on 09 January 2009, 09:55
by Cassimir Medford

Just like the Cannes Film Festival is a critical showcase for the European film industry, the International Consumer Electronics Show is a launch pad for the most innovative electronic products the tech industry has to offer.

But outside of a new operating system and matching handset from Palm, the show is sleep-inducing. What happened to all of the industry momentum coming into the show?

What happened to the pixie dust around Google’s Android? The launch of the BlackBerry Storm got more attention than this entire show. Where exactly are RIM, LG, and Samsung?

Motorola, which needs to do something before its handset business fades from memory, has been the busiest wireless products maker at the show. But its most interesting announcements were a handset made from recycled water bottle plastics and a 3G touch tablet.

Nokia announced it will bring a U.S. version of the E63 to North America. It will cost $279. Nothing heart-stopping there.

But the Palm announcement and others from Qualcomm and Sling Media stirred some interest

Qualcomm is demoing Android running on Snapdragon, its mobile computing chip set. That is interesting, but certainly not spectacular.

Sling Media and DISH Network announced a combo box that does everything -- place-shifting, time-shifting, HDTV, and remote control from cell phones. One analyst said that the combination of a DVR and a Slingbox in the same package will have lasting impact.

I nominate Palm’s new handset the Pre as best-in-show mostly because I am a big Palm fan and I hope to live long enough to write a “Palm Regains the Top Spot” story.

Perhaps the economy is to blame, but this show lacks pizzazz. There was just so much going on leading up to CES, one expected better – a lot better.