Spring Tech 2004

The big Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas has come and gone. With Spring in full swing the tech manufacturers are now starting to ship the latest products featured at the show to retailers all over the country. Here is a sampling of some of the best new products hitting the stores just in time for better weather and spending more time with friends and family.

Siemens CF62-Clamshell Style Phone
One of the biggest tech trendsetters are advances in cellular phones. Siemens has a new cell phone that not only offers unique and new features, it is also a fashion statement. The Siemens CF62 has a unique loop antenna design that gives it sports car styling-- and it’s internal display offers over 65,000 possible colors in an easy to see screen. Users can create blinking light patterns for an illumination ring that can correspond with incoming calls, messages and phone use. With Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS) users can mix sound, images, and animation into their text messages. 16 polyphonic tones give rich sound to ring tones, games and audio files that you can download into your phone. The CF62 also has the option of an add-on digital camera. www.siemens-mobile.com

Epson PictureMate
More and more people are giving up their 35mm cameras in exchange for the digital alternative. The big complaint is that printing digital photos tends to be a hassle unless you are computer and photo software literate. An option to ease the intimidation of printing your own quality photo prints is the Epson PictureMate-- a dedicated 4”x6” photo printer that addresses the all the barriers associated with printing your own digital pictures at home:

• Quality-water and smudge resistant -20x more fade resistant than traditional photo printers-can’t tell the difference between studio print and yours because of the archival 6-color print technology used in the Epson PictureMate
• Ease of Use-one button operation-no computer required-compatible with most popular memory cards-lightweight and portable
• Cost-about 29 cents a print (comparable with most pro labs)-half the price of other photo prints!

$199. www.MyPictureMate.com

Beamer Video Phone
Pop culture sci-fi TV shows have regularly been credited with giving the inspiration for the tech devices that are reaching today’s consumers. Case in point: the Vialta Video Beamer phone, similar to that used in the cartoon “The Jetsons”, allows the user to have two way video and audio conversations through any regular (analog) phone line and with no extra cost for the call. The Beamer phone is as easy as using your own phone-- no special installation (wiring/hardware) necessary. It features a 3.5 inch LCD screen and includes a privacy function (in case you don’t want to be seen)--all you need is two video phones and let the video chat begin. Perfect for Grandparents, long distance relationships and anyone that wants to feel closer to someone that is far away. $250 per phone. www.vialta.com

ADT MobileSafety Personal Security Device
This product is a recipe for safety. Take a nationally well known security company, add GPS (Global Positioning System), cellular technology and an easy to use, portable, vehicle based gadget and what do you get? The ADT MobileSafety Personal Security Device. The unit uses GPS and cellular technology so the user and their loved ones will be just one button touch away from emergency and non-emergency navigational assistance-24/7. Through two-way voice communication users can connect with trained professionals who can summon emergency services or give you turn by turn directions to get you to your desired destination or point of interest (ATM/hotel/hospital/shopping center, etc.) The MobileSafety operates through your car lighter and allows the user to communicate through a hands free speakerphone. Loved ones can track a car (that has MobileSafety) by using the ADT Trak option (via the internet or telephone) to find a car within an amazing 30 yards of its exact location and view a picture of the car online from an orbiting satellite! This product is for anybody that has loved ones both young and old and wants the ultimate in driving security and piece of mind. $99.99 plus $19.99 monthly monitoring fee. www.adt.com

Canon Powershot S1 IS
Canon's new Powershot S1 IS is a 3.2 megapixel digital camera that also shoots fast 30 frames per second video. Fully equipped with 10X zoom capabilities it features Canon’s quality optics and digital camera capabilities with a new twist. Yes, thanks to bigger memory cards --and unlike other digital cameras with short duration movie mode –the PowerShot S1 IS digital camera captures full 640 x 480 high-res movies at up to 30 frames per second, ensuring smooth video motion. What’s more, individual movie clips can now last as long as one hour depending on the capacity of the memory card or the charge in the battery. $499. www.usa.canon.com