Weird and Wonderful Gadgets Are on Display at Vegas Show

A digital alarm clock that measures body fat. An electronic bracelet that tracks a child's or teenager's location 24 hours a day. A set of 3-D glasses that can view a lingerie show online.

If you think these products are too weird to be true, you've never been to the Consumer Electronics Show,the annual trade extravaganza that brings together thousands of manufacturers, inventors, dreamers and schemers.

Many of the items on the cavernous display floors of the newly expanded Las Vegas Convention Center this week belonged to well-known product categories: flat-screen TVs, MP3 players, car audio systems, hand-held computers, multi-use watches, vibrating chairs and robot dogs.

But often the most wondrous, amusing and even disturbing products were found in small booths, sans the dancers, costumed characters, autograph-signing celebrities and magicians that the big operators lavish on their booths. Some of these gadgets already are on  the market, others are scheduled to go on sale in the next few months, and a few will never make it into the real world of retail.

The show is a combination of the sublime and the ridiculous. And sometimes you get the feeling these products were developed just to make you smile -- either with delight or bemusement over the question: "What were they thinking?"

Here are some highlights:

Lasershield Home Security System

Despite the name, this has nothing to do with lasers. "It's a common term used in the field. People associate it with security," said Tony Dohrmann, chief executive of Lasershield Systems (www.laser shield.net).

The product looks like a miniature of Las Vegas' Luxor pyramid and won't easily blend into most decors. But it is an ingenious product that, in some cases, minimizes the need to have a hard-wire security system installed.

The 8-inch-tall pyramid contains a motion detector that can monitor about 35 feet of surrounding space. It can be activated with a key-chain remote (eliminating the keypad that comes with many home systems) and plugs into a telephone line. If the alarm is triggered, the monitoring company is notified.

The beauty of the system, if it works as advertised, is that it can be picked up and carried to a new abode if you move.

The cost of the main unit, which the company hopes to have on the market in June, will be $150, plus a $15.95 monthly fee for monitoring. Smaller, satellite units (also pyramids) for additional rooms will sell for $60.

GPS Personal Locator for Children

This brightly colored device, which looks like an oversized watch, contains a global positioning satellite unit that tracks the wearer's movements. The developer, Wherify Wireless (www.wherify.com), advertises that the device provides, "peace of mind for parents. Cool for kids."

The basic unit, scheduled for release in March, costs $300. There also is a monthly fee of $29.95. At any time, a parent can check on the Internet to get the exact address or location of the wearer. The wearer's movements during the day also are recorded.

The unit comes with a button that activates an alarm at the monitoring company in emergencies. The alarm also is triggered if the device is removed without authorization.

Company founder Timothy Neher said the product first would be marketed for children up to age 12. Future models will be developed for teenagers and contain additional functions, such as paging, a cell phone, or the ability to get sports scores, Neher said.

Would he have been happy about wearing one as a teenager? "If I were a teenage girl, I would probably wear one," he said. "But as a boy, I would need more functionality."

ProtecTV

This electronic box, which hooks up to a television, blocks profanity in any broadcast, video or DVD that is closed-captioned (the captioning goes through the unit a split-second before the program is on the TV).

"We identified 100 swear words and with their variations, it comes to about 400 words," said CEO James Gee of ProtecTV (www. protectv.com).

That seemed like a lot of words. "Take the word, 'hell,'" he explained. "Some people might not consider it objectionable, but we included it."

At CES, a ProtecTV box, which has a suggested retail price of $70, was being demonstrated with the film "Pulp Fiction." It played like a silent movie.

I-Spot

The I-Spot consists of a transmitter, docking station and attachable receivers that go on keys, wallets and other items that are easily misplaced. Press a button on the transmitter and a receiver lets out a loud tone, signaling the location of a lost item within 40 feet.

The transmitter has a built-in alarm to remind you to return it to the docking station so it doesn't get lost either.

From Digital Innovations (www.digitalinnovations.com), a starter pack with three receivers sells for $55.

Copyright 2002 The Times Mirror Company; Los Angeles Times All Rights Reserved Los Angeles Times January 10, 2002 Thursday Home Edition, BYLINE: DAVID COLKER, TIMES STAFF WRITER, David Colker covers personal technology. He can be reached at david.colker@latimes.com.