Jeff Cutler's Gadget Report

Anyone who carries a tablet PC around – be it an iPad or other model – often has an issue of keeping the screen clean. I know that I’ve mucked up my iPhone screen with food particles and smudges on more occasions than I care to remember.

Licking the screen doesn’t really serve to clean it – and has the added benefit of grossing out your companions. So there’s a need in the aftermarket tech area for cleaning products and gadgets.

One such gadget is the SideKick™ from LensPen®. The little device – no bigger than a pack of gum or small tin of mints – fits in your pocket, your tablet case or briefcase.

But the size isn’t the main selling point according to the company. It’s the carbon tech used by LensPen in its other products that to keep screens clean.

For the $20 that SideKick costs, couldn’t you buy a dozen of those cleaning cloths made for eyeglasses? I guess so, but it depends how obsessive you are in keeping your tablet screen clean.

VP of marketing, Ryan Keating of LensPen says the gadget isn’t really an accessory, but a necessity for anyone who has an iPad.

That’s a bit of hyperbole, but I would think that if you’re using your tablet for business purposes, having a clear screen is vital to making a proper impression upon clients or colleagues.

And as more more folks are turning their tablets into their only computing device while on the road, it makes sense to give it as much attention as you would any gadget you’re relying upon.

There are lots of add-on devices and accouterments for every gadget. Only you can decide if you can’t live with a few smudges on your tablet screen.

LensPen’s site is http://lenspen.com. The SideKick was introduced this week at CES 2011 in Las Vegas.

The one thing that makes visiting Las Vegas in the dank, cold of January worth it is the people you get to see. Yes, it snowed here the other day. Second time in six years that I’ve seen snow in Las Vegas, and I’m pretty certain I can get this weather at home in Boston.

But weather aside, the familiar faces of colleagues and tech luminaries contribute to make traipsing around a monstrous trade show more fun. A smile here and some quick catching up serve to soften the reality that we’re all in a convention hall digging for stories about the latest technology.

On both accounts, last night at the CES Unveiled event at the Venetian was no different. I ran into more than my share of famous and familiar faces including pool shark Molly Wood from CNET and Tom Merrit, the host of Tech News Today on the TWIT Network. And I also said hi to product reps from companies like iHome, Sharper Image and Technocel, among others, who have some cool stuff on the pedestal for this year’s Consumer Electronics Show.

For instance, Sharper Image has finally taken steps to shake off the pain of their plummet and bankruptcy three years ago to emerge from the ashes with more vigor. According to Anthony Koperski, their national sales manager at Homedics (Sharper’s massage and wellness arm), the company is more focused now in bringing some great products to market – especially in the areas of home electronics and massage.

Koperski showed me a table full of iPod- and iPad-ready gadgets that the old Sharper Image might have been proud to offer. He also said that the little conference table at Unveiled wasn’t nearly large enough to show all their items. So I’m planning to go by their booth later this week to get photos and do a full review.

The iHome table was similarly packed with electronics…

…and also packed with people vying for position. From a media standpoint, I believe CES is pretty much opening their doors to anyone with a blog and not being as selective as they have in past years. But that’s a topic for a separate post/rant.

The last company I ran into last night was Technocel. They’ve got two products – the Micro USB Battery Boost and the Universal Travel Charger Plus. But what got me to remember their booth and the company name wasn’t the products, but the fact that they’re being represented at CES by people from Brookline, MA.

The BigFish marketing team was on sight and I saw some familiar faces from the Boston Social Media and tech scene. So, it all wraps together and you can’t avoid it. No matter where you go or what you’re doing, you’re bound to see folks who make you smile and help make any place familiar.

What’s the oddest event or place you’ve run into a familiar face?

I’m in the air over Massachusetts typing this into my iPhone. The plane I’m on, Jetblue flight 777 from Boston to Las Vegas, is packed with people headed to either CES or the SEXPO.

But that’s hardly the focus. What I’m wondering…questioning really…is whether airplane mode is good enough when attendants ask you to shut down your phone.

You see, on this particular night, on this particular flight, we were requested to turn our phones off and that Airplane Mode wasn’t good enough.

Well, is it? Can a phone in airplane mode interfere with airplane operations?

If the answer is yes, then wouldn’t anything electronic – down to hearing aids, DVD players, watches and cameras – be a problem too?

I’m sure there are plenty of folks who have forgotten to turn off their phones for a whole flight, and didn’t cause a crash.

As a tech journalist, I just want to clear up the confusion for myself and maybe educate some people along the way.

Your thoughts?