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Early CES 2015 Headlines Highlight Disruption
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Yes, that's an astronaut taking a tiger for a walk on the moon. We're not sure what that has to do with the kinds of technology and gadgets on display at the 2015 International Consumer Electronics show in Las Vegas this week, but it certainly is a compelling image courtesy of the CES marketing folks. A few of the developments that have been announced so far at the event - which is staged for the media's benefit - could indeed prove to be as disruptive as the sight of a tiger strolling on the moon. (That walk would quickly prove to be VERY disruptive to the tiger's body, thanks to the moon's airless environment.)
Sling TV
An early example: Monday's announcement by satellite company Dish of Sling TV, a service that promises access to several cable channels - including ESPN - without the need for a cable subscription. For an affordable $20 a month, you get access to the cloud-based service's 30 channels, viewable on computers, devices and web-friendly TVs. This does continue the trend of OTT (over the top) services like Netflix and Hulu that simply require you to have high speed internet access to view movies and favorite TV shows. The disruptive aspects of this particular announcement involve the pricing and the inclusion of ESPN; many of those wanting to join the cord-cutting crowd are loath to do so if it means they can't watch check out collegiate athletics and SportsCenter highlights.
Sony On Stage
Talk about disruption: a major hack and data breach sent Sony staggering into the new year. Yet after reversing its decision to pull "The Interview" from theaters, and adding same-day video on demand releases of the James Franco/Seth Rogen comedy, the company may be getting back on its game. At least, Sony president Kaz Hirai made it sound that way as he used the first part of Sony's Monday stage presentation to thank company employees for their work and patience throughout the crisis. He also said that "The Interview" was now in nearly 600 theaters and available on pay TV services. In that respect, the movie turned out to be an experiment in same-day digital and theatrical releases. For those wanting to see more of this kind of release pattern that doesn't just involve independent/arthouse films, Sony may prove to be more willing to accommodate them.
Samsung's Keynote
In years past, attending CES meant waiting for Bill Gates to officially launch the show with his keynote presentation. But Gates and Microsoft apparently got tired of waking up in Vegas, so other companies get their shot. This year Samsung kicked things off with an official doubling-down on the Internet of Things, which involves all kinds of devices and appliances being web-connected. CEO B.K.Yoon told his keynote that he's setting a five-year deadline for all Samsung products, "whether an air purifier or an oven," to be Internet-connected. That's big, given Samsung's presence in the consumer electronics industry and its investments in mobile technologies. Expect to see competitors offer their own IoT strategies, and then wait for the trickle-down effect for startup companies providing related services and products.