CES 2013 is over – has been for two full days now. Editorials on how big of a bust this year’s show was have been written ad nauseam, so this is not one those. Instead of taking 1,000 words to express my disappointment in the lack of blockbuster smartphone announcements, I’ll share the trip that two Droid Life editors had. We always have a blast in Vegas, especially during CES because nothing matches up better than one of the most over-the-top cities on Earth hosting companies trying to out-do each other for a week. Let’s talk about it. 

Flights

Flying to Las Vegas from Portland should be simple, right? A 2.5 hour direct flight on most of the major airlines exists, but since they know well in advance that CES week is in early January, we went the affordable route and flew JetBlue. This was my first time on JB and likely won’t be my last because of their reasonable prices in and out of Portland, which for some reason is a city that doesn’t actually know the meaning of the word “reasonable” when it comes to flights. Overall, they get in and out of locations quickly, have ample legroom for someone my height (6’2″), free DirecTV, and actually offer you free snack choices rather than one, which on other airlines usually means a mini-bag of blah.

Unfortunately for Tim and I, JetBlue flies through Long Beach when Portland is involved, so on the way back, we were greeted with a flight half-full of children fresh out of DisneyLand. I’ll just say this – after spending 5 nights in Las Vegas with the last ending in 2 hours of sleep, you can imagine how amped we were to see little Billy racing his car up and down the metal windowsill for an extra two hours as we watched the JetBlue crew open up our plane’s left engine and attempt to make us feel safe about getting onboard for a two hour flight.

Hey, we made it, though!

Press Day

Following NVIDIA’s pre-press day press conference on Sunday night that set the bar rather high, and also ended with Dennis Rodman dubbing us “them geek guys,” we entered Monday morning – official press day at CES, at the Mandalay Bay (at the Venetian in years past). While I hope that you enjoyed our coverage of the all day event, which features one headline grabbing press conference after another by the biggest companies in the world, I thought we’d talk a bit about what goes into the day on our end.

The first event over the last few years has been held by LG at 8:00AM. Since space is limited and on a first-come-first-serve basis to almost all press events, we get there at least an hour before to start waiting in line, something we’ll do for a solid 12 hours on the day. So our day usually starts at 5AM or so, involves a cab ride, a cup of coffee, protein bar or fancy superfood drink, and our bums planted firmly on convention center carpet.

Once the first event is over (each lasts 45 minutes), we hope to have time to swing into the press room to fight over the limited Cat 5s in the building, browse the three dozen press emails we received since the conference has started, and then figure out where and when the next presser starts. This cycle happens all day long. Sit and wait. Watch press event. Hope something awesome happens. This year that rarely happened. Write up news. Browse for more. Fight over Cat 5. Find new line to wait in for an hour.

Well, that’s how it goes until Samsung’s event rolls around. In order to get your foot in the door, you better be in line 2.5 hours early. It’s the biggest event at every CES, and that usually means two lines – one for VIP and early entry plus another for the general press. Thankfully, we had a VIP pass.

The day usually ends with Sony throwing their own press event all the way up at the Las Vegas Convention Center, which is a nightmare since every single tech press person in the world is at official press day in another hotel. We tend to skip this out-of-the-way event, so that we can go recharge, hit up other evening press parties and get prepared for Tuesday, the day the show floor opens.

Our work “day” finished at 9:30PM on Monday.

Nike FuelBand points without actually having worked out:  4635.

Floor Opens

Once the CES show floor opens on Tuesday morning at 10:00AM, it’s go time for a couple of days. We bop around from booth to booth, meet with companies, look at their products, film hands-on videos, hope to find a gem, and then venture to the overpacked press room to attempt to write it all up, before heading back out again.

If you haven’t experienced the show floor at CES, I’m not sure I can even do it justice by trying to explain it. It’s massive. It’s so many square feet of cable, massive televisions, projectors, headphone booths, and scantily clad women hawking iPad Potty accessories or dancing on makeshift stages like the Faux Pussy Cat Dolls, that an individual’s mind probably burns through more brain cells attempting to take it in than Dennis Rodman did during our “geek guys” conversation.

The show floor remains open through Friday, but this year, we took just two days to gather everything we could from it – Tuesday and Wednesday. That proved to be a brilliant plan, as most of the PR folks we talked to were leaving Thursday morning as well.

It’s a good time, a lot of walking, even more laughing, and way too much snickering for one week.

Nike FuelBand points without actually having worked out:  5341 and 4953.

The CES Dinner

Outside of the “work” part of CES, there is one tradition that Tim and I always try to keep up – the CES dinner. Once during the week, assuming we can fit it in among the dozen press parties, we try to go all out on one dinner. It’s our lone chance to break away from PR people, convention center carpet, fear of catching an incurable bird-influenced virus, and hotel room with the airport and Hooters Hotel view, to indulge in one of Vegas’ finest restaurants. It’s our night to unplug.

This year, we chose Gordon Ramsay’s Steak, which is located in the Paris hotel. Tim has a yet-to-be-unveiled thing for Sir Gordon which helped influence the decision, something I can’t fault him for after the 24oz of aged rib-eye entered my body without hesitation. I think at one point I heard him say, “You just took that 24oz down like it was nothing.” Indeed, I did. Along with the bacon and bleu cheese stuffed olives in my martinis as they washed down oysters on the half, some sort of lobster and chorizo magic, and a couple of sides.

Nike FuelBand count:  Probably -8000 after the number of calories consumed.

Other Goodies

The rest of our trip included a last minute race to Paris (again) with the crew from Phandroid from a PR party to watch Alicia Keys finish up her set (Kevin with the VIP pass hook-up), a front car seat in New York, New York’s rollercoaster, Trinidad James “All Gold Everyting” on repeat, a random photo of Barry Sanders, a beat down at the Comsopolitan’s blackjack tables (with us receiving the pain), and an introduction to a robotic horse racing game that only takes quarters and is simply put, amazing 2:00AM entertainment.

The End

So was CES a bust and irrelevant, as so many in the industry have so outwardly described it? Eh, not really. Sure, it lacked the game-changing announcements we saw two years ago when Verizon dropped the first four LTE phones on us and Motorola unveiled the Lapdock (how’s that doing, by the way?). But these days, companies are announcing products much closer to their actual arrival dates rather than teasing you 6-8 months in advance. This isn’t the TV industry. Does anyone really want another DROID Bionic scenario? So over the next few months, we’ll see staggered press events where companies show off products that we can actually touch in a matter of weeks.

What we saw was the evolution of LTE, and how it will enter our lives in new ways beyond smartphones and tablets. We got to see the new industry standard for displays – 1080p. Sony finally released a phone worth talking about, for the first time in…ever. We saw companies realize that their fool-proof $600 Android tablet strategy from 2012 was a disaster, so they avoided them altogether at this year’s show. And we saw Dennis Rodman, in Vegas on a random Sunday night, only not for anything CES related, telling Tim “Don’t go there” when swooping in for the fan photo.

We also had a lot of fun.

Final Nike FuelBand count for 4 days:  19,222.

Final Thoughts on CES 2013 From “Them Geek Guys” is a post from: Droid Life

It seems a little poorly timed, given CES is wrapping up, but NVIDIA has released a short booth tour video which gives folks an in-depth look at the NVIDIA CES experience. With a quick look at the Grid Cloud Gaming system, a behind the scenes peek at Project SHIELD, and the Tegra-powered cars, the NVIDIA booth was definitely one of the best ones there. 

Click here to view the embedded video.

NVIDIA Posts CES Booth Tour Video – Shows Off Cars, Tegra 4, Project SHIELD is a post from: Droid Life

Click here to view the embedded video.

If you missed the live edition of last night’s Droid Life Show, be sure to catch the replay, which we have included above in video. It’s also available in audio-only formats, for those that don’t have time to watch.

During our special CES-themed show, we talked about our favorite announcements from the show, the biggest busts, and tossed in some random stories from Vegas. It was a blast, even if it was a shorter show. 

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Catch the Replay of The Droid Life Show “CES Special” is a post from: Droid Life

Many in the world were unable to directly attend Samsung’s keynote in CES, but thanks to the Internet, we can relive the event anytime we like. On Wednesday morning, Samsung took the stage and introduced us to the future of mobile devices – the Exynos 5 Octa processor and flexible display technology. 

In terms of innovation and forward thinking in the mobile industry, you have to give the award to Sammy. And when it comes to the company that might have us most excited in 2013, I think it’s safe to say that this is the easy choice.

For Exynos 5 Octa talk, skip to 12:34. For flexible display goodness, skip to 39:48.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Watch Samsung’s CES Keynote That Features Exynos 5 Octa and Flexible Display Prototypes is a post from: Droid Life

Our time at the 2013 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas has come to an end. That’s both a happy and sad statement, mostly happy though, as the show failed to impress as it has in the past. There simply weren’t the number of innovative product announcements that we had seen at previous shows, something that may be the trend going forward for the world’s biggest electronics show.

But even with only a few headline grabbing products, I think it’s safe to say that we all had our favorites. The gamers in the building were blown away by NVIDIA’s Project Shield (our hands-on) and their Grid Gaming System. I found myself drooling over Sony’s new phones (Xperia Z and ZL), something I wasn’t expecting to admit after spending a week in the desert.

To see more of our thoughts on the week, be sure to tune into the replay of last night’s Droid Life Show.

What about you? Was there a certain product that stood out the most? And we’re not necessarily looking for Android-related stuff, but new and exciting tech products in general. Drop into the comments and let us know.

Question of the Day: What Impressed You From CES 2013? is a post from: Droid Life

At 5:00PM Pacific, we are going to attempt to launch our first ever live CES special episode of The Droid Life Show. It should be interesting, if anything. With this year’s CES turning out to be one of the slowest in recent memory, we can at least laugh at the lack of news, take you through our lives on the show floor, and fill you in on our random encounters with people like Dennis Rodman. The show may be slow, but Tim and I are still having a great time. 

Join in a few minutes after 5:00PM Pacific (8:00PM Eastern) to experience CES through our minds. There is a live video embed and chat below.

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Click here to view the embedded video.

The Droid Life Show: CES Special is a post from: Droid Life

We were fortunate enough to grab some special hands-on time with NVIDIA here at CES and get an up-close look at the new Project Shield. So far, we are very impressed. NVIDIA has clearly put a ton of time into the design of the system and when you get your hands on it, it feels fantastic.

We could tell that there are still a few manufactuering bugs that will undoubtedly be worked out (hinges on the clamshell seemed rather loose), but in terms of performance and overall feel, it was top notch. Below we have a full hands-on gallery as well as a video of our experience, which as soon as it is fully rendered and uploaded will be down below.

Let us know your thoughts on SHIELD. We’ll come back with more thoughts later, probably after the DL Show.

Click here to view the embedded video.

12►

Hands-on Video and Gallery: NVIDIA Project SHIELD [CES 2013] is a post from: Droid Life

With no price or release date in sight, Samsung was still willing to show off their new “Youm” flexible smartphone and tablet displays at the end of their keynote, today at CES. They were able to show the press a handful of devices, most of which were curved or bent to highlight the technology while still displaying images or video. The most interesting part, though, had to be the prototype device with slanted edges. 

The device was white and black with a display around 5-inches in size and close to a 720p resolution, but it had slanted edge where Samsung attempted to show that manufacturers can use the flexible space to highlight features. As you can see in the picture above, the flexed part of the display has S-note and Messaging icons, along with a text message or box for scrolling text, like a ticker.

You can easily see how useful this technology could be for all sorts display shapes and sizes. I think we still care that it might make displays unbreakable more than anything.

Your thoughts – cool or weird?

Via:  The Verge | CNET

Samsung Shows Off “Youm” Flexible Display on Prototype Phone at CES is a post from: Droid Life

With our CES trip wrapping up, we figured it was time to try and squeeze in a live Droid Life Show to talk about the week that was. While the big announcements were lacking, there were still a couple of products that generated substantial buzz on the show floor and in press rooms.

So, join us at 5:00PM Pacific or a few minutes after to hear our thoughts on this year’s Consumer Electronics Show. We’d also love to have some reader questions, which you can drop in the comments or live during the show.

Special Droid Life Show Live Tonight at 5PM From CES! is a post from: Droid Life

Click here to view the embedded video.

We’re still at CES, attempting to find any news that might be worth your time. The best we could do was the ZTE Grand S LTE, a 5″ 1080p phone that’s headed to China. Yep, it’s another phone that you will never see in the States.

But if you did, it’s not bad. It comes in a variety of colors, including Pink. It’s super thin, has an above-average looking display, is powerful with 2GB of RAM and a Qualcomm processor, and runs one of the most atrocious looking Android skins we have seen in a while. So again, the phone isn’t bad, but it’s also not good.

So, check out the video and plan your next trip to China.

Video: Quick Hands-on With the ZTE’s 1080p Grand S LTE [CES 2013] is a post from: Droid Life

While Samsung is on the main stage this morning doing its keynote thing, another company is doing a press event that might actually be worth a look. Remember Pebble, the e-paper smartwatch company that took Kickstarter by storm earlier this year, amassing a whopping $10 million in funding? Their CEO plans to show off the watch and all of its features before finishing things off with a Q&A session.

You can watch the event live at 9:00AM Pacific through the embed we have included below. Since the watch is still months from shipping, this should tide you over until that happens.

Watch Pebble’s E-paper Watch CES Press Event Live [CES 2013] is a post from: Droid Life

It’s time for Verizon’s keynote here at the 2013 CES. Big Red’s CEO, Lowell McAdam is in the house and we are looking very forward to him talking up his company’s growth over the past year and everything they are looking forward to in 2013.

We are live blogging the keynote and will be adding in our color commentary along the way. Let’s have some fun! 

Live From Verizon Keynote [CES 2013] is a post from: Droid Life

On Sunday evening, NVIDIA made the largest splash of CES with the unveiling of Project SHIELD, a cloud based mobile gaming system that allows users to play PC titles right on the device. NVIDIA has worked years on creating the infrastructure and hardware of SHIELD, but some are still unconvinced that the device could become largely successful. The reason for this apparent doubt is that NVIDIA has yet to announce any type of pricing for the device, which people have guessed could cost anywhere from $199 all the way to even $499 and beyond.

From the few hands-on reviews we have seen so far of the device, the hardware seems to be of utmost quality, making some other Android-powered gaming systems look rather cheap and plasticy. The speakers are loud, the display is clear and bright, and all of the buttons and triggers seem to be what you would expect on any top console gaming system (Xbox 360, PS3) on the market today.

So, without knowing how much it is, would you buy one? Feel free to let us know the price point you are hoping NVIDIA can meet in order for you to be interested in the device.

Tuesday Poll: Will You Buy NVIDIA’s Project SHIELD? is a post from: Droid Life

Holy logo!

Soooo, we spent a couple of minutes with the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 that was announced yesterday for Verizon. You can tell in the video that I’m struggling to come up highlights (or mystified by the 4G LTE logo on the back), and that’s because this device has been out for quite some time already as a WiFi-only tablet. This version simply has a 4G LTE – the only difference. 

Inside, though, you’ll find a 1.4GHz quad-core processor, rear and front cameras (5MP and 1.9MP), an HD 10.1″ display, and Samsung’s TouchWiz tablet UI. As with the Note 2, the Note 10.1 utilizes the S Pen and its powerful processor to allow you to multi-task and be more productive.

At launch, it’ll have Jelly Bean, we just don’t know exactly when that launch will be.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Video: Quick Look at the Verizon Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 With LTE [CES 2013] is a post from: Droid Life

We just got done hanging with the ARCHOS crew here at CES, and while we were there, we were able to go hands-on with the brand spanking new GamePad. The device sports built-in buttons, triggers, and toggles, all dedicated for gaming centered around a semi-okay display with a resolution of 1024 x 600. The hybrid device is powered by a dual-core processor, quad-core GPU, 1GB of RAM, and 8GB of on-board memory which is expandable. 

It is now available here in the U.S. for the price of $169, which is actually quite reasonable, given ARCHOS even built their own key mapping software that works like a charm. All in all, it is a neat little device that kids would probably go crazy for. The toggles were a bit cheap feeling and the display isn’t close to HD, but it meets a very low price point that Project SHIELD from NVIDIA will likely come no where near.

Check out our hands-on with the GamePad down below.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Video: Hands-on With the ARCHOS GamePad [CES 2013] is a post from: Droid Life