Friday, January 10, 2014

Stay at home - the best way to analyse International CES

In this crazy world of technology and so little time, I've taken the back seat where the view is better and so much easier to understand. I note that This Week in Tech and other analysts I respect have long since given up on the annual trek to Las Vegas for what, until recently, was just known as the Consumer Electronics Show. I just don't agree with the cynics that say there is nothing new at CES. It is just that I can't find it fast enough at such an event. And these days, few companies make product announcements at the show. It's mainly a way for some companies to show what they are capable of.

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Why spend a week of your time wandering around aimlessly when thousands of tech reporters are doing the reporting work for you. All you need to do is find the best curators. This year I thought it was The Verge and the newly revamped Tech News Today from the TWIT network. Coverage has been much better this year since the decision to focus on the top-20 products, cancel the live coverage, shorten the reports, and add compact analysis.


Scripted keynotes are the thing that's killing CES. There are too many, they are not an open narrative. It's like watch Tell-Sell commercials in the 1990's. I pity anyone who has to stand on stage and read an autocue. Because that what everyone is doing.

  And look what happens when the prompter fails. Hollywood director Michael Bay's presentation collapsed, his mind went blank, and the host did nothing to try and save the situation. Bay did the right thing under the circumstances. They should have encouraged him to speak from the heart not read prepared PR from a screen. Samsung got their attention for their new curved TV screens for all the wrong reasons (the video clip went viral).

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