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Published Friday, Jan. 9, 2009 | 4:57 p.m.
Updated Friday, Jan. 9, 2009 | 5:18 p.m.
Mr. Gadget and Me
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diggSteve Kruschen is an expert at interpreting new technological innovations for everyday consumers. Mr. Gadget took 702.tv on a behind-the-scenes tour of the invite-only Showstoppers showcase to highlight his new favorite toys and explain how they can benefit consumers.
Expanded coverage
So all these Sun blog posts are telling you about the big new products and trends at CES this week, right?
I've noticed that no one has told you what it's really like to be there.
I just got back from spending three hours walking the expo floor, and -- although I'm as much of a gadget-hound as anyone, maybe more so -- I kinda hated it.
Imagine a nightmarish massive multiplayer version of "The Office." For hours, you plod on thinly carpeted concrete floors, wending your way blindly through miles of intestinally twisting aisles, each one choked with exalted cubicles purveying inscrutable products and staffed by already-exhausted salespeople still hungry to make eye contact and collect your business card to justify next year's budget line item.
The lobbies and hallways of the Sands Expo and Convention Center look like triage scenes from one of those disaster movies like "The Day After," with the victims of some airborne toxic event crouched on the floor, backs against the walls, heads in hands or hands shielding eyes.
First impression of CES: Whoever the genius was who installed one of the new Dyson Airblade hand dryers in the men's room deserves a big raise. The odd-looking, touch-free gizmo lives up to its catchphrase: "Finally, a hand dryer that works properly."
Final impression: Ow. Ow ow ow ow ow ow ow. My eyes. My ears. My feet. My soul.
Fun piece, Joe. It brought back many memories of past CES shows (I'm skipping it this year as a nod to my fallen arches and my Director's shrinking budget).
I started going to CES way back when about 20% of the show floor consisted of watch salesman from NYC, and another 30% was mini-pickups with massive subwoofers. Walking those aisles after a big night on The Strip was difficult. The rest was high end home audio and home theater($100K and above) and commodity sources for cables, batteries and blinking lights (think China). Intel didn't even show up back then.Motorola introduced its first StarTac for $4K!
Technology continues to rage, and there are always a few nuggets to be found inside, but the boring bits just get bigger, and replicate faster, which makes finding the good stuff ever harder.
Sadly, most of the Sun "coverage" this week is merely a list of private parties with B-list name drops, repeated and recycled over and over again...at least your account tells me you really walked the floor, instead of doing a 'cut-and-paste' from the CES playbook.
Sadder still is that the bulk the products revealed do nothing to improve the human condition...