CES: Touching Technology

A week back in South Africa has just highlighted how overwhelming the CES show in Las Vegas is, and how technology is touching almost every aspect of our lives today, STEVEN AMBROSE Reports.

Consumer electronics used to refer to TV, Radio, Hi-Fi and other home technologies that the average person would use regularly. The CES which had its 40th anniversary show this year was held in Las Vegas from the 8th to the 11th of January, clearly showed that consumer electronics is far broader, far more encompassing and much more pervasive than any of us ever imagined.
The change has not exactly crept up on us, we have been hearing about convergence for many years, it started in fact right after the millennium bug was finally laid to rest. The reality is that there is no longer such a simple definition as Consumer Electronics, the line has totally blurred and the CES has become the premier technology show in America, if not the world. From the launch of Windows Vista, Microsoft’s latest operating system, to the smallest cellular phone and the largest LCD TV, this show had it all.

All the major electronics companies in the world today (aside from Apple, which does its own thing) and many who are active in South Africa were exhibiting. Some of these names included Sony, Samsung, Pioneer, LG Electronics, Microsoft, Nokia and IBM, who returned to the CES for the first time in many years, and many more, were all showing off their latest hardware and software, and launching their new products and concepts for 2007.

As the name Gadget implies, that is really what I went to see, and I just could not walk fast enough to see it all. The good news is that with a few exceptions, the Apple iPhone being one, we will see a large amount of all the new gadgets in South Africa this year, and we will do our best to get them for review, and report on how they perform.

Convergence is a much used but little understood term, and this CES really made it clear for me. There were two overriding trends that became very clear the more of the show I saw. The first of these trends was in simple terms the pervasive connectedness of all technologies via the internet.
"Anywhere, anytime, anyplace" was the motto, and the enabler was the internet. Using the internet or your connection to it, be that wired or wireless, you can now see, hear, read, download, review and in fact have access to any information anywhere. A good example of this was a Sony system whereby you could watch TV from your home system anywhere you could connect to the internet, as well as view any file on your home network. Microsoft and HP previewed the home server, which offers a similar service and a lot more besides. Simply put you could visit relatives across the globe and show them all the family pictures and videos stored on your PC at home, using your Laptop, their computer or your cell phone. Now that’s real convergence.

The second major trend, which in a way is only possible if you have pervasive connectedness, is that the PC in one form or another has finally invaded the home. Microsoft and again HP actually had set up an entire home with a living room, bedroom, study, and kitchen, all fully connected and showing a complete convergence of all the traditional home appliances. Fridges that ordered the groceries, counter tops that displayed recipes and recognised the ingredients you placed on them. There were even many items that until recently you only saw in the office. All of these were seamlessly connected and talking to each other all over the house. This was science fiction for most of us, but there it was for anybody to use and try out. This technology is already available in part in South Africa, but until we get reasonably priced, fast and pervasive internet connections we really can’t fully enjoy all these advances.

The most interesting thing for me was how all these technologies that were traditionally for the computer geek or your 10 year old nephew or son, have matured to the point that they are almost as easy to use as the average programmable microwave. After spending five days in gadget heaven, at the CES, and seeing all the huge TV’s and tiny gadgets, I look forward to an exciting and gadget filled 2007.

Steven Ambrose