Quick Takes on Consumer Electronics

Consumer electronics remains a vibrant and ebullient industry. This year’s 2008 Las Vegas Consumer Electronics Show was jam-packed as always. As an armchair participant, I won’t try to compete with all of the pundits who have already voiced their opinions about the most exciting technologies being introduced this year. What I notice are the patterns:

1. High-definition video is driving the appetite for large screens and HD downloads.

2. GPS and navigation technology has made in-car electronics a must-have for most families; not content with digital navigation devices, in-car electronics also include audio, video, radio, games, etc. You can travel the world in your electronic cocoon.

3. Smaller, thinner, cheaper, brighter, fewer moving parts, less energy consumed... the world’s designers are getting pretty good at designing and evolving nifty gadgets that take advantage of pervasive computing.