Blog Posts by Chase Kell

With this year's event setting new Consumer Electronics Show records for exhibitors, attendance and claimed floor space, you can forget about the supposed dwindling interest in the tech trade show. We've seen some very impressive products debut this week: the Nokia Lumia 900 smartphone, the LG 55EM9800 OLED TV, the HP Envy 14 Spectre ultrabook and the Fujifilm X Pro 1 mirrorless camera, to name a few.

But they can't all be winners, and this year's event revealed quite a few products that are sure to fall flat. Here's a look at our favourite duds to emerge from CES 2012:

The Solowheel

A product that you'll likely never see in a store near you, this self-balancing personal mobility device is an intriguing take on a unicycle crossed with a Segway. Once you've managed to get on the thing without falling down, get it going by squeezing the red pads with your calves and leaning forward. Sam Byford from The Verge took it for a test spin and quickly ran into a car (and his Solowheel came with

Tech shoppers looking at the last year's iPad 2.You'll have to take the latest Apple rumour for what it is, but if the leaks are true, the highly anticipated iPad 3 will be ready to ship in early March.

A report from Geek.com indicates that the iPad 3 is expected to hit the shelves around the same time as last year's iPad 2. Tech sites such as Mac Daily News, Know Your Cell and Mobile Marketing Watch are reporting a Q1 release as well, but one blog is adding an interesting twist to the supposed release date.

"We have heard from other sources that Apple would launch iPad 3 on the birthday of Steve Jobs (February 24) to give him another tribute," reports Monis from iPhone Help. "Though, these are only rumors and none of the source seems authentic about it."

The Geek.com report accredits the leak to "Asian supply chain sources," who reveal that Apple has split production of the iPad 3 between two companies: Pegatron and Foxconn.

"Foxconn will be driving 85% of the iPad 3′s production, with Pegatron picking up 15%," shares Will

It might seem odd for a company to celebrate the dwindling use of their product, but Microsoft has done just that. With a cake, and a little of the bubbly.

"Time to pop open the champagne because based on the latest data from Net Applications, IE6 usages in the U.S. has now officially dropped below 1 per cent," shares Roger Capriotti, director of Internet Explorer marketing in his blog.

And with this in mind, Microsoft seems keen on killing off the old version of its iconic browser, a move it hopes will persuade users to upgrade to IE8 or IE9.

"We hope this means more developers and IT pros can consider IE6 a 'low priority' at this point and stop spending their time having to support such an outdated browser," explains Capriotti.

An outdated product makes the celebration a little more understandable, but Richard Edwards, principal analyst at Ovum, believes there's more to it.

"I think it was rated one of the worst software products of all time by one tech magazine at the time of

CES attendees wear 3D glasses while watching a 3D demonstration in the Sony booth during the 2011 International Consumer Electronics Show.The annual Consumer Electronics Show is always good for a sneak peak at a few game-changing tech trends. The netbook was all the buzz at the event in 2009, e-readers and 3D televisions led the highlights from 2010 and last year, Android tablets emerged as viable competitors to the iPad.

With this year's event set to kick off next Tuesday in Las Vegas, we're taking a look at a few anticipated debuts that could become the 2012 show's breakout product.

Ultrabooks

The emergence of these super-slim laptops, with improved state drives and superior battery life, dealt a major blow to the netbook back in May. Models such as the Acer Aspire S3, Lenovo IdeaPad U300s and the Toshiba Portege Z835 proved to be solid alternatives to the MacBook Air, but many are expecting an onslaught of improved ultrabooks this year in Vegas.

As many as 50 fresh models are expected to crack the market next week. Many believe Intel President and CEO Paul Otellini will discuss the Ivy Bridge Core processors, a

You can almost hear the brass at Hasbro screaming "OPTIMUS" in their best Shia LaBeouf impersonation.

The popular toy company has filed a lawsuit against Asus, the consumer electronics product manufacturer, over the use of the name 'Transformer Prime.'

Hasbro recently filed the suit in Los Angeles, arguing that the name of the latest Asus tablet is a little too close to the toy-maker's Transformers brand. Seeking damages and a temporary injunction, Hasbro cites its "willingness to aggressively protect its brands and protect it from companies who 'misappropriate' its intellectual property," according to Geek.com.

You would expect a company such as Asus to consult with its legal team before using such a popular moniker. "Perhaps this is why the full name of the tablet is the convoluted Asus Eee Pad Transformer Prime," shares Geek.com writer Will Shanklin in the story.

While the tablet will be hard-pressed to best the Kindle Fire, the new Asus Eee Pad is generating rave reviews as the

'The Binding Force' was created using iStencylYou don't have to be a game developer to earn a buck or two making video games. In fact, you can build your own game and put a little change in your pocket without having any knowledge of code.

iStencyl provides gaming enthusiasts who have no coding experience with the ability to create entire video games for iOS using "block builder." The program is tailor-made for beginners as it does not support Objective-C, for those of you code-savvy gamers.

Games can be developed using a Mac or PC, tested within the program using an app simulator (or outside using your personal iOS device) and put up for sale in the iTunes app store.

Check out the video below:

All creations are compatible with the the entire slate of Apple mobile devices (iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch), and can be exported to flash for web-based game play. Gizmag reports that compatibility with Android and HTML5 is on the way.

Building games using the program is free, but users who decide to sell their product in the app store must

As the U.S. House Committee prepares for tomorrow's hearing on SOPA, a controversial bill that seeks to block websites accused of copyright infringement, there seems to be a general lack of understanding amongst internet users abroad.

And perhaps the tight-lipped coverage is to blame. This burgeoning story could be the largest Internet-themed news event since Y2K, yet the major media coverage on a bill that some believe has potential to "break the internet" has been scarce.

Should this bill pass, one of the most robust industries on the planet - as we know it - will cease to exist. Content for download will come under attack, users will tip-toe around restricted access and popular sites such as Reddit will struggle to survive - all because the entertainment industry seeks to pick up where the Napster lawsuits left off.

What is the Stop Online Piracy Act?

The U.S. House Judiciary Committee recognizes SOPA as bill H. R. 3261. It's designed to "expand the ability of the Department of

The home of the Maple Leafs, the CN Tower and Canada's favourite mayor is also home to the most "social" airport north of the border.

Toronto Pearson International has been recognized as one of the top 25 social airports in the world and is the only Canadian mention to crack Facebook's list at number 21.

Los Angeles International Airport tops the list, meaning that more travellers check in via social media at LAX than they do at any other airport in the world. American airports occupy the top six spots with Sydney, Australia (7) and Bangkok, Thailand (9) squeezing into the top 10.

Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International, Chicago O'Hare International, San Francisco International and Dallas/Fort Worth International airports round out the top five respectively.

Facebook compiled its data between August 2010 and November 2011 using third-party location services. Below is the complete list of Facebook's top 25 social airports.

1.    Los Angeles International Airport
2.