It was a convoluted mess. Also, there are several products I tend not to write about. Mainly TVs, cameras, mobile phones and cases. With TVs, the worst today are pretty darn good. And most are reasonably similar. Mezzo-Res Hi242 Attenuator technology, I have yet to figure out such things, and they all have their own versions. And if you want to know which one to buy, I always think the best answer is - ask your friends what they have and if they like it. As for cameras, most people use their mobile phones. Standalone cameras (especially video) do have value and differences, but quality is high among the names you know, and it's the bells-and-whistles important to you that might make one more-worth considering. Mobile phones change by the week, and they're dependent on your cellular service. Phone cases just scare me. The interesting thing is that this year I actually noticed a few intriguing tweaks in the fields of TV, cameras and mobile phones, so I'll mention those when I get to it. Perhaps at Apple's big annual event they do a bigger dance over the iWatch.
But right now, Smartwatches don't seem to have yet grabbed the public's fascination. Whether they will, or become a niche product remains to be seen. For a variety of reasons, I think more the latter. Most at least especially in the near-future. Over the past few years, I also have written about the IFA Berlin tech show, and the two shows are similar. The difference seems to be that CES tends to feature tech products that you'll see on the shelves during the coming months, while IFA is more about innovation in technology. Also, CES focuses more on what we think of as consumables tech, while IFA has a lot more with home appliances. To my surprise, I've come to appreciate the latter, whose innovation has become a fascinating field in tech, and a few things that made their way into CES. Another big difference between the two shows - half of IFA is in German. And finally, and most of all, my annual warning ahead of time is that this will be long.
I mean seriously looooooooooong. Not cute long, or longer than a normal column. I mean, "Oh, dear Lord, what is he thinking,,," long. I spend days rambling around the show floors of two separate convention centers, and there is a LOT to cover. So, this will be really long. Seriously. So, if you don't like long articles, don't read any farther. And don't complain that it's long. I know it is, I just told you. For those who do like such details, then buckle up your seatbelt, put on your crash helmet and let's dive into the mass. After every CES, I like to look back and try to figure what "theme" seemed to permeate the show that will give some indication of where tech is headed. It's not always clear - the tech world always seems to need several years to catch up to itself, and so you often only get tweaks rather than some new direction.
That seems to be the case this year, though a few themes did bubble up. Connected homes is one, and "Smart" seems to be ever-growing. But the larger point is that connecting devices to the Internet or to your Smartphones through apps is becoming even more pronounced than before, if that seems possible. Also, personal drones, Virtual Reality devices (VR) and 3D printers are growing as product lines. None seem imminent to break through just yet, and may never, but they're worth keeping an eye on. Once upon a time, there was another big tech show in Las Vegas, Comdex, which ran in November. It dealt almost exclusively with computers. That bit dust 13 years ago, and computers have been a small part of tech shows since. But there was somewhat of a resurgence this year, notably in the field of laptops and most particularly with convertibles or 2-in-1s. These are devices that, through a variety of different ways, can function as either a laptop or tablet.
EmoticonEmoticon