Darryl Wilkinson

Two new items from Digital Innovations caught my eye at CES2014. The first was the company’s new antimicrobial formulation for its line of ScreenDr. portable screen and device cleaner. The new cleaner includes antimicrobial ingredients that “stab” bacteria to kill them rather than employ a resistance-building antibiotic ingredient. The fluid in the Screen Dr. cleans the surface of your portable device or flat-screen TV and helps prevent the re-growth of bacteria and microorganisms on the treated surface. The patented all-in-one bottle/cap/cloth holder design is extremely convenient, too. Two ounce bottles are available for $9.99. Five ounce bottles are available for $14.99. Nine ounce bottles – ideally suited for use on large-screen displays – sell for $19.99. The Digital Innovations folks say that the best value is the combo pack containing a two-ounce and a five-ounce bottle for $19.99. Also available from Digital Innovations is the cleverly designed Nest Earbud Case that quickly stores earbud cables and allows them to be removed tangle-free with a single pull. The soft, flexible silicone case is available in blue, pink, and green for $9.99.

The era of scratched CD-Rs (and soon CD-RWs plus all flavors of DVD recordables) could be at hand. Scratch-Less Disc Industries has announced that their Scratch-Less optical discs are now available "at various retail outlets throughout the country and online at major Internet retailers."

Price: $10/month DVR fee (Joey or second Hopper $7/month) At A Glance: 2 TB of storage • Records up to six prime-time HD channels simultaneously • Remote control locator

I have a great deal of empathy for the cable, satellite, Internet, and cell-phone service providers. After all, this is a tough economy, and competition for subscribers is fierce. At the same time, technology keeps evolving, with startups lurking on the fringes, waiting for a chance to be the next big thing. I mean, really, my heart bleeds for the grossly underpaid civic-minded people running these companies. All they’re trying to do is feed their families and put gas in their cars by offering the ultimate in customer service and satisfaction for ridiculously low subscription prices. You know, at the negligible rates they charge, I’m surprised they’re able to make any profits at all.

Despite the fact that CES2016 hasn't even officially opened yet, DISH's press conference is likely to be one of the top highlights of the entire Show this year.