The Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in
Las Vegas, NV. is the largest electronics trade show in the world. This year,
January 7-10 2010, it featured over 2700 exhibits, with the latest software and
hardware, home theater equipment and innovative gadgets - the geek idea of
heaven.
Midst the plethora of products and gaggle of gadgetry, here's what caught my
eye:
Tablet PCs
PCs stripped of their keyboards and touch pads, these are essentially handheld
screens that do most of what your laptop does, but with touch controls and 3G
data access to stay connected. There were several versions at CES, but all
tablets are debuting under the shadow of Apple's still-unannounced tablet, which
the rumor mill says will be called "iSlate." Oh well, I like the name "iPad",
and since I'm still enjoying my iPhone experience, I'll probably buy one,
whatever it's called. But I'm also eyeing HP's new "Slate". Choices, choices...
The ebook revolution
A tidal wave of next-generation ebook readers unleashed this week. Following the
success of Amazon's Kindle, which reportedly sold 500,000 units worldwide in
2009, a slew of companies are trying to push traditional publishers towards the
ebook revolution. Dozens of new ebooks were announced at the show, from
electronics giants like Samsung and Sony, as well as smaller businesses that are
trying to establish themselves as pioneers. Meantime, Ray Kurzweil's Blio (free
software for regular PCs) is coming to show ebooks & magazines with full-color
pages, showing books with their original layout, fonts, and graphics. One
wonders if tablets plus software will eliminate iPaper and ebooks.
TV on Internet
Lots of people are starting to recognize that the handheld cellphone is becoming
the primary personal window for the Internet. Holding an iPhone at arms-length
is the same as viewing a 35-inch screen across the room. And the sound for
Youtube video or CNN broadcast is pretty good. So, where is TV going? Or rather,
where will it come from? My guess is most "broadcasts" will come via the
Internet, watched on your hand-held when you're alone, and linked to a
large-screen when you get home. Lots of gadgets are coming to make that
transition easy.
Cell phone heaven (& hell)
Recognizing the desktop/video/TV transition, and aiming to take on Apple's
iPhone, Google has announced Nexus One, a touch-screen phone that runs the
Google Android operating system. Nexus' size is about the same as the iPhone,
but it has a larger screen, and will sell for $179 with a T-Mobile USA contract
- $529 for just the hardware, easily activated with a SIM-card. With a huge
variety of features, content and downloadable "apps", the mobile phone is the
latest consumer battlefield, and old leaders will likely fall.
The world's thinnest laptop
Midst lots of cellphones, and the coming "cloud", there are lots of "netbooks"
(stripped-down laptops). Dell showed the world's thinnest laptop - at 9.9 mm
it's thinner than many mobile phones. Very nice unlocking system - you simply
stroke the front of the lid to open it. Then, it sits up, with the keyboard
tilted at a more ergonomic typing angle. The motherboard and 128GB solid-state
drive are behind the screen, not beneath the keyboard. Nice, but will it save
Dell?
Consumers (you and I - and
hordes of Indians, Chinese and Brazilians in the global village) are scrambling
for equal footing in the new tech-landscape. With these new skills and
"techcabilities", the race for increased personal effectiveness is accelerating
forward. Are YOU in?
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