Comments on: CES Update, Day 1 in Las Vegas

By: Grahame Barclay

Grahame Barclay — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 01:25:23 +0000

Michael. Thanks for your rely above.
I had a new home built in the last six years and the major problem I found was the connection of communications in the home. I was wanting to look to the future so that I did not have to have major changes in the short term future. But I found this was not available. e.g. Is there a plan of how to prewire a new home for future high defintion TV’s in more than one room and how to feed broadband TV to television’s in a home. Example is to have an equipment rack with jacks for cables and space for future equipment required for distribution etc. This would make maintenance so much better also. We need to be PREACTIVE that is identify actual future problems and solve them now.
We need the CES so we know the future and not buy what is outdated equipment which have short life span resulting in having to changes in the short term.
You need to know and understand new technology coming soon so you are prepared for it. I did not find out about HDMI untill it was TOO LATE to prewire a overhead projector.
Consumers want to spend most time using the product NOT JUST trying to get it to work.

By: Michael Lewis

Michael Lewis — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 01:21:28 +0000

Grahame, I couldn’t agree with you more. A lot of things are shown at CES and similar events, and not everything is either practical or ever sees it to market.
Just because a product is good for one market does not make it an instant hit in other markets.
Part of the purpose of this blog is to raise awareness of what is out there and allow others to decide if there is a market opportunity here for this or similar products.
All comments and viewpoints are good – each gives another angle to be considered, and if someone can benefit from it all the better.

Please keep the comments and questions coming.

By: Grahame Barclay

Grahame Barclay — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 00:59:25 +0000

To see what is the very Latest is very helpful to you in planning your future with consumer electronics. I used to love going to the SYDNEY CES when it was held some years ago.

So you are ready for the future trends. The only addition is some feedback from experienced and understanding people, , who can identify ideas from the CES which will fail here. Ideas that work in the USA will not always work here in all places. We DO NOT WANT PURE THEORY PEOPLE because they will allow trends that will FAIL.

In Home consumer electronics there is much room for improvement, but you need ideas that will work fully. Homes today have more than one computer but how effective are they connected together. A lot of the ideas promoted at present are not effective. Another area is Television. What is an effective home distribution system for the latest payTV, Digital TV, with multiple video recording devices etc.

Home landline Telephones is another area. They talk about use of cordless phones but what happens if you loose power and need to make a emergency call?

Telstra may need to show how products need to be used with its network.

The CES may show one idea but when looked at fully it fails one of the vital tests when you do not want it to.

By: Maurice

Maurice — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 23:38:09 +0000

To me, it is no surprise that the ebook is the “I don’t get it” technology – as the ebook is probably the result of a marketing strategy not a result of hi-tech.

Amazon is in the business of making books easily obtainable. The weakness in the online purchase was the physical delivery. But the trade-off between a trip to Borders in the mall and waiting for a book via USPS often still swung in the favor of Borders. Until the e-book reader – books on demand. So the technology debate between Kindles, Slates, Netbooks posing as Tablets isn’t really a factor. Access to content is.

Another example is Steam, the games provider. People buy games from Steam because they are readily available. The Steam client (the technology) is a total pain but availability of content is the key.

To me the most promising news is the tablet – not the netbook posing as a tablet – but 15″ active touchscreen tablets, slates and desktops (like the Apple 15″ tablet, the HP 600 touchscreen and the Android slate by 3d-gaming glasses creator NVidia). Why 15″ – because 12″ screens are too small from a usability perspective. A 15″ screen will enable “killer apps” and a wider range of use. A phone is a phone and maybe a bit more, but a 15″ slate can be everything from video player, cookbook, scrapbook, family calendar, lecture note taker, graphics art tablet to research tool. At last. the convergent device.

I was hoping to see a home 3D printer hit the marketplace.

By: Michael Grochowski

Michael Grochowski — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 05:47:09 +0000

Michael – next time if you need a co-blogger, camera and camcorder operator for video reviews and online updates please let me know and I’ll gladly come along for the gadget fest. It’s great you’re keeping us updated on what’s being revealed at the CES

By: Michael Grochowski

Michael Grochowski — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 05:43:22 +0000

Michael – from the many rumours Apple is likely to announce theit tablet offering later this month, and historically Apple tends to run their own special events/announcements seperate from CES and the like… I am wondering which tablet did Microsoft announce, whether the HP TM2 or the more sleek Courier Tablet? I also do like the projected touch screen device and number of touch and multi-touch devices coming out in larger numbers this year. if only I could be there with you…

By: Mohammad Zahid Alam

Mohammad Zahid Alam — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 01:16:31 +0000

Hi Michael,

Looks like you are having a good time, Good on you. Keep us posted… specialy on new stuff on the devices (mobile)…..

By: Paul

Paul — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 23:44:23 +0000

Interesting reading about the wind-up power. I am just waiting for someone to bring out the push bike (pedal Power) to power our homes. ie every morning 1 allocated member of the household get’s on the bike and produces enough power to supply the house for the day…

By: Vic Adamson

Vic Adamson — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 22:11:02 +0000

Promo photo looked like a shot of a small projector being displayed on the palm of your hand. Are these mini projectors mature devices yet and how practical &/or affordable?

By: Michael Lewis

Michael Lewis — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 07:50:21 +0000

Michael G – the most interesting thing about the Apple iSlate is that it wasn’t being discussed at all.