Guest post from Raymond Shubinski, contributing editor
Jump’n Jupiter’s moons! If you love things electronic, this show is the place to be. For the past 23 years, Las Vegas has hosted the Consumer Electronics Show — an event that has become the world’s largest venue for new and spectacular gadgets. This was my first visit, and the experience was exciting and exhausting at the same time. I went with a colleague, Joe, who has 8 years of experience dealing with the crowds, which was a big help. The Las Vegas Convention Center has 3.2 million square feet, and a guide is indispensable.
A press pass provided some distinct advantages, not the least of which was a cool computer bag and a free lunch. It also provided a little entrée with the dealers who were willing to spend more time talking about their products.
We entered the show right at the Intel Pavilion. I was ready to stay there for most of the day. I was amazed at the number and diminutive size of the notebook and netbook computers. Intel is phasing out the Atom processor chip and fitting all of these sci-fi machines with the new I5 processor. In fact, there is an I3, I5 and I7 chip that will show up this year. For those of us who take our little computers into the field, it means fast runs of all our favorite celestial software.
As Joe steered me through the maze of exhibits, I was intrigued by the wonderful multi-national diversity at the show. I’m sure just about every country was represented at this event.
As we moved on, we came to an exhibit with yet more notebook computers. One caught my eye because of the dual sliding video screens with the ability to act as dual monitors. This baby is made by Archus. Oregon Scientific featured a lot of other fun stuff. It showed new weather monitoring equipment that would be of use to any observer. It also had some great “atomic” wristwatches for those who demand exact timing.
As Joe and I made our way through the crowds, we came to the JVC pavilion. JVC was showing its new 3-D televisions. My own feeling was, and I stress the past tense, that 3-D was just another gimmick. No more! The JVC system uses a polarized process that allows for viewing with simple paper glasses using polarized film. The effect was unbelievable. The image appeared to float in front of me. I watched for some time without the usual headache I get at a 3-D movie. There are other manufacturers of 3-D TVs. They use active glasses that utilize a rapid shuttering system. The 3-D effect was every bit as dramatic. The down side to the active system is the need for batteries to operate the glasses. I was told the batteries have to be changed every 30 to 60 hours. I think we’ll see the next Blu-Ray style battle over which 3-D system will dominate the market. Whoever prevails, 3-D is on the way with both Discovery Channel and ESPN preparing to launch 3-D channels. The technology for real-time 2-D to 3-D conversion was also on display.
Just around the corner from the 3-D TV, I found Celestron’s booth sporting a 14-inch Edge HD Optics telescope on the massive CG Pro mount. Celestron’s Rick Garrison (pictured at right) gave me the low-down on this magnificent instrument. Kevin Kawal, Celestron’s Community Relations Coordinator, also was there. We spoke about new and upgraded products, including the Sky-Scout that lets you point at any object in the sky and be treated to an audio of information. Kevin also brought us up to date about the 50th anniversary celebrations for Celestron. To learn more, go to Celestron’s 50th Anniversary Site. There you will learn about the company’s history, products, and a great deal more.
Joe and I made our way through the automotive section where dream sound systems and more were installed in hot cars. Not far away was a new area for robotics. As the project manager for the new Henderson Space and Science Center, I found some incredible robots that would be fabulous in any science center.
The product selections seemed endless. People were lined up for more large screen 3-D experiences as loud music blared from the Ed Hardy booth. I even found Dick Tracy’s wristwatch! It really is a wrist communicator in the form of a fully functioning cell phone in the case of a reasonably sized watch case. You could talk to your wife without ever taking your eye from the telescope.
I also found a nice and easy slide scanner by the EU3C Company. It’s fast and simple to use. If you’re like me, you have notebooks filled with slides you would love to put on your computer. One of my favorite gadgets was a hand-held wind and solar charger by KINESIS Industries. Charge your phone by day and your iPod at night when the wind is blowing.
As my legs started to give out, and my shoulder ached from lugging around all the catalogs, I ran across Explore Scientific. This booth featured telescope and binoculars of every size. I met Scott Roberts, who is working with Jinghua Optical Electronics. The pride of the display was the David Levy Comet Hunter telescope. This 6-inch Maksutov telescope is designed to span from low-power, wide-field views to higher power for detail work. The well-constructed scope has a carbon fiber tube. I wanted to run off with the finder scope, which is one of the best I have ever seen. Scott explained that a portion of all sales from the Comet Hunter go to David Levy’s Sky Share project.
As the day came to an end, I made my way back toward the Intel Pavilion for one last look around. There, I saw the fantastic Info-Skype walls. The two connected walls were 8 feet high by 6 feet wide, and they rippled with ever-changing images. Once I worked my way through the crowd, I was able to touch the wall. As different cubes rolled into view, I just touched them and detailed information appeared. WOW!
The Consumer Electronics Show was teeming with products that were incredible and crazy. It had everything from sewing machines to curling irons, all-electric cars, and computers — enough to warm the heart of any techno-geek. The atmosphere at the show was exciting and lively. I heard a number of comments that last year’s show was affected by the economic downturn, but this year it had come back to life. That’s a good sign for the economy and great for product innovation.
In short, it’s good for all of us who use and enjoy the technology that supports our astronomy passion.
See more photos from the 2010 Consumer Electronics Show.