©Mark Ollig
“CES is the only place where people can see, touch, and
try emerging tech that are changing our lives for the better.”
The above quote is from the CES2019 summary video
during this year’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES) that took place recently in
Las Vegas.
This week, I found myself reminiscing about technology
which made its initial appearance in 2007, the 40th anniversary of CES.
Guess who received press credentials as an independent tech
columnist to attend CES2007?
Yes, it was me; regrettably, I was unable to get out to
Las Vegas.
However, during CES2007, I was able to talk with Sarah
Szabo, the public relations event manager for the CES/Consumer Electronics
Association.
She told me, attendees at the 2007 show and consumers
worldwide would begin seeing “a new convergence.”
CES2007 was all about the “convergence of technology,”
and how it will enhance our daily lives.
Szabo accurately predicted consumers in 2007 would see
a surge in portable devices delivering digital content.
I feel 2007 began a technological paradigm shift; it
was the year high-tech got personal.
Here are two questions I asked Sarah Szabo, 12 years
ago:
Bits & Bytes: Being that this year marks the 40th
anniversary of the CES, will any of the original folks be there to reminisce or
talk about the CE (consumer electronics) from 1967 that made a significant
impact that is seen even today in 2007?
Sarah S.: Celebrating the 40 years of CES symbolizes
not only the growth of our show, but also the strength of the CE industry. Over
the past four decades, CES has been the launch pad for life-changing
innovations. The VCR, DVD player, CD player, HDTV – all have launched from the
show floor.
Bits & Bytes: Has the CES always been held in Las
Vegas?
Sarah S.: The first CES took place in 1967, at the
Americana and Hilton Hotels in New York City. The summer show moved to Chicago
in 1971, with the winter show relocating to Chicago in 1973.
In 1978, the winter CES moved to Las Vegas.
The year 2007 was noteworthy for tech devices and
social media, such as:
• Apple iPhone;
• Advanced Step in Innovative Mobility (Asimo) robot;
• Amazon Kindle eReader;
• Netflix internet streaming;
• Apple iPod touch;
• Joost: internet TV beta-testing;
• Samsung liquid-crystal display (LCD) televisions;
• Microsoft Windows Vista OS released. (OK, no one
liked it much);
• Google’s Android OS released (folks liked this one);
• IBM’s Watson AI computer (began development);
• ZPrinter 450 – color 3D printing;
• XO Laptop (low-cost computer for children); and
• MySpace (Pre-Facebook) reaches $65 billion in value.
I was tempted to add Twitter to this list; however, it
began in 2006, although many started to use it in earnest in 2007, which is the
year its popularity began to soar as a social media site.
Facebook, in late 2007, was still emerging as a viable
social media site replacement for MySpace – which is still in business.
Facebook saw 100,000 business pages added in 2007. In
October 2007, there were some 50 million active users.
In 2007, we were using 3G wireless mobile technology on
our smartphones; 4G broadband cellular network technology wouldn’t be available
for another three years.
Having reminisced about 2007 CES, I find myself
desiring to apply for a press pass to CES2021; which I, for some reason, feel
will be more “tech-revealing” than CES2020.
What could be more fun and exciting than being in Las
Vegas attending the hottest consumer electronics show on the planet?
Make sure you read the January 2021 Bits & Bytes
column, which will be written from CES2021 in Las Vegas.
Official CES2019 videos of keynote addresses by
industry leaders, along with technology displayed on the show floor can be
viewed here: https://bit.ly/2sGMiXx.
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| CES 2007 |
