The 2010 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) wrapped last weekend on a rather positive note (see previous post). The mood was upbeat, as companies moved past the downs of the previous year to focus on new plans and products for 2010.
Estimated attendance was up from last year to more than 120,000 people, and the show floor was definitely packed the first couple days, and busy through the weekend, especially because the Sands Expo was not used, with almost all the 2,500-some exhibitors now in the Las Vegas Convention Center.
The big push, of course, was 3D TV -- Apparently consumers have so enjoyed upgrading to HD displays, HD cable service, and HD Blu-ray discs that they are ready to start over again and move on to the next new thing. Products are promised for this year -- 3D displays, 3D Blu-ray players, 3D service from DirecTV and ESPN -- but will clearly be targeted to early-adapter enthusiasts. So check out Avatar in the theatres and see what's coming next to the living room.
Other themes at CES, accelerated from last year, included connected / Internet TVs (with movies on demand to Skype video conferencing), content portability (buy once, play anywhere, with industry efforts including DECE), scads of eReader devices (and some tablets), and even more emphasis on green / eco-friendly products.
Newer trends included smartphones and Google Android phones, the transition from widgets to full-fledged apps for phones to HD TVs, and mass storage for consumers -- in the cloud or with a NAS network-attached drive in the home.
I've updated my CES Summary article with links to a variety of sources for conference wrap-ups and blog coverage of the show for more perspectives, photos, and videos.