The CES show gets bigger each year and the 2008 International CES was no exception. At the Las Vegas Convention Center, the Sands/Venetian and the Hilton hotel. www.CESweb.org
Consumer Electronic Show 2008 - Part 1 - Computers
Consumer Electronic Show 2008 - Part 2 - Utility Software
Consumer Electronic Show 2008 - Part 3 - Accessories - Backpacks and Laptop bags Printers LCD Monitors TV Cards
Consumer Electronic Show 2008 - Part 4 - Digital Cameras - Digital Cameras and Camcorders, Storage for them, and Digital Image Frames
Consumer Electronic Show 2008 - Part 5 - Projectors
Consumer Electronic Show 2008 - Part 6 - Storage - Solid State Drives
Consumer Electronic Show 2008 - Part 7 - Security Products
By Terry Currier
ArcSoft www.arcsoft.com
BD Magic is an optional Blu-ray player feature that adds both a network content
delivery channel and a powerful on-screen personal media library. Featured
players receive updated Blu-ray trailers, Blu-ray sample scenes, and exclusive
high-definition content direct to the Blu-ray player. Works with both Blu-ray
discs and consumers’ existing DVD and CD libraries. It accesses a Gracenote™-powered
database of 50,000 DVDs and 3.6 million CDs worldwide to make recommendations
and promote new related content.
ArcSoft® TotalMedia Extreme includes:
ArcSoft Print Creations™ Applications Suite: This
print-project software provides users with professionally-designed templates
for creating greeting cards, calendars, etc. by adding their photos and text.
Projects can be printed at home or online, or shared electronically.
ArcSoft PhotoStudio Darkroom: This application focuses on non-destructive image
processing for RAW, JPEG and TIFF image files. It offers professionals and
hobbyists a complete set of enhancement tools and export options inside a
thoughtfully-designed user interface. 
Centurion Technologies www.smart-restart.com
Smart Restart provides security for a computer by blocking all access to a
computer's critical system files while at the same time permitting full
functionality of the user's personal profile.
When protection is enabled, all changes made to the system's hard drive
configuration are wiped clean by simply restarting the computer. After installing
in onto the computer if you have a virus or malware activating the program and
restarting the computer puts it back to the time when it was installed. Cost is
$39.99
CMS Products www.cmsproducts.com
BounceBack Professional Version 8.0 was announced. Several new features have
enhanced the program: 
BounceBack Professional software allows two ways to restore a hard drive "crash." Following a hard drive failure, users may choose to simply replace the computer's failed drive with the backup hard drive, or choose to restore their system, applications and data using the CMS Products BounceBack Rescue Disk.
CyberDefender www.cyberdefender.com
CyberDefender’s safeSEARCH Toolbar v2.0 BETA is a free browser plug-in that
offers an improved search experience while protecting personal information and
ensuring privacy. This latest version gives users the ability to preview
website security rating and user ratings before entering a selected website.
Available for download at http://beta.cyberdefender.com.
In addition it provides instant access to critical site details such as site
owner, host country, IP address for the site, contact information, popularity
ratings, affiliated websites, and a brief site description to help users make
an informed decision before entering a potentially unsafe website. It also
helps users clearly distinguish between safe and dangerous websites within
search results from Google, MSN, Yahoo and AOL, among other search portals.
Each time users search via their favorite search engine, safeSEARCH v2.0
displays a useful website rating icon within the search results. When users
mouse over the icon, safeSEARCH displays a brief rating breakdown and navigates
them to more detailed information about the website.
This puts users in control of their surfing experience giving them access to
website reviews from other CyberDefender users, ability to post their own
reviews, warn others of questionable sites or share info and ratings on
trustworthy websites. It alerts you of suspicious activity in real time, before
you become a victim of identity theft and potential fraud, including removing
saved password data and educating users about cookies and IP tracking, among
other safety features.
CyberLink www.cyberlink.com
TV Enhance a TV-on-PC Solution, integrates seamlessly with CyberLink
PowerCinema, a multifunction media entertainment center and Windows Media
Center. Consumers have a complete, end-to-end platform for subscribing to
premium TV services including Satellite, Terrestrial, and Cable. TV functions
such as live reception of broadcast channels, EPGs is supported as well as
major free-to-air TV signals including DVB-T, DVB-H, DVB-S/S2, and ATSC.
CyberLink Live allows for placeshifting solution of live TV shows. With a TV
tuner card installed on the home PC, users can remotely access live TV programs
with time-shift playback directly from any web-enabled device outside the home.
Free download.
PowerCinema Mobile is their TV-on-the-Go Solution, designed for handheld
devices. Developed to run on the Windows® Mobile operating system, it consists of five major entertainment modules: digital TV,
FM radio, music, videos, and photos. Multiple TV signals are supported
including DVB-T, DVB-H, DVB-TH, T-DMB and DAB.
Data Drive Thru www.thetornado.com
Providing a seamless solution to the challenge of transferring files from one
computer to another, regardless of whether either machine is a PC or a Mac,
Data Drive Thru introduced iTornado™.
The device is the ultimate accessory for those replacing old computers, or
switching between operating systems from Windows to Mac or Mac to Windows, that
need to move their files of all types, including documents, music and pictures
to their new Mac or PC. iTornado is a
file transfer micro computer that connects to two computers in a matter of
seconds simply by plugging the retractable USB cables into the USB ports of
each computer without the need to load any software.
When connected to the USB ports of two computers it immediately initiates a
peer-to-peer network via its patented No Software To Load™, or NSTL
Technology™, which auto-loads and auto-runs the software and drivers needed to
move the data bi-directionally from one computer to another via a user-friendly
split-screen display that within seconds appears on the monitor of both
machines showing the contents of each machine. From this interface, files can
be dragged and dropped from one machine to another at speeds of up to 25
Mb/sec. It will retail for $79.95 and start shipping in March 2008. Comes with
a separate bonus copy of PC Eraser that can clean files from Windows based PC
computers to US Government Department of Defense standards allowing consumers
to dispose of or donate their old computer free of the fear of their personal
files falling into the hands of identity thieves.
Data Drive Thru also introduced PC Armor, a suite of intelligent security
software. It does what AntiVirus
programs can't, it stops malware and viruses from infecting your PC without
having to know about the problem executable in advance. Monitoring all programs
and activities at the PC kernel level, and paralyzes any activity or behavior
that might compromise the security of your PC. The suite also includes RG Crawler™
and RG Guard which act as a first layer of defense against known bad
executables that attack through the Web. It will retail for $19.95 for a one
year subscription. It will be available toward the end of the first quarter of
2008.
Diskeeper www.diskeeper.com 
Built for speed Diskeeper® 2008 is the most automated performance enhancement
defragmenter ever built. New features include the ability to defrag in the most
extreme levels of low free space or the highest levels of crippling file
fragmentation. Intelligent defrag dynamically chooses which software engine
will net the most performance gains on a given system or environment. This is
all done completely transparently, in real time, tapping the full power of
otherwise unused idle resources with a highly advanced background processing
technology called, InvisiTasking™.
With InvisiTasking defragmentation operations now take place “on the fly”, in
real time, as fragmentation occurs. This means no performance degradation is
ever caused by fragmentation related build-up—giving the user a constant
maximum in speed and reliability at all times. I-FAAST 2.0 (Intelligent File
Access Acceleration Sequencing Technology) automatically boosts access speeds
for your most frequently used files (by 10% – 80%).
FranklinCovey www.franklincovey.com
Developed jointly by FranklinCovey and COMPLETExRM, PlanPlus Online is a secure
Web-based application that provides planning, sales management, customer
relationship management (CRM), team collaboration and process management for
small and medium-sized businesses via the Internet. Its familiar “planner-like”
interface is based on FranklinCovey's renowned planning and time management
methodology. The application offers team calendaring and scheduling and an
integrated contact manager that easily tracks all important client information,
sales opportunities and activities through a customizable sales process. Key
features include:
Suggested retail price for PlanPlus Online is $25 per month. A one-month introductory subscription is available for $9.95..
Grisoft www.grisoft.com
AVG 8.0 due out in March 2008 offers a completely new multi-threaded scanning
engine that combines anti-virus and anti-spyware while retaining the product’s
signature small footprint and scanning efficiency. Additional protection is
provided in the form of safe searching and safe surfing protection acquired
through the recent purchase of Exploit Prevention Labs, rootkit detection,
basic security for MSN and ICQ instant messaging, and detection of
malware-infected files on websites.
iolo www.iolo.com
Demonstrated a updated System Mechanic at ShowStoppers. It automatically
checks, diagnoses and repairs the entire system, fixing errors and slowdowns
and cleaning out clutter – so PCs operate smoothly, reliably, and up to 300%
faster. The new update for 2008 features
a radically redesigned interface, with a more intuitive, ergonomic layout; as
well as more robust system tune-up, repair, and maintenance options. In
addition, this new version offers key upgrades, including a disk
defragmentation tool which can defrag drives up to 70% faster than before, and
up to thirty times faster than the standard Windows defragmenter.
Laplink www.laplink.com
PCmover helps you choose which applications and folders you’d like moved over
to your new PC. It can move all programs, files and settings in one easy step.
Choose connection: from USB cables, Windows Easy Transfer cable, parallel cables,
removable media or a wired / wireless network to do the transfer. They include
a simple wizard to set up the move. “Undo” Feature: Quickly reverse a migration
at any time with PCmover’s easy ‘undo’ feature.
With PCsync you control your remote PC just as if you were sitting in front of
it. You can even remotely control a PC from any Mac, Windows, or Linux-based
computer. Connect through firewalls automatically, print remote documents to a
local printer. Access remote PC files, email, PIM data, and Internet favorites
from any computer or handheld device. Download remote files to your handheld or
forward them securely to other people. All data transfers are kept secure with
128-bit SSL encryption, and all traces of your remote access session are erased
when you log out.
Memeo www.memeo.com
Their LifeAgent makes Windows makes backups easier - NEW Right click on files
or folders to add to a backup plan. With Back In Time – Users can restore
deleted files from within Windows Explorer. A 30 day trial version is
available. $49.95
SmartTags™- NEW Backup files based on file tags (photos tagged with “birthday” are automatically backed up). Other Features include:
Motionbox www.motionbox.com
Introduced a new premium service that delivers a complete, secure solution for
uploading, storing and sharing precious video memories. Also introduced
TV-quality iPod downloads and new video flipbooks for sale, called Motionbooks.
Their free service, launched in 2006 let users store, share and consume their
personal video by combining the power of cutting edge online video tools with a
simple and easy to use web interface. Motionbox made it possible to move video
onto the web quickly and easily, to create mini-home movies without any
complicated editing software and to share those videos with family and friends.
For $30/year, Premium Members will be able to enjoy all the benefits of the
free service and gain the ability to safely store and manage their entire video
library with unlimited uploads and capacity. The premium service also enables
TV-quality downloads that can be transferred and viewed on portable devices
such as iPods.
Users are able to select a video from their video folder and simply highlight a
15 second clip from the frame selector. Each frame from this clip is printed in
high-quality images and exported into a 3.5” x 2” Motionbook with four-color
cover art and personalized titles, for a cost of only $8.99 each.
Nero www.nero.com
Nero 8 allows users to author and playback HD-DVD content; play and stream
digital media through their digital home; rip, burn and back-up discs faster
and easier, and more. Specific Windows Vista-optimized enhancements to Nero 8
include:
This update also includes play back of Mini HD DVD-Video
discs, and burning of HD DVD-Video onto DVD-R/RW media. Smart Encoding, a
feature that detects compliant incoming data formats from AVCHD camcorders,
avoids time-consuming re-encoding by skipping the recoding step for AVCHD
content when the destination format is also AVCHD. Advancements in the home
entertainment features offer even more flexibility by letting users fast
forward, and pause content streamed throughout the digital home via Nero’s home
media server application.
The BDMV features, as well as play back of Mini HD DVD-Video discs, are
available with the Blu-ray / HD DVD Plug-in for users which can be purchased
via the Nero Online Shop. Current users of the Plug-in simply need to update to
enjoy these new capabilities.
NTI www.NTIus.com
NewTech Infosystems, Inc. (NTI) announced today that it is shipping the latest
versions of its Windows®-based software solutions with Blu-ray disc (BD)
support. NTI’s BD products range from easy-to-use applications for creating,
managing, and burning data, audio, photos, and videos to advanced backup and
restore software applications.
NTI Media Maker™ 8 is an all-in-one digital creativity suite solution for
capturing, creating, protecting, burning, and sharing data, audio, photos, and
videos. Equipped with NTI’s EasySteps® user interface, it provides
out-of-the-box support to create data Blu-ray discs. Suggested retail price of
US$80.
NTI Ninja™ is a data security solution for users and manufacturers of USB Flash
and other external USB drives. In addition to the user-adjustable partitioning,
anti-tamper encryption and password protection, the new version has been
enhanced with a new level of convenience. Users can now access the secured data
stored on their private partition from any PC, anywhere - there is no need to
pre-install Ninja on the PC to access the users' private data. It uses 128-bit
driver-level encryption technology to create a private partition on the USB
device. The user simply enters a desired size for the public partition and
Ninja will automatically set the size of the private partition based on the
total capacity of the USB device. After entering a password and a password
hint, the user only needs to click Start and their new Ninja device will be
created in a snap. With this approach, users can easily access and share
commonly used data on the public partition while simultaneously hiding and
restricting access to confidential data on the private partition. Designed for
PCs running Windows® 2000/XP/Vista™, it has an MSRP of US$25.
NTI Shadow 3 enables automatic, continuous back up of photo, music, data, and
video files to virtually any attached storage device. For Windows 2000 / XP / Vista and Mac OS
X. Not only does Shadow 3 allow users to automatically copy files from their
PCs to various devices in real time, but it also preserves the files in their
native format - meaning no additional software is necessary to restore files.
It 3 works transparently in the background without disturbing you while you
work, and does not take up important system resources.
FileCD™ 3.0 is a full-featured packet writing utility for copying your data
files to CD/RW or DVD/RW discs for transfer or archival purposes. The familiar
Windows interface makes copying your data files as easy as pointing and
clicking a mouse. Simply drag and drop any file/folder from your source hard
disk to the FileCD window or simply right mouse click the file/folder and use
the "Send To" option to select FileCD and in minutes you will have a
disc containing your important data files.
NTI Backup Now® 5 delivers email, profile and remote-online backup/recovery
features, hard drive spanning capabilities, and support for virtually all media
formats. Also provides easy image backup and disaster recovery to protect
operating systems, applications, and files. It can create a complete image of
data stored on the hard drive to simplify complete recoveries. Suggested retail
prices range from US$50 for the Standard Edition and US$70 for the Shadow and
Image Editions to US$100 for the Advanced Edition.
Features included in all editions range from file-level backups, 128/256-bit
data encryption and password protection to email notification and migration.
Unattended backups (full, incremental or differential) can be quickly set up
using the easy-to-use scheduler. And, with the File Exclude / Include features,
users can bypass or select specific file types from multiple folders for
backup. Backup jobs can also be appended or overwritten.
Email and Profile Backup/Recovery tools are also included to enable users to
archive their important emails and critical data files as well as their current
Windows configuration for their desktop layout, regional settings, bookmarks
and more. This gives them the flexibility to quickly recover individual files
that have been lost or restore the entire system to its backed-up state.
Paragon Software www.paragon-software.com
Announced the release of Hard Disk Manager 2008 Suite – all of the tools that
every consumer needs to completely manage their home or office computers. This
new version of Hard Disk Manager provides complete backup and restore,
defragmenting, disk copy, secure erasure tools and more. Features include:
The Suite will be available direct from Paragon Software’s website for $49.95.
Pinnacle Systems www.pinnaclesys.com
Pinnacle Systems, is offering a free program called VideoSpin™ specifically
designed to make video editing and sharing fast, easy and fun. This is a
complete package, not just a trial version, absolutely free. You can get the
free download from www.videospin.com.
With it you can create entertaining movies in minutes simply by dragging and
dropping videos, pictures, and music from the PC's hard drive onto the timeline
and adding a few transitions, and titles if they wish. There is a preview
feature so users can check their movies after each change or they can wait
until just prior to clicking on the "Make Movie" button. When the
video is complete, it can be output in a common video format such as AVI, MPEG,
RealVideo® or Windows® Media for viewing and sharing on a PC or a portable
media device. Videos can also be attached to an e-mail or uploaded directly to
popular Web sites like YouTube™ or Yahoo! Video™. Designed for Windows XP with
SP2, or Vista™ systems. Comes with a 15-day trial of its Advanced Codec Pack to
enable users to create and edit MPEG-2, MPEG-4/DivX® files and to share videos
on devices like the Apple iPod® Video. Users can purchase the pack for $14.99
or continue using VideoSpin without these features when the trial is over.
Siber Systems
www.goodsync.com 
Announced GoodSync Version 6.7 as the latest iteration of the top-rated backup
and synchronization product for personal computers. Version 6.7 now offers support
for Web-based transfers via FTP or WebDAV protocols, making it easy to upload
and maintain copies of files at distant locations for the ultimate in disaster
protection. FTP uses the Internet's TCP/IP protocols for fast data transfer,
while WebDAV, an extension to the HTTP protocol, allows users to collaborate
on, and even alter, files via the Web. GoodSync supports backups to multiple
devices and features both one-way and bi-directional synchronization making it
easy to update the user's most recent information. Real-time action monitoring,
an easy-to-understand tree-based interface, and automatic settings. Free for
personal use; a professional version of the product can be purchased for $19.95
(USD), with Enterprise and OEM pricing available.
Smith Micro
www.smithmicro.com
Revue Media management for your Windows Mobile® Smartphone
or PDA. 
StuffIt Deluxe® 11, provides powerful tools that help you
Zip, access, share and protect all your personal information. Now compress JPEG
photos by up to 30% with absolutely no loss in quality. Compress documents from
within Microsoft Office using StuffIt’s latest plug-ins, with special
optimization for PowerPoint 2007 presentations. Easily archive your files and
transfer them automatically over email or FTP, or even burn them to CD or DVD
directly from StuffIt. Multi-core optimization means faster compression and access to your
files than ever before.
MediaRECOVER is the must-have solution to accidentally
deleted files or corrupted media. It will recover images, including RAW Image
files, email files, documents, and database files (mdx, prm.) It will also help
you repair many corrupt files that are unusable.
Morpheus Photo Morpher™ is fun and easy-to-use. Transform
your old photos into cool new animations that your friends and family will
enjoy.
Sunbelt Software www.sunbeltsoftware.com
Released a major upgrade of its antispam software, iHateSpam. The new version
5.0 adds a completely new antispam engine that delivers comprehensive antispam
and antiphishing protection for Microsoft Outlook along with user interface
enhancements that make the product easier to install with no configuration
required.
iHateSpam is an add-on component that integrates spam and fraud-blocking
features into the Outlook email client, giving users the power to filter email
so that only legitimate email messages are received. Because it is able to
quickly respond to changes in spammer techniques, the majority of existing and
new spam attacks are blocked while also minimizing the blocking of legitimate
email.
A 30-day trial version is available on Sunbelt Software's website. Purchase
price is $19.95 and includes one year of free spam updates, renewals are
available for $9.98.
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Winners is a member of the Association of Personal Computer User Groups (APCUG) is an international, platform-independent, nonprofit corporation (incorporated in Washington, DC) devoted to helping user groups throughout the world. Almost 400 user groups are members of APCUG. http://www.apcug.net/ |