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Concept, self driving and electric vehicles at #CES2020 in Las Vegas Above, Mercedes-Benz VISION AVTR (ADVANCED VEHICLE TRANSFORMATION) is a groundbreaking concept vehicle developed in close collaboration with the AVATAR team. This concept vehicle embodies the vision of Mercedes-Benz designers, … Continue reading
Updated: January 15, 2020′ 1:35 PM
Friday, January 10, 2020 | 2020 Consumer Electronic Show ( #CES ) in Las Vegas. ( #CES2020 )
#CES brought together manufacturers, retailers, media and market leaders from across the globe. It offers outstanding network opportunities for the 170K plus attendees, and it showcased the future of consumer technologies and innovation. Furthermore, CES has evolved from a show about consumer electronics to a “showcase of technology and innovation” that influences every aspect of people’s lives.
Below are a few lessons learned and observations over four days attending #CES2020 in Las Vegas from January 7 – 10, 2020:
• Lyft deployed 100 robo taxis to operate during #CES2020 on the congested streets of Las Vegas using Qualcomm technology to safely navigate the street and deliver passengers to their destination. The taxis can be scheduled using the Lyft app after accepting an user’s agreement. As per the user’s agreement, there are non-robots safety observers riding along in the robo-taxis with passengers.
• Hyundai and other manufacturers unveiled flying air passenger vehicle concepts at #CES2020. Hyundai’s displayed a Uber air taxi tilt rotor concept capable of carrying four passengers plus pilot with top cruise speed of 150 mph and max speed of 180 mph. The Hyundai PAV “S-A1” is expected to be operational as early as 2030. #CES2020hyundaisa1
• 5G is the next generation of wireless network technology. It is projected to have greater bandwidth capacity, significantly faster mobile data speeds (to around 1Gbps according to Qualcomm’s CEO) and lower latency. It is expected to usher in intelligence cities and to allow vehicle-to-vehicle communications which is critical to self-driving cars. While 3G and 4G technology brought increased speeds and higher capacity to the wireless network, one CES2020 speaker described 5G as an use case technology; that it will enhance everything we do. 5G is expected to deliver faster download speeds, real-time responses, and enhanced connectivity permitting improved mobile streaming and and gaming experiences.
• IBM Watson in partnership with ESPN Fantasy Football have an initiative leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) to project player performance weekly for fantasy football. The initiative has been operational for three years and the results according to the IBM rep had been positive. Watson AI is able to consume and analyze tens of thousands of documents, including news articles, blog posts, videos and podcasts every week during the football season. This analysis yield insight that’s presented to users through the ESPN Fantasy Football app and website. It projects how likely a given player, such as Seahawk’s QB Russell Wilson, would score on the high or low end of their ESPN-predicted points range. Watson provided to users the probability of a player scoring more than their projected point total (“boom”) or less than their projected point total (“bust”).
• Diversity, inclusion and belonging for women and people of color in the technology industry have been thoroughly discussed during this year’s conference and previous conferences. Although the topic has been a point of discussion for more than two decades, corporate executives continue to site the perennial excuses of unconscious bias and lack of diverse talent in the pipeline for reasons the problem continues to persist. Submit that the more likely actual reasons are that executives are not being held accountable and there is little dedicated effort on the part of boards and executives to solve the problem.
• American Express sponsored a lounge during #CES2020 located in the North Hall of LVCC. The lounge offered #AMEX Business card holders a place to relax, recharge mobile phones, obtain a hot cup of coffee and enjoy a reprieve from the hectic pace of #CES. Overall, the lounge proved quite popular with show attendees and lines continuously queued at the entrance to take advantage of the many amenities offered by the hosts.
• Global video gaming and esports are booming and their presence at #CES2020 reflected their meteoric rise in popularity. In the LVCC Central Hall, several dozen original equipment manufacturers of gaming systems and periphery equipment were on display. The periphery equipment ranged from items that would enhanced the gaming experience to the weird / unnecessary items that hope to attract the gullible few. Gaming appears to be in the gold rush fever stage phase of its growth. One gaming expert commented during a session that video gaming and esports tournaments have awarded more than $500 million in prize money.
• Delta Airlines made a spectacular first-time appearance at #CES2020 showing off its technology to improve the passenger’s flying experience. The company revealed it app that will queue passengers for boarding, provide real time tracking of baggage and update fliers on traffic conditions on their route to the airport using information provided by their partnership with Lyft. Additionally, Delta displayed a robotic exoskeleton that their employees would don to aid in lifting heavy equipment and in baggage handling.
• The proverbial ‘elephant in the room’ omitted during #CES2020 was related to the technology sins of intellectual property (IP) theft, forced technology transfers and hacking by China. We can only assume that the technology sins have had a negative impact on domestic and non-Chinese foreign companies exhibiting at the the Show. Cognizant of the consequences the NBA and its players experienced in 2019 for commenting on Chinese bad behavior, it is somewhat understandable why (CES desires to maintain its favorable relationship with China) serious discussions regarding Chinese technology sins have been omitted during #CES2020.
• It appeared that every television original equipment manufacturer brand (Samsung, LG, Sony, TCL, Sharp, Haier, Hisense, etc.) unveiled an 8K television during #CES2020. The 8K televisions displayed impressive resolution, amazing picture quality and definition. The displays were simply astonishing. And, most unveiled an 128-inch display that made observers feel integrated or actually present with the virtual image. As a result of advent of 8K, 4K HD television costs to consumers have fallen dramatically.
It is easy to observe the pending presence and impact of #CES2020 Show on Las Vegas. With more than 170K plus expected attendees, the 2020 CES Show and attendees literally take-over the “City of Sin”.
Today, listened to CES Tech Talk Podcast entitled “Making Space for Drones“, which featured Steve Dickson, Administrator, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Mark Blanks, Director, Virginia Tech Mid-Atlantic Aviation Partnership. They discussed facilitating and regulating the safe operation and testing of drones. During the CES Tech Talk, the FAA Administrator emphasized that if someone operates a drone, they’re considered a pilot and are subject to FAA regulations and guidelines. FAA is expected to have a significant presence at 2020 CES.
Additionally, my intent was to locate the best on the Las Vegas strip or just off the strip venue for a weekend happy hour and to simultaneously watch NFL Wild Card Football games.
Thus far, made a brief stop for food and drink at MB Steak located adjacent to off-strip Hard Rock Resort and Casino. From the hour of 4 pm to 5 pm, the restaurant’s small bar area offered a very limited happy hour menu of cocktails and appetizers. Although enjoyed the happy hour offerings of brisket sliders and Gentlemen’s Mule, the venue was absent of life and nearly empty. And, the bartender seemed a bit surly and provided service with a pained expression.
Another weekend happy hour venue worth a visit is the Tex-Mex El Segundo Sol’s Loco Hour from 4 pm to 7 pm at Fashion Show Mall. The Tex-Mex restaurant offers a Loco Hour menu at the bar consisting of quesadillas, tacos, Margaritas, draft beers and well drinks to name a few. The daily Loco Hour draws a decent size crowds of Las Vegas locals and visitors stopping for nourishment and hydration. The food was okay and the beverages were above average. Overall, an excellent venue for an early evening happy hour.
Afterwards, spent time wandering the nearby casinos and people watching.
First brief wandering was inside the Wynn Casino. And, must say that I was impressed by the design of the entrance and the holiday decorations that adorned the lobby and entrance to the casino.
After the Wynn, I crossed the elevated pedestrian walkway and wandered into the Palazzo to sit in the casino and people watch in the vicinity of Bar Luca. Regretfully, smoking remains permissible and a guy smoking a foul smelling non-American cigarette forced me to leave a prime people watching area.
Afterwards, I found a perch in Venetian near the blackjack pit to people watch. Unfortunately, the new location paled in comparison to the seat in Palazzo and concluded that the people to watch were in the Wynn and Palazzo.
Overall, I terrific day wandering around the Las Vegas Strip casinos.
Saturday, January 4, 2020 | 2020 Consumer Electronic Show in Las Vegas
Arrived in Las Vegas early Saturday evening to attend the 2020 Consumer Electronic Show (CES). After arriving McCarran International Airport and disembarking the aircraft, I, along with several dozen other arriving passengers, took advantage of the CES registration kiosk conveniently located in the airport’s main lobby to checkin and pickup conference credentials.
The show opened to the media for early viewing of new products and to publicize the event. The show advertise itself as “…the world’s gathering place for all those who thrive on the business of consumer technologies”.
According to the show’s website, CES showcases the products and services of more than 4,500 exhibiting international technology companies and expects more than 170,000 attendees from 160 countries. The show is owned and produced by the Consumer Technology Association (CTA).
The show’s first scheduled event for the 100K plus attendees will be a keynote address delivered by Samsung Electronic’s President and CEO Mr. Hyun-Suk Kim scheduled for Monday evening, January 6, 2020. The keynote begins at 6:30 pm at the MGM auditorium.
The two previous years opening CES keynote (2018 and 2019) speakers were Nvidia’s CEO Jensen Huang in 2019, who unveiled AI robotic assistants and Intel’s CEO Brian Krzanich in 2018, who unveiled a swarm of AI autonomous synchronized drones.
Anticipate that #2020CES in chilly Las Vegas will impress and wow attendees just like it has in previous editions.
Arrived Las Vegas late on weekday Halloween night. As I walked into MGM Grand Hotel and Casino on The Strip, encountered a multitude of revelers dressed in a variety of risqué costumes.
The first attention getting outfit that crossed my path was quite memorable. The young woman’s attire was a navy blue Brazilian cut string bikini beneath an extremely sheer coverup worn by a five foot nine inch tall twenty-something model-like dirty blond. The young lady not only caught my attention, but also caused quite a stir amongst the mass of humanity that had congregated in the lobby area as she ambled confidently through the MGM’s lobby.
For someone arriving for their first Halloween night in Las Vegas, the abundance of risqué costumes donned by party goers created quite a memorable impression.
Needing to check-in, I observed that the MGM Grand’s check-in line queue was nearly one hundred guests deep at eleven at night. Additionally, the long queue was being serviced by only seven front desk registration staff. Needless to say, the wait time to register was not insignificant.
Fortunately after my long wait in the queue, the individual, Avi-Anna, who completed by registration, was pleasant and extremely efficient. And in little time, I found myself navigating my way through the throngs of people in the lobby and on the casino floor to the elevator lobby and my room
Overall, the stay at the MGM Grand was pleasant and I would rate as above average. My concerns with the short three night stay was the lack of a black-out curtain in the room and the now standard guest rip-off of the $37 daily resort fee. As a result, the night time Vegas lights kept the room illuminated and I fed the “greed” of Resort owners along The Strip.
One positive aspect with staying at MGM Grand Hotel and Casino, which also doubled as the host hotel for the conference, was that guests have little reason to leave the hotel and casino since food, entertainment, sleep, nightlife, and Starbuck’s were all contained within the four walls.