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For years the giant CES show in Las Vegas was a Mecca
for nerds and computer geeks set on finding a faster computer mouse or wiz-bang
PDA. But that’s changed in recent years with the arrival of digital cameras,
electronic printers, LCD picture screens, and other “imaging” accessories. Now,
in just about every hall (except the one reserved for computer geeks looking
for faster wireless mice, or the gamer’s tent), you run head-on into giant
poster prints, traditional photo manufacturers, camera booths from Asian and
Chinese startups, and tons of memory-card distributors.
As a photo venue for new products
CES actually draws some crowds away from the Photo Marketing Show (which
happens to be poorly timed to start in Las
Vegas in just over two weeks.) So it’s no surprise
that a growing number of underwater and waterproof electronic products are also
debuting at the show. This year I was amazed and puzzled at some of the new
gadgets I saw, and here’s a roundup of the top eleven I saw that should be of
particular interest to divers.
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Liquid Image 5MP Underwater Digital Camera mask: Already reported on this but had to see it for ourselves. $99 buys you a camera mask good to 30 meters (but without a flash, it will be hard to get enough exposure at that depth). The camera uses a fixed focus lens set to 5ft, runs off 2 AAA cells, has 16MB of built-in memory, and accepts optional microSD cards (common in new cell phones). Might be a great way to get kids involved in UW photography.
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The UTC UDI (Underwater Technology Center’s Underwater Digital Device
): While it looks a bit clunky, this $1500 this wrist mounted device lets you send up to 14 preset text messages to your dive buddy or boat up to 1,640 feet away. Among my favorites “Watch out for that shark!” It can also be used as a homing beacon over similar distances or as an SOS beacon for up to 3300 feet.
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Waterproof PSP with wi-fi and dive computer compatibility: Play with you
r friends and share photos at decompression stops, or keep track of your dive buddy’s saturation levels. Bulky housing and joy-stick controller might not appeal to all divers.
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BCiPod: Had to happen sooner or later since everything including the kitch
en refrigerator is now available with an iPod dock. This BC includes a built-in pocket chamber for your iPod (Nano supported with adapter) and a waterproof speaker system patterned on the Bone Phone (anyone remember that from the 90’s?) Basically, it vibrates the sound through your shoulder blades and your hear it loud and clear over your regulator. At least that’s what I was told. Another model to be released later this year has a wi-fi capability for listening to tunes and movies from the waterproof PSP and waterproof cell phones.
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Nokia N82UW: Nokia has some of the smartest phones in the world—and some of
them include decent 5MP cameras with flash, MP3 players, wi-fi, Bluetooth, satellite GPS, and TV playback of movies and still images. Only logical to target the new breed of text-messaging divers. The new N82UW (est. price $900 direct) is waterproof to 1 atmosphere, deep enough so you can leave it dangling at a decompression stop while getting your nitrogen fix. Or you can stay on level with the resort course divers, take their pictures, and post them on Flicker before you surface. If the boat floats off without you, the GPS can help you 911 your location. Cool.
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Motorola Razor 9UW Bluetooth stereo headphones. That perfect listening companion to your Nokia N82UW doesn’t interfere with your regulator or mask strap since its one-piece design rests behind your head. Good up to 30ft away from a Bluetooth phone or waterproof PSP. Great, now I can finally convert my dolphin recordings to MP3 and play them while I dive.
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MyVue UW LCD goggles with tank cam. Ok, it’s expensive at 2 grand, but if you’re ever worried about a shark sneaking up behind you or those pesky boat hulls remaining hidden while surfacing and playing your underwater PSP, this device will give you fisheye vision. Mount the rotating camera on your tank, and connect the thin wire thru your BC to your MyVue mask. Your left eye will see what’s being recorded on the camera (right eye version available for those with impaired vision or eye patch), via a flip down screen that give you the equivalent of a 32-inch TV viewing area at 5 feet distance, or a 42-inch screen underwater. The deluxe version (still under development) will communicate with several brands of wireless dive computers to simultaneously display your remaining dive time. But can it hook up to the UW PSP?
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Pre-dive oxygenator (PDO-FLOW 4, 6, or 8 stations): The folks hooked up to
this device at the show look pretty silly, but imagine how they’d look in trunks and bikinis on a dive boat. (Now shake that scary thought and imagine good-looking people.) According to the PR folks at this traffic stopper the concoction they are selling is a special herbal mix once used by pearl diving tribes in the Philippines. Apparently, inhaling a bit of this stuff before a dive enhances the body’s ability to process and retain oxygen. (Warning, use above sea level causes an uncontrollable desire to climb coconut trees.)
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Rechargeable DWB (dive weight battery): Ok, you want all those electronic gadgets to continue to work for a typical rebreather dive? This weighted battery will do the trick. Lots of adapters for it, including one called the Squid that connects to everything from your camera mask to your tank-mounted propulsion unit (introduced at last year’s show.)
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15-LED UW Powerlight. Definitely purchase this one with a Rechargeable DWB. Bright enough to blind all the night divers from that “other” boat before they kick up the silt, or flash an SOS to the Space Shuttle in case your dive boat engine fowls on someone’s loose USB cable.
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Casio Exilim Pro EX-F1: It’s only going to be a matter of time before
someone sizCES for scuba divers Casio Exilim Pro EX-F1es up a housing for this new Casio. You might not be impressed by its 6MP resolution, but its 12X f/2.8 optical stabilized zoom lens and high speed shooting features got lots of buzz at the show. It can record true HD movies with stereo sound at 1080i resolution, or progressively lower resolution movies at 300, 600, or 1200fps. That kind of speed makes for some super-slow motion playback of fast action. On the still side, it captures up to 60 frames per second in full 6MP res, and there’s one mode that continually records at 30fps (into a buffer, not card memory). When you press the shutter it saves the 30 frames before and after you pressed. Then you can choose to save all of them or select the shot you wanted, such as a rare fish yawn, precise start of coral spawning, or moray eel darting out to grab a passing fish. (Price estimated at $699).
Editor's note: At some point during Mike's list of the top 11 products for divers at CES, you may have scratched your head and thought "huh?", "really?". No - NOT REALLY! Can you guess which of these 11 were fake? (Hint, it's not #1, 2, or 11)
Sometimes our imaginations get the best of us. When surrounded by a convention hall full of the coolest new gadgets and technologies, we figured we'd have a little fun with it!
Hope you enjoyed Mike's coverage!
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