Minoru's legs can hang it on a monitor.
Hi-definition playback, but not display, goes portable in this Panasonic player.
Despite attendance falling more than 20 percent, this year's Consumer Electronics Show was chock-full of impressive new tech. Not all of it made the right impression, though. Some was odd, some missed the mark, and some was downright offensive. Here are five examples of tech that we think won't, or shouldn't, make a splash in the market:
The Duck Hunter. This $30 flying duck is from Interactive Toys, which has made all sorts of affordable, radio-controlled flying birds, bugs, and helicopters. But this one comes with a gun. Yes, we can all pretend to be duck hunters from the comfort of our couch. That alone would offend only a subset of Americans. But in this case, it takes three shots within 30 seconds to bring down the duck. The first two shots merely wing the bird, which dips in flight to signal it has been hit. Even an avid hunter would find three shots to kill, well, distasteful.
[Here is a list of better, high-tech toys.]
Cell-Mate. Hands-free kits for cellphones can make it easier to drive while talking, if not safer. But go with Bluetooth, please! The Cell-Mate would simply strap a handset to your ear. The idea not only sounds uncomfortable for the wearer; it's painful for others because it's downright ugly. The maker emphasizes the simplicity of not having to fool with a battery-operated, wireless headset. This is one time that simplicity is not enough.
[You can read about a study that describes the dangers of hands-free talking while driving.]
Minoru 3D Webcam. This cutesy device has two eyes with cams that transmit 3-D-like video across the Internet. It sounds cool, and it is—for a minute or two. Then you'll find yourself shifting around, trying to get the right angle for the best 3-D effect. Maybe a version more expensive than its $90 price would work better. Even then, prolonged use would probably cause a headache. At least it comes with five pairs of those funky and fragile, cardboard 3-D glasses.
[The webcam does offer a surprising benefit.]
Casio Dynamic Photography. Impressive tech from this innovative camera maker can put a moving person onto a still picture, say a kid bowing on top of one of her drawings. The feature is available in new models starting at about $230. But in demonstrations at CES, the video loop made subjects look weird. A model in one picture had a disturbing look as her smile came and went, came and went. Other demos had kids waving from cards or castles they'd drawn, with the loops again making them look odd and awkward. A final image had a little girl hugging one of the astronauts on the moon. It was all weird—and even kinda creepy.
[Here's a description of other cool Casio tech.]
Portable Blu-ray Player. Panasonic touts its upcoming DMP-B15 as the first portable player that can handle high-definition disks. That sounds great, though the company hasn't announced a price. But the company has revealed some of the player's specs, and the LCD screen that's included can't even display high-def content. The 8.9-inch screen has a resolution of 1024 by 600 pixels, or not better than a typical netbook. Sure, the player can push HD content when plugged into a bigger screen. But this is supposed to be a portable Blu-ray player with its own screen, and Blu-ray means high definition.
[You can read about another challenge to Blu-ray.]
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