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CE Week Offered Lots of Tech Gadgets

The combined CE Week and Showstoppers technology trade show in New York on Wednesday offered plenty of cool consumer electronics and tech gadgets on display.

Not many were accounting related, but they could be fun to use while on a temporary vacation from accounting and tax prep this summer. Among the offerings on display were several robotics gadgets, including Ozobot, a robotic game piece that moves on tablet computers along with other types of physical surfaces by detecting lines and color code instructions.

Voyce showed off wearable technology for dogs that is supposed to help dog owners understand their pets’ health. The device fits on a dog leash and provides insights into the dog’s vital signs and wellbeing, including heart rate and respiratory rate, activity level and calorie intake. The device sends information to an app that the dog owner can view on a smartphone or tablet and the information can be shared with a veterinarian.

3D printing is a hot new technology that has been showing promise in all sorts of applications and is finally becoming more affordable. Several vendors showed off their latest 3D printing products, including Matter and Form Inc., a startup company that used crowdfunding to develop a 3D scanner that is able to take a small object and render it in such a way that it can be reproduced on a 3D printer. Next to them was Robo 3D, which previewed its upcoming R2 enterprise 3D printer.

Another crowdfunded company, Sanho, is using Kickstarter to fund a device it showed off called the iStick, a USB flash drive that allows users to move data between iPhones, iPads, iPod Touches and computers without the need for the Internet, wireless networks or the cloud. It said it has now raised over $1.1 million. The original goal was only to raise $100,000.

Various TV gadgets were also on display, including Nuvyyo, which showed off the Tablo, a device that allows consumers to access movies, TV shows, music and photos from their HD TVs or home networks on their mobile devices. Their marketing executive assured me that the technology is not subject to the sorts of legal challenges that Aereo has been facing after its loss in a Supreme Court ruling this week.

Also on hand was satellite TV provider Dish Network, which showed off its Wireless Joey system. Joey allows TV addicts to watch TV anywhere around the home without the need for wiring.

Another TV technology innovator is NextGen, whose Remote Extender Genius is able to turn an infrared remote control into a radio frequency remote control. That means you can control the TV or stereo remote control without needing to be in the same room. The transmitter looks like an AA or AAA battery and fits right inside the battery compartment in the remote.

Software vendors were also on hand, including iolo Technologies, showing off its venerable System Mechanic software for fixing problems on computers and fine-tuning PC performance.

Another potentially useful product is the M-Volt, a fast charger for recharging phones and other portable devices.

And for those who are too busy playing with their latest tech gadgets to bother with mundane tasks like washing their clothes, a vendor called LaundryPuppy was at the show to talk about their dry cleaning and laundry pickup service, which responds to mobile phone text messages.

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