Consumer Electronics Show devices are fun and flashy

Tablet computers are shaping up to be the big thing at this year's International Consumer Electronics Show. But a laptop by Acer drew the biggest oooohhh's from the standing-room audience at Microsoft Corp. Chief Executive Officer Steve Ballmer's keynote address Wednesday night.

The laptop has two touch screens that allow users to move a file from one screen to another. Tapping one of the screens turns it into a keyboard.

It was just one of numerous small devices inspired by the success of Apple's iPad. Many of the new products being brought out this week out fall into the tablet category, such as the Motorola Xoom, which should launch in February. An upgraded version to handle the 4G transmission networks that are going into operation and promising faster download speeds and more signal capacity, will go on sale in the second quarter.

Last month, Verizon switched on 4G in 38 markets, Chairman and CEO Ivan Seidenberg said, on a path to cover the entire country in three years. This would create the backbone for "TV everywhere," he said.

Consumer Electronics Association chief economist Shawn DuBravac foresees tablets becoming one of an assortment of devices people buy for different purposes.

"(Manufacturers) want to build the Swiss Army knife, the one device that rules the world," he said. "But that's not what consumers want."

Several manufacturers showcased OLEDs, or organic light-emitting diodes, with screens slightly thicker than a credit card, as the next major advance in viewing. But rather than big screens that dominate a living room, Corning Glass Technologies' chief technology officer suspects it will become popular mostly with hand-held TVs.

Some items captivated audiences with their simplicity. Toy maker Mattel had a line of volunteers try out its Mindflex Duel, scheduled to hit the stores in August for $99. It comes with two headbands and a console. The headbands have sensors that monitor brainwaves and the wearer's pulse and are connected to a slide with a small ball on it. Players try to move the ball to the opponent's side in something of a hands-free reverse tug-of-war, using the power of concentration.

At the right level of brainpower, the ball will levitate, the high-tech version of a decades-old magician's trick.

Not far from Mattel's booth, Boulder, Colo.-based Orbotix let people navigate a small obstacle course with Sphero, a lighted ball controlled remotely by an iPhone.

"It can be used for everything from sumo wrestling, where you go against another player in a ring, to office golf," Vice President of Business Development Jim Booth said.

Sphero, which is due to come out before Christmas, has a preliminary retail price of $100.

Major TV manufacturers put 3-D sets on display, but not nearly as prominently as last year, when they were the star of the show. Consumer Reports Senior Electronics Editor Jim Willcox estimated that only about 1 million units sold, far fewer than the 3 million predicted at CES last year.

The expense of the glasses needed to convert a picture that is blurry to the naked eye, and the lack of available programming, turned off many, he said.

Contact reporter Tim O'Reiley at toreiley@ reviewjournal.com or 702-387-5290.