Comments on: The Consumer Electronics Show gets underway

By: Jim, Worcester, MA

Jim, Worcester, MA — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 14:31:51 +0000

I wonder if Hunter S. Thompson ever wrote a similar piece.

By: Insert Name Here, New Jersey

Insert Name Here, New Jersey — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 13:31:38 +0000

sounds like Bing is doing Vegas ‘Hunter S. Thompson’ style – a la Raoul Duke. Bing, watch out for those Dinosaurs in the lounge………

By: Robbie P, Hometown USA

Robbie P, Hometown USA — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 04:57:09 +0000

Okay…bacchanal…I am going to Dictionary.com…yer awesome Bing…have fun…buy me the L3 watch, I wannabe Dick Tracy!

By: Mike, Spokane, WA

Mike, Spokane, WA — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 01:51:17 +0000

Bing’s not ’slummin it’….he’s operating deep undercover…..taking the pulse of the common folk.

None of you know sad until you’ve been sent to a convention in Bismark, in the dark depths of a North Dakota winter. It’s doubly depressing….sin is always in very short supply in the Dakotas (except for one delightful August week in Sturgis).

By: Bing

Bing — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 23:52:29 +0000

On Southwest?

By: Bing

Bing — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 23:51:21 +0000

Not on your life.

By: Chris in Cape Coral, FL

Chris in Cape Coral, FL — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 23:20:42 +0000

In the pre-wifi era, I remember being in that Kinko’s on Paradise while the CES and AVN shows were underway, waiting a couple of hours for a laptop connection to check email on the way through to Utah…pretty much a freak show then, and you nailed the ambiance perfectly.

By: Bill, Laurel, MD

Bill, Laurel, MD — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 23:04:55 +0000

I never imagined the linkage between these two groups. Though I had heard somewhere that the porn industry is a huge user of many technological innovations. The naive optimist in me has a tough time accepting that fact, if indeed it is one.

I also didn’t know that the Adult Video industry had organized conventions like this. The mind reels.

Good reporting, Bing. Keep us posted.

By: Ed, Montreal

Ed, Montreal — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 20:52:27 +0000

Some description. Some environment. I hope you have on those comfortable shoes you promised yourself. I mean really really comfortable shoes. Like running shoes.

By: Lamont, Atlanta, GA

Lamont, Atlanta, GA — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 20:14:38 +0000

Since you have less to do and see at the CES, are you going to update us on the happening at the AVN?

By: TJ Knowles San Diego, CA

TJ Knowles San Diego, CA — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 19:38:15 +0000

Bing

What’s uglier than Vegas in broad daylight?

The hotels in Vegas have dropped rates so low that much of the CES and other events have moved from the Convention Center to the casinos/hotels to save a few bucks.

How was the menu at the Adult Video Show? C’mon.. ‘fess up!

By: Tim Martin, McKinleyville, CA

Tim Martin, McKinleyville, CA — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 19:24:26 +0000

Bing,

Vegas has got to be the strangest city on earth, an adult Disneyland with everything from gambling to porno conventions to that pizza with scalloped potatoes you spoke of. Your piece rememinded me of some strange acid trip, or a very funny dream. I imagine you’re gather tons of entertaining material for future articles, or maybe even a new book: Silicon Valley T & A.

By: Mike Jackson - Austin, Texas

Mike Jackson - Austin, Texas — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 18:30:46 +0000

So did Weaver mean that on Wednesday everyone from the CES goes over to check out that “other” convention?

By: Jack Hammond Canada

Jack Hammond Canada — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 18:18:32 +0000

Hi-teck and porn-o-graphy, At last two things I can relate to as a consumer/investor.

When it comes to hi-teck, my knowledge is limited to putting the pointy end of the batteries in, just like it shows on the diagram.
oh well enough about hi-teck.

People make fun of the porn industry not realizing that it is and old, old industry that will out live many others especially in hard times (pun in there somewhere).

I hope Flynt and the guys get the 5 billion bailout they are asking for. America cannot afford to lose another vital industry.
Think positive, next time you see a hooker, try to think of her as an unemployed actor or a budding starlet who is waiting to be discovered.

Some friends of mine recently came back from vegas, they said if you mounted a cannon on a roulette wheel and fired it everytime it stopped..your chances of picking the number was better than hitting anybody with the cannon shell.

Bing you have a great job, I really envy a guy who gets to go to such places and rub shoulders and other parts against the captains of industry.

By: Steve, Charleston, WV

Steve, Charleston, WV — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 17:51:21 +0000

I love reading your stuff. That bit about the juxtaposition of the porn industry with “guys who spent the best years of their lives with their hands on their joysticks” is priceless. Have fun.

By: David, Los Angeles CA

David, Los Angeles CA — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 17:20:24 +0000

Bing,

A person of your stature should not be staying at the El Cortez in downtown Vegas. Although, times are tough and vintage Vegas may be more economical. On the subject of convention life spans, I think CES and the Adult convention where a match made in heaven. You would make a mint if you could figure out how to get Comic Con, CES and the Adult show all at the same time…and inter-mingle the booths as well.

If I where you, I would be golfing at the Wynn

By: Ray, Ottawa, ON

Ray, Ottawa, ON — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 16:50:43 +0000

So if you were on the aisle and Ted was at the window, with a seat in the middle, it means that you were not flying business class.

Man these cutbacks are hard.

Bing, head back to business class and stimulate the economy.

By: Travis, Lafayette, IN

Travis, Lafayette, IN — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 16:46:56 +0000

head over to watch the ioSafe team demonstrate their new fireproof / waterproof hard drives. 1500 degree fire and a pool. I think they are doing the demonstrations at a place called Screwballs, but I could be mistaken. CNN and MSNBC are running info today.

By: Isaac, Culver CIty Ca.

Isaac, Culver CIty Ca. — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 16:18:35 +0000

Keep us posted, I have always seen this kind of conventions as an indicator of how things are really going to be, if you ask the people on the booths how is the attendance today vs. last year you get a good picture of things to come.