Despite Apple being absent from the 2011 International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, the company that brought us the iPod, iPad and iPhone still grabbed headlines. Here's a look at some important innovations and announcements made by Apple regarding the 2011 CES.
What upgrades will be available for the iPhone?
Apple did make an iPhone announcement at the 2011 CES, but it didn't show consumers anything. Instead, the buzz was about Apple branching out its iPhone business. Instead of having an iPhone with AT&T service, Apple announced it was making an iPhone for Verizon. No word yet on pricing or its exact release date but chances are it will retail for somewhere close to the original iPhone's price. It makes perfect sense for Apple -- adding customers to another network only improves the market share and will make Apple more profitable. Plus the computer giant will offer more choices for consumers when the Verizon iPhone is released. As one reader to the Wall Street Journal points out, the iPhone was part of the biggest news from the CES and yet it didn't happen in Las Vegas.
Are there any new apps for Apple products this year?
PC Magazine reports more than a million apps were downloaded on Jan. 6, the first day the online store was available. That's very impressive considering there were only around 2,000 apps available. The most prominent category of apps in the store is games, making up around 600 apps.
Were there any cool new iPod accessories which debuted this year?
MacLife has the lowdown on many new gadgets compatible with Apple hardware. The coolest one for me is an iPhone or iPod projector. Optoma created the Neo-i dock for your handy Apple device and lets you watch the image projected at about 50 lumens of power.While it won't replace your laptop's plasma screen, it's handy if you want to watch a larger version of your movie and not bring along a cumbersome screen. For those who love "wow" gadgets, this projector is perhaps the niftiest audio video gadget at just more than 2 pounds. Just dock your device and you can project something as small as 5 inches and as large as 10 feet across. Amazon sells Optoma's Neo-i for $450.
