CES Day One

Well CES Day one is now history, and I have to admit there is a distinct, palpable air of optimism. Especially compared to last year's reports. This year, there are a lot of people out there. There is a lot of talk of deals. Things are happening. Only time will tell how much is pure talk and how much is reality.

What did I see on Day One that I liked. To be honest, not much. Not because the show is bad, but you have to understand that trade shows are just like that. They take time. Most of the stuff is crap. And you have spend inordinate amounts of time separating the wheat from the chaff.

The most impressive things I saw at CES Day One were as follows [in no particular order]:

Samsung Series 9000 LED flat screen TVs. This sucker was awesome. No 3D, just pure pixel beauty. This is truly one of those products that has to be seen to be appreciated. The picture does not do it justice.

FloTV. Very interesting concept. This year's CES seems to be marked by wireless transceivers in the home, and wireless content delivery when outside of the home. FloTV can work in both camps. I personally liked the personal TV product, shown here. Only time will tell if the pricing and content can live up to the concept. Nice start though.

Lenovo IdeaPads. Lenovo is really pushing hard in North America, and their new lineup of IdeaPads and other small computers can only help. I love the styling. They also have a rep for rock-solid robustness, which is rare in this business. 

Roland drum Kit. Shown here in a booth actually selling cool headphones. But I liked this cause all these guys played electronic instruments, so you could not hear the band unless you put the earphones on your head. BTW, the sound was fantastic!

Cars. You can't have CES without cool cars. Here are a couple of my favs.

District Nine. For my brother-in-law Eric. Actual props from the movie at the Sony booth. I just couln't resist!

That's it. Gotta run back to the show!