THE SWAGGER RETURNS TO CES by Scott Budman
It’s official: The swagger is back.
The tech industry, dragged down both by the overall economy and its own missteps, is having a bit of a renaissance lately We’ve seen it with the hype (and sales) surrounding the Amazon Kindle, Netbooks, Google’s Nexus One phone, and the sheer hype over whatever exactly it is that Apple will throw at us next. But what’s truly impressive is here at CES in Las Vegas. This is where tech is getting its groove back.
And when I say groove, I mean it. Dr. Dre, super producer and rapper, hitting the show floor to unveil a new set of $250 headphones, both to keep your head ringing, and to help raise money for the fight against AIDS. Another impressive sign: Companies not just thinking of themselves anymore, but feeling good enough to want to reach out to others as well. We saw Dre’s fellow music superstar Lady Gaga not once but twice on the show floor, stumping both for Polaroid, and also introducing a “Red” branded set of headphones herself, with some proceeds to fight AIDS.
For you Gaga fans, here’s her entrance onto the CES show floor: www.qik.com/budman
Add to this star power some amazing new technology from Intel called “Info Scape,” which lets you touch a giant wall to bring up news events and web updates as they happen. It’s part Twitter, part gigantic touch screen computer. I have no idea what we’ll ever use it for, but it sure gives Intel’s stodgy reputation a boost. Also, 3D TV. Hey, says Sony, it’s in the movies, why not in your livingroom? And, you won’t even have to pay hundreds of millions of dollars like James Cameron.
Among the head-turners this year: Flo TV, a subsidiary of Qualcomm, which makes a portable TV the size and weight of your smartphone. Real, live TV, too. It doesn’t just look like a smartphone, but the $249 device is soon coming to AT&T and Verizon smartphones as an option. Pretty cool, if you’re in line somewhere and want to follow the game. Also, a cool two-sided device from a company called Entourage. It’s half netbook, half e-reader. When you want both books and the internet inches away.
There are more cool things coming our way, if CES is any indication. And that in itself is a good thing. Seeing the Show not as a reason for pessimism, but as a reason for hope in the future.
More here.
Oh yeah! “Reaching out” with AIDs awareness gadgetry is really going to sell hot.
Why not AWG electronic yo-yo’s to make the kiddies more aware?
What kind of nut thinks this is the entrepreneurial way out of an altruist caused depression?
Oh wow, Dre and Lady Gaga pimping themselves using tech. That’s swagger? That’s nothing but cheap marketing. The purpose of CES is nothing but self validation.
Its a time to shout, “Look at me, I made it another year in these crappy times.” Oh by the way, here is some more tech just to show my relevance.
I wish companies would allow you to pay 5 percent less for there products, then we could give that 5 per cent to our favorite charity.
“Another impressive sign: Companies not just thinking of themselves anymore, but feeling good enough to want to reach out to others as well. We saw Dre’s fellow music superstar Lady Gaga not once but twice on the show floor, stumping both for Polaroid, and also introducing a “Red” branded set of headphones herself, with some proceeds to fight AIDS.”
LOL, gimme a break, that’s the stupid bone-headed marketing self-important libs do. Companies whose focus is looking good to each other, trying to get feel good bragging rights at the next soiree, rather than focusing on actual real world customers, deserve to step on their d*cks and fail.
Interesting that your head is turned by ‘swagger’, without offering any insight into the likely actual appeal of these products.
3D for the home — at least at this point — is a gimmick looking for a market. Pretty much by definition, it only ‘works’ for really big screens (6ft or more?), as small 3d rather than being immersive just looks like on screen action is toys, miniatures. Don’t get me started on the shutter glasses.
It sounds like the CES is rallying around Obama-world just like the decadence of Nazi era Berlin rallied around Hitler world.
Keep those drinks coming, girls, Obama’s still president!
It’s not swagger in the air, its desperation.
People that amassed a large collection of DVD’s aren’t upgrading their collection to BluRay, and the people that refinanced their house and bought a $2500 tv just 3 years ago aren’t going to spend another $2500 of now hard-earned cash on a tv that requires you to wear glasses.
From 1980 to around 2005, improvements were great enough that consumers upgraded with some regularity. Now, everything most consumers have is “good enough.” The CE companies that got fat and lazy on consumers’ upgrade purchases are scrambling to replace the revenue. It won’t end pretty. See the PC hardware and software business and the music industry for details.
Dr. Dre and Lady Gaga are music superstars? I guess music superstardom isn’t what it used to be, huh? Of course, consumer electronics aren’t what they used to be either. At least Dr. Dre and Lady Gaga weren’t made in China and might still be working a year from now.
As someone who has attended CES for well over 20 years, it’s always refreshing to see a newbie standing with jaw agape.
Everyone got their 1080P with internet capability 42+” HDTV? Great, you have outdated technology- you need 3D! Get rid of that old junk you just bought…
Headphones, smedphones, that’s all old hat. Ultimate Ears is the best in the biz for consumers with their full line of options. Who needs a celebrity overpriced headphone then?
HDTV is now mainstream and everyone is getting with it although some costs still far more than others. Quality is up there for many of these products but the big secret is how good projectors are and can be used replacing the traditional box.
JVC has made tremendous inroads over the last several years. If you have a wall with 80″ or more available you won’t believe the quality it can produce even off center tailored to your room.
Let’s see what CES can do to top any of this. $250 headphones with celebrity endoresements? Ha!
Tech+music= awesome
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