Macworld/iWorld: Day 1 wrap-up from the show floor

There was plenty to do on the first day of Macworld/iWorld 2013, but I spent my day on the floor of the expo hall, trying to see products from the 250-plus companies showing their wares. I’m looking for products that are worthy of Macworld’s Best of Show Awards, which are announced early Friday morning.

If you need an iPhone or iPad case, you’ll definitely find one here—it seemed like case makers were everywhere. So were iPad stands. If there’s any doubt that you can properly protect your iOS device or prop it up, those doubts will disappear when you walk the show floor.

But you can find interesting products that aren’t cases or stands. For example, Double Robotics has a working model of its Double robot. You’ll need two iPads to work the Double, one to mount on the robot, and the other to control it. The remote control requires an Internet connection, and you can, for example, be at home while your Double stand-in roams the halls of your office. For $2000, you can have your own Shelbot.

Atech is working on a terrain simulator that works with a real electric bicycle, not a stationary bike. Using software on your Mac, you can map a route, and the terrain map of that route is saved to an app on your iPhone. You then connect the iPhone to the bike and the tension of the gears and cranks adjust, based on the loaded terrain—regardless of the terrain you’re actually riding on. The bike and software are still in development, and Atech hopes to have the product ready later this year.

Mobile Monitor Technologies demonstrated its Monitor2Go, an external display for the iPad. It’s a nice device for folks how do a lot of presentations on the iPad; you can have the audience watch on the external display while you drive on the iPad, out of the way. It’s $329 for a Monitor2Go with a 1600-by-900 resolution.

What to do on Day 2 of Macworld/iWorld? Plenty, including a talk with actor Fred Amisen, lots and lots of sessions, and of course, more exploring of the show floor.

In case you missed our coverage on Thursday, here are some stories worth a read:

• Flint’s credit card reader for iOS devices;
• the newly launched Moxtra social networking app;
• iPhone apps for magicians;
• the Glide video walkie-talkie app; and
• a place to get a clean screen—and a stiff drink—on the Expo showfloor

Find all of our Macworld/iWorld coverage in one place.