CES 2008 Coverage

I like disruptive technologies; the technologies that change the direction of an industry or change the way people do things. NJOY was the only technology product I saw at CES with the potential to be truly disruptive, choosing one of the biggest non-tech industries on the planet to disrupt. NJOY offers a "healthier" alternative to smoking, by providing a clean nicotine delivery system to replace burned tobacco (the quotes around healthier represent my ignorance to long term ramifications of nicotine addiction stripped from the cancer causing elements of smoking). NJOY has all of the characteristics of a disruptive technology: NJOY is cheaper, it's not currently shackled by entrenched government regulation, it tackles the biggest negative to the status quo, and it largely reduces switching costs by creating a similar "experience" to the competition. One nicotine infused cartridge (the nicotine equivalent of 2 packs of cigarettes) is under $5. NJOY doesn't have the same taxes piled on that cigarettes and tobacco suffer. As mentioned above, NJOY is theoretical better for you than burned or chewed tobacco products. And the delivery method, an electronic cigarette, vaporizes a nicotine and water solution providing smokers with an experience similar to smoking.

If you're not content with balancing your digital camera on a rock or wall when you want a specific perspective, the Modo Pocket may be an ideal solution for your photographic needs. Essentially a small metal kick-stand for your camera, the Modo Pocket attaches to the tripod mount on your camera and includes two movable legs that adjust so that you can get level shots why propping your camera on almost any surface. I'm more inclined to use some combination of my bottle cap tripod and a Gorillapod while out on a hike, but I can see where the Modo Pocket might be another convenient way to help get the perfect shot. At $29.95 this is the most affordable "tripod" ever released by Manfrotto / Bogen.

The Bogen Modosteady Camcorder Stabilizer is a 3-in-1 tool for improving video with your pro-sumer camcorder. Based on the counter-balance design similar to other stabilizers, like the pro Steadicam gear, Modsteady is optimized for keeping pans and motion steady as you shoot in a handheld mode. Counter balancing is adjustable through removable plates and the whole thing collapses into a compact package. Depending on how you configure Modosteady it also acts as a shoulder stabilizer or as a tripod for flat surfaces. My biggest gripe is that Modosteady only handles cameras weighing up to 2 pounds (just under 1kg). The Canon HV20 I use regularly seems like a prime candidate for this device, but it simply couldn't take the weight of my HV20 and WD-43 lens attachment. A $185 price point looks steep if you spent less than $500 on your camera, but you might be surprised at how much better your video will look by using something like Modosteady. It may be tempting to build your own Steadicam-style stabilizer on a budget, but having tried that, I found Modosteady to be a far more elegant solution with better looking video. For HD camcorder owners, Canon VIXIA camcorders should work great with Modosteady, as will the much smaller Panasonic HDC line of high definition camcorders, but many of the Sony HDR line of high def camcorders may be too heavy. Watch the video here to see all the various modes of Modosteady.

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