CES 2008: Conferences and Keynotes

Don’t plan the funeral of wired headsets anytime soon. Bang & Olufsen, the provider of very high end audio and video products, launched the EarSet 3 today. The $250 priced set of headphones bridges your cell phone headset and MP3 player earphones in one. The company’s first stereo headset with a built-in microphone is compatible with the Apple iPhone.

For the price we are betting that the EarSet 3 is full of acoustical excellence. The 1.09 oz set has been developed to closely match the contours and curves of each ear, ensuring that no sound escapes. The ear buds include foam rubber covers and should stay firmly and comfortably in place. We are happy to hear that a specially designed leather carrying case is included to keep the puppies safe.

Zean Nielsen, President of Bang & Olufsen America says the EarSet 3 “is quite a revolutionary idea.” The product looks pretty nifty but, Mr. Nielsen, we are going to say that a wired headset with a microphone isn’t all that revolutionary here at CES.

Mr. Gates did not disappoint with his opening remarks. He announced that this is indeed his last keynote and then spun off into a hilarious reel about what he might do with his time after retirement, which included working out with Matthew McConaughey and driving his Ford Focus around town with various objects on top.

Next, he spoke about high-definition content and its availability to the masses, and eventually worked his way into pen and touch technology along with gestures and how we’re just at the beginning of the platform. He touched on portable devices, notebooks, and desktops and all the new form factors, their applications, and naturally, Windows Live and how its 420 million users are making use out of all of it.

What’s fresh and new for Windows Live? Well, a calendar and shared calendars, for starters. Then an evite-like feature for events, Windows Live Photo Gallery for quick edits, Windows Live Space for social networking. It also has a video option that plays the thumbnail a la iLife.

Microsoft announced more video content on the XBox from both TV and movies, including Disney content, Grey’s Anatomy and classic movies. Samsung and HP are also announcing Media Center TVs tonight. Interactive capability is now coming with Showtime and Nascar. And this year British Telecom is announcing the Xbox 360 as a settop box and a Media Center TV.

He spoke about the Zune. Microsoft thinks they can differentiate from iPod and expand internationally with the Zune. One and a half million people have tried out Zune Social. They spent some time showing off the Zune Card within Zune Social, which was nothing new to us.Mr. Gates then handed the floor to various executives to discuss what seems like all the different facets of Microsoft, including the hardware manufacturers and what they’re up to and how they’re incorporating Microsoft products into their lineups.

They also talked about the Sync. The new Ford Lincoln MKX lets you multitask with Sync. Microsoft demonstrated the voice activation in the car and how it works with music selections. Upgrades to Sync include 911 Assist, which is much like OnStar. Can’t beat that.

Microsoft also announced that Windows Mobile phones are outselling PCs 4 to 1. They expect to sell 20 million WM phones, and voice will be the major way to do mobile search. Say and See is a technology coming down the line. Lauch Tellme, push the talk button, say “movies” and it searches for the closest theaters in Vegas. Shows show times and allows you to buy “two tickets for Sweeney Todd at 9:20.” Then you can share the ticket with anyone in your phone contacts. Finally all the mobile commerce is making its way into the U.S. market. We’ll take it.

For the big finale, Gates came back on stage to show a new visual technology that recognizes what it sees. So it’s like a little camcorder that shows who or what you’re looking at on a large screen (the form factor looks more like a brick so far, but it’s fresh from the labs). He used this device to go through the past years of his CES keynotes, including such celebrities as The Rock and Conan O’Brien. And finally …..SLASH!!!

They ended with a Guitar Hero mash up and brought out my favorite guitarist of all time, SLASH! I was so excited I could pee. And Bill Gates was pretty cool too.

The stroke of midnight on January 1 won’t only usher in 2008; it will also mark the expiration of the consumer availability of OLPC’s XO laptop. Those wanting to get their hands on an XO during 2008…well they will have eBay.

We plan to continue following OLPC in the next year and will be catching OLPC Founder Nicholas Negroponte’s keynote at CES. But some questions just couldn’t wait until Vegas. We spoke with the OLPC helmsmen about the winding down of the holiday season’s Give 1, Get 1 program. Stay tuned for more on OLPC and our interview with Mr. Negroponte at CES.

LAPTOP: Many people don’t want to see Give 1, Get 1 end. Will a program like this ever be available again?
Nicholas Negroponte: We are exploring two parallel routes. One is doing a Give One or Give Many for diaspora of specific countries — Ethiopia and Iran immediately. The other is doing a Give 1, Get 1 in specific countries: Italy and UK are in discussion. As for in the USA, maybe next Christmas.

L: Why not prolong it since it has been such a hit?
NN: We are a charity and not a business. If we continued it, it would become “sales” versus a charitable promotion.

L: How many laptops have been donated through the G1, G1 program?
NN: It is hard to count, because some people gave many. Birmingham, Alabama ordered 15,000 for its kids, because of G1G1, but I really cannot count those 15,000. The final number will be between 150,000 and 170,000 laptops, without counting the very big ones like Birmingham.

Last year, Bill Gates’ Keynote address at CES lit a fire in me. Maybe it was because I was late, there was a crowd of people trying to get in, but the guard wouldn’t let anyone past the velvet rope. Then he saw me, with my bright purple press pass and waved me through the angry mob, and I got to feel special and important for a few minutes.

Or maybe it was the VIP press treatment when I got up to the keynote—a room filled with hundreds and hundreds of people, all eager to see Mr. Gates himself, even if it was from several hundred yards away and just blown up onto a screen halfway back, with the press in the prime front section.

I’d been to CES plenty of times before, but this was my first Keynote address and my first time seeing Bill Gates in person. It was enough to energize me and get me truly excited for the show.