CES 2008, A Geek’s Wet Dream

Kevin Costner, Yoko Ono, Mary J. Blige and Danica Patrick will be hawking products at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES 2008) in Las Vegas today, but they'll hardly be noticed. As usual, the main attraction at CES will be the blizzard of new gadgets that will have tech geeks salivating the whole year. Instead of celeb-stalking or whiling away the hours at slot machines and Blackjack tables, 140,000 like-minded gear-hunters will be prowling 1.7 million square feet of exhibit space to find never-before-seen phones, TV screens, chips and other devices that defy conventional gadget categorization.

The most sought-after products at the convention, which runs January 7 - 10, will likely be mock-ups and prototypes of products that are still a few years away from hitting store shelves. Many companies may bring working prototypes of cutting-edge devices with them to Las Vegas, but they won't display them under glass or leave them at a booth for manhandling.

Rather than risking poor reviews for a product that isn't nearly ready, these companies will hold closed-door meetings with a select group of potential partners and analysts…after making them sign non-disclosure agreements of course. More important than touching a buggy prototype is hearing a secretive chief executive disclose plans for his or her company. Some of these speeches will also take place behind closed doors.

Eww ahh. Intrigued? Of course you are. So stay tuned to my blog for more CES 2008 coverage in the next few days as the products are unveiled. I’ve already started compiling the list of must-have gadgets from the unbelievable (like the 150-inch plasma TV) to the “what were they thinking” (like the diamond encrusted USB thumbdrive).