Check out all the Baltimore-area companies at #CES2016

At CES, the connected cars and virtual reality cameras get the big headlines. But beyond the gadgets, another way to think about the Las Vegas Consumer Electronics Show is as a massive meetup that also brings together the tech community from around the world.
Baltimore-area companies are among the thousands of attendees, whether they’re checking out what’s hot or showing off their latest products.
Mindgrub founder Todd Marks is among those checking out the latest, and posted a picture of Dallas Cowboys QB Tony Romo talking about Under Armour’s new fitness tech. It looks like Baltimore-based Polk Audio is also there:

Technology sure does drive exploration and sound. @NASA_Technology in the house. #CES2016 #nasa #robot pic.twitter.com/R8DLp2KSTk

— Polk Audio (@polkaudio) January 7, 2016

Following her visit to Baltimore in November to announce the local arrival of the White House’s TechHire initiative, U.S. CTO Megan Smith gave Charm City a shoutout:

.@USCTO tells #CES2016 that cities like Baltimore are using the maker movement to drive innovation and entrepreneurship

— Consumer Technology Association Policy (@cta_policy) January 6, 2016

Here are the companies from the area on the exhibit floor:

1. Traitify

The personality API company is in the show’s App Nation section.

#CES2016 is in full swing! Stop by our booth to find out your personality!

— Traitify by Paradox (@traitify) January 6, 2016

2. Ventev

Like last year, Tessco device case subsidiary Ventev are on the exhibit floor. Ventev urged attendees to tweet their battery level in case it ran out of juice. Then Sir Charles showed up. (Sir Charles, um, loves Vegas.)
https://twitter.com/VentevMobile/status/685176126721929218

3. M3D

This Fulton-based company got a lot of attention for raising $3.4 million on Kickstarter to distribute its printers. As the printers were being delivered throughout the year, the company’s team was also working on a new feature: proprietary 3D-printing ink.
M3D is debuting Tough 3D Ink at CES. CEO Michael Armani said it’s designed so users can choose the flexibility or rigidity of the printed item, and it prints faster than the ABS or PLA materials that are typically used. “If you go full density you have an object that’s as hard as a shopping cart tire,” Armani said. On a lower setting, he said, it’s “softer than the softest bouncy ball.”
It also doesn’t smell. “We believe in this material so much that we’re putting it forth as our primary workhorse material,” Armani said.

4. M-Edge

This Hanover-based company started out of a Baltimore basement. The company makes Bluetooth-enabled, voice-activated earbuds, as well as tablet and iPhone cases and bags for the gym or office that can charge those devices.

5. Under Armour

On Tuesday, Under Armour made what we thought was their big splash for this year’s show with smart shoes, a HealthBox and cool headphones. They added one more reveal on Thursday with IBM’s announcement that the supercomputer better known as Watson is now used in UA’s fitness app.
Used within Under Armour’s Record app, Watson will effectively serve as a “personal health consultant,” analyzing the fitness data collected and making recommendations around sleep, fitness, activity and nutrition.

6. ZeroChroma

Another company listed in the case category is South Baltimore-based ZeroChroma. The company makes a host of cases for iPads, iPhones that allow for 360-degree rotation. CEO Brian LeGette spoke at Startup Grind in 2014.