CES 2011 Stuff

I'm on the hunt at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, looking for some very specific products for several projects I'm involved in.

Loads of cool and nifty stuff at the show, covering all manner of interests, from auto accessories to home theater to lifestyle goods like the Roomba and the Scooba, to the 1000 different niche electronic device producers from Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Taiwan, and Korea.

Big thing this year: 3D TV in all shapes and sizes, from laptops to arena video walls. Including on-the-fly HD to 3D conversion.
Pretty cool, actually.

Big also: Skins & wraps for iPads, iPhones and iPods. 500 makers and distributors all hawking different colors and designs to wrap your little timewaster in.

Another thing there was waaaay too much of: Ear buds of all colors & flavors.

Pretty big: Batteries & Power, especially personal solar panels.

Needs to be bigger: 3D eye wear. Several manufacturers, but there needs to be more choices.


Ain't that Cool: the Zuumer. TBG WANTS!

Booth of Ridiculous Size: Tie between Sony & Samsung. Micro$oft was also going for the "congressional district" sized booth.

Stuffs I want but it just ain't gonna happen:


Samsung D7500 or D8000 nearly bezel-less flat panel display. Wow.


And a Casio TRYX camera

And some really nice big glass for Canon cameras. (Even though I don't have a Canon any more.)


And a FLIR Scout scope

And a Laser etching machine. (Drool drool.)

Absolute MOST STUPID PRODUCT: TVHat.
Beyond stupid Condition White.

(Click for their website - caution, video starts immediately w/ no controls.)
If I ever see anyone wearing one of these (in public or no) I will hit you in the back of the head with the nearest blunt object, just because you obviously need it.

And from our "What the hell are YOU doing here?" department:

Right between the car-based GPS and Guidance systems and the Audi electric car display...
Trojan.

Really?
What, exactly, are you doing an electronics show?

(Rub and click picture to make it bigger. Heh)

Showing off some their product line, of course.
Including some uh... personal therapy devices... and a few nasty little rubber novelties...
I did have to ask their booth rep about their logic in being at CES.

Yours Truly:"So, CES because...?"
Trojan Man: "I've been getting this question all day. Why not. There are electronics in our devices..."

And a comment was injected from another company rep-

Trojan Girl: "And they're kinda 'digital'... Some of our stuff you use with your fingers." *giggle*

YT: "Is she always like this."
TM: "Yeah." (rolls his eyes.)
YT: "Yikes."

Before leaving I gave Trojan Girl another line to use... I heard her use it as I was making my way down the aisle...

TG: "Actually, all our soft*wear* is primarily for virus protection." *giggle*

Ye gods!

And...one instance of poor booth location:

FLIR and Lelo.

FLIR is a company that specializes in thermal imaging- they are the premiere company in the field...
Every time you see a night shot from a helicopter with the thermal image of a bad guy running through the woods, most likely it's from one of their devices.
(FLIR - Forward Looking Infra Red)

So they have this nice setup to display their consumer and law enforcement-grade equipment, and they were placed next to Lelo.
Lelo makes some...well... Let's see what their website says...

"The classic LELO line is for females and their favourite partners – a wide selection of vibrators and massagers for all moments and needs. Take the time to explore your possibilities."

Well. There you have it.
Right next to the night spotting scopes surveillance devices.


(Click for more detail)
Talking to the FLIR guy, he said there's been a parade of girls flocking to the Lelo booth. Word has gotten around that they are giving away some kind of special trinket or toy if you know some secret password. All the booth babes are coming to the Lelo booth during their breaks.
FLIR Guy loves it.

FG: "Except when the president of our company was here yesterday.
I had to explain who and what Lelo did, and what the 5 heavily-augmented stripper-type girls were discussing (in great detail) about the devices next door."

I guess he wasn't pleased.

Man, you just can't make this shit up.

More "WTF" Moments to come, I'm sure.


TBG- ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒE