Ok, so it may not be quite the brain-wired contraption that the name suggests, but this so-called NeuroActive Bike is still pretty unique in its own right, and it could possibly be headed to a gym near you. Apparently, the bike has already turned up at a handful of gyms in Canada and France, and the company behind it, Brain Center America, has now announced that it'll be headed to some Lady of America Fitness Centers in the US. The bike itself is basically a standard exercise bike with a built-in Brain Age-type game, which BCA says includes 22 different "brain-stimulating exercises" that'll train different parts of your brain as you work out. No word on a home version just yet, unfortunately, but the basic software is actually available separately if you want to have a go at building your own rig -- and if you do, be sure to send us some pictures.
Buffalo's hard drives and other devices haven't always been the most eye-catching products out there, but the company looks to be making a respectable showing with its new MiniStation Cobalt drives, which pack all the features you'd expect in a stylish and apparently shock-resistant package. You can also get 'em in your choice of 160GB, 250GB, 320GB, or 500GB capacities (ranging in price from $80 to $170), and in your choice of the three different colors pictured above. Those that prefer of bit of networking with their storage will also soon be able to get their hands on Buffalo's latest LinkStation NAS, the LinkStation Pro, which will be available in both 500GB and 1TB versions ($210 and $300, respectively), and includes Buffalo's Web Access 2.0 feature, which will let you access your files via any web browser, among other standard NAS feature.
It's not exactly the first time Shure has dipped into sub-$100 territory with its earphones, but it looks like its new SE115 earphones could well attract a bit more attention than the company's other budget offerings, and not just because they're available in four snazzy colors. According to Shure, these sound-isolating phones make use of a new "breakthrough" dynamic driver that promises to deliver better sound than was previously possible in such a small form factor, with the usual Shure fit kit ensuring that the earphones fit just right. It seems that you'll have to wait a bit longer to actually judge 'em for yourselves, however, as they'll only be available at some unspecified point this spring.
iHome certainly isn't starved for iPod docks or speaker systems these days, but it looks like the company just couldn't pass up the opportunity of expanding its line-up at CES, and this new so-called iP1 system looks to be leading the way. At first glance, this one sure seems to hit most of the right marks, with it packing 100W of power, two four-inch woofers, two one-inch tweeters, and Bongiovi Acoustic's proprietary Digital Power Station processor, which iHome says helps make this the most advanced speaker system they've ever developed. You'll also get a standard AUX input to accommodate your other devices, plus an A/V output and, of course, a remote control. Unfortunately, there's no word of a price or release date just yet, but we're guessing iHome won't be holding onto those details for too much longer.
Well, it looks like Apple is competing with Google in more ways than one, with the company today announcing a beta version of the Google Docs-like iWork.com. The web-based app will apparently be tightly integrated with the OS-bound iWork app, and let you easily share documents with contacts who can add notes and make edits, again, much like Google Docs, albeit in an environment that closely resembles the standard iWork apps. What's more, while the beta will be free to those interested in trying it out, the final product will eventually be a pay service, though there's no word on a price just yet.
Vivitar may not have quite the same fervent fan following as some other camera manufacturers, but it looks like parent company Sakar is doing its best to keep things as Vivitar-y as possible at CES, with it rolling out a trio of new cameras and a few other goodies. Those include the 8.1 megapixel Vivitar V8400P underwater camera, which packs a 2.4-inch LCD and will run you $130, the $250 Vivitar DVR840XHD camcorder, which sports a 5x optical zoom, a 3-inch LCD, and some basic media-player functionality, and the barebones Vivitar V8025 (pictured above), which boasts the same 8-megapixel resolution as the underwater cam, plus a touchscreen and an even cheaper $100 price tag. Those that have moved beyond point-and-shoots will also soon be able to pick up a number of new Vivitar Series 1 DSLR lenses, which'll range in price from $150 to $400, and anyone looking for yet another universal charger will be able to grab Vivitar's $50 Ultimate Smart LCD Charger, which promises to charge a whole host of devices and, apparently, comes equipped with an LCD.
BenHeck.com forum member goteking apparently built this camera-in-a-Famicom-cart a little while back, but this is one instance when we're more than happy to catch up a little late, even if we may quite not be able to bring ourselves to gut a cart of our own. As you can likely imagine, this mod mostly depends simply on choosing the right cart-sized camera, and goteking found that a standard Sony Cybershot point-and-shoot fit the bill quite nicely, though there's certainly plenty of other possiblities out there (bonus points for anyone able to make an Game Boy cart camera). Hit up the link below for a few more pics of the camera, plus a glimpse of some of goteking's other projects, including a VAIO DS and a VAIO Eee PC.
Sony already announced some pretty significant layoffs and other cost-cutting measures last month, but it looks like the company could be set to take things even further, with the Times of London now reporting that some major factory and division closings could also be in the offing as early as next month. Any details beyond that are a bit light, it seems, but Sony is denying that any such plan exists, with a spokesperson saying simply that the company does "not plan to announce additional restructuring measures at this time." Not exactly a flat out denial, to be sure, and it certainly wouldn't be the first time that a company revised their layoff estimates this season.
Well, it looks like Oregon Scientific will be making a respectable enough showing at CES, with it set to show off a mix of old-ish products like the ACT5K action camera pictured at right, and some new and updated products that it'll apparently only be fully taking the wraps off at the big show. Those include the portable SimpleCast device, which promises to provide to provide quick and easy weather information for all of the U.S., the SmartGlobe Elite, an updated version of its existing internet-updateable desktop globe, and the Desktop Emergency Radio Weather Station, which offers SAME alert programming capabilities and other weather alerts, along with temperature information and, of course, an LED backlit display. No word on prices or release dates for any of those just yet, unfortunately, but we're guessing those details will be making themselves known in the days ahead.
It looks like Mac users tired of their built-in webcams and concerned about the clutter caused by regular USB cams will soon have another option to consider, as Ecamm Network has just announced what it's claiming to be the world's first Bluetooth webcam. Apparently, you can expect to get some standard 640x480 H.264 video out of the thing, along with 48 kHz AAC stereo audio and a promised four hours of talk time before you need to pull out that dreaded USB cable. None too surprisingly, you'll also have a pay a bit of a premium over your run-of-the-mill webcam, with the so-called BT-1 set to demand a hefty $150 when it rolls out sometime late in the first quarter of the year. No word on Windows support just yet, but we'd presume that'd follow shortly thereafter, officially or otherwise.
The Wii Balance Board may be all well and good if you want to play things safe, but those looking to up the danger level a tad will no doubt want to give this new SKIGYM simulator some serious consideration, with it promising to improve your skiing ability and give you a workout in the process. Apparently, you can either hook the fully-motorized device up to your PC and play the included Alpine Ski Racing game, or simply use it on its own as a piece of exercise equipment -- we're guessing it's also only a matter of time before someone uses it to control a robot. Not surprisingly, this piece of living room clutter will also put quite a dent in the old bank account, with it running €1,649, or roughly $2,300.
Standalone fax machines may have long ago lost the momentum game to multi-function devices, but it looks like Panasonic is doing its best to pry things back away from the printer and scanner, with its new PW608DL offering one stand-out feature that's sure to attract a bit of attention: paperless faxing. Apparently, you can either send faxes cellphone-style using the machine's built-in keypad, or send documents stored on an SD card (but not a USB drive, it seems). Any faxes received are simply displayed on the device's 3.9-inch LCD and, yes, they can be printed out as well. Unfortunately, it looks like this wonder of technology is exclusive to Japan for the foreseeable future -- please try not to be too envious.
We've seen it up close and even knocked-off already, but when it comes to a $2,000 phone, we're guessing that a proper unboxing is as high on your list of must-sees as it is on ours. Thankfully, the folks at T3 have come through and done the honors and, as far as unboxings go, this one certainly doesn't disappoint. As you can see above, the phone comes packed in a rather stylish and sturdy box that likely won't be seeing too many trash cans any time soon and, of course, the phone itself is looking as envy-inducing as ever. Hit up the link below for plenty more shots, and keep an eye on T3 for a complete review that's promised to be coming soon.
There's certainly plenty of reasons not to turn a pair of iPods into some portable speakers -- difficulty, inevitably poor sound quality, pains of regret -- but we're guessing that the sight of the creation above will prompt at least a few folks to start scavenging for parts. Apparently taking some lessons learned from previous Altoids tin speaker mods, Jordan Horwich crafted these for a total cost of $100, which includes the cost of some front and back iPod panels and some rather extravagant shipping rates. As you might expect, the entire project is a tad tricky, and involves a good bit of soldering, plus some Dremel work to make everything fit just right. Hit up the link below for the complete details and parts list.
It's already been done on the iPhone, and it looks like G1 users can now use their handset of choice to control their computer as well. Given the G1's preponderance of input options, this new so-called RemoteDroid app is also quite a bit more capable, with it letting you take advantage of the G1's keypad, and use either the trackball or the touchscreen as a mouse (with a pair of onscreen mouse buttons provided for good measure). Head on past the break for a demo video, and hit up the link below to grab the app for yourself.
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