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CES news roundup for January 5, 2014
Imagine waking up on a snowy and cold winter Sunday morning only to find that something strange has happened overnight -- your Mail inbox is overflowing with press releases touting new products being introduced at the 2014 Consumer Electronics Show. That was the situation this morning, and I'm sure that the blizzard of news won't back down during the coming week. To help us shovel through the drifts of releases, we're going to send some of them your way in our regularly scheduled daily news roundups. For today, here's a special roundup of CES news for you. TAO-Wellness announces the app-enabled WellShell: Just when you thought you could get away from exercising after being good for the first four days of 2014, along comes word of the TAO WellShell. It's a small handheld device that works with an iOS app to help you tone your body through isometrics. As the company describes it, "you push, TAO resists." There are more than 50 isometric exercises that are explained in the app, and the app provides feedback on how hard you should push and for how long. You're also coached through reps and rest periods, and TAO logs your exercise and calories burned. There's no word on when the TAO WellShell will ship. Griffin Technology and Square intro Merchant case for iPhone 5/5s: Griffin has joined forces with mobile commerce powerhouse Square to develop the Merchant case, the first product to emerge from Square's Works With Square program. The $19.99 case is available now, and features a space for holding the Square reader when it's not in use. In addition, the bottom of the case has a slot that perfectly aligns with the Square reader's slot, allowing more consistent results when swiping cards. Griffin's venerable PowerMate goes Bluetooth: Griffin is also introducing a Bluetooth version of its PowerMate "clickable knob". The PowerMate Bluetooth can be used with any number of applications, allowing control of volume on Bluetooth 4.0-equipped Macs, highly-accurate editing in iMovie and GarageBand, and more. PowerMate Bluetooth cuts the cable and will retail for $59.99. More news will be forthcoming, so stay tuned to this post throughout the day for possible updates.
Tao WellShell offers up isometric resistance, tracks fitness, rhymes (hands-on)
Two days before the official kickoff of CES 2014, and it already seems safe to declare this the year of the fitness device. Tao Wellness's rhyming WellShell wants to be a bit of a one-stop shop for all things portable fitness. The handheld's primary function is isometrics -- offering you resistance as you work out, while helpfully coaching you with built-in audible encouragement. The device is built for 50 different isometric exercises, recording results by way of your Android or iOS device. It can also track your steps, caloric intake, heart rate and sleep patterns -- so pretty much everything, but the cooldown massage. Update: We've just seen it in person and it looks like a flat, symmetrical mouse -- minus the cable. We gave it a squeeze (you're supposed to), as well as testing out a pair of earlier models that avoid the screen (as well as some of the functionality). Instead, these flat tokens are actually more stylish and simple, with a glowing light in the center. However, with these smaller models, all the data and exercise instruction is delivered by the app, meaning that while the new WellShell it might just lose out in the looks, the new model looks to offer a far gentler learning curve. Mat Smith contributed to this report.
