It’s not just a case of swapping the dull included voice for another, still repeating the same old commands. Apparently you get a flavour of the character too. So you get Mr Burns insulting you by referring to you as the “driving monkey” and Marge commenting on the peculiar odour coming from your car.

The two new additions join Homer, who apparently is the most downloaded character voice for TomTom’s devices.

The good news: it doesn’t matter whether you have an iOS app or the dedicated GPS device. The voices are downloadable for both.

The not-so-good: it’s not free. But then, why would it be? It’ll cost you a mere €4.95 to get each voice if you’re an iPhone or iPad user. The TomTom sat nav devices are a little more expensive, at €9.95.

I’m holding out for Abe. You might get there two hours late, but at least you’ll get to hear some old-man tales on the way.

TomTom

Instead of going into your ears, the headphones sit just in front of them. The sound is delivered via your cheekbones, so you can still hear what’s going on around you while you walk/run/work.

The demonstration:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Show time for electronics as record numbers exhibit at CES

Organisers dismiss ‘game over’ talk as rivals grow

Irish firms attracted by show’s X-factor

Tired of updating Facebook? A robot rabbit could be the solution . . .

I’ve already done the most important thing after getting off the plane: heading to In-n-Out Burger for the first double double of the trip (possibly the best burger you’ll ever get that doesn’t cost the best part of €20).

And today, we’ve seen Samsung, LG, Panasonic and Intel show off their vision of the future – or the next 12 months at least.

Next up is Sony, and from tomorrow we get to hit the show floor to get out hands on all the new gadgets that have been announced.

So stay tuned – there’ll be some updates in the coming days. And if you’re on Twitter, I’m occasionally tweeting from @ciaraobrien, whenever I can get a decent internet connection. Which, despite this being a tech conference, is harder than you’d think.

Apple iPhone 4S

It’s shiny, it’s Apple, it’s got a digital assistant that give you attitude…What more do you want? A step up from the iPhone 4, the camera has been improved (8megapixels compared with 5megapixels previously) and it’s got a shiny new chip that makes everything run a bit faster, the same one that’s in the iPad. Plus Apple has tried to sort out the antenna issues, making the 4S a world phone that can roam on CDMA networks as well as GSM.

Samsung Galaxy Nexus

[update: Now with the correct phone! I blame excessive Christmas spirit]

The first Android handset to come with Android’s latest cersion (4.0 or Ice Cream Sandwich if you prefer), the Nexus has all the usually bells, whistles and shiny things. Like near field communications, for when you’ll use your phone to pay for things. Or face recognition to unlock the handset so you don’t even have to lift a finger to access your phone. Aside from that it’s got a huge screen (4.65in) and shoots HD video. The 5megapixel still camera isn’t the highest quality on the market but it will get the job done. It is almost imperceptibly curved too, so it sits nicely against your face.

HTC Sensation XE

Remember a while back when HTC bought a stake in Dr Dre’s Beats? Well the audio technology is now being used in its handsets. The Android phone has everything from custom sound profiles to the Beats ear buds in the box. But aside from that link, it’s a solid phone too. The dual core processor has been increased to 1.5GHz, so it’s reasonably fast, and it has a 4.3inch screen.

Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc S

The Arc caused a bit of a stir when it was unveiled last year. The Arc S is a slightly improved version of its predecessor. It comes with a 1.4GHz processor, and the ability to take sweeping panorama shots. On top of that, it has some Bravia technology in there – Reality Display with Mobile BRAVIA Engine to be precise – that keeps your video crisp and clear. It’s Android too. And, of course, it looks good.

HTC Radar

Windows Phone 7 might be a small part of the market now, but it’s certainly got its fans. And with Nokia taking on the operating system, sidelining its Symbian software and snubbing Android, WP7 may grow further in 2012.

The HTC Radar comes with the latest version, Mango (or WP7.5), installed, and sticks to Microsoft’s usual hardware profile – 5megapixel camera, 1GHz processor.

It’s also got HTC’s aluminium body.

If you didn’t, here’s the video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

For the person in your life who has (almost) everything.

From ThinkGeek

Yes, the iPhone 4S has gone on sale, and contrary to popular belief, it does come with smart-mouth digital assistant Siri included.

Yes, the app is in beta, so there is no support for Irish customisation as yet. And there are some functions that won’t work here just yet, or so Siri tells me occasionally – usually when you’re trying to search for a business.

But so far today I’ve been told what the weather is like, dectated an email, asked Siri some stupid questions and been told off for my language. So it’s safe to say it recognises exactly what I’m saying.

I think I love this a little.

Unfortunately, we don’t have the room to include every phone in Tech Tools, so here’s a round-up of the rest.

Xperia Arc S

Take the regular Xperia Arc, add in a faster processor – 1.4GHz – the ability to take 3D sweep panorama shots and gesture input, and you have the Arc S.  The battery life has been extended – you get an extra hour of talk time (seven instead of six) and 460 hours of standby compared to 430.

Oh, and they make it in more colours. Instead of silver and dark blue, you have the option of pink and black too.

Xperia Mini

One of the more compact Xperia phones. The Android handset can shoot HD video, and has 5-megapixel still camera, but won’t weigh you down. The Android homescreen can be customised by putting up to 16 of your favourite apps in the corners of the home screens. The downside is that the screen itself can be a little difficult to use at times, especially if you don’t have small hands.

Xperia Mini Pro

The Mini, but with a slide out QWERTY keyboard. This means it’s slightly less compact but infinitely easier to use. It has better talk time than the Mini, at five hours compared to four, but loses out on standby time – 331 hours versus 340. It’s also about 40g heavier. And the Mini Pro has a front facing camera, with the Mini does not.

Live with Walkman

Aimed at the music fans, the Live with Walkman has a dedicated button that takes you straight to your music. The Android phone also has Sony’s 3D Panorama Sweep technology, and the ability to video chat. It’s compact, but still has a 3.2 inch screen.