• by Lydia Loizides , Op-Ed Contributor, January 29, 2007

Lydia Loizides, who writes MediaPost’s Media Technologies Futures e-mail newsletter, hit the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas last month with a vengeance. Here’s her take on a few exciting new media platforms she observed at the show. Write to her at lydia@pathion.com.

It’s All About Me

This year, the message was all about personalization — of media, screens, form factors, content, hardware, and software. All the gadgets I saw, ranging from flat screens to phat cars, seemed to flag and promote how consumers could make them their own. 

If 2006 was the year of “You,” 2007 is going to be the year of “Me.” Standards appear to be out, customization is in.

As I meandered the exhibit halls, I was bombarded with ways that I could make technology my own: user interfaces that are predictive; applications that reside on my handheld device that help me and only me; peripherals in every color, texture, and pattern just for me; the new mylo portable personal communicator; and more cell phones with every bell and whistle imaginable, again, all just for me! The question is — how can marketers take advantage of this? How can they target me?

Branded Accessories Stars

One of the more interesting examples of personalization at the show appeared at the Go Video booth, where I came across Crayola-branded gadgets for kids, including an MP3 player. The packaging was slick, the size was just right for kids’ little hands, and the products were relevant. And I found another interesting play — branded accessories by apparel hotshot Roots. From the Olympics to electronics, Roots is placing its brand where it counts — on the street for everyone to see. While other consumer brands have gone down this road before, this is a new world where it may matter more what (or who) is on the outside, rather than what is on the inside.

Wireless Juice

During the show, I blogged about JuiceCaster (juicecaster.com) at the Qualcomm Mobile Marketplace. JuiceCaster’s application enables consumers to shoot videos or take pictures with their camera phones and post each video or picture directly to a blog, social networking site, or Web site. JuiceCaster’s Mobile application is integrated directly into camera phones.

Consumers can embed the application into a MySpace page or blog; video and digital still images can be posted in real-time. And why is this so cool? Because the process and posting of content is independent of wireless carriers. Why does this matter? The application is completely customizable and can be skinned by any carrier brand. Consumers can also control some of the content tiles so that targeted programming or messages appear. JuiceCaster says it can even place the application on a set-top box. Think of the possibilities!

Touchscreen Intelligence

Nokia is working on a technology called NFC or Near Field Communication. The Finnish wireless giant describes it as a short-range solution that enables devices and objects through a process of self-discovery to access content or information by simple touch.

For example, you can access service shortcuts such as a Web link to download a bus timetable or initiate a phone call or SMS message by simply touching an RFID tag. The demonstration that I observed downloaded a movie trailer to the phone by simply touching the handset to a hotspot on the poster.

Imagine the media and marketing potential — in-store promotions, coupons, games, and other information. The possibilities are endless. And while there are several standards, the bigger picture is that the technology exists and it’s being deployed in select markets.

Honing in on Hi-Def

This year marked hi-def’s coming out party. Everywhere I looked, it was all HD, all the time.

From plasma to LCD to rear projection, there was more than enough variety and scale to make prices palatable for average Joes and Janes.

So what does this mean for the rest of the industry?

Beyond the content owners, it’s time for the advertising and media community to take notice. As an avid viewer of HD programming, I can tell you that there is no bigger killjoy than facing a TV that must reset itself to display a standard definition commercial. And while I’ve discussed ad nauseam the fact that not all programming has to be seen in HD — let alone ads — providing a seamless consumer experience is important.

Speaking of me, the crowd at the show certainly has changed. Once reserved for buyers and sellers of technology, this year the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences hosted the 58th Annual Technology & Engineering Awards at the show.

The momentous occasion saw the likes of Microsoft, Apple, Viacom’s The N, DirecTV, TiVo, and Sling, just to name a few, receiving Emmys for outstanding work in the field.

There were more TV executives, agency types, and academics than you could shake a laser pointer at and all of them were trying to figure out what will hit the shelves and how it will affect U.S. consumers.