More CES 2025

But Not That Much More

Yes, beyond the overused future-of themes, goofy company names, odd swaglets, absurd products and the usual complement of startups, there were serious if tentative AI and Automotive advances.

And what could be more serious than "industrial-scale 3D printed chocolate"?
Soon to become very popular in New York City, the electronic license plate. No, it's not a joke, at least I don't think it is. You control the display remotely, and can easily change your license from its legitimate number to a random one or, should the car go missing, to a binking, festive STOLEN. I don't remember its price, or if you need a "subscription" as you do for everything else nowadays. But it will surely be worth it if it can save you $9 per day, as it can when you enter the "congestion zone" in NYC. Their complicated tolling system makes it rife for fraud or mischief if you have one of these plates. I'll leave how as an exercise for the student.
Every year the robots get better. (By which I mean more realistic.) These were 3D, but the ones on screens with AI are verging on scary-good. These were from Realbotix.
Dubious device department. Which is not to say there aren't a lot more dubious devices at CES, I just happened to photograph these. The first is an ear dehumidifier. it works, presumably by circulating the air in your ear and somehow absorbing the moisture therein. Alternatively, you can remove the device from your ear and wait.** I'm not sure Ergomotion is even a device, but I somehow missed one of "The Future Of" signs in yesterday's blog and wanted to repair the omission. And, finally, the future of sodium ions. Quoting from the poster, "Electric Salt flows a mild electrical current through the food around the tongue to attract these dispersed sodium ions toward the tongue. This can create the illusion*** of increased saltiness. (see Figure 2)."

Your (And Their) Government In Action

Given the recent emphasis on government efficiency, I thought I'd say a few words about a technical concept called "sampling" and "sampling error." In polling, for example, it's intuitively obvious that if you want to know how a number of people feel about a subject, you have to ask a number of them. If it's a large group, e.g., the population of a city, state, or country, that number has to be somehow representative of the population. If you ask one person, it's hardly representative, but if it's a large group, you can't ask everyone—that's called an election—and you have to statistically select an appropriate sample of the group. How to do that is a subject about which books have been written and doctorates granted. This preamble is my way of saying that my own observation, following, is not a proper sample and you should feel free to ignore it.

It being the sample I took at the Federal Aviation Booth at CES. Wandering the show floor, I saw a booth with four FAA representatives, one of whom was engaged talking to a showgoer and the others unengaged. The purpose of the booth was to educate CES attendees about the hazards of shipping dangerous products in aircraft. Being interested in matters aviation, I briefly spoke to one of the FAA folk, discussed whatever was on my alleged mind, which in part was my experience with the Samsung S7 cellphone*, and assured him I'd never put lithium batteries in my luggage. I then left him in peace to commune with his colleagues. who were the only people at the booth at that time. Four FAA employees, and the expenses attendant upon their TDY in Las Vegas. Again, one sample. For all I know the booth was mobbed as soon as I was out of eyeshot. There were a number of U.S. Government participants at CES, including the Patent Office, Homeland Security, and bureaus various. Foreign governments were represented, too. There was a Hong Kong representative whose booth was empty when I wasn't there. (Sample size 2.)

An Important Rule of Bloggage; Leave 'em Jealous!

I have tragically misplaced the brochure for this amazing product. Or perhaps not so tragically, since there is no way I'm going to purchase one and the missing brochure will remind me that I can't. Eventually, years from now, I'll somehow forget. Wait! Maybe I can RENT one? If we have a "party" it would be nice not to have to make the cotton candy (in hundreds of permutations) myself or to hire a specialist. Honorable Mention CES is enormous; as always I only got to walk past much of it, and really scrutinize a small portion. And these two blogs can only cover a tiny fraction of even that activity. So, no report on Stringless Smart Guitar OnMed Carestation Discussion of the word Recordation Cold Wallets LIDAR MultiModal AI

What About NAMM?

Just as with last year, I had intended to go and didn't. I got so close to going this year that it was too late to get a refund for the hotel room. Fortunately, we were able to repurpose it, so I don't have to share my limited emotional space between disappointment and guilt. Next year fer sure.

* That was the one that had a tendency to catch on fire. I gave mine up reluctantly when it was remotely disabled, as can your current cellphone be at any moment.
**My apologize to anyone with an ear humidity issue for whom this will be more valuable than I think it is, and shame on me for my dismissive attitude.
*** Individual results may vary and the effect may also differ depending on the dish. [Their asterisk. For once, not mine.]