CES 2012 is in the books, and we got to see some pretty cool stuff. But even though it’s all about the companies and products we see on the show floor, there are things in the background that really made our hectic schedule easier to endure. Some of these products didn’t have an official presence at CES, but all are well worth mentioning. All of them at some point were life savers during the show.
NewTrent iCruiser IMP1000 external battery pack
What it is: 11,000 mAh battery with a USB port
Why it’s on the list: Last month I upgraded from a Motorola Droid to a Samsung Galaxy Nexus. The Nexus is awesome, but its battery life is very short if you use it a bunch. The iCruiser is small enough to fit in a pocket, stays cool when charging, and most importantly kept my Nexus at full capacity all day long with heavy usage. This is an absolutely indispensable peripheral for anyone needing portable power. Best of all, since it uses a regular USB port, you can charge any USB-powered device.
A full review is coming soon.
Verizon’s LTE Network
What it is: Blazing fast mobile network
Why it’s on the list: Our hotel Wi-Fi situation was much better than any previous year we’ve covered CES, but it still wasn’t entirely ideal. They’d upgraded their number of wireless access points and installed a new modem so coverage had improved dramatically, but it’s still not consistently good. Fortunately this was anticipated, and I added a tethering plan to my line just for this trip. It’s been more than worth the cost. Between Friday and Sunday, Verizon’s LTE speeds were sitting around 30/12 which is damn good for a home internet connection, and even more so for a cell phone connection. They also set up eight temporary service centers to boost coverage around the convention center and it really paid off—the service never failed us at the convention center or our hotel room.
Eboost
What is it: A delicious and fairly healthy energy boosting supplement
Why it’s on the list: I can’t really drink a whole lot of coffee anymore and loathe the taste of energy drinks, not to mention the vast quantities of sugar (and resulting empty calories) that would put in my system. Enter Eboost, which has been at the top of my packing list for all three years of CES I have attended. The small (4g) amount of sugar comes from cane juice, caffeine comes from green tea extract, and a healthy dose of long-lasting energy comes from vitamin B-12. The energy boost doesn’t seem to drop off as quickly as other energy drinks either, so there’s no “crash” once things wear off.
As Thrax so succinctly put it in 2010, it’s “science in a glass”.
Thermaltake MEKA
What it is: A compact mechanical keyboard
Why it’s on the list: I have this laptop you might have read about. When I left for CES, the keyboard was in a completely useless state. I was fortunate enough to have the Thermaltake MEKA that was reviewed a while back. It fits nicely in my backpack and is the exact right size to sit over the laptop keyboard without pressing any buttons. It did the job that my laptop couldn’t at the time, and was considerably more comfortable to use.
Wheezy
What it is: The affectionate nickname given to my GNex’s GPS voice
Why it’s on the list: sheer determination. Poor Wheezy got her name because she sounded like an asthmatic emphysema patient with one lung. But that never stopped her from getting us to our destination. Except that one time where she totally lost her mind and thought we were moving while stopped at a red light. That was pretty amusing. Sadly, Google seemed to take notice of Wheezy’s plight and (mercifully) sent an update to their navigation software and in the process Wheezy went to live on a farm in the country, at least that’s what Brian told me. It’s probably for the best.
PS: The story behind the feature image? Bobby was terrified of that orange wristband. Terrified.
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