It was definitely a strange show for a company like mobileStorm to attend. The show is mostly about hardware; however we just announced our deal with American Idol producer Freemantle Entertainment, and since CES always has a ton press there our PR company set up a bunch of interviews with reporters and analysts. Make sure to check our News section for articles that came out of my meetings at the show.

I have to say CES is HUGE. I walked the 3 main halls and still only saw about 50% of the exhibitors. Yet, there were few software or web-based application companies there. Most of them were in partner pavilions showcasing their application on a platform like Nokia or Qualcomm.

The thing that really stood out for me at the show is amazing picture quality and size of the latest televisions and merger of the Internet with such top-of -the line monitors. All the networks are being forced to go to HiDef by 2009, which will force consumers to throw away that 800lbs TV they bought for $4,000 five years ago. All of the new televisions can easily be hooked up to a computer.

Soon, you will have software that will not only allow you to watch satellite TV but your favorite programs online at the same time. Your computer will store music that can be played throughout the house, or you can use applications like Rhapsody to play any song you can think of as fast as you can type. Your pictures can be stored and you could use Piscasa or Flicker to play slideshows. And the best part about all of this is that you can access your TV, movies, music and pictures from your cell phone using programs like Slingbox, Rhapsody, Orb, and Flicker.

A new deal that I am very excited about is between LG and Netflix that will allow you to download all Netflix movies directly to this LG set top box – no more delivered DVDs. This convergence will eventually allow you to access the Netflix library from any computer connected to the Internet, which will let you skip having to buy a new piece of hardware like the LG settop box.
We are definitely in for some exciting times ahead. Entertainment and technology are converging fast, and it\’s only the tip of the iceberg. As computer speeds continue to increase, and bandwidth becomes faster and more widely adopted, the possibilities are endless.

Jared Reitzin
CEO
Entrepreneur Success