CES: The power of the printed word

CES: The power of the printed word (ThePlan8 Podcast)The 2010 Consumer Electronics Show this week in Las Vegas is crammed with the latest gadgets, all blasting out light and noise and motion in high definition goodness. Much of the news this week will be about 3D TV, motion controlled video games, and the blending of Internet and broadcast on traditional television platforms.

There will also be a lot of press around e-readers. They are everywhere – CES has an entire section of the show floor dedicated to e-reader developers; most major CE manufactures will also have branded e-readers. And of course, the rumor mills churn with the news of an Apple iSlate, though there have been no formal announcements yet.

These little flat, grey-scale tablets seem to have little to compete with the walls of flat screen monitors in every booth. Although e-readers offer lots of consumer benefits, the actual experience is not as exciting as 3D, not as immersive as new gaming technology. It is just reading, after all, right? Continue reading “CES: The power of the printed word”

3D hits critical mass…at least in our minds

Future of 3D at CESStill high off the heels of watching Avatar, we at the Lab are eager to see some of the 3D products to be featured this week at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Yes, everyone knows Avatar probably changed the future of filmmaking (with a good old fashion love story to boot). James Cameron’s dedication to pushing the bounds of filmmaking have paid off with over a billion dollars in revenue since the film opened on December 18th. And filmmakers and audiences will thank the director for years to come.

Now that Cameron proved it is possible in theaters, it’s time to see what is 3D’s future on the small screen, and in digital out of home. At CES this week, we’ll be checking out all the latest in 3D solutions for televisions. Meanwhile, Next3DTV has unveiled its broadband 3D service launching in Q1 of 2010. For consumers with the dough to spend on upgrading to a 3D set, Next3D TV will deliver all 3D content all the time. Even ESPN has announced a new 3D sports network set to kickoff with the first FIFA World Cup match in June. The push to 3D is moving faster than we expected. Still, as CNET blogger John Falcone, notes there are three challenges for the future of 3D on the small screen.  Continue reading “3D hits critical mass…at least in our minds”