The Buzz

Who won the race for best gadget at CES? Al Gore, that’s who. Well, not specifically, but there was a decidedly “Green” tint to this year’s judges’ choice for ultimate winner.

The Phillips Eco TV, a 42″ fat panel that lets you adjust the amount of power that you use is a nice nod to the idea that many of the products that we saw at CES 2008 will not only cost you big money for wanting have the biggest and the fanciest, but they’ll also eat up your power bills.  Not eco-friendly at all. To emphasize this point, The New York Times  Magazine ran  an article Sunday on where old cellphone go to die, and the vast amounts of valuable minerals mined and then discarded when we throw away one phone to get the coolest new thing. According to the piece, some 220 pounds of earth must be manipulated to gather the materials needed for every one cellphone. The Phillips product smartly plays to the audience that is legitimately concerned about the impact of technology on the environment.

But is the Eco-TV really the Best Product of CES? In my opinion, not really. So in these next few items, my personal best of CES….

The Clix: An MP4 Video Player, Music Player, FM Tuner, Voice Recorder and Text Viewer that comes in 2BG, 4GB and 8GB versions.

The M Player: A super tiny, cute for your kids 1GB MP3 player with a Mickey Mouse theme done in concert with Disney.

Some of you who are less familiar with CES sent notes asking me that question.

The answer is simple. The Adult Video News (AVN) conference has overlapped (no pun intended) the CES for years. Until very recently, it’s been one industry that has guided the other, and you’d be surprised at the one doing the leading. Put frankly, consumer technology is where it is today because of some of the risk-taking of the adult film industry. From VHS to DVDs to the internet, technology has always provided the porn industry with the answer to one basic problem - the guilt/embarrassment/need for privacy of the film’s fans gave home-based viewing technologies to perfect reason to exist. VHS and DVD allowed people to keep it at home, and the web allowed the ability to choose and search one’s personal predilections. The shrinking of technology allowed portability.

The adult, dealing in a lot less money and lot less risk, had nothing to lose and became first adopters. Hollywood and the tech industry responded and followed after seeing the adult industry make its mistakes. Of course, the relationship is more symbiotic that anyone cares to admit. The major cable companies have been in bed with (pun intended) spinoff of huge media companies to produce and distribute adult content for years. Those hotel movies you hide from your corporate accountant? Major companies.

The Vegas location has also helped because of it’s proximity to Los Angeles, where most adult films are produced. We’ll see what happens if or when CES moves to Chicago or Orlando as it’s threatened to do.

I

iRiver’s W7 - a GPS/MP3/FM Tuner/Floor Wax (kidding) - won the CES Award for Best Designed Music Player device. I’d agree with that, as would most of writers who attended CES.

So why so few pictures of it reports? Years ago when MP3 players were first launched, iRiver (along witH Creative) came out with competing players to the iPod that were, in nearly all functions, not only competitive but generally better. But Apple has the marketing magic and iRiver fell off the radar a bit. Now they’re back, better than ever, with industry standard design - but still, apparently, no marketing savvy.

Some ill informed PR person decided to go the way of Panasonic, Sony and some of the other biggies who can afford to make media do extra work and neglected to make product photos available to bloggers and the like. Fine for the first couple of days, but when it looks like you’re about to win major industry recognition, you figure someone would get it together. After a signficant amount of jostling with people clearly don’t share my sense of personal space, I got this photo.

Back in Chicago from CES and still trying to take it all in. Overwhelming is an undertstatement. Much much more on the end of CES later, but for now and answer to a question that’s been vexing me since leaving Las Vegas. A commenter by the name of Jean posted this query: “Where can I buy these $100 laptops? Poor children right here in the US need computers too!”

The short answer, Jean, is sorry, you can’t buy one. You may, however donate one to one of the designated places of need. The reasons take more explanation and understanding. Here goes:

1.  You’re too late..

The One Laptop Per Child project used to run a Give 1/Get 1  program that rewarded donors who gave a laptop with one of their own. For reasons of supply, that program has ended.

2. You already have one, you just don’t realize it…

Some people, most prominently, Bill Gates, argue that we already have a $100 laptop in the U.S. - it’s called the cellphone. This thinking is at the heart of why Gates jumped out of the project (at least that’s what’s been stated publicly). And had you attended CES this year and seen the many advancements in cellphones (see my upcoming post on iRiver’s W7), that’s what new cellphones essentially are - mini computers that do much of what a laptop can do, and in some functions,  more.

I don’t completely buy that argument, at least not in a practical use sense. I could not imagine doing homework on a 2″ screen, but I’m not a teenager either. Still, technologically  that claim is accurate - but only in the developed world. In many places in the developing world, cellphone towers are non existent.

3. Gaming Systems

Many kids whose parents have balked at buying $2000 laptops, have said yes to Playstations and XBoxes and cellphones, and those households may also have a digital cable/internet bundle. If I were a scold I’d say get rid of all of those in trade for a laptop, but game platforms are much more intelligent devices that we use them for. A smart kid, with not too much effort, can combine these technologies to do pretty much all they need to do with a laptop.

4. Access.

Again thanks in part to Bill Gates, the majority of America’s libraries offer free access to computers.

5. Poverty is Relative.

The second half of your question is what vexed me.  It reminds me somewhat of the criticism steeped upon Oprah when she opened her school in South Africa. Yes indeed we do have many children in need in the United States, but these computers were developed for the need level in the third world, something hard to comprehend if you’ve never visited. Poor children in the States may not have immediate access to technology, but there will be something in relative proximity. Those who don’t still have access to book, television, radio and other media tools that, while not explicitly educational, do inform in ways that can be helpful is used correctly.

Now take all that away - the books, the free press, the radio, the pencils, the electricity, the free school meals, the running water. That’s who the XO laptop is designed for.

6. All that said, soon enough you might be able to get one anyway..

In a breaking development, one of the creators of the XO laptop is leaving the non-profit One Laptop per Child, reportedly to work with commercial companies in developing a laptop that costs even less than the XO and would, presumably, be readily available on the open market. Stay tuned…

On the serious side, I mentioned this to my wife assuming that she’d get the weirdness of this thing as I did and we’d share a laugh. To the contrary, she loves the idea.

So what’s my issue with this product? Well, a couple things:

1. So you’re a woman with your cute pink Taser that matches your Razr that matches your Fendi. And like most women, you carry said Fendi under your arm, zipped up in the way you’ve been taught in order to keep people from stealing it.

So where’s the Taser? Well if it’s in the purse, the only way it’s going to useful is if you have some suspicion that you will be mugged and have ample to time to react and get it out. Thugs rely on the element of surprise. You’ve lost your jump on the bad guy if you keep it tucked away.

2. So carry it, right? Well the whole point of carrying a weapon - even a can of mace - is the visual deterrent it offers. If I’m Mr. Thug, am I deterred by something that matches your shoes and looks like a big cell phone?

3. As we’ve seen on so many CNN videos, even trained cops seem to be tasing the wrong people - pregnant women, college students, old men. If trained people don’t have the judgment to know who’s a threat, how confident am I as a Black man that Susie Jane from Idaho has better street skills.

On the other hand, as a home protection device instead of a gun, it makes perfect sense. But in black, not in fuschia.

Grey is the new black and electro-shock is the new mace. Taser launched its new C2 line of personal protection devices that is targeted to the female demo and comes in new ultra stylish colors like pink, yellow, red and this lovely leopard print version. So when that guy punches you and steals your purse, he’ll have a nice matching taser to go with your wallet. Nice.

Potential buyers at the show had plenty of eager volunteers willing to be tased so that could look cool to the Playboy Bunny/Taser booth babes. Dorks.

Did I mention it’s also an MP3 player?

Tough to believe that CES lasts a full week. Day 3 and everybody around the joint is a zombie, just moving along trying to see whatever’s here (no matter how insignificant) or just geeks looking for human contact and trying to sneak into the porn convention next door. (Hint: Dude, just hang out the bar at the Venetian and save yourself the trouble).
As for me, it’s time to put the computer down and just chill and take it in. My eyes (and my feet) have gone all screwy. Later for now. So much more to come.