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Student to cover electronics show(Daily Oklahoman, The (KRT) Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge) Jan. 6--NORMAN -- Nikki Inderlied of Norman remembers her fascination with video games from a very young age. Bedtime for little Nikki meant Nintendo time for her parents, and she yearned to stay up for the video action. "I could see from my bedroom her and my dad playing Mario Brothers, and I got so mad because I wanted to play," Inderlied recalled while looking at her mother, Angela Startz. Inderlied's interest and skill in video games has landed her in Las Vegas, where she and her mother will report on the annual Consumer Electronics Show for i4u.com, a Web site devoted to electronic gadgets and technology. The International Consumer Electronics Show, scheduled Monday through Thursday, is an annual event at which companies reveal what's coming next in electronic technology. Speakers this year will be Dell Computer founder Michael Dell, CBS President and Chief Executive Officer Leslie Moonves and U.S. Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez. Inderlied, a sophomore journalism student at Oklahoma City Community College, will interview company representatives for podcasts and gabcasts -- telephone interviews uploaded onto the site. Startz, a marketing specialist for the University of Oklahoma's College of Arts and Sciences, will shoot still and video photography. The Web site asked Inderlied to be one of its three correspondents, and Startz came aboard shortly after that. Inderlied said the road to Las Vegas started a year ago when she applied to join the Fragdolls, an elite team of female video game players sponsored by computer software company Ubisoft. As one of eight finalists for the two team positions, Inderlied did an on-camera interview. She wasn't chosen for the team, but the experience, coupled with her journalism studies, helped her land a few writing jobs, notably with the Web site girlsgamingguide.com. The Web site in May sent her to cover a large video game conference, where someone from i4u.com interviewed her about the girls' gaming Web site. Startz said that interview wound up getting posted on a number of other sites, including YouTube.com While Inderlied has played numerous games on every major system, the love she had as a small girl for Nintendo has never waned. She and her mom prefer the new Nintendo Wii over its , Sony PlayStation 3 and Microsoft Xbox. Both say they look forward to seeing other types of products at their first Consumer Electronics Show, including a 103-inch high-def television. Copyright (c) 2007, The Daily Oklahoman Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Business News. For reprints, email [email protected], call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA. |