Let me be clear. I don’t look forward to CES with much joy. I’m not particularly fond of Las Vegas, or crowds. My favorite “tablet” is still yellow, legal
sized with lines on it. But I put all the personal angst aside because what’s going on at CES has a direct and profound effect on the future of communication. I’m here to learn
how my clients are going to connect with people in the coming days and years.
With that being said, I am at CES once again with sore feet.
Some of my worst fears were
immediately realized yesterday when I arrived. By the time I walked into the convention center I had been propositioned by three different escort services, offered tickets to two peep shows and Cirque
de Soleil. Once inside on the conference center mainstreet , I was immediately homesick for the gridlock of the Kennedy expressway. Here there are speeders, gawkers and people texting
while they should be “driving.” At least the Kennedy has exit ramps.
Inside these huge, stadium-sized rooms, the big electronic companies dominate and the signage/booths loom
larger than life above the conference din. Still I’m fascinated by the number of smaller start-ups that compete for the same people as the big guys. Tucked amidst the Samsung, Sony,
Microsoft and Intel booths are companies selling things like camcorders that attach to motorcycle helmets and baseball caps, and gloves that keep your hand warm while preserving the communication
between fingers and touchscreens. 3D is everywhere. The technology is unbelievable, though largely wasted on me (immersion isn’t a big goal for me when I’m watching TV).
Thursday I saw a lot of products designed for people. For a bunch of geeks (and I use this term with respect and affection) talking to each other, they clearly have the
consumer top of mind. There aren’t a lot of “consumers” here at the Consumer Electronic Show, but their tech hopes and dreams are being honored by the tech experts on the
floor.
Summarizing my overall impression is a matter of sharing the Three Cs.
Connectivity. I have a TV in almost every room in my house. Really, there are 15 of them,
hooked up to six high def Comcast boxes. I love the push for connectivity because I like to have my TV everywhere (hence 15 TVs). Easy facilitation from family room to tablet to mobile is
a big win as far as I’m concerned.
The ability of connecting TV to TV and also to the Samsung tablet that I just bought for Christmas or my mobile phone…this is appealing.
I’m a sight, sound and motion guy (15 TVs, remember?) I like to have my TV when and where I want it. Seeing it connect easily across the multiple screens appeals to me.
There are a
lot of chips and products that make it possible.
Convergence is another prominent concept at this CES, but I must admit I have little interest in greater interactivity or even more content
access. My TV viewing is a relatively passive experience, except when the Bears, the Cubs or the Illini lose in any sporting event. At the RIM booth, I was impressed with their
ability to achieve HDMI connectivity between a tablet and a larger screen. It reminded me of my 90-year-old mother who loves to browse the web, but her eyesight isn’t what it used to be.
That type of product could open the world for her again.
Clown-Proof is the final C, and yes I’m making up words now. When I am viewing content, I want to find the stuff I want to
watch easily, without having the Best Buy Geek Squad or my tech savvy neighbor on speed dial. Today I toured the Samsung booth and was wowed by the All Access platform. Using the
Galaxy Tablet, it provides a simple, intuitive, wireless way to navigate all the programming made available in a converged, web connected TV. This is what I’m talking about. High
tech made simple enough for me.
I think about the potential here as the concept of “touch” evolves. I love my WII as a gaming platform, but the new potential wonder of Kinect
technology (touchless, hands free) navigation for stuff beyond gaming is SOOOO Minority Report. I can almost predict what this will mean for CES 2011.
My last visit was this
morning … the Samsung booth. Wow. Not only are they committed to state of the art technology, they are equally committed to improving the best possible user experience, with and
across their products. It dawned on me that the electronic companies, like Samsung, have a strong vision of the future from a hardware perspective. It reminded me how far behind we agency
consultants and buyers and media owners are in terms of organizational structures and business models that can fully exploit these new products and services. When the VivaKi Board convenes later
this month, our agency leaders (they were all here with me) will discuss how we can step up and utilize our partnerships to stay ahead of the game with media and content owners.
Leaving
the floor today I was confronted by Vegas again. And before I head for the airport, the last thing I intend to do is deposit a couple hundred dollars at a $10 minimum blackjack table. CES
is here again next year, and I want to do my part to support the economy.