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January 05, 2009

Consumer Electronics Technology Show

By Jessica Kostek, TMCnet Channel Editor

According to the AFP, smart gadgets, lifelike video and pocket versions of laptop computers are expected to be Consumer Electronics Show (CES) stars as the annual extravaganza follows its gizmos onto the Web.
 
It looks like consumer electronic companies didn’t get the memo that the economy is failing and leading analysts have been saying we’re in the beginnings of a recession for almost three months now. (When does it start, really, I want to be semi-prepared.)



 
Some 2,700 makers of televisions, computers, mobile telephones, chips and other technological wares will tout their latest innovations in Las Vegas from January 8-11.
 
In addition to that, film, television and music studios which deliver digitally to devices tied to the Internet will also be there. Folks like Billboard Digital Music Live!, NBC Universal, The Today Show, the NBC Evening News with Brian Williams, Access Hollywood, CNBC’S Maria Bartiromo and Sony Pictures Television.
 
Rumors surrounding the show include word that Microsoft might unveil a revamped Zune in a bid to knock Apple's (News - Alert) iPod from its throne atop the MP3 player market.
 
Palm is expected to introduce an overhauled operating system in what could be a last-ditch effort to reclaim former glory in a "smart" handheld device realm that it pioneered but lost to competitors.
 
"A big thing will be the launch of Palm's new Nova," said analyst Rob Enderle of the Enderle Group in Silicon Valley. "It could be a swan song for Palm or the rebirth of the company."
 
Digeo, a cable television equipment supplier, is also under pressure to deliver on an innovative digital media recorder that links to Internet services and televisions, according to NPD analyst Ross Rubin (News - Alert).
 
Microsoft may use CES for a "coming out party" for a Windows 7 operating system to succeed Vista software that has been a target of relentless loathing by many computer users, according to Enderle.
 
"On the PC side, CES is going to be a netbook love fest," Enderle said.
 
"Apple may have something online and Google is doing something," he said. "The expectation is that Google has its own PC platform coming and will throw it on a netbook—they want everything to be online and the netbook leads itself better to Google than to Microsoft and Apple."
 
Analysts said CES should also feature the introduction of a new mobile phone based on the Android (News - Alert) open source platform promoted by Google.
 
Dunion said "uber themes" at CES are likely to include green technology trimming power needs of gadgets while employing more recyclable and non-toxic materials in construction.
 
Television screens ideal for home theaters and increasingly rich graphics will once again get high-profile at CES. Increasingly sophisticated pixel qualities should set the stage for a surge in 3D viewing experiences.
 
"We really think next year 3D is going to really take off," said Ujesh Desai, a GeForce vice president at premier graphics chip-making firm NVIDIA (News - Alert).
 
Hewlett Packard marketing executive John Cook said, "The biggest thing I see is the consumers expect high-definition entertainment. I'm expecting to see quite a lot of that on the show floor."
 
Emphasis should be heightened on television by a mandated switch from analog to exclusively digital broadcasting in February.
 
Support for Blu-ray high-definition DVD technology has gained momentum since the Sony-backed technology was declared winner of its format war with Toshiba's (News - Alert) HD-DVD systems at CES last year, according to analysts, resulting in more manufacturers leaping into the Blu-ray arena.
 
This article was originally posted on the jk on Tech blog.

Jessica Kostek is a channel editor for TMCnet, covering VoIP, CRM, call center and wireless technologies. To read more of Jessica’s articles, please visit her columnist page.

Edited by Jessica Kostek







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