Samsung got itself a fair amount of press last week after it promised to showcase its latest amazing product with a lengthy Super Bowl ad that set the company back millions of dollars. We got excited for a moment, but then learned shortly afterwards Samsung would be promoting the Galaxy Note instead of an unannounced device such as the Galaxy S III or another variant on the Galaxy Tab. The question that remains is whether Samsung do a good job with this highly publicized ad, or did it just leave us scratching our heads?

It’s ironic how Samsung downplays the excitement of a mock iPhone launch in this commercial. What is arguably the most popular smartphone on the planet is being waited on by a crowd that looks like they’d rather be doing anything else other than waiting for an iPhone. Of course in real life, those bored to death customers contribute to record-breaking iPhone sales every time a new model is launched. Samsung clearly thinks the iPhone is boring, so it turns it up to eleven in this ad. Once the Galaxy Note shows up, the lead singer from The Darkness randomly appears and a full on party starts. I mean there are enough fireworks, ziplines and people in this commercial to rival downtown Indianapolis during the Super Bowl. The Galaxy Note is made out to be the single greatest thing since the iPhone. There’s one problem though. Samsung didn’t tell us what the heck the Galaxy Note is.

I’m pretty sure Samsung didn’t spend all that money just to cater to the tech crowd. It’s not us Samsung needs to convince. We already knew the Galaxy Note is coming to AT&T for $300 on February 19. We knew the phone works on AT&T’s new 4G LTE network. For some reason, Samsung left all of that information on the cutting room floor. The end of the ad just says the Galaxy Note is coming soon to Best Buy. Don’t you think it would be a good idea to let people know this massive device is a phone? Don’t you think it would be a good idea to let people know they can pre-order the phone right now? Don’t you think it would be a good idea to tell people what carrier the phone is on?

Samsung put together a visually pleasing ad. However, the overall message is lost. Samsung is trying to create hype for phone without even telling the audience what it’s selling. The Galaxy Note is unrecognizable by the majority of people and this ad does little to solve that problem.

Monster's Diamond Tears headphones

In the latest installment of an exclusive interview with our sister publications Dealerscope and CustomRetailer, Noel Lee, the Monster chief executive known as the “Head Monster,” discusses new products for 2012.

In this interview, Lee tells Krissy Rushing about Monster’s new Diamond Tears headphones, as well as the company’s new partnership with the fashion brand Diesel.

Click here to watch the interview.

Google had their earnings call yesterday afternoon and while they offered the usual stats, figures and numbers, they also took some time to address other items such as Google Wallet. In short, it looks like Google remains committed to Wallet and is going to keep pushing it. Anyway, during the Q&A portion of the earnings call, Susan Wojcicki who a Google senior vice president had this to say;

“We want to focus on products that people use every day — products at our core. And all of us use our wallet every day. And we think it’s a big opportunity for us. We are continuing to invest in our wallet business. And we see a lot of opportunity. For example, there might be opportunities in the future how online and offline are linked together. And better opportunities with the way different parts of our business wind up working.

“So we are very excited about Wallet, and we will continue to invest in it.”

Of course, by that we are hoping that means we will eventually begin to see Wallet supported on more devices.

Via [AndroidCentral]

The Sony Xperia SmartWatch always sort of sounded like a really cool device. Well, a cool device assuming you want to be able to get some information from your smartphone on your wrist anyway. But that being said, after spending a few minutes playing with the SmartWatch here at CES – this sort of makes us want to get one. Just to begin with, the SmartWatch looks rather nice. Not to mention, as you can see from the images below, it is available in a few color options. And looks aside, the watch is feature rich with the ability to show the date and time as well as text messages. In addition, some of the other goodies that the SmartWatch features include the ability to handle/control your calls and music as well as email, Twitter, Facebook and more. Also worth noting, the Xperia SmartWatch is both scratch-proof and splash-proof.

In addition to the Xperia line of smartphones, Sony also has some Xperia branded accessories. One of those is the Smart Wireless Headset Pro and we managed to get a few images while on the show floor. What can you really say here, this is an Xperia branded product and it is a headset. That aside though, the Xperia Smart Wireless Headset Pro allows the user to make calls from the headsets recent caller list and it displays text messages, email, caller names, media titles and more. The headset can also be used as a portable MP3 player or radio and according to the folks at Sony – features “superior” stereo sound.

We mentioned the PowerBag and we mentioned our hands on with the myCharge Duet iPhone battery case. And well, in addition we also checked out the Folio iPhone battery case from myCharge. This one was equally nice in quality. The myCharge Folio brings a matte case and magnetic closer. It also has a look very similar to that of the Smart Cover for the iPad. Of course, unlike the Apple Smart Cover the myCharge Folio brings a 1300 mAh battery along with a USB power-in cable. This case retails for $79.99 and as you will see in the images below — it is available in a variety of colors.

The folks over at PowerBag sent over a nice backpack for us to use during the show. The bag came for free, however there was a catch in that we have to visit their booth to get the battery. And well, that visit came with a tour which not only showed the bags, but also the other goodies. Some of those goodies are battery style cases for the iPhone. More specifically, one of those cases was the myCharge Duet which brings features to include a;

• 1300mAh rechargeable battery case with built-in USB power-in cable
• 2-part design: ultra thin, protective iPhone case and custom fitting battery pack
• Doubles iPhone 4S battery life
• Includes 3 protective cases (black, white, blue)

The myCharge Duet is priced at $99.99 and while we only spent a few minutes with the case — we will say that it looks rather nice. With that, check out a few of the images we snapped below…

Cobra Electronics can’t wait until CES 2012 officially opens, so the company went ahead and announced the latest version of its “intelligent, affordable personal loss prevention system” – dubbed Cobra Tag G5. For those who are unaware (like myself), this device is a nifty device that sends a signal that warns you when you are separated from your valuable devices such as iPhone or Android phone.

The Cobra Tag G5 is composed of a small key fob device that when paired with your iPhone or Android device through downloadable app uses Bluetooth wireless technology to link the two devices together. The system monitors the distance between your phone and tagged items and produces the sound alert if your device and the Cobra Tag G5 gets separated. In other words, the Cobra Tag G5 ensures that you’ll never lose your smartphone again.

The Cobra Tag G5 will be available in Q2 2012 for $59.95. If you’re curious how it looks like, check it out during the CES 2012. In fact, no official photos of the device is available yet. We can’t wait to see how it will look different from the original Cobra Tab (pictured above).

Via [Cobra Electronics]

As CES 2012 is quickly approaching we are beginning to see more and more teasing done. One of the those products that we will be seeing officially unveiled during CES is the Blue HR Bluetooth heartrate monitor from Wahoo Fitness. This heartrate monitor is a Bluetooth device and will be compatible with the “iPhone 4S and other Bluetooth Smart Ready devices.” And in short, the Blue HR will be able to provide users with real-time heart rate readings on their smartphones. The nice part here is that the Blue HR is going to be compatible with more than a few already existing fitness apps. For example, it was noted that the Blue HR Bluetooth heartrate monitor will work with Runkeeper as well as with MapMyFitness, 321Run, Runmeter and MotionX. Additionally, more app support was promised to come in 2012. Otherwise, the Wahoo Fitness Blue HR heartrate monitor will be available in January of 2012 and it will arrive priced at $79.99.

Via [Wahoo Fitness]

Keep reading to check out the full press release…

Wahoo Fitness Reveals the Blue HR, the World’s First Bluetooth Smart Heart Rate Monitor

Unveiling at CES 2012, the Blue HR harnesses the power of Bluetooth Smart Ready Devices, transforming your smartphone into an all-in-one training partner

Atlanta, GA – December 22, 2011 – Wahoo Fitness, the leader in smartphone fitness technology, announces the Wahoo Fitness Blue HR, the world’s first Bluetooth Smart heart rate monitor. Using the latest in Bluetooth technology, the Blue HR (Heart Rate) will communicate directly with the iPhone 4S and other Bluetooth Smart Ready devices, providing users with real-time heart rate readings on their smartphone. With Wahoo’s Blue HR and the fitness app of your choice, you now have your heart rate data, music playlists, phone, GPS maps and more, all in one place. Priced at $79.99, Wahoo’s Blue HR will hit stores nationwide in January of 2012.

To see Wahoo Fitness’ Blue HR product test, click HERE

Blue HR is launching with full support of several of Wahoo Fitness’ app partners, who have been working with Wahoo’s Open API to support the Blue HR. Already tested and released in the App Store are several of the most popular fitness apps – MapMyFitness, RunKeeper, 321Run, Runmeter, and MotionX – with more to come in 2012. Without ties to a specific app, Wahoo’s heart rate strap provides the millions of users already using these apps, with the heart monitoring information they need, regardless of sport, in a customizable application of their choice.

“So many smartphone fitness monitors limit you to using their own smartphone application,” says Chip Hawkins, CEO of Wahoo Fitness. “Wahoo has been working with the top fitness app developers on other smartphone fitness monitors for years, so the Blue HR is simply the next step. Our partnerships allow users to easily incorporate all their fitness data into the app they already know and love. Whether you log your miles on Runkeeper, MapMyRide, or one of the other top 100 fitness apps, the Blue HR will seamlessly integrate your heart rate data into the interface of your choice.”

The Blue HR also marks the first release of a Bluetooth Smart app enabled accessory for the iPhone 4S. Like the iPhone 4S, by the end of 2012, virtually all new smartphones will include the Bluetooth v4.0 technology that is in all Bluetooth Smart Ready devices. Bluetooth Smart is a low-energy wireless technology that provides longer battery life, enhanced range, and creates new opportunities for Bluetooth product developers and manufacturers, specifically in the markets of health care, sports, fitness, security, and home entertainment.

Wahoo Fitness Blue HR features include:

• Wirelessly relays heart rate information via Bluetooth Smart technology to your iPhone 4S and other Bluetooth Smart Ready devices, no additional hardware or key needed
• Generates heart rate information in real-time, providing the most accurate number of calories burned during workout
• Compatible with the most popular fitness apps, including Runkeeper, MapMyRun, and the free Wahoo Fitness App
• Optional Wahoo Armband provides comfortable protection for your iPhone 4S with full touch screen access

The Wahoo Fitness Blue HR will hit store shelves in January of 2012.

While we are hung up on watching the video and seeing the iPad 2 being dipped and later submerged in hot flowing lava — there is a bit more to the video. You see, it is coming by way of a company called ZooGue who are using this as an effort to promote their free iPhone case offer. That being said, aside from watching the video, which strangely does not really offer much in terms of a mention of ZooGue, you can hit the link below to claim your free iPhone case. The free case offer will be limited to the first 50,000 and all said and done, it seems simple enough to get. Just click the “Like” button for the ZooGue Facebook page, get the coupon code and then apply that coupon during your checkout. And lastly, while this is a free case offer, you are getting a $14.99 case for free, you do still have to pay for shipping.

Via [ZooGue] and [TechnoBuffalo]