CES (Consumer Electronics Show) is the largest trade fair for consumer electronics. It’s presented by Consumer Technology Association (CTA) annually in Las Vegas. It has been our tech bell weather for more than 50 years. CES features the latest products from 4,500 exhibiting companies from around the world. CES gives us a glimpse of the next megatrend. It’s a proving ground for new innovations.
Our visit to last year’s CES started with downpours and flash floods as we dashed from one hotel to another in an attempt to visit 3,800 booths. That’s right – 3,800 booths. I sat down to catch my breath barely into 10% of booths. But we kept going because it was exciting to see new stuff.
CES gives us a history of technology – from the drawing board to our kitchen, cars, workplace, our kids, our planet, our lives. Join me for a walk down memory lane…
• 1967 The first CES in New York.
• 1970 The first-ever home VCR.
• 1976 CB radio. Remember Burt Reynolds in Smokey and the Bandit?
• 1979 Atari 400.
• 1982 Commodore 64.
• 2002 Windows XP Media Center Edition.
• 2004 Blu-ray Disc format.
• 2005 102-inch plasma television.
• 2006 The first HD movie, standards competition between HD DVD and Blu-ray Disc.
• 2009 Organic light-emitting diode (OLED) televisions.
• 2010 Intel Core i7 processor, giant screens, computer screen in the movie Minority Report, 1st prototype of Parrot A/R Drone which streams video via Wi-Fi to an iPhone.
• 2011 Motorola Xoom tablet, 4G phones, 3DTV channel by Discovery Communications, Sony, and IMX.
• 2013 Driverless cars, digital home safety and technology, Snapdragon 600 & 800 processors, a wide range of smart TVs, Razer Edge tablet PC, Blackberry 10 touch screen phone.
• 2014 iPhone 5S and 5C, iPad Air, iPad Mini 2 and Galaxy S4, Laser diodes for high-beam headlights.
• 2015 The Internet of Things, Wearables involving health trackers as the smartwatch, robotic hostess iRobot, driver-free technology from parking to advanced object recognition, 3D printing, 4K TV.
• 2018 Buddy robot by Blue Frog Robotics, HP’s 3D Camera, wireless charging and Wi-Charge’s Long-Range Wireless Power Technology.
* * *
Victor Santos Sy graduated Cum Laude from UE with a BBA and from Indiana State University with an MBA. Vic worked with SyCip, Gorres, Velayo (SGV – Andersen Consulting) and Ernst & Young before establishing Sy Accountancy Corporation.
* * *
He retired after 50 years of defending taxpayers audited by the IRS, EDD, BOE and other governmental agencies. He published a book on “How to Avoid or Survive IRS Audits.” Readers may email tax questions to [email protected].
