CES: Let the fun begin!

The press events have started. I've already tried a couple pairs of 3-D goggles, seen a grown man hunt ducks indoors and seen some pretty cool peripheral devices that help organize the clutter that comes with being wired.

I don't usually venture beyond the World Wide Web, but I expand my realm of coverage when the International Consumer Electronics Show comes to town. Here are some things that caught my attention during the CES Unveiled event Tuesday night:

• The iLuv Portable Multimedia Player for iPod and digital video discs.
(http://www.i-luv.com/product_detail.asp?idx=1127&keyword=)
This sleek, 8.4 inch viewer holds most later versions of the iPod and
also plays DVDs on its brilliant screen. You can plug your iPod into the iLuv and charge it. And iLuv boasts a four-hour-plus battery life.

It retails for $269.99.

The iLuv Portable Multimedia Player

• Minoru 3-D Web Cam
(http://www.minoru3d.com/)

This gadget bears a striking resemblance to Wall-E, the star of Pixar’s animated movie, but it what it does will change what you think about webcams. It mounts on most computer displays or can sit on the table, tethered to a computer by a universal serial bus connector. The image it captures, though, is in 3-D, and viewers wearing 3-D glasses will see the image live and much closer to
reality than a standard 2-D webcam.

Imagine talking with family or friends on Skype and using the 3-D Web cam. It’ll feel real. You can also post 3-D movies to online
sharing sites like YouTube, but you'll need to get word out that viewers will need the glasses.

The camera comes with five pairs of viewing glasses and sells for $89 on Amazon.com. It can also be used in 2-D mode by turning off one of the lenses.

• Duck Hunter by Interactive Toy Concepts
(http://www.interactivetoy.com/)
Now you can shoot down a duck — or something vaguely resembling a duck — indoors. The electronic target flies around the room and the shooter aims his electronic pistol, firing virtual shots to bring it down. The first version will sell for $29.99, with an Extreme Duck Hunter version selling for $39.99. This one will let one person shoot and another control the duck’s flight.

Yes, this is from the folks who brought you the remote-controlled RC Cooler last year.

• FlexiCord
(http://www.flexicord.com/)
It's so simple, you wonder why you didn't invent it. The flexible cord holds its shape, helping reduce cable clutter with almost any device. The cord can be any length between 1 and 10 feet; a coil in the middle is the most common way to take up the slack.
Pricing was not available, as the product is not yet available.

• Earbud Yo-Yo
(http://www.covington-creations.com/)
Tired of tangled lines on your earbuds? This simple device helps keep the cord in order. Simply snap it apart, place the connector end of your earbuds into a slot, then snap it back together. You then wind the cord like a yo-yo around the small plastic unit until you reach the end. The earbud speakers then snap into place, keeping everything compact and orderly.

The unit sells online for $15.99 plus shipping and handling and comes in a variety of colors and patterns.