Live from 2009 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) - Day 2
I was expecting something a “little bigger" than the previous conferences I had attended; various WinHECs and E3. But CES is big, really big. So big in fact that I was only able to hit about the first third of it my first day. When I finally thought I had seen most everything in the 1st and 2nd levels of the South Hall, I proceeded (by golf cart which should have clued me in) to the Central Hall, which is where companies like Sony, Samsung and Microsoft have their booths. There, the exhibition booths were even larger and more elaborate. I experienced a Homer Simpson "D'Oh" moment thinking to myself "I wasted all my time in the South Hall when all the good stuff was in the Central Hall." By that time, 5 pm had ticked by and the exhibitors where closing down. I'd have to wait until tomorrow to really canvas the Central Hall.
However, just checking out all the products in the South Hall, one thing was becoming clear to me. All the various products reflected a push to be able to see and access anything that you care about from anywhere you happen to be. Looking at your rear-view mirror--wouldn't it be nice to have email notifications appear there? Or, how about being in your shower and controlling your playlist from there? All those digital portrait frames that companies envision us having all over our houses display customized news content from your RSS feed.
As I later learned from the quote-bites of Steve Ballmer's keynote, this year is about interfacing Windows with the various display devices popping up in every corner of our life. It was hard to walk from one booth to another where this new reality wasn't being demonstrated.
And how you access what you want was also interesting. With so many different protocols and formats available it was interesting to see products that converted between them. There were products to convert, extend, and split your audio/video signals to any conceivable alternate format (or just about). Control your home's security through your cell phone or TV remote control. Stream your family videos stored on your Windows Home Server wirelessly (or via CAT5, or via component, composite, VGA, DVI, HDMI) to your portable media player, digital portrait frames, computer monitors, or televisions. Download your latest digital music and playlists to your automobile so you can listen to something new on your way to work. Or, why need to do it ahead of time? Instead, configure your automotive PC to keep your playlists in sync wirelessly, while you're driving to work.
At the end of the day, my legs were sore from so much walking and I had a bag so full of product flash that it was causing me to walk in circles. I hope to go through it after I return.
— Kevin Shirley, [MSFT], WDK Programming Writer, January 10, 2009
