CES - The Summary II
Where was all of the innovation? Where were the tools with potential to change the way we work, live, or interact with information? Sure everyone loves a plasma or beautiful flat-panel display and yes some have a brighter, crisper image than others but enough already. And cell phones. I am as excited by cool technology as any other geek but if I see another $600 cell phone that is really only useful as bling, annoying people around you with louder, more detailed ring tones it will be to soon. I too love my iPod and the notion that people will carry their information around with them and technology will be developed to optimize interface with that data for specific environments but that is not what I saw at CES. What I saw was a million accessories and connectors and adapters for the iPod without any character or compelling concept behind them.I had hopes that CES 2006 would be more than the super-super mall of geekiness but it was just that … only you couldn’t buy anything. Sure Tommy Lee popping up next to me at the Google booth was novel and the xBox 360 and Play Station 3 render graphics that blow my mind (as I recall my being so impressed by the graphics on the Commodore 64) but there was a real lack of magic or awe at the show. I suppose my excitement about going to CES and fantasizing on what it must have been like to visit the World’s Fair at the turn of the 20th century led me to think or expect a showcase of technology of a similar caliber to that of the World’s Fair of yesterday whereby visitors were amazed and awe-inspired by the exotic and futuristic display of science, technology and culture.Which, leads me to another point. Maybe the CES show really was indicative of where we have evolved as a culture. Is it possible that our insatiable appetite to be entertained and comfortable has led to the demise of innovation and experimentation? One would hope not. Surely the brilliant people of the world are just as inspired and excited as they have been at any other time only the media and markets have stifled or slowed the evolution of technology and thought in hopes to profit at each baby stepped introduction to the world.So what do we do about it? How do we as a culture celebrate invention and innovation in a way that the next CES show exhibitors are forced to think and think hard about how their product will be used in the world, not about what niche market will be catered to? I am certainly not saying that making money is a bad thing and I am definitely not saying that all of the companies are without intelligence. I am merely suggesting that maybe we have strayed over the past decades and that I believe there to be significant opportunity in consumer electronics for real innovation.