If the crowds of CES 2012 correlate to economic activity, then the economy is definitely on the upswing. At times, it felt like the record-breaking crowd of 153k+ attendees and 3.1k exhibitors filled every inch of the crowded shuttles which ferried attendees between the convention center and the various hotels where there were additional exhibits and private demonstration rooms. It is definitely a show where having a clone would be useful for one who is trying to cover the event in any sort of depth.
The Augmented Life or the $6M Man Becomes the $6K Man
Steve Austin was a hero for those of us in the 1970s who wished to be, “Better than than he was before. Better, stronger, faster.” The $6 Million Dollar Man was science fiction but without weird space alien creatures. Kids on the playground could relate, as the main character was a regular person, but his super-human powers (e.g. superior vision, amazing strength, could communicate wirelessly with his commander, etc.) derived from the weaving of advanced electronics along with “bionics”; an integration of the mechanical with the body to enhance Austin’s body parts. Click here to read why this is relevant to telecom providers. Click here to read more.
I Can See for Inches and Miles
Innovega demonstrated at CES 2012 nanotechnology designed into contact lenses that, when combined with a special set of glasses, allows one to focus close to read a heads-up display projected on the glasses, while seeing far. They can also be used for delivering full-field 3D or for 360 degree gaming experience. In this video, Randall Sprague, CTO of Innovega, explains how this device works and potential applications. Click here to view.
Wind Power for Off Grid Telecom Applications & More
Electricity generation via wind power is often associated with modern-day version of windmills spread through the hillsides and plains of the country side. Urban Green Energy aims to change that with a product line of relatively low-cost wind turbines. Designed to make little noise and to run at low revolutions per minute, such that birds and bees and see their outline, these spinning wings may be installed anywhere; in a dense urban area to a remote, off-grid, rural area. Click here to view.
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New for 2012: Documonials
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Wind power may be the only tool that Volcano Communications is not using in its quest to provide reliable communications. Reliable power be even more critical in rural areas, compared to urban areas, as the economics of a rural build don’t support multiple last mile networks and the physics of a rural area often don’t allow wireless communications. Nowhere is this more evident than at Volcano Communications, which has a service territory that ranges from the foothills made famous by the California gold rush to the spine of the Sierra Nevada. Click here to watch an exclusive interview with John Lundgren of Volcano Communications.
Some Tweets and Short Thoughts
- Old news, unless you haven’t heard it – ways to avoid being an inadvertent LinkedIn shill – thanks Chuck for the note
- Congratulations Alan Weissberger on the well-deserved, lifetime achievement award – honored you contribute to the VV.
- Kudos Daniel on the new book – sounds like it is for anyone wanting to understand how wireless elements fit together.
- Bluetooth hearing aids – “sounds” like Siemens is doing a good job of it http://hearing.siemens.com/en/04-products/20-minitek/minitek.jsp– why did it take so long http://www.viodi.com/newsletter/050201/#krazy?
The Korner – Some More Eye Catchers at CES 2012
CES reminds me of the S&H Green Stamps catalog my mom would get when I was a kid. We called it a wish book for all the potential things we could get with our bounty of Green Stamps. I don’t remember actually getting anything from those catalogs and, if we did, the newness probably wore off very quickly, but it was fun to look and dream at how cool those things would be.
CES is similar in that it is sort of like a real-life catalog of things that seem very cool on the surface. Some will prove practical and make it in the real-world, while others will be ahead of the market or missing a critical element that prevents it from reaching any sort of mass market. With that, here is an update of some photos of some of the booths that caught my attention as I wandered the massive floors of the event known as CES. Click here to view.
