IVDs, CES, and Technology On A Bike

[Josh] LAS VEGAS -- today starts my CES experience. In addition to the keynotes, I'll be meeting personally with Sony, TiVo, AT&T, Sling Media, and Microsoft. My colleagues will be visiting with DirecTV and Apple (at MacWorld). So come back daily for updates on IVDs at CES.

For those who haven't experienced CES, it can be a dehumazing experience. 140,000 people crowd into the city and at any given time they are all milling around Las Vegas' huge convention center or the other major CES venue, the Sands/Venetian. Getting around is impossible -- cab lines run to 30-45 minutes, the new Monorail is crowded and doesn't stop at all the venues. Or you can take the shuttle buses the show provides, if they happen to be there when you need them, and you don't mind waiting in line with hundreds of other people. Renting a car doesn no good since parking is neither widely available nor near the venues, and if you like to walk, you'll soon find out that Las Vegas is spread out over sites miles apart.

There's only one answer -- find another way. So I did. For the second year in a row, I'll be biking between venues. Roger Kay, formerly of IDC and now independent, started it, and it works great (so long as it doesn't rain!). I wear a bright yellow fleece in an attempt not to get killed by the Las Vegas drivers, who aren't used to seeing bikes on the strip. So if you see a flash of yellow zipping by your gridlocked cab at CES, it's me.

Biking also gives you a unique view on the show. As I passed the stretch limo for Garmin (GPS) driving up to the Hilton near the convention center, it was all I could do to resist knocking on the window and asking the driver "do you need directions?"

See you at the show.

Comments

[Roger Kay]

Josh, glad to see you on the bike, and thanks giving me some credit for the idea. I'm here, also on bike, with bright yellow reflectors, but no fleece. Ride on! One day we'll get them all out there!

Best regards,

Roger