With the opening of CES 2017 today, the world is again drawn to the Las Vegas Convention Center to experience firsthand what many consumers will be seeing in the coming year. It’s an experience that always excites and mystifies those who wonder what technology will be the next frontier in consumer electronics.
This year is not an ordinary year for CES. It’s a special birthday. For 50 years, CES has been the launchpad for innovation and technologies that have changed the world.
As you meander the many halls over the next few days, think about what you might have seen in 1967. It was the year Barclays Bank put its first automatic teller machine (ATM) into service. The pocket calculator was also invented by Texas Instruments. You could purchase a Hipster 8-track portable cartridge player for $24.95 to play your newly minted version of the Beatle’s Sgt. Peppers Lonely Heart’s Club Band, which you read about in the inaugural edition of Rolling Stone magazine.
And where was technology? In May 1967, Ralph Baer played as well as lost the very first two-player video game. Douglas Engelbart completely changed the way people interacted with computers when he filed a patent for the first computer mouse.
CES has grown from its meager beginning in New York City where it opened its doors with 117 exhibitors. In 1967 the likes of Quasar, Sharp, RCA and also Panasonic showcased technologies like transistor radios and black-and-white TVs.
CES 2017
Today, CES 2017 boasts more than 3,800 exhibitors. They include manufacturers, developers and also suppliers of consumer technology hardware, content and delivery systems. More than 150,000 attendees will once again have the opportunity to perhaps experience for the first time the one technology our grandchildren will be marveling about in 2067. ces.tech
