Darryl Wilkinson

If I'd had $299 for the Show special price, I'd be flying home with one of these RCX4 Stryker RC flying X-wing craft from EZ2Fly, Inc. (The regular price is $399.) They say it's a full-function 4-channel hovercraft with an integrated 3D gyro system. It's not quite as cool as Parrot's AR Drone quadricopter that uses Wi-Fi, has two on-board cameras, and can be controlled by an iPhone or iPod touch - but the AR Drone isn't available for purchase yet.

The Eos Converge Wireless Multi-room Audio System is a CES Innovations 2010 Design and Engineering Awards Honoree and a "Best of Innovations" winner in the Computer Accessories category. The three new models include a standalone transmitter ($99) that accepts standard analog audio or an audio signal from your computer via a USB connection, a standalone pre-amp out only receiver ($99), and a receiver with a built-in 15 watts x 2 amplifier ($149). The system uses 2.4GHz frequency transmission, has a range of approximately 150 ft, and requires virtually no setup other than plugging in the power cords (and the speaker wire, and USB cable, and audio cable).

The TV Hat people say it's "the next revolution in video viewing". That's quite a statement for a modified baseball hat that includes a pouch for most sizes of portable video players and a built-in magnifying glass to make the picture seem larger. Some important warnings:

Bring together any two people at CES and you'll inevitably hear the question, "What's the coolest thing you've seen so far?" At the moment, my answer is the plug-less Flipower USB Charger from Powertech. Plug-less? Yes. When you're ready to use the Plipower, you slide what looks like a credit-card-thin outlet cover away from the charger. This fits over a standard electrical outlet, and you use another electric device's plug to hold the Flipower in place - getting two-for-one usage from that outlet. Price and availability have yet to be determined, but let's hope it's soon because this thing is really cool.