“Miracles” in the Sin City

My barber and some friends again had a mixed feeling of envy and joy when I told them that I am now preparing for my annual trip to Las Vegas.

Envy because somehow they think that I am given the license to “sin” especially when I go to the Sin City and Entertainment Capital of the world with a Mission Everything Possible.

They became doubly envious when I said that this year I am attending the International Consumer Electronics Show next month with a Press Pass having been validly credentialed as a Columnist, Blogger and Industry Analyst. They know the privileges and perks of being one.

But they are also joyful for me and for themselves.  While aware of the rule, “Whatever happens in Las Vegas, stays in Las Vegas”, my stories and anecdotes after my trip always gave them the feeling that they were privileged and exempted from the rule.

They know that the Pornographers’ Convention is being held at the same time as the CES Shows, so as in the past, they expect me to give some report on the former.  Again they will be disappointed, but such feelings were always overcome by my narration of the amazing technologies launched at the CES and experiences such as my getting stranded in Las Vegas and winning a semi-jackpot in poker last year.

I am going to Las Vegas a couple of days earlier.  I will attend the sessions on the “State of Consumer Electronics Industry”, the “State of the Global CE Industry” and the Official Press Event featuring the unveiling of the new year’s products and sneak peak at the product debuts from the Innovation and Design Engineering Honorees.

A whole day is designated Press Day but press conferences, interviews and demonstrations are scheduled daily the whole week.

The biggest names in the consumer electronics industry except Apple are represented in the show. In most cases, the CEOs themselves come and unveil their new products.

I have been going to this event yearly since the time Bill Gates, Founder and former Chairman of Microsoft and a Twitter follower of mine started delivering the first Keynote Address of the show. I followed his activities then, now and of course, on Twitter.

We will again see Microsoft CEO Steve Balmer deliver the Pre-Show Keynote Address. I hope to be able to see, listen and even meet Google CEO Eric Schmidt and the top executives of A T & T, Facebook, Intel, GE, Hyundai, Ericsson, Qualcomm, Nokia, Samsung, Sony, Panasonic, Daimler and other technology giants.

                                                                CES 2011 Photo 

There will be 2,700 exhibitors. Since my inclusion as an attending member of the Press, I have already received over a hundred invitations and counting, to schedule interviews with their CEOs, to attend their press conferences, and to demonstrate their products as they host receptions. Many have even promised to provide samples for evaluation.

According to the CES Fact Sheet, the exhibitors, media, industry analysts come from 140 countries. Attendees are expected to number more than 140,000, which is 3 times the number of slot machines on the Las Vegas strip. The exhibit space covers 1.7 million net square feet of space – equivalent to more than 35 football fields. A person walking the carpeted aisles of the CES show floor would walk almost 15 miles – and burn up to 1,500 calories.

The products being exhibited involve different facets of life. They are categorized into: Audio, Automotive Electronics, Computer Hardware and Software, Connected Home, Content Distribution, Digital Health and Fitness, Digital Imaging/Photography, Electronic Gaming, Emerging Technology, Entertainment/Content, Internet-Based Multimedia Services, Lifestyle Electronics, Telecommunications, Video, and Wireless & Wireless Devices.

It would be nice but impossible to attend all the events, visit all the exhibits, see all the demonstrations and to even interview all interested CEOs. Time and human limitations prevent them. So I will just do what are possible!

It would take efficient and effective management – planning, leading, organizing, and controlling, to maximize the benefits that accrue to attending the CES event as an enthusiastic member of the industry but now of the Press.

Objectives and priorities must be established. My barber suggests that I should give priority to those who give you samples for evaluation. Another one in the barbershop says, choose those who host receptions, lunch, coffee, drinks and the like. One friend recommends those who could be potential advertisers to the Asian Journal USA (my publisher).  Many suggest checking with Facebook friends, Twitter followers, and Asian Journal and Google blog readers as to what would interest them most.

My decisions have always been made on the basis of practicability, necessity and beneficiality.  This one should be no different.

The International CES is the world’s largest consumer technology tradeshow.  As stated, around 200,000 hours of work are spent to put on the show. It would take more than 25,000 people to produce it in one day.

No wonder that they have provided certain tools for all parties concerned to take advantage of their show.

Each one can virtually create his or her chosen show based on what is practical, necessary and beneficial.

                                                                 CES 2011 Photo

My CES, My Planner, My Schedule are tools I definitely will use. I have started filling them out. I will wait for other invitations that come daily and sort them out later according to some established priorities.

I have witnessed the launching of several new products and technologies that affected people’s lives over the years. From Digital Audio Technology and High Definition Television in the ‘90s to the Satellite Radio, Microsoft Xbox and Blu-ray DVD in the early 2000s and to the New convergence of content and technology, OLED TV, and 3D HDTV in the late 2000s. During the last 2 years, I witnessed the emergence of Tablets, Netbooks, Android Devices, Connected TV, Smart Appliances, Android Honeycomb, Ford’s Electric Focus, Motorola Atrix, and Microsoft Avatar Kinect.

All these happened in the CES and in Las Vegas. By the standards of the old and the very old, they would be “miracles” in the Sin City.

In this coming event, I expect no less but wonders!

PLANET of the APPS

“Numbers tell the story.” I have used this phrase often to explain things to my barber and to others who appreciate points made when supported by real numbers.

About seven (7) billion people now populate planet Earth.  Since the start of the digital age, there are now about two (2) billion personal computers in use worldwide. Fifteen percent (15%) of these computers carry the Apple brand.

There are now about five (5) billion cell and smart phones used on Earth.

A planet getting digitized, Earth interconnects its inhabitants, phones and computers through a worldwide web or what is commonly called Internet.

Currently, more than two (2) billion earthlings use the Internet worldwide. About 900 million and counting are on Facebook.

Twitter, in a blog published early this year, came up with the following numbers:  it takes 1 week to send 1 billion tweets; 140 million is the average number sent per day; and 460, 000 new accounts are being created daily.

In 2010, 6.1 trillion text messages were sent.

For every computer, cell/smart phone, use of the Internet, Facebook, Twitter and other social networks, there are corresponding operating systems, drivers and thousands of other applications.

The software applications involved would equate to trillions, if not more, as we who populate the Earth assume a complementary and supplementary “digital or cyber life”.

Welcome to the PLANET of the APPS!

As we begin to appreciate and get used to this new cyber way of life, we try to live guided by the Golden Rule of “doing good and avoiding evil”.  As expected, there are those who, for economic, political and other unknown reasons, would wish to disturb our positive cyber ways.

These evildoers are called “hackers”, “cyber attackers”, or what we call in legal parlance, “cyber criminals”.

During the last 3 weeks, I attended 3 conferences at the Washington Convention Center.  They were the Enterprise Architecture Conference, the Government Video Expo, and the Cyber Security Conference and Expo.

I was lucky to have attended them as a member of the Press.  My Press Pass allowed me to join in all the conference sessions, expo, and eventually access any or all the presentations online. Let me express my deepest appreciation to Ms. Andree Diggs who approved my Press Credentials. Her company, 1105 Media, efficiently and effectively managed two of the conferences: the Enterprise Architecture and the Cyber Security.

These conferences are follow-ups to E-GOV (electronic government) gatherings that started in the 1990’s as computers, wireless communications, and the Internet began to engulf our way of life. I used to attend them as the U.S. Government defined its role being E-GOV of, by and for the people.

E-GOV is basically the use of information technology (IT) by the government to provide better service to its citizens, the business community, its employees, organizations, and other governments by providing easy access to government information and public services.

The information technology as developed by both the private and public sector became so sophisticated and complex that IT Architecture has become necessary. Eventually called Enterprise Architecture, it provided better understanding, more efficient and effective electronic governance.

The enemies of E-GOV and the citizens of the world have become very sophisticated as well. According to FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation) data cited in a U.S. Senate testimony, “annual cybercrime profits and damages have hit a trillion dollars.”

The tools that are increasingly used by hackers for these cyber crimes are called “botnets”. Symantec estimates that there are about 3.5 million to 5.4 million botnets worldwide.

Bloomberg BusinessWeek reported that companies such as Sony, Google, Lockheed Martin and two of South Korea’s largest banks have been hacked. Even the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and Citigroup announced that their computers were breached a few months ago.

In effect, the battleground against terror and crime is no longer limited to Air, Land and Sea. Cyberspace has become a place for warfare. For this reason, the U.S. Military has declared it a military domain.

Cyber Warriors

China, for example, has been accused of hacking Google’s infrastructures. On the other hand, the former accused the United States of being an “information imperialist,” and of using the Internet to overthrow governments.

The Pentagon, despite budgetary problems, “requested US$3.2 billion worth of funding be allocated to “cyber security”.  A U.S. Cyber Command has been established and in fact, has had operational capacity.  Cyber Commands are likewise being established in other countries. It was reported that India is looking to establish a “Cyber Control and Command Authority” while China has established a “Blue Army” to defend the People’s Liberation Army from attacks on its networks.

The Cyber Security Conference was informative, educational and self-reassuring.  I hope to write more on the topics and issues discussed in the very near future as the likes of my barber begin to understand and appreciate them.

The Philippines has been dubbed as the Facebook Capital, Tweeting Capital, Texting Capital and the Call Center Capital of the world.

In the immediate future it could become the Capital of the PLANET of the APPS.  My advice is for the country to seriously focus on Cyber Security.

Tech IT or leave it!