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Event Article:
CES Show Coverage |
TackleTour finds the latest consumer electronics for
anglers at the 2003 International CES show
Date: |
1/11/03 |
Location |
Las Vegas,
NV |
Admission |
75 Dollars |
Reviewer: |
Team
TackleTour |
CES runs from Jan 9th - 12th in Las Vegas
Introduction: Welcome to CES 2003, an international show that highlights
the products and direction in which the consumer electronics industry is headed.
TackleTour visits CES to discover what exciting new products and technologies
will soon find their way into the hands of anglers. While the show may be all about
high-tech, vision, and innovation, the TackleTour team found plenty of
interesting products and solutions that anglers and outdoorsman are sure to
appreciate.
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Flying over
the Las Vegas strip, home to many of the world's largest tradeshows,
including the 2003 CES |
The Show Itself: "CES" stands for "Consumer Electronics Show," and is now
one of the largest and fastest growing international hi-tech shows in the world.
While not focused on the fishing industry, it is no secret that anglers these
days are becoming more and more tech savvy. The latest radio, GPS, and marine
equipment were all showcased at CES this week, and TackleTour made sure that we were here at
Las Vegas to see them all unveiled.
Why so many of the worlds
largest tradeshows, including ICAST and CES are held in the heart of the Las
Vegas strip is no mystery....this is one truly entertaining place to be! The air
of excitement of Vegas combined with the sheer magnitude of cramming all the
worlds latest hi-tech gadgets into 5 halls in the Las Vegas Convention Center
is more then enough to create an energetic environment for all attendees. CES draws
vendors from over 100 countries, the largest gathering of international hi-tech
industry players under one roof. What this basically equated to us was the world's
largest hi-tech "candy store," and we were more then ready to start
discovering all this sweet technology.
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CES is
filled with hundreds of vendors, and tens of thousands of attendees |
The Trends:
At
this year's CES show we observed a major push by countless manufacturers to actively design technology not just for a single
purpose...but for a lifestyle. Many manufacturers stressed the goal to make
peoples lives better by making it easier access entertainment, information, and
education from anywhere and at anytime. While many new technologies and products
were highlighted to us, we couldn't help but imagine how all this would impact
and benefit anglers. One of the key things we took away from the show was the
effective merging of technology into activities within our daily lifestyle.
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Zander is
dwarfed by a Samsung backdrop highlighting one of many uses for
their new smart phone |
The merging
of hi-tech and lifestyles: Imagine you are out fishing. Many of us would
gladly leave our hi-tech toys at home, turn off those cell phones, and immerse
ourselves in the pure act of wetting our lines. But what if there were
supplementary
tools that could enable us to catch more fish and have more fun doing it? Would you
take advantage of the new tools? The consumer electronics industry is
betting that we will. Companies that once made mundane products like analog
phones and radios are now producing innovative products that are setting new
standards in what we can access in terms of information and communication for
all aspects of life....including fishing.
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Cobra
showcased a complete range of radios for every price range |
Phones:
Samsung was just one of the many companies now designing smarter more
interactive phones. No longer just simple mobile handsets, this new generation of
smart phone allows users to send and receive an unprecedented amount of
information. One example for anglers is the ability to check local weather and
fishing conditions on a web based browser prior to heading out to you favorite
destination. Suppose on your trip you are lucky enough to hook that fish of a lifetime! Now you
can capture that fish forever with the built in digital camera, and even
better...you can instantly send that image to your best friend for visual
bragging rights!
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Xact
introduced a number of stylish radios that were small in size but big in
range performance |
Radios:
Manufactures like Motorola, Cobra, Xact all introduced a new generation of
smaller, cheaper, and yet...more powerful radio communication devices. Anglers
can now stay in touch with one another with radios that are small enough to be
worn as watches, and boast a range of 5+ miles! New battery technology allows
anglers in the backcountry to carry less power cells, or hook up your radio
to a convenient solar cell charger for unlimited talk time.
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Garmin makes a complete range
of accurate, user-friendly, rugged, and reliable GPS products |
GPS:
Finding that secret fishing and never getting lost is now a reality with
advancements by Garmin in both high performance marine and portable GPS
technology. Garmin's slogan at the show was "products for an active world," which pretty much
sums up their design philosophy. Garmin's new GPS units merge technology with
true purpose. We can expect to see new GPS units in 2003 that are more
affordable and even more portable, they will range from the basic handheld GPS
receivers to sophisticated voice guided in-car and marine navigation systems.
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A good
example of a good hybrid product, the Garmin Rino combines GPS functionality
with Radio communication |
One of the
most interesting products from Garmin was the new Rino110. The Rino is a
waterproof GPS integrated FRS/GPRS radio. Not only can you communicate over a 2
mile range, but you have the complete functionality of a GPS...with the added
ability to beam your exact location to a friend! This will allow anglers to hit
different stretches of water without ever getting lost, or losing each other.
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Protect your
electronics with the hermetically sealed Dry Pak |
Protection:
How frustrating is it to bring your latest hi-tech gadgets on your fishing
expedition only to have them damaged or rendered inoperable with contact to the
elements? Kwik-Tek introduces the Dry-Pak, a simple yet highly effective
solution to protect all your electronics from tiny cell phones to bulky
camcorders. Dry-Pak is essentially a thermo-plastic-polyurethane bag that is
built with cam lock clips capable of hermetically sealing out water. While
inside the Dry Pak all your electronics can continue to function in a completely
waterproof environment. The material is 10 times stronger then vinyl and has
incredible resistance to extreme hot and cold temperatures. The material is
optically clear and sound transmits through the material with less then 5% loss
of volume, so all your cameras and camcorders will operate normally.
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Sony used a
colorful fish backdrop, complete very colorful rainbow trout, as the test
arena for all its new digital video camcorders |
Video: Sony came out in full force with a cornucopia of products. With a
new theme "A World about U," Sony's new user-centric approach demonstrates the
company's vision to empower consumer lifestyles by enhancing "entertainment,
creativity, and mobility, on any device...anytime, anywhere." At Sony we saw
video cameras get smaller, operate on less power, and have complete
interoperability with their other products. With connections like wireless,
firewire, and memory stick you will be able to transfer memories from that great
fishing trip into your computer, PDA, or direct to photo printers with no
difficulty at all.
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The new Sony
RMXM10W is a wired water resistant remote that allows you to keep your
head unit in a safe dry location |
Audio:
Many audio companies including Sony and Clarion introduced new audio solutions
for home, auto, and marine applications. While there is always a trend for
bigger, cleaner, more powerful systems...one area that we found very interesting
was the drive to make it easier for users to control their audio systems. Sony
for example released new water resistant wired control units that can be placed
around different areas of your watercraft. These remotes allow complete control
of your head unit and amplifiers so that you can tuck them safely away in the
most dry section of your boat.
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The Casio
GV-20 is engineered tough, and designed for an active lifestyle |
Photography: It seemed like an endless
supply of digital cameras from all makes were displayed at the show, but what
caught our attention was the new generation of weather resistant cameras. These
new cameras can go anywhere you choose to go in your quest for exotic fishing
locations. New shock resistant constructed cameras like Casio's GV-20 are
designed with the outdoor enthusiast in mind. Built with water, dirt, and dust
resistance, this affordable camera can really take a beating. At the show we
witnessed the camera function perfectly, even after being completely soaked for
30 minutes in a test tank. This is just an example of the new digital cameras
that are engineered tougher to accommodate a more active lifestyle.
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Imagine your
tow vehicle as a complete multimedia/entertainment center |
Auto: The North halls of the convention center looked more like an exotic
car show then a hi-tech convention. The buildings were filled with Ferrari's,
Porsches, and modified SUV's. Companies like Pioneer, Alpine, Kenwood, and
Rockford have the technology to turn your tow vehicle into a complete
multimedia/entertainment center. While most Hummers were appointed to the point
of overkill, I couldn't help but imagine how nice it would be to really own one
of these stirring vehicles. With a system like this your kids will never ask
that annoying question, "are we there yet?"
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The Galaxy
SRA-10 is a satellite radio antenna designed for watercraft |
Watercraft: Shakespeare finally makes
satellite radio truly seaworthy. In the Sirius booth we found two of their
latest marine satellite radio antennas. Specially engineered for marine use, the
SRA-10 receives and amplifies the satellite signal. Simply connect any Sirius
Satellite Radio receiver, and enjoy radio coast to coast. This Shakespeare
antenna mounts easily, weighs less then a pound, and is completely weather
proof.
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The Delphi
SKYFi receiver plugs into this portable boom box to take satellite radio to
a place it has never been before...EVERYWHERE |
Freedom: Whether you are at home, driving
to work, camping out in the high country, or relaxing on your boat, you can now
take advantage of uninterrupted satellite radio. Delphi introduces more and more
uses for its popular satellite radio receiver. This small handheld XM SkyFi
receiver can plug into your home stereo, marine deck, existing car system, and
now even a portable boom box. The SKYFi Audio System is the first truly portable
satellite radio product. This incredible versatility will allow anglers to stay
in touch and be entertained by over 100 digital channels wherever you choose to
go!
Conclusion: It was quite refreshing to see so many more "solutions,"
rather then just more "products" at this year's CES show. There is no doubt that
technology is merging faster and faster into consumer devices that are designed
to appease our more active lifestyles. Anglers can take advantage of this
acceleration of consumer technology by being able to purchase hi-tech tools that
make it easier to communicate, locate our favorite destinations, protect our
valuable equipment, and ultimately free us to infinitely expand the range of our
fishing expeditions.
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