Goodbye From CES 2010

By Bill Hartnett, Mark Lukasiewicz

Another CES is over, and our well-fed, if not well-rested, NBC Universal team is headed to points East -- and West. Most of us are returning home to New York, but some members of the team are packing up the technical guts of our booth for the trek North, to the Vancouver Games. The Games were the main focus of our booth this year, as thousands of people stopped by to learn more about the extensive multi-platform coverage we'll be unveiling across NBCU's networks and platforms in just a few weeks. And in a few days we'll know the identity of our Olympics sweepstakes winners -- who will be taking a free trip to Vancouver to enjoy some of the Olympics action !

As always, the NBC Universal CES booth has been a massive undertaking -- but with such an awesome team at work it went incredibly smoothly. It's no easy task to design and build a booth that is appealing to show visitors AND functional for the broadcast, cable and digital producers who generate hours of programming in a matter of days.

We couldn't do it without our partners at Sharp -- whose gorgeous screens powered all the media in our booth, on our stages, and in the Sharp / NBC Universal Multimedia Lounge ... or the terrific team at Jack Morton and its Production Design Group, who come up with spectacular eye-catching designs for our booth every year (check out the BizBash top 10 at CES, including our booth) ... or the amazing team of engineers and technicians from the NBC Long Island City shop who assemble, run, and pack up an amazing broadcast and streaming operation here every year.

And we can't leave CES 2010 without a special word about Jay Linden - NBCU's EVP of strategic partnerships and one of the founding fathers of NBCU's presence at CES at the 2008 show. Jay retires from NBCU next month: we couldn't have done this without him and we'll miss him !! Good luck, Jay !!

It's been a great CES. See you in 2011 !!

CES 2010: Going, going, gone!

By Giacinta Pace, NBC Universal

I must be psychic. A few weeks ago on this very blog I predicted that CES 2010 would be over in a flash and here we are at the end of the road. It is the final hour of the show and Jon Accarrino and I are the last bloggers standing or sitting in the NBCU Sharp Multimedia Lounge.

I have seen so many great things, met countless amazing people, but most of all I am leaving here smarter, better and faster than when I arrived. Helping to host in the "blogger" lounge has been a great experience that I will never forget. I can't wait to get home and tell everyone that the NBCU lounge hosted some of the top bloggers in the world and I got to meet them all!

Most of my time was spent helping NBCU staff with show registrations, tending to catering issues in our double wide trailers and helping out in the booth's blogger lounge. This morning I was lucky enough to squeeze in a whole hour of looking at innovation at its best and it was a real treat. 3D TV (hey that rhymes) has been a big hit at CES this year, but I want to tell you all what MY 3 favorites have been.

I LOVE that there is technology that exists that allows me to paint my fingernails with a picture of myself. Thanks ArtPro Nail Printer for that fun advancement in technology. I also had a great time chatting with OrigAudio's Jason and Mike about their innovative speaker systems. They are friendly twenty-somethings with great vision and great products. Stick Clean has a cleaning cloth for phones, cameras, computers, etc. that can stick back on the device when you are done using it for quick and easy access.

Well that is it for me for now until CES 2011 when there will be more wonders to see. Thanks NBCU for giving me the opportunity to be here for my third year in a row, let's do it again next year.

Thank You Bloggers, Tweeters and Podcasters! #itwasfun

By Jon Accarrino & Giacinta Pace, NBC Universal

CES is always a whirlwind. After months of planning and preparation, the 4 days of CES always seem to fly by. We just wanted to thank all the podcasers, tweeters and bloggers who spent time on our broadcast stages and in the Sharp NBC Universal Multimedia Lounge. And a huge thank you to Sharp for sponsoring the lounge again this year!

We had a great time hanging out with everyone, reading your blogs and watching your podcasts. Be sure to check out all your photos on our Flickr page. Just think, CES 2011 is only a few hundred days away! See you all again soon. #itwasfun

• Tim Conneally, betanews
• Andrew Kippen, Boxee
• Peter Smith, Candella
• Carolyn Slater, CES
• Trevor Curwin, CNBC.com
  
• Wayne Karrfalt, Cynopsis Media
• Jay Adelson, digg
• Peter Pachal, DVICE.com
• Leslie Shapiro, DVICE.com
• Curtis Walker, DVICE.com
• Charlie White, DVICE.com
• Tom Newman, Fogview.com
• Troy Gayle, Gadget-T.com
• Jack Ellis, GeekNewsCentral.com
• Jeffrey Powers, Geekazine.com
• Todd Cochrane, GeekNewsCentral.com
• Rob Blatt, GeekNewsCentral.com
• Dan Woolsey, TheGrio.com
• Mike Bertolino, Hack College
• Chris Lesinski, Hack College
• Kelly Sutton, Hack College
• Darren Kitchen, Hak5
• Shannon Morse, Hak5
• Patrick Norton, HD Nation
• Robert Heron, HD Nation
• Dave Brown, Holiday Matinee
• Partick Larsen, Jack Morton
• Cori Weiss, Jack Morton
• Joseph Jaffe, Jaffe Juice
• Ken Graffeo, JAGTAG
• Antonietta Pace, New York City Department of Education
• Mark Milian, Los Angeles Times
• Chris Ariens, Mediabistro.com
• Jon Accarrino, NBC Universal
• Tausha Cowan, NBC Universal
• Carly Greenberg, NBC Universal
• Bill Hartnett, NBC Universal
• Brett Holey, NBC Universal
• Devin Johnson, NBC Universal
• Nick Johnson, NBC Universal
• Brett Joss, NBC Universal
• Melissa Kondak, NBC Universal
• Jay Linden, NBC Universal
• Mark Lukasiewicz, NBC Universal
• Dave MacKinnon, NBC Universal
• Molly McCaskill, NBC Universal
• Stacey Naggiar, NBC Universal
• Chris Nelson, NBC Universal
• Bonnie Optekman, NBC Universal
• Giacinta Pace, NBC Universal
• Tim Peek, NBC Universal
• Katie Primm, NBC Universal
• Darren Sherriff, NBC Universal
• Marc Siry, NBC Universal
• Mary Somers, NBC Universal
• Jim Starzynski, NBC Universal
• Brian Ford, newsvine.com
• Alex Lee, newsvine.com
• Calvin Tang, newsvine.com
• Rohit Bhargava, Ogilvy
• Christine Ngo, Ogilvy
• Jennifer Kavanagh, Oxygen
• Staci Kramer, paidContent.org
• Patrick Roanhouse, The Plan8 Podcast
• Ben Sedaghat, Radius Products
• Ted Schilowitz, Red Digital
• Serafina Kernberger, Revision3
• Jim Louderback, Revision3
• Ryan Vance, Revision3
• Roger Chang, Revision3
• Ryan Duame, Revision3
• Aaron Broder, Scholastic
• Andy McCaskey, SDRNews.com
• Ron Kenedi, Sharp
• Chris Loncto, Sharp
• Bruce Tripido, Sharp
• Rob Blatt, TechPodcasts.com
• Kara Karsten, TechPodcasts.com
• Scott Elliott, Techzecs.com
• Matt Cohen, Tekserve
• Veronica Belmont, Tekzilla
• Partick Norton, Tekzilla
• Ryan Osborn, TODAY Show
  
• Tim Street, 1TimStreet.com

Firsts and Fabulous Flatscreens

By Stacey Naggiar, NBC Universal

The longest five days of my life are coming to a close at the annual Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.  I'm exhausted, my feet hurt, my back hurts, and I lost a substantial amount of money for a 22 year old.  Nonetheless, I am smiling, thinking about all the exciting things I've done and the wonderful people I've met here, my first in time Las Vegas, and my first time at CES.

As an NBCU employee in Charlotte, NC I came to CES as an "outsider" among the majority of employees from NY.  I had apprehensions about being the odd-man-out and probably the most inexperienced, but I was met with overwhelming warmth and welcome from my NYC colleagues.  Never have I been made to feel a part of something so quickly.  Thank you thank you thank you to everyone who made my first experience as a NBCU brand ambassador a special one!

Wake up calls at 12am and 10 hour days on my feet... this wasn't quite the picture I had in my mind of what my first time in Vegas would be like.  Let's just say on my next trip to Vegas, there will be many many other "firsts" that I'll have to give a try.  But there is one first I am very proud of, and ... a little embarrassed about too.  My first shot at gambling and my first time at the craps tables.  After standing around for an hour trying to follow the dice, chips and lingo I finally picked up enough to put down some money. On my first roll I launched the die across the table only to hit the table attendants hands.  I was properly scolded for throwing too hard.  It didn't take too long before I crapped out.  Maybe I'll have better luck next time.... it was just so hard to walk away!

It would be insensitive to talk about my firsts in Vegas and not mention the awesomeness that is CES.  As a self-proclaimed movie nerd, this place is my heaven.  Surround-sound systems that can literally blow your mind, crystal clear HDTVs with gorgeous images, the new and exciting 3D TVs and my favorite, the fabulously thin flatscreens.  Flatscreens the thickness (or "thinness" rather) of a few pieces of paper.  All I can think is I want it, I want it, I want it, and I wouldn't complain if I could get one of the 3D TVs either!  But I suppose it just wasn't mean to be on my first trip to Vegas that I'd walk away from the craps tables with enough money to buy a new flatscreen.

Headed to the airport in a few hours for what I'm sure will be a "fabulous" five-hour-flight home in a middle seat... I am grateful more than anything for my first time in Las Vegas, my first time as a brand ambassador and my first time at CES.  Most of all I'm thankful for this lovely group of people I had the opportunity to work with and hope that we all stay in touch!

How the Sharp NBCU Blogger Lounge Saved My CES

Katie, Chris & Kelly on the broadcast stage in the 2010 NBCU CES booth

CES 2010: Broken iPhones and Ankles

By Mary J. Somers, NBC Universal

I had never been to Las Vegas until now, but I was convinced that Lady Luck would shine on me for some strange reason. Maybe it was all the great headlines I envisioned circling the globe: "First time gambler hits jackpot- Now richest woman in the universe!!" Or "CES first-timer helps make NBC the most popular and exciting booth at the show - network ratings soar!!" I admit, these were lofty dreams, and would've been lucky breaks for sure. What I didn't know is that I'd experience plenty of breaks... just not quite so lucky.

It's funny that at the Consumer Electronics Show, the first thing to break would BE my consumer electronics. Actually, it's not really funny at all when you look at this picture.

Did you cringe? Most do. The response I normally get when showing this pic is one of physical pain, sorrow, and sympathy - as if I lost a loved one. And really, I did. My iPhone was a trooper, and didn't deserve such an untimely death. But on the morning of January 7, Lady Luck shone her evil, evil eye on me, and forced my phone to fall out of my pocket while I entered a cab in front of Caesars. We hadn't even fully pulled away before it was runover by another cab. It was devastating, it was damaging, and it was the end of the road for my little computer phone. Even as I type this blog on my loaner iPhone, I can feel the loaner-ness of it, and I mourn my loss anew. Unlucky break #1 hit me where it hurt, and the aftershocks are still being felt as I prepare to fight the crowds at the Apple Store in the Caesar's Forum Shops.

I actually bounced back pretty quickly from this broken iPhone incident. I vowed not to lose my optimistic attitude and refused to let it ruin my Vegas/CES experience. This was offensive to cruel, petty, witchy Lady Luck, so the next break REALLY hit where it hurt. As in, I'm still in physical pain.

So maybe "bouncing back" was the wrong thing to do after the iPhone incident, because as I literally bounced around the NBC booth in an attempt to engage passerbys in our display, I rolled my ankle. Break #2. I guess it isn't an ACTUAL break - thank God- but it's close enough.

So now I type on this loaner phone with an elevated ankle, and I wonder what Lady Luck is really trying to break about me. I mean WHAT IS IT that she wants?? Then I realize it must be this: I might be broken in body and technology, but I just can't be broken in spirit.

This CES experience has been amazing, and nothing that happened or will happen can change that. Our booth is filled with people interested in what we do and how we do it. When we broadcast live, I see how excited the crowd is to watch TV magic and i remember why I got into this business in the first place. My fellow brand ambassadors are hysterical and helpful and make me proud to be one of them. I could go on and on. It's been an AWESOME experience Lady Luck, so HA. Take that.

Tonight, I'm taking this optimistic unbroken spirit to a casino with my friends- my coworkers- and Ill tempt that Goddess of Fortune one last time at the craps tables. And you know what? If I walk away empty handed, it'll definitely "break the bank" as they say. But honestly, that's not Lady Luck, that's just Vegas.

TheGrio at CES!

By Dan Woolsey, theGrio.com

This year the floor is covered with hot cool stuff that you need to keep an eye out for from cases for your BB that can protect you from the phone's radiation (from Pong Research) to a fully integrated nav/music/just plain cool system for your car (Panasonic AVIC X920 BT).

But the big thing this year has to be 3D. 3D TV, 3D video cameras, 3D video games, 3D, 3D, 3D!! You still need glasses for most of them, and the effect is good, but not great.  I don't want to bring anyone down, but it still messes with your eyes a bit and I can't see myself sitting at home with the glasses on for any serious amount of time.

3D video games may be another story. The naturally geek-friendly world of gaming lends itself to accepting gadgetry (including glasses) for hours at a time and the Sony OLED screen that had 3D game samples looked the best out of any of the 3D samplings. Granted, this may have been the incredible Sony OLED display.

So get ready for rich family members and friends to buy 3D TVs and invite you over, but wait at least a few years to run out and get your own. In the meantime, you have a great year of gadgets coming at you.

Be sure to look for our piece next week on our top picks from CES on thegrio.com.

Impressions from CES 2010

Brett Holey, NBC Nightly News

A SHRINKING GIANT IS STILL A GIANT

If the Jolly Green Giant lost 1/3 of his height... he'd still be able to kick your butt. But if you'd seen him grow up, you might not be quite as intimidated as you used to be.

I first came to CES over 20 years ago and I've seen it grow from huge, to unbelievably huge. But my first and clearest impression this year is that the recession has taken its pound of flesh and then some from the annual geek fest in Sin City.

Don't get me wrong It is still gargantuan and glitzy and more than any mortal can really cover in 4 days but it is somehow less over-the-top than years past. Now to some first-timers this may be hard to believe but it may be like a Vegas show girl appearing in just the sequined body suit, sans the 3-foot feathered head dress.

Other big impressions of CES 2010....

3D TV...(IF THEY BUILD IT, WILL THE AUDIENCE COME?) 

The industry's major television manufacturers have set aside their annual mine's bigger than yours contest and have joined in a common chorus..."You need 3D."

They are all showing they're own version of 3D; hoping to use "Avatar" as a giant lead-blocker into your living room. They all use some version of glasses, that create varying degrees of discomfort, or a lenticular screens that give varying degrees of headache. Yet it is a unison chorus that manufacturers and production companies seem to be singing. We'll see if the audience joins in.

The best 3D image I've seen here is on a 24" Sony OLED screen playing the video game "MLB 10 'The Show'" on a PS3. They were showing a Yankees, Phillies game and I felt like I was Jorge Posada catching the game. 

Panasonic's 152" plasma screen wins the biggest, coolest award TV AS COMPUTER / COMPUTER AS TV.

More and more TVs are including web access, widgets and apps to use right on your screen. There's Skype built in and all your handy web tools right there in your what is still known as your TV. Of course PCs have morphed into all manner of devices to provide video via the web and anyplace you want to get it. And in between are a plenty of new devices to bring the web right to your screen. Two of the more promising ones are from iOmega and the "Boxee" box from D-Link which won the "last gadget standing" competition... the CES equivalent of winning best in show at Westminster. (And a bit like a little dog beating the big beauties.) It has a simple yet clever remote and a good looking interface. WHERE HAVE YOU GONE PC? 

The major PC manufacturers have less presence than they have in years yet computers are part of everything. 

Of those PC makers here the biggest push seems to be netbooks, tablets and form factors combing both. 

Lenovo is showing (behind closed doors) a netbook that the screen pulls off to become a tablet.

A company called Entourage Edge was showing a dual-screen device that is half netbook, half eReader. (Promising but I would guess many buyers may be waiting to see what is coming from Apple and Google).

NEED A NEW WAY TO SPY ON YOUR NEIGHBORS AND HAVE FUN DOING IT? 

Far and away, my favorite toy at the show is the AR Drone from a French company called Parrot (www.parrot.com). It's a four-bladed, remote-control helicopter with a built in camera that you can control with your iPhone. It looks like something out of Avatar but could be very handy to see what your neighbor is doing on the other side of that big fence or maybe to get your own aerial coverage of junior's soccer game. That's all for now... back out for a last spin on the floor. Maybe more tomorrow.

Favorite thing at CES?

By Mark Lukasiewicz, NBC Universal

Favorite thing at CES? Hard to know since I've barely seen the show!! Keeping tabs on everything inside the NBCU booth keeps me pretty attached to "the fishbowl" a small office/control room where I sit with Tim Wong, Jack Morton's technical director, and monitor what's happening on our multiple stages and on the 70+ monitors around the booth.

Most fun? Having my kids at home use the controllable webcam suspended above the booth to find me - live. Every year at CES, I wear what I call my "where's waldo" red NBC baseball cap to make sure my team can find me in the crowd -- it makes it easy to spot me on the webcam, too.

Saturday is always a little quieter in the booth, though. The major news coverage from CES is over ... and after two days of non-stop television production for CNBC, along with MSNBC and the NBC Stations, the main stage at Central Hall #9836 has been taken over by some great web shows, such as Hack College, Tech Podcasts Network and Plan 8. And our Sharp / NBC Universal Multimedia Lounge remains busy with a steady stream of bloggers enjoying the comfortable chairs and the live broadcast of the Jets/Bengals game -- airing right now on NBC.

There's no question CES 2010 feels much different than 2009. The pessimism of a year ago has given way to some cautious optimism in the industry represented here ... and some genuine excitement about the products on display, especially 3D TV and the incredible array of interconnected mobile devices. The big debate among our own team here: will wearing glasses to watch 3D in your own home feel like too much of an impediment to make 3D really take off?

Well, in the meantime, there's always 3D TV -- Rachel Maddow style!!

Flat Panel Aesthetics @ CES 2010

By Bruce Tripido, Sharp USA

With each passing year of the Consumer Electronics Show, TV manufacturers up the ante on design, form factor and overall aesthetics of flat panel HDTV's.  The trend has been toward thinner (depth), new materials utilized in the manufacturing process (acrylics, lucite etc.), the integration of color (they're not all just black or silver any more) and an overall pushing of the envelope to make the appearance something to brag about in your home.  This year's show does not disappoint.  Since we achieved high definition resolution as the everyday standard, augmenting legacy specifications and performance metrics alone is not satisfactory.  Sure, the refresh rates are faster, the contrast ratios are higher and we are all adding web derived content (both streaming and static) at an exponential clip - but the product designs are more visually arresting than ever. 

At Sharp, we learned a valuable lesson last year, which was that having the best image quality in the industry is only part of the equation for success.  That technology needs to be housed in a thin and beautiful chassis.  So for 2010 we've responded by creating not one, not two, but three world-class edge-lit series of LED backlit LCD TV's.  The design direction includes a square acrylic base, a chrome "neck" and a sleek chassis with rounded corners and a "full flat" effect with the front glass running from edge to edge of the set - both vertically as well as horizontally.  The TV's are a svelte 1.5 inches thin.  The integration of the world's first "QUADPIXEL" four color technology into these awe-inspiring designs has us optimistic for a robust 2010. 

When it comes to design, we're in good company here at CES.  To be fair, their are many strong designs represented by our competition here at the show and we are collectively raising the bar each year.  For consumers and tech enthusiasts who care about appearances, the suite of LCD product offerings here on the show floor has something for everyone.  When you take one of these hot designs and integrate the world's first technology capable of a color palette of over a trillion colors (that's not a typo), you have a product solution that has created quite a stir here in Las Vegas.  Unlike 3D (we're all showcasing it) and web connectivity (we're all showcasing it), QUADPIXEL technology is a Sharp exclusive - it cannot be found on any other manufacturer's product in 2010.   

 At Sharp, our slogan for this year's CES is "Hello Yellow", and perhaps we should add "housed in an elegant and svelte chassis".   Check it out - the designs and this new technology from Sharp - they are collectively awe inspiring.

Why We're Here

By Jay Linden, NBC Universal

As a "founding father" of NBC Universal's presence @ CES, I'm more sure than ever that we have a critical role in what goes on at this, the biggest consumer electronics trade show in the world.

Three years ago, when we proposed that NBCU take on the role of "official broadcast partner" of CES, it was because we wanted to make a statement...that content like ours is the fuel that creates the demand for the technolgy and innovation that CES is all about. 

Yesterday, I spent some time walking the show floor.  The major players are all about their screens...3-D, HD, LCD, LED, OLED.  While it's fun and impressive to see what the future holds, so much of what's on these screens is just video...of fruit, of flowers...you get the idea.  Once you understand the particular technology feature of that screen, the pictures hold your interest for about 15 seconds.  My point is that the potential of all of this technology is only realize when those screens are filled with great content...and that's the business that we're in...we ARE the fuel!

This year our booth is themed around the upcoming 2010 Vancouver Olympic Winter Games.  It has been proven time and again that the Olympics is the ultimate "fuel," and that was never more true than it was during the 2008 Olympic Summer Games from Beijing.  There's no reason to think that the engagement of our viewers and users with our content across all of their technology options won't continue to grow when the Games begin next month.

What seems to be happening is that consumers are going to be able to have a more meaningful relationship (like the one they've had with TV for decades) with a greater variety of screens.  One could argue that the most important screen in one's life is the one that's with you almost all the time...the phone.  When we visited to Motorola booth we learned that Adobe Flash is coming to their screens... that means that we'll be able to push content to a phone as easily as we do to a PC.  Clearly Apple has figured how to make the video experience credible on their devices...now more of the world will be able to take more of our content wherever they go.

This presents even more opportunity for us to generate revenue as we can attach our advertisers to that content, given the right business model and execution.  Nothing new in that challenge, as we've seen before...

Our presence has made us a magnet for those who have a big stake in the future of content and technolgoy.  The content we push out to CNBC, MSNBC, the Today Show and our stations speaks not only to the interests of consumers, but to the impact of this industry on the economy.

Last but not least, it's extremely rewarding to see how the ad hoc team that comes together under the leadership of Mark Lukasiewicz, Bill Hartnett and so many others pulls this off.  Special note should be made of the efforts of Jon Accarino, who actually got me to post my first-ever blog!

Podcasters Take Over NBCU CES Booth

By Jon Accarrino, NBC Universal

CES 2010: On the Floor

By Bonnie Optekman, NBC News (@boptekman)

Literally.  I spent eight hours yesterday touring the floor with NBC's talented Peter Rosenberg and three hours today.  This show never was for the faint of heart.

Yesterday, when I arrived back at the booth, Curtis Walker of DVICE.COM was blogging away on his vintage typewriter.  He asked someone if they wanted to see his page and then handed them a piece of white paper.  I loved it!  But I digress.

Yes, I feel like I'm on sensory overload.  But there are themes that emerged.  First, all the TVs - LED, OLED, AMOLED, 3D, 3D OLED - kinda make a small part of me - the Luddite part - the part that still takes notes with pen and paper - long for rabbit ears.  But seriously folks, I have found what I want.   Only problem, it's only a prototype.  Not even built.  Not even being built for sure yet.  It's the SONY 3D OLED.  I've never seen anything so crisp, clear, or beautiful.  It's like looking through a window sitting from any angle.  I'm not alone.  Many consider the Sony to be the best in class for 3D displays.

Have to mention the TCL TV too.  Displays 3D TV without glasses.  Great if you're dead center in front of the TV albeit a little grainy.  Look for it in China in two years.  Maybe it will be better by then.

Also amazing, the Sony 3D PS3 Baseball game.  I felt like I was on the field.  Home run, David Wright!

But purchasing a TV has become significantly more complicated, as if you didn't already know that.  Yes, of course you're going to want the most beautiful picture as always.  But here's a new phrase for you - Over the Top Delivery.  That means content (shows, movies, videos) delivered to you not by cable, satellite, nor telephone company.  The technical term?  Disintermediating MVPD (Muti Video Processing Distribors).  (Thank you Peter.)  So that means internet TV's, wireless TVs and even widgets (or applications) on TVs.  It means using the Boxee Box or Iomega's Screen Play Director to gather your content from the web, Netflix, Blockbuster, Amazon Unboxed, Hulu, YouTube, Picasa, your own downloaded material, etc.  It also means using your Internet connected TV giving you the content from whatever companies they've made deals with.   Boxee says they believe we've passed the paradigm of DVRs and TIVO and that by using the cloud they remove the need for recording, saving, and worrying about disk space.  Wonder if, every TV will have that capability one day and will all serve up the same content, paid or free, and if so, if that will affect the popularity of those interim boxes.  I really like the way Boxee organizes all your material.  For example, all movies are in one folder, regardless of their source.  You can search, and the remote even has a QWERTY keyboard on the back.  Hmm.  More interactive possibilities; that's great for viewer text-to-tv.

By the way, Boxee won the 2010 LAST GADGET STANDING live award.  That's always a fun session with a participant vote.  The on-line winner is the Pico Projector.

Ok, back to my theme - TV.  How do you navigate all the entertainment choices? Intel has a great conceptual demo of an Electronic Program Guide.  Like Picture-in-Picture, it shows small displays as you scroll through the options.    One of the best demos I saw was from Toshiba.  Their Cell TV 3D Motion Gesture Control is on the horizon.  Just move your hand left and right, up and down, forward and back.  No more looking under the couch for the remote.  Looked very similar to Microsoft's Project NATAL for the XBOX.  And, I neglected to mention yesterday that a Blackberry executive I met Thursday believed that at some point, you'd be able to activate the touchpad on their newer models even with a finger only hovering on top of it.  I love this stuff. 

I also saw Hillcrest Lab's The Loop today.  It's a round (duh) remote that you hold in your hand as you move your hand in any direction - even out of range of the TV.  They won a CES Innovation award this year.  But they were the first company I saw talk about this process years ago.  I think I first heard the term "lean forward experience" from them.

Netbooks, tablets and eReaders another big draw this year.  There's a gazillion of them.  I saw the ones that Lenovo and Asus have that convert into tablets.  Lenovo's doesn't let you write on it except with a virtual keyboad.  Asus does.  Have to look at that again.  I'm always looking for a faster way to convert my notes into bits.  But I'm going to tell you the one I want.  It's the EnTourage eDGe combination e-reader and netbook.  Read on the left.  Watch related video and hyperlinked content on the right.  Write notes on what you're reading.  Believe I mentioned this yesterday.  Not that I'm hinting how much I want this or anything.

Heaps of cameras. I love the Poloroid Pogo.  Saw it last year.  So fun.

NBC's intrepid cameraman and producer Craig White showed us the Hero HD camera.  It's an amazingly tiny HD video camera that even streams live video out and is waterproff down to 180 feet.  Whatever Craig says is great, is indeed great.

I also really like Sony's Bloggie camera.  Takes stills (no optical zoom) as well as HD video.  AND you can put in a spare charged battery as well as additional memory.  It comes with a 360 degree lens that shoots panoramic shots.  Why the name?  Because a blogger can lay it flat while writing.  Clever.

And of course, there are oodles of smartphones and other cool gadgets.  Read enough about the Droid?  Good.  I'm skipping it.   But have to mention Motorola's Tru 2-way for the set-top box that allows the kind of viewer interactivity we're working towards. IOMEGA makes something called the VClone.  Very cool.  Take your entire PC virtual image with you on a hard drive that fits in your pocket and can diisplay on another other PC with Windows XP, Vista or 7.

Skype is everywhere, too.  There's the Asus Skype videophone.  Wasn't that at the World's Fair a million years ago?  Well, this one looks a lot better.  And there's SKYPE on TV.  I saw it at LG and Panasonic.  And winner of a CEA innovation award is the Saygus V Phone VI which is the first cell handset with low bandwidth two-way video calling on existing 2.5G networks.  It runs on Android and has a QWERTY keyboard that slides out.

What else do I need?  (C'mon, it's my blog!)  The Power Mat.  Currently it can easily power Blackberries, iPods, iPhones as well as bluetooth devices and camera batteries.  And more devices are coming in Q3.  Would be great not to carry around a power strip.  Yes, I travel with a power strip.  Don't laugh.

I also have to buy a new computer some time soon.  My VAIO is terrific but it's five years old.  And my hard drive is full!  I've been holding out for Windows 7 with a touch screen so here we go.   I'm going to choose between the HP Touchsmart 600T which has the CPU built into the monitor or another laptop - maybe the Lenovo T400SMT which is also a tablet.  Still have to think through that.  And my Apple family and friends are trying to convert me.

What's MIA at the show?  No Dell nor HP except displaying technology within other booths.  There are fewer outdoor exhibits.  Gibson guitars moved indoors.  Parrot has a helicopter you can control with your iPhone.  My friend and colleague Brett Holey highly recommends taking it for a spin.  And the Sony OLED flexiscreen laptop is not here either.  At the booth, they said it was a concept display last year.  Actually, that's about all they said.  Are they still working on it?

Can't leave you without mentioning the new way to watch DTV on your cellphone through Open TV.  NBC was instrumental in making this happen which is fitting since we led the way in 2004 with NBC News Mobile.  And it will give us even more opportunities for interactivity.  Ok, shameless plug over.  No, not yet.  Go to http://alerts.msnbc.com to see all the text subscription groups we offer - from Way Too Early with Willie Geist to Nightly News with Brian Williams and everything in between.  Or text the right keyword to 622639.  Try to guess what they are:  NN, DL, EARLY, HB, ED, JOE, RACHEL, TODAY, MTP.  Or Text BUZZ to 46833 for the latest entertainment news.

More later!  I want to head over to the North Hall.  It's been fun.  Follow me on twitter at boptekman.

The Best Laid Plans

By Aaron Broder, Scholastic

Hey, everyone, it's Aaron Broder, the Scholastic reporter, blogging for NBC Universal again. It's great to be back!

So, this year, my goal was to have the whole CES thing down-pat. This is my fourth year writing about it, so by now I should know how it works, right? Avoid scheduling appointments - it's stressful and detracts from show floor time. Don't have anything at the Las Vegas Convention Center immediately following something at the Venetian - you can't get between one and the other quickly enough. And whatever you do, try not to schedule anything offsite - it's never as easy to get there as they tell you it is. This year, I was going to stick to these rules, and nothing was going to go wrong.

That was the plan, anyway. The first day of CES ruined that.

I'm not entirely sure what the big deal about Day One is. I've been told it's because everyone is trying to grab the headlines, but there are headlines on every other day too, so I don't think that's it. But for whatever reason, Thursday is the most jam-packed day, and it's impossible to avoid it.

I nearly managed to avoid it - I really did. I was going to go to the Build Your Own PC Race for charity that day no matter what, and I was pretty sure I was headed to ShowStoppers, but those were both after the convention center closed, so I would have plenty of show floor time. I managed to have one - that's right, one(!) appointment, for the upcoming MMO, LEGO Universe. And I was going to go to Lunch@Piero's (a restaurant not far off from the LVCC), another offsite event where products were being shown, but I was going to have to eat anyway, so that was no big deal. I was confident that nothing would throw it out of whack.

Oops. I lied. See, I had e-mailed Palm about trying to get into their press conference, without realizing that it was in the Venetian, 30 minutes after my LEGO appointment started in the convention center! I also had tried to get in contact with Livescribe, the people behind the Pulse pen, and --

You know, hold on a moment. I hope you don't mind if I take a brief moment to talk about what has been the most useful gadget of the show. If you do, then go ahead and skip down to the next paragraph. The Pulse pen is this pen that, at its core, links what you are writing with what you hear. It actually can do a lot more than that, but that's what I've been using it for. And it's been incredibly helpful, because you can go back and tap something you wrote, and listen to hear what was being said exactly as you wrote that. Truly amazing - we are living in the future.

Anyway, back to my story. Where was I? Oh, right.

I also had tried to get in contact with Livescribe, the people behind the Pulse pen, and they said that they were available, on none other than Thursday morning. And they were at the Las Vegas Hilton!

I managed to work it all out - Pulse before the floor opened, then rush over to the Venetian for the press conference, and I rescheduled LEGO Universe for later in the afternoon (which made getting to the PC Race at the Wynn a bit tight, but still worked). But I stared at my calendar, dismayed, as all the white space slowly filled up with appointments and press conferences, and an attempt to get to a booth to see Stan Lee. My perfect plan, destroyed.

Something funny happened, though, on Thursday. It all went... really, really smoothly. Sure, we ran around a bit, making sure we got where we needed to be when we needed to be there, but there wasn't a dull moment where I was at a loss for what to do. It was kind of nice.

So, if I come back next year, I have three rules that I have to remember. Don't have anything at the LVCC right after something at the Venetian. Try not to schedule anything offsite. And whatever you do, schedule appointments - just don't schedule too many.

Blogging at CES with a Typewriter [video]

By Jon Accarrino, NBC Universal

This is the 3rd year we've hosted bloggers here in NBC Universal's booth at CES. Over the years I've seen people blog on everything from smartphones to an ancient Apple laptop running Macintosh OS 9. But today, Curtis Walker, a tech blogger for DVICE.com, showed up to blog with a 1950's typewriter. It was even more entertaining considering Marc Siry, NBC Universal's SVP of Digital Products and Services, was sitting next to Curtis blogging on an iPhone.

Curtis drew a small crowd of curious onlookers including Darren Kitchen from Hak5. I recorded Darren interviewing Curtis. Check it out.

A New Sense of Optimism in CE

By Chris Loncto, Sharp

What a difference a year makes.

Broadcasting Around the Clock at CES

By Katie Primm, NBC Universal

This is the third year NBC Universal has been the official broadcast partner for the Consumer Electronics Show and my first year attending here in sunny Las Vegas (not a bad week to be away from the frigid East Coast). I've been soaking up all the flashing lights and beeping gadgets at the Convention Center, but I have to admit that many of the new technologies are over my head.

Full disclosure: I am not a techie. I have a cell phone, Blackberry and laptop. I love Facebook and Hulu and my DVR. I've even started reading e-books. But beyond that, I appreciate any IT help coming my way. I'm loving the opportunity to see the new devices, but I've felt more in my comfort zone with the live TV being produced at the NBCU booth (#9836).

The networks of NBC Universal are vast (USA, Bravo, Oxygen and SyFy just to name a few) and we've taken several of the shows on the road to showcase not only what our viewers see on the air everyday, but also the behind-the-scenes view of how it all gets put together. NBC, CNBC and MSNBC have been all over the Convention Center trying out new gadgets and also bringing tech CEOs and their new products to our cameras to get an up-close look for everyone who couldn't make it out to CES personally. From live on the floor at CES, we can cover the news as we watch if directly unfold.

Al Roker was here for Today and also the Weather Channel's Wake Up With Al. Of course waking up with Al is always an early morning - 6 am on the east coast - which means even earlier in Pacific time. To make a 3 am PT show, our crews were on site by midnight making sure all the video and audio signals were being sent back to our control rooms in New York clearly.

CNBC has been broadcasting around the clock - literally - for CNBC all across the globe. As I write this, the booth is crowded with fans of Maria Bartiromo and Closing Bell. Eventually, a lot of the new products premiering at CNBC will make their way to a store near you, but how many opportunities do you have to stand behind a cameraman and see what he sees during a broadcast? Or peer through our temporary Las Vegas control room's glass wall and watch all the feeds coming in and traveling out direct to your TV? The two most common things I've heard in the last 36 hours? 1) I've always wondered what this is like and 2) That is SO cool!

As has been mentioned earlier on the blog, we've got a great location and hundreds of people walk by our booth every few hours. As they walk by, they're able to see Jim Goldman and Julia Boorstin from CNBC interviewing CEOs from companies like Imax, Comcast and Haier just to mention a few. The coordination of the producers on the ground is fantastic to watch. Headset in one ear and Blackberry in one hand, they are the eyes and ears of the CNBC control room in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey.

I'm sure you've heard the expression "the camera adds 10 pounds." In reality, depending on the lens being used, the sets and furniture can actually gain weight too; a wide angle lens will really stretch the image to fill the screen. Watching MSNBC or CNBC at home this week, you might not be aware of the realities of our space. On a raised platform overlooking our booth, we've managed to squeeze two cameras, two crews, producers, lights, tables and oh yeah - the reporters you see every day. While Maria, Jim and Julia demonstrate the newest tech gadgets, the crews are practically straddling all their equipment. Everyone always gets a little bit closer - in terms of physical space - when working behind a camera!

While people walking through our booth can watch the crew adjusting audio levels and putting microphones on all the guests, what they can't see is the maze of equipment we had to bring with us just to make all this possible. Our satellite truck is parked in the parking lot more than 1000 feet away from our booth busily sending live feeds and taped material around to NBCU properties. Two cables containing 12 strands of fiber optics cable each are humming along transporting all of our material to the satellite truck, HD routers and fiber optic head-end gear. Boxes and crates transporting cameras, lights, transmission racks and miles of cables have piled up creating a virtual fort of television production.

And Vegas is just the first stop for all the equipment. When CES wraps up on Sunday, our 53-foot truck will be packed full - from front to back and top to bottom - and start the drive up to Vancouver. In just a few weeks, it won't be images of the newest TVs and computing devices traveling across our fiber optic cables, but the newest Olympic champions happily showing off their new hardware on TODAY.

So watching television is becoming increasingly mobile as viewers can watch content on their laptops and smartphones, but it's still a big operation to get it all directly to your hands. Be sure to stop by the NBC Universal booth and watch some productions yourself and take a look at our booth production schedule to pick the best time to come on over!

As for me, I'm ready to explore the rest of CES and if I'm lucky, maybe I'll find a gadget easy enough for even me to use!

Obsessed @ CES 2010

• :23s Samsung Phone - I WANT THIS NOW.
• :39s TV Cuff -  Used by the military, this cuff turns accessory into entertainment.  

Between the Lines

By Bonnie Optekman, NBC News (@boptekman)

Netbooks, Smartbooks, Tablets, Nettops, e-Readers, PC TVs, 3D, Smartphones, Interactivity, Microsoft's NUI (Natural User Interface), Project NATAL. Those are the buzzwords. But I want to talk about what I'm learning around the show.

First of all. Holy pat down Batman. I'd never seen such lines getting thru security at JFK. Yes, it moved along but yikes. Then, desperately needing coffee, I went to Dunkin' Donuts where there was, yes, another huge line. Can't get the word line in the next sentence but I was in the next to last row in a middle seat. Ugh. After landing I then found myself on the longest taxi line in history. I think that took longer than the flight. And then, of course, there was the (fast) line to check into Mandalay Bay.

Ok, enough complaining. Things started to look up when I found my room. It has an iHome! I could play my music! Then downstairs to a, yes, line for a taxi to the convention center where I stood on a line to get my credential holder and, finally, the line to see Steve Ballmer of MIcrosoft. That line was so intimidating, I showed my press pass and was able to go in on a faster line. Do I feel badly about that. Not so much. Speaking of lines, some power line wasn't working so well for Mr. Ballmer delaying his keynote address for 25 minutes. Can't imagine he was too happy about that. Pretty ironic actually.

Dinner and brainstorming with my colleague - the awesome Jon Dakss - on our next steps for advancing News interactivity. NO line at Table 10, Emeril's restaurant. I was half asleep at that point but awake enough to know that dinner was awesome!

Today was all about sessions for me. Here come more buzzwords - WiMax, LTE, tonnage, network optimization, standardization, transparency, interoperability.. There. Those were from the session 4G - The Next Big Thing in Mobile Phones. But what did I take between the lines? LTE is going to be so fast that there is a school of thought that a whole lot of people won't obsess about being "wired." They're probably the same people, especially in the "younger demo" who only use cell phones. I personally always need a princess phone. [insert joke here]That's in case of a power outage that makes even my handheld unusable.

Next session: Superphones - One Device To Rule Them All. According to this esteemed panel, some devices (like navigation devices, low end cameras, mp3 players - hmm, not so much, iPod going strong, portable DVD players, handheld games) may eventually disappear because of the advances of the Superphone (Not to be confused with the Smartphone. Smartphone=phone and email. Superphone=all those apps. Those definitions=mine.) What may come? Bluetooth devices to speak to your phones - like a watch that vibrates when you get a text message. What may continue to exist alone? Very possibly the e-Reader along with the iPod. When one questioner asked when those required data plans may go away, the ATT rep said they were talking about it. Actually, at that moment the microphone gave off uber-feedback so he joked that the timing of that for him was perfect.

During both those sessions and a brief trip to the floor, I've been on a personal campaign for more phones that have Flo-TV, where you can see NBC News To Go. Flo says they're working hard with the carriers and plan for more to be here mid 2010. Carriers say it's a balance of technical and commercial feasability but that the consistency and speed of the 4G signal should make it more prevalent.

On my way to the next session, I ran into the Casio Exilim display of DYNAMIC PHOTOS. Very cool. Videos within videos. Check it out.

I also saw the enTourage EDGE. It's the eReader I like best so far. It's a netbook on the right side which will display a hyperlink or play a video embedded in what you're reading on the left. It's color. They're working with Google, McGraw Hill and other publishing sources.

Ok. Here's a cool way to think about 3D that I heard from Natalie Del Conte at the What's Turning Our Heads This Year seminar.(Oh and she likes the enTourage EDGE too.) Natalie thinks the cool/dorky glasses you have to wear are not the biggest obstacle to a 3D set in your living room. She pointed out how positional the experience is. Sitting straight up in a chair - great. Reclining on your side - forget it. Natalie also thinks the term "widget" will be replaced by "app." That makes sense. And I agree with her that we don't really know what device people will choose to use in between their smartphone and their computer.

Finally - a session about the business of TV. The best part? Seeing my old friend and colleague Tom Wolzien. Look him up. He's brilliant. Headline for me came from Tom. The ratings gleaned from Tivo and other DVRs are so nuanced.. For example, TV households with the 18-49 demo and incomes over $80,000 skip more through Visa and MasterCard ads than American Express. GEICO ads are skipped through more on ABC than CBS. Another interesting area of study - when people record things, when are they watching them? If they're shifted to a time where TV was never watched before, it's additive. Although that can be a bad thing if that additive is at the office or taken away from reading to your kids. If it's shifted to a time when a less popular show or repeat is on, that's a loss for the networks. But it's clear that the era of "least objectionable programming" is over.

By the way, I feel way more connected at the show this year. With my Sony Bravia HD TV, HD Tivo, and Blu-Ray player all connected to the Internet and streaming Netflix and Blockbuster straight to my TV as well as watching HuLu on my TV, I am finally in the 21st century. I was shamed into it by my nephew. When he found out I didn't have all that, he said, "What business are you in?"

Time for my plug. Go to http://alerts.msnbc.com and sign up for some of our really cool alerts.

More tomorrow. I'll try to keep it shorter. ;)

Top 5 Products I Would Recommend to My Parents

By Devin C. Johnson, NBC Universal

I'm here at CES and I'm starting to regain my excitement for the consumer electronics world.  By far my favorite trend, is the internet enabled televisions.  But enough about me and my wishes...let's talk about the folks with disposable income.  Baby Boomers...and two in particular, my parents.

Because I seem to have fallen into the role of the "Chief Decider" of all things electronic in their household, I now have them in the back of mind when I'm walking the floor looking at all the cool innovative stuff.

The criteria for them is simple...they like being on the front end of the curve but it has to be simple...they are mildly price sensitive, so the outrageously expensive items are a non-starter.

So without further adieu...here are the top 5 things I think my parents should have in their house:

5. Iluv iPod/iTouch Clock Radio

It's time to trade in that 20 year old clock radio that's been sitting on the nightstand.  This cool little device would allow them to wake up to their favorite tunes and also features bigger #'s so no one has to squint in the morning.  They already have an iTouch so they won't have to learn a new device.  One minor drawback is that my mom would have to download the iLuv app...which will require a little training.

4.   The Toshiba Satellite U505

I believe it is finally time for my parents to become a two laptop household.  They have a fairly hefty laptop that was purchased for the big screen and is a bear to move.  I've been sensing a little tension related to certain individuals hogging the laptop and changing settings...so in an effort to preserve their 40 year marriage, it is time for them to have their own laptops.  This little nifty laptop features a slim design that will allow them to experience the freedom of watching tv with a laptop in their lap....like I do.

There are 2 people in the house and they have 4 tv's...so it's time 2 PC's for 2 people shouldn't be a stretch.

3. Canon Powershot A495

My mom loves, loves, loves taking pictures.  But she has this nack of changing the settings inadvertently which creates can sometimes create some really out of focused pictures.  She needs a camera that has one setting and I think I found it.  It's the Power Shot A496.  It has some smartfocus feature that will allow her to always go back to that one setting and she will have picture perfect pictures...imagine that. 

2.   Schlage HomeLink System

How cool is this product?  In full disclosure, I know some folks that work there...but I love this thing.  Imagine being able to turn lights on and off, lock/unlock doors, and turn the Christmas tree lights on.  Imagine that...oh yeah, imagine doing that remotely from a cell phone.  The Schlage Homelink system would allow my parents to travel and let their favorite son in the house no matter where they are in the world.  They can track activity in the house using a camera and can change the temperature remotely...which can certainly prevent a pipe freezing incident in Chicago.

You can't beat total control of your house regardless of where you are in the world....

1.  TV, TV, TV

I want them to up their TV game.  My parents have a plasma...but that's so 2004.  It's now all about LCD, LED and Connectivity.  My parents haven't discovered online video to a large degree, but it's inevitable.  I can definitely see my mom watching a the Law & Order she missed on her internet connected television.

So for all you sons and daughters serving as your family's help desk...keep an eye out for what will work for your parents...after all, how often do you get to spend someone else's money.

13 Reflections from C.E.S.

By Joseph Jaffee, Crayon

So as most of you know I'm at CES for the second consecutive year. Last year I was with our Panasonic client and up to my eyeballs managing (or do my best to manage) the likes of Chris Brogan {he's such as Diva) and the less needy Steve Garfield, Ponzi Pirillo, Stacey DeBroff and Melissa Pierce. This year I'm flying solo and taking in the sights and sounds of this crazy anomaly called CES.

So last year NBC Universal had this blogging booth in the shape of a circle. On a bunch of flat screens, it would read, "Now blogging" and would include the name of someone who was hunched over a laptop presumably surfing porn. I remember thinking to myself, "what a bunch of losers/nerds/etc"

And so this year, I'm sitting under a sign that reads, "Now blogging: Joseph Jaffe".

I'm actually glad I got the chance to do some longer form blogging. It's been way too long. I also get the opportunity to sit down (finally). recharge my tired iPhone, drink my quad grande Americano that I waited in line for 40 minutes to get and hang out with the likes of Revision 3's Jim Louderback. paidContent's Staci Kramer and Hack College's Kelly Sutton.

We're the cool ones.

Anyhoo, here are 10 make that 13 - reflections of my trip so far in Sin City. They're in no particular order and are not necessarily even remotely representative of the real state of affairs.

Here's the post from my blog on JaffeJuice.com:
http://jaffejuice.com/2010/01/10-reflections-from-ces.html

Now it's time to hit the tables. Wish me luck...

PS Thanks to NBC Universal for letting me blog in their inner sanctum, the NBC Universal / Sharp Multimedia Lounge. Check out their presence at http://nbcuatces.com

Seeing CES 2010 in Green

By Ron Kenedi, Sharp Solar Energy Solutions Group

It's winter in Las Vegas, and everything is brown, but the first thing that I noticed entering the CES show hall is the explosion of color. This year CES is a world of color... and I am particularly impressed with the amazing color brightness and clarity of the new Sharp four mary color technology TVs. With the addition of yellow pixels the color pops, while using far less power.

But, speaking of color, it seems that every booth is featuring GREEN as a product trait and a company attribute. As the head of Sharp's Solar Energy Group I am really interested in finding truly green products at the various booths that I visted. While you might have to search to find these products in most of the booths, Sharp's GREEN committment is front and center.

Featured at the Sharp booth is an award-winning solar race car, solar-powered cell phone and solar-powered portable LED lighting. LED technology, which dramatically cuts power usage, is prevalent in many Sharp consumer devices, Sharp is leading the way with green products and innovations. It is wonderful for me to see solar cells on phones, cars and other products at this giant consumer electronics show. I head up Sharp's solar group in the US and to see solar power in such good company as this points to the fact that Sharp is really bringing solar power to the mainstream.

Feeling lucky, bloggers?

By Gina Stikes and Melissa Gorski, msnbc.com

Hey bloggers!  msnbc.com has a special treat for everyone who has scheduled time in the NBC Universal / Sharp Blogger Lounge this year. Before you head over to the casinos, test your Las Vegas luck with a pair of msnbc.com digital dice!  Just turn on these brightly colored electronic dice, give 'em a roll and watch and listen as a random number between 1 and 6 comes up.  Bet you'll love it.

Can you think of a better way to capture the spirit of Vegas and CES at the same time? We couldn't either.

EveryBlock takes neighborly advice mobile with new iPhone app

By Mel Gorski, msnbc.com

While you're at CES checking out all of the hot new gadgets and mobile devices, keep track of what's happening back home - right down to the block level - with Notify Your Neighbors, the new EveryBlock iPhone app. Notify Your Neighbors is available on EveryBlock.com and in the Apple App Store and enables you to send and receive local updates for 15 U.S. cities from any location. Post an announcement to your neighborhood, share an eyewitness news report, start a discussion about a neighborhood-focused issue or let neighbors know about a missing pet or garage sale.

At least you'll know exactly what you're missing while you're hitting the casino floor.

We're Underway!

By Mark Lukasiewicz, NBC Universal

We're underway! A calm pre-show morning for us at the booth -- and as of an hour ago, the gates have opened and the crowds are pouring in.

This is my third year helping put together NBCU's booth at CES, and this booth is in a great location ... visible from all sides and already attracting a steady stream of visitors to look at our exhibits themed on the Vancouver Winter Games.

We've already produced a lot of content ... Al Roker and the TODAY SHOW live yesterday, and lots of coverage on CNBC, MSNBC and the NBC Stations already this morning. Maria Bartiromo is getting ready to do Closing Bell any minute now... two hours of live TV from the heart of CES.

Make sure to come see us - #9836 in central hall - and enter our sweepstakes for a free trip to the Vancouver games !!

NBCU at CES Sweepstakes

Want to win a trip to the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Games? Check this out.

NBCU At CES Sweepstakes ("Sweepstakes") Official Rules

NO PURCHASE OR SHORT MESSAGE SERVICE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. A PURCHASE WILL NOT INCREASE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING. OPEN ONLY TO LEGAL RESIDENTS OF THE FIFTY (50) UNITED STATES AND THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA WHO, AS OF THEIR DATE OF ENTRY, ARE REGISTERED ATTENDEES OF THE 2010 CONSUMER ELECTRONICS SHOW AND ARE OF THE LEGAL AGE OF MAJORITY IN THEIR JURISDICTION OF RESIDENCE (AND AT LEAST EIGHTEEN (18) YEARS OF AGE). VOID WHERE PROHIBITED.

Officers, directors and employees (and their immediate families (parent, child, spouse or sibling and their respective spouses, regardless of where they reside) and those living in their same households, whether or not related) of NBC Universal, Inc. ("Sponsor"), JagTag, Inc., NMA Entertainment and Marketing, and their respective parents, affiliates, subsidiaries and administrative, advertising and promotion agencies are not eligible to enter or win. By participating, entrants agree to be bound by these Official Rules and the decisions of the Sponsor, which are binding and final on all matters relating to this Sweepstakes. Sweepstakes is subject to all applicable federal, state and local laws

Between the start of the 2010 Consumer Electronics Show ("Show") at 10:00 am Pacific Time ("PT") on January 7, 2010, and the end of the Show at 4:00 pm PT on January 10, 2010 (the "Entry Period"), there are three (3) ways to enter: 1) During the Show (which ends on January 10, 2010), take a picture of the 2D JagTag barcode on display at the NBC Universal booth at the Show with your camera phone and by the end of the Entry Period, send the picture via MMS to shortcode 524824. Your mobile phone must be capable of sending and receiving MMS messages to participate via this method. Standard MMS message and data rates may apply. See your wireless provider for pricing plan details. All MMS message entries must be received by the end of the Entry Period, to be eligible. 2) During the Show, take a picture of the 2D JagTag barcode on display at the NBC Universal booth with your camera and by the end of the Entry Period, send the picture via email to nbcu@jagtag.com. Email entry must include your full name, complete address, date of birth and phone number and must be received by the end of the Entry Period, to be eligible. Normal Internet access and usage charges imposed by your on-line service will apply. Individuals who enter by submitting an MMS message will receive a reply message which will include the option of receiving a ten percent (10%) discount for NBC merchandise purchased at www.nbcuniversalstore.com ("Coupon") to his/her phone. Opting in or refusing to opt-in to receive the Coupon is optional and will not affect your chances of winning the Sweepstakes. Entries generated by script, macro or other automated or mechanical means are void. 3) Complete an Official Entry Form, available at the NBC Universal booth during the Show and deposit the completed Official Entry Form in the specially-marked ballot box by the end of the Show on January 10, 2010. All entries become the property of Sponsor and will not be acknowledged or returned. All entrants who opt-in according to instructions provided by Sponsor will receive a Coupon via text message or email as applicable. Entrants who enter via ballot box will receive a Coupon at the NBC Universal booth. Standard MMS message and data rates apply. Limit one (1) entry per person, regardless of method of entry.

WINNER SELECTION AND NOTIFICATION: One (1) potential winner will be selected by representatives of Sponsor in a random drawing held on or about January 19, 2010, from all eligible entries received. Odds of winning depend on the number of eligible entries received. Potential winner will be notified by phone, mail, text message and/or email. Potential winner must respond within forty eight (48) hours of such notification or he/she will forfeit the prize and an alternate winner will be selected by Sponsor from the remaining eligible entries. Potential winner will also be required to execute and return an affidavit of eligibility, a liability release and, where lawful, a publicity release within seven (7) days of date of issuance of the foregoing documents. If such documents are not returned within the specified time period, prize or prize notification is returned as undeliverable or the potential winner is not in compliance with these Official Rules or is otherwise ineligible, prize will be forfeited and an alternate winner selected by Sponsor from the remaining eligible entries.

GRAND PRIZE (1): A 4-day/3-night trip for winner and one (1) guest to Vancouver, British Columbia for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Games from February 18, 2010 through February 21, 2010. Trip includes the following items, each as determined by Sponsor in its sole discretion, round-trip coach class air transportation from a major airport nearest the winner's residence to Richmond, British Columbia, hotel accommodations (standard double occupancy room) at the Marriott Pinnacle Vancouver Hotel (or similar accommodation), round-trip ground transportation to/from airport and hotel and to/from hotel and events, breakfast daily, one (1) lunch, one (1) dinner (meal venues to be determined by Sponsor in its sole discretion) and access to the following events: Ice Hockey (Men's Preliminary); Figure Skating (Ice Dance Compulsory), Curling (Men's Qualification) and Short Track Speed Skating (Men's and Women's Qualification and Final). The Approximate Retail Value ("ARV") of the prize is ten thousand dollars (US$10,000). All international, federal, state and local taxes as well as any other expenses associated with prize acceptance and use not specified herein as being awarded are the winner's sole responsibility. Winner may not substitute, assign or transfer prize, but Sponsor reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to substitute a prize (or portion thereof) with one of comparable or greater value. All prize details are at Sponsor's sole discretion.

Grand Prize winner must complete travel on dates specified by Sponsor or prize will be forfeited and, time permitting prize may be awarded to an alternate winner. Blackout periods and other restrictions, conditions, and limitations may apply. Guest must be of legal age of majority in his/her jurisdiction of residence (and at least eighteen (18) years of age or older) and must travel together with winner on same itinerary, and sign a release of liability and publicity (unless prohibited by law) prior to issuance of travel documents or guest portion of prize will be forfeited. If the winner or guest is unable to participate or accept any portion of the prize for any reason, Sponsor shall have no further obligation to the winner and/or guest other than to supply the stated prize minus the refused, unaccepted portion of the prize package. Winner and guest are responsible for all required travel documents including passports and/or visas. Winner and guest are responsible for obtaining travel insurance (and all other forms of insurance) where applicable, at their option, and hereby acknowledge that the Sponsor has not and will not obtain or provide travel insurance or any other form of insurance.

GENERAL CONDITIONS: Released Parties (as defined below) are not responsible for lost, late, incomplete, inaccurate, stolen, delayed, misdirected, undelivered, illegible or unintelligible entries, garbled MMS or email messages or for unavailable network, server, wireless provider, Internet Service Provider (ISP), website, or other connections, availability or accessibility or miscommunications or failed computer, satellite, wireless, telephone or cable transmissions, lines, or technical failure or jumbled, scrambled, delayed, or misdirected transmissions or computer hardware or software malfunctions, failures or difficulties, or other errors or difficulties of any kind whether human, mechanical, electronic, computer, network, typographical, printing or otherwise relating to or in connection with the Sweepstakes, including, without limitation, errors or difficulties which may occur in connection with the administration of the Sweepstakes, the processing of entries, the announcement of the prize, or in any Sweepstakes-related materials including these Official Rules. Released Parties are also not responsible for any incorrect or inaccurate information, whether caused by site users, tampering, hacking, or by any equipment or programming associated with or utilized in the Sweepstakes. Released Parties are not responsible for injury or damage to entrants' or to any other person's computer related to or resulting from participating in this Sweepstakes. Persons who tamper with or abuse any aspect of the Sweepstakes or who are in violation of these Official Rules, as solely determined by Sponsor, will be disqualified and all associated entries will be void. Should any portion of the Sweepstakes be, in Sponsor's sole opinion, compromised by virus, worms, bugs, non-authorized human intervention or other causes which, in the sole opinion of the Sponsor, corrupt or impair the administration, security, fairness or proper play, or submission of entries, Sponsor reserves the right at its sole discretion to suspend, modify or terminate the  Sweepstakes and, if terminated, at its discretion, select the potential winner from all eligible, non-suspect MMS and email entries received prior to the time of the event warranting such termination or as otherwise deemed fair and appropriate by Sponsor. Entrants, by participating, agree that Sponsor, JagTag, Inc., NMA Entertainment and Marketing, and their respective parents, affiliates, subsidiaries and advertising and promotion agencies, and all of their respective officers, directors, employees, representatives and agents (collectively, "Released Parties") will have no liability whatsoever for, and shall be held harmless by entrants against, any liability, for any injuries, losses or damages of any kind, including death, to persons, or property resulting in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, from acceptance, possession, misuse or use of the prize (including any travel related thereto) or participation in this Sweepstakes. Winner, by acceptance of prize, except where legally prohibited, grants permission for Sponsor and its designees to use his/her name, address (city and state), photograph, voice, image and/or other likeness and prize information for advertising, trade, publicity and promotional purposes without further compensation, in any and all media now known or hereafter discovered, worldwide in perpetuity, without notice or review or approval. In the event of a dispute regarding entries received from multiple users having the same e-mail/MMS account, the authorized subscriber of the e-mail/MMS  account at the time of entry will be deemed to be the entrant and must comply with these rules. Authorized account subscriber of an email/MMS account is the natural person who is assigned the e-mail address by the Internet Service Provider (ISP), on-line service provider, or other organization responsible for assigning e-mail addresses. In the event of a dispute regarding entries received from multiple users having the same cellular phone number, the authorized subscriber of the cellular phone number at the time of entry will be deemed to be the entrant and must comply with these Official Rules. Authorized account subscriber of a cellular phone number is the natural person who is assigned the cellular phone number by the wireless service provider responsible for assigning that cellular phone number.

GOVERNING LAW: All issues and questions concerning the construction, validity, interpretation and enforceability of these Official Rules, or the rights and obligations of any entrant or the Released Parties in connection with the Sweepstakes, shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York without giving effect to any choice of law or conflict of law rules or provisions which would cause the application or the laws of any jurisdiction other than the State of New York.  If any controversy or claim arising out of or relating to the Sweepstakes, the Official Rules, or the breach of any term hereof, cannot be otherwise resolved, it shall be resolved by binding arbitration conducted in the County of New York, and administered by Judicial Arbitration and Mediation Services ("JAMS") in accordance with its Streamlined Arbitration Rules and Procedures or subsequent versions thereof (the "JAMS Rules").  The JAMS Rules for selection of an arbitrator shall be followed, except that the arbitrator shall be an experienced arbitrator licensed to practice law in New York.  The decision of the arbitrator shall be binding, final and conclusive and shall not be appealable to any court.  The remedy for any claim shall be limited to actual damages, and in no event shall any party be entitled to recover punitive, exemplary, consequential, or incidental damages, including attorney's fees or other such related costs of bringing a claim, or to rescind this agreement or seek injunctive or any other equitable relief.

WINNER'S NAME: For the name of the winner (available after January 31, 2010), send a self-addressed stamped envelope to: NBCU At CES Sweepstakes, c/o NMA Entertainment and Marketing, 298 5th Ave, New York, NY 10001 for receipt no later than February 10, 2010. NBC Universal, Inc.. 30 Rockefeller Plaza, New York, New York, 10112.

Behind the Scenes with Al Roker at CES

By Ryan Osborn, NBC News

Early this morning, Al Roker from the TODAY Show gave us a sneak peek at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas from the NBCU booth. Here's a video clip from TODAYshow.com:

CES officially opens tomorrow, Thursday, January 7th [via TODAY's All Day Blog].

Green Goes From Buzzword To Business As Usual

By Jon Accarrino, NBC Universal

Trevor Curwin, one of our blogger lounge participants from CES 2009, couldn't attend the show this year. But he did pass along a couple CES articles he just wrote for CNBC.com. Trevor expects we'll see a lot of green and energy companies at CES 2010. Guess we'll know for sure in a couple days. Links to the articles he wrote for CNBC.com are below.

Control4 home-energy monitor photo by Multiroom

Green Goes From Buzzword To Business As Usual
You'll see far less greenwashing at CES in 2010 as marketing-driven, green-themed products or brands for people with fat wallets take a backseat to less sexy incremental improvements.
http://www.cnbc.com/id/34622072/

Home-Energy Monitoring Devices Could Be CES Bright Spot
A desire to cut household operating costs while being green, along with a government push for energy efficiency, may power this new consumer gadget market.
http://www.cnbc.com/id/34622062/

NBCU Returns to CES 2010 as the Official Broadcast Partner

By Tausha Cowan, NBC Universal

This year, NBC Universal returns to the Consumer Electronics Show with a booth themed around the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics. Before the show, we got a chance to speak with NBC executives Alan Wurtzel and Perkins Miller and find out how CES ties in with  NBC Universal's Olympic plans.

NBC Universal will be broadcasting live from CES with original programming including CNBC's Closing Bell with Maria Bartiromo and MSNBC Your Business. Stop by and see us at Central Hall #9836.

NBCU at CES 2010

By Jeff Zucker, NBC Universal

I'm excited to say that this is NBC Universal's third consecutive year as the official broadcast partner of CES - one of the biggest and most exciting trade shows in the world.

We love coming here because we get a first look at the latest innovative products to come from the more than 2,500 members of the Consumer Electronics Association.

As a company dedicated to helping people enjoy our quality content whenever they like and wherever they are, we are naturally very interested in all the most recent technological breakthroughs. But, as we all know, even the most amazing new electronic device for watching video is only interesting if there is video worth watching on it.

That's where we come in. As the company behind some of the most informative and entertaining content to be found anywhere, we are thrilled to be here to showcase our content on the latest new platforms and devices.

Our focus this year is the Winter Olympic Games, which begin next month in Vancouver. This Olympics will give fans some amazing new ways to enjoy the competition. No matter what event you're most excited about, NBC Universal - together with our technology partners here at CES - will give you all the tools you need to make your experience with the Games
more memorable than ever.

Stop by our booth in the Central Hall and see for yourself.

Enjoy the show!

Jeff Zucker

CES Is Coming To Town!

By Giacinta Pace, NBC Universal

It's the most wonderful time of the year...no it's not Christmas, Hanukkah, or Kwanzaa that I am talking about and it isn't News Year's Eve either. It's the 2010 Consumer Electronics Show and it's only days away. After you tear open your gifts and ring in another new year, start packing your bags and head to Las Vegas for a few days of mechanical mayhem, January 7-10.

Here at NBC Universal, we are in the final planning stages for our booth, (Las Vegas Convention Center, Central Hall, Booth #9836) and I know you are going to love what you see. In honor of the Vancouver games, the Winter Olympics will be the main theme of our booth this year. Along with some new and exciting additions, you will find old favorites such as the infamous blogger lounge complete with 5 stations to accommodate bloggers from across the globe. The NBCU broadcast schedule is being finalized as we speak and there are plenty of surprise visitors in store for our live programming. And NBC's friendly and helpful Brand Ambassadors will be on hand to welcome you to our booth. I for one love being a part of this trade show and always look forward to seeing what our creative teams will think of next.

After months of countless meetings, there are only 11 days left until the doors of the convention center open... and there is still so much to do for all of us here at NBCU. Lots of last minute scurrying about and preparations, but it will no doubt get done in time. Before you know it, we will be reflecting on the whirlwind that was CES 2010 and prepping for CES 2011!

See you soon!

Getting Your CES Badge Holder

By Jon Accarrino, NBC Universal

Getting ready for CES? Don't forget to pack your business cards! Besides being an easy way to network and distribute your contact information, your might need your business cards to pickup your CES badge holder.

If you've already registered for CES, then you probably already got your badge in the mail. Obviously bring it with you to the show. But you will also need a badge holder before you can stroll into the Las Vegas Convention Center and check out all the great booths. Here's where the business cards come in handy.

Two forms of identification are required to pick up your badge holder:

• A photo ID such as a driver's license or passport.
• A business ID such as a business card, pay stub or statement on company letterhead indicating that you are representing that company at International CES.

You can pickup your badge holder at a variety of locations including the LVCC lobby, McCarran Airport and possibly even your hotel. Specific locations and hours of the badge holder pick up locations can be found on http://www.cesweb.org/

5 Tech Trends to Watch at CES 2010

By Peter Pachal, DVICE.com

There's a nip in the air and holiday decorations are everywhere. Tech enthusiasts know what that means -- the annual Consumer Electronics Show is just around the corner. Every year at the beginning of January, pretty much the entire technology industry descends on Las Vegas to show off the latest gadgets and gear from all over the world.

But you don't have to wait till 2010 to find out what those toys are going to be. DVICE has had its ear to the ground the past few months, listening for advance buzz about what the biggest CES stories will be. Here are the Top 5 CES trends that will set the agenda for the tech world in the New Year.

1. 3D HDTV
Virtually every major TV manufacturer has its own technology to bring the 3D experience to the home. The good news: It can be done, and at full HD resolution (1080p). The bad news: You'll need a new TV and Blu-ray player to get it. But rest assured manufacturers from Sony to Mitsubishi to Panasonic will be at CES to tell you why that's a good idea and why their 3D tech is the absolute best.

2. Pico Projectors
Pico projectors are tiny portable projectors that you can connect to devices like your iPhone for a big video image -- anytime, anywhere. Used to be they were a good idea only on paper, with real-world concerns like optics and battery life resulting in washed-out images. But advances in portable technology have turned these gadgets into formidable light cannons. We expect to see a few models at the show we'd actually buy.

3. E-readers
Now that Barnes & Noble and Sony have launched capable competitors to Amazon's Kindle, everyone's gotten the message that the e-reader market is red hot (whether or not it actually is). E-readers with names like Edge and Skiff are on the docket to be unveiled at CES 2010, with a few others certain to follow.

4. Connected Home Theater
Ethernet jacks have spread to both Blu-ray players and TVs, but now they're actually getting useful. Your home theater is now a portal to YouTube and Netflix. CES exhibitors like Dreamer and XstreamHD have plans to take the experience further in 2010 by opening up access to even more content, including games and 1080p movies.

5. Tablets
If your see some kind of portable screen at CES, you can bet it'll be a touchscreen, with capabilities that go far beyond simple video playback. Call them portable video players on steroids or a new crop of "ultraportable" PCs, tablets are becoming the norm, especially now that technologies like Wi-Fi connectivity and HD video playback are easier than ever to integrate.

Goodbye and Thank YOU from CES 2009!

By Mark Lukasiewicz, Jay Linden and Bill Hartnett, NBC Universal

Wow! We just spent four phenomenal days surrounded by electronics claiming to be bigger, louder, thinner, smarter and faster than last year. Of course our NBC Universal booth was bigger, louder and smarter than last year as well.

How can we sum up the sights, sounds and sensations of CES 2009?

We produced hours and hours of live NBCU broadcasts, plus the great people from Revision3 shot Tekzilla, Hak5 and HackCollege on our stage and in our booth.

We gave away 12,000 San Disk 2GB Micro SD drives and the thousands of folks who came to our booth scored over 15,000 pieces of NBC Universal content from the Mediaport-powered download kiosks.

We hosted over 100 bloggers in our new and improved Sharp NBC Universal Multimedia Lounge.

Nancy O'Dell made the cover of Vegas Magazine.

Jimmy Fallon made us laugh.

We met countless fascinating new people and got to check out some incredible new consumer electronics.

We watched thousands of people crowd around the 4 Microsoft Surface tables with Vectorform software and interact with NBCU films and TV shows.

And it all came together with the creative, dedicated talent of people across every part of NBC Universal.

Here's to next year...CES 2010!

Thank You!

NBC Universal: Entertainment You Can Touch. Content That Touches You.

What's Your iCue?

By Josh Holbreich, iCue

For the last two years, I've been working for NBC News on an education project called iCue.com, an interactive study aid for high school students, and its companion video trivia Facebook game, called "What's Your iCue?"

This trip to CES, however, is the first time I've really had the chance to see people - real people, i.e. people who are not co-workers or relatives - interact with both of these sites. And I've been blown away by the reception. I've been demonstrating both sites for the last two days. Between setting up trivia competitions where convention-goers try to beat each other's scores to win prizes and showing off the interactive learning capabilities of iCue.com, I've been doing a lot of talking and getting a lot of great reactions. We've had lines of people waiting to play the game and check out historic videos.

I don't want to be too sappy here, but the whole experience has added a third part to the NBC Universal booth's slogan (coined by our blogmaster Jon Accarrino), "Entertainment You Can Touch, Content that Touches You."

The first two parts are the sites themselves. You can dive deep into subjects that interest you - science, technology, history - by literally touching our videos, flipping the player over to see the keyword tags and sharing them with your friends.

The third part for me, the last mile of this whole process, is that I've been touched by seeing the people in the booth enjoying the entertainment and content that I've been toiling on for so long. It really has been one of the most rewarding experiences that I've had working for NBC.

Swag! Swag! Swag!

By Eliot Sakhartov, Gia Pace & Marisa Frongillo, NBC Universal

Swag! That's really what this show is about. Seriously, we've gotten almost a lifetime supply of breath mints just in the first 2 days. At the NBC Universal booth it's no different.

Our brand ambassadors are doing a lot of embassing while giving out 12,000 2GB micro SD cards, they gave away almost 5,000 the first day. Take the card over to one of the five Microsoft Surface tables, and you could win a prize like a Monk bobblehead, or a Battlestar Galactica toaster to an SNL script signed by the entire cast. Even if you don't win a signed Today Show mug, you can download free videos from the kiosks.

Our 12 brand ambassadors, dressed in all black with NBC logo shirts spend 10 hours working the crowds during the convention days. Their spirit and overall enthusiasm are quite commendable. Taryn Abrahamson, one of the brand ambassadors on loan from NBC Long Island City seems to always know exactly how to draw people in, answer their questions and lead them to all the booth hot spots. In fact, all the brand ambassadors are doing a fantastic job representing NBCU.

Taryn tells us that the smash hit of the booth is the Michael Scott "that's what she said" sound bite from The Office on the Surface DJ. Though she tells us that her favorite thing to do is add Mamma Mia to any mix.

NBCU at CES Sweepstakes Winners

Congratulations to all of the NBCU at CES sweepstakes winners who visited the NBC Universal booth at CES 2009.

1    Marvin Match
2    Stewart Wright
3    Gary Paxinos
4    Owen Anthony
5    Ethan Arberman
6    Mike Cipriano
7    Gerry Grifiths
8    Jeffrey Ye
9    Cory Houston
10    John Christy
11    Keith Thode
12    Melody Mar
13    Randy Goldsby
14    Morten Felsvang
15    Ana Valenzuela
16    Linda Curtis
17    Fatih Senel
18    Bill Hunt
19    Mike Keith
20    Vicky Landin
21    Francisco Del Rosal
22    Jared Marino
23    Serge Fidlon
24    Hao Gip
25    Christian Perreault
26    Steve Ruesch
27    Kuntal Sampat
28    Tom Flournoy
29    Mike Ferguson
30    Scott Hirleman
31    Charlotte Li
32    Carlos Sena
33    Christian Monette
34    Shant Kalanjian
35    Jumnong Sangthongkum
36    Neil Rizzo
37    Edward Chi
38    David Kuepper
39    Ronald Porter
40    Larry Brown
41    Kelly Murphy
42    Eddie Texon
43    Tom Perica
44    Cameron Greig
45    Rob Sayers
46    Eduardo Esquera
47    Larry Pennington
48    Keizo Yamamoto
49    William Rothman
50    Tristan Fuel
51    Peter Keller
52    Tony Stewart
53    Joe Bogushefsky
54    Hassane Elannan
55    Michael Boshaw
56    Steven North
57    Michelle Skiba
58    David Bailey
59    Renee Miles
60    Devin Goodwin
61    Vlad Gurovich
62    Mike Berry
63    Scott Marcus
64    Jon Clark
65    Don Bristow
66    Lester Ngia
67    Jeremy Aisenberg
68    Michael Pool
69    Lance Craig
70    Scott Pattison
71    Louis Castelli
72    Paulicos Pastacos
73    David Quick
74    Dima Sokolov
75    Nils Patel
76    Garrett Potter
77    Akiyosh Inoue
78    Mike Ueland
79    George Iwanyc
80    Juan Carlos Alvarado
81    Ehfrain Rivera
82    Chris Sang
83    Jose Rodriguez
84    Dennis Pret
85    Alan Messer
86    Maria Gabriela
87    Jeff Powers
88    Guy Edri
89    Kevin Lum
90    Daryl Lee
91    Nancy Arihara
92    Armando Mola
93    Carlos Harris
94    Emilie Delisle
95    Radicca Yee-Fong
96    Leo Baray
97    Adrian Loaiza
98    Michael Bruno
99    Scott Yee
100    Paul Naraine
101    Gerald Heater
102    Douglas Hart
103    Derrick Johnson
104    Wayne Nakano
105    Daniel Garza
106    Ingrid Yaddo
107    Leslie Cohen
108    Jaeman Kim
109    Michael Chiang
110    Craig Moon
111    Ning Xu
112    Mark Knox
113    Tara Turak
114    Mike Lutz
115    Mordechai Snlomio
116    Suzy Au
117    Jason Holt
118    Walter Curaba
119    JJ Lee
120    Garnet Gates
121    Jeremiah Cox
122    Bill Tricarico
123    Damien Tran
124    Jonathan Duncan
125    Lynn Beveridge
126    Pete Ludolph
127    Edward Bond
128    Mike Hsu
129    David Trinh
130    Maria Loera
131    Donald Sabatine
132    Mark Chouinard
133    Jim Ferguson
134    Robert Lembree
135    Kresten Sondergaard
136    Lisa Inoue
137    Shashi Sachdev
138    Janet Gutierrez
139    Andy Wheeler
140    Makiko Shimada
141    Jay Taylor
142    Ryne Nelson
143    Neal Amodio
144    Rafael Ortiz
145    Peter Henricsson
146    Philip Arnold
147    Masayuki Nakayama
148    Hannah Stillman
149    Mayumi Mizukami
150    Jeongmin Yoon
151    Mark Hoskins
152    Ashoke Mukherji
153    Francisco Quintana
154    John Chute
155    JJ Roznowski
156    Chih-Yao Hsieh
157    Winston Hu
158    Chelsey Brooks
159    Tim Hall
160    Sheila Davis
161    Carlos Vargas Jr
162    Akmal Khan
163    Sandy Fukunaga
164    Ali Raofi
165    Teresa Stanley
166    George Smith
167    Vardges Arakelyan
168    Carl Landrum
169    Chris Norris
170    Mike Acton
171    Timothy Bennett
172    Scott Berger
173    Samuel Cox
174    Brent Murray
175    Bob McVoy
176    Heidi McGilvray
177    Bob Reents
178    Felicia Manos
179    Jim Post
180    Veronica Equiarte
181    Ben Hodge
182    Azarael Arzola
183    YP Fang
184    Julian Dos Santos
185    Carla Hasse
186    Kevin McConn
187    John Flynn
188    Yuji Nishiyama
189    Felicia Bruchhagen
190    Sheena Dornan
191    Jonathan Hazan
192    Thomas Levassor
193    Tricia Bannerman
194    Curt Austin
195    Dennis Bendeck
196    William Parks
197    Bert Easley
198    Gary Bohannon
199    Martin Heine
200    Gary Sato
201    Darlene Staniszewski
202    Melissa Boland
203    Albert Yamane
204    Erkan Riza
205    Diamond Lo
206    Bob Jensen
207    Al Nolan
208    Moshe Levin
209    Nick Alexakos
210    Robert Roy
211    Gregory Poilasne
212    John Newman
213    Frances Lieu
214    John Yuen
215    Brett Escott
216    Jeffrey Rogers
217    Michael Vosse
218    Brian Gorsky
219    Alan Chen
220    David Schiavo
221    Josef Cuencin
222    Chris Rose
223    Steve Curnew
224    David Ray
225    Cesar Sanchez
226    Richard Fiesta
227    Steve Zaroukian
228    Gregory Lee
229    Cameron Woodmauree
230    Nathaniel Cox
231    Matt Snyder
232    Michael Scully
233    Tom Bundy
234    Mike Rooney
235    Lynn Morrison
236    Judy Simpson
237    Samuel Griffiths
238    Bob Malkowski
239    Allen Wong
240    Francis Arches
241    Neo Seung
242    David Gidanian
243    Matthew Mandegar
244    Patrick Chen
245    Chiayong Ly
246    Tony Tsai
247    Bob Wexler
248    Anderson Cheon
249    Darren Kammer
250    Mohammed Abdelmonem
251    Rob Huie
252    Artie Mattor
253    Teri DeCastro
254    Keith Piper
255    Mike Thompson
256    Chris Sloan
257    Bronson Blum
258    Steve Lee
259    Ryan Shin
260    Rex Wren
261    Craig Shultz
262    Corey Hertz
263    Pat Holt
264    Tom Albers
265    Harpal Sandhu
266    Rich Barbre
267    David Hargreaves
268    Louis Aviha
269    Ryan Oster
270    Michael Berg
271    Tom Moran
272    Charles Kokinos
273    Ben Lai
274    John Capizzi
275    Ian Slotin
276    Gabe White
277    John Boezinger
278    Arthur Crecca
279    Bill Cassidy
280    Karsten Hoppe
281    Ron Poblete
282    John Gee
283    Brian Freedman
284    Kevin Schlabach
285    Mike Roberts
286    James Field
287    Adam Martin
288    Roger Reynolds
289    Anthony Jarvis
290    Terry Behm
291    Jim Belcher
292    Tuan Tien
293    Mike Gustafson
294    Christine English
295    Peter Liapis
296    Julie Cripe
297    Nicholas DeTrogoff
298    Mattan Griffel
299    Charles Shestack
300    Stepan Staunuk
301    Ali Karim
302    Joe Thompson
303    Brandon Kaplan
304    Rahul Bhanot
305    Steve Vickers
306    Josh Levin
307    Andrew Wilding
308    Mike Gong
309    Feng Jiang
310    Jim Fruit
311    Jordan Rost
312    Ernst Ginkel
313    Beau Oyler
314    Marri Lunquist
315    Ngniem Pham
316    Ben Gonzalez
317    Manish Khushani
318    Leonard Palmer
319    John Reynolds
320    Anna Cheney
321    Ron Rubin
322    Brian Verenkoff
323    Steve Short
324    Quinn Li
325    Carson May
326    Terry Anne Romero
327    Tanapon Chandavasu
328    Pete Donovan
329    Jhon Brandstetter
330    David Los
331    Donna Lum
332    Mark Heisey
333    Andy Clipsham
334    Patrick Poon
335    Joe Valcik
336    Ryan Anieiete
337    Jim Castler
338    Ryan Kell
339    Eric Lee
340    Steve Harvey
341    Crystal Hill
342    Frank McCabe
343    Bruce Toney
344    Yee Tso
345    Shekhar Parmar
346    Simon Fisher
347    Bruce Boelkens
348    Adam Goldman
349    Kara Peterson
350    Aubrey Beck
351    Tsuyoshi Souma
352    Gregory Barnes
353    Dennis Boddreau
354    Mary Leonard
355    Bruce Kaufman
356    Jules Comeyne
357    Maude Marois-Dumoulin
358    Ethan Shields
359    Kent Rippey
360    Roni Daz
361    Daniel Ahdout
362    David Matney
363    Behzad Ilchi
364    Steven Cohen
365    Bill Haight
366    Ashad Nazari
367    Doris Sohn
368    Roy Calvert
369    Steve Recobs
370    Dan Preciado
371    Robert Dominix
372    Marissa Rafuse
373    Jane Clough
374    Ken Eltinge
375    George Scriban
376    Cheryl Tuckman
377    Jonathan Lozano
378    Manar Mahayuri
379    Frank Chang
380    Sangyul Ryu
381    Ji Hyun Park
382    Roger Fang
383    Jorge Pi
384    Usha Upadhyayula
385    Seth Needleman
386    David Krak
387    Jose Sool Tan
388    Dustin Huang
389    Danielle Van Lier
390    Michael Hidrosiollo
391    Daniel Ruder
392    Mark Austin
393    Kent Ferre
394    Dale Krendell
395    Richard Sisco
396    Julie Yong
397    John Vigil
398    Aaron Higley
399    Marci Zemen
400    Joe Rana
401    Gerard Gary
402    Michael Solgonick
403    John Kot
404    Scott Burger
405    Michael Austin
406    Gerrit Schoonhoven
407    Alan Hogan
408    Jeff Williamson
409    Isaias Delgado
410    Sarah Manganiello
411    Richard Boyce
412    John Silver
413    Amy Randall
414    Ron Cocanour
415    Dale Cheung
416    Michael Wu
417    Stew King
418    Karl Lewis-Lieber
419    Marty Shindler
420    Viriya Upatising
421    Robert Wong
422    Juli Black
423    Fred Hartson
424    Earnest DePass
425    Ronnie Kuchler
426    Sarah Boling
427    Carlos Curaca
428    Diana Ely
429    Tina Cipriano
430    David Kirsch
431    Soo Jang
432    Santiago Marquez
433    Pablo Salguero
434    Ozziel Loera
435    Esteban Jimenez
436    Max Corotts
437    Seema Sirivara
438    Elizabeth Riddington
439    Donald Conner
440    Jan Johnson
441    Samantha Ashhadi
442    Justin Massongill
443    Terri Brock
444    Jeffrey Ye
445    Vincent Contreras
446    Steven Baskin
447    Alex Schulga
448    Reggie Anderson
449    Idolina Walker
450    David Balsdon
451    Elinda Lubo Ariza
452    Kent Walker
453    Matt Boddreau
454    Shawn Shuter
455    Eddie Or
456    Zach Krapfl
457    Shehab Aly
458    Chantal Bolduc
459    Lance Revenaugh
460    Heather Studer
461    Emily Yagudin
462    Mike Vandemore
463    Vikas Moolchandani
464    Juan Janna
465    Darren Richer
466    Paulette Hernandez
467    Eduardo Sanguino
468    Craig Besnoy
469    Alex Nevelson
470    Joe Hayashi
471    Alan Mildwurm
472    Robert Delmonte
473    Shaine Grieshaber
474    Scott Taylor
475    Manual Mansour
476    Edward Demelo
477    Bob Robinson
478    Sean Quinonez
479    Ray Bacher
480    Bud Ente
481    Jeff Hoffman
482    Jet Shum
483    Norman Javier
484    Dan Curcio
485    Rolando Nakamire
486    Bud Korottin
487    Amaury Monsalve
488    Tanadet Itsarapakdetam
489    Melody Mandegar
490    Rob Winchell
491    Jeff Buettner
492    Victor Ward
493    Steve Yamamiya
494    Robern Guerin
495    Adam Glass
496    Victor Pizarro
497    Geoff Matthews
498    Greg Roberts
499    Barry Goodolf
500    Morten Haahr
501    Mike Conway
502    George Oms
503    Christian Kimberly-Bowen
504    Dan Fisher
505    Nicholas Kohut
506    Jesse Kissee
507    Alan Brill
508    Nicholas Lin
509    Alan Melvin
510    Chan Nguyen
511    David Gilmore
512    Feras Bakr
513    Ed Reardon
514    Robert Johnson
515    Hussein Abdallah
516    Clark Heiser
517    Shawn Rattai
518    Andrei Neimanis
519    Jianchun Zhang
520    Brian Crenshaw
521    Gino Gaudio
522    Sherry Wuthrich
523    Ray Seakan
524    Dalene Tharp
525    Bin Huang
526    Charles Roque
527    Dan Sternberg
528    Andrew Winne
529    Teresa Whitmore
530    Irene Fang

Official rules of the NBCU at CES Sweepstakes.

A Day in the Life of an NBCU Brand Ambassador

by Lynne Wisnefski, NBC Universal

I am TIRED, man.  My feet HURT.  I mean these dogs are BAR-KING.  Why is this carpet so squishy? I feel like I've been walking around a house of bounce for the past 8 hours.  But I should know that this comes with the territory.  Such ailments are the repercussions of ambassadoring the HECK out of NBC Universal at CES '09. I'm an NBCU brand ambassador.  And foot blisters and lower back pain aside, I'm stoked to be here.

What does a "brand ambassador" do, you ask?  Well! I am one of 12 trained NBCU professionals that were asked to be representatives on the floor of the NBCU booth to tell the CES attendees about NBCU's many many many many many sources of content and even show them how they can take some of that content home for themselves and check it out.  Try as I might I don't think I will ever be able to Identify all of NBCU's brands and even if I could, it all seems to be growing so rapidly that I'd have to study every day to keep up. (And if my boss is reading this, clearly I DO do that everyday...I was just being dramatic.)  But, I still think I was able to field the numerous questions directed at me relatively well.  I mean, visitors to the booth asked me everything from "Can you tell me about the DRM encoded on these WMV files I've downloaded from the kiosk into this Micro SD chip inside the USB adapter?" to "Where can we see Jeopardy?  (Just in case you didn't know... We are NOT filming Jeopardy in our booth.) to "What do I do with myself?". That one was a toughie.

While I wasn't exactly sure what the gentlemen asking the last question should do, I think the coolest thing WE do (and the thing of most interest to CES attendees) is that we give away the free 2GB drives that people can load content to as well as show everyone how to use the Microsoft Surfaces located throughout the booth.  All and all people have been very receptive.  Sometimes they have been very very receptive to the point of around 20 - 30 people surrounding me and reaching out open hands to get free drives.  People's excitement about NBCU content is so great!

When I haven't been handing out drives, showing Microsoft Surface technology, or helping people find direction in their lives,  I've gotten to take in all the neat stuff going on around the booth.  I was FREAKED OUT big time by the super spooky Unborn and The Last House on the Left trailers in the Universal screening area.  I hope I'm never ever possessed by my identical twin that unexpectedly died in utero or that I never have to deal with a band of homicidal maniacs on a rampage in my family's guest house because, clearly, that would be scary.  Thankfully, the Duplicity trailer ran right after and a trim looking Clive Owen turned my thoughts to other things.

Other things, like the USA Character Arcade!  How great are those games?  I have a special love in my heart for "Find Bunny".  Man, that bunny is good at hiding in tricky places like the noodle shop of Manhattan's Chinatown.  Vice Cream and Character Sudoku are other favorites.  I could spend hours of life on characterarcade.com. Hours that are outside of the office, of course.

 
Most of all, the TV and podcast production has been amazing.  It's so cool to see Live TV happening before your eyes.  I love to see the monitors show what is happening in real life just a few feet away from me.  I'm not gonna lie, the thought of what would happen if I ran in front of a camera and waved has crossed my mind...I mean, I could be broadcast across the country!  That and I could be tackled by security guards.
 
The so called "fish bowl" that shows how the directors and production crew are making the TV magic happen is great too. It's basically a Plexiglass room  housing the switcher and production computers. I'm not sure how much the crew enjoys the animal inside the zoo feeling that comes with people pressing their faces up against the glass to stare at them but I have enjoyed the staring. Only a few poor souls have actually face planted into the glass thinking it was open space.  I was ready to bust out the Windex to clear up face grease when needed.

 
I can't believe how quickly the show has gone.  I mean here we are heading into the final day already!  Time flies when you're ambassing a great brand.  Looking forward to day 4 tomorrow.  I'm sure I'll discover something new and yet to be explored in the booth.  For instance, how GREAT is this Sharp NBC Universal blogger lounge?  I love the "sitting down" aspect of it.  That and the dashing young blogger lounge host.  Thank you, Mr. Accarrino!

A Handful of CES Musings....

By Jason Bergsman, NBC Universal Digital Media Strategy and Business Development

I could write for days about what I saw at CES 2009 and the implications of it all, but with the benefit of a healthy separation from Vegas, here are a few reasonably quick musings.....

Special thanks to Glenn Reitmeier and Peter Rosenberg of NBC Universal, whose illuminating tours of the CES exhibition floors were most helpful in separating the wheat from the chaff...

---

1. Internet connections pervade new TVs, with embedded chipsets to enable an application environment...

Though simplistic news/information widgets have for years been touted at CES, they've offered limited functionality and appeal. Now, however, OEMs are establishing relationships with key providers of high quality IP-delivered content, such as Amazon and Netflix, enabling far more expansive and desirable use cases to exploit the burgeoning TV-internet connectivity.

Look for OEMs to aggressively forge partnerships with IP-delivered content providers (especially in film video on demand), which the OEMs will promote heavily to encourage consumer adoption--and stimulate more upgrades to internet-enabled TVs. Arguably imperceptible picture quality improvements, or ever-bigger and ever-thinner screens won't be sufficient to spur upgrades for mainstream existing LCD/plasma owners for some time to come. The manufacturers must perfect the user interface, however, and ultimately must allow for a more open platform to allow consumer choice among applications.

The direct connection model, especially if Tru2Way enabled, may ultimately place pressure on set-top box manufacturers and renters (i.e., MSOs), which may increase the likelihood that MSOs and telco television providers will charge consumers for internet access based on variable data use volume. As for Roku/Vudu and other box-based providers of similar services, as innovative as their products may now be, it seems unlikely that they will prove to be an enduring presence on the consumer products landscape, unless their platforms are integrated into set-top boxes or televisions--as TiVO has come to do.

2. Internet connectivity and streaming content everywhere on every device...

Whether in televisions, picture frames, netbooks, etc., native wireless broadband/WiFi enabled devices could be seen at every turn. Though connectivity issues may constrain or frustrate any device conducive to use on the go or in varied locations, the default net connectivity will allow devices to transcend rather more limited use cases.

A digital picture frame is not just a picture frame; it's soon to be yet another screen onto which content of all types--including video--can be beamed and streamed. A digital camera is not just a receptacle for static images; it's soon to be a dynamic, continual broadcaster of geo-tagged user-generated content. A Blu-ray DVD is not just a mode for the physical storage of content; rather, in Sony's vision, it will be a key to access supplemental, dynamic, and interactive materials on the internet, when played on a BD Live device. It will take time, but consumer definitions of devices based on their primary historical functionality will become more expansive and flexible.

Effortless internet access on netbooks will create even more demand for high-quality streaming content, consumed to consumers' delight on high-quality (perhaps super-thin HD-quality organic LED), reasonably sized, portable screens.

In a parallel but distinctive development, the introduction of the broadcast industry's mobile television broadcast standard ATSC should figure to markedly hasten the adoption of mobile television, both on phones and smartphones and for the first time, on notebooks/netbooks. ATSC allows for the broadcast of television signals to mobile phones using existing broadcast spectrum delivered to devices equipped with an ATSC compatible chip with conditional access capabilities that could enable premium subscription services. Working with wireless carriers, the broadcasters that constitute the ATSC consortium could create robust unicast on-demand services to supplement over the air ATSC broadcast video.

The entertainment industry motto of content "anywhere, anytime" will become no less hackneyed, but all the more accurate.

3. Albeit perhaps reluctantly, manufacturers have embraced low-end disruptive devices following evolving consumer behavior/preferences--and consumers win...

Economic circumstances will compel consumers to perhaps 'trade down' for their next purchase, which over time will no doubt cannibalize higher-end, higher margin products. In the amateur video production realm, consumers' demonstrated behavior of tolerating--and enjoying--low quality (relative to professional content, at least, created/delivered at professional standards) video (on YouTube, etc.) has in part laid the foundation for mounting demand for 'low end' camcorders that was kicked of by Pure Digital's innovative and highly successful Flip video series--which now comes in HD. Sony and other 'high-end' OEMs unveiled ~$200 competitors, which we can expect will continue to move upmarket in image quality and storage as relevant input costs continue to decline.

In the computing realm, consumers' now-established behavior of comfortably using their cellphones/smartphones for far more than just telephony and for basic data services, though with device-imposed tradeoffs, sets the stage for adoption of small, low-cost, and lightweight (both literally and in terms of the product attributes) netbook computers. Though the form factor will not allow for integrated peripherals like DVD players/burners, the processor won't allow for sophisticated graphics processing, and the screen size may not be conducive for all purposes, for most mainstream uses, the netbooks will prove to be more than sufficient for many consumers.

We've already seen screen sizes increase to the level of smaller notebooks, so it's certainly conceivable that consumers who need no more than word processing and presentation software (Microsoft-based or otherwise), web browsing, and email will look to netbooks as laptop replacements. The magnitude of this cannibalistic behavior perhaps has not been fully anticipated by computer manufacturers. For other individuals, netbooks will serve as supplemental mobile devices so long as connectivity is assured, battery life is reasonable, and startup is quick.

With ready internet access, the netbooks will continue to propel the propagation of cloud-based computing, through which the aforementioned applications--and the files they create--will need not reside locally, but rather will be stored centrally.

With good screens, streaming video, ATSC chips, and shrinking SD cards and USB storage devices that hold up to 64GB of data today and terabytes in the future, these low-cost portable devices will serve as powerful consoles for the consumption of stored and streaming video content on demand, and via terrestrial broadcast.

4. Though OEMs are pushing consumer 3D, adoption will remain limited regardless of the volume of 3D enabled programming delivered...

Early adopters and gamers may embrace the 3D TVs, but the need for glasses in most cases and the somewhat unsettling and uncomfortable nature of the viewing experience will most likely not spur the purchase of a dedicated 3D device. However, the ability to turn on/off the 3D functionality may increase adoption by cinephiles or by big sports fans in the home, or at the least by establishments that cater to such crowds (e.g., sports bars.)

In the chicken and egg conundrum, however, the need to have a dedicated production effort for such events will further confine 3D to the periphery for some time to come. Most consumers will dismiss it as a frivolous gimmick, especially in these market circumstances, which may turn the industry off of the notion altogether based on broadband volume. 3D will have more of an allure for occasion-based viewing in theaters however, primarily for blockbuster films. Home adoption may follow, but don't hold your breath.

5. Simplicity arrives. . .

The consumer electronics industry seems to have finally acknowledged that complexity in setting up, connecting, and navigating the controls of advanced devices has constrained their adoption and resonance.

Many manufacturers unveiled wireless-enabled products that can readily network with each other, making the prospect of the digital home ever more achievable--Samsung unveiled full wireless HD video transfer technology between living room devices that will be governed by a common user interface across all the networked devices. The user interface of the Palm Pre elegantly embodies the notion of intuitive simplicity, which was a focus of Steve Ballmer's keynote remarks about Windows 7. Toshiba demoed a television programming guide that groups content visually and spatially on an axis according to relevance of title, genre, person, and keyword. It's a ways away from a rollout, but represented advanced, experimental thinking around the organization of metadata relevant to consumer choice and preferences.

Simplicity was manifest in form factors as well, with Panasonic displaying a touch-based remote control that seeks to resist the button-based oppression of the complicated home entertainment center remote control. Apple has no doubt served as an inspiration to device designers and it shouldn't be long until a remote control emerges that's directly akin to the touch and motion-dependent controls of the iPhone/iPod touch itself.

Tekzilla and NBC Universal Hanging Out at CES

By Jon Accarrino, NBC Universal

Melissa Kondak from NBC Universal In Focus sat down with Patrick Norton and Veronica Belmont from Tekzilla to talk technology, television and podcasting.

HackCollege Live 3pm PST

By Kelly Sutton, HackCollege

Hak5 just finished doing their show on the main stage here in the NBC Universal CES booth.  HackCollege is up next. We're busy preparing for our show in the Sharp NBC Universal Multimedia Lounge.

If you are unfamiliar with HackCollege, it's a lifehacking show for and by college students. Every week, Chris and I hack anything from beer opening methods to study techniques. HackCollege is educating the students of the world about effective, open source software, putting techno-political arguments in everyday language, and creating a cult of "Students 2.0."

Please tune in and check us out! You can watch us at any of these links:

http://ces.revision3.com
http://ustream.tv/channel/hackcollege

We're on at 3 pm PST!

Hak5 Live from NBCU's Stage #1

By Jon Accarrino, NBC Universal

Right now Hak5 is doing a live streaming show on Stage #1 here in the NBC Universal CES booth. I'm trapped coordinating all the bloggers here in the Sharp NBC Universal Multimedia Lounge, but I'm watching Hak5's live show online and spying on them using our network camera in the lighting truss. But why should I have all the fun? If you want to get in queue to take control of the camera, just click here.

Why CES is Still Overwhelming for Me

By Aaron Broder, Scholastic

Every single year I've reported on CES for Scholastic, I seem to try a different method of preparation. The first year, I did very little preparation, intending to wander the halls, not realizing exactly how big the show floor was. That was... not ideal. The second year, I had almost every minute planned of where I was going to be and when. That also didn't work. So this year, I tried yet another approach - schedule a few big meetings, and then make a list of everything else I was interested in seeing.

One big problem. I'm still at the show for another day, and my list is empty. I'm sure that there are all sorts of interesting things around, but I have no idea where to start. Help!

Alright, I'm going to change the subject, before this turns into the same "CES is overwhelming" rant I had last year.

It may sound like a shameless plug, but I have to give major props to NBCU for the new booth. This is a lot cooler than last year's booth (which was already pretty awesome). I particularly love the Microsoft Surface tables spread around the booth - I'm a huge fan of the Surface, largely for the concept. Although I can't imagine a practical reason to have one in my house, I can't help but thinking of how awesome it would be to have one to play with.

Microsoft, by the way, was one of the big meetings that I scheduled. The most exciting was my interview with Steve Ballmer, the CEO of Microsoft! I had a spectacularly long list of questions for him, but I ended up decided to cut it down to about seven, because I thought that I had too many questions for the fifteen-minute interview I had.

Murphy's Law decided to rear its ugly head, however. I ran out of prepared questions fairly early on in the interview, and I had to wing it. Thankfully, I managed to hold my own for the remainder of the interview, but there is a lesson here: always make a list of questions much longer than the interview is going to be.

Besides that, I've also gotten to see a lot of cool (and some weird) products. Mattel, for example, has this "Mindflex" thing where you where a headband that measures how much you are concentrating, and converts it to a fan that moves a ball up and down. And in the Gaming TechZone, there are some companies trying to cash in on Guitar Hero and Rock Band's success (some effectively and some... not, as in the picture below).

Well, I don't want to take too much of your time. I guess I'll be going now. If anyone has a good organization technique for CES, I would love to hear it.

Bye!

P.S. Oh, man! Patrick Norton and Veronica Belmont from Revision3's Tekzilla are right in front of me on the NBC Universal main stage! No way!

The Last Gadget Standing

By Bonnie Optekman, NBC News

Ok - I'm crawling to the finish line!  Last day for me!
 
I went to The Last Gadget Standing - always a crowd pleaser - this morning.  After 150 submissions, 25 semi-finalists and 10 finalists, winners were chosen. The winner from on-line voters was the emWave PSR (personal stress reliever - a bio-feedback device).  After demos from the 10 finalists in the room, the winner from applause metering was, for the second year in a row, Eye-Fi Video which is a wireless memory card that has Wi-Fi in it allowing you to upload video as well as photos to your computer or the web.  They partnered with YouTube.  They gave a great presentation and I loved the phrase they used.  They said it was meant to free videos and photos from "photo prison."
 
I talked about Panasonic's 3D show yesterday.  Well - today I went to the one at Intel as well as Sony.  And it looks like I've got some time to build my dream home theater.  The folks at Intel, who are partnering with Dreamworks for 3D which explains why they were showing their coming movie "Monsters vs Aliens," told me there are roughly eight or nine different 3D formats out there for different TVs.  So it's Blu-ray vs HD-DVD all over again. This could take years..  And as far as I can discern, all three were amazing.
 
There were lots of other amazing things at SONY.  In fact it was the second busiest booth I've been to.  (Next to NBC Universal of course. Listen, I know who issues my paycheck.)  People were gathered around the Sony Flexible OLED.


It is literally made of a material that folds and rolls.  They're still thinking of applications in addition to a folding laptop and a bracelet mpeg3 player.  And people gathered around the 11" Sony OLED TV - the only OLED currently on the market - as much as they did last year.This year they also have one that's one third the depth - 3mm - called the XEL-1.  Displayed is a 27" prototype and they said they're committed to going larger but that they didn't have any announcements yet as to when that would be.  I got a little lesson in OLED (the O stands for organic, not the Cirque du Soleil show).  The headlines for me were that they use 40% less power because they have no backlight - you're looking right at the pixels - and because they're so thin.  They look so darn great - one million to one contrast - brighter brights and darker darks (I just felt like I typed a slogan for detergent).  Samsung, by the way, is showing "Full HD" which is what is referred to as 1080p as well as something they call Ultra HD which has even higher resolution (3840 x 2160) but what content is out there that would take advantage of it?

Back to Sony, I held their latest camcorder in my hand - HDR XR 520V - which does geotagging, but I have to say I really liked the Canon AVCHD.  It feels really good in the hand and is nice and light and they have some great features like a quick video snap and the ability to do photo capture from a video.
 
I also stopped by Microsoft and confirmed for myself that I'll wait for Windows 7 and skip Vista.
 
BTW,  according to my very unoffcial, anecdotal experiences and questions of the locals like the wonderful Vegas taxi drivers, this year was definitely less well attended.  One driver told me that on Thursday he did 21 trips and during the same time frame last year, he did 30.

Finally, I must show you something I saw called the Crayola Digital Camcorder from Sakar International.  My niece and nephew Ben and Abby will love it.  Then again, they may just want to use the new Canon.

Blu-ray is Here to Stay

By Liz Savery, Sharp

It's hard to believe that just a year ago, we were all still waiting to see where the chips would fall in terms of high definition optical discs.  Blu-ray is so ingrained in our lexicon now - already - and judging from the range of products available here at CES, it's here to stay.

It's true that there's a huge range of choices available for movie-watching in other formats, like Netflix's deal with TiVo, but you still want to have your favorite movies in your home, so you know they're there when you need them.  Last Saturday night, I was all set to watch "Gone Baby Gone" via my Netflix account, and my home network went down.  No more Netflix.  I nearly went out that very night to buy the movie, because I was so disappointed.  I may not have as large a Blu-ray collection as, say, my VHS collection used to be, but I still want my movies at hand.  I'm pretty sure there are a lot of folks in my camp on this issue - I've heard from a number of sources that the Blu-ray version of "The Dark Knight" flew out of stores to the tune of 600,000 copies in one day!

U.S. viewers own about 10 million Blu-ray players, from a wide variety of manufacturers.  Sharp was an early proponent of Blu-ray and has upped the ante here with an AQUOS series of LCD TVs that boast built-in Blu-ray players.  No muss, no fuss, everything you need for movie night in one gorgeous package.  All you have to do is load a disc - the TV will turn itself on and start playing your movie.  They come in a range of sizes from the 32-inch class up to the 52-inch class, to give you home theater options for the living room, bedroom or home office.

Stop by the Sharp booth in the Central Hall and check them out!

Back to the Future

By Bonnie Optekman, NBC News

The talk of mainstreaming the 3D experience has been around for such a long time.  Well, I'm here to tell you that if you're here in Vegas land, do NOT miss the Panasonic 3D full HD 1080p show on a 103" plasma screen playing off a Blu-ray player.  Easily outshines any Imax theater I've ever been to.  Worth wearing the goofy glasses for.  This is NOT your father's 3D.  Rain falls on you, basketballs get thrown at you, cars come at you.  At least in your imagination.  I'm definitely getting it for my imaginary home theater in my imaginary huge new apartment.  NBC colleague Andrew Turner just came by and told me that Intel also has a 3D theater.  Gotta check that one out too.  And a shout out to the really nice folks at Panasonic.  They spotted me a cable for my Lumix camera since I left mine at home.

What else from the past? Well - the Polaroid camera PoGo that prints immediate pictures for sure.  Fits in the palm of your hand.  I vaguely remember having a Polaroid "swinger" that not only printed the pix but had "Yes" and "No" lights that were red and green.  Sort of an early version of pressing the button halfway down to focus.  I'm embarrassed to say I even remember the jingle.  I'll spare you.

And, number three in yesterday's hit parade - the LG "Dick Tracy" watch phone.  (They're not calling it that.) Touch screen that feels heat of fingers but works through gloves (i don't get that); water resistant; tempered glass to avoid scratches; quad band; voice activated dialing; customizable watch faces; text messaging; text to speech (it reads you your messages); mpeg3 player; blue tooth enabled or hold it to your ear like Mr. Tracy; and get this -- it has a tiny camera for video conferencing.  I could only look at it behind the case and the rep said he'll eventually have one on his wrist but it will have to stay on his wrist (read-you can't touch). Due Q2 in Europe.  Date up in the air in the US.  And since this is all about me - I remember my mother buying me a tiny transistor radio that fit on my wrist like a watch.  Gotta find that.  You remember radio.  That thing you can get on your iPod with a special attachment.

Let's keep talking phones for a minute.  I saw a really impressive one at the Sands where the CES Innovation award winners are as well as a host of new technology vendors.  The Icephone acts not just as a phone, texting device and gaming controller but unfolds into three pieces.  It was developed for the military such that a dogtag can be inserted in order to send pertinent information about a wounded soldier to the nearest hospital who will then be ready.

I'm sure the people at the MediaFlo booth are happy with me today (read sarcastically).  I made them switch the channels on all their LIVE TV phones to show NBC2GO.  I've actually been doing that at a lot of wireless vendor booths.  My work here is done.

As for my next phone,  I need easier texting than with a numeric keypad as well as simple phone functions and, of course, VCast videos and VCast TV (MediaFlo).  I believe, ladies & gentleman, I have a winner.  The Motorola KRAVE. The keyboard is virtual and that takes some getting used to just as it does on the iPhone/iPod Touch but it beats pressing a key four times to get the right letter.  It does everything I need and it's really classy looking AND it's a clamshell with a clear cover.  Clamshells have been on the way out as texting has become more prevalent and people have wanted qwerty keyboards.

 
By the way, did you know that according to the CTIA (wireless association), the volume of text messaging in the US has grown tenfold in the past three years?  As of December 26th, Randall Stross said in the NY Times that about 2.5 trillion messages will have been sent from cellphones worldwide this year.  We got into it big time this year at NBC News, adding to our sub services by doing election based surveys on MSNBC with record turnout.

This is for my colleague, NBC Nightly News director Brett Holey.  Several manufacturers are making the portable Pico projectors - Samsung, 3M, WowWee, Vuzix.  Size of image projected can be 50" as long as it's a dimly lit room.  Focus not an issue.  But it won't replace a room projector.  Nor is it likely to give off enough light to act as a backdrop for a shoot.  Here's a tip.  You can leave light on in the back of room - just not on the surface you're projecting onto.  I also couldn't resist trying the my.vu  personal media viewer.


Takes output video from iPod for example and you see it larger on your "personal" screen.  There are several companies making these.  My.Vu's has their electronics on the side pieces to make it more comfortable but it still felt a little heavy on my nose.  But then again, I should have adjusted it more completely.

Here's a factoid for today - which I have not confirmed with a second source.  10% of American women carry a tape measure with them say the folks at Toolcode.  And many men as well as women get measurements wrong or forget as they measure.  So they invented one that gives a digital readout. Good idea but as I honestly told them, a little too heavy in current form for carrying around.  Despite this, they quote MSN.com listing it as the number 1 stocking stuffer this year.  Who knew?

See you tomorrow.

Blogging at CES 2009

By Christopher Loncto, Sharp

Even amidst the doom and gloom of today's economy, it's amazing to me how much opportunity is out there. This morning I had two meetings that really energized me about the future of business, and the potential of Sharp, the company I work for.

First, a meeting with a well known company on the forefront of communication and while, I can't say what was proposed, or if anything would ever come out of it, I was excited about the opportunity.

Then, sitting down here at the Sharp NBC Universal Multimedia Lounge, I struck up a conversation with Rohit Bhargava, the SVP of Digital Strategy and Marketing at Ogilvy. I'm very intrigued with digital marketing and social media, and Rohit hit me right off the bat with some interesting concepts. He's written a book called Personality Not Included, which is all about creating and maintaining conversations with your customers. Should be great airplane reading for me tomorrow - if I'm not sleeping. Why I scheduled myself on an 8:20AM flight I cannot say. But I will get to see my wife and boys a little earlier, so that's a benefit.

Things have been busy here at the big show. Even though the overall attendance seems down the media presence seems to be just as large as last year's, and that has kept us busy. I was pleased to see some of our key press at our party last night at XS in the Wynn. I was even told we held the best press conference of all manufacturers, which was very flattering, considering the source.

Speaking of our party, we had a blast. As the official HDTV of Major League Baseball, some MLB stars like David Ortiz, John Maine, Joba Chamberlain and Hanley Ramirez stopped by to talk and take pictures with our guests. Very cool. NBC's Jimmy Fallon also stopped by, but unfortunately I didn't get to meet him.

I still haven't had a chance to check out the competition and the wireless things I've been meaning to. With a show this big I probably will get to see about 1% of what I want to see. I better go now.

Thanks for reading. This has been a lot of fun.

Maria Bartiromo Packs The House!

Jimmy Fallon's Zilla

By Jon Accarrino & Ramona Schindelheim

Jimmy Fallon is roaming around the NBC Universal CES booth with a wild multi-cam backpack called the "Zilla." It kind of looks like Robocop exploded and someone attached a bunch of cameras to the pieces. As you can see in the video below, Jimmy sarcastically calls this confangled contraption a "Top Secret Spy Cam" because it's so small and undetectable that no one will notice it.

This top secret Manned Mobile Studio Halo (MMSH) was unveiled by NBC Universal Field and Satellite Operations at CES today.

The visionaries behind Zilla, Stacy Brady and John Kautz, had to give the MMSH a new nickname today, "JimZilla," as Jimmy Fallon took it for a test drive (see video attached).

Zilla is a COFDM microwave with on board switcher and 3 cameras; one operator POV and two robotic cameras controlled by the operator. Zilla weighs less than 20 lbs and adds to the creative content gathering arsenal of NBC Universal.

The Hak5 crew definitely noticed it. They were in the middle of a production meeting for their show later today in the NBCU booth when Jimmy brought a horde of fans by the Sharp NBC Universal Multimedia Lounge.

Swag the Bloggers

By Mark Miano, NBC News/NBC Learn

One of the bonuses of attending a trade show like CES is the free stuff we all get - more commonly known as SWAG.  It seems like everybody here is handing out something and the NBC Universal booth is certainly no exception.

NBC's Melissa Kondak posted earlier this week about one of our big giveaways: thousands of 2 GB micro SanDisk cards that visitors can use to download free NBC Universal content and even win prizes such as signed scripts, photos and other cool props. If you're at CES, stop by while these micro sd cards last!

Ah, but the NBC swag doesn't stop there. Our booth also has a special blogging station in the Sharp NBC Universal Multimedia Lounge (where I'm writing this) and scheduled bloggers are getting this free blogger goodie bag.

The bag has an assortment of blogging tools, USB adapters, flash drives, a mini mouse, minty snacks, a water bottle and other blogger essentials.

There's even this strange but somehow mesmerizing glowing orb that comes from my unit, NBC Learn.

NBC Learn is showcasing two websites at CES, iCue and What's Your iCue. iCue is an educational website built with thousands of historic videos from the NBC News archives. It's an amazing site that won the 2008 WebAward for "Best Newsite."

We also recently launched What's Your iCue, Facebook's first and only video trivia quiz game. You'll lose hours playing this app, which has multiple quiz categories, hundreds of videos from the NBC News archives, and thousands of trivia questions.  We've already found several top notch sponsors for the game, including University of Phoenix, Lexus and Intel. Consider these NBC Learn websites some CES swag for you folks who can't be here - the free gifts of a little knowledge and lots of fun.

Take the NBC News Video Trivia Challenge!

By Josh Holbreich and Mark Miano, NBC Learn

Day 2 in Las Vegas and it's time to raise the stakes.

If you're feeling lucky, come over to the NBC Universal booth and take the WHAT'S YOUR iCUE? Video Trivia Challenge. Bring a friend and play against each other for a chance to win a prize!

WHAT'S YOUR iCUE? is a fun, fast paced game with multiple categories and thousands of questions based on clips pulled from over 80 years worth of NBC News film and television -- put your i.q.s to the icue test and win!

NBCU at CES Spy Cam

By Jon Accarrino, NBC Universal

The NBC Long Island City guys just setup a "spy cam" in the lighting truss ring above Stage #1 in the NBC Universal CES booth. Each user can take full control the camera for 30 seconds. Pan, tilt, zoom. Give it a try below.

Image Size: Small / Medium / Large

NBCU Booth Setup

By Eliot Sakhartov and Marisa Frongillo

It's amazing to see how quickly things come together.  I was here at CES last year, and saw the booth go from boxes in the middle of a warehouse to a full broadcast media stage in three days.

This year, the NBC Universal booth is more than twice the size and with even more attractions (including this fancy new Sharp NBC Universal Multimedia Lounge). There are 104 Sharp TV's, 53 engineers, and $3.8 million dollars worth of camera and communications equipment setup and ready to broadcast in HD in the same amount of time.

If you turn on CNBC, Access Hollywood, MSNBC, Telemundo or watch Jimmy Fallon, or check out the booth webcam you'll see them broadcasting from CES 2009.  With all these moving parts things, there's far less chaos than you'd expect.

Jimmy Fallon CES Interview

Melissa Kondak, of NBC Universal In Focus, sits down with Jimmy Fallon at #CES09 to talk about his new show, stand up comedy, and robots??!

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OMG - I just met Jimmy Fallon

By Bonnie Optekman, NBC News

OMG - I just met Jimmy Fallon! He may be the NICEST person on the PLANET.  I don't get too star struck being in this business but he is an exception.  And he is exceptional.

Ok - on to why I'm here.

"But Cap'n, there isn't enough power!" Remember Scotty from Star Trek saying that to Captain Kirk whenever he was asked to make the Enterprise do more?  Well, that came to me during all three of the sessions I went to today.

Wait, I'm way ahead of myself.  Let me briefly bring you up to date on my travels thus far. Wed, my 10am flight from JFK to Vegas was delayed by FIVE hours. There was, as the pilot described, a "ding" in the aircraft that had to be repaired before they'd let him fly.  So 12 hours later I arrived in a "dingless" plane, checked into Caesar's Palace, dragged myself to my room to find it wasn't ready yet.  But a gorgeous room it was so I put down my bags (carry-on! i was so proud of myself), changed my blouse, let the housekeeper get back to work and wandered down to the lobby.  Deciding to carpe diem, I walked over to the Bette Midler theatre and they had tix for the show starting in 10 minutes.  How spontaneous of me! Expensive but better spent than left on the tables. One magarita and a quesadilla later at Mesa Grill, I finally called it a day/night.  This morning told me I should've skipped the former.

General impressions - only slightly less crowded this year but the exhibits just as overwhelming.  Haven't had time to do much exploring but I did pass Motorola where they were showing off their Moto bluetooth earpiece and since there's about a 10 minute window when I actually own something before it's obsolete I couldn't resist.  They had some other cool stuff like portable music speakers, interactive TVs and 4G devices but no handouts, pamphlets or literature of any kind.  Interesting.  Wonder if they're just not here yet or that's a cost saving measure. LG has a really cool "skycharger" powered by the sun and wind outside where you can put your cellphone in a locker and pick it up fully charged. Box lunch in the press room not bad.  Vegetable quesadilla, chips, apple, Oreos. 

But back to where I started. Went to 3 "super sessions" What Will They Think of Next? Consumer Technology in 2025 first.  And, by the way, that's way too long to forecast.  All the predictions focused on 3 to 5 years if not sooner.  Everyone on the panel agreed on the following -- simplicity, power, bringing the Third World up to speed.  Simplicity - think iPod, Wii, Flip.  And no tangle of wires.  And easy interactivity.  Power - people are going to want all functions available on all devices and choose the one they want to use based on what they're doing and where they're going - form as well as function.  So even the handhelds will need reliable and long lasting power.  Next came Wireless Meets Consumer Electronics: The Fundamental Shift to Mobility - interestingly, the first wireless supersession at a CES.  The entire panel agreed that 2008 was the year of wireless and now companies have to deliver the goods and that within 3-5 years all consumer devices will have at least part of their designs be wireless.  Wireless was defined as freedom - and here comes that power discussion again - from wires as well as location.  And that leads to the other theme I'm hearing - the cloud, which was the subject of my favorite session - CNET's Next Big Thing-Living in the Cloud-Devices, Services & Bandwidth.

Ok, my time is coming to a close.  More later.  I haven't plugged yet!  Follow me on Twitter @boptekman.  And sign up for some of our text alerts.  Text to 622639 one or more of the following:  NN (for Nightly), MTP (Meet The Press), FIRST (First Read), JOE (Morning Joe), HB (Hardball).  Or BUZZ to 46833 for entertainment.

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Building the NBC Universal CES Booth

By Eliot Sakhartov and Marisa Frongillo

It's amazing to see how quickly things come together. I was at CES last year, and saw the NBC Universal booth go from boxes in the middle of a warehouse to a full broadcast media stage in 3 days.

This year, the booth is more than twice the size and with even more attractions (including this fancy new bloggers lounge). There are 104 Sharp TVs, 53 engineers, and $3.8million dollars worth of camera and communications equipment setup and ready to broadcast in HD in the same amount of time.

Want to see what's going on in the booth right now? Check out this live webcam.

Free Giveaways in the NBCU CES Booth

Are you a winner? Come to the NBC Universal booth at CES and you may win a prize in the NBCU at CES Sweepstakes. 

While supplies last, guests will receive a free NBCU microSD card with sweepstakes entry when they visit Central #12133.  Placing the entry on any Microsoft Surface in the booth will reveal whether "we have a winner!"  Prizes include "Battlestar Galactica" DVD's, "Monk" Bobbleheads, NBC Olympics polo shirts and more. One lucky winner will receive an original script from "Saturday Night Live" signed by the entire cast.

You can read the official sweepstakes rules here. Entries and supplies are limited, so come to the NBCU booth to find out if you are a winner!

Obsessed @ CES

By Jennifer Kavanagh, Oxygen

Before I tell you the three things I am Obsessed with this year, I must first confess that this is my first, official blog of any kind (so go easy).  Have to admit the cushy digs offered up by the blogger lounge have taken the edge off.  That and Jon Accarrino's BlackBerry smarts. He helped me get these photos off my phone. 
 
Ok, confession out of the way I'll move on to my Obsessions.  I realize I'm biased to a degree as an NBCU employee but seriously, the media lounge this year is unreal.  It was amazing last year but this year is bigger and better than ever.  After my thorough tour of the Sharp NBC Universal Multimedia Lounge in its entirety, I've selected the 3 things I'm obsessed with.  Here we go...

1.  How Far We've Come... Oxygen That Is
I've been working for Oxygen for a little over 2 years now.  One year pre-NBCU and one year post.  It's hard to put into words how cool it is to see shows like Tori & Dean: Home Sweet Hollywood and Bad Girls Club on display with 30 Rock, The Office and House to name a few.  There is no doubt that this network has been re-imagined under NBCU and is "Living Out Loud" like never before - go Oxygen, it's your birthday....

2.  Lester Holt! 
I ran into one of my favorite NBCU personalities while mutually checking out a sexy wall of flat screens reeling content from all the NBCU nets.  I couldn't resist, I am a huge fan and who says only women can "Live Out Loud?"  Did you know Lester is not only strikingly handsome, totes personable AND a successful anchor and journalist but plays the Bass guitar?!  Yep, he and a group of NBCU talent even produced a House soundtrack together (thanks to Bill Hartnett for that factoid).
 

 
3.  "Gettin' on the Inside"
One of the most amazing features at the NBCU exhibit is the fully functioning set.  It's fascinating to see the "inside" of what goes into producing shows like "Closing Bell" with host Maria Bartiromo (who is shooting as I write this).  She's defnitely drawn the largest crowd that I've seen so far today and has the most amazing shoes!  I'm probably the only one more focused on her wardrobe that how the markets did today.  Just being honest. 
 

 
Anyway, the Sharp NBC Universal Multimedia Lounge, Oxygen's journey, Lester's musical proclivity and Maria's shoes are "Living Out Loud" at CES 2009.
 
Cheers!

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Palm Pre - The Hottest Phone at CES

By Ramona Schindelheim, CNBC

"Wow!!" People who saw the Palm Pre in action couldn't stop saying "Wow". The Pre is the first phone based on Palm's revolutionary webOS mobile platform and is easily one of the most-talked-about new products at CES. webOS allows you to be constantly connected to the web. That means your calendar and contacts travel wherever you do. Your calendar isn't tied to one phone or other device. And it has a keyboard. It is definitely a very cool phone!

Roger MacNamee, co-founder of Elevation Partners and Palm investor, showed CNBC's Maria Bartiromo how it worked before co-anchoring Closing Bell from the NBCU booth.

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CES is Sounding Better all the Time

By Liz Savery, Sharp

Anyone who attends CES knows that the major visual here is the TVs.  From the moment you walk in to the convention center, you're assaulted with all kinds of TVs, representing all kinds of technologies and projection methods. Small ones, huge ones, thin ones, backlighting, sidelighting - anything you can think of! The experience of watching TV at home just keeps getting better.  Another area that's changing is television sound - walking through CES ten years ago meant a barrage of straight-line sounds from TVs on display.  Now, though, it's a surround-sound assault as you move from booth to booth.  I hardly know where to stop and listen!  Even though today is the first day and I don't really have a good grasp of the whole show yet, I've noticed that a number of manufacturers are paying more attention to sound. It's the next logical step, after all - we have amazing picture technology, so pairing that with amazing sound creates a home-theater experience that can't be beat.

Sharp has a great product that really enhances home viewing, without a lot of cost or set-up hassle.  The HT-SB300 and HT-SB200 2.1 Channel Sound Bars are lightweight and powerful, and they'll make you look like you're a whole lot smarter about home theater choices than you really may be.  I actually have one of these devices in my home, from another manufacturer (now I'm sorry I didn't wait for the Sharp) and I can honestly say that it makes a big difference, whether I'm watching a football game or a movie. They incorporate left and right speakers and a subwoofer in one nifty low-profile package. The Sharp units are also not at all painful to look at, either - they're sleek and shiny and add a nice dash of tasteful high-tech to your living room, no matter what your décor.

There's another logical tie-in with this product. We may all be talking about technology at CES, but the other thing we're all talking about is the economy.  Last night, at the CES keynote, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer said, "No matter what happens with the economy, our digital lives will only get richer."

And how. For not a whole lot of money at all (about $250) you can bump your TV's sound from fair to fabulous.  Better sound just makes for a better experience.

A Very Busy CNBC Afternoon

By Ramona Schindelheim, CNBC

A very busy afternoon for CNBC in the NBCU booth. Lots of noise and excitement when Jerry Yang and Susan Decker of Yahoo stopped by. They just wanted to see what NBCU was up to.

Our media correspondent Julia Boorstin pulled Decker aside and snagged an on-camera interview. Julia then sat down for a live one-on-one interview with Anne Sweeny of Disney. A little later, during the live broadcast of CNBC's Closing Bell, Maria Bartiromo had a parade of big tech names... David Katzenberg, Dreamworks Co-founder; Roger MacNamee, Elevation Partners Co-Founder; Sharp CEO Doug Koshima; and Tony Perkins, Founder of Always On Network and Red Herring.

There was a huge crowd throughout the show, especially when Maria sat down with pro baseball players Joba Chamberlain of the Yankees and David Ortiz of the Red Sox. They had popped over from our neighboring booth, Sharp. Seems like an unlikely pair, but no punches were thrown.

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Revision3 Covers CES from NBC Universal's Booth

By Jim Louderback, Revision3

When you count 'em up, Revision3's CES coverage team has something like 59 combined years of CES experience.  But this one's going to be the best of all, because we've been invited by NBC Universal to visit their mega-stage, smack dab in the middle of CES's main hall, with  our unique blend of entertainment and insight. .

While Al Roker, MSNBC, CNBC, Access Hollywood and all of NBC Universal's properties cover the show and the industry from every angle, we'll continue to bring you our take on the details behind all the new gadgets, gear and gizmos on the show floor. And thanks to our friends at NBC Universal, we'll be bringing you live shows every day, right from the NBC Universal booth (#12133, Central Hall).

That's right, where Al Roker sat, Patrick Norton will sit.  Where Maria Bartiromo sat, Veronica Belmont will sit. Is that cool or what?

Seriously, we're excited. Revision3's authentic, independent and insightful look at the gear and gadgets of CES offers a natural complement to NBC Universal. We share the same vision for internet video, and for how important CES is to the world. So from everyone at Revision3, a big thanks to all of NBC Universal for inviting us in, and letting us play with your toys. We promise to put them back when we're done.

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CNBC and the Global Media Awards

By Steve Fastook, CNBC

Something really cool happening at the CES show this year is the first ever Global Media Awards ceremony. It is tonight. The Global Media Awards was created by NATAS, the National Television Academy, yes the Emmys! CNBC is nominated for a product we launched a little more than a year ago called CNBC HD+.  It's a service for investors that uses HD screen space in a new way.  Many broadcasters have copied it and we are flattered.  Rather than use a wide screen for our studio, we add in-depth financial information, charts, and even a second "Picture in Picture". We used it the other day when the Senate began hearings and discussions on the Madoff scandal.  If you want to hear the sound, all you need to do is press SAP on your remote. Here is a sample of the product:

Anyway, the point of the story is that the Academy has created this fantastic new award for non-traditional program providers.  I have received a few Emmys before, but I am most excited about this one.   We have a very special and talented group of folks at CNBC and this project really brought out the best in them!  Our designers, animators and engineers really shone.  The team is at home waiting for the envelope. The competition is tough so cross your fingers for us.

I would like to shout out thanks to our team, but also the satellite, cable, and broadband subscribers who had the faith to give us an HD channel.  If you think about it, a year ago there weren't too many channels out there, and with all the sports and entertainment content available it was a big leap of faith to give one of those precious spots up to a business news channel.

Thanks for reading, and be sure to watch CNBC HD+!

 

 

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Cool Things at CES

By Chris Loncto, Sharp

NBCU certainly is doing some cool things at CES. Flat screens everywhere. Looks like they have two working studios right in their booth. It was cool to see Al Roker do the weather on one of our 108" LCD's yesterday. Our CEO is going to be interviewed by Maria Bartiromo live on CNBC a little later this afternoon. I hope she takes it easy on him!

Just met Jim Louderback here. Jim's been a respected tech journalist for as long as I've been in PR. He's got a new venture called Revision3 that's exclusively internet video. Was great to meet him and I'll definitely be checking out the site.

Chris Loncto (Sharp), Jim Louderback and Ron Richards (Revision3)

There's been a lot made of the fact that CES attendance is down this year. I must say, cab lines are shorter, hotels and restaurants seem less crowded, and here at the show, it does seem the crowd is considerably thinner than in recent years.

Still, there's lots to see. I'm excited to check out the new LCD's with LED backlighting technology. I'm also a wireless geek so I'm looking forward to heading over to the booths from the key wireless players like RIMM and Verizon to see their latest technologies. Despite some doubts about its prospects for success, Blu-ray seems to be all over the place.

At Sharp, we're excited to be showing off our Limited Edition XS1 TV. It has gotten rave reviews since we introduced it in September. It uses RGB LED backlight and advanced color filter technology to produce an awesome picture. We've also unveiled a line of AQUOS LCD TV's with an integrated Blu-ray player. Of course, even though we introduced it two years ago (at CES 2007), the 108'LCD still stops people in their tracks.

But it's about more than just LCD TV for us this year. We're taking Blu-ray into new places, like HTiB and offering a total home theater experience. My colleague Liz Savery will write more about that later.

I'll also write back later with more thoughts on what's standing out at the show this year.

The Big Vegas Chill

By Mark Lukasiewicz

Las Vegas - Can you say c-c-c-c-cold?? The Las Vegas Convention Center was a giant icebox this morning as TODAY's Al Roker broadcast live from the NBCU booth and media center. Unseasonably cold weather has had everyone inside Central Hall bundling up in multiple layers while the finishing touches are put on all the exhibits -- and as long as those big loading doors are wide open, the temperature inside is pretty frosty. It's the first time I can remember Al Roker being colder at an inside location than his co-hosts in New York standing outside -- in January, yet!

Our NBCU booth is already seeing plenty of action, with Al's live shots plus segments on CNBC. The whole space looks dramatically different this year compared with 2008 -- a bigger, open-concept design and more than 110 Sharp Aquos screens displaying our full range of content make for a great experience - especially on the giant 108's. I wish I had a room big enough for one of those.

If you are here, be sure to check out the Mediaport download stations (free content and a free SanDisk micro SD chip!) scattered throughout the booth, and take a spin through dozens of clips on any of the four Microsoft Surface units. The Surface units also feature a great little app called "DJ" (thanks to our friends at Vectorform) which allows you to create your own mix of NBC Universal themes, rhythms and sounds. Al had some fun with it this morning:

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

As CES's official broadcast partners, we're in a unique position to report on everything happening at CES and to tell our own story. Our theme -- "entertainment you can touch, content that touches you" -- means that more than ever before, entertainment and information are becoming deeply interactive. It's a two-way street between creators and consumers, enabled by all the technology you see here at CES. And at the NBCU booth (Central #12133), you can see exactly how the best content combines with the latest technology to produce entertainment experiences that no-one even dreamed about a few years ago !!

With less than 24 hours until the doors of CES officially open, our entire team is hard at work on all the usual last-minute adjustments.

Like the stickers we're putting on the full length Plexiglas wall of our "fishbowl" control room.

Apparently goldfish have better eyesight than middle-aged TV producers, as I discovered when I walked into the glass this morning.

We hope to see you at Central #12133

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Video Tour of the NBCU CES Booth

By Kelly McEvoy

For a guided video tour around the NBC Universal booth at CES, just look below!

Behind the Scenes at CES with Al Roker

By Kelly McEvoy, NBC Universal

NBC Universal's Melissa Kondak went behind the scenes during a live broadcast of the TODAY SHOW and talked to Al Roker about CES, the NBC Universal booth, and free swag. Check it out.

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NBCU at CES 2009 - Jeff Zucker

By Jeff Zucker, NBC Universal

We were thrilled to be at CES last year as the first-ever official broadcast partner of one of the biggest trade shows in the world.

In fact, we were so thrilled that we decided then and there to book our return trip.

So here we are again, eager to highlight our incredible range of content while surrounded by the technology that continues to transform how our audiences view and interact with our programming.

That's what CES is all about: the marriage of content and technology. Without our content, the latest cutting-edge television or hand-held device is, literally, an empty vessel. And without the creativity and innovation of the thousands of technology companies here at CES, our viewers would still be watching grainy pictures in black-and-white.

Our participation is an acknowledgment that today, more than ever, content creators and technology companies need to be true collaborators. Because what we can accomplish together is nothing short of amazing. And CES is the best place in the world to get a glimpse at this remarkable future.

Like last year, the NBC Universal Media Center is an interactive space that will showcase the content and capabilities of our entire company. From there we will originate live and taped programming for many of our broadcast, cable and digital properties, including NBC News, MSNBC, CNBC, "Access Hollywood," NBC Sports and others.

I encourage you to stop by.

Nancy. Nancy. Nancy!

By Jon Accarrino, NBC Universal

If you are one of the thousands of people attending #CES09 in January, the Vegas odds are in your favor for catching a glimpse of Nancy O'Dell.

Not only will O'Dell be in and around town for CES, but she will also be taping segments for Access Hollywood from inside the NBC Universal booth. And if you don't see her in person, just take a look at the nearest news stand. O'Dell is on the cover of the January 2009 issue of Vegas Magazine.

In her Vegas Magazine interview, O'Dell talks about her connection with the city of Lost Wages Las Vegas. Here's an excerpt:

"I love Vegas. I have to go to Vegas a lot for work. We do a lot of interviews with celebrities there, or if they're performing, we cover that. I make sure my hubby comes with me and we do it up, go to a nice dinner, hit a show. That's where some of the perks of Access Hollywood come in because I can get tickets to most of those shows. It makes a great date night."

In addition to Access Hollywood, several other NBC Universal shows will originate segments or entire episodes from our CES booth including:  NBC Nightly News, TODAY, CNBC's Closing Bell, CNBC's Power Lunch, and MSNBC's Your Business.

NBCU at CES 2009: Logo with Tagline

http://www.flickr.com/photos/nbcuces/3120990076/

NBC Universal Returns to the International Consumer Electronic Show as Official Broadcast Partner

http://tinyurl.com/4phc32

Sharp/NBC Universal Multimedia Lounge

By Jon Accarrino, NBC Universal

The Sharp/NBC Universal Multimedia Lounge is a new addition to NBCU's booth at #CES09. Working together with Sharp, our friends and CES-booth-neighbors at CES, we've created an area filled with high-quality experiences on Sharp AQUOS LCD televisions, in addition to gaming stations and a Blu-ray movie area. The Sharp/NBC Universal Multimedia Lounge will also feature a unique blogger stage, where we will host top bloggers from NBC News, SciFi's "DVice," iVillage and other NBCU properties, as well as gadget, tech, business and entertainment industry bloggers and reporters.

The Sharp lounge is a comfortable and relaxing area that's almost a cross between a café and a TV stage. Bloggers can use their scheduled time in the lounge to not only blog, but recharge their laptops, plug-in to our high-speed Internet access, mingle with other bloggers, conduct an interview or even record some video for a podcast/webcast.

Each blogging station will be equipped with the latest Sharp AQUOS LCD televisions, and if you look carefully at the mockups above, you might notice that the blogger stage is behind our TV studio, at the heart of the NBC Universal booth. NBC Universal TV broadcasts and press events will be happening live in the booth throughout CES.

5 amazing tech toys you'll see at #CES09

By Charlie White, DVICE.com

The Consumer Electronics Show is just a month away, but the pre-show buzz is in full swing. Our parent company NBC Universal will be at CES 2009 with a huge interactive TV exhibit from the show floor that befits the role of "Official Broadcast Partner." You might even catch a glimpse of NBC Nightly News weekend anchor Lester Holt or Al Roker from the Today Show at the NBCU booth in the LVCC (Central Hall, Booth #12133). And of course, DVICE will be there too, bringing you only the best gadgetry to be found.

In advance of the big show we've been sniffing around, trying to get wind of the true groundbreaking items that will be at CES 2009. While details are few, some tidbits have leaked out. Peer along with us into our virtual crystal ball, and catch a glimpse of what we're seeing so far:

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1. Samsung 50-inch OLED Display
There's a chance that this super-thin, ultra-sharp Samsung OLED screen screen won't be ready in time for the show, but just knowing that a home theater-sized OLED screen is just about to see the light of day is exciting enough.

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2. Netgear Digital Entertainer Elite network media streamer
Netgear has an Apple TV killer it'll show first at CES. When the company put its Digital Entertainer Elite network media streamer into the FCC ringer for approval, word slipped out that the video-playing polyglot will debut at CES 2009.

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3. Toshiba and Schwinn's Tailwind Hybrid Bicycle
The more practical $3,200 electric wonder means easy electric biking for the lazy among us is about to hit the mainstream. Its new lithium-ion batteries let you charge it up in a half hour, lots faster than any other electro-bike, and it'll ride 30 miles on a charge -- even farther if you help with the pedaling.

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4. Minoru 3D Webcam
Touted as the world's first of its kind, the Minoru 3D Webcam was voted a fan favorite at the pre-CES "i-stage" event for smaller companies that are often overlooked. Just when we were getting used to the idea of HD webcams, this odd-looking scarlet goblin shows up atop our monitors? This we gotta see -- we'll even don those silly 3D glasses to enjoy Minoru's full effect.

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5. Bigger, Thinner TVs
Expect Panasonic's 150-inch plasma display record to be broken, some company to roll out a super-high-res screen to beat Samsung's 4,096 x 2,160-pixel Ultra Fine Definition plasma panel, and even thinner LCD screens. For example, LG's LED-backlit 24-millimeter-thin 55-inch HDTV has already won a CES 2009 innovation award -- expect that to be eclipsed by the time CES doors open on January 8th.

See you at CES!

Behind the Scenes of NBCU at #CES09

By Tausha Cowan, NBC Universal

On January 8th, 2009 the International Consumer Electronics Show returns to Las Vegas and NBC Universal's presence will be bigger than ever. For the second year in a row, NBCU will be the official broadcast partner of CES, showcasing a wide variety of content across digital platforms.

CES features more than 2,700 exhibitors showing their latest products and services to more than 130,000 attendees. NBC Universal will broadcast live from CES with a range of broadcast and cable properties, including the Today Show, reports for Nightly News with Brian Williams, Access Hollywood, and CNBC with Maria Bartiromo.

Please see our online schedule for the most up-to-date listing of our booth broadcasts.

NBC Universal Returns as Official Broadcast Partner, Showcases Multi-Platform Content

http://tinyurl.com/6syddm

NBCU at CES Sweepstakes Rules

PRELIMINARY INFORMATION: No purchase necessary. A purchase will not improve your chances of winning. Void where prohibited.  NBCUatCES Sweepstakes ("Sweepstakes") begins on January 8, 2009 at 10:00 A.M. and ends on January 11, 2009 at 3:00 P.M. ("Sweepstakes Period"). All times in the Sweepstakes refer to Pacific Time ("PT'). Odds of winning depend upon the number of eligible entries received.  Sweepstakes is subject to all applicable federal, state and local laws.

ELIGIBILITY: Open only to permanent, legal U.S. residents of the fifty (50) United States and DC who are 2009 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) cardholders officially registered to attend, and physically in attendance at CES which is scheduled to be held January 8, 2009 through and including January 11, 2009, and who are 18 years of age or older and the age of majority in their state of residence as of the start of the Sweepstakes Period.  Officers, directors, and employees of Sweepstakes Entities (as defined below), members of these persons' immediate families (spouses and/or parents, children, and siblings, and their spouses), and/or persons living in the same households as these persons (whether or not related thereto) are not eligible to enter the Sweepstakes.  Sweepstakes Entities, as referenced herein, shall include NBC Universal, Inc., 30 Rockefeller Plaza, New York, NY 10112 ("Sponsor") and its parent, subsidiary, and affiliate companies and administrative, advertising, and promotion agencies and any other entity involved in the development, administration, promotion, or implementation of the Sweepstakes.

ENTRY PERIODS/TO ENTER: The Sweepstakes consists of four (4) entry periods (each an "Entry Period"), the first entry period beginning on January 8 , 2009, at 10:00A.M. PT and ending on the same day at 6:00P.M. PT, the second entry period beginning on January 9, 2009, at 9:00A.M. PT and ending on the same day at 6:00P.M PT, the third entry period beginning on January 10, 2009, at 9:00A.M. PT and ending on the same day at 6:00P.M PT, and the fourth entry period beginning on January 11, 2009, at 9:00A.M PT and ending on the same day at 3:00P.M. PT . To enter, present your CES registration card to an NBCU Brand Ambassador at the NBCU booth during any Entry Period, to receive a free NBCU matchbook and a hole punch on your CES registration card.  On the back of the matchbook you will find an OID symbol.  Place the OID symbol on the Microsoft Surface in the NBCU booth to discover if you have won a prize.    Limit one (1) free NBCU matchbook/OID symbol per person.  Only legitimately obtained matchbooks with valid OID symbols will be accepted.  You may enter only once during the Sweepstakes Period. Multiple entries  any person beyond this limit by any means will void all such additional entries. Entries generated by a script, macro, or other automated means will be disqualified. Entries that are incomplete, garbled, corrupted, or unintelligible for any reason, including, but not limited to, computer or network malfunction or congestion, are void and will not be accepted.  In case of a dispute over the identity of an entrant who made a potentially winning entry, Sponsor reserves the right to require proof that entrant is an officially registered holder of the 2009 CES card at the time of entry.  Entry constitutes permission (except where prohibited by law) to use entrant's name, city, state, likeness, image, and/or voice for purposes of advertising, promotion, and publicity without additional compensation, permission, notification or approval.  

WINNER SELECTION AND NOTIFICATION: When the OID symbol on the back of the NBCU matchbook is placed on the Microsoft Surface in the NBCU booth, the Microsoft Surface will indicate if the CES cardholder is a sweepstakes winner by flashing the word "Winner" on the Microsoft Surface around the NBCU matchbook, subject to the terms and conditions of these Official Rules and winner verification. Sponsor shall determine whether or not the Microsoft Surface has chosen entrant as a winner in its sole discretion. Upon being told that he/she is a winner, the CES cardholder must present the winning NBCU matchbook to an NBCU Brand Ambassador in the NBCU booth.  NBCU Brand Ambassador will verify winner by placing the OID symbol on the Microsoft Surface and direct winner to the Brand Ambassador in charge of prize distribution. All prizes will be distributed at CES at the time of winning by the Brand Ambassador in charge of prize distribution.  Upon receipt of prize, winner must return the winning NBCU matchbooks to the NBCU Brand Ambassador in charge of prize distribution.  Failure to follow these procedures as and when required will result in automatic disqualification of the potential winner and at Sponsor's sole discretion the applicable Prize (as defined below) may be awarded to CES attendees on a first come first served basis at the end of the Sweepstakes Period. If for any reason there are Prizes not awarded at the end of the Sweepstakes Period ("Remaining Prizes"), any such Remaining Prizes will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis at 3:00p.m. Sunday, January 11, 2009, at the NBCU booth by the NBCU Brand Ambassador in charge of Prize Distribution.  A line will form at the NBCU booth Welcome desk no earlier than 3:00P.M. for receipt of remaining prizes.   Limit one (1) Prize per family or household.

Winner may be required to execute and return an affidavit of eligibility, release of liability, and, except where prohibited, publicity release (collectively, "Sweepstakes Documents") at the request of Sponsor. Noncompliance with this request will result in disqualification.  

PRIZES:  There will be five hundred and thirty (530) prizes awarded (each a "Prize"), consisting of the following:

Three (3) Today Show Fleece Jackets (Estimated Retail Value ("ERV"): $25.00 each)
Ten (10) Sci-Fi Cylon T-Shirts (ERV $22.00 each)
Fifty (50) NBC Olympics Polo Shirts (ERV $30.00 each)
Ten (10) Telemundo T-Shirts (ERV $15.00 each)
Ten (10) Nightly News Overnight Bags (ERV $100.00each )
Twenty (20) Telemundo Sling Bags (ERV $10.00 each)
Twenty (20) Telemundo Beach Towels (ERV $10.00 each)
Twelve (12) Battlestar Galactica DVD Box Sets (ERV $40.00 each)
Three (3) Battlestar Galactica Razor Extended DVD's (ERV $11.00 each)
Two hundred and one (201) SNL DVD's (ERV $14.00 each)
Forty (40) CNBC DVD's (ERV $30.00 each)
Fifty (50) Triumph The Insult Comic Dog Key chains (ERV $8.00 each)
Three (3) Battlestar Galactica Collectible Toasters (ERV $65.00 each)
Fifteen (15) Battlestar Galactica Collectible Model Ships (ERV $10.00 each)
Forty (40) Monk Bobbleheads (ERV $25.00 each)
One (1) Autographed SNL Script (ERV $100.00 each)
One (1) Autographed Nightly News with Brian Williams Hat (ERV $25.00 each)
Three (3) Today Show portable iPod speakers (ERV $15.00 each)
Two (2) NBC musical chimes xylophone (ERV $28.00 each)
Six (6) Today Show Mugs (ERV $12.00 each)
Thirty (30) MP4 Players (ERV $300.00 each)

Prize give away is predetermined by OID symbol submitted by winner, as designated by Sponsor in its sole discretion.  ERV of all Prizes is eighteen thousand nine hundred and fifteen dollars ($18,915.00).  Specifics of Prizes will be determined by Sponsor in its sole discretion.  Sponsor reserves the right to substitute a similar Prize (or Prize element) of comparable or greater value.  All taxes and other expenses, costs, or fees associated with the acceptance and/or use of Prize are the sole responsibility of winner. Prize cannot be transferred by winner or redeemed for cash and is valid only for the items detailed above, with no substitution of Prize by winner.  If Prize is unclaimed, it will be forfeited, and an alternate winner may be selected from the remaining eligible entrants.   Each Prize will be awarded "as is" with no warranty or guarantee, either express or implied by Sponsors.   

CONDITIONS: No more than the actual number of Prizes set forth in these Official Rules will be awarded. In the event that, due to seeding, technical, computer, or other errors, more valid winning OID symbols are received and verified by the NBCU Brand Ambassador for a particular prize than offered in these Official rules, Sponsor reserves the right to conduct a random drawing from among all valid, eligible, non-suspect claims for the prize at issue to award the correct number of prizes.  By entering the Sweepstakes, each entrant agrees for entrant and for entrant's heirs, executors, and administrators (a) to release and hold harmless Sweepstakes Entities and their respective officers, directors, and employees (collectively, "Released Parties") from any liability, illness, injury, death, loss, litigation, or damage that may occur, directly or indirectly, whether caused by negligence or not, from such entrant's participation in the Sweepstakes and/or his/her acceptance, possession, use, or misuse of Prize or any portion thereof; (b) to indemnify Released Parties from any and all liability resulting or arising from the Sweepstakes and to hereby acknowledge that Released Parties have neither made nor are in any manner responsible or liable for any warranty, representation, or guarantee, express or implied, in fact or in law, relative to Prize, including express warranties provided exclusively by Prize supplier that are sent along with Prize; (c) if selected as a winner, to the posting of such entrant's name on www.NBCUatCES.com and the use by Released Parties of such name, and entrant's voice, image, and/or likeness for publicity, promotional, and advertising purposes in any and all media now or hereafter known throughout the world in perpetuity without additional compensation, permission, notification or approval, and, upon request, to the giving of consent, in writing, to such use; and (d) to be bound by these Official Rules and to waive any right to claim any ambiguity or error therein or in the Sweepstakes itself, and to be bound by all decisions of the Sponsor, which are binding and final. Failure to comply with these conditions may result in disqualification from the Sweepstakes at Sponsor's sole discretion.

ADDITIONAL TERMS: Sponsor reserves the right to permanently disqualify from any promotion any person Sponsor believes has intentionally violated these Official Rules.  Any attempt to deliberately damage the Sweepstakes or the operation thereof is unlawful and subject to legal action by Sponsor, who may seek damages to the fullest extent permitted by law. The failure of Sponsor to comply with any provision of these Official Rules due to an act of God, hurricane, war, fire, riot, earthquake, terrorism, act of public enemies, actions of governmental authorities outside of the control of Sponsor (excepting compliance with applicable codes and regulations), or other "force majeure" event will not be considered a breach of these Official Rules. Released Parties assume no responsibility for any injury or damage to entrants' or to any other person's property relating to or resulting from participating in the Sweepstakes. Released Parties are not responsible for telecommunications, network, electronic, technical, or computer failures of any kind; for inaccurate transcription of entry information or OID symbol; for errors in any promotional or marketing materials or in these Official Rules; for any human or electronic error; or for matchbooks that are stolen, lost,  or damaged. Sponsor reserves the right to cancel, modify, or suspend the Sweepstakes or any element thereof (including, without limitation, these Official Rules) without notice in any manner and for any reason (including, without limitation, in the event of any unanticipated occurrence that is not fully addressed in these Official Rules).  In the event of cancellation, modification, or suspension, Sponsor reserves the right to distribute the available Prizes on a first come first served basis as described above.  Notice of such cancellation, modification, or suspension will be posted at the NBCU booth at CES.  Sponsor may prohibit any entrant or potential entrant from participating in the Sweepstakes, if such entrant or potential entrant shows a disregard for these Official Rules; acts with an intent to annoy, abuse, threaten, or harass any other entrant, Sponsor, or Sponsor's agents or representatives; or behaves in any other disruptive manner (as determined by Sponsor in its sole discretion).  

DISPUTES: THE SWEEPTAKES IS GOVERNED BY, AND WILL BE CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH, THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, AND THE FORUM AND VENUE FOR ANY DISPUTE SHALL BE IN NEW YORK, NEW YORK. IF THE CONTROVERSY OR CLAIM IS NOT OTHERWISE RESOLVED THROUGH DIRECT DISCUSSIONS OR MEDIATION, IT SHALL THEN BE RESOLVED BY FINAL AND BINDING ARBITRATION ADMINISTERED BY JUDICIAL ARBITRATION AND MEDIATION SERVICES, INC. ("JAMS'), IN ACCORDANCE WITH ITS STREAMLINED ARBITRATION RULES AND PROCEDURES OR SUBSEQUENT VERSIONS THEREOF ("JAMS RULES").  THE JAMS RULES FOR SELECTION OF AN ARBITRATOR SHALL BE FOLLOWED, EXCEPT THAT THE ARBITRATOR SHALL BE LICENSED TO PRACTICE LAW IN NEW YORK.  ALL PROCEEDINGS BROUGHT PURSUANT TO THIS PARAGRAPH WILL BE CONDUCTED IN THE COUNTY OF NEW YORK.  THE REMEDY FOR ANY CLAIM SHALL BE LIMITED TO ACTUAL DAMAGES, AND IN NO EVENT SHALL ANY PARTY BE ENTITLED TO RECOVER PUNITIVE, EXEMPLARY, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES, INCLUDING ATTORNEY'S FEES OR OTHER SUCH RELATED COSTS OF BRINGING A CLAIM, OR TO RESCIND THIS AGREEMENT OR SEEK INJUNCTIVE OR ANY OTHER EQUITABLE RELIEF.

WINNER ANNOUNCEMENT: For the names of the winners, available after January 26, 2009, visit www.NBCUatCES.com.