Live from CES

I made it to the show, after that wonderful, long drive through the desert, and am in the press room at the moment.  I got in a few hours earlier -- early enough to check into my hotel, so that I won't have to do it after tonight's event. 

When I got to the press room they had some box lunches, and I chose a simple one with a Greek salad -- the event tonight has a buffet, so I don't want to overeat for lunch, most especially a box lunch.  I caught up on email, 80% of which were CES vendors pitching their companies, and by the time I finished I was too late to a press conference on 3D television that had finished.  I wandered over instead to an "entrepreneur" press conference, put on by the Showstoppers people of small companies looking for investors. 

The first company, AIO Robotics. had a sort of intriguing product, a simple 3D copy-scan-printer-fax machine.  As far as I can tell, you can put any object in it, and not only can you "print" out a plastic copy, but if someone on a receiving end has a similar product (the Zeuss), they can print out a 3D plastic copy, as well.  What stood out beyond that is that the device was simple and automated.  Just press a button, rather than a convoluted conversion process.  They hope to retail it for $1,999. 

The next two products didn't do much for me.  One was sort of interesting -- a radio chip that can be imbedded into products (like a cell phone) to make it much easier to track down when lost, a much better technology than Wi-Fi or Bluetooth which are usually used.  The other product had something to do with being able to communicate with someone you were playing an online game with.  My favorite part was when the CEO was asked if they'd shown this to many 11-year-olds, and he responded that he has three kids, and they all love it.  Hey, that's a convincing argument to an investor!

At this point, I left because I had to get to another press conference -- there was a speaker beforehand who went on too long about "Angel investing," something he presented well, but most journalists were there, I suspect, to see the products, and not get a lecture on investing.

Anyway, as it turns out, that next press conference -- for Samsung -- was full by the time I arrived.  I would imagine that they're telling everyone how great their Gear SmartWatch is.  Which it isn't.  It might be one day, but not yet. 

And so, I'm here.  Later tonight is the Pepcom "Digital Experience" event, where a ballroom of vendors presents their products to a roomful of press.  Did I mention there's a buffet?  (Alas, usually it's not that great.  But food is food.  The next night at the similar Showstoppers event -- that has terrific food.)

Pepcom and Showstoppers are both terrific events, exhausting trying to come across as much there as possible, careening from booth to booth, but -- thank goodness for buffets.

Hey, I love CES, I love these two events, but I have my priorities...