2008 Consumer Electronics Show - Day 1

Attended the 2008 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas to see the latest in new toys and electronics.

Saw only a few new "breakthroughs" during the show. A Few of the cooler products I saw related to wireless technologies, which I am NOT a big fan of, due to failure rates, security issues and complexities in setting up. I have said for years we won't have wireless video for a decade, ofcourse it's been almost that long since I first started saying that, but I may yet eat my words there.

I saw LG and others had Wireless HDTVs that included the wireless transmitter that sends the video to the Plasma or LCD up to 65 feet away. I saw first hand 3 different sized TVs in each Plasma and LCD receiving a 1080P signal wirelessly. There are some caviats. The boxes are designed to only work within a room and they are linked/married to one TV. So you cannot steal your neighbors signal (see what he's watching) and there is some setup involved and I imagine risk of lockup or signal failure as with most wireless products these days. These are really designed for hiding the wires in the room, not necessarily for sending wireless video, albeit a first step.

This still doesn't solve the problem of the electrical wire. Our view is that if you buy a plasma, figure out how to, or hire a reputable systems integrator or installation company to install it correctly and you won't see any wires, since a pro will hide them in the wall and properly route them. If you are building a house, of course prewire it so the electrical and A/V cables come out where you want your TV(s) hung.

Another cool new wireless device is a new bluetooth headset that works up to 300' from the source with built in noise cancellation and great quality sound. The product is an CEA Innovations Award winner and was featured on the show floor. Called the Dragon, it's from a company called CallPod (uhuh), and they make a few other cool products that allow for charging multiple devices of a single power source. One device uniquely called the ChargePod, kind of looks like an octopus with connectors for most cell phones, MP3s, PDAs, and other personal electronics. Cool concept, especially since using a single power source is also a GREEN way to go. I suggested the CallPod guys hookup with another exhibitor down the hall, V-Dimension who makes several version of solar backpacks, briefcases and other devices designed to charge laptops, MP3 players and more from a solar panel built into the case. The CallPod guys said they had spoken and would talk more. Pretty cool. Could be great together. Battery technology is advancing, but not quite as fast as our consumption rates and electronics propagation, so small solar case embedded chargers could be a great asset to today's "man/woman on the street".

I'll report in on what I see on Day 2 and 3 later in the week.