The Future Is Evidently Blurry

January 12, 2010 · Comments

TVs and more TVs at CES I just came back from CES, the largest consumer electronics show, and from what I can tell, the future is in blurry TVs. Okay, not really blurry. 3d. Most of the big TV vendors think we’re going to sit in our living room and watch 3D TV. When I polled people around me, most of them said they didn’t want to wear glasses in their living rooms. Me? I don’t even own a TV now, so not sure I get a vote on that one.

(Quick note: None of these folks are clients. Some of these folks have been clients.)

I wanted to share a few snaps with you from the event, and a cool video down at the bottom. From my perspective, here’s what I took away from the event:

  • Tablet computing is back and hot, only now it’s mostly in single-purpose e-readers. Is this going to be really true? I have my doubts. Of them, the coolest I saw was the Hearst Skiff.
  • Personal video cameras to compete with Cisco’s Flip camera are all the rage. I saw Kodak’s new camera, as well as Sony’s Bloggie. Sony gave me an evaluation copy of the new Bloggie, so you’ll get a review soon (Thanks, Sukhjit!)
  • TVs will be 3D. I’m still not sold on this, but that seemed to be the big feature I saw. Oh, and widgetized TVs that let you tweet.
  • Cars are now extensions of computing platforms. Ford made some big splashes about this. It was interesting to consider.
  • The Minority Report is coming. The video at the very bottom of this post shows the amazing Intel Info Cube (or whatever they called it). The wall was basically just a way to demo their new something-something-7 chip (hey, this isn’t Engadget), but I was blown away by the wall. Pair it with Microsoft Surface and you’ve got something. (I’m really serious, Bryan and Ken, about licensing the tech).
  • The show is just to big and crazy to see everything. Perhaps not exactly a point about technology, but CES is overwhelming in its size. Getting a printed paper map is no longer good enough to attend this event. We need some kind of interactive planner that lets us map the event according to topics of interest. (Please?)

    And the show is much more a media show than a buyer’s show, at least for the bigger companies.

Where do I think the consumer electronics space is going? Beats the heck out of me. I think it’s pretty amazing how the show seemed stuffed to the gills with attendees and that the technology companies were there in full force. Nothing felt skimped on, so that’s something.

And now, for a few snaps and the cool Intel wall video.

Sony Bloggie (one of two or three configurations

Sony Bloggie

Great Art Made at the Speck Booth

Awesome Art at the ... Booth

Evidently iPhone/iTouch accessories are popular.

Chevy Volt Looking Slick

Chevy Volt

Very Much a Media Show

Media at CES

Any place that boasts Dr Dre, Lady Gaga, Brent Spiner and Levar Burton and more isn’t really just about the gadgets any longer.

Please, Santa: Bring me THIS Next Year?

Simply, I need this wall. Okay?

Did you go? What’d you think? What do you think in general about the state of consumer electronics? Are you getting more and more interested in gadgets, or where are your interests going instead?

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  • those dolfans got exactly what they deserve.what the hell kind of greeting did they expect to receive approaching enemy lines. and this crap about its just a game, the season's over, can we all just get along now? is B.S. Then let me have season tickets for free, since its just a game, or stop paying coaches and players billions and tell them to play for the federal wage. I love what he did, and I am a dolfin fan. eternal enemies on and off the field.
  • Chris,
    I was there and had the same take away from the show regarding 3d.

    Your suggestion for some type of interactive guide for the show is spot on. I remember standing at the map stand in confusion where you had to basically grab nearly a dozen maps to navigate the halls. I would have loved an iphone or droid app that would give you the following:

    -opportunity to "checkin" at booths or areas
    -track other attendees/friends
    -allow you to rate a booth and or product.
    -use a search tool that would guide you from your locale to the desired location.
    -an interactive tool that would allow vendors to upload pictures or videos of their products.

    In the last feature you could peruse them before spending the 15 minutes to walk to their booth.

    I too was blown away by Intel's interactive cube as well. I can't wait to see what large touch screens will be like in a few years.
  • Chris,

    I'm also not sold on the whole tablet phenomenon. I hang out with a lot of people who talk about it, but the conversation always stops short when you start talking about actually buying one. Between a macbook pro and an iPhone, I'm pretty much good for my needs and I'm a hyper consumer of online media compared to average joe. Yeah...still not sold. I just dont see myself carrying around something 10 inches wide.
  • This is a very creative post and it features
    a lot of unique angles to it. With marketing,
    you definitely have to be very persuasive
    nowadays because people are beginning to
    get real smart on what to belief and what
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  • Who's watching who? Steve Rubel is watching my favorite social media blogger Chris Brogan... Think you will like this.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MpmxgmG3APM
  • Zed
    Chris - Not sure if you have seen these two related TED talks or not, but this is more cool interface design and interaction technology that is coming soon to a future near you:

    http://www.ted.com/talks/pranav_mistry_the_thri...

    http://www.ted.com/talks/pattie_maes_demos_the_...

    Enjoy.
  • e-readers? seriously? My vision is that either the readers all read the same formats or the readers go by the way side and just become software apps. (ala Kindle app on the iPhone)

    Tablets seem likely to be a niche item. I see myself using a tablet PC w/virtual keyboard (ala touch phones) and full blown applications, such as Word and Photoshop. Not sure I'd go over for an oversized iPhone type device.

    Surface touch devices I'm also putting in the niche market. People at home won't find a big use for them but some businesses would fit well. Imagine those little photo machines at the drug store having a touch surface. Just place the camera on the surface and like magic you're presented with your pics to review and print.

    Another application of a touch surface might be a manufacturing plant where an interactive map is presented on a table top. This would give adequate representation without having to carry a tablet around and constantly zooming in/out.

    Lots of fun stuff it sounds like and just waiting for the right audience of folks to use them. Unlike a few comments, I believe the less techy folks might get more out of this than the tech geeks. Ultimately the less techy folks end up being the biggest market.
  • dannyjacks
    I am totally with you on the wearing 3D glasses in your living room thing. Can't see myself, or the majority of people, ever doing that. Interesting to note that ESPN is launching a 3D network in June. The network is only going to only carry games, no news broadcasting, and it will be off air when no games are being aired. I see this as more of a hit at sports bars and the such. Get together with a bunch of your buddies, hit the sports bar, and watch the game in 3D. Could create a fun atmosphere.
  • I was at a friend's last week and he showed me his new Beamer in combination with the NVidia 3d goggles - for computer games a very cool feature, the glasses are relatively light and the picture quality was way beyond what I#m used to from cinemas. But I don't think that I'll be wearing glasses when watching TV, especially when TV is regarded by many people as just something you watch while doing laundry or something else.
    So I think 3d is coming, but more likely a feature for movie enthusiasts than being present in every living room.
  • I watch TV about once a week, most everything else I get off the Internet. To think of myself wearing those glasses just to have a 3D experience doesn't cut it. Where's the fun in that?
    Love the Speck art and the Info Cube looks like it's worth looking into/at :)
  • I am glad flip video is back or here to stay, my friend worlks at Cisco and I did not know they did them. With citizen journalists making a stand more often they could become quite popular. I filmed with my flip in shop I just blogged about with poor (dodgy) customer service. The events sounds overwhelming although for us people without TV it is walk in the park.

    Thanks
  • I also didn't get all the 3D TVs. It's interesting but not a feature I'd be willing to pay extra to get. However, I am looking forward to your review on the Sony Bloggie. As for the size of the show--much bigger than last year and more well attended--I am sticking with the idea that it means good optimism for our economic future!
  • Yeah, bring on the Minority Report blog writing and designing. And Minority Report video editing - wow imagine that. 3D, awesome. with all that stuff we will all have blurry eyes indeed.
  • I have to admit I love gadgets and owning new gadgets. What I don't like is the time it takes to set them up and learn how to learn them effectively. Now I'm all about knowing more about the Sony Bloggie. After reading your post "If I were a Realtor" ( which was very informative from a non-Realtor perspective) I know it's time I invest in a small video camera but I will wait until you have had a chance to use it and review it before I purchase a FLIP. Thanks again.
  • alanweinkrantz
    1. TV is more social and independent of the broadcasters and the service providers.
    2. Yahoo widgets will democratize TV - allowing the local high school to broadcast information about classes, snow days, or the football scores - on your big screen while you are watching regular broadcast TV.
    3. The wired home network, particularly the G.hn standard will not only influence the inside of the house, but the environment with it's connecting to the smart grid.

    I've got boat loads of interviews from CES over at http://www.everywire.com
  • I agree with the camp that would rather have gadgets that do more rather than more gadgets. And as cool as 3-D is, I think it makes the experience of watching TV more isolating and less social. So I'd rather *have* to go to theaters for that. The other things I'd like to see are phones made of softer materials so they can unfold like mini-newspapers (there's your content reader, but I only carry around one device). I'd like to see books (they would have to be electronic) figure out a way to become more multi-media so I can share the *meaning* of them with my networks more easily. And I'd like to see a better integration of camera and video on my phone, and I'd especially like to see quantum jumps in audio recording. I like to see technologists who truly understand how we are all content creators, content sharers and content consumers, and help us do all of that, at once. And, oh yeah, keep it as simple as possible in the process.
    Thanks for the overview, Chris.
  • whitneyhoffman
    It seems like CES (and I have never been, so what do I know, really?) is becoming more and more like the Auto Show. It seems like the stuff I've seen coming out has been a bit more like "this year's model with additional cup holders!" along with a few "flying car" prototypes, and a little less like Geekstock. More a dog & pony show for the media, less inside the industry, where are we going stuff. Do you think that's true?
  • realestateappraisertips
    Chris, thank you for the heads up on the Bloggie!!! Question. I don't see mention of an external mic jack, which is why I want the Kodak Zi8 so bad. The business meeting feature of the Bloggie sounds great, videoing a conference meeting, but if the actual sound isn't up to par, then seems like the Bloggie may be a little bit of a disappointment. Any comments on the sound of the video recordings? Can you provide us a link to an example of a panoramic video made with the Sony software? I'd love to see this video.

    I just sent Simon Bisson's review to some friends with this comment, "Neat Cam (Sony Bloggie). My question is the sound quality as I don't see an external mic jack. Only $190 with the 360 degree kit. This is excellent for office meeting recordings and interviewing experts in the field for your blog. Does it eliminate Kodak Zi8? Not sure. Again, the question is sound quality of the meeting or interview. One drawback with Kodak Zi8 is superb sound but no wide-angle for interviewing 2-3 people at once.....bloggie solves this problem with the 360 degree feature." Bill Cobb
  • Now imagine if at CES (note: I've never been to CES, living vicariously through you Chris so Im taking a guess at what they often miss at conventions) if they bundled complimentary products together to show people how they could use these products in ntheir own homes.

    Supermarkets do this well. They put the pasta next to the sauces, the cleaning liquids anand soaps next to the brushes, breads next to butter and spreads and so on.

    Thoughts?
  • It just dawned on me that if I didn't own a t.v I'd probably read a lot more. Hmm...something to ponder.

    As for CES, although I wasn't there I've been keeping an eye out on 3D TV ever since I learned about Mark Cuban's involvement. Whether we watch it on our t.vs, computers, or go to the theater I believe it will be one of the next movements in technology. There's always going to be a company or person pushing the envelop.
  • I wasn't there - wish I could have been. Here's one vote for not wearing glasses to watch TV. Don't watch TV much, but when I do, I plan on it begin a relaxing exercise, not one where I have to wear glasses and stare straight forward at the TV with no interaction what so ever with the person who is sitting next to me. How did the manufactures decide this was the way to go?
  • Do you have to pay extra for the glasses:)
  • Im suprosed there will not more New Media and Social Media companies there.
  • remarkablogger
    The future will also be fingerprinty and smudgy.

    This is like a yearly religious pilgrimage. It's Burning Man for geeks. A real indicator of where we're headed. Is any other consumer ________ show this big, this reported on?
  • I don't fear the Minority Report-inspired technology, I do however think it won't catch on.

    Jakob Nielsen, who who all love & know (of course!), has been on record numerous times saying people won't use devices that require them to wave their hands in the air constantly. Or even lift them up to touch a screen all the time.

    Even if feedback was more precise (i.e. when I click the letter "J" the screen doesn't think I clicked the letter "K"), I'll leave it to Tom Cruise to wave his arms in the air frantically while trying to find something right in front of him.

    Am I still talking about Minority Report?
  • If you're not a gadgety person and don't own a TV, call me crazy, but why did you go?
  • Better question: why WOULDN'T you go?
  • Don't know if I'll be a big fan of 3D TV and wearing plastic glasses in my living room. What do you think about Twitter this year? With so many companies adapting their technology towards Twitter, will Twitter come up with a plan to make money this year or are they going to get bought out?
  • Thanks for offering those of us who couldn't go to CES a window into what is next. I am definitely a gadget geek, so I look forward to seeing the next wave of tech goodies. That being said, I am with you on the single purpose devises, they are not for me... that's why I've avoided e-readers (even though I am super tempted). Looking forward to seeing what Apple puts out there next month. I am definitely hoping their tablet is the multi purpose device I've been looking for! Look forward to seeing what you think of the Bloggie, will be interesting to see how Sony decided to take on Flip.
  • I agree with you about the sheer size of CES. You can't ever spend as much time as you really want at any one booth because there are 20,000 others begging for your attention. After walking 50 miles (not an exaggeration) over 3 days, I still feel like I didn't get to see everything. I keep reading posts about all sorts of cool stuff I wished I got to check out.

    An interactive planner would be great. Before the show I went through the *entire* list of sponsors and added them to my saved list (or whatever they called it). But, unless I missed something, it didn't attempt to map a suggested route for me or drop all of the companies onto a show floor map or anything else that would be helpful. I still had to go hunt which meant that the minute I got there, that list went in the trash.

    Overall, this show felt a lot bigger this year. CES could be a great indicator of the events business and the economy for the upcoming year if vendors are successful at their product launches which were highlighted at the show.
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