabled surveillance cameras were not only smaller this year, but considerably easier to deploy and use productively. For example:

• The Archerfish Solo ($399, right) is billed as "the world's first thinking camera." This 4.5" 4.4 oz device watches continuously for designated events and then sends an alert (with a short video clip) to your mobile phone or mailbox. Video can also be relayed over Ethernet or 802.11g to Archerfish's Internet portal for real-time viewing, persistent storage, and replay. The Solo's claim-to-fame is motion-based recording that can reportedly send real alerts (e.g., a person or car) without a lot of false positives (e.g., pets, wind-blown foliage).

• Those interested in easy deployment but not wedded to Wi-Fi might consider the Avaak Vue ($299), a self-forming proprietary 2.4 GHz "personal video network" composed of tiny (2.9 x 1.0 x 2.1") cameras that relay on-demand real-time video through an Internet gateway to your iPhone. According to Avaak, a single camera battery can last for an entire year if you only actually watch video 5-10 minutes/day. The starter kit of 2 cameras and gateway are designed for a 3000 square foot home; additional cameras and repeaters can be purchased to extend coverage 1000 yards.

Wi-Fi enabled printers have grown fairly common at CES. One eye-catcher: the Lexmark Pro805 ($399, left), a small office 4-in-1 printer with built-in 802.11n and color LCD touch screen. For those concerned with TCO, the printer's $4.99 black ink cartridge enables 1 cent/page printing at speeds up to 33 ppm. For those impressed by bells and whistles, the LCD GUI provides access to Internet data – for example, print your Google calendar by tapping an icon. Additional apps can be downloaded from Lexmark's website, including SDK-enabled third-party apps in the future.

Last year's Wi-Fi enabled digital photo frame frenzy appears to have subsided, but digital photo sharing is still very much "in." This year's digital photography emphasis: speed and simplicity. Case in point: Eye-Fi's Pro X2 SD card ($150) steps up to 802.11n while adding ease-of-use functions like drag-and-drop upload. 

Powering all of these portable and mobile consumer electronics has also become big business. For example, Powermat made a splash last year by introducing wireless chargers for smartphones. This year, Powermat introduced the 3X Netbook, a fold-able pad that simultaneously charges a netbook and two other low-power devices (e.g., phones, MP3 players, Bluetooth headsets, e-Readers).

Over at Audiovox, a different kind of wireless power was demonstrated: harnessing the energy of nearby Wi-Fi transmissions. The Airnergy ($49, available this summer) is a 2x3" device that was shown recharging BlackBerry Bold in 90 minutes. While some spectators were impressed, others argued that benefits must be over-stated, given that short-range microwaves don't provide enough power to be of much practical use. We'll reserve judgment until review units become available.

Wi-Fi Gadgets

Finally, CES just wouldn't be as much fun without geeky, goofy, and occasionally downright dumb electronic gadgets. Here are a few Wi-Fi enabled gadgets that caught our eye this year.

The Parrot AR.Drone ($TBD, right) is one of the most attention-grabbing Wi-Fi gadgets demonstrated at CES 2010. This 52x52 cm hovercraft, available sometime in 2010, will deliver up to 15 minutes of open air surveillance. The drone combines an ARM9 RISC CPU, side and front-view cameras, gyroscope, accelerometer, and an 802.11bg radio. Wi-Fi is used by an iPhone or iPod touch to "drive" the drone and receive live video feeds.

Among hundreds of iPhone/iPod apps on display at CES was the Viper SmartStart, an app that literally locks and unlocks your car over Wi-Fi or 3G. Just download the free app, pony up $299 for a SmartStart-enabled car (or $499 for the add-on system), and you'll have keyless entry from your iPhone or iPod touch – accomplishing pretty much what those factory-supplied keyless entry fobs have done for years, at no extra cost.

Although we focused our CES coverage on Wi-Fi, we couldn't resist including this innovative Bluetooth headset. The Hybra O.R.B. is a vibrating silver ring that twists open to become a bond-conduction handsfree Class 2 Bluetooth headset with integrated e-ink ($129, right) or flexible organic LED ($179) display showing caller ID, text messages and calendar reminders. Convenient and cool.

So there you have it: This year's onslaught of Wi-Fi enabled consumer electronics. Faster, easier, smarter, cheaper, and more interactive than ever before. We can hardly wait to see which of these announced products will make it onto retail shelves – and what's in store for Wi-Fi at CES 2011.

Bio: Lisa Phifer owns Core Competence, a consulting firm focused on business use of emerging network and security technologies. A frequent contributor to Wi-Fi Planet, Lisa has been a bleeding-edge adopter of network-enabled consumer electronics for over 25 years.