CES 2008: Straight from the Show Floor

Being pregnant at the show was not easy. My body did not always follow my determination to get to every meeting, stand, listen, and take notes. Morning sickness ensued, as did some light-headedness, at which point I was afraid I might pass out. But overall, I managed to see far more products than I had time–or energy–to write about.

I avoided big parties or extremely late nights. I did enjoy beer pong one evening, however, with a designated drinker from our friends at Samsung and MWW (thanks, Kim). And seeing Slash was definitely the highlight of my week. I just wish I could have shown off my “Sweet Child of Mine” ringtone to him. Oh, well. I also saw handfuls of products that aren’t announcing yet, including a very sleek group of notebooks and some impressive advancements in digital cameras, which you’ll see more of at PMA later this month.

Cameras and Camcorders

In general, the cameras follow suit in becoming easier for novices to use, though my first impressions are that the DSLRs still won’t be easy enough. Mode dials are still jam-packed with icons that will intimidate even the most tech-savvy photography novice (myself included). We were also impressed with the advancements in camcorders this year. Sony took the cake with 16 new devices, loaded with the latest and greatest, but Canon, Panasonic, Samsung, and others are advancing the category with their hybrid models.

I learned quite a lot from MC and Kimberly about what it’s like to be oogled by CES men all day. But in the third and final installment of the Booth Babe investigatory report it was WowWee’s Femisapien who clinched the experience of what it is like to be a babe on “the floor” of CES. Sure human booth babes have it hard, but robots might just have it worse.

Name: Femisapien

Age: Eternal, until my batteries die

How did you decide to become a booth babe? Is it something you always dreamed of?

No, it really hasn’t been a dream and, if it wasn’t good money, I wouldn’t do it. I prefer to be on display in smaller venues where people can appreciate what I can do. In those places they can really see my emotive language and how I can be understood by other WowWee robots. Here they just ask me to shake my booty and play with my 4-way joystick hands.

WowWee had a whole new family of robots here in Vegas.

The FlyTech Bladestar is the newest addition to the robot company’s indoor flying robot line and it sure did make the security guards in the Sands pretty angry. Designed to be crash resistant, the Bladestar glides through the air with two wings that spin with helicopter-like movement. Built-in infrared sensors allow the Bladestar flyer to detect and avoid obstacles. I got to fly the guy around a bit, but then an angry Sands guard scolded me. More hot robots after the jump…

In the second installment of A Day in the Life of a Booth Babe, I really found out what it’s like to have all the male geek eyes on you. I took a seat next to Norcent’s babe in her beach booth (putting my feet in the sand felt amazing) and what was yelled at me, “Where is your bathing suit?!” Oh, I left it at home with my umbrella and leisure reading, jackass.

Read on to find out more on our second profiled booth babe.

Name: Marie Claire Lemoine aka “MC”

Age: 27

How did you decide to become a booth babe? Is it something you always dreamed of?

Well kind of. I drove out to Vegas to find my claim to fame in 2003. I am usually on stage at these types of events. I am an “MC.” But today a client backed out so I was selected from my modeling agency to come here and pose in a bikini for digital camera shots.

I started the day with sore feet before I even got out of bed. Then I called room service and started writing and checking email. My danish arrived with my Diet Pepsi. One bite and one sip later, and I was throwing up. “Well,” I thought, “at least that’s out of the way.”

I wore my most pregnant-looking pregnancy clothes, and I didn’t cry once, although I was close in one booth, where others were sitting and I wasn’t, and my feet were just burning with pain. But finally, someone moved, and I grabbed a seat, and then the PR ladies must have noticed the look on my face and said I could bring the chair with me to the next station. I managed to hold it together.

I have so many cool products to tell you about, but seriously, my eyes are closing, and I’m falling asleep. I will touch on some highlights, though, since that’s quicker than seven different posts. So quickly, here goes:

Tele Atlas has a lot cooler stuff than I realized, including its very own 3D maps, plus vans and cars that travel the country gathering all sorts of mapping data, and JotU, a service that tells you about homes for sale in given areas.

I learned early on this morning that it’s not easy being a gal at CES. And I am not talking about the shoes or the ugly press backpacks giveaways. I am referring to my first meeting of “booth babes.” It would have been a bit awkward for me to start asking the very attractive, tightly clothed women to “touch my cell phone” so I asked them a few questions. Here is my first of three interviews with CES booth babes. Why am I talking to them? Booth babes are real people too!

Name: Kimberly Denmark aka “Jook Girl”

Age: Declined to answer.

How did you decide to become a booth babe? Is it something you always dreamed of?

No. This is just a freelance gig. I got this job through my modeling agency. I work at nights on the strip so I need something to do during the days.

What is the weirdest comment you got today?

A guy asked me if these high boots hurt my feet. Then he offered to rub them. It was kind of gross.

How many guys a day ask you to take a picture with them?

I’d say about 5 to 10. The best are the guys that take pictures behind your back with their thumbs up. They are really cool.

How long was your training?
About 15 minutes. One thing I know is that you have to have a little bit of brains for the job. I mean I have to know about iPods and how Jook lets you share your music with your friends.

So Jook lets you share your iPods music wirelessly with others. What type of technology is built into Jook?

I am not sure.

Overall, how do you like working at CES?

I like it. I run into a lot of my modeling friends that work at other booths and stuff, so that is nice. During the breaks, we can hang out and share stories about the geeks.

I got a chance to check out the new Spurs Engine on the Toshiba Qosmio G45. Toshiba explains it as a cross between the Sony PlayStation 3 and the Wii. It lets you control movie playback up to ten feet away with hand gestures.

So for instance, you can pause the movie by holding out your hand in a “stop” motion. Then you can bring up a menu for scene selection and whatnot and move a dot around the screen like you would a mouse. Doing so requires you to hold your arm up and out away from your face, and then use your thumb as a mouse button (you hold your hand like you would were a remote control in it).

Honestly, it was kind of tricky. The cursor seemed too sensitive, and I ended up giving up before mastering it because my arm hurt. I asked if you could adjust the sensitivity, but they couldn’t answer me just yet. But the woman doing the demo seemed to have it down, so it must not be too long of a learning curve. I suppose if we invested in a Qosmio, we’d get it mastered pretty quickly. And either way, it’s very cool technology, and if it means never searching for the remote, count me in.

The e-mails wishing me good luck at the show are starting to roll in. Thanks to all of you who are thinking of me and my big time! It is all happening on Sunday: I finally lose my CES virginity as I land in the City of Sin and make my way to my first meetings and events. I am just happy to hear you can’t get pregnant your first time…

Before I get there, there is preparation to be done. I am talking about getting my beauty sleep, getting my nails done and hair cut. Hey a girl has got to look good for her first time!

I’ve been to CES pregnant before. And I swore I would never—ever—do it again. But here I am, tickets in hand and about three and a half months along. The last time I did this, I was about 5 months pregnant, but it doesn’t really matter. Either way, you’re tired, you hurt, and you need to sit down. And in my case, there’s some hurling involved, and the vendors are just going to have to get over that. The only thing I have going for me this time is that I know what to expect. Mistakes from last time in 2005 (my second CES) included—but were not limited to—the following:

Carrying too much crap

Expecting the free press bag to have wheels

Not going ballistic on the male booth model who wouldn’t let me sit down at the Samsung booth (but also couldn’t tell me where the PR guy was I was supposed to meet)

Thinking if I missed a meeting the world would end

Not getting enough sleep

Expecting to have fun

Someone from up above dropped off a package at my desk. It had to be from a higher being because the two included contents will save my life and the lives of others attending CES. I returned from vacation this week to find two CES guides on my desk – The Frommer’s 2008 Complete Guide to CES and the CES Pre-Show Planner.

The CES Pre-Show Planner is everything I have ever wanted. The magazine-sized book has full page, colored maps of the halls, complete with vendor’s names and booth locations. And did I mention, an alphabetical listing of exhibitors? Life saving.

Its smaller companion, a Frommer’s Guide, “is designed to help you navigate the official show locations” and contains lots of travel tips. This virgin got to reading and has learned the following:

1. Pack hand sanitizer (tech vendors and products are dirty)
2. The recommended reading list contains Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (acid tabs might be  press giveaways this year and CES journalists must take instruction from Hunter S. Thompson for survival)
3. When you check into your hotel room, ask for a complimentary humidifier (can you trade that for complimentary Wi-Fi? Blogging before breathing)
4. Do not tip CES Staff; they cannot and will not accept tips (are press kits/materials considered tips?)
5. New this year - CES attendees get a 20 percent discount on Las Vegas Monorail tickets (this offer expired on December 24, 2007; good thing we read the fine print on Christmas Eve)

Back in the home office of LAPTOP magazine, a lot of us are jealous of Jeffrey and Joanna, because they get to attend CES while we stay here in New York. I know while I’m sitting here in front of the same old computer screen on January 7 - 10, I’ll be cursing our two CES virgins for having the opportunity to listen to keynotes from leaders like Bill Gates, view new gadgets before anyone else does, and oggle celebrities like Jerry Seinfeld and Vanna White.

On the other hand, I’m a little less envious of our CES virgins after reading about the size of the convention and the sheer number of vendors.

When people tell me that the CES is a SHOW, I believe them. But a celebrity show? I guess, if you consider Bill Gates and Kevin Martin to be celebrities.

But being a CES virgin, I was shocked and thrilled to find out that Sony is turning its booth into a celebrity hangout on par with The Ivy of Beverly Hills. Last year, Disney stole the show by bringing Evangeline Lilly and Matthew Fox from TV’s Lost. Now it’s Sony’s turn.

The Daily Variety reports that this year Jerry Seinfeld, Tony Bennett, and Drew Carey will be in attendance at the Sony booth on January 7 at 9 a.m., the opening day of the show. Vanna White and Alex Trebek will also be in attendance. That is if Mr. Trebek can recover from his recent heart attack. Perhaps, Will Ferrell will step in with a Saturday Night Live imitation?