My wife and I experienced the International Consumer Electronics Show today for the first time. The first word that comes to mind is just WOW! We saw maybe 1/4 of the entire exhibit space today and even then my brain was completely overloaded. We spent most of our time today in the South Exhibit Hall which is where most of the “small vendors” are located. As such we walked past a larger number of vendors since most of them had smaller booths.
Some general thoughts:
- Tablets are everywhere! Companies that you have never heard of are demonstrating tablets.
- 3d televisions and projectors are still big items is year.
- Did I mention this place is HUGE? We have seen only a small part of it and it’s still huge.
- There were several vendors displaying new models of LED light bulbs. It’s great to see more vendors investing in new LED technologies and bringing a wider range of bulb types and light temperatures to the market
Three exhibits that really got me excited:
- Pure Energy was demonstrating their “charging mat” technology for mobile and rechargeable devices. Charging mats are not a completely new concept, but Pure Energy also had a line of very nicely designed charging cases for iPhones, iPads, Blackberry handsets and even Wii controllers that work with their charging mats.
- Maker Bot’s Thing-O-Matic. This robot assembly takes 3d drawing files and creates physical items from the drawings in ABS plastic. It’s just amazing to watch. I’m not sure what real use I’d have for one, but I seriously want one at my house
- I got to try out a Laser Shot firearms training system that uses a computer with a projector and webcam to teach shooting mechanics and sharpen shooting skills under all types of situations. Nothing can completely replace live fire shooting practice, but this is a super way to teach shooting mechanics and save a few dollars in ammo at the same time. I seriously want one of these
Several other people have said this too, but, if you’re looking to come to a CES, be prepared to be on your feet A LOT! You’ll want some good walking shoes. There’s just so much great tech to see out here. I’m looking forward to seeing things in the other exhibit halls tomorrow.