Reality augmented

Back from the Consumer Electronic Show (CES) for just over a week now, I can say that I accomplished seeing some of the specific types of new and great ideas & products I had hoped to see.

One of these things had been "virtual reality", but, while I enjoyed getting some time with VR, I hadn't even heard of what really left me speechless. Augmented reality. AR wasn't even on my radar, but Wow, it left an impact.
Before this day I hadn't even heard of augmented reality, let alone see it. In fact, I almost walked right by this booth at the show. I mean, all that was there was a book on a table and a phone propped up in front of it.
Still not sure what made me look other than the idea that there must be more than met the eye since everything else around me was larger than life.
I was right.
The person tending the display motioned to me to look into the phone screen after they demonstrated that the dinosaur book laying there was indeed a simple book.
As I watched the person turn the page, through the screen on the phone (as if the screen were simply a piece of clear glass) I saw movement.
The person picked up the phone and tilted it and I watched as the dinosaurs suddenly came alive.
Without any visible aid, the pterodactyl on the page sat up, spread it's wings, and suddenly began to fly. Yes, fly, right off the book!!! The person holding the phone simply followed along watching it as it flew. A thing of note...everything behind the flying pterodactyl was exactly what I was looking at. The entire room in real time. Eventually the pterodactyl flew back onto the page.

Yes, I was still completely at a lack for words.

I was shown a couple more pages where dinosaurs suddenly started walking around the page and off the edges.
In the last page I watched even as a couple of trees stood off the surface of the page and the dinosaur started eating from them.
Taking the camera at the end of the short third video, I put it around to the back of the phone screen to show that there was indeed nothing but a flat book opened to the dino page.

All I can say is, as fun as some of the virtual reality was, there is something to be said for all this amazing fun and mind blowing visual to be going on in front of you without the aid of all those big heavy headsets and eye gear.
It's a bonus to see these things happening in front of you without the weight of all that gear as well as the ability to still look around at your surroundings and not be enclosed in a dark world all you own.
Given the choice, right now, this has my vote.

I imagine at some point there may be a combo VR & AR in our future!

Behind the Scenes at CES

I'm just back from the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Vegas.
While I had originally intended to write here "during" the show, I found that the whole thing was so incredibly vast, that it was all I could do to find time to see what I could see. I also misled myself thinking that I could actually do everything I needed to on one of two tablets I took with me instead of taking my laptop. Not true. While one table decided to act up and not play fair, the other simply didn't have the functionality I needed to work. So, here we are.
I arrived in Vegas with my daughter (who is the one actually in the industry, and my key to going) several days ahead of the show. This gave me an insight into the work and structure of the "building of the CES".

So very much goes into all those amazing displays that look inviting and effortless by the start of the show. In actuality, there are people and machines scrambling everywhere and into all hours for days on end to make it happen. Thankfully, the booth that we had to get set up for Robotic Trends was rather small and simple in comparison and even that took a couple of days. The devil is always in the details!!
Yes, I will go into giving you pictures, thoughts, and write-ups on what I saw there, but thought you just might enjoy starting with what most people never see...some behind the scene shots of the making of the show.

Lenovo - small but significant "opps"

I recently purchased a new laptop for my husband who also had an old one on its' last leg.
Since this was going to be a work machine and he certainly wasn't as concerned with "looks" the way I was, the new laptop purchased was a Lenovo Ideapad 110.
Nice machine, enough bells & whistles, and a price tag that made it more than attractive!
Well...it's working just fine for him. Loaded in the programs he needed and the remote desktop he works with and everything seems just fine. In fact, this is one of the few remaining laptops with a built-in dvd. Goes to show you, you can still build a nice thin lightweight machine and not have to leave this useful feature out.
Now the one "tiny", but oh so troubling little misstep from Lenovo.
Since when do you take it upon yourself to alter the lineup of keyboard keys??!!
Lenovo...what were you thinking???

The public has been using a standard Qwerty keyboard layout for decades. Why would you mess with this and change the placement of one of your "shift" keys??
This is something that comes into being an issue rather quickly...like the first time you start to type!
The "right shift" key is actually an extra space over from where any other keyboard has it. In its' place is the "arrow up" key. Really? Why?

I know this is only one tiny negative, but trust me. Next time you're typing, pretend that your "up" key is the right shift key. Bet you understand after that.
We're keeping it and he is learning to deal with it mostly because at the office, he plugs in another remote keyboard to it.
So, only one small problem...but very significant one.

Let's get this party started

Welcome aboard.
I hope that you'll enjoy the posts yet to come. I decided to create this blog in anticipation of my future visit to the 2017 Consumer Electronic Show in Vegas!!
Normally it is only available to the industry folk. Yep....I've always wanted to go but never would have gotten in due to that small, but important detail.
Well....things have changed. No...I'm still not part of the industry...but I have a daughter who is!!!
This is how I'm finally getting my long time wish. And it's all legit too!!  NO...no sneaking around or getting fake credentials!!
The people at the company she represents have actually decided to use me as a "consumer" to take some pics and give reviews from a consumers perspective!!
Soo....I will be given my own credentials and have a job to do......sooo cool. Can you tell I'm excited??!!!
I know....it's not until Jan....so that's why I'm here.  To get you all warmed up ahead of time.
You'll be able to share my fun at the show....but until then...I will give you my thoughts, opinions, and advise along the way on other things until we get there.
So, thanks for joining me and I hope we can take this consumer journey together!