Month: December 2009

What will be the cool things at CES this year?

The gadget blog dvice.com has their 5 Tech Trends at CES, though I’m not sure I agree with the ordering.  3D Tv (?), Pico projectors (to put your iPhone video on the wall), ebooks (dull), tablets (not until Apple speaks) and connected everything (probably).  It doesn’t mention mobile tech which will be getting a lot of play this year, nor any of the other things that geeks are talking about (social networking, location aware, etc).  And this is one of the problems with CES. CES is about consumer electronics.  Sure there are a few ‘new new’ things out there, but there are also tables after tables of extension cords.  There is room for TV antennas.  Space for wineglass washing machines, and shoe buffers.  It’s really a trade show that is about anything you plug in and can buy from Kmart, not necessarily from Frys. And it is far removed from the geeky world of that which lives on the net.   As devices have become connected (see the cited article) there is more and more of a connection between the online world and appliances, but CES really isn’t “the show” for the Internet generation and companies.  Many of the folks I’ve worked with in the pure online world have come to CES out of default, and once they get there they often feel like ‘well, I’ve seen it, and now I don’t have to see it again’. So what trade show is the one for the online world?  Unfortunately, it hasn’t really happened yet.  There is no “Net 2010” show that rivals the size and scope of a CES so for now, Vegas is where you have to go. Such is life.]]>

A brilliant idea, but…

Lots of startup excitement around the house this weekend, and a bit of cussing. Over the last few days I’ve been researching an untapped area of the ‘Green tech’ movement.  Something that would make quite a bit of sense, would be quick to market, and something that would have multiple channels to revenue, let alone venture capital.  I queried some of my friends, including some successful entrepreneurs in San Fran, a couple of PhD’s in Silicon Valley, an electronics company VP in NY, and two electricians wearing NASCAR hats down at my local electronics supply company (who actually had some interesting insight). On the plus side–everyone said this is needed and must be built. On the down side–someone else is doing it already. So I’m not sitting here thinking ‘is there room for a second mover’ in a field that could be huge, though one in which I’m about six months behind the curve.  I have an idea that could leapfrog them, but I’m not sure how technically feasible it is (the physics is there, but is the manufacturing base–I don’t know). So I’m off to CES to talk turkey with the guys from China.  Folks who are in the shop building things like that which I want.  We’ll see if I come back with a new start-up company, ready to be formed and funded, or if I look for another ‘new new thing’.]]>

More silly scanner talk

[/caption] Was out looking at Christmas Lights with the kids and we passed the fire station just as an ambulance and heavy rescue squad were coming out.  They drove about a mile down the main road to our house where they stopped.  We had the iPhone police radio running and hear this funny exchange: Cop:  Dispatch, can you update me on the situation? Dispatch:  59 year old male, trouble breathing. Cop:  Can you tell me why Rescue 1 was dispatched along with an ambulance.  They’re blocking the road. Dispatch:  Subject is 400 lbs. Cop:  Copy that.  Over.]]>

Tips for the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Vegas

From my been there done that list:

*  Keep your luggage receipt.  LAS airport requires it for checked bags.
*  If you don’t have your CES ID, get it at the airport (shorter lines).
*  Rent a car.  Free parking at the hotel and no chance in hell of a cab.  Bus lines are nuts too.
*  Make a beeline to the stuff you MUST see, and then wonder around aimlessly to see the stuff you want and discover the really cool things.
*  Visit the high end stereo hotel ($50,000 turntables, etc).
*  Visit the ‘Asia Rooms’ where the manufacturers are showing their latest and greatest stuff.
*  Budget an extra hour to get through airport security if leaving on Saturday or Sunday.
*  Don’t drive to the convention center unless you have a parking pass.
*  Eat a few miles off the strip and pay normal prices for dinner.
*  Play single-deck blackjack and pay for your trip with a few simple rules 😉
*  Keep your luggage receipt.  LAS airport requires it for checked bags. *  If you don’t have your CES ID, get it at the airport (shorter lines). *  Rent a car.  Free parking at the hotel and no chance in hell of a cab.  Bus lines are nuts too. *  Make a beeline to the stuff you MUST see, and then wonder around aimlessly to see the stuff you want and discover the really cool things. *  Visit the high end stereo hotel ($50,000 turntables, etc). *  Visit the ‘Asia Rooms’ where the manufacturers are showing their latest and greatest stuff. *  Budget an extra hour to get through airport security if leaving on Saturday or Sunday. *  Don’t drive to the convention center unless you have a parking pass. *  Eat a few miles off the strip and pay normal prices for dinner. *  Play single-deck blackjack and pay for your trip with a few simple rules 😉
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Off to Vegas, again

Every year I went to CES (and this is about the seventh trip) I’ve said “oh god, why do I come!” The crowds, the chaos, and usually the weather (it actually snowed one year). But sometimes it is fun. One year I took Doc Searls around showing him what it was like to be a buyer of embedded LINUX products and he showed me the high end stereo room (which was awesome).  Another year I met up with Albert Lai of Bubbleshare fame (and now a Facebook developer with lots of cool toys). The good thing about this year is that things are a bit different. My company is in the midst of being acquired and I’ll be a ‘free agent’ for the first time, attending CES to see what is cool, new, exciting and fun, not just what I needed to see (which usually found me in the ‘parts / manufacturers’ area speaking bad Cantonese to some guys from Hong Kong who sell this little thing or that). So I’m off, again, to Vegas. Will try to stay a bit and meet some folks and write about what cool new technologies I see and play with. I have a new startup swirling in my head right now (the last week has been one of frenetic excitement here) and I’m going to go back to the China-room and speak to the manufacturers who might be able to help me get this project off the ground. We’ll post updates from Vegas as I see the cool things.  I’ll be at the Lenovo Bloggers night and hopefully the It won’t stay in Vegas party and a few other meetups with bloggers, networked device people and web2.0 folk. One thing is certain–no fricking red eye back to Washington.  I’m sick on that hell flight.  I’ll stay the extra night and leave during the day.]]>

Science textbooks for modern kids

dad’s books didn’t have this many pictures. I mean, who wouldn’t want to learn about Molecular Biology from a dancing pixie fairy type girl. The Manga Guide to Molecular Biology (Manga Guide to Science) [caption id="attachment_2638" align="alignright" width="222" caption="Learn about DNA from pixie fairies."]lrg[/caption]

 

Rin and Ami have been skipping molecular biology class all semester, and Professor Moro has had enough-he’s sentencing them to summer school on his private island. But they’re in store for a special lesson. Using Dr. Moro’s virtual reality machine to travel inside the human body, they’ll get a close-up look at the fascinating world of molecular biology. Join them in The Manga Guide to Molecular Biology, and learn all about DNA, RNA, proteins, amino acids, and more. Along the way, you’ll see chemical reactions first-hand and meet entertaining characters like Enzyme Man and Drinkzilla, who show how the liver metabolizes alcohol. Together with Ami and Rin, you’ll learn all about:
  • The organelles and proteins inside cells, and how they support cellular functions
  • The processes of transcription and translation, and your genes’ role in synthesizing proteins
  • The pieces that make up our genetic code, like nucleotides, codons, introns, and exons
  • The processes of DNA replication, mitosis and cytokinesis
  • Genetic technology like transduction and cloning, and the role of molecular biology in medicine
Whether you need a molecular biology refresher or you’re just fascinated by the science of life, The Manga Guide to Molecular Biology will give you a uniquely fun and informative introduction.   And when you are done with that, check out:  The Manga Guide to Calculus I might actually buy one just for the heck of it, given that I slept through most of my math classes in school.
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