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LAS VEGAS — The annual Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas draws companies from places as far away as Japan and France, but Utah maintains a strong presence with more than 50 participating companies with ties to the state.
The types of technology presented by Utah companies at the conference, where many of the year’s biggest trends are set, cover a wide spectrum. Kiband creates a device that keeps kids safe. Dark Energy makes a compact charger that can withstand water and stores enough power to recharge a smartphone’s battery several times.
To share the large variety of companies with Utah ties at this year's show, we’ve compiled a short list below. Check KSL.com and writer Natalie Crofts’ Twitter feed for more CES 2015 updates. The conference officially starts Tuesday and runs through Friday, but additional press events are held Sunday and Monday.
Power Practical ===============
Following multiple Kickstarter slam dunks, this startup is participating at the show for a second year. David Toledo and Paul Slusser were students at the University of Utah when they decided it would be fun to create a generator to power portable speakers so they could listen to music around campfires. The result was the PowerPot, a portable generator that can double as a device charger and cooking pot.
This year the company will be showcasing its Pronto battery, seizing the opportunity to draw more buyers at the show for retail placement of the product. The Pronto is a fast-charging pack that stores enough power in five minutes to fully charge an iPhone. A Kickstarter for the project garnered over $375,000 in November, smashing its $50,000 goal.
A new company in Lehi founded in January 2014, Skydrop is a “smart” Wi-Fi sprinkler controller. During its short time, it has already won a 2014 Utah innovation award and was given an Editor’s Choice Award by PC Mag.
With Skydrop, users can opt to let the sprinkler controller’s technology “adjust settings automatically based on real-time weather conditions for a more efficient and more cost-effective method,” according to the company. It uses local weather data to determine how much water is needed and can be controlled remotely by an app or through the physical controller.
Based in Logan, iFit is the fitness service solution brand of ICON Health & Fitness, which is the largest fitness company in the world, according to vice president of marketing Colleen Logan. The company was founded by Logan natives Scott Watterson and Gary Stevenson about 40 years ago. Its other brands include NordicTrack, ProForm, Altra running and Gold’s Gym.
The iFit service is built into fitness machines like ellipticals, treadmills and strength products so they can connect to the Internet via Wi-Fi, letting users do things like create maps to feel as if they are walking or running around the world using Google's Street View. Dubbed “iFit Life,” the technology can also be found in kitchen, bedroom, office and on-the-go devices to provide a comprehensive system with personalized advice for topics like workouts and nutrition to keep users healthy.
This nearly 3-year-old Pleasant Grove company specializes in consumer 3D printing, currently holding contracts with companies like Marvel, Wal-Mart, Hasbro and Toys ’R’ Us to perform merchandize 3D modeling and attachment services, according to co-founder Chris Knudsen.
The company lets consumers personalize toys so they look like them or another loved one by using a “high-resolution 3D face scanner to capture and create a 3D model in seconds,” according to the company. Using the technology, consumers can be transformed into heroes and even non-human characters.
Full list of 2015 Utah exhibitors, provided by CES:
3DplusMe
AMREPCO Inc.
Blade Electronics LLC.
BodyGuardz
ClearPlex
Contour
Control4
Dark Energy
EnOcean Inc.
FUZ Designs
Goal Zero LLC
Heatshrink.com
TTRobotix
HZO Inc.
iBOLT — Wireless Accessory Solutions
iCat by EK Ekcessories
iFit
IsoMike
Jaybird
Kiband
Kimber Kable
The Foot Hammock
myLifter
Novi Security
Ogio International
Owlet Baby Care
PhoneSoap
Power Practical
Professional Cable
RBH Sound
Reverse Logistics Association
Saygus
Shenzhen YiDaShi Electronics
SiGZiG
Skullcandy
Skydrop
Solan
Sorenson Media
Streamz
TrackPIN
Veristride
VPI Technology
WattGate
WBT-USA
WhiteClouds
Wicked Audio
Wilson Audio
weBoost
Xandem Technology
Xi3 Corp.
YG Acoustics
ZAGG
zNitro/Clear Protector
