CES: The Magic Is Back
After two relatively ho-hum years, CES is crackling again. This year was not overshadowed by any particular device -- there were plenty of exhibitors making star turns. There were lots of tablets and Androids, 3-D TVs and 3-D games. There were also a slew of e-books on display, and a particularly interesting technology that could revolutionize that market.
I was at CES last week, and the magic was clearly back in this show. In the past couple of years, CES has been dominated by one device -- making it more like a one-product waste of time. Two years ago, everyone was talking about the iPhone, making many of us wonder if we were at the wrong event. Last year, it was the Palm (Nasdaq: PALM) Pre, which turned out to be a bit of a flash in the pan. This year, it seemed at first that the Google/HTC Nexus One would steal the show, but there didn't appear to be any lasting buzz on that device by the end of the first day. Attention had shifted elsewhere.
I think this showcases a massive return to fascinating consumer electronics devices after a long dry spell. Eyes are still trained on Apple's (Nasdaq: AAPL) upcoming iSlate, but it receded into the shadows at an otherwise very interesting show.My product of the week is Mirasol, an amazing new small display from Qualcomm (Nasdaq: QCOM) that could massively change the emerging market for tablets and e-books.
Image via Gizmodo
If this year's CES is any indication, 2010 is the Year of the Tablet PC. Practically every major consumer tech company is coming out with something thin, touchable, and Twitter-friendly. 
