Observations on technology trends from the latest conferences and seminars.

By David Danto, IMCCA's Director of Emerging Technology. Email David at David.Danto.IMCCA at Danto.com

January 10, 2010

In This Edition:

* CES 2010 - The 3D Show

* The Effects of Smaller / Bigger
* Home Video Conferencing (Or is that Telepresence?)

* Technology Milestones

* New And Notable - From the Show Floor                                   

Greetings from CES 2010 - or "The 3D Show" as most have been calling it, with my temporary new picture above a nod to the return of the days of us all wearing silly looking glasses in public ... but more on that later.

This was the first consumer electronics show in very long time that had significant logistical problems - which I suppose was both good and bad.  Last year's show had 140K registered attendees and 130 "announced as present" (with 100K probably being a more accurate number.)   The Consumer Electronics Association that runs the show was very concerned about the sparse crowds in the challenging economy and took significant steps to prevent that perception...steps that backfired.  This years 43rd annual show was reduced to one venue - The Las Vegas Convention Center - intentionally not utilizing The Sands Convention Center nor any outdoor venues in the parking lot as they had done in years past (tents for special technologies, registration, etc.)  Using what must have been Vaseline and a shoehorn the CEA folks crammed every inch of the LVCC's main areas, lobbies, hallways, etc. with exhibitors - many of which used more compact booths.  There was no lobby mingling area, no CES store, and no breathing room at all (save for the very back of the south hall - which was vastly underutilized.)  The result of all of this was that the estimated attendees of ~115K were often elbow-to-elbow in the larger booths on the show floor.  As an example, It would take a person a good five minutes just to walk from one end of the Samsung booth to the other even if all you wanted to do was get to the other side without stopping - and you'd be pushing people and being pushed yourself the whole way.

If you wanted to try to stop and look at something then that'd be a whole different ball game, with you have to fight to stand your ground out of fear of being pushed along by the tide of people.  This was neither fun nor productive for anyone.  CEA really has to rethink the layout for next year.