iLounge CES 2006 Coverage Index:
» Part I – Diamonds and Coal: Commentary and Expectations
» Part II – Early Announcements from Alpine, Belkin, Shure, and more!
» Part III – From the Show Floor
» Part IV – Follow the iPod & Showstoppers
» Part V – Show Floor Report Day 2
» Part VI – Hitch, and the Rest of the Show
In our final sweep of the show floors at the 2006 International CES in Las Vegas, we found a few more interesting iPod-related products to share with you. Additionally, we found one that we can’t share with you until the start of next week’s Macworld Expo, but is without a doubt the coolest thing we’ve seen so far. Keep checking our News section for the details – we’ll have them for you shortly. For now, here’s what we can tell you about.
Sima’s Hitch USB-101 ($150-$160, coming April): Without a computer, Hitch connects two iPods to each other, and transfers the contents of one to the other. As a battery-powered handheld Linux-based device with a backlit 2,5” LCD screen, menus, and an “easy fast transfer button for intuitive operation,” Hitch also is capable of transferring pictures and video from digital cameras, USB thumb drives, and virtually any other USB-ready storage device. It’s USB 2.0-ready for fast transfer speeds. (Mass Storage and Picture Transfer Protocol are supported.)
i.Dream America: We re-visited the booth of i.Dream, which actually had three new dockable iPod speaker systems on display, as well as a new FM transmitter. i-Basic ($99) uses a metallic gray plate with large stereo speakers (2W each) to mount a digital AM/FM radio iPod dock in the center. Twenty preset stations (10 AM/10FM), an alarm clock with sleep timer, and an S-Video output for photo and video iPods are all included, along with aux-in and headphone ports.
i-Classic ($139) includes all of i-Basic’s features, but in an even more intriguing design with cube speakers (5W each) and faux but illuminated classic tubes on its top surface.
i-Deluxe ($199) upgrades i-Classic with an even more unusual design, more horsepower, and a subwoofer. Like the other units, i-Deluxe has an all-in-one enclosure that’s unlike anything seen before for the iPod. The left and right channel speakers are 10W each, and the sub offers a max of 20W of power. A remote control can access the iPod, radio, and clock from a distance.
Finally, i-Transmitter ($49) is a bottom-mounting FM transmitter with a backlit LCD screen, plus illuminated tuning, memory, and power buttons. Three preset stations can be accessed, and power can be supplied via battery or a car adaptor.
Airwave’s i2Link-video, and -audio (prices and release dates TBA): The Taiwanese company showed a series of new iPod docks with the ability to wirelessly broadcast video and/or audio to a TV. i2Link docks use either four-channel 2.4GHz or seven-channel 5.8GHz broadcasting to avoid interference, and an optional cigarette lighter adapter lets them work in your car or home. Airwave also lists i2Link-photo, i2Link-speaker, and i2Link-digital versions of its products for both iPod photo and iPod nano.
Valor Communication: The cell phone accessory vendor was showing H-Link, an iPod dock with optical audio-out, the ability to run off of home or car power, and support for decoding and displaying a set of video formats not supported natively by the connected iPod. Valor’s booth representatives were unable to provide details on how the dock worked, its pricing, or date of availability.
Altec Lansing, visit 2: Altec walked us through more of the details on its iM9 ($200) and iM11 ($100) speaker systems, previously noted in our reports. iM9’s rubberized body actually houses two large drivers and two smaller ones, and is touted by the company as offering sound comparable to the iM7, minus the iM7’s powerful subwoofer. It runs off of wall power, or four C batteries for up to 24 hours, and now uses a top-mounted eject button to release its iPod-docking front cradle. A rubberized compartment on the rear protects a pass-through Dock Connector port for iPod computer synchronization, and an S-Video output. Weather- and shock-resistant, iM9 includes a black and gray carrying backpack, easing outdoor use of the four-pound device.
iM11 runs off of four AA batteries or wall power, uses two drivers, and includes a charging/computer syncing iPod dock. Weighing less than a pound, it folds up for easy carrying and storage, and includes a carrying case. Battery life hasn’t been announced.
