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10 Cool Wireless Products from CES 2007
From motorized doors to wireless HD projectors, CES had something for every retrofit.
Dim the Speakers -- It was one of my favorite products on the show floor: the Soundolier Duo from Mitek. Even if you don't like the particular design (I don't mind it), don't you think a combo lighting fixture/wireless speaker would make perfectly good sense for rear surrounds in a sub-optimal theater setting? The omnidirectional speaker uses Mitek's proprietary 2.4 GHz RF technology to transmit uncompressed audio more than 200 feet.
http://www.mitekcorp.com
Open Sesame! -- If you have the money, there is simply no reason to forego custom-made motorized doors from Weiland. At CES, a wireless transmitter using Insteon technology was used to open and close a set of gorgeous glass sliding doors.
http://www.weilanddoors.com
http://www.insteon.com
Zero Wires -- Tzero is quickly becoming the UWB (WiMedia) technology of choice for wireless HDMI providers. At CES, several manufacturers, including Asus, Gefen and Terk, demonstrated HDMI 1.2a wireless extenders based on Tzero technology. The HDCP-compliant devices can operate over distances of up to 10 and 20 meters for the Terk and Gefen products, respectively. Terk has come a long way from its old LeapFrog technology.
http://www.tzerotech.com
http://www.gefen.com
http://www.terk.com
Wireless + Coax -- PulseLink claims that its CWave Whole-Home Interactive HD solution is the first technology to facilitate room-to-room distribution of multiple HDTV streams and multimedia content over both coax and wireless connections simultaneously from the same chipset. At CES, PulseLink showed that the technology actually works.
http://www.pulselink.com
Sonos Killer? -- No, it won't put Sonos out of business, but Panasonic's SC-PTX7 does a nice job of packaging surround-sound with a multisource, multiroom audio system. The hub, which includes an 80-GB hard drive, incorporates 1080p video conversion and Panasonic's twin-center 3.1 surround-sound speakers. An on-screen interface lets users manage their music selections and distribute independent audio streams to up to three rooms simultaneously. The unit ($800) should ship this spring.
http://www.panasonic.com
4-Zone DJ -- It's the interface, stupid. And Logitech has a great one its Wireless DJ Music System. From the sleek two-way handheld remote, users can listen to and control music or online programming from anywhere in the house. The system supports up to four wireless receivers that are connected to their own speakers. Each zone can be accessed via a single remote. Sadly, the unit does not serve as a universal remote to also control A/V gear. Likewise, Logitech's universal remote control products, even those with two-way communications, do not incorporate metada like the Wireless DJ controllers. Perhaps we'll see a nice hybrid solution from Logitech soon.
http://www.logitech.com
Avoiding iFrustration -- The problem with those run-of-the-mill iPod remote controllers is that you don't know what you're controlling. You can skip a track, but you can't select an artist. The PopAlive remote control, on the other hand, uses two-way Z-Wave technology to display metadata from the iPod, which is lodged in a dock connected to speakers. From the remote, users can perform virtually every task that the iPod itself can, including selecting songs and playlists. PopAlive ($149) is the first product from Alive Style.
http://www.alive-style.com
Wireless Projector -- Chief technology officer prof. Meir Feder says Amimon's wireless HDMI solution achieves better quality and distances than UWB-based solutions. Amimon's 5-GHz technology uses the same radios as WiFi "so we can cover the same area as WiFi," he says. "UWB is short-range and subject to interference." Sanyo showed a wireless video projector that incorporates Amimon technology. Althought the particular projector maxed out at 1080i, Feder says Amimon supports 1080p.
http://www.amimon.com
Giving Plasma -- Spurning proprietary wireless solutions, Samsung has adopted IEEE 802.11n for its 58-inch HT-P589W plasma TV. The company says the TV supports resolutions up to 1080p. The unit, which will be available in Q4 of this year, will sell for about $5,699.
So Much SideShow -- CES 2007 was the breakout year for Windows Vista, of course, but also for a Vista technology called SideShow. SideShow allows little bits of data from a Vista PC -- like Outlook appointments, photos, and electronic programming guides -- to be accessed from a small auxiliary display, even while the computer is off or hibernating. At CES, about a dozen companies debuted SideShow devices including speakers from Logitech, a mobile phone from i-mate,a computer bag from Eleksen, a small LCD from nVidia (pictured) and several remote controls. All but one (a WiFi digital picture frame) communicate with the Vista PC via Bluetooth.
http://www.mitekcorp.com
Open Sesame! -- If you have the money, there is simply no reason to forego custom-made motorized doors from Weiland. At CES, a wireless transmitter using Insteon technology was used to open and close a set of gorgeous glass sliding doors.
http://www.weilanddoors.com
http://www.insteon.com
Zero Wires -- Tzero is quickly becoming the UWB (WiMedia) technology of choice for wireless HDMI providers. At CES, several manufacturers, including Asus, Gefen and Terk, demonstrated HDMI 1.2a wireless extenders based on Tzero technology. The HDCP-compliant devices can operate over distances of up to 10 and 20 meters for the Terk and Gefen products, respectively. Terk has come a long way from its old LeapFrog technology.
http://www.tzerotech.com
http://www.gefen.com
http://www.terk.com
Wireless + Coax -- PulseLink claims that its CWave Whole-Home Interactive HD solution is the first technology to facilitate room-to-room distribution of multiple HDTV streams and multimedia content over both coax and wireless connections simultaneously from the same chipset. At CES, PulseLink showed that the technology actually works.
http://www.pulselink.com
Sonos Killer? -- No, it won't put Sonos out of business, but Panasonic's SC-PTX7 does a nice job of packaging surround-sound with a multisource, multiroom audio system. The hub, which includes an 80-GB hard drive, incorporates 1080p video conversion and Panasonic's twin-center 3.1 surround-sound speakers. An on-screen interface lets users manage their music selections and distribute independent audio streams to up to three rooms simultaneously. The unit ($800) should ship this spring.
http://www.panasonic.com
4-Zone DJ -- It's the interface, stupid. And Logitech has a great one its Wireless DJ Music System. From the sleek two-way handheld remote, users can listen to and control music or online programming from anywhere in the house. The system supports up to four wireless receivers that are connected to their own speakers. Each zone can be accessed via a single remote. Sadly, the unit does not serve as a universal remote to also control A/V gear. Likewise, Logitech's universal remote control products, even those with two-way communications, do not incorporate metada like the Wireless DJ controllers. Perhaps we'll see a nice hybrid solution from Logitech soon.
http://www.logitech.com
Avoiding iFrustration -- The problem with those run-of-the-mill iPod remote controllers is that you don't know what you're controlling. You can skip a track, but you can't select an artist. The PopAlive remote control, on the other hand, uses two-way Z-Wave technology to display metadata from the iPod, which is lodged in a dock connected to speakers. From the remote, users can perform virtually every task that the iPod itself can, including selecting songs and playlists. PopAlive ($149) is the first product from Alive Style.
http://www.alive-style.com
Wireless Projector -- Chief technology officer prof. Meir Feder says Amimon's wireless HDMI solution achieves better quality and distances than UWB-based solutions. Amimon's 5-GHz technology uses the same radios as WiFi "so we can cover the same area as WiFi," he says. "UWB is short-range and subject to interference." Sanyo showed a wireless video projector that incorporates Amimon technology. Althought the particular projector maxed out at 1080i, Feder says Amimon supports 1080p.
http://www.amimon.com
Giving Plasma -- Spurning proprietary wireless solutions, Samsung has adopted IEEE 802.11n for its 58-inch HT-P589W plasma TV. The company says the TV supports resolutions up to 1080p. The unit, which will be available in Q4 of this year, will sell for about $5,699.
So Much SideShow -- CES 2007 was the breakout year for Windows Vista, of course, but also for a Vista technology called SideShow. SideShow allows little bits of data from a Vista PC -- like Outlook appointments, photos, and electronic programming guides -- to be accessed from a small auxiliary display, even while the computer is off or hibernating. At CES, about a dozen companies debuted SideShow devices including speakers from Logitech, a mobile phone from i-mate,a computer bag from Eleksen, a small LCD from nVidia (pictured) and several remote controls. All but one (a WiFi digital picture frame) communicate with the Vista PC via Bluetooth.
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About the Author
Julie Jacobson, Editor-at-large, CE Pro
As a co-founder of EH Publishing in 1994, Julie has edited and contributed to all of the company's publications at one time or another. An authority on home automation, networking, integration, digital convergence and the CE pro channel, Julie speaks often about these subjects at industry events. She graduated with a B.A. in Economics from the University of Michigan, and received an MBA from the University of Texas at Austin. Julie is a washed-up Ultimate Frisbee player.
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