As CES approaches, vendors give glimpses of 2009 gadgets

By Jacqueline Emigh | Published September 26, 2008, 4:36 PM

While it isn't even October yet, the CES 2009 time bracket is fast approaching, with new gadgets on including the latest rechargeable "e-bicycle," and a family of Wi-Fi-, Web-, RSS-, and photo-enabled "wireless Internet frames."

NEW YORK, NY (BetaNews) - Although vendors at a ShowStoppers press event this week focused mainly on demoing electronically oriented gifts for the 2008 holiday season, a few also gave sneak peeks of new products targeted for release at the start of next year.

Actually, the electric bike demo gave more than just a peek. Set on a platform raised several feet off the floor, the highly visible, Toshiba-powered Schwinn Tailwind is a so-called "hybrid," meaning it can be ridden in either conventional or motor-assist mode.

While Schwinn already sells a line-up of six other e-bikes, the Tailwind will be the first to use Toshiba's new lithium-ion phosphate batteries, a technology also envisioned by Toshiba for use in powering cars and cell phones, said a Schwinn engineer, speaking with BetaNews at the event.

With these new batteries, the bike can be charged in 30 minutes if you plug it into an electrical outlet, instead of the four hours or more that recharging takes for existing e-bikes. If you use a commercial charger, recharging the Tailwind can reportedly be done in as little as five to seven minutes.

On each recharge, you can ride about 25 to 30 miles, depending on factors such as temperature or terrain. Toshiba's new batteries also have safety benefits over earlier lithium-ion cobalt batteries, since they generate a lot less heat, according to the engineer.

Schwinn expects to start shipping the Tailwind in January in the US and some countries in Europe, at a price of about $3,200. Despite the four-digit price tag, Schwinn and other manufacturers sold about 20.8 million e-bikes worldwide in 2008, according to a document called the Electric Bikes Worldwide Report, 2008 Update.

Elsewhere at the show, Giant International has now started shipping the InTouch, a "wireless Internet frame" that does double duty as a Wi-Fi-capable Web access device and audio-enabled photo/video frame.

Priced at $349.99, the gadget contains a 7-inch touch TFT LCD display with 800-by-400 resolution, along with 128 MB of internal memory, built-in stereo speakers, a CD-ROM drive, and a USB port. It also accommodates SD, CF, MS, MMC, and XD-Picture cards. A power adapter is included, but the frame will also run on rechargeable batteries for about 90 minutes, said Thomas W. Silveria, Giant's sales director for new products.

The main menu contains icons for photo, media, tools, and RSS news feeds. The feeds can be set up with the use on an on-screen QWERTY keyboard. Giant also holds deals with vTuner for Internet radio and Web video access, and with FrameChannel for end user tools for managing content from Picasa, Flickr, Webshots, Facebook, and other Web sites.

Giant previously manufactured products such as Motorola two-way pagers. Silveria told BetaNews that now, though, the company is changing its business model to produce its own consumer electronics devices.

Also in its booth, Giant showed prototypes of a couple of new products expected to roll out at the CES show in January. Silveria wasn't able to elaborate much because plans are still being finalized. But Giant's upcoming products include a system which adds phone functionality to the existing frame, plus a wireless gadget aimed at teens, known internally as "The Block" (and shaped accordingly). Other vendors at ShowStoppers also pointed to product releases at CES 2009, but with fewer details. "We're in the usual lull [between holiday and CES announcements], but we will be showing new products at CES," confirmed a spokesperson for GPS vendor Nextar.

A spokesperson for Autonet Mobile said that her company will introduce new features at CES for its in-vehicle Wi-Fi systems. These systems, which combine in-car Wi-Fi with EV-DO cellular hand-off, are available in cars that can be rented through some Avis outlets and purchased through dealerships for Chrysler and other auto makers.