Odds, ends & photos from CES

Here are 14 photos I took yesterday at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

Some brief impressions:

– I heard on the radio that this week’s Consumer electronics Show is the largest convention, anytime, anywhere, ever held. Estimates ranged from 120,000 to 160,000 people pouring into Las Vegas, bringing $175 million into the local economy. I believe the estimates — it was difficult to get from one location to another with lines at taxi stands and bus shuttles up to 100 people deep. I wanted to meet up with David Todd, Robert Scoble, Buzz Bruggeman, the Nokia and Kodak people, and a ton of other folks, but couldn’t find them in the crush of the crowd.

– The panel on entertainment companies embracing their digital destinies was a highlight of yesterday’s sessions. A smart survey of emerging business models by execs at AOL, Sony, Turner Studios and even CinemaNow.

– Glad I headed over to the Sands’ TechZone to meet the folks from DaveTV and IPTV, who are catching the Internet TV wave that will be crashing over all of us by the end of the year.

– I wish there were a CES moblog (if there was one, I didn’t know about it, and it wasn’t on the CES site). Would have loved to have seen Tom Hanks and some of the other folks making unannounced appearances.

– A few hours after I returned home I read the news that the Stardust Hotel, where I stayed, would be demolished to make way for another mega-resort on the Strip. Can’t say that it’ll be a big loss.

– Some coverage today:

>> CNET News.com: CES roundup

>> Engadget

>> From Technorati

>> DenverChannel.com: Google Takes On iTunes With Flexible Video Prices.

A brief summary from Art Brodsky of Public Knowledge:

On the product side, the long-rumoured didn’t occur. Neither the Google PC nor the Google DRM was introduced. Instead, they produced some nifty new applications, like a Google map version for your car that can either help you get where you’re going or get you killed if you watch it instead of the road.

He also announced an enhanced Google video, with real commercial content from partners ilke the NBA and CBS. CBS Chmn. Les Moonves was on hand for the announcement. Old Paramount shows, like Star Trek, also will be available for purchase.

The evening’s entertainment came from Robin Williams, who told more jokes I couldn’t remember, and even if I could, wouldn’t repeat them here.

However, it was sort of mystifying that given its status as the No. 1 show in America, that no one from CSI: LAS VEGAS was on hand. Maybe next year.

Technorati tags: CES, CES 2006, technology

JD Lasica, founder of Inside Social Media, is also a fiction author and the co-founder of the cruise discovery engine Cruiseable. See his About page, contact JD or follow him on Twitter.