Overwhelming response to MS Student Encarta (I have a surprise)
What a fun show! I love reviewing new gadgets and getting to explain how they work. It seems the Microsoft Student Encarta Premium 2008 w/MS Math was quite the hit. Thanks to all of you who emailed, posted comments, called customer service and tracked me down to find out more about Microsoft Student Encarta.
I just spoke with my contact at Microsoft and he was so totally jazzed about the interest here in Dallas, he gave me a special deal for all those who were interested in the software but didn’t get the free promocode to download. This is a one time special price on MS Student Encarta for $30.00, (Reg. $49.95). Now you will need to use a promo code for this offer. So go to www.microsoft.com/msstudent and use promo code MSSTUDENT-2008. Happy downloading.
Quick update on the other products on the show today, the CEIVA Life 8″ frame is available for purchase (the one that plugs into a phone jack, wifi and broadband), Voltaic Solar powered bags are also available (laptop bag avail in March 08) and the Wish You Were Here mobile post cards is still in BETA, so for now the trial is FREE. You can test out the mobile postcard by TEXTING WYWH to 69626. Then follow the instructions. You will need an internet capable phone and a data plan to try it out. But there is no charge to use it during the trial period.
Also had a chance to talk with Travis from The Bachelor in Paris (he was on the show today as well)…and yes, girls he is as nice as you think he is, extremely interested in technology, and tall too.
Good Morning Texas-WFAA 1/18/08 CES Recap
So as I mentioned on the show this morning, the first 25 people to email me about Microsoft Student Encarta I will reply with a special promo code for a free download of the software, courtesy of Microsoft. Also, if you are interested in any one of the products I reviewed, post a comment or email me and I will send you more details about the products.
CLICK HERE TO EMAIL ME!!!
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Is it Friday yet?
Last week was a blur, weeding through thousands of products to try to find the proverbial ‘diamond in the rough’. In actuality there was a lot of the same same same stuff out there. Ipod docking stations and speakers, iPhone accessories, cell phones and Bluetooth headsets, gaming gear, and of course the big, NO, large, No wait, ENORMOUS and flat, NO, skinny, NO, super slim TVs (by every manufacturer known to man, they were everywhere), and mp3 speakers for everything in your home. You’d think even my speaker needs a speaker.
Back in the cube farms the attendees are busy calling and following up on the products that they ‘think’ will help drive their business. Everyone is asking themselves: What are the top product contenders from CES? What products will actually hit online/retail shelves? What will be the consumer demand for each product category’s ‘best of breed’? What retailers will carry them? How do we know consumers will want to buy? Questions questions and yet no real answers. And of course EVERY news outlet and tech site have posted their ‘Top 10 CES Picks’ or ‘Best of CES’. But even with the glowing reviews of some of heavy hitter PR driven product releases, it doesn’t mean people will run out to buy it. So I’m actually looking forward to the next 3 months to see what products are diamonds and what products are stones.
The bold, the bad and the just plain weird at CES
O.k. so I saw washers that talked, robots that walked, radio-controlled beer coolers, people waiting in line for ‘oxygen treatments’ and back massages (wait this one I understand), grown men drooling over VoodooPC’s OMEN gaming PC and don’t forget the booth babes, (the drooling applies to both I believe), ladybug-shaped iPod dock, and heard but did not actually witness the urine-testing coffee machine. Um, what? Yes that’s what it says. Kthx. Well I after all that, you’d think I wouldn’t be surprised when I saw the Taser booth.
Taser C2
I was absolutely inundated with PR firms contacting me about their products for the two months leading up to CES. One of the releases that caught my attention was from Taser, letting me know that they would be unveiling a ‘personal protection Taser’ at CES. I thought this is too bizarre to be true, but what makes it even more bizarre is that when I actually saw it, this Taser was crafted for ’fashionable’ safety conscious women and naturally comes in what else, leopard print. Well, I suppose if I were toting one, I’d want it to match my leopard heels…right?… You can order your own fashion with a bite at Taser’s site for $379. Oh, also introduced at CES: the “new, innovative Taser MPH (Music Player Holster) which is a combination MP3 player and TASER C2 holster.” Never know when a Taser might come in handy on the treadmill. Ok I know this is a serious matter, but the visual just stuck in my head of the commercial I had seen a few years back…you’ll just have to watch it to understand the humor.
According to one of my colleagues this next product is among one of the ‘baddest’ things showcased at CES. Not being a die hard gamer (just got a wii this Christmas), I’m not sure I get how awesome this is, but if you are a game boy, this next product needs no explanation.
Home Networking Device: Netgear HD/Gaming 5 GHz Wireless-N Networking Kit
Do you feel the need for speed? For only $129 Netgear’s 5 GHz Wireless-N Access Point/Bridge can be added to any existing network, whether you want to stream HD video or enjoy online gaming without lag time. Pair two of the units together and you get HD/Gaming 5 GHz Wireless-N Networking Kit ($229), enabling gamers to game while streaming HD videos at the same time. The unit promises to stream bandwidth-intensive HD videos and games at high speeds, without choppiness, to wireless-N-enabled HDTVs, computers, and set-top boxes. It operates on the 5GHz wireless band which helps reduce interference and visual jitter.
MOTO ROKR E8This BOLD to market Cell phone is creating quite a stir. Among the stars of the wireless show, was the MOTO ROKR E8, which was officially unveiled at a Motorolla press event at the Wynn Hotel. Among the several impressive features the new ROKR offers are a ModeShift technology, which transforms the handset’s illuminated keys into those of a phone or music player; impressive haptics tactile feedback technology; and Fastscroll navigation. Most of which are features I just now heard about myself. Innovations will never cease with handheld devices. It’s hard to keep up from one conference to the next with the newest, coolest, must have for the next 5 minutes.
I’ll still post a few more reviews of products I have yet to finish studying, but for now, this is the final post from CES 2008…stay tuned CTIA is just around the corner and who knows what can happen between then and now.
More from CES
CES Showroom Floor
27,000 exhibitors and I think I only saw a quarter of them…this year’s CES was unreal. So many things to see and so little time. At the end of day two, I was tempted to knock the security guy off his Segway and take it for a ride, just to get to the end of South Hall 2. But even with the miles and miles of products to peruse, I managed to find some interesting and quite useful products for the average joe (= me).
ATH-ANC7 QuietPoint™ Noise-Cancelling Headphones
I spent a little time over at the Audio Technica booth, checking out these headphones which were recognized for advancements in consumer technology design and engineering by the Consumer Electronics Association. Winning products were chosen by a panel of independent industrial designers, independent engineers and members of the trade press. The headphones are designed for use with portable music and DVD players, laptop computers and in-flight entertainment systems, and utilize QuietPoint™ active noise-cancellation technology that eliminates 85% of outside noise. I tried them out and once she turned the music on, I literally had to read her lips to make out what she was saying. I could have SO used these on my flight home. Or wait…maybe even AT home.
Kevin Costner at CES-updated by popular demand
That’s me (and Kevin in the background)
Seems there is quite a buzz about Kevin Costner and his launch into music. I’ve had a ton of people asking me what his music sounds like as well as what he looked like, so I added a video of his show at the Gibson Guitar Tent on Monday night at CES. I’ll be adding some still shots from the show as well.
