Consumer Electronics Show is a yearly showplace for the newest whiz bang devices that are making their way to the marketplace. I returned from CES with a stack of brochures and notes about some of these products.

Here’s a few more of them that interested me most at this year’s CES.

Parrot Bebop 2 – Lightweight Drone

Further down one of the aisles there was a large crowd gathered. This was the Parrot booth where I witnessed a cool choreographed “dance” of a fleet of colorful drones.

The Bebop 2 drone is lightweight with 3-axis stabilization. The integrated 14MP camera with fisheye lens records in either still or video modes which you can aim through 180-degree direction. You control the Bebop 2 with either your smartphone or tablet which shows you what the camera sees. The battery can power the drone for about 25 minutes.

The Bebop 2 also has a built-in GPS receiver that you can programmed to follow a pre-set path. I’m guessing that this is how the choreography was performed.

The suggested price is $549. For more information please visit Parrot.

Robo 3D R1+Plus – 3D Printer

I’ve owned an early model 3D printer for a couple of years. At first I printed many of the samples that you can download for free from many online sites. This certainly expands the use of the printer but only for those owners who have the know-how and expend the effort to find the projects.

The Robo R1+Plus is one of only a few 3D printers that are available at retail stores. It offers one of the largest build size for this class of printer: 10″ x 9″ x 8″.Robo has wisely created a set of ready to print projects that can be offered at the point-of-sale. A potential buyer can see some of the many things he/she can create with the printer.

New Balance Shoe – Midsole Made with 3D Printer

At the 3D Systems booth, sports shoe maker New Balance was showing a new running shoe with a midsole made with a 3D printer. The midsole is the result of a special powder that offers strength and durability.

pq Custom Eyewear – Printed with a 3D Printer

It took me a few minutes to figure out what this display was about but it’s turned out to be very interesting. This booth was pq Eyeware by noted designer Ron Arad.

These are custom designed frames without hinges and manufactured using a 3D printer made by 3D Systems.

CES is held each year in early January in Las Vegas. This makes traveling to CES a respite from the cold and snowy winter weather of my home base in Michigan. I walked many miles through the aisles and took in the breath of new gadgets that may make their way to our homes and businesses in the next months.

DXO One – iOS Camera

The DXO One has a high resolution 20MP sensor with a fast f/1.8 32mm equivalent lens and attaches directly to the iOS device through a Lighting connector thereby eliminating the need for a wifi connection. An iOS app provides control over all of the cameras’s features – focus, exposure, shutter speed, aperture setting, ISO setting, more. Captured images are immediately transferred to the iPhone for editing or sharing online.

The suggested price for the DXO One is $475. For more information please visit DXO.

Sony Alpha 7R II Mirrorless

The suggested price of the a7R II is $3200. For more information, please visit Sony.

One of my former careers was developing, publishing and marketing software for the tiny flight simulator industry. This fact alone entitled me to become a very big fan of aviation, even though I’ve loved all things that fly since I was a kid.

I’ve also had a lifelong affair with photography. Whether on the road for business or pleasure I always have a camera as a traveling companion. This was the case several years ago when I was on a long haul from Grand Rapids to Sydney.

My flight by way of Los Angeles arrived at Sydney’s Kingsford Smith Airport early in the morning. While reading the local Sydney newspaper I learned that the first commercial flight of the Airbus A380 would be arriving from Singapore that afternoon. This was exciting news to me – for years I had been following the creation of this monster aircraft. Right then I decided that I would return to airport following a scheduled meeting in nearby Silverwater.