The CES deathmarch began in earnest Thursday as attendees carry the many cavernous installation that house America ’s largest consumer electronics show . While Apple ’s medicine player wasn’tas buzz - suitable this class as last , there were plenty of iPod - related mathematical product in evidence — both on the show story and at Thursday evening ’s ShowStoppers product show window press consequence .
Stop 1 : Kensington
The day start with a visit to theKensingtonbooth where the company showed off a numeral of products itannounced last fall . Among them was the $ 100 Entertainment Dock 500 . like to the company’sStereo Dock for iPod , this dock hold up composite video output for thefifth - genesis iPodas well as photo output from all color iPods . Unlike the earlier Stereo Dock , this one admit Apple ’s cosmopolitan adapter and uses RF ( radio frequence ) rather than infrared ( IR ) , providing control from up to 50 animal foot away . The remote control also admit controls for pilot through the iPod ’s menus . The Entertainment Dock 500 should embark in February or March .
Also on presentation were two FM sender that sequester to the iPod ’s dock connector . The $ 50 Micro FM Transmitter for iPod is very basic , offering a little LCD for viewing station number but providing no way to stack away post presets . The $ 80 Digital FM Radio & FM Transmitter for iPod lets you store up to five station and , as the name imply , includes an FM wireless . To listen to radio you plug your headphones into the bottom of the whole and tune it with button on the front . Both transmitters should transport in February .
Finally , Kensington offered a peek at its $ 20 Accessory Adapter for iPod shambling , a small adapter that sports a distaff USB connector on one ending and a female dock connector interface on the other . This arranger , due to ship in February , let you play and charge your iPod shuffle with accessories plan for dock connector iPods .
Stop 2 : TiVo
Enticed by TiVo ’s talking of a Mac - compatible version of TiVoToGo in mid-2006 , I wanted a skinny smell at what it might look like . Showing off a development rendering of the public utility , aTiVorepresentative was kind enough to provide more details about what the program for copying recorded telecasting programs to a information processing system will eventually take to the Mac .
In its first release , content will be viewable on a Macintosh as an MPEG-2 file , but no facility will be supply for the user to convert video to a format compatible with a video recording - subject iPod ( those who have the wherewithal to do it on their ownare welcome to ) . The company design to follow up the initial release with an update that will allow users to mechanically convince TiVo content to H.264 moving-picture show playable on a 5 G iPod . MPEG-4 conversion with substance abuser configurability will by and by ascertain its way into TiVoToGo . The companionship ’s first finish is to leave an automatize , end - to - end solution for portable picture .
contain 3 : Nyko
appurtenance makerNyko , hosted food , imbibe , and demos in its suite at the nearby Hilton . Of those products we can talk about , I escort the Speaker Dock 2 ( justly ) , an under-$100 portable speaker that looks like to a “ desk lamp ” iMac . The Speaker Dock 2 can be powered by the included AC adapter or with four AA batteries . It also includes a line - in interface for play audio devices other than an iPod .
Nyko also showed another Seth of under-$100 speaker unit , the Sound Stage . Designed for the iPod nano , the portable Sound Stage includes a sour grass , two small speaker , a bass boost feature , and a small remote .
Like a number of other company , Nyko is offering an FM sender ( shown above ) for the iPod nano that boast a “ sled ” design — one where the nano slip into a credit card sleigh with the sender below . Offering five frequencies—88.1 , 88.3 , 88.5 , 88.7 , and 88.9 — the FM Transmitter will ship in 30 days and cost $ 39 .
Stop 4 : Targus
Targuscontinues to collapse out of the grip and case stage business and into the iPod accessary grocery with its $ 80RemoteTunes Texas for iPod nano(pictured aright ) . The machine acts not only as an releasing factor remote control but also a 4 - band FM sender . Unlike Targus ’ previousRemoteTunes(which was a rebranding of ABT ’s iJet ) , the RemoteTunes TX is a “ sled ” accoutrement that tucks the remote into a cubby on the back of the gadget . Targus also offered a glimpse of its $ 60 RemoteTunes for Dock Connector iPod , an releasing factor remote .
Stop 5 : ATO
My former - afternoon designation withATOwas one of the more rewarding present moment of the 24-hour interval . There I had some hired man - on time with the companionship ’s $ 249 iSee 360 , a slip - covert machine that allows you toplay and record audio and telecasting from a miscellany of clickwheel iPods . Featuring a bright 3.6 - column inch color screen door , the gimmick fundamentally practice the iPod as a hard drive for storing its sound , image , and television files . telecasting and slideshows can be viewed either on the iSee ’s screenland at a resolution of 320 - by-240 or be output to a television at a resolution of 640 - by-480 .
The iSee includes an attractive graphical user interface and controls like to those found on the iPod . you could add up content to the gadget via the iSee software system ( which will ab initio be compatible with Windows only ) or by recording from an external source — an sound recording or picture input — using the gimmick ’s internal recording function . The iSee include proprietary standardized rechargeable battery that can furnish up to four hours of video on a single charge . The iSee is require to transport in the first poop of 2006 with a Mac - compatible variant of the package to follow in the second quarter .
hold on 6 : showstopper
The solar day ended with ShowStoppers , another one of the CES show ’s ware vitrine for members of the press . Among the more than 100 trafficker were a variety of company exhibiting iPod gear .
Griffin Technologyshowed off a compendium of new andreallynew add-on . Among the more interesting is the Tune View , a $ 99 IR remote control dock for 5 G iPods . The equipment provide any phone number of ways to move television out of your iPod , including composite and S - Video as well as digital and Ethernet connectivity . Although I was n’t able to see it in operation , Griffin enjoin that when connected to a television , the Tune View , unlike other iPod docking facility , will be able to display the iPod ’s music menus on the TV as well as the TV programming current video - compatible docks can play .
Griffin also be after to offer TuneFlex ( shown above ) , a machine battery charger that features a credit line out connector as well as a wharfage connector larboard for attach additional accessory — a dock - connector FM transmitter such as the company’siTrip , for exemplar . Also in the near - shipping stage is Smart Share , a $ 20 phone rail-splitter cable’s length that offers freestanding volume controls for each duo of headphone .
Also on hired man waseMaginwith its Eyebud 800 , amonocular headset for take in video on portable video players such as the 5 G iPod . Expected to be free in former summertime and sell for at least $ 600 , according to companionship voice , the Eyebud 800 offer the experience of a 105 - in screen viewed from 12 foundation aside . The equipment offers a contraband buckler to cloak the eye you ’re not see with ( though this can be removed ) and buttons for adapt brightness as well as take between an NTSC and VGA signal .
Stop 7 : To Bed
And more ? Good lord , yes . More is exactly what CES is about . More gear , more hype , more walk , more , more , and a whole lot more … More to come .
