The Many-flavored Pitch

By Jeff Gralnick

The pitch here at CES is many-flavored thing but there seem to be a set of basics you keep running into as you cross the floor.

There's mine is bigger than yours which all about the flat-screen wars. The 150" monster seems to be this show's winner.

Then there's the corollary mine is smaller than yours pitch. In this category DV cameras, camcorders and MP3 players which are heading toward postage stamp size.

If big or small aren't your pitch, there seems to be the mine is odder than yours group of products like the sweep arm LED powered lap top lights; the standing lamp that doubles as a wireless speaker and equals in clunkiness its lack of aesthetic appeal; and something no home is complete without, a 40 million candlepower flash light.& 40 Million with an M. Honest.

And finally there's a great group of who'da thunk products that dot the floor. For the pre-tweens there a set of digital Crayola products; a range of things that come in cute and pink clearly aimed at the growing universe tween girl techies; and finally my favorite from the good people who've brought us the ever-useful Fro Dummies primers.  It's not a book this time but a kit for the inept geek: The For Dummies TV Wall Mounting Kit.

Who'da thunk indeed.