CES: Fun Picks

Even though I’m still reeling from CES, like many other bloggers and media outlets, I’m already fielding many exciting emails for Toy Fair events and booth visits.  But before I can appropriately shift gears to Toy Fair mode, I have so many CES finds that I want to share.

Though there were hundreds of thousands of products being showcased at CES, obviously, not everything is necessarily family-friendly or geared to kids.  There were, however, a good amount of products that are of interest to families who appreciate technology.  Here are a few family-minded products that I’d love for myself:

Disney Computer Speakers

I spotted these Disney-themed computer speakers at a booth that showcased products designed by students from a Korean University.  While not all the products are being marketed yet in the U.S., some products are in the process of being launched stateside.  These speakers, I thought, were a modern, functional yet whimsical nod to Mickey and friends.

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iPod Dock and Boombox

This M&M iPod Dock/Boombox caught my eye when I walked the floor of the South Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center.  I mean, who doesn’t love M&M—kids and adults, right?  After I snapped a couple of pix, the reps at the booth stopped me from taking photos, so, unfortunately, I don’t have many details on the product, other than this.  Still, what a fun idea for an iPod dock.

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Asus 100P Seashell Netbook

Asus may have turned heads this year at CES with several new innovative products, but this hot pink textured Seashell Netbook definitely turned my head.  Geared to moms and teens alike, while the stylish Seashell Netbooks aren’t entirely new, this line of netbooks has garnered great reviews.

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The New Ford Explorer

I had a very cool walk-through with Ford on their Sync technology, the computerized system in the dash that allows you to do, um, practically anything.  I’ll talk more about it later, but what I liked most was that the system leveraged the technology that you may already have within your smartphone.  During my demo, they showed me how to implement Pandora through the car via Bluetooth and Sync.  You can control Pandora on the steering wheel’s controls once it’s synced so you don’t have to fumble with the phone while you’re driving!
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Aside from that cool tech, I fell in love with the new body design of the Ford Explorer.  My family always had Fords growing up, so, naturally, I loved seeing the new body design in person, and envisioned carting around my own family in that sleek SUV.  While I’ve been overlooking SUVs as a practical vehicle for our family due to fuel inefficiency, the V6 model of 2011 Ford Explorer is said to rival MPG of other conventional SUVs.  Although, seeing is believing…