Stay Away

It's that time of year again, when the Tech Giants of the world descend on Las Vegas, NV and show case the things that they will make us buy in the coming year.

The big topics this year are going to be 5G and the general autonomy of Things.  That second is a sub-set of the Internet of Things that takes devices from remote controlled via the internet to making their own decisions as variables in their environment change.

Of course, there will still be the mega-booths devoted to TVs and audio equipment and all of the cars in the North Hall of the LVCC (and outside driving themselves around parking lots).  And there will be a excessive amount of people, an estimated 185,000 according the CES website.

Which brings me to my plea: Stay Away.

Come If It's Your Job

I'm being paid to be there by a company that is unlikely to enjoy being called out in post telling everyone to stay home, so I'm not going to name them.  And, if you are like me and being paid to attend, then please do your job and be there.

All of the tech reporters, bloggers and videographers, you all should be there.  All of the exhibitors and booth staff (me), show up and do what you are paid to do.  All of the stevedores and construction workers and lighting and sound technicians, please come.  You are being paid to make everything exciting and shiny and bright.

But if you are not being paid, then there are much better ways to see the show.

It's a Blur

Every year at this time, when I mention to friends that I will be away for a week they ask, "Where you going?" I tell them that I'm going to the Consumer Electronics Show and all of the tech geeks (most of my friends) swoon and tell me that they are jealous.  I try to convince them that they should not be, that it is a ton of work and that after the first couple of hours, it all starts to blend together into a daze.  They remain unconvinced.

The truth is that there are hundreds of thousands of products at the show.  It is possible to put eyeballs on all of them, but only by walking into a booth, doing a pirouette and then moving on to the next one.  There is so much to see and much of it is the same stuff that you saw in the last booth.  Sony and Samsung and LG and Sharp and Toshiba and Panasonic (and thousands of others) will show case walls of televisions which will be hard to evaluate on the show floor.  And walls of audio gear which you can't hear over the din.  And cameras and game systems (with long lines) and laptops and appliances and routers and chipsets and ... it goes on.  With very little ability to really evaluate any of it.

Unless you have access.  Like a reporter.

God View

Instead, watch the coverage from places like CNet and Gizmodo and Digital Trends and Tech Crunch.  NBC, CBS, CNN and the rest will have a presence.  Even the McDonalds of news, USA Today will give it a few column inches.  They will not show you everything, just the tiny bit that they have time to show.  But it will be the cool stuff.  The things that people who follow the industry think are the trend setting products.  And they will explain it on a set that, while at the show, usually has some sonic maintenance so that you can hear what is being said.

I get that there is something awesome about being at the show, much like that purists like seeing pro sports live.  But much like pro sports, the bathrooms stink, the lines for food are long and there are too many people.

Instead, if no one is paying you to go, then stay home.  Watch the coverage on you couch with the beverage of your choice.  You'll enjoy it more.