Andrew Nimick - Technology consultant Andrew is an independent technology consultant whose focus is what technology can do for business and finding the best tools for the job.

Over in Vegas it is CES, Consumer Electronics Show. Wish I was there playing with the gadgets. One of the big undercurrents is the rise of US produced home media systems which are more computer system than high. I recently read a great post about one such system and will be looking into them later in the year. It's a "want one issue".

I will have a look-see at CES but suggest you catch up on news from people attending (see my post about parrot content).
One other big news item at present is the expected arrival of Apple's new Slate computer. There have been rumors about this device for months now, which I have deftly ignored. I will perk up when Apple announce it, the rest is just wasting time.
However, the rumors have got other manufacturers worried as HP have just ushered in a new slate which Microsoft announced at CES. A few years back Apple stated they had no interest in making a tablet. Tablets are like laptops but the screen turns round so they work as a slate using touch (think big iphone). You could get them, but they were a modded mac pro. Yet Mac os X has always had good tablet support, built in for wacom tablets among others. The technology for the touch screen in the iphone has changed all of this it seems, as has devices such as the Kindle ebook reader from Amazon.
But as Hp and no doubt Dell will follow, have made a slate, why is there so much excitement about the islate (rumored name)? Well, because the technology which made the iphone so user friendly will do the same on the islate. No little pens to loose and the ability to do hand gestures like Tom Cruise.

It will be interesting to see how the market reacts.