Bendable Media

Kodak's new waterproof camcorder, the PlaySport

Monitoring the Consumer Electronics Show from your desktop can be as exhausting as covering the massive event live. Well, not really — there’s a lot less walking. But if one wanted, you could spend all day reading the breathless coverage from sites like Engadget, Gizmodo and the major newspapers that staff the annual gadget fest.

So I’ll give you the Cliffs Notes version. Here are a few trends and products that caught my eye.

Kodak waterproof pocket camcorder. Kodak continues to chase the tiny camcorder frenzy created by Flip. This get wet version of Kodak’s Zi8 video camera, called the PlaySport Video Camera (available around April for $150), will work in up to 10 feet of water. No extra case required. Here’s the write-up from the New York Times.

I love this, but I’m not sure if it will work for Kodak. Several digital camera makers — including Pentax, Olympus and Fuji — make fun and competent waterproof point-and-shoot digital cameras. These cameras also shoot videos. Here’s a video I shot (The boy takes a plunge) two summers ago with a Pentax Optio. I love waterproof cameras and I’m sure I’ll like Kodak’s waterproof camcorder, but it might be a tough sell against an existing line-up of point-and-shoots with more functions.

On the other hand, many folks aren’t aware that waterproof cameras exist. You should see the looks I get when I take a camera swimming.

3DTV is the talk of Vegas

3DTV is being discussed everywhere, from the morning news shows to a front-page WSJ piece on how Sony is building its future on 3D in the home. (It needs something.) Indeed, there’s been more buzz about 3DTV than any CES development I can recall. One reason, and it is a reasonable one: Content is being developed to go with the technology, a key factor in getting consumers to buy into this trend. Movies in the 3D format will be an obvious lure and already exist — hello, Avatar — but now ESPN and DirecTV have committed to broadcast programming in 3D.

The big question: Will consumers buy into this trend? Watching 3DTV in your living room will require an expensive new TV — the “old” HDTV won’t work — and a private pair of 3D glasses. (Perhaps this trend will be a boon for eyewear sales) I’m gonna say no; 3DTV will be Sony’s next MiniDisc. You can still buy the MiniDisc, but the market share is so minuscule people will be amazed it still exists. (To be fair, Sony is not the only one betting big on 3DTV.)

I like 3D but I don’t love it. My wife can’t stand it; it makes her nauseous to watch a 3D movie. Unless there is a dramatic leap in how we experience 3D, this will remain a niche market.

The Entourage Edge, a dual screen e-reader

E-readers are everywhere. If you thought the Barnes & Noble Nook was Amazon’s only Kindle competition, think again. Models from Copia, iRiver, Samsung, Hanvon and something big called the Skiff — for magazines and newspapers — are but a few of the e-readers on display at CES 2010. One of the more interesting entries is called the Entourage Edge — I refuse to spell it the way the maker wants — and it features two reading screens (but not a guitarist).  It ships in February and will cost $490.

I really want to check this out. One screen is a Kindle-like e-reader, measuring just under 10 inches (diagonally). It uses the same electronic ink technology found in the Kindle and Nook. The other screen is slightly bigger than 10 inches (measured diagonally) and performs more like a netbook computer. The most interesting aspect is that the Entourage Edge runs on the Android operating system (think Motorola Droid or Google’s new Nexus One) so users can add thousands of apps. It has a Wi-Fi connection too.

The Tivit is a Mobile DTV transmitter

Mobile DTV had a coming out party this year. The concept and the technology is not new — indeed, here’s what I wrote about Mobile DTV last year — but more partners and products have been lined up. Mobile DTV is intended to deliver HD-quality video from your local broadcast channels direct to a hand-held device, such as a mobile phone. Traditionally, TV works best when it’s stationary and an antenna can lock in a signal. Mobile DTV doesn’t need that — you can watch Oprah live as you take the bus to the office. Here are more details about the technology.

One of the more interesting products to take advantage of Mobile DTV is a gadget called the Tivit. The Tivit is basically a Mobile DTV receiver that sends the broadcast signal to your iPod touch (and other devices.) It is made by a company called Valups and is expected to go on sale in the spring for about $100. A version is already available in Asia.

The screen on the Lenovo IdeaPad U1 hybrid notebook can be detached

Lenovo IdeaPad U1 hybrid notebook. If Apple is introducing a tablet-type computer at the end of January, it will be interesting to see how it compares to Lenovo’s sexy new laptop. The U1 hybrid has a detachable screen, turning an ordinary laptop into a touch-controlled tablet.

From the press release: “When the IdeaPad U1 is in its traditional clamshell form, the system boasts an 11.6 inch HD LED screen and runs Windows 7. When the 1.6 pound, multitouch screen is removed, it becomes an independent slate tablet with a powerful ARM processor, running Lenovo’s customized Skylight operating system.”

Sounds pretty slick and it looks pretty cool too. (Check out this video.) It goes on sale this summer for about $1,000.

Related Posts, Bendable Gadgets:

• The Apple tablet: Will we really need one?
• A bigger Kindle isn’t better
• Why I’m buying the $139 Kindle Wi-Fi