Toktumi Targets Small Business Users with Line2 App for the iPad

  • San Francisco-based Toktumi, Inc. — the company behind the Line2 app that provides second phone lines for iOS and Android smartphones — is now debuting a version that works with the iPad.
  • “It can make calls where AT&T’s signal is weak, like indoors. It can turn an iPod Touch into a full-blown cellphone. And it can ruin the sleep of cellphone executives everywhere,” wrote David Pogue of the original app in The New York Times.
  • The app uses new numbers or can port over existing local phone numbers. Users can make calls over Wi-Fi or 3G.
  • It is being marketed as a tool for small businesses that need a second line. It also includes a contact management organizer.
  • The $9.95 per month fee includes unlimited calls to the U.S. and Canada, and unlimited texting (no contract required).
  • The manufacturer is billing it as a more professional-looking alternative to products like Skype and Google Phone because it uses traditional phone numbers. Also touting it as a “cheap” way to add a second line.
  • Where to see it: Innovations Design and Engineering Showcase, LVCC Grand Lobby

J5create Wormhole Switch Lets Apple and Windows Exchange Files

  • Wormhole Switch from J5create is a single USB cord that enables Windows and Apple computers to exchange files. There is also a version that connects Windows machines with Android platforms.
  • No software is required; the cord — priced at $24 to $39 — does it all.
  • Data transfer rates are USB 2’s standard 4.8 gigabytes per second, “so file size is limited only by the size of the hard drive. You can drag and drop a 1 terabyte file,” a company rep explained.
  • The Wormhole Station accomplishes the same thing via a docking device that also enables multiple units (like tablets and iPads) to share a keyboard.
  • Where to see it: Innovations Design and Engineering Showcase, LVCC Grand Lobby

Samsung Demos Wi-Fi Webcam-Like Device for Connected TVs

  • Samsung’s new inTouch enables wireless Internet connectivity for HDTV sets at 1080p, allowing users to view YouTube, Hulu and other online content in big screen splendor.
  • The tiny Android device connects to a TV via a single HDMI cable (no software required) and syncs to the home Wi-Fi network.
  • It features a built-in camera and microphone for multi-user 720p Skype videoconferencing on a grand scale.
  • Comes with mini keypad that company reps are touting as a much easier browser interface than a remote control.
  • Expected to ship in March, priced at $199.
  • SlashGear has a 1-minute video demo from CES Unveiled.
  • Where to see it: Central 12004; Innovations Design and Engineering Showcase, LVCC Grand Lobby