Report from CES 2006

I just got back from CES (the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas) for Popgadget and I'm really glad to be back in NY. Not only was this the first time I'd been away from my toddler for longer than 7 hours, but the strange juxtaposition of going from my kid and stroller infested neighborhood to the land of no children (Vegas) was truly bizarre. And on the very rare occasion when I did happen to come across a child in a stroller I couldn't help but stare, partly because the kid always seemed out of place, but also because it was a jolt back to reality from this surreal place that, oh yeah, I've got a kid back home! (Apparently the kid only asked where I was a few times and was satisfied when the dad told her that I was on a trip. "Mommy! Trip! Yeah!")

CES was unsurprisingly dominated by home entertainment systems, portable media devices, cell phones and the like, but I did come across a few kid related products.

The ChitterChatter phone is the world's smallest GSM/Location Based Positioning System phone that allows you to track your kid within 300+ feet in about a minute via an SMS message on your cell phone. Parents can control the outgoing and incoming phone numbers by programming up to 9 numbers that are protected with a PIN. There are 4 quick-dial icons (mom, dad, home) for easy dialing (although if your family isn't structured like the traditional mom/dad parental unit, this might be a little annoying, the same oversight that the Firefly suffers from). The ChitterChatter is a pay-as-you-go service and it's small enough to wear on your wrist, clip on a bag or wear around the neck. Accessories that allow for all these wearable variations will be included, and the phone comes with a speaker function so that you can embarass your kid even more when you call to remind him/her that it's time to come home for accordian lessons. I'm not sure when the phones will be available (the person at the booth didn't know either...nice) but I was told I'd be emailed that info so I'll pass that on when it becomes available. Great lunchbox packaging on the phones, by the way.

We've written about Hanspree TVs before on Popgadget and it was pretty cool to see them up close at the CES show. In addition to the plush animal series that I really already dig (and they look even better in person), I also liked the apple TVs that open and close to hide the screen, although I wished the closing mechanism on the doors were a little bit sturdier. It's also kind of refreshing in a world where televisions just keep getting bigger and slicker, that these sets are so whimsical and all about 15-17 inches big.

Oh yeah, and don't forget the accessories. Who says remotes have to be black and rectangular? See the whole collection at Hanspree

Now that you've decided to allow your kids to have that Hanspree TV in their rooms, you may want a gadget that manages how much TV they get to watch. Hopscotch Technology introduces B.O.B, a device that works with TVs, game consoles and computers. It's simple really: just program the amount of TV time that you think is appropriate for your particular kid. When that time is up, the TV simply shuts off. You can also block specific times and program up to 6 individual user accounts. Individual time reports are available for every user so you can really keep track of your kid's watching habits. Personally, I think this is a great little device that will prove to be even more important as technology continues to permeate our lives. And the company's mission is a really good reflection of this idea: restoring balance through technology. It isn't available yet, but you can get on their email list to receive updates.

Speaking of TVs, if you want to fool your kids altogether into thinking that they live in a TV-free home, then check out Lutron's "is it a painting? is it a tv?" wall-mounted set. I couldn't find it on their website so maybe it was new for CES (and sorry for the bad pic), but basically at a press of the button, the painting scrolls up to reveal, voila, a TV! I don't know if they just manufacture the painting that fits around the TV or if the TV is inculded in the unit (yeah, the crazy thing about CES is that it's so crowded, it's hard to talk to anyone), but it wouldn't be half as cheesy if the paintings and frames they chose weren't so awful!