The Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2013 - Las Vegas

[Pat Pending]

The Consumer Electronics Show (CES2013) kicked off this past week and I was (un)fortunate enough
to spend a few days gradually getting sore feet.

CES is that kind of show where there are simultaneous launches of the same technology (remember 3D TV).
And the hype would have you believe that they claim to be the 'worlds first'. This time around,
2013 was the year of the 4k displays, and in case you were wondering that's a measure of the
approximate horizontal pixel count - somewhere we switched from 1080 lines vertically to measuring pixels horizontally.
This was also the year that Microsoft decided not to attend.

If there was one main take away, it was that the Chinese TV companies are catching up fast
on the well known names in Japanese CE goods. They (the Chinese) were showing 4K displays of
equal fidelity to the big name Panasonic and Sharps. And as there are only a limited number
of panel producers, products will have roughly the same display performance, only to be
differentiated by features, brand and by price. Inevitably, I'd argue that the Japanese CE companies should look
to exit the flat panel TV market much as Philips has done.

Kickstarter brought the Pebble watch folks to CES, and their CEO got a few minutes morning airtime on CNBC.
It was funny to observe the 'me too' watch prototypes from Toshiba and others.

Even though Apple does not attend CES, a special iLounge is set aside for those 500 accessory companies that do.
Every conceivable form and colour of iphone/ipad case can be had.

Makerbot made a showing with a more expensive Replicator 2X priced at $2799. Although two independent 3D printer companies,
whose printer appeared to be clones of each other, could be had for $1499.

To top it off, the GoPro folks managed to fill the isles to standing room only with their camera give away.

CES has products on display that beckon questions such as What is it? and Why?
and comical wishy-washy, touchy-feely explanations of technology from the hired hands.

And on a side note - soooooooo many DSLR video bloggers.
There should be videos of everything on YouTube by now.