Dick Tracy Lives and Barbie Does Mind Control at CES 2009

Welcome to The Utility Belt. It is my sincere hope that writing this bi-weekly column will somehow land me free swag from the world's top gadget-makers. If, by some act of God, my first whirl at writing for the masses gets me one gratis iPod, or even a third-rate Xbox game, I will consider myself a success. But beyond the spoils, I hope this column will be a source of information on the latest gadgets, toys and tools this great planet has to offer. So, without further ado...

I remember when the cell phone first entered the mainstream; big, bulky attache cases with an enormous handset and battery that was about as discreet as pulling around an oxygen tank, and cost like 14 bucks a minute to make a call. I remember thinking that I would be impressed when they put a phone in a watch ala Dick Tracy, and I couldn't imagine needing one until that time. Twenty eight cell phones later, LG Electronics finally got around to making the one I should have waited for, showing it off at the International Consumer Electronics Show which kicked off on Thursday.

The GD910 Watch Phone is being touted as the world's smallest 3G-enabled watch phone, which comes as no surprise, since I don't know of any other "watch phones" on the market. I cannot express in words how amped I am to get my hands on one of these bad boys. Touchscreen, built in MP3 player, stereo bluetooth, speaker phone, text to speech and voice recognition. This is literally a list of my favorite things on the planet (other than my wife and kids). Of course, this phone will only be available to European markets later this year, with a US release in the future, which sucks for us.

This year's CES showcases plenty of cool gaming gadgets, from suped-up Wii controllers to the latest gaming PCs. One product I can't wait to try are the Psyko 5.1 Gaming Headphones from Psyko Audio Labs. Apparently these headphones are akin to strapping a full-blown surround sound system to your head. There is a cool video here:

I am on the road quite a bit, so I am always looking for new gadgets to make my ride more comfortable, and the CES always shines when it comes to pimping your ride. I am partial to in-dash multi-media receivers, as opposed to having to lug around separate components for such necessities as GPS and satellite radio. Eclipse, a Division of Fujitsu, showcased their soon to be released AVN726E; a new all-in-one unit that features a 7 inch touch screen with inputs for practically every conceivable media format. The AVN726E feature bluetooth connectivity and full iPod compatibility. The coolest feature, IMHO, is that the AVN726E closes with a touch of a button, which makes this particular model unique in its class. Most in-dash head units do not have an open and close mechanism, they simply remain exposed to prying eyes.

I saved the most disturbing new toy on the market for last. Apparently Mattel inc., the makers of the Barbie and the Fischer-Price brands, have developed a new game called Mindflex that uses MIND CONTROL to move a ball through a series of obstacles. I have no idea how it works, but I will not be strapping anything to my head that can allegedly use my brainwaves to do stuff. I'd start off moving a ball around and the next thing you know I'll be walking around with a copy of The Catcher in the Rye looking for someone to shoot.