Category Archives: CES

Gizmodo blogger banned from CES for life

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The Consumer Electronics Association, reports Portfolio.com, will ban the Gizmodo blogger (I assume Blakely) who used a hacking device to turn off TVs, some in the middle of CES tech presentations by Motorola.     They are reviewing taking more actions against Gizmodo.

Unfortunately for those of us who blogged the show “responsibly”, the Gizmodo prank has set back bloggers and blogging at least a few notches.     CES treated the blogging community very well with excellent credentials and two well stocked comfortable blogger lounges.    This hospitality was repaid, in the case of Gizmodo, with information vandalism against fellow tech enthusiasts.        

CES: SONY Pirates of the Burning Sea Party

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SONY Pirates of the Burning Sea Party
Originally uploaded by JoeDuck

Thanks to SONY Online and Flying Lab software for a very nice party showcasing the Pirates of the Burning Sea, a new Massively Multiplayer online game or “MMO”.   I’ve been researching the MMORPG topic for the past few weeks and it was great to get a chance to talk to one of the game developers and Flying Lab PR about MMOs in general as well as their experiences with this game.

Also really fun was playing some poker with professional dealers who were very helpful to the many Texas Holdem novices.   One of my dealers has dealt in the world series of Poker, which was cool.  Very nice guy who could track the fast action in remarkable form.    Interestingly, when asked a different dealer said that he makes about $100,000 per year dealing at one of the top casinos here.  I think most of this is from tips.

One Laptop Per Child Project and Intel’s departure

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One Laptop Per Child Project
Originally uploaded by JoeDuck

For a project of this scope it was very disappointing to see Intel’s departure, only a few days before CES.   I agree with CNET that this was handled poorly on both sides, and I’m especially concerned that Negroponte’s brilliant vision may ultimately get undermined by his in ability to compromise with the market forces that drive consumer electronics much more than altruism or societal need.

That said it appeared that AMD remains solidly behind the project and many countries are buying in, so hopefully this will bring to pass the grand vision of technology to those who have the least chance of getting it otherwise – poor children in developing countries.

My favorite project of CES remains the Meraki mesh networking concept.   It’s a great example of leveraging existing technologies in new and clever ways while keeping common sense, profitability, and global citizenship in mind.

Scoble on Donny Deutsch’s “The Big Idea”

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OK, so I’m not getting to meet Donny Deutsch here at CES (because he’s not here). But glad to report that Scoble and the Bloghaus Bus o’ Bloggers will be on “The Big Idea” the show tonight on MSNBC.

Blogging is a pretty big story here at CES and I’m hoping to get some comments next week from CES CEO Shapiro about his decisions to bring bloggers in as a “separate but equal” press category. In fact the second hand stories I’ve heard indicate that the press actually was complaining they couldn’t get in the blogging lounges which were generally less crowded and more comfortable than the press rooms (they are allowed them in now).

I just talked to Plantronics who is sponsoring the lounges. She said last year they did have a blogger lounge but it was out in a tent and not as comfortable as this year’s lounges. Thank you Plantronics.

Another blogger upgrade are all the “blogger only” parties here. Intel sponsored the one yesterday at the Atomic Testing Museum, and Monster the night before at a Paris Hotel Suite. Hey Silicon Valley – YOU could learn a lesson on how to treat bloggers from the CES sponsors, though CES has the advantage of filtering folks via the cost to get to Las Vegas. This effectively reduces the number of folks who, for example, might just start writing the day before they got here. I’m hoping to ask CES if they did any screening for eligible tech bloggers. I understand there are about 200 registered here as “bloggers”, but most of the blog folks are here as Press because they are with other media outlets.

FastMoney with … Scoble!

CES – the dark side?

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Adam is clearly not enjoying himself as much as I am here at CES.

Aside from the digital picture frames… What you talkin’ bout Willis?!

I’m pretty unsympathetic to the silly life challenges faced by those of us who can afford a trip to CES. There are technology guys here from Kenya which is now falling into chaos after questionable elections, and Rwandan’s President who watched (and stopped as opposition forces leader) the butchery of almost an entire culture. What are they to make about concerns that CES isn’t hip or cool enough for snotty suburban tech elitists? Sure, have some wrath – but use it to tool up those without technologies rather than bash those who have too much of it.

CES Coverage – Scoble Rules!

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I was wondering how the amazing Scoble was going to cover the CES hurricane of news and products and should have known it would be with a hurricane of Scoble video podcasts.    I wish I had more time to hang at the Bloghaus but there is more going on here than you can possibly even figure out.

Here’s Robert’s CNBC coverage.   

I give Scoble huge credit for having “walked the walk” about blogging for many years and helping others get involved and understand the power of the medium.    He’s also been showing companies how powerful corporate style blogging can be and it’s nice to finally see (some) of them “get it” and use blogging to elevate the quality interaction and the amount of connection to their customers and potential customers.

Here’s more from the MSNBC folks on the CES Floor

Hey!   I’m still looking for Donny Deutsch  Donny where are you?  Wait – he’s NOT on the road to CES after all.  He’s in New York! talking about CES.   Tech from New York?   Where is that exactly – isn’t that where they make Saturday Night lives and Rudy Giulianis?

CES 2008 – What?! I missed Ryan Seacrest?

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Shortly I’m off to the Wagoner – CEO of General Motors Keynote.  He’ll be talking about vehicle innovations including work on “autonomous” cars that drive themselves.   Hmm – hope they have perfected that if they bring one into the ballroom! 

Sorry to have missed the Comcast but here is SFgate’s summary of Comcast’s ideas for a *fast* future.

Gaming drives a lot of innovation

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Here at CES it seems to me two very powerful themes are technology as a *social and lifestyle experience* and technology as a *mobile experience*.     At the MMORPG gaming session it was noted that games in many ways were the first online social experience  and continue to be a powerful and dominant social force in the online world.   Dr. Lars Buttler of Trion (formerly with Electronic Arts) was very optimistic about the future of gaming, and along with others felt that current distinctions between console and PC would break down but the social nature of gaming would increase, including ways to move between multiple games.  Buttler also suggested that the European market has been underestimated in gaming.

Other key items discussed were the secondary markets, where real money is exchanged for game items, and micropayments which many on the panel felt would become a much larger part of the gaming experience.   MMORPGs like MapleStory rely on micropayments rather than subscription fees, and this appears to be a key strategic item for MMORPG makers.

Yesterday I spent time with some of the gaming innovators.   The most impressive things I saw:

Motion-enhanced driving cars created by D-Box.   These simulated the driving experience in an arcade fashion with a high powered HP gaming PC plus an elaborate car simulator and 1-3 monitors.    Very cool, but at something like $14,000 depending on configurations it’ll be out of range for many.   D-box won an innovation award for this.

A similar “virtual transport” product that also won the innovation award is the flight simulator, Dreamflyer, which at about $2800 seemed conspicuously cheaper than D-Box, which I think is partly due to D-Box’s real motion in the carriage vs Dreamflyers virtual motion on screen, though I’m not clear on the details of either product yet.   

Alienware debuted a prototype gaming / immersion monitor that won’t be available until middle of the year, but it was a simply awesome looking monitor which stretched *around* the viewers head in an arc of (i’m guessing) about 60 degrees and about 60 inches wide by 16 inches tall.   It’s like having 3 high resolution  screens stiched together in an arc.   Very impressive, and looked like a killer environment for hardcore gamers though the immersion glasses some are showing off here are more likely to get widespread use due to much lower cost.   More on the glasses later as I think that is a really provocative technology that is finally going to see some widespread adoption.

CES Blogger Lounge at LVCC

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CES Blogger Lounge at LVCC
Originally uploaded by JoeDuck

When I initially picked up my “blogger” badge here at CES I wondered if bloggers were going to be a sort of a “downgraded”press person, but they’ve been treating bloggers very well and it’s appreciated (as well as great leveraging of social media for CES and the CES sponsors).   There are spacious well equipped blogger lounges in both venues – one here at Las Vegas Convention Center LVCC, and one at the Venetian/Sands Venue.   Today’s lunch was excellent, and coffee and snacks are here all day long.  ( I’m posting this from the Press computer room right next door but there were computers in the lounge as well).

Thanks CES!