1 00:00:00,280 --> 00:00:02,920 Speaker 1: Brought to you by the reinvented two thousand twelve Camray. 2 00:00:03,160 --> 00:00:08,880 Speaker 1: It's ready. Are you get in touch with technology? With 3 00:00:09,000 --> 00:00:18,040 Speaker 1: tech Stuff from how Stuff Stop Coming. Hello, everyone, Welcome 4 00:00:18,120 --> 00:00:20,319 Speaker 1: to tech Stuff. My name is Chris Poulette and I 5 00:00:20,320 --> 00:00:23,120 Speaker 1: am an editor at how Stuff works dot com. Sitting 6 00:00:23,160 --> 00:00:26,320 Speaker 1: across from me, At least for now, he's still upright, 7 00:00:27,200 --> 00:00:29,560 Speaker 1: is uh? Someone who likes to talk about this is 8 00:00:29,760 --> 00:00:34,080 Speaker 1: favorite time of year. Senior writer Jonathan Strickland, you will 9 00:00:34,120 --> 00:00:37,320 Speaker 1: rejoice to hear that no disaster has accompanied the commencement 10 00:00:37,360 --> 00:00:40,360 Speaker 1: of an enterprise which you have regarded with such evil forebodings. 11 00:00:42,240 --> 00:00:46,120 Speaker 1: The reason I am picking on Jonathan today UM is 12 00:00:46,159 --> 00:00:49,280 Speaker 1: because today we're going to talk about UM, the event 13 00:00:49,400 --> 00:00:52,599 Speaker 1: formally known as the Consumer Electronics Show, but I think 14 00:00:52,640 --> 00:00:55,480 Speaker 1: it's it bears throwing that name in there for people 15 00:00:55,480 --> 00:00:59,000 Speaker 1: who aren't as familiar with the acronym which the organization 16 00:00:59,040 --> 00:01:01,000 Speaker 1: behind it wants us to us when we talk about 17 00:01:01,000 --> 00:01:05,240 Speaker 1: it CES. Yeah, and uh, And when this episode goes 18 00:01:05,440 --> 00:01:09,600 Speaker 1: live will be while I'm in Las Vegas at the 19 00:01:09,680 --> 00:01:12,080 Speaker 1: two thousand and twelve c e S. We're recording this 20 00:01:12,120 --> 00:01:15,720 Speaker 1: in December, but by the time this goes live, I 21 00:01:15,720 --> 00:01:18,400 Speaker 1: should be if I if I've counted my calendar correctly, 22 00:01:19,040 --> 00:01:21,600 Speaker 1: I should be in Vegas as you're listening to this 23 00:01:21,680 --> 00:01:24,360 Speaker 1: if you downloaded it the day it came out, right, 24 00:01:24,640 --> 00:01:27,400 Speaker 1: So if you're listening to this right now and it's 25 00:01:27,440 --> 00:01:31,600 Speaker 1: it's the second week of January, just remember Jonathan is 26 00:01:31,640 --> 00:01:35,040 Speaker 1: in Las Vegas and is exhausted and crying. Yes, and 27 00:01:35,080 --> 00:01:39,319 Speaker 1: I'm not right, although he may be still crying because 28 00:01:39,480 --> 00:01:42,520 Speaker 1: Chris does do that. But let's let's talk about Let's 29 00:01:42,560 --> 00:01:46,240 Speaker 1: talk about the the show, it's background, and then I 30 00:01:46,280 --> 00:01:49,040 Speaker 1: think we'll we'll concentrate on that in the first half 31 00:01:49,040 --> 00:01:51,400 Speaker 1: of our episode and the second half. This is one 32 00:01:51,440 --> 00:01:54,160 Speaker 1: episode of just the first section of our episode. The 33 00:01:54,160 --> 00:01:57,280 Speaker 1: second section of our episode, we'll talk about what the 34 00:01:57,320 --> 00:02:00,760 Speaker 1: experience is like being at CES. But us both both 35 00:02:00,760 --> 00:02:03,880 Speaker 1: of us have been, Yes, the fact that we we 36 00:02:03,880 --> 00:02:06,200 Speaker 1: were both there at the most heavily attended c E 37 00:02:06,400 --> 00:02:10,800 Speaker 1: s ever. Yeah. Yeah, the the show, um, may you 38 00:02:10,840 --> 00:02:12,560 Speaker 1: may actually be familiar with it? Yeah, there are, there 39 00:02:12,560 --> 00:02:16,120 Speaker 1: are a lot of people. Um, the consumer the organization 40 00:02:16,160 --> 00:02:20,639 Speaker 1: behind c E s UM basically is right in thinking 41 00:02:20,639 --> 00:02:22,760 Speaker 1: that a lot more people know about this show than 42 00:02:22,919 --> 00:02:26,560 Speaker 1: than they used to. Yeah, it's the Consumer Electronics Association 43 00:02:26,639 --> 00:02:28,920 Speaker 1: that puts on the show, and that that's an organization 44 00:02:28,960 --> 00:02:31,840 Speaker 1: of around two thousand companies that are in the consumer 45 00:02:31,880 --> 00:02:36,160 Speaker 1: electronics industry. And these companies have formed this organization for 46 00:02:36,240 --> 00:02:39,840 Speaker 1: many reasons. Part of it is the organization conducts a 47 00:02:39,840 --> 00:02:41,840 Speaker 1: lot of market research to kind of find out what 48 00:02:41,880 --> 00:02:44,360 Speaker 1: consumers are interested in, what the trends are going to be, 49 00:02:44,600 --> 00:02:46,480 Speaker 1: so that companies can kind of get a jump on 50 00:02:46,600 --> 00:02:50,040 Speaker 1: things and start developing products that are going to really 51 00:02:50,040 --> 00:02:52,800 Speaker 1: appeal to people. You know that it's always a challenge 52 00:02:52,800 --> 00:02:54,960 Speaker 1: figuring out what people are going to be interested in 53 00:02:55,240 --> 00:02:57,880 Speaker 1: and and developing that because you know, most of these 54 00:02:57,880 --> 00:03:00,639 Speaker 1: products have development cycles at last a couple of years, 55 00:03:01,200 --> 00:03:04,320 Speaker 1: so to Yeah, so to be able to identify what 56 00:03:04,560 --> 00:03:07,160 Speaker 1: a trend is going to be not tomorrow, but two 57 00:03:07,240 --> 00:03:10,399 Speaker 1: years from tomorrow is a huge challenge. So that's part 58 00:03:10,400 --> 00:03:12,920 Speaker 1: of what the c e A does. They also have 59 00:03:13,160 --> 00:03:16,000 Speaker 1: networking opportunities. UM I mean, obviously you've got a lot 60 00:03:16,040 --> 00:03:20,160 Speaker 1: of these really important folks in various major companies and 61 00:03:20,280 --> 00:03:22,880 Speaker 1: they all tend to know each other through organizations like 62 00:03:22,880 --> 00:03:26,040 Speaker 1: the c e A and UH. It's also about education 63 00:03:26,240 --> 00:03:30,000 Speaker 1: around things like legislation and regulation. There's a lot of 64 00:03:30,000 --> 00:03:33,200 Speaker 1: these industries do have legislation and regulations surrounding them, so 65 00:03:33,480 --> 00:03:35,920 Speaker 1: it's important for companies to be aware of that and 66 00:03:35,960 --> 00:03:40,040 Speaker 1: to know what is and isn't cricket before they go 67 00:03:40,080 --> 00:03:44,640 Speaker 1: into developing a product. Well but I but ces is 68 00:03:44,680 --> 00:03:46,680 Speaker 1: they're big, Like, that's the thing everyone knows them for. 69 00:03:47,080 --> 00:03:50,080 Speaker 1: Beau ce S's just it's it's the public face of 70 00:03:50,120 --> 00:03:53,320 Speaker 1: the organization and it's and it's become such a huge event, 71 00:03:53,840 --> 00:03:59,680 Speaker 1: especially from its humble beginnings. Yes, yes, but in in essence, um, 72 00:03:59,720 --> 00:04:03,360 Speaker 1: it's a trade show. UM basically a big open floor 73 00:04:03,720 --> 00:04:07,280 Speaker 1: with booths where companies are showing off their products and 74 00:04:07,360 --> 00:04:11,320 Speaker 1: there are people representatives from the company, not necessarily company employees. 75 00:04:11,360 --> 00:04:14,680 Speaker 1: Sometimes they're they're pr people that they've hired to talk, 76 00:04:14,920 --> 00:04:17,760 Speaker 1: hired guns who come in and they've got fact sheets 77 00:04:17,800 --> 00:04:20,960 Speaker 1: about all the different products that they have all memorized 78 00:04:21,000 --> 00:04:23,159 Speaker 1: and they're happy to spout off. But if you ask 79 00:04:23,200 --> 00:04:24,960 Speaker 1: them anything that's not in the fact sheet, then they 80 00:04:25,040 --> 00:04:28,719 Speaker 1: give you an email. Here, take my card. Um, we'll 81 00:04:28,720 --> 00:04:31,320 Speaker 1: get into into what it's like. It's it's interesting to 82 00:04:31,400 --> 00:04:35,560 Speaker 1: note um that this you know, we were in a 83 00:04:35,600 --> 00:04:38,080 Speaker 1: gadget hungry world now in the in the two thousands, 84 00:04:38,080 --> 00:04:41,240 Speaker 1: when the twenty one century, uh before that, you know, 85 00:04:41,400 --> 00:04:43,599 Speaker 1: it's like the nineties were kind of like that. To 86 00:04:43,760 --> 00:04:46,800 Speaker 1: the eighties. We had the Walkman, we had the the 87 00:04:46,960 --> 00:04:49,840 Speaker 1: debut of the compact disc player, um, which we'll get 88 00:04:49,880 --> 00:04:52,839 Speaker 1: into in a minute. Um, you know, we we we 89 00:04:52,880 --> 00:04:57,560 Speaker 1: live in an electronics crazy world, but the show goes 90 00:04:57,600 --> 00:04:59,920 Speaker 1: back a little before that to a time when they're 91 00:05:00,040 --> 00:05:04,760 Speaker 1: weren't um, you know, fifty different things plugged into our 92 00:05:04,800 --> 00:05:08,480 Speaker 1: walls in our living room, uh, sucking down juice. They were. 93 00:05:08,520 --> 00:05:12,719 Speaker 1: There were this organization and this event dates back into 94 00:05:12,760 --> 00:05:15,919 Speaker 1: the nineteen sixties. Yeah, nineteen sixty seven in New York City. 95 00:05:15,960 --> 00:05:18,839 Speaker 1: That was the first CES, and back then electronics consisted 96 00:05:18,880 --> 00:05:21,599 Speaker 1: of one radio and a television that didn't work yet 97 00:05:23,360 --> 00:05:25,800 Speaker 1: not true. No, that's that's like that was a complete 98 00:05:25,839 --> 00:05:28,200 Speaker 1: and well, the nineteen sixty seven part was true, but 99 00:05:28,240 --> 00:05:31,400 Speaker 1: the rest was a lie. I did find a flicker 100 00:05:31,520 --> 00:05:35,920 Speaker 1: set of photos from uh from early c e s 101 00:05:36,040 --> 00:05:40,000 Speaker 1: s there was around in nineteen sixty seven. That's amazing 102 00:05:41,160 --> 00:05:47,159 Speaker 1: the photos. However, Um, it's it's interesting, um to see 103 00:05:47,360 --> 00:05:51,040 Speaker 1: people lined up at the registration booth um where you 104 00:05:51,040 --> 00:05:53,880 Speaker 1: can killt them wearing you wearing suits and ties. Yes, 105 00:05:54,240 --> 00:05:56,200 Speaker 1: you know, because hey, you know they were members of 106 00:05:56,240 --> 00:05:58,320 Speaker 1: the press and it was a trade show, you know, 107 00:05:58,360 --> 00:06:00,280 Speaker 1: and it was a trade show, so you addressed up, 108 00:06:00,400 --> 00:06:05,000 Speaker 1: yeah it was. And none of them were platify right right, 109 00:06:06,040 --> 00:06:09,240 Speaker 1: Oh there you are, Perry. Uh. The so that that 110 00:06:09,320 --> 00:06:12,840 Speaker 1: first show, there were two hundred exhibitors at that first show, 111 00:06:12,880 --> 00:06:17,200 Speaker 1: and there were seventeen dollars and five hundred people attending 112 00:06:17,200 --> 00:06:18,960 Speaker 1: this show. And we should also point out that when 113 00:06:18,960 --> 00:06:23,960 Speaker 1: we say people exhibitors, Yeah, if only I could go 114 00:06:24,040 --> 00:06:26,640 Speaker 1: for half a day and I'd be done. Um, seventeen 115 00:06:27,120 --> 00:06:32,280 Speaker 1: hundred attendees and and uh, the attendees were all industry related. 116 00:06:32,800 --> 00:06:34,839 Speaker 1: You know, it's not open to the public. Why why 117 00:06:34,880 --> 00:06:36,640 Speaker 1: why would you want to go? Yes, because I mean 118 00:06:36,680 --> 00:06:41,560 Speaker 1: the idea, I mean I often ask myself that question. 119 00:06:42,040 --> 00:06:45,200 Speaker 1: But now the uh, the yeah, But I mean it's 120 00:06:45,240 --> 00:06:49,600 Speaker 1: their variations on different TV sets, different kinds of radio 121 00:06:49,680 --> 00:06:52,240 Speaker 1: stuff that's interesting. But for the most part, what this 122 00:06:52,320 --> 00:06:56,080 Speaker 1: is for it's it's for the vendors, that the manufacturers 123 00:06:56,120 --> 00:06:59,960 Speaker 1: to show off new products to retailers so that retailers 124 00:07:00,040 --> 00:07:03,320 Speaker 1: will go and order the devices from the manufacturer and 125 00:07:03,320 --> 00:07:06,359 Speaker 1: start selling them through their retail stores. That typical of 126 00:07:06,360 --> 00:07:08,560 Speaker 1: a trade show. That's what the four that's that's the 127 00:07:08,600 --> 00:07:11,800 Speaker 1: main that's the big business that's going on at c 128 00:07:11,920 --> 00:07:14,400 Speaker 1: E S. And then you have the press as well 129 00:07:14,800 --> 00:07:17,480 Speaker 1: that covers C E S. And I think back in 130 00:07:17,600 --> 00:07:21,360 Speaker 1: nineteen sixty seven, there probably weren't any bloggers, but it 131 00:07:21,400 --> 00:07:24,720 Speaker 1: was all journalists, um so. And I'm assuming that a 132 00:07:24,720 --> 00:07:26,920 Speaker 1: lot of them probably wouldn't have been interested in this 133 00:07:27,000 --> 00:07:30,520 Speaker 1: because this isn't as interesting to the reader in nineteen 134 00:07:30,560 --> 00:07:35,080 Speaker 1: sixties seven, uh, the general reader as it would be today. Yeah. There, 135 00:07:35,440 --> 00:07:38,800 Speaker 1: you know, the there did become kind of an interesting 136 00:07:39,000 --> 00:07:43,040 Speaker 1: uh history at CES for new technologies to debut there, 137 00:07:43,040 --> 00:07:45,160 Speaker 1: and we'll talk about those in a little bit. But 138 00:07:45,520 --> 00:07:47,360 Speaker 1: when it first started, it was pretty it was it 139 00:07:47,440 --> 00:07:50,360 Speaker 1: was fairly modest, and it was not the only big 140 00:07:50,360 --> 00:07:52,120 Speaker 1: trade show out there either. I mean some you know, 141 00:07:52,120 --> 00:07:54,560 Speaker 1: it's one of the ones that we hear about consistently today, 142 00:07:54,600 --> 00:07:56,360 Speaker 1: but it's not the only one. It was actually a 143 00:07:56,440 --> 00:08:00,360 Speaker 1: spinoff of another trade show, the Chicago Music Show YEP, 144 00:08:01,240 --> 00:08:05,520 Speaker 1: back in the day. But um uh, and then you know, 145 00:08:05,600 --> 00:08:07,760 Speaker 1: you skip ahead by a valid decade unless you had 146 00:08:07,800 --> 00:08:09,360 Speaker 1: do you had specific things you wanted to talk about. 147 00:08:09,360 --> 00:08:11,880 Speaker 1: In the early history of C e S, no, not necessarily, 148 00:08:11,960 --> 00:08:15,560 Speaker 1: so I was thinking like back in around the c. 149 00:08:15,720 --> 00:08:18,840 Speaker 1: E A decided to try something new and hold actually 150 00:08:18,920 --> 00:08:23,360 Speaker 1: two trade shows per year, the summer right and the 151 00:08:23,400 --> 00:08:26,160 Speaker 1: winter one was always in Vegas, and the summer one 152 00:08:26,240 --> 00:08:29,320 Speaker 1: for the first first couple of decades was in Chicago. 153 00:08:30,600 --> 00:08:34,160 Speaker 1: But then in nine c e A decided to try 154 00:08:34,160 --> 00:08:38,600 Speaker 1: and experiment and move the summer city to different destinations 155 00:08:39,000 --> 00:08:41,240 Speaker 1: and to kind of play that, play with that and 156 00:08:41,240 --> 00:08:43,240 Speaker 1: see how that went. Originally they were going to go 157 00:08:43,240 --> 00:08:47,360 Speaker 1: to Philadelphia in I think, and then the problem was 158 00:08:47,400 --> 00:08:52,120 Speaker 1: it was scheduled directly against uh, the E three UM 159 00:08:52,120 --> 00:08:55,839 Speaker 1: event and E three the Electronic Entertainment Expo is another 160 00:08:55,920 --> 00:08:58,319 Speaker 1: big trade show, UH. And that's so a lot of 161 00:08:58,440 --> 00:09:01,480 Speaker 1: exhibitors were kind of expressed concerned about that because they 162 00:09:01,520 --> 00:09:04,280 Speaker 1: really wanted to be and and retailers too they wanted 163 00:09:04,280 --> 00:09:05,920 Speaker 1: to be at the other trade show as well. They'd 164 00:09:05,960 --> 00:09:08,040 Speaker 1: have to pick between the two. And if if you've 165 00:09:08,080 --> 00:09:10,200 Speaker 1: got one show that has two shows a year and 166 00:09:10,280 --> 00:09:12,199 Speaker 1: one that only has one show a year, well then 167 00:09:12,200 --> 00:09:14,439 Speaker 1: that's easy. You you skip the one that has two. 168 00:09:14,600 --> 00:09:16,920 Speaker 1: You can go to the other show and then you've 169 00:09:16,920 --> 00:09:19,600 Speaker 1: got you you still have another chance to make it 170 00:09:19,600 --> 00:09:22,800 Speaker 1: to the first one. So they tried that a couple 171 00:09:22,800 --> 00:09:27,280 Speaker 1: of times. Uh in they decided, you know, this doesn't 172 00:09:27,280 --> 00:09:29,160 Speaker 1: make any sense. We're just gonna do one show a year. 173 00:09:29,200 --> 00:09:31,280 Speaker 1: It'll be that Winter show and it's gonna be in Vegas. 174 00:09:31,280 --> 00:09:36,520 Speaker 1: And that's how it's been since. So, um, you wanted 175 00:09:36,520 --> 00:09:38,920 Speaker 1: to talk about some of the products, some of the 176 00:09:39,000 --> 00:09:42,319 Speaker 1: technologies that have debuted at c e S. Yeah, we 177 00:09:42,400 --> 00:09:46,199 Speaker 1: actually we actually have several um tech stuff episodes about 178 00:09:46,280 --> 00:09:50,280 Speaker 1: some of the technologies that have that we're first shown 179 00:09:50,280 --> 00:09:55,520 Speaker 1: off to people beyond the manufacturers at c E S. Yeah. Yeah, 180 00:09:55,600 --> 00:09:58,520 Speaker 1: and um this is this is one of those those 181 00:09:58,559 --> 00:10:01,719 Speaker 1: things about the show. Um, well, we were going to 182 00:10:01,800 --> 00:10:03,320 Speaker 1: talk about what it's like to go to the show, 183 00:10:03,520 --> 00:10:05,280 Speaker 1: but if you go to to any of the booths, 184 00:10:05,280 --> 00:10:10,160 Speaker 1: I mean, you're likely to see incremental changes and a product, 185 00:10:10,760 --> 00:10:13,599 Speaker 1: the next version of a technology. Yeah, we've got the 186 00:10:13,960 --> 00:10:18,080 Speaker 1: new camera which has a slightly faster um, you know, 187 00:10:18,400 --> 00:10:21,120 Speaker 1: ability to do burst photography. Well a few years ago 188 00:10:21,120 --> 00:10:25,160 Speaker 1: burst photography was new. Yeah, yeah, so yeah, movement I'd say, 189 00:10:26,280 --> 00:10:28,959 Speaker 1: the stuff you encounter at ce S is just a 190 00:10:29,640 --> 00:10:33,320 Speaker 1: slight evolution on technology we've already seen. Yeah, but that 191 00:10:33,400 --> 00:10:38,200 Speaker 1: one percent, and and you know they're there um variations 192 00:10:38,200 --> 00:10:41,080 Speaker 1: on stuff. It'll be uh, you know, things that are 193 00:10:41,600 --> 00:10:45,959 Speaker 1: slightly smaller than last year, or they come in different colors, 194 00:10:46,120 --> 00:10:48,840 Speaker 1: or like the a camera that incorporates a button so 195 00:10:48,880 --> 00:10:52,319 Speaker 1: that you can share photos on social networking sites more 196 00:10:52,320 --> 00:10:54,880 Speaker 1: more readily. Yeah, that kind of stuff, like a new 197 00:10:54,960 --> 00:10:58,800 Speaker 1: feature that's in a pre existing technology. Yeah, you know. 198 00:10:58,920 --> 00:11:00,800 Speaker 1: Or you'll go to a or will go to a 199 00:11:00,840 --> 00:11:04,080 Speaker 1: press event and they'll we'll find out that, um, the 200 00:11:04,120 --> 00:11:08,280 Speaker 1: TVs are not any particularly larger or or thinner than 201 00:11:08,320 --> 00:11:10,240 Speaker 1: they were last year, but this time they're in blue 202 00:11:10,559 --> 00:11:13,640 Speaker 1: because blue is the trendy color this year. But you 203 00:11:13,679 --> 00:11:16,600 Speaker 1: will find this stuff that is brand new, and stuff 204 00:11:16,640 --> 00:11:20,200 Speaker 1: that is that was previously unavailable to the public that 205 00:11:20,280 --> 00:11:24,640 Speaker 1: will be including um and my first device was seventy 206 00:11:24,720 --> 00:11:28,600 Speaker 1: that groundbreaking and when I mean groundbreaking, it's because it 207 00:11:28,640 --> 00:11:32,920 Speaker 1: was large and heavy. Video cassette recorder YEP YEP video 208 00:11:32,960 --> 00:11:36,520 Speaker 1: cassette recorders or VCRs debuted at c e S was 209 00:11:36,600 --> 00:11:41,120 Speaker 1: the first time anyone outside of the the industry got 210 00:11:41,120 --> 00:11:42,560 Speaker 1: a chance to get a look at one of these, 211 00:11:42,640 --> 00:11:44,959 Speaker 1: and um, and for those of you who don't remember, 212 00:11:45,040 --> 00:11:48,120 Speaker 1: VCRs were a big thing. Yeah, yeah, and one of 213 00:11:48,160 --> 00:11:50,520 Speaker 1: your your hits now this I have a list that 214 00:11:50,600 --> 00:11:53,760 Speaker 1: came from c e S itself, The next of which 215 00:11:53,880 --> 00:11:56,400 Speaker 1: was the laser disc player in four and that was 216 00:11:57,320 --> 00:12:00,000 Speaker 1: that was pretty huge. Yeah, that LaserDisc players ended up 217 00:12:00,080 --> 00:12:03,200 Speaker 1: being more of a niche market. There was a like 218 00:12:03,240 --> 00:12:07,880 Speaker 1: an enthusiast market that it was extremely popular. And um, 219 00:12:07,920 --> 00:12:11,400 Speaker 1: I mean there's still devotees of the the Laser displayer 220 00:12:11,400 --> 00:12:15,320 Speaker 1: out there today, but it never reached a kind of 221 00:12:15,360 --> 00:12:19,320 Speaker 1: widespread adoption. And I'm going to do that thing that 222 00:12:19,320 --> 00:12:21,040 Speaker 1: that Jonathan hates it when I do, I want to 223 00:12:21,040 --> 00:12:24,920 Speaker 1: actually hold something up, especially gasses. Do you recognize this 224 00:12:24,960 --> 00:12:28,320 Speaker 1: device that would be the first cheap digital watch from 225 00:12:28,400 --> 00:12:31,840 Speaker 1: Texas Instruments. Yes, it made its its debut in the 226 00:12:31,920 --> 00:12:35,920 Speaker 1: in the mid seventies. I did recognize it. Yeah, that 227 00:12:36,040 --> 00:12:39,760 Speaker 1: was if you listen to our Texas Instruments episodes then 228 00:12:39,800 --> 00:12:42,560 Speaker 1: you know we actually talked about that about how d 229 00:12:42,760 --> 00:12:47,000 Speaker 1: I helped bring in this era of of less expensive 230 00:12:47,280 --> 00:12:51,760 Speaker 1: digital watches. Before that, they were all these luxury items 231 00:12:51,800 --> 00:12:55,920 Speaker 1: that cost hundreds of dollars transistors. It's transistors speaking of 232 00:12:55,960 --> 00:12:58,880 Speaker 1: something that has transistors in it. UM a device that 233 00:12:58,960 --> 00:13:01,520 Speaker 1: I owned in the ninety seventies and this UH, it's 234 00:13:01,559 --> 00:13:03,400 Speaker 1: interesting that you brought up E three in the mid 235 00:13:03,480 --> 00:13:06,880 Speaker 1: nineties because E three is much younger trade show. UM. 236 00:13:06,920 --> 00:13:09,880 Speaker 1: If you wanted to show off the next device, you 237 00:13:09,920 --> 00:13:12,560 Speaker 1: would have to take it to C E S because 238 00:13:12,559 --> 00:13:14,920 Speaker 1: there wasn't a N E three UM when it showed 239 00:13:15,000 --> 00:13:17,760 Speaker 1: up in ninety seven, and that would be Attris VCS 240 00:13:18,520 --> 00:13:22,439 Speaker 1: a computer system. Other consoles also first debuted at c S, 241 00:13:22,480 --> 00:13:25,920 Speaker 1: including some that debuted after E three started. That includes 242 00:13:26,080 --> 00:13:29,200 Speaker 1: Pong that's that was that was before E three, but 243 00:13:29,360 --> 00:13:32,920 Speaker 1: any s that also debuted CS in in America, granted 244 00:13:32,920 --> 00:13:35,679 Speaker 1: it had already been out in Japan, but made its 245 00:13:35,679 --> 00:13:40,240 Speaker 1: American debut in uh a Winter c S show. And 246 00:13:40,280 --> 00:13:45,560 Speaker 1: then UM also the Xbox Yeah. UM. Traditionally, there are 247 00:13:45,600 --> 00:13:48,800 Speaker 1: several keynote speeches that take place at C E S. 248 00:13:49,400 --> 00:13:51,760 Speaker 1: It's not all just out there on the trade show 249 00:13:51,800 --> 00:13:54,400 Speaker 1: floor where you're looking at booths. They also have sessions 250 00:13:54,400 --> 00:13:57,520 Speaker 1: that they hold where they talk about trends and technology 251 00:13:57,679 --> 00:14:00,920 Speaker 1: and and companies will have a press event where they 252 00:14:00,920 --> 00:14:03,319 Speaker 1: will unveil the stuff that you would be able to 253 00:14:03,360 --> 00:14:05,480 Speaker 1: see on the floor, but you'll get an early look 254 00:14:05,480 --> 00:14:08,280 Speaker 1: at what it can do before you get to the floor. Well, 255 00:14:08,320 --> 00:14:13,600 Speaker 1: Microsoft has had a keynote slot at cs for years 256 00:14:14,320 --> 00:14:18,280 Speaker 1: and at one of these they unveiled the Xbox. So 257 00:14:18,360 --> 00:14:21,920 Speaker 1: that was it wasn't any three thing that was before 258 00:14:21,960 --> 00:14:25,120 Speaker 1: Microsoft was big in games. Yeah, that was. It was 259 00:14:25,160 --> 00:14:30,040 Speaker 1: a huge splash for Microsoft because you know, Microsoft had 260 00:14:30,080 --> 00:14:32,720 Speaker 1: been involved in games on the computer side, but not 261 00:14:32,800 --> 00:14:35,800 Speaker 1: so much on the console side. So this was definitely 262 00:14:35,880 --> 00:14:38,840 Speaker 1: a pretty big move and it turned out to be 263 00:14:38,920 --> 00:14:41,840 Speaker 1: a really successful one, which, you know, it's nice to 264 00:14:41,840 --> 00:14:44,680 Speaker 1: be able to say that about Microsoft. Yeah, you're right. 265 00:14:44,680 --> 00:14:47,240 Speaker 1: I didn't mean to say that they weren't because they 266 00:14:47,640 --> 00:14:52,040 Speaker 1: had done They had been releasing games for years, not 267 00:14:52,160 --> 00:14:54,520 Speaker 1: on the scale that the Xbox, right, it was all 268 00:14:54,800 --> 00:14:57,560 Speaker 1: it was all computer based, like Microsoft Light simulator type stuff, 269 00:14:57,600 --> 00:15:01,440 Speaker 1: you know. But yeah, the other technologies that debuted at 270 00:15:01,440 --> 00:15:03,960 Speaker 1: c S um well, will you talk about laser discs 271 00:15:03,960 --> 00:15:07,240 Speaker 1: and VCRs. Let's stay on that topic. There was a 272 00:15:07,280 --> 00:15:09,520 Speaker 1: big year because that was when the cam quarter and 273 00:15:09,560 --> 00:15:13,440 Speaker 1: Compact Disc player was shown off. C d S and 274 00:15:13,480 --> 00:15:17,640 Speaker 1: then DVDs also debuted a C E S and as 275 00:15:17,680 --> 00:15:20,920 Speaker 1: did UM Blu Ray. Yes, it also debuted at C 276 00:15:21,000 --> 00:15:24,720 Speaker 1: E S. Yeah. Oh, and don't forget that earth shattering 277 00:15:25,080 --> 00:15:32,200 Speaker 1: announcement from Sony the mini disc. Yeah. Very popular in 278 00:15:32,240 --> 00:15:34,560 Speaker 1: other parts of the world, not so much in the 279 00:15:34,640 --> 00:15:38,000 Speaker 1: United States. Um, you know, hi, hi d TV here 280 00:15:38,000 --> 00:15:43,040 Speaker 1: in the United States, Um, you know, plasma TVs, um, 281 00:15:43,200 --> 00:15:45,680 Speaker 1: you know, all kinds of stuff, and of course three 282 00:15:45,800 --> 00:15:48,280 Speaker 1: D H d t V in the in the two 283 00:15:48,280 --> 00:15:51,240 Speaker 1: thousand nine Yeah. Yeah, So let's talk a little bit 284 00:15:51,280 --> 00:15:55,040 Speaker 1: about Um, well, first of all, let's talk about two 285 00:15:55,080 --> 00:15:58,480 Speaker 1: thousand h I've got one event in two thousand five. 286 00:15:58,560 --> 00:16:00,800 Speaker 1: This was before we went in two thousand five. We 287 00:16:00,880 --> 00:16:05,720 Speaker 1: have to talk about the the embarrassing moment for Bill Gates. Yeah, 288 00:16:05,760 --> 00:16:07,800 Speaker 1: that that you know what, and doing the research for this, 289 00:16:07,840 --> 00:16:09,880 Speaker 1: I wanted to look for products and and things that 290 00:16:10,040 --> 00:16:13,200 Speaker 1: made their debut, and that one was mentioned in several 291 00:16:13,240 --> 00:16:15,920 Speaker 1: and it kind of kind of feel terrible about it. 292 00:16:15,960 --> 00:16:18,720 Speaker 1: You know that so many people remember it. Sometimes stuff 293 00:16:18,760 --> 00:16:22,240 Speaker 1: doesn't beep, that's the problem. So yeah, for that to 294 00:16:22,280 --> 00:16:26,440 Speaker 1: happen to the company's founder and on a keynote speech, Yeah, 295 00:16:26,480 --> 00:16:28,800 Speaker 1: here's here's what happened, because you know, we're dancing around it. 296 00:16:28,880 --> 00:16:31,560 Speaker 1: So Bill Gates is up on stage and he is, uh, 297 00:16:32,960 --> 00:16:38,200 Speaker 1: he's demonstrating a Windows Media Center to a crowd at 298 00:16:38,280 --> 00:16:42,000 Speaker 1: c e S and as he's demonstrating it, the system 299 00:16:42,080 --> 00:16:45,920 Speaker 1: crashes and he gets the blue screen of death. So 300 00:16:46,160 --> 00:16:48,600 Speaker 1: imagine being the CEO of a company. You're showing off 301 00:16:48,600 --> 00:16:52,880 Speaker 1: your latest product on on a device that has had 302 00:16:53,160 --> 00:16:56,760 Speaker 1: its share of jokes directed at it for its the 303 00:16:56,800 --> 00:16:58,600 Speaker 1: you know, the fact that it does tend to crash, 304 00:16:58,640 --> 00:17:00,440 Speaker 1: and that the when it does crash, you get this 305 00:17:00,520 --> 00:17:04,719 Speaker 1: blue screen. For that to happen in public on the stage, 306 00:17:04,760 --> 00:17:07,240 Speaker 1: that had to have been a little, uh, you know, 307 00:17:07,880 --> 00:17:10,680 Speaker 1: a little bit embarrassing, and the press had a pretty 308 00:17:10,680 --> 00:17:12,840 Speaker 1: good time with it. It still does. So anytime you 309 00:17:12,880 --> 00:17:14,879 Speaker 1: see like a wrap up of big moments and c 310 00:17:15,040 --> 00:17:19,360 Speaker 1: e S, like Chris was saying, it tends to be included. Um, 311 00:17:19,480 --> 00:17:22,240 Speaker 1: Um and I have one more big moment, uh in 312 00:17:22,320 --> 00:17:25,840 Speaker 1: a similar vein that I think can can easily launch 313 00:17:25,920 --> 00:17:28,199 Speaker 1: us into the second half of our podcast where we 314 00:17:28,200 --> 00:17:31,160 Speaker 1: talk about what it's like to be at the show. Um, 315 00:17:31,280 --> 00:17:33,679 Speaker 1: Jonathan and I. The only time that Jonathan and I 316 00:17:33,720 --> 00:17:36,760 Speaker 1: attended c E S together. Was in two thousand eight. Yes, 317 00:17:37,800 --> 00:17:41,560 Speaker 1: and there was another. Um. I hate to use the 318 00:17:41,720 --> 00:17:45,560 Speaker 1: term epic fail, but this is this was painful and 319 00:17:45,600 --> 00:17:48,639 Speaker 1: in its obviousness, Um, I know what you're going for, 320 00:17:48,760 --> 00:17:50,640 Speaker 1: but I want to hear it. We had an opportunity 321 00:17:50,680 --> 00:17:53,360 Speaker 1: to be on the show floor early because we were 322 00:17:53,560 --> 00:17:56,520 Speaker 1: members of the media, so we got a chance to 323 00:17:56,640 --> 00:17:58,840 Speaker 1: kind of see. Now, most of the booths were kind 324 00:17:58,840 --> 00:18:01,919 Speaker 1: of wrapped off so that you couldn't see it. But um, 325 00:18:01,960 --> 00:18:03,840 Speaker 1: if you look at some of those old photo sets 326 00:18:03,840 --> 00:18:06,159 Speaker 1: of old c E s is the boosts were very bland. 327 00:18:06,240 --> 00:18:08,000 Speaker 1: It would be a white booth with the name of 328 00:18:08,000 --> 00:18:10,399 Speaker 1: the company written on it. Well, okay, it was black 329 00:18:10,400 --> 00:18:12,399 Speaker 1: and white, so it looks like a white booth with 330 00:18:12,400 --> 00:18:15,520 Speaker 1: a name in the company. Very very sober in comparison 331 00:18:15,640 --> 00:18:19,879 Speaker 1: with today's where they have elaborate displays with speakers and 332 00:18:20,960 --> 00:18:25,240 Speaker 1: all kinds of brilliant marketing materials. They might even bring 333 00:18:25,920 --> 00:18:28,840 Speaker 1: overlays of stuff so that the cubicle doesn't look like 334 00:18:29,359 --> 00:18:30,960 Speaker 1: so that the cube doesn't look like a cube, it 335 00:18:30,960 --> 00:18:34,760 Speaker 1: looks like something else. Sure, sure, yeah, And in some cases, um, 336 00:18:34,800 --> 00:18:36,840 Speaker 1: you know, you can't really see in it. Before they've 337 00:18:37,920 --> 00:18:40,679 Speaker 1: started the show, and in some cases they can't hide 338 00:18:41,080 --> 00:18:42,920 Speaker 1: what's going on. So we're walking around the show floor 339 00:18:42,920 --> 00:18:45,119 Speaker 1: and getting an idea of what what we're going to 340 00:18:45,200 --> 00:18:49,000 Speaker 1: get an opportunity to see the next day. And on 341 00:18:49,000 --> 00:18:53,800 Speaker 1: on one side we see Sony's enormous pirate ship of 342 00:18:53,880 --> 00:18:56,680 Speaker 1: the Blu Ray display. Yeah. So yeah, they actually had 343 00:18:56,960 --> 00:19:01,600 Speaker 1: a this this UH set essentially and it was because 344 00:19:01,600 --> 00:19:04,040 Speaker 1: of Pirates of the Caribbean UH. And they had this 345 00:19:04,080 --> 00:19:07,080 Speaker 1: big pirate ship type set in the middle of their booths. Now, now, 346 00:19:07,320 --> 00:19:09,560 Speaker 1: some of these booths are small, like some of them, 347 00:19:09,600 --> 00:19:11,800 Speaker 1: Some of them are only a slightly larger than what 348 00:19:11,920 --> 00:19:15,200 Speaker 1: you would find an office cubicle. Yeah, I mean their marketing. 349 00:19:15,920 --> 00:19:19,000 Speaker 1: Marketing dollars don't grow on trees for some companies because 350 00:19:19,040 --> 00:19:21,440 Speaker 1: they are paying for the square footage at this event 351 00:19:21,520 --> 00:19:24,200 Speaker 1: and other other ones, especially you know, of course from 352 00:19:24,200 --> 00:19:29,879 Speaker 1: the big companies are enormous, enormous booths, Panasonic, Sony, this 353 00:19:30,000 --> 00:19:32,320 Speaker 1: is taking place. Most of these booths are at the 354 00:19:32,400 --> 00:19:34,480 Speaker 1: Las Vegas Convention Center, which has I think three and 355 00:19:34,520 --> 00:19:40,280 Speaker 1: a half million square feet of space. Yes, and and 356 00:19:40,280 --> 00:19:44,120 Speaker 1: and c e s. These days, it's not just one building, 357 00:19:44,560 --> 00:19:49,760 Speaker 1: it's also in many other floors. Um, but anyway, you 358 00:19:49,800 --> 00:19:52,280 Speaker 1: were saying, so the Blue Ray, the Blue Ray presence 359 00:19:52,359 --> 00:19:55,840 Speaker 1: is there, and it was obvious, and then a couple 360 00:19:55,960 --> 00:19:57,800 Speaker 1: rows over, it wasn't even that far. It was on 361 00:19:57,840 --> 00:20:01,040 Speaker 1: the same show floor. It was the and this is 362 00:20:01,080 --> 00:20:04,200 Speaker 1: again one of our very first podcasts that we did 363 00:20:04,640 --> 00:20:08,040 Speaker 1: back when we were five minutes long. HD DVD versus 364 00:20:08,040 --> 00:20:11,080 Speaker 1: Blu Ray. Right, h D DVD was supposed to be 365 00:20:11,119 --> 00:20:14,320 Speaker 1: at cs and the week before c e S there 366 00:20:14,359 --> 00:20:16,800 Speaker 1: was a big stink because Warner Brothers announced that it 367 00:20:16,840 --> 00:20:20,200 Speaker 1: was going to be exclusively Blu Ray from that moment on. 368 00:20:20,440 --> 00:20:24,320 Speaker 1: And that was one of the few big movie studios 369 00:20:24,359 --> 00:20:26,480 Speaker 1: that had still been backing h D d d D 370 00:20:27,359 --> 00:20:31,159 Speaker 1: at that point. H D DVD they which this from Toshiba. Right, 371 00:20:31,960 --> 00:20:35,600 Speaker 1: had the Toshiba had decided to pull the h D 372 00:20:35,760 --> 00:20:38,960 Speaker 1: DVD presence from c e S rather than have to 373 00:20:39,200 --> 00:20:44,480 Speaker 1: endure a week long UH onslaught of questions about what 374 00:20:44,520 --> 00:20:47,000 Speaker 1: are you going to do now? Yeah, yeah, and that 375 00:20:47,080 --> 00:20:50,399 Speaker 1: was that was the thing they were. Um, there were 376 00:20:50,480 --> 00:20:54,040 Speaker 1: rumors that there was something going to happen with h 377 00:20:54,200 --> 00:20:58,399 Speaker 1: D DVD. UH. I guess in the weeks prior and 378 00:20:58,440 --> 00:21:01,760 Speaker 1: then it happened right before they had the set in 379 00:21:01,880 --> 00:21:07,560 Speaker 1: place on the show floor and it essentially never opened. Um, 380 00:21:07,800 --> 00:21:10,479 Speaker 1: and we didn't know. We got the announcement while we 381 00:21:10,480 --> 00:21:13,399 Speaker 1: were there UM that they were they were going to 382 00:21:13,480 --> 00:21:15,120 Speaker 1: do it, and then as we were there they said, yeah, 383 00:21:15,160 --> 00:21:17,800 Speaker 1: we're done. Yeah, So that was pretty much the end 384 00:21:17,840 --> 00:21:20,880 Speaker 1: of h D DVD. I had that down too. Yeah. 385 00:21:20,920 --> 00:21:23,960 Speaker 1: That also was two thousand eight was a big year 386 00:21:24,640 --> 00:21:28,240 Speaker 1: for UH for CS. We were a hundred and forty 387 00:21:28,280 --> 00:21:32,080 Speaker 1: one thousand attendees, so up from that seventeen thousand, five 388 00:21:32,160 --> 00:21:37,680 Speaker 1: hundred previously just just a few more. Now. I actually 389 00:21:37,680 --> 00:21:40,919 Speaker 1: wrote down the a couple of just little facts about 390 00:21:40,960 --> 00:21:44,440 Speaker 1: every year from two thousand eight ton because we were 391 00:21:44,720 --> 00:21:48,199 Speaker 1: you know, I attended all of those, So just a 392 00:21:48,200 --> 00:21:50,359 Speaker 1: couple of little notes. So you covered h D DVD, 393 00:21:50,480 --> 00:21:51,760 Speaker 1: which was one of the notes I had for two 394 00:21:51,800 --> 00:21:54,000 Speaker 1: thousand and eight. The number of attendees was another. And 395 00:21:54,040 --> 00:21:57,040 Speaker 1: also I have what c net picked out as the 396 00:21:57,080 --> 00:22:02,600 Speaker 1: best of CS because Senat is the official streaming partner 397 00:22:02,840 --> 00:22:06,320 Speaker 1: of CE s or was in for those years and 398 00:22:06,400 --> 00:22:10,920 Speaker 1: so s net always holds an awards um ceremony where 399 00:22:10,920 --> 00:22:12,760 Speaker 1: what they do is their editors go and hit the 400 00:22:12,800 --> 00:22:15,080 Speaker 1: floor and they all look at all the different tech 401 00:22:15,119 --> 00:22:17,160 Speaker 1: out there, and then they get together and they decide 402 00:22:17,240 --> 00:22:20,600 Speaker 1: what is the what is the best thing on the floor. 403 00:22:20,800 --> 00:22:23,320 Speaker 1: And I think it'll be interested to hear what one 404 00:22:23,720 --> 00:22:25,960 Speaker 1: over some of these years, because they're not all good 405 00:22:26,000 --> 00:22:30,160 Speaker 1: stories ahead. So two thousand and eight s NET Awards, 406 00:22:30,240 --> 00:22:34,760 Speaker 1: this one is not bad. Is the Phillips Eco TV show. Yeah, 407 00:22:34,840 --> 00:22:36,680 Speaker 1: this is a forty two in ten a d p 408 00:22:37,000 --> 00:22:39,119 Speaker 1: h D TV that had a lot of energy saving 409 00:22:39,160 --> 00:22:42,000 Speaker 1: technology built into it. Because two thousand eight, I think 410 00:22:42,040 --> 00:22:43,920 Speaker 1: Chris can remember this to two thousand eight, I think 411 00:22:43,960 --> 00:22:48,560 Speaker 1: was the big trend was green technology in two thousand eight. Um, 412 00:22:48,920 --> 00:22:53,320 Speaker 1: you can usually spot some pretty pretty prevalent trends each 413 00:22:53,400 --> 00:22:55,080 Speaker 1: year at CS two. If you attend what we can 414 00:22:55,119 --> 00:22:59,200 Speaker 1: talk a little bit about that as well. Two thousand nine, Um, 415 00:22:59,240 --> 00:23:02,919 Speaker 1: that was the when the LG watch phone was on 416 00:23:02,920 --> 00:23:05,440 Speaker 1: the show floor, which never came to the United States, 417 00:23:05,520 --> 00:23:08,600 Speaker 1: but it made a huge hit at the show. Yeah, 418 00:23:08,600 --> 00:23:10,400 Speaker 1: I got a lot of buzz because everyone's saying, Oh, 419 00:23:10,400 --> 00:23:13,040 Speaker 1: it's the Dick Tracy watching. It's got video and everything 420 00:23:13,040 --> 00:23:15,960 Speaker 1: and his touch screen interface, and you know what, we 421 00:23:16,000 --> 00:23:18,359 Speaker 1: don't have the l g Watch phone. But we do 422 00:23:18,480 --> 00:23:21,280 Speaker 1: have the iPod Nano that has a lot of the 423 00:23:21,280 --> 00:23:24,480 Speaker 1: same functionality, just not the phone part. Uh, so that's 424 00:23:24,520 --> 00:23:28,520 Speaker 1: kind of interesting. But what one that year, Senets prize 425 00:23:28,520 --> 00:23:32,680 Speaker 1: went to the Palm Pre Oh yeah, which is kind 426 00:23:32,680 --> 00:23:37,080 Speaker 1: of sad. So justin short, Palm Pre from from from 427 00:23:37,160 --> 00:23:40,520 Speaker 1: Palm never really took off. It very much impressed everyone. 428 00:23:40,560 --> 00:23:42,280 Speaker 1: Everyone thought that it was going to be a real 429 00:23:42,520 --> 00:23:45,159 Speaker 1: uh competitor to the iPhone. Yeah. That was basically the 430 00:23:45,200 --> 00:23:49,280 Speaker 1: debut of their brand new operating system. And then it 431 00:23:49,400 --> 00:23:52,320 Speaker 1: just never got traction. It took about six months from 432 00:23:52,520 --> 00:23:55,560 Speaker 1: CS before it even hit the market, and by then 433 00:23:55,600 --> 00:23:58,480 Speaker 1: the buzzard died down, so it never really took off. 434 00:23:58,600 --> 00:24:03,399 Speaker 1: HP ended up buying Palm. Uh, the Palm phones began 435 00:24:03,480 --> 00:24:08,000 Speaker 1: to disappear, webOS became a tablet only thing and then happened, 436 00:24:08,000 --> 00:24:09,720 Speaker 1: and no one really was sure what was going to 437 00:24:09,800 --> 00:24:12,360 Speaker 1: happen with webOS because they first HP was saying we're 438 00:24:12,400 --> 00:24:14,000 Speaker 1: done with it, and they're like, no, we're not done 439 00:24:14,000 --> 00:24:15,560 Speaker 1: with it, so we don't know if we're done with it. 440 00:24:15,640 --> 00:24:17,359 Speaker 1: And now they're saying we're not done with it and 441 00:24:17,400 --> 00:24:19,600 Speaker 1: we're moving it to open source. So that's been the 442 00:24:19,680 --> 00:24:23,960 Speaker 1: journey of webo s since c E S two thousand nine. Yeah, 443 00:24:24,280 --> 00:24:27,240 Speaker 1: pretty crazy. And we did a whole episode on Palm, 444 00:24:27,320 --> 00:24:28,800 Speaker 1: so you can listen to that if you want to 445 00:24:28,800 --> 00:24:32,840 Speaker 1: know more about that company. The big thing I remember 446 00:24:32,840 --> 00:24:36,720 Speaker 1: from twenty tenness seeing Intel's new Haleen processor running. I 447 00:24:36,760 --> 00:24:39,000 Speaker 1: had written an article about the Nehleen processor and this 448 00:24:39,080 --> 00:24:41,320 Speaker 1: time I got the chance to see it and I 449 00:24:41,400 --> 00:24:44,880 Speaker 1: was very much impressed. The big win for that year 450 00:24:45,000 --> 00:24:48,679 Speaker 1: was Panasonics three D h D t V. That's what 451 00:24:48,760 --> 00:24:51,720 Speaker 1: Sena gave the award to. And of course three D 452 00:24:51,800 --> 00:24:56,000 Speaker 1: television still has not really taken hold. It just hasn't 453 00:24:56,000 --> 00:24:57,440 Speaker 1: really gained that much attraction. There are a lot of 454 00:24:57,440 --> 00:24:59,480 Speaker 1: televisions out there they have three D built into them, 455 00:24:59,480 --> 00:25:02,359 Speaker 1: but we have not seen three D become a real 456 00:25:02,920 --> 00:25:07,720 Speaker 1: powerhouse in home entertainment. Yeah. And and actually you you're mentioning, 457 00:25:07,840 --> 00:25:11,800 Speaker 1: um uh, the Nehalen processor kind of reminded me to 458 00:25:12,080 --> 00:25:14,280 Speaker 1: a lot of the stuff on the show floor. I mean, 459 00:25:14,600 --> 00:25:17,520 Speaker 1: we've we've had many people, uh tell us that they 460 00:25:17,520 --> 00:25:19,200 Speaker 1: think going to see e S would be a whole 461 00:25:19,240 --> 00:25:21,800 Speaker 1: lot of fun. And yeah, in some ways, getting the 462 00:25:21,880 --> 00:25:25,440 Speaker 1: chance to see these gadgets and and and cool toys 463 00:25:25,520 --> 00:25:29,080 Speaker 1: and be it. Yeah, that that part is kind of cool. 464 00:25:29,240 --> 00:25:31,560 Speaker 1: But there's a lot of stuff where I mean, looking 465 00:25:31,600 --> 00:25:34,879 Speaker 1: at a motherboard with an Ahleen processor. I mean what 466 00:25:35,000 --> 00:25:38,159 Speaker 1: Intel does when they show that kind of thing off, um, 467 00:25:38,400 --> 00:25:42,359 Speaker 1: is they show a computer running stuff that you know, 468 00:25:42,400 --> 00:25:44,560 Speaker 1: they're talking about the the optimization, but if you look 469 00:25:44,600 --> 00:25:46,200 Speaker 1: at the process there, I mean, it's it's a chip. 470 00:25:46,680 --> 00:25:48,880 Speaker 1: So there's there's a lot of stuff there that's just 471 00:25:50,160 --> 00:25:52,680 Speaker 1: it's good and it's important, and it's it's nice to 472 00:25:52,720 --> 00:25:54,520 Speaker 1: have in your next computer. You know, Oh man, look 473 00:25:54,560 --> 00:25:56,119 Speaker 1: how fast that is. I'd like to have that, But 474 00:25:56,160 --> 00:25:58,359 Speaker 1: you don't stay there all day and just marveling at 475 00:25:58,400 --> 00:26:00,280 Speaker 1: it because it's the coolest thing. Every We can talk 476 00:26:00,320 --> 00:26:02,520 Speaker 1: about some of that, we can talk about some of that. Also, 477 00:26:02,520 --> 00:26:04,840 Speaker 1: want to get to our personal experiences, because I've got 478 00:26:04,920 --> 00:26:07,399 Speaker 1: a whole rant I could go off on, but not 479 00:26:07,520 --> 00:26:10,440 Speaker 1: about Intel, though they're they're expected to show a new 480 00:26:10,520 --> 00:26:13,920 Speaker 1: processor this year. Yeah. I saw sandy Bridge last year, 481 00:26:13,960 --> 00:26:15,920 Speaker 1: and again that was very impressive. So that was something 482 00:26:15,960 --> 00:26:20,000 Speaker 1: for last year being this year as we're recording it, 483 00:26:20,040 --> 00:26:22,320 Speaker 1: but last year when you're listening to this even Yeah, 484 00:26:22,320 --> 00:26:25,120 Speaker 1: I saw, I saw Sandy Bridge and that was very interesting. Um. 485 00:26:25,160 --> 00:26:27,320 Speaker 1: That was also it was a big year for tablets 486 00:26:27,320 --> 00:26:32,199 Speaker 1: and smartphones last year. The Motorola Atrix, which was the 487 00:26:32,240 --> 00:26:36,520 Speaker 1: smartphone that could dock with a laptop like docking device 488 00:26:36,560 --> 00:26:38,879 Speaker 1: and it could power that laptop, so you were actually 489 00:26:38,960 --> 00:26:42,920 Speaker 1: using the smartphones operating system in a laptop form factor. Uh, 490 00:26:43,160 --> 00:26:46,159 Speaker 1: BlackBerry Playbook was there to play with. That was the 491 00:26:46,160 --> 00:26:47,680 Speaker 1: first time I got my hands on one of those. 492 00:26:48,240 --> 00:26:51,440 Speaker 1: Um lots of different devices seen. That gave the award 493 00:26:51,560 --> 00:26:56,000 Speaker 1: to the Motorola Zoom, which again just never really I mean, 494 00:26:56,400 --> 00:26:59,879 Speaker 1: it hasn't done terrible and the it's not it's not 495 00:27:00,320 --> 00:27:03,040 Speaker 1: it's not a failure or anything in the market, but 496 00:27:03,119 --> 00:27:06,080 Speaker 1: I don't think it ended up making as big a 497 00:27:06,119 --> 00:27:10,760 Speaker 1: splash as we thought back when we were at CES. Yeah, 498 00:27:11,320 --> 00:27:13,800 Speaker 1: and part of that is just you know that that 499 00:27:13,920 --> 00:27:18,400 Speaker 1: was sporting the new Honeycomb build of Android. Well within 500 00:27:18,480 --> 00:27:21,000 Speaker 1: that same year, we've seen ice Cream Sandwich come out 501 00:27:21,400 --> 00:27:26,120 Speaker 1: or at least unveiled. Yeah. So I mean that's that's 502 00:27:26,160 --> 00:27:28,479 Speaker 1: one of the issues with CS two is that sometimes 503 00:27:28,560 --> 00:27:30,000 Speaker 1: the stuff that you see at the show that you 504 00:27:30,040 --> 00:27:32,560 Speaker 1: think is gonna be like, oh my gosh, I can't 505 00:27:32,560 --> 00:27:34,080 Speaker 1: wait for this to hit the market. It's gonna be 506 00:27:34,080 --> 00:27:36,280 Speaker 1: the next big thing. Some of it, some of it 507 00:27:36,320 --> 00:27:38,560 Speaker 1: never comes to market, and some of it will come 508 00:27:38,600 --> 00:27:41,280 Speaker 1: to market and then just fizzle. Uh. Let me get 509 00:27:41,280 --> 00:27:43,800 Speaker 1: my Let me get the one item that never came 510 00:27:43,840 --> 00:27:46,359 Speaker 1: to market that just drove me crazy. I know what 511 00:27:46,840 --> 00:27:51,639 Speaker 1: this one is. The Lenovo you won? Oh, the Lenovo 512 00:27:51,720 --> 00:27:55,960 Speaker 1: you won, which was a notebook computer where you could 513 00:27:56,000 --> 00:27:58,800 Speaker 1: detach the screen from the base of the computer and 514 00:27:58,840 --> 00:28:00,920 Speaker 1: it would become a tablet. And it actually had two 515 00:28:00,960 --> 00:28:04,280 Speaker 1: different operating systems. When it was a notebook computer, it 516 00:28:04,280 --> 00:28:07,200 Speaker 1: was running Windows seven. The original build I saw, when 517 00:28:07,200 --> 00:28:10,080 Speaker 1: you detached the screen, it would switch to a Linux 518 00:28:10,119 --> 00:28:13,560 Speaker 1: based operating system. The second time I saw it, which 519 00:28:13,600 --> 00:28:17,960 Speaker 1: was c S I can't remember if it was the 520 00:28:17,960 --> 00:28:21,480 Speaker 1: first Timmer nine anyway, the second time I saw it, 521 00:28:22,280 --> 00:28:25,440 Speaker 1: they had switched the tablet operating system over to Android. Uh. 522 00:28:25,480 --> 00:28:28,320 Speaker 1: And in both cases they were hoping to aim for 523 00:28:28,400 --> 00:28:31,640 Speaker 1: a summer release and it never happened. It did. There 524 00:28:31,720 --> 00:28:34,480 Speaker 1: was some limited releases in China, but nothing in the 525 00:28:34,600 --> 00:28:37,720 Speaker 1: United States. And I this was the tablet device I 526 00:28:37,760 --> 00:28:39,840 Speaker 1: really wanted because I wanted something that I could use 527 00:28:39,880 --> 00:28:43,000 Speaker 1: as a full computer, or I could detach the screen 528 00:28:43,000 --> 00:28:45,440 Speaker 1: and use that as a tablet, so that I could 529 00:28:45,480 --> 00:28:49,880 Speaker 1: preload all the things I needed before detaching the tablet part, 530 00:28:49,920 --> 00:28:52,240 Speaker 1: and then i'd have it to refer to on the tablet. 531 00:28:53,120 --> 00:28:55,880 Speaker 1: That way, for all the heavy data processing type stuff 532 00:28:55,960 --> 00:28:59,720 Speaker 1: or word processing word entrge kind of things. I could 533 00:28:59,800 --> 00:29:02,840 Speaker 1: use a keyboard instead of a touchscreen device. And um, 534 00:29:02,880 --> 00:29:06,040 Speaker 1: and you know, I'm still uh still said that that 535 00:29:06,120 --> 00:29:09,880 Speaker 1: never really came out. Um, but yeah, let's talk about 536 00:29:09,880 --> 00:29:11,560 Speaker 1: what it's like when you go to c e S. 537 00:29:12,160 --> 00:29:14,400 Speaker 1: We can cut We'll mostly be talking about from the 538 00:29:14,400 --> 00:29:17,680 Speaker 1: perspective of press, because that's what we are. We we 539 00:29:17,760 --> 00:29:21,560 Speaker 1: haven't We've never exhibited at C E S. Yeah, so 540 00:29:22,120 --> 00:29:24,640 Speaker 1: well it's uh, I can I can say that it's 541 00:29:25,160 --> 00:29:29,520 Speaker 1: if you're interested in gadgets or you're a member of 542 00:29:29,680 --> 00:29:32,080 Speaker 1: the media, it's the experience is not going to be 543 00:29:32,160 --> 00:29:36,200 Speaker 1: terribly difficult because, um, you're gonna want to see as 544 00:29:36,280 --> 00:29:37,840 Speaker 1: much of the show as you can. Now that the 545 00:29:37,840 --> 00:29:40,959 Speaker 1: show takes the better part of a week. Um, and 546 00:29:41,600 --> 00:29:45,480 Speaker 1: you know, as as as I mentioned and Jonathan mentioned before, Um, 547 00:29:45,560 --> 00:29:48,520 Speaker 1: it's quite a lot of square footage in terms of 548 00:29:48,840 --> 00:29:52,200 Speaker 1: show space, Um, it's grown very, very large. There's even 549 00:29:52,240 --> 00:29:55,360 Speaker 1: an outdoor section where they have mobile electronics and things 550 00:29:55,680 --> 00:29:58,840 Speaker 1: car cars. Um yea that that was the first time 551 00:29:58,880 --> 00:30:02,040 Speaker 1: I saw a Fiat five because Microsoft is showing off 552 00:30:02,080 --> 00:30:05,720 Speaker 1: it's uh uh Sinc. Operating system, and they had a 553 00:30:05,720 --> 00:30:08,080 Speaker 1: Fiat five there and I thought, wow, man, look at this. 554 00:30:08,120 --> 00:30:11,400 Speaker 1: They brought a Fiat overseas for just for this show. Um. 555 00:30:11,520 --> 00:30:15,480 Speaker 1: A lot of the audio exhibitors are in hotel suites 556 00:30:15,680 --> 00:30:17,800 Speaker 1: in one of the nearby hotels because you know, you 557 00:30:17,800 --> 00:30:19,280 Speaker 1: don't want to you don't want to have to try 558 00:30:19,280 --> 00:30:22,200 Speaker 1: and just and and show off your your high end 559 00:30:22,240 --> 00:30:25,840 Speaker 1: audio equipment on a show floor that's just clamoring with noise. 560 00:30:26,320 --> 00:30:28,640 Speaker 1: You need to have your own little area so that 561 00:30:29,040 --> 00:30:31,000 Speaker 1: you've at least kind of blocked out most of the 562 00:30:31,040 --> 00:30:34,040 Speaker 1: ambient noise so people can really hear what your stuff 563 00:30:34,080 --> 00:30:39,080 Speaker 1: can do. Yeah, to to quote Dr Seuss, oh the noise, noise, noise, noise, 564 00:30:39,440 --> 00:30:43,840 Speaker 1: it's it's allowed environment. People are talking. There's media playing 565 00:30:43,960 --> 00:30:47,280 Speaker 1: from from pretty much everywhere. Yeah, the central hall you 566 00:30:47,320 --> 00:30:51,160 Speaker 1: get um uh, there's usually a few. The one the 567 00:30:51,200 --> 00:30:53,560 Speaker 1: one audio areas you'll hear the most are from our 568 00:30:53,600 --> 00:30:58,040 Speaker 1: are the the car sets, like the the the audio 569 00:30:58,720 --> 00:31:01,520 Speaker 1: stereo systems that go into cars, those tend to actually 570 00:31:01,520 --> 00:31:03,760 Speaker 1: be on the show floor and they tend to drown 571 00:31:04,080 --> 00:31:07,880 Speaker 1: everything else out. I know that when m Leo Report 572 00:31:08,040 --> 00:31:12,000 Speaker 1: first got his This Weekend Tech table set up over 573 00:31:12,200 --> 00:31:17,160 Speaker 1: at CS he was put directly across from an area 574 00:31:17,200 --> 00:31:20,920 Speaker 1: where they had several of these exhibitors showing off these 575 00:31:21,440 --> 00:31:25,720 Speaker 1: incredibly powerful stereo systems. And so through most of the 576 00:31:25,800 --> 00:31:30,480 Speaker 1: twit footage of that first year, you hear doom, doom, don't, don't, don't, don't, don't, 577 00:31:30,600 --> 00:31:33,080 Speaker 1: like in the background, and like people are shaking when 578 00:31:33,080 --> 00:31:35,720 Speaker 1: they're sitting there at the table. It was pretty intense. 579 00:31:36,160 --> 00:31:38,840 Speaker 1: They had in two thousand eight, one night when we 580 00:31:38,880 --> 00:31:44,800 Speaker 1: went even had marine electronics. They had boats. Yeah, yeah, yeah, 581 00:31:44,880 --> 00:31:47,840 Speaker 1: and uh interesting. So some of these, some of these 582 00:31:47,880 --> 00:31:51,080 Speaker 1: booths that you'll you would see are are wide and 583 00:31:51,200 --> 00:31:54,680 Speaker 1: spread out and and in some cases it's that the 584 00:31:54,720 --> 00:31:57,840 Speaker 1: company wants to make a big statement but doesn't necessarily 585 00:31:57,840 --> 00:32:00,600 Speaker 1: have that much to show. Um. Sometimes it's that they 586 00:32:00,640 --> 00:32:04,840 Speaker 1: need the space, Like the Parrot drone. The first time 587 00:32:04,880 --> 00:32:07,240 Speaker 1: I saw that, you know, that's the it's got four 588 00:32:08,000 --> 00:32:14,040 Speaker 1: helicopter type blades. Yeah, quadricopter that's that's not bad UM 589 00:32:14,120 --> 00:32:16,920 Speaker 1: and you can control it through and a mobile device. 590 00:32:17,080 --> 00:32:20,560 Speaker 1: It was it used to just be UM iPhone, but 591 00:32:20,880 --> 00:32:23,440 Speaker 1: they've expanded it a little bit since then. But that 592 00:32:23,480 --> 00:32:26,640 Speaker 1: was really pretty cool UM and took up a lot 593 00:32:26,680 --> 00:32:29,880 Speaker 1: of space, but it was it was it consistently drew crowds. 594 00:32:30,480 --> 00:32:32,800 Speaker 1: Taser tends to have its own space. Last year, I 595 00:32:32,840 --> 00:32:36,160 Speaker 1: saw them tasering people. That was kind of interesting. Yeah, 596 00:32:36,360 --> 00:32:39,560 Speaker 1: but it was I got a real charge out of it. Uh. 597 00:32:39,600 --> 00:32:43,240 Speaker 1: And then there for every booth that you see that 598 00:32:43,280 --> 00:32:47,240 Speaker 1: has really cool tech in it, they're about fifteen booths 599 00:32:47,280 --> 00:32:53,200 Speaker 1: that have things like computer cases or smartphone cases or 600 00:32:53,400 --> 00:32:58,200 Speaker 1: smartphone decals to put on stuff that's accessories for things 601 00:32:58,200 --> 00:33:01,200 Speaker 1: that you already owned. So it's not as exciting. It's 602 00:33:01,240 --> 00:33:03,880 Speaker 1: definitely stuff that people want. So that's why it's at 603 00:33:03,920 --> 00:33:05,880 Speaker 1: the trade show, because retailers are going to be looking 604 00:33:05,920 --> 00:33:08,120 Speaker 1: around to see what's available and say, oh, you know what, 605 00:33:08,200 --> 00:33:10,800 Speaker 1: I want my store to carry this line of smartphone 606 00:33:10,800 --> 00:33:13,600 Speaker 1: case because I think that would really move UM. But 607 00:33:13,680 --> 00:33:15,880 Speaker 1: as a as a member of the press or maybe 608 00:33:15,920 --> 00:33:17,680 Speaker 1: just a member of the general public, if somehow you've 609 00:33:17,680 --> 00:33:20,320 Speaker 1: found your way into cees. It wouldn't necessarily be like, 610 00:33:20,360 --> 00:33:23,040 Speaker 1: oh my gosh, look at that smartphone case. Well, and 611 00:33:23,080 --> 00:33:26,680 Speaker 1: some of them manufacturers too, aren't necessarily cutting edge. You 612 00:33:26,760 --> 00:33:30,440 Speaker 1: might see a headphone manufacturer there and they're not making 613 00:33:30,920 --> 00:33:34,520 Speaker 1: uh the latest noise canceling headphones or that hey that 614 00:33:34,520 --> 00:33:38,120 Speaker 1: would come in handy at zes or um uh you know, 615 00:33:38,240 --> 00:33:42,080 Speaker 1: the the high end cans that you see, um, people 616 00:33:42,120 --> 00:33:46,440 Speaker 1: paying three or more dollars. Where you'll see low cost headphones. Look, 617 00:33:46,440 --> 00:33:50,240 Speaker 1: we've made uh you know, earbuds with better response. Uh 618 00:33:50,400 --> 00:33:54,800 Speaker 1: that retail for and and that's not gonna be exciting 619 00:33:54,840 --> 00:33:58,160 Speaker 1: news necessarily, but it might be for retailers who are going, hey, 620 00:33:58,240 --> 00:34:00,720 Speaker 1: I can I can offer a wider range of low 621 00:34:00,760 --> 00:34:04,600 Speaker 1: cost stuff and selves in my store. Um. There are 622 00:34:04,640 --> 00:34:07,560 Speaker 1: a lot of manufacturers from overseas who are showing off, 623 00:34:08,200 --> 00:34:12,080 Speaker 1: um how they've been able to manufacture things in smaller 624 00:34:12,120 --> 00:34:16,719 Speaker 1: packages and uh and for lower costs. Um, so you 625 00:34:16,800 --> 00:34:19,120 Speaker 1: might be able to to fill out your low range 626 00:34:19,160 --> 00:34:22,399 Speaker 1: if you're looking for stuff to include in your store. Yeah, 627 00:34:22,440 --> 00:34:27,600 Speaker 1: there's actually an entire section that's essentially from Asian um 628 00:34:27,840 --> 00:34:30,680 Speaker 1: markets and it's all these really tiny booths filled with 629 00:34:31,840 --> 00:34:34,080 Speaker 1: some of it's filled with some of the weirdest electronics 630 00:34:34,120 --> 00:34:36,160 Speaker 1: you've ever seen. Like it's all the stuff that you 631 00:34:36,160 --> 00:34:38,759 Speaker 1: would typically say wow that that clearly had to come 632 00:34:38,800 --> 00:34:42,480 Speaker 1: from Japan because it's just so unusual. But um, but 633 00:34:42,640 --> 00:34:45,840 Speaker 1: also a lot of the other like the less expensive, 634 00:34:45,880 --> 00:34:49,200 Speaker 1: the more affordable types of electronics, and not the cutting 635 00:34:49,280 --> 00:34:51,360 Speaker 1: edge stuff, but the stuff that has been refined to 636 00:34:51,400 --> 00:34:54,080 Speaker 1: a point where the price has really come down. UM. 637 00:34:54,200 --> 00:34:55,960 Speaker 1: And then there are other sections of the floor where 638 00:34:56,000 --> 00:34:59,439 Speaker 1: you're gonna you're gonna see the cutting edge, like the 639 00:34:59,480 --> 00:35:02,520 Speaker 1: tops stuff that's coming out the next year. UM. These 640 00:35:02,520 --> 00:35:05,239 Speaker 1: are usually from the really really big companies, And once 641 00:35:05,239 --> 00:35:07,399 Speaker 1: in a while a small company will will really throw 642 00:35:07,440 --> 00:35:09,800 Speaker 1: you and you'll you'll go to some small booth and 643 00:35:09,840 --> 00:35:12,239 Speaker 1: you're like, wow, the parrot drone in a way was 644 00:35:12,280 --> 00:35:15,840 Speaker 1: like that. A lot of people say, wow, that's really innovative. UM. 645 00:35:15,880 --> 00:35:18,399 Speaker 1: But more often than not, you're going to see people 646 00:35:18,440 --> 00:35:25,000 Speaker 1: talking about the big companies like Sony, Pana, sonic, Um, Toshiba, Toshiba, YEP, 647 00:35:25,120 --> 00:35:33,760 Speaker 1: LG LG always has a really big presence there, Um, Intel, Microsoft, Uh. 648 00:35:33,800 --> 00:35:36,720 Speaker 1: These are the companies that have some of the largest 649 00:35:36,760 --> 00:35:39,720 Speaker 1: booth spaces on there, Like some of the booth spaces 650 00:35:39,760 --> 00:35:41,600 Speaker 1: for some of these companies are the same as if 651 00:35:41,680 --> 00:35:44,520 Speaker 1: you took ten of the other exhibitors together and put 652 00:35:44,560 --> 00:35:46,799 Speaker 1: them all in the same space. Oh yeah, I mean 653 00:35:46,840 --> 00:35:49,520 Speaker 1: these places are are in a lot of cases, larger 654 00:35:49,560 --> 00:35:52,800 Speaker 1: than a small retail store. Um. And and the the 655 00:35:53,560 --> 00:35:56,640 Speaker 1: result of that is you can spend a whole day 656 00:35:56,760 --> 00:36:00,239 Speaker 1: looking at a small section of the floor because need 657 00:36:00,400 --> 00:36:02,080 Speaker 1: a few minutes to take in what it is you're 658 00:36:02,120 --> 00:36:04,160 Speaker 1: looking at. So, I mean, you could spend a lot 659 00:36:04,200 --> 00:36:08,680 Speaker 1: of time on your feet looking around, and it's it 660 00:36:08,680 --> 00:36:12,840 Speaker 1: can be wearying, especially if you're carrying twenty pounds of 661 00:36:13,280 --> 00:36:18,120 Speaker 1: paper press kits or and six pounds of laptop. They 662 00:36:18,120 --> 00:36:20,520 Speaker 1: don't they don't do the paper press kits as much anymore. 663 00:36:20,920 --> 00:36:24,399 Speaker 1: But that was the year I went no, wait, there 664 00:36:24,440 --> 00:36:26,319 Speaker 1: was a point. I remember Chris and I both at 665 00:36:26,320 --> 00:36:28,640 Speaker 1: one point took out all the press kitts we had, 666 00:36:28,680 --> 00:36:31,920 Speaker 1: and it was it was probably combined, it's probably at 667 00:36:32,040 --> 00:36:35,840 Speaker 1: least fifty pounds of paper. Yeah, thankfully they don't do 668 00:36:35,880 --> 00:36:38,359 Speaker 1: that anymore now as much. Now it tends to either 669 00:36:38,400 --> 00:36:40,239 Speaker 1: be on a thumb drive or they give you a 670 00:36:40,320 --> 00:36:43,399 Speaker 1: card that has a link to an online press scott 671 00:36:43,440 --> 00:36:46,480 Speaker 1: which is so much better. Also, it makes it way 672 00:36:46,520 --> 00:36:50,200 Speaker 1: easier to get hold of things like images and stuff 673 00:36:50,200 --> 00:36:54,040 Speaker 1: if you need to run an article, So that that fantastic. 674 00:36:54,160 --> 00:36:56,760 Speaker 1: Keep that up the but it goes on for days. 675 00:36:56,800 --> 00:36:59,120 Speaker 1: I mean you can after the first day or so, 676 00:36:59,640 --> 00:37:03,759 Speaker 1: you can be quite tired. Yeah, the periods, and there's 677 00:37:03,840 --> 00:37:05,440 Speaker 1: there's just a lot to see and a lot to do. 678 00:37:05,600 --> 00:37:08,640 Speaker 1: There are three main halls in the convention Center, the 679 00:37:08,880 --> 00:37:11,799 Speaker 1: North Hall, Central Hall in South Hall, and South Hall 680 00:37:11,880 --> 00:37:14,279 Speaker 1: is the one that I typically hit first, and they're 681 00:37:14,480 --> 00:37:17,480 Speaker 1: most several of the big name companies are in South Hall. 682 00:37:17,600 --> 00:37:19,759 Speaker 1: Central Hall has more of the big name companies, and 683 00:37:19,800 --> 00:37:22,120 Speaker 1: I believe it's the Central Hall that has two floors, 684 00:37:22,880 --> 00:37:26,479 Speaker 1: which makes that even more intimidating. And then the North 685 00:37:26,520 --> 00:37:28,440 Speaker 1: Hall tends to have a lot of the vehicle stuff. 686 00:37:28,440 --> 00:37:30,000 Speaker 1: Some of it's in the Central Hall, but most of 687 00:37:30,000 --> 00:37:31,840 Speaker 1: the vehicle stuffs in the North Hall. The stuff is 688 00:37:31,880 --> 00:37:36,080 Speaker 1: not on display outside the convention center. Um and so 689 00:37:36,440 --> 00:37:39,920 Speaker 1: you also they also will have special zones set up 690 00:37:39,960 --> 00:37:42,360 Speaker 1: now at ces, so like they'll have a green zone 691 00:37:42,400 --> 00:37:44,319 Speaker 1: area where they've got a lot of exhibitors who all 692 00:37:44,400 --> 00:37:48,000 Speaker 1: specialize in green technology together. They'll have an educational zone, 693 00:37:48,360 --> 00:37:52,759 Speaker 1: they'll have a senior citizen type zone, so technology that's 694 00:37:53,040 --> 00:37:59,080 Speaker 1: specifically geared toward UM meeting the needs of elderly users. 695 00:37:59,200 --> 00:38:01,880 Speaker 1: So that's kind of interesting that you know, these different 696 00:38:01,960 --> 00:38:03,879 Speaker 1: zones can be in various halls. It all depends on, 697 00:38:03,920 --> 00:38:07,799 Speaker 1: you know, how c e S has arranged that particular year. Huh. 698 00:38:08,680 --> 00:38:11,600 Speaker 1: Then you've got all the different UM ones that are 699 00:38:11,640 --> 00:38:16,200 Speaker 1: in the the nearby hotels UM for example, the Venetian 700 00:38:16,360 --> 00:38:20,319 Speaker 1: off often has its own the audio section. Also, the 701 00:38:20,400 --> 00:38:23,680 Speaker 1: Venetian and Sands Expo Center tends to have a hall 702 00:38:23,920 --> 00:38:26,560 Speaker 1: display hall as well. It's a smaller one, doesn't have 703 00:38:26,600 --> 00:38:29,040 Speaker 1: as many big names in it, but it's another it's 704 00:38:29,040 --> 00:38:32,080 Speaker 1: another exhibitor hall, so it's not just the Las Vegas 705 00:38:32,080 --> 00:38:34,680 Speaker 1: Convection Center, which is already huge. The Hilton tends to 706 00:38:34,680 --> 00:38:37,680 Speaker 1: have several suites that people are using, the exhibitors are using. 707 00:38:37,800 --> 00:38:41,520 Speaker 1: Sometimes you have companies that don't rent space at c 708 00:38:41,600 --> 00:38:44,040 Speaker 1: e S, but they show up and get a suite 709 00:38:44,040 --> 00:38:46,000 Speaker 1: at a hotel and then they try and entice you 710 00:38:46,080 --> 00:38:47,680 Speaker 1: to come over to the hotel so they can show 711 00:38:47,719 --> 00:38:49,880 Speaker 1: off their stuff without actually being part of the CES 712 00:38:50,200 --> 00:38:55,360 Speaker 1: there's that issue as well. And then they're all the parties. Okay, 713 00:38:56,560 --> 00:38:58,920 Speaker 1: so people who have never been to ce S who 714 00:38:58,960 --> 00:39:01,160 Speaker 1: are saying, wow, this sound like it's incredible. I kept 715 00:39:01,320 --> 00:39:03,239 Speaker 1: and there are parties that sounds amazing. Let me tell 716 00:39:03,280 --> 00:39:07,040 Speaker 1: you what a c S parties like. So CES party, 717 00:39:07,239 --> 00:39:10,160 Speaker 1: you will, you will eat well, and you will you 718 00:39:10,160 --> 00:39:12,920 Speaker 1: could potentially drink as well. I don't drink, so that 719 00:39:12,960 --> 00:39:15,359 Speaker 1: means nothing to me. Um. I mean I drink water, 720 00:39:15,400 --> 00:39:17,239 Speaker 1: but I don't drink alcohol, so that means nothing to me. 721 00:39:17,880 --> 00:39:21,279 Speaker 1: But you go, you'll see some cool tech and then 722 00:39:21,320 --> 00:39:24,680 Speaker 1: you try and talk over the sound of everyone else talking, 723 00:39:24,719 --> 00:39:28,120 Speaker 1: plus the ambient music which is usually about three, three 724 00:39:28,239 --> 00:39:31,520 Speaker 1: or four times louder that needs to be in order 725 00:39:31,560 --> 00:39:33,879 Speaker 1: to explain who you are and and and find out 726 00:39:33,880 --> 00:39:37,160 Speaker 1: more about this product. It's all business talk. It's not 727 00:39:38,080 --> 00:39:40,000 Speaker 1: it's not fun stuff like it's not. It's not a 728 00:39:40,000 --> 00:39:41,400 Speaker 1: part of you go to to have fun. It's a 729 00:39:41,400 --> 00:39:43,239 Speaker 1: part of you go to the network to get a 730 00:39:43,239 --> 00:39:46,799 Speaker 1: little more information about stuff. It's still working. So it's 731 00:39:46,840 --> 00:39:50,720 Speaker 1: not like, um, you know you're you're dancing the night away. 732 00:39:50,760 --> 00:39:53,880 Speaker 1: It's not like that. Although maybe there are some of 733 00:39:53,880 --> 00:39:55,440 Speaker 1: the CE S parties, and those are just the ones 734 00:39:55,480 --> 00:39:58,040 Speaker 1: I've never gone to. Uh So, now at this point 735 00:39:58,080 --> 00:40:00,759 Speaker 1: I tend to I'll try go to a party now 736 00:40:00,800 --> 00:40:02,440 Speaker 1: and then because it is a really good way to 737 00:40:02,480 --> 00:40:04,759 Speaker 1: network with people, and it is a very good way, 738 00:40:04,800 --> 00:40:06,920 Speaker 1: like if you if you write about how stuff works, 739 00:40:06,920 --> 00:40:09,200 Speaker 1: like I do, it can be invaluable to get the 740 00:40:09,200 --> 00:40:11,560 Speaker 1: business card of an executive so that you can contact 741 00:40:11,640 --> 00:40:13,760 Speaker 1: that person and say, hey, I'm working on this article 742 00:40:13,840 --> 00:40:16,920 Speaker 1: about the thing that you specialize in. Is there anyone 743 00:40:16,960 --> 00:40:19,040 Speaker 1: at your company I could speak with so I could 744 00:40:19,040 --> 00:40:24,680 Speaker 1: get an expert on involved in writing this article. It's incredible. 745 00:40:25,120 --> 00:40:28,960 Speaker 1: But now I will often try and save the time 746 00:40:29,080 --> 00:40:31,799 Speaker 1: after the show floor closes to getting together with some 747 00:40:31,880 --> 00:40:34,680 Speaker 1: of my peers in tech journalism to sit down and 748 00:40:34,719 --> 00:40:37,000 Speaker 1: just kind of talk about what we saw and kind 749 00:40:37,000 --> 00:40:39,560 Speaker 1: of share knowledge, because there's a lot of that at 750 00:40:39,600 --> 00:40:42,160 Speaker 1: C E S. It's nice, you know, you don't see 751 00:40:42,160 --> 00:40:44,279 Speaker 1: a lot of at least in my experience, I don't 752 00:40:44,280 --> 00:40:47,000 Speaker 1: see a lot of journalists kind of shutting themselves off 753 00:40:47,040 --> 00:40:49,760 Speaker 1: from everyone else and not talking for fear of losing 754 00:40:49,760 --> 00:40:51,560 Speaker 1: the scoop. It tends to be a lot of people 755 00:40:51,640 --> 00:40:55,520 Speaker 1: sharing their information and kind of you know, figuring out 756 00:40:55,640 --> 00:40:57,640 Speaker 1: what are the trends, what what are was it that 757 00:40:57,680 --> 00:41:00,239 Speaker 1: we're seeing? What does this mean for the upcoming year? 758 00:41:00,800 --> 00:41:03,080 Speaker 1: And that, to me is is fascinating. That's one of 759 00:41:03,080 --> 00:41:05,680 Speaker 1: the parts that I like the most about c e S. 760 00:41:06,320 --> 00:41:09,160 Speaker 1: So sitting around in the old what used to be 761 00:41:09,200 --> 00:41:13,760 Speaker 1: the Star Trek experience at the Hilton with with folks 762 00:41:13,840 --> 00:41:16,960 Speaker 1: from the Twit network or from uh from Revision three 763 00:41:17,920 --> 00:41:21,120 Speaker 1: or from c Net. That's that's fantastic. I love that. 764 00:41:21,920 --> 00:41:24,120 Speaker 1: But it's uh yeah, it's not all fun and games, 765 00:41:24,160 --> 00:41:26,959 Speaker 1: that's for sure. Um No, it's a lot of work, 766 00:41:27,040 --> 00:41:30,400 Speaker 1: it is, and it is probably it's one of the 767 00:41:30,400 --> 00:41:33,040 Speaker 1: most physically tolling things I've had to do it. How 768 00:41:33,080 --> 00:41:35,839 Speaker 1: stuff works, it's by the end of the day you 769 00:41:35,840 --> 00:41:37,799 Speaker 1: you feel it, and then you get up and do 770 00:41:37,840 --> 00:41:39,440 Speaker 1: it again. Here's here's a hint for any of you 771 00:41:39,440 --> 00:41:41,359 Speaker 1: who are doing ce S for the first time this year. 772 00:41:41,400 --> 00:41:43,160 Speaker 1: If you're listening to this, you might be too late. 773 00:41:43,200 --> 00:41:45,160 Speaker 1: So if it's the first time you're doing c S, 774 00:41:45,200 --> 00:41:48,000 Speaker 1: will here's here's what you do. You need to know 775 00:41:49,080 --> 00:41:51,919 Speaker 1: if you plan on doing something after the show floor 776 00:41:52,000 --> 00:41:54,440 Speaker 1: closes and you go back to your hotel room to 777 00:41:54,520 --> 00:41:56,960 Speaker 1: set stuff down so that you can go back out. 778 00:41:57,440 --> 00:42:02,160 Speaker 1: Do not do not sit down and or lie down, 779 00:42:02,200 --> 00:42:06,279 Speaker 1: because that's it. You're not moving again. I have made 780 00:42:06,280 --> 00:42:09,120 Speaker 1: that mistake so many times. But I mean, oh, those 781 00:42:09,239 --> 00:42:11,640 Speaker 1: chairs and beds just look so comforting after you've done 782 00:42:11,640 --> 00:42:14,960 Speaker 1: on your feet all day long. It's a it's a 783 00:42:15,680 --> 00:42:20,640 Speaker 1: very interesting trade show. I don't think it's as phenomenal 784 00:42:20,719 --> 00:42:24,319 Speaker 1: or magical as outsiders seem to think it is. I mean, 785 00:42:24,600 --> 00:42:26,680 Speaker 1: but that's because I've covered it for four years now. 786 00:42:26,719 --> 00:42:30,160 Speaker 1: So um, if you if you were to experience it 787 00:42:30,200 --> 00:42:32,399 Speaker 1: the way I try and explain to people as if 788 00:42:32,440 --> 00:42:36,600 Speaker 1: you're a journalist, imagine walking into the world's largest shopping mall, 789 00:42:37,360 --> 00:42:40,600 Speaker 1: but every single store just sells electronics, and it's your 790 00:42:40,640 --> 00:42:42,759 Speaker 1: job to go into every single store and look at 791 00:42:42,800 --> 00:42:46,520 Speaker 1: every single shelf, at every single device, and then you're 792 00:42:46,520 --> 00:42:49,160 Speaker 1: going to write up what the best was when you're done. 793 00:42:49,480 --> 00:42:54,520 Speaker 1: And the problem is that the devices are you know, 794 00:42:54,880 --> 00:42:57,920 Speaker 1: it's none that they're bad, they're just not interesting. And 795 00:42:57,960 --> 00:43:00,479 Speaker 1: you have to do this through the entire mall. That's 796 00:43:00,480 --> 00:43:03,920 Speaker 1: not fun. But there are fun elements to it. When 797 00:43:03,920 --> 00:43:07,840 Speaker 1: you do stumble across that thing that that is debuting 798 00:43:07,840 --> 00:43:09,960 Speaker 1: for the very first time at c e S. There 799 00:43:10,080 --> 00:43:12,799 Speaker 1: is a level of excitement there that is, you know, 800 00:43:13,000 --> 00:43:15,640 Speaker 1: it's hard. You can't dismiss that that is pretty pretty 801 00:43:15,680 --> 00:43:20,520 Speaker 1: incredible to experience. Well, it should be, uh, should be 802 00:43:20,560 --> 00:43:25,320 Speaker 1: interesting to your reports when you when you are able 803 00:43:25,360 --> 00:43:28,080 Speaker 1: to file, if you're not completely worn out. Yeah, I'm 804 00:43:28,080 --> 00:43:30,600 Speaker 1: sure I'll blog some while I'm at c e S 805 00:43:30,640 --> 00:43:32,799 Speaker 1: and then maybe maybe when I get back, we can 806 00:43:32,880 --> 00:43:35,240 Speaker 1: talk a little bit about what it was I saw. Now, granted, 807 00:43:35,280 --> 00:43:38,600 Speaker 1: by the time that podcast goes live, it'll be um 808 00:43:38,920 --> 00:43:42,640 Speaker 1: well after c e S, but but I can I 809 00:43:42,640 --> 00:43:44,879 Speaker 1: can at least talk about sort of the trends and 810 00:43:44,920 --> 00:43:47,640 Speaker 1: you know, maybe what the field was like, because one 811 00:43:47,640 --> 00:43:49,680 Speaker 1: thing we did not touch on. And I guess we 812 00:43:49,719 --> 00:43:52,360 Speaker 1: could end here because it is kind of interesting. Um 813 00:43:52,440 --> 00:43:54,480 Speaker 1: is that you know, two thousand and eight most heavily 814 00:43:54,480 --> 00:43:57,480 Speaker 1: attended CS at that point in a dy people. So 815 00:43:57,600 --> 00:43:59,680 Speaker 1: you and I got to experience the most crowded it's 816 00:43:59,719 --> 00:44:04,920 Speaker 1: ever In two thousand nine saw drop in attendance because 817 00:44:04,920 --> 00:44:08,560 Speaker 1: that was when there was fear about recession. There was 818 00:44:08,560 --> 00:44:12,320 Speaker 1: a lot of economic uncertainty. Exhibitors pulled out of the show, 819 00:44:12,640 --> 00:44:17,880 Speaker 1: attendees canceled, and so, uh, I think it was like 820 00:44:17,920 --> 00:44:21,640 Speaker 1: around a hundred and ten thousand people showed up um 821 00:44:21,680 --> 00:44:23,759 Speaker 1: in two thousand nine out and said, you know, a 822 00:44:23,800 --> 00:44:28,239 Speaker 1: hundred thirty thousand people less than the previous year, on 823 00:44:30,760 --> 00:44:33,520 Speaker 1: which it sounds like it's still a huge amount, but 824 00:44:33,520 --> 00:44:36,480 Speaker 1: when you spread it over the entire event, it was 825 00:44:36,560 --> 00:44:41,399 Speaker 1: noticeable that there were fewer people there, um fewer people there, 826 00:44:41,680 --> 00:44:44,880 Speaker 1: and then two thousand and uh two ten there were 827 00:44:44,880 --> 00:44:47,200 Speaker 1: a few more, but it still was pretty it still 828 00:44:47,280 --> 00:44:51,080 Speaker 1: wasn't at its old levels. And then last year it 829 00:44:51,160 --> 00:44:54,000 Speaker 1: got back up two hundred forty thousand, so it's almost 830 00:44:54,040 --> 00:44:55,759 Speaker 1: back to where it was in two thousand and eight. 831 00:44:56,200 --> 00:44:58,920 Speaker 1: So I don't know what is gonna look like yet, 832 00:44:59,080 --> 00:45:01,719 Speaker 1: because I while I'm there while you're listening, I'm not 833 00:45:01,800 --> 00:45:04,680 Speaker 1: there while i'm recording, all right, But I'm sure I 834 00:45:04,680 --> 00:45:07,400 Speaker 1: can report back, assuming that I still have any you know, 835 00:45:07,560 --> 00:45:09,719 Speaker 1: ability to do. So I lost that toe on that 836 00:45:09,760 --> 00:45:12,080 Speaker 1: one year, that two thousand night. That's when I got 837 00:45:12,080 --> 00:45:16,480 Speaker 1: in between a reporter iNTS some free food. Anyway, bad idea. 838 00:45:17,120 --> 00:45:21,400 Speaker 1: Never do that in any circumstance, but especially at CES. Alright, 839 00:45:21,440 --> 00:45:23,880 Speaker 1: so we're wrapping this up you guys. If you have 840 00:45:23,960 --> 00:45:26,799 Speaker 1: any requests for episodes that you would like us to 841 00:45:27,040 --> 00:45:31,200 Speaker 1: cover in the future, let us know. You can contact 842 00:45:31,280 --> 00:45:33,879 Speaker 1: us on Facebook and Twitter are handled. There is tech 843 00:45:33,960 --> 00:45:36,319 Speaker 1: stuff H s W and Chris and I will talk 844 00:45:36,320 --> 00:45:42,040 Speaker 1: to you again really soon. Be sure to check out 845 00:45:42,040 --> 00:45:45,200 Speaker 1: our new video podcast, Stuff from the Future. Join how 846 00:45:45,280 --> 00:45:47,799 Speaker 1: Stuff Work staff as we explore the most promising and 847 00:45:47,840 --> 00:45:52,520 Speaker 1: perplexing possibilities of tomorrow. The house Stuff Works iPhone FFP 848 00:45:52,560 --> 00:46:00,239 Speaker 1: has arrived down a bit today on iTunes to you 849 00:46:00,280 --> 00:46:03,600 Speaker 1: by the reinvented two thousand twelve Camray. It's ready, are 850 00:46:03,680 --> 00:46:04,120 Speaker 1: you