CES and the buzz beyond
The International Consumer Electronics Show pulls back the curtain Jan. 7-10 for its annual glimpse at all forthcoming gadgets glittery and geeky. But not all techie eyeballs will be focused on Las Vegas. Google and Apple, two digital/mobile/computing monsters, have scheduled events to butt against CES and steal some of its buzz.
Google has an open invitation to the media to cover an "Android press gathering" on Jan. 5 at its global headquarters in Mountain View, Calif. The invitation (I'm still waiting for mine) refers to the Android operating system, which is in place on a handful of mobile phones, and shows time reserved for a demonstration. But it stops short of saying exactly what will be demo'd.
The smart money in the tech-reporting circles says the demo will unveil Google's own mobile phone, dubbed Nexus One. Stay tuned; I'm guessing anyone with a passing interest won't be able to avoid the news next Tuesday.
You can read more about Google’s event at The Wall Street Journal's All Things Digital portal:
http://bit.ly/5wTT4R
Not to be outdone, it looks as if Steve Jobs and Apple have something up their sleeve, too. The much-anticipated Apple tablet computer, which is the subject of dozens, if not hundreds, of blogs and Web sites, may be unveiled Jan. 19, according to technology Web site Gizmodo:
http://bit.ly/n6R4W
Speculation has the device falling somewhere between an enlarged iPod Touch and a downsized MacBook computer. The device is rumored to have a screen measuring 7 to 10 inches diagonally and have a technology-world-wowing user interface. "iSlate" is one name rumored for the device.
In recent years, Jobs stole some of CES' thunder by holding the semiannual MacWorld conference in San Francisco at the same time. This year’s MacWorld conference is scheduled for Feb. 9-13 at the Moscone Center in San Francisco. I'm guessing there will be plenty to talk about, especially with Microsoft Corp. billed as a featured exhibitor on the MacWorld 2010 site:
http://www.macworldexpo.com/.
The next decade already looks like fun!
