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02/05/2010 08:20 AM

CES 2010: Smart-phones

By: Adam Balkin

Apple's revolutionary iPhone took the world by storm. In the final part of our Technology on the Horizon series our Adam Balkin shows us how smart-phone developers are hoping to grab your attention by offering features you won't find on the iPhone.

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The cell phone is without question your Swiss Army-type tech gadget. Always on you, trying to be the tool you need at any moment, and they're constantly doing more and more. Samsung's W7900 has a built-in projector for sharing stored videos with a crowd. The Kempler and Strauss W Cell phone watch tries to put all the functionality you need right there on your wrist. The Sonim Quest Pro hopes to out-tough other phones. You can't even drive a nail through it.

"It is unbreakable, completely water submersible up to ten feet, completely scratch proof lens cap," said Bob Plaschke with Sonim Technology.

Good if you're an outdoors type. But if you're an extreme outdoors, get lost in the wilderness type; the durable Earthmate PN-60W may be more appealing. It's not a phone but in addition to being able to use GPS for mapping and summoning help in an emergency, it also allows text messaging from places that are miles from the nearest cell signal.

"You can now send text messages through the spot satellite system using GPS, type short messages, send them to family and friends letting them know you're ok or if you need supplies," said Caleb Mason with DeLorme.

If you're in need of entertainment in the wild, a little thing can turn nature and then some into your sound system. It's definitely not headphones and not quite a speaker, it's a Tunebug, you attach it to just about any object, and it turns that object into a speaker

"Sits on any surface, vibrates and creates a sound out of that surface so if you put the Tunebug on a helmet it'll create sound inside the helmet like surround sound based on the vibration of that surface, you
can put it on a cardboard box, even on your skull," said Fred Brown of Tunebug.

All of these devices are of course nothing without power. So from Powermat, one of the companies that makes those pads for you to just throw devices onto for a charge this is the new 2X portable mat.

It works for up to four full device charges depends on the device itself, you charge the mat by plugging it in. You can use it around the home or office as you normally would and when it's time to go, just
unplug and go and you don't need an outlet," said Powermat's Beth Meyer

The new power packs also deal with the biggest knock on this type of technology; these batteries themselves form that invisible connection to the pad. No more need for those bulky sleeves.