Every year, Las Vegas hosts over 150,000 visitors to check out the latest in tech gear, content production techniques, and in more recent years, content delivery.
It’s called CES, or the Consumer Electronic Show.#CES2013
OK, photography has some of the coolest tech gear going, but there are tools that you may not always think about that help you do what do.
The hobbled PMA, also shows here, but it’s not like PhotoPlus and it’s a mixed bag.

Tonight was the first of the press events, where we get to preview some of the goods before hitting the Convention Center that holds the main event

With every new electronic device, you get power needs. Some pretty basic ones, in fact.
Need a smartphone to last more than 8 hours? yeah, you do.

One of our favorite companies, #MyCharge, has a new battery block complete with Apple®
Lightning connector,Micro-­‐USB cable and USB port on‐board, connectors to insure that you can power up any smartphone. The one we use now charges our phone 4x!
Grab this for your camera bag, for sure. myCharge Hub 3000 will retail for $79.99,myCharge Hub 6000 for $99.99 and myCharge Hub 9000 for $129.99. Hub 3000 and 6000 available April 2013;Hub 9000 available July 2013.

A new company has entered that power zone called #Nectar. Announced today, it sells for $300, and uses a $10. disposable power cartridge. They claim 2 weeks of power for an iPhone.Use any USB device. Would like to see how it really stacks up.
The round piece with the word “Nectar” is the disposable part.

If you’re not a power hog and can wait a bit for your juice, this solar panel from #GoalZero, folding folio, will power a device in a one -to-one ratio. In other words, if it takes 2 hours to charge your phone,

We’ve been coming here for a while, and one thing that’s great to see is a company grow. Like #Yurbuds, custom earbud forms that make sure you never lose your earbuds, no matter what activity you do.
Like this guy:

Here is a look at a new over-the-ear set, which has a companion set without the over the ear part. Frankly we prefer the non-over the ear.

Innovation counts for a lot at CES.
Just this morning, I was untangling, for the umpteenth time, my earbuds. The wires were tangled like crazy, and being the careful guy I am, took a bit of time to carefully unknot the wires.
Here’s a solution from #Feltaudio:
In one unit, these earbuds work like tape measure: you pull them out, they lock, then you release a button and they zip back into this neat case.
That’s not all: they are bluetooth, and while you charge your device, you can be listening to your tunes, using the special.
Now we haven’t listened to them on our music, but we will.And report back. Love a trick bit of kit, but it has to have the quality.


Dude, where’s my luggage?
Travel much? sometimes wonder if your bag will come through the rubber flaps or down the conveyor belt.Or if it’s even in the same city
Sure you have.
Here comes #TrakDot

This device uses cellular and connects to your phone. Turn on the battery operated device, connect to the coming App, and when you land, you know if your goods landed with you. Or maybe they detoured to Dallas. Well you’ll know that too, and can get the airline on the bloodhound trail.
For $50.00 and some minor activation fees, don’t you want one of these in your gear luggage, that you thought about the whole flight? yep.

Now these press events, are filled with finger food.Piles of shrimp, sliders, and sweets.
I could say that we keep it healthy, like with these little crudite servings.

But we don’t.

So we are trying out some of the latest health technology.

First up is a #FitBug, a small tracking device we just hook to the belt or keep in the pocket.
This time we will see how we are doing vs. the other journalists here.
I think if we walk the most, we win. Maybe.

More tomorrow. And we’ll do a full Flickr album of the entire event.