The CES 2008 Report
OK, so I’m not trying to take on Engadget for CES show coverage or anything, but I would like to share my thoughts and observations on this years CES show.
Green Technology - There was a small collection of small companies displaying various green technologies, which attracted a disproportionately large amount of press people. Lots of video interviews going on amongst solar powered backpacks and intelligent power strips. My only real comment here is that it seems like green technology is not yet attractive enough by big manufacturers, but is something that makes for good TV.
Gaming - was big last year, and was even more so this year. Everyone from HP to Coolermaster had a live gaming network setup with players going at each other. I can’t help but to wonder if the writer’s strike has anything to do with this. Seems like there are more games being displayed than feature films at any given booth. There were lots of gaming chairs, gaming mice, gaming keyboards, you could even get owned (or in ‘leet speak, pwn3d) in a head to head with a professional gamer. Also worthy to note is the overall cinematic quality that some of the latest games are showing. Really justifies getting that 30″ PC monitor.
150″ Plasma - Yes, Panasonic really made this. There may be a new service industry born around this thing in roof removal and crane operators in order to install these things. I know this is a novelty item, but it is a strange race and I’m not sure there is a finish line.
R2-DLP - Now this is just silly, but I still want one. Not sure who made this, but in the TI DLP demo booth, there is a R2-D2 with an iPod dock, a DVD player, and a DLP projector. Any self respecting Star Wars fan recalls R2’s ability to project a hologram from the lens on his top dome. So really the question is, why did this take so long. Waiting for this 30 years, we have been.
I’ve also spent some time looking into the state of wireless HD video. There are a couple new products out, but so far no additional capabilities besides what has already been out there, just a few new faces in the game. A single link of HD video, with distances of 30-50 feet is still the limitation. Nothing that can solve the problem of whole house distribution. Honestly I don’t see wireless ever solving that problem. The whole house challenge, either analog or digital, will involve a physical connection from point A to point B.
Tomorrow will be a short day, then the mad rush for the airport. Thanks for tuning in!