ZD 24.02: Freezing and Queueing In Las Vegas
ZD 24.02: Freezing and Queueing In Las Vegas
Notes from a visit to the freezing Vegas techno-hype machine and more!
The Distilled Spirit
We live a profoundly different life than all other humans in history.
AI will invade Windows Notepad shortly.
The CES That Was
Long lines and freezing temperatures don’t make for the best Las Vegas experience.. They set the tone for what was a bit of an unsatisfying CES 2024. I left the event feeling a bit underwhelmed. AI was in the air and there was clearly good and orderly progress in making your devices and appliances a bit smarter and more energy efficient. Nonetheless, I walked out of the LVCC thinking next Christmas will not be radically different than last one in terms of devices under the tree.
If you are looking to catch up on CES, Wired’s coverage is a go-to in general. Start with their Best of CES 2024 and work your way from there. Forbes has a good AI-focused wrap-up worth a read. The Verge Awards puts a nice bow on everything.
Wyatt’s Under-The-Radar CES Picks
In my eleven miles a day I saw a lot of devices. Here are some that I liked that are not the overhyped transparent TVs:
Proto beamed hologram across a booth with an AI-generated aging effect. Hologram transfer technology was impressive. Will be possibly a killer app if they can make pricing and/or compatibility work. See Zdnet for a more expansive take on the experience.
The Gator Grip is a nifty clip-on phone handle/stand that doesn’t make your phone bulkier or interfere with wireless charging. Good to toss in your bag or on your gear pile for the times when having a phone stand makes sense.
I am a CPU hot-rodder with a special interest in storage throughput. Apex Storage Design is my kind of tool. They have been busy developing high density NVMe M.2 storage arrays that are perfect if you need a very fast 168GB of storage.
I visited The Sphere. I was not expecting to be nearly as blown away as I was by the rather cheesy Postcard From Earth experience. Sit halfway up the 200 level in the middle if you do go to hit the sweet spot and get immersed. I can imagine U2 or Phish would be powerful.
Outside of the Tech Circus Tent
Peter Zeihan drops an excellent series on Trump’s chances in the election; the ongoing fracturing of the Republican Coalition and closes with some thoughts on the behavior of independents. At least OpenAI has quietly blocked election-related queries.
Access to water is crucial for quality of life. How a society distributes that public good says a lot about said society.
AFCON is the best soccer tournament you have probably never seen. Many leading players from the European top flight are involved. For a preview see Eurosport (free) or The Athletic ($). Matches are at Noon and 3:00 PM most days for the group stage over the next few weeks. Watch on beIN Sport. It is included with YouTube TV or Fubo packages. If you just need the soccer Fanatiz is another option at $10 per month if you need a dedicated solution.
Have an Informed Day!