Magical devices captivate CES audiences

VCR. DVD. DVR. CD player. Blu-ray disc. Xbox. Tetris. Life would be radically different without these advancements in consumer technology, all of which were introduced at the annual International Consumer Electronics Show.

Thousands of products will be unveiled at this year's convention, which runs through Sunday at the Las Vegas Convention Center and is closed to the public. It is unclear which, if any, products will stand the test of time: Lady Gaga's Grey Label camera glasses for Polaroid? The Motorola Xoom tablet? Google's Android Honeycomb operating system?

Two of the biggest tech-related launches of 2010 did not come from a CES exhibitor, but from Apple, a company that does not have a presence at CES.

The iPad was released last spring and has cornered the market on tablet computers.

Several companies arrived at CES Thursday with new tablets, or at least blueprints, in tow.

But with Apple absent and consumer interest shaky in one of this year's most-buzzed about technologies, 3D TVs, is CES the trendsetter it once was?

Todd Sprinkle, QVC's vice president of media technology and engineering, arrived at the convention center ready to scope out new media, particularly tablets.

"I certainly think it's where new trends are unveiled," Sprinkle said. "A lot of how the public reacts to the show determines what's going to move forward in the marketplace."

Only a handful of the prototypes on display at CES will make it to the shelves. James Hardcastle, director of merchandising operations for Best Buy Canada Ltd., said there are few surprises by the time the show rolls around.

"A lot of the stuff we've already seen by this point, so (CES) is more to capture the buzz -- what are people responding to?" he said.

The British Columbia-based Hardcastle uses the convention to network with fellow tech execs.

"I think its role is bringing together the various stakeholders in the industry," he said. "It brings together retailers with suppliers and other industry people."

Announcements from the major technology companies may have been leaked in advance of the show, but smaller exhibitors hope CES will give them a chance to show industry insiders something new.

Ensconced against the wall near LG's behemoth of a booth, which was showcasing new 3D TVs, was The House of Marley exhibit.

Reggae singer Bob Marley's family created a line of personal audio products, including earbuds, headphones and docks, that use sustainably sourced materials and recyclable packing.

The products were introduced for the first time during CES Unveiled.

"The House of Marley products don't even come out until the second quarter, and this was a must show for us," said marketing representative Gianna Angelillo. "This wasn't a nice-to-do; it was a must-do. We feel very strongly that this is definitely the place to be when we want to debut new products."

As for whether this year's CES convention will birth any trend-setters, Angelillo declared: "Our products are the game-changing ones."

Every other CES exhibitor probably would echo that statement.

Contact reporter Caitlin McGarry at cmcgarry@lvbusinesspress.com or 702-387-5273.