Practical and wacky on the tech horizon at CES

LAS VEGAS — New televisions and devices to play, store and download video were the headliners at the International 2009 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) ending this weekend in Las Vegas, but there were plenty of other interesting, fun and sometimes wacky products on display.

Here's a sample culled from the 1.7 million square feet of exhibit space spread across the city's central casino district.

LG Touch Watch Phone (LG-GD910)

The Korean electronics giant introduced a Dick Tracy-esque video wristwatch phone that will be going on sale this year in Europe, following up on a prototype it showed last year. The 13.9-millimeter-thick watch has a metal case and curved-glass display with touch-screen controls, and MP3 player and a camera for taking pictures or making video calls. Wireless carriers will sell the watch — which has a 3G HSDPA radio — and determine prices. U.S. availability will depend on whether LG finds a willing wireless partner.

Flatwire Cat6

and HDMI cables

Flatwire has been making speaker cables that can "invisibly" run across walls, instead of through them, because they're thin enough to be covered with sheetrock tape, mud and paint. New at CES this year are Flatwire HDMI and Cat6 gigabit Ethernet versions. Pricing's still in flux, but a representative said a kit with a 25-foot HDMI cable and plug modules on both ends will probably cost about $250 when it goes on sale this spring. Its speaker wire runs about $2 per foot. It seems reasonable compared with some of the new wireless HDMI gadgets.

Sony Muteki 66i boombox

The ultimate audio accessory for your game console, the Muteki is a monstrous $450 boombox with a five-disc CD changer, USB input, 720 watts of power and "game sync" technology that links its output to consoles. "Sony likes to have something for everyone," said Sony representative Ubaldo Rodriquez, who described the Muteki as old school. There's also a 99i with 720 watts that goes for about $650.

Ecco's personal

pocket GPS locator

One of the subthemes of this year's show is technology for older consumers. The Ecco key-fob GPS device could appeal to that category, or people who would like a little help remembering where they left their car, how to get back to their hotel or how find their way out of the woods. The $99 fob, which the Orange County company plans to start delivering in about seven weeks, stores three routes. When you head out somewhere, press one button to lock its location. When you start heading back, press another button and the device displays a compasslike directional arrow. It's rudimentary compared with an automotive GPS unit or other devices that display streets and maps, and it won't get satellite signals indoors, but it's small, simple and cheap for what it does.

Panasonic portable

Blu-ray player

For rich kids who really need high-def in the back seat of the Lexus, and others who want better-looking movies on the go, Panasonic debuted the world's first portable Blu-ray player. It costs $799.99, weighs 3.8 pounds and outputs 7.1 surround sound through an HDMI port. Its 9-inch-diameter screen has a resolution of 1024 by 600, which is less than what Blu-ray can output, but you can't really tell on such a small player. Included are a remote and car mount.

Brier Dudley: 206-515-5687 or bdudley@seattletimes.com