Michael York

First off, happy new year! 2009 is sure to be a fantastic year for the technology industry. I can’t think of any better way to use the first post of the year than on the most popular consumer electronics trade show in the world.  For my third time ever, I’ll be one of more than 150,000 people making their way to the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas to check out the latest and greatest gadgets, listen to influential keynote speakers, and (hopefully) grab some freebies along the way…

CES has always been a strong foundation for both small and major corporations looking to release breakthrough technologies and products with the intent of capturing the attention of a giant audience. Unsurprisingly, the show was used to unveil the first VHS players, personal camcorders, cell phones, DVD players, HDTVs, and countless other milestone comsumer electronics.

Due to the astonishing amount of things to be seen at CES, I’ll outline a few events that I’ll be attending and some booths that I’ll be visiting and likely covering here.

Pre-Show Keynote – January 7th @ 6:30pm

In a change of normal routine, Bill Gates will no longer be delivering the opening keynote of the show as he has for the past 13 years. Rather this year, Steve Ballmer, Cheif Executive Officer of Microsoft Corporation, will be adressing a number of topics to the audience. From what has been leaked, we can expect to hear about Windows 7 going into public beta, Windows Mobile Flash support, and new home networking advances.

Microsoft Corp. Booth

With all the negative coverage of Windows Vista, the folks in Redmond have been working fanatically to resolve the most critical issues in the operating system alongside adressing the overall performance of the operating system in common tasks. Windows 7, the sucessor to Vista, will include all of these enhancements and more. With some luck, I’ll be able to take a closer look at the operating system currently set to be released in early 2010.

Also, following the release of Power Pack 1 for Windows Home Server and the announcement of the all-new HP MediaSmart servers, the WHS team is sure to have much to talk about. Looking forward to quick chat with them…

Dell Inc. Booth

Facing increased competition from Apple and Hewlett-Packard, 2008 marked a year of innovation for Dell. The Inspiron Mini series took the ‘netbook world’ to new heights with its implementation of Intel’s Atom chipset. Furthermore, the Studio series proved that Dell was continuing to actively work on the design of its products. Dell should have much to tout at this year’s show.

DirecTV Booth

Last year was acclaimed to be the “year of HD.” DirecTV took the statement to heart, now boasting over 130 hi-definition channels in its lineup. Also, the company has worked with Microsoft to develop a method to watch DirecTV HD programming through Windows Media Center. Recently, the project was said to be put on hold, but it may be discussed at the show. DirecTV announced the return of TiVo DVRs in 2008, and it is likely that prototypes of such will be shown.

Sonos Booth

Sonos, along with Windows Home Server, is one of my most favorite “home technologies.” The networked home audio system’s setup is quick and painless, and its functionality is heavenly. Another ‘pro’ to the Sonos system is its constant (and free) software updates that dramatically improve the functionality and performance of the device. 2008 was filled with updates that added support for last.fm scrobbling, free Pandora playback, and a whole lot more. In addition, Sonos released a comprehensive iPhone remote app, which allows you to control the music playing in any area of your house. Should the Sonos team have any new products to announce, you can count on coverage here.

These are not the only booths I’ll be visiting. Not even close…I’ll be in Vegas for five days! These are just a few that came to mind right now.

Finally, here’s what I’ll be carrying on over to Las Vegas this year:

• Dell Inspiron 300m (What? I’m holding off for Windows 7!)
• AT&T Tilt – Tethering to the laptop for free internet access everywhere
• Nikon D70 – Take some pictures along the way
• Apple iPhone – Music and games for the short flight

That’s it for now–more on the 7th after my return from the Ballmer keynote!