Like Corvida, my expectations were high. I wanted to be wowed and wooed by innovative technology. As someone who has attended 50-11 CESs (and a COMDEX or two), I still go Lady Gaga for the annual event. And while there were certainly loads of interesting and thought-provoking tech, “innovation” is not necessarily the word I would use. It’s been pointed out to me (by mainstream media) that 3DTVs (with glasses that make my head hurt) and e-readers were the big news at this year’s show. How could I not see innovation? My guess is that I am working with a different set of rubrics.

• When we say innovation, what do we really mean? For me, innovative tech is something new that fundamentally changes the way we think and act—it changes minds, behaviours, and lives.
• Is it really innovation or a successful evolution of a technology? Is there the potential for tech to become innovative? I think we have to make those distinctions. The word (like the phrase “game changer”) gets thrown around a lot, and given this particular economic climate, I understand why there may the need to get people excited about ginormous 3D TV screens and e-readers. I get it. We have to buy stuff. Or do we?

This doesn’t mean that what we saw doesn’t have the potential to have a great impact on our lives. Here are a few things I saw that I think hold great potential:

• Microsoft’s Xbox, Project Natal—and really gaming in general. This is actually the most exciting space for me for several reasons. I have been interested in gaming narratives and the implications of game play in education ever since I first read Orson Scott Card’s Ender’s Game. Microsoft’s moves with Xbox and Natal, as well as their forthcoming “Alan Wake” serial game, which focuses on a strong narrative, indicate to me the shifts happening on the TV/film front. Given the increase in movies-turned-video-games and video-games-turned-movies, I see that gaming has spotted an opening and will continue to exploit it. As my review of Avatar might have suggested, as great as the tech was, the narrative was a huge disappointment—and just not a good complement to the technology in the movie. Lots of opportunities here for game developers, writers, narrativists, multimedia artists, musicians, and a host of others to enter the space. I’ll save my commentary on the possible synergies between Natal and the adult video industry for another time…
• Home Entertainment—Devices like Seagate’s Free Agent Theater+ Home Media Player are also interesting to consider. It’s a relatively inexpensive option for the family that lets users store and share media a well as access Netflix, YouTube, and Media Fly content, among others.
• e-readers have now become ubiquitous, with everyone from Amazon to Samsung to iRiver. This year’s CES saw an entire e-reader section on the show floor. And I think some devices have the potential to really change things. But, I still have questions regarding content and digital rights. Had a great conversation about this with an IP attorney (coincidentally, a former UVA law prof—CES can be that random sometimes).
• 3D TV…I know, I know. I said some stuff above about this. But I am looking forward to the ways in which this particular technology will continue to evolve

So, while this year's CES didn't bowl me over, I was impressed by some things. And I am looking forward to the ways in which the technologies I saw will unfold during the year. Consumers need to ask tough questions and demand more of their tech. And I think this is the year companies will finally begin to deliver on our expectations.