Highlights from the 2005 International CES
(Consumer Electronics Show)
By Roman H. Kepczyk, CPA, CITP  (February 28, 2005)

What do Jackie Chan, Bill Gates, Cheap Trick and Roman Kepczyk have in common?  They were all at this year’s International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas in January, where the latest and greatest products are launched and showcased to create the buzz for 2005.  With over 2,400 exhibitors spread out over 1.5 million square feet of show space, we put some serious mileage on our shoes to discover the front edge in consumer electronics.  While the focus may not be specifically on accounting products, many consumer electronics will evolve to serve our profession in ways we never dreamed possible.  Accordingly, we present you highlights of our visit to the International Consumer Electronics Show and the trends we feel they will launch. 

Microsoft, determined to be a major player in the consumer market rolled out their Windows Media Center PC last Fall, which they hope will become the home’s digital media server. Microsoft has partnered with vendors to produce connecting products with the Windows Media PlaysForSure logo in the hopes that consumers will buy products that are supposed to plug and play.  While these products are initially designed to store huge amounts of pictures, videos, and music, all of these items are just data files and not very different from what is stored on the servers of a small CPA firm, so expect to see storage applications make their way into our profession. 

Bluetooth, the short range wireless standard is making a splash in headsets that allow you to use your phone without a dangling cord.  While the current headsets are a little bulky (Jabra BT250) they are becoming fairly standard and even being built into motorcycle helmets.  The newest models even have a vibrate mode to let you know you have an incoming call.  Bluetooth is also being integrated into automobiles to turn them into a conference room.  Incoming calls automatically turn down your music and pipe calls through your speakers.  Voice activated commands allow you to make calls, include other callers, or go to the web to get more information. 

Will 2005 be the death of the PDA? Though we are strong PDA users (Palm bigots at that!), we feel the stand-alone PDA will disappear from the landscape in the next year.  While we all need PDA functionality, it is becoming standard on all smart phones as well as large screen devices that have WiFi or cellular access and no one would invest in a device that can’t be connected.  The roll out of 2.5G and 3G systems across the United States will have firms connecting their laptops directly to the firm digitally, so that in effect will be their “live” PDA.  

So let’s take a look at some of the coolest products including some that won Best Design and Engineering awards: 

• The drive to a “paperless” world is pushing a whole slew of scanning products into our profession at a fraction of the previous cost.  While most firms will have a high-speed dedicated scanner or the capability built into their duplicator, there will be a need for dispersed work group scanning that is fast and inexpensive.  Xerox displayed products such as the $349 DocuMate 510 that will scan single sided at 10 pages per minute (ppm) for very small work groups and a $999 DocuMate 522 model that would duplex (both sides) scan at 25ppm.  We have also seen firms buy into the Fujitsu ScanSnap capable of duplexed scanning at 15ppm for under $400.
• USB Drives are nothing new and all firms should be using them for their auditors in the field.  Lexar has rolled out their new JumpDrive Lighting that can read data at up to 24Mbps and write at 18Mbps for their 2Gb drive.  These new units can have “private” password protected areas for client files and “public” areas for open transfers.  All the software resides on the drive so there is nothing to load on your machines.
• The touchpad is going to the next generation with FingerWorks Inc. WinPad.  This is a giant touch pad that not only does click and drag commands but allows you to use multiple gestures to work even faster. Think Tom Cruise in Minority Report, except he’s working as an auditor on a spreadsheet!
• Video conferencing has had very slow uptake in our profession.  On the home front, Motorola rolled out a personal product called Ojo that is a personal video product, winning one of the CES 2005 design awards.  If you have a broadband connection and want to connect two partners in two offices, you may want to take a look at this.
• Another product that put a smile on our face as it was both functional and cost effective; but first a little story.  A few years ago, I laid my Palm on top of pay phone and picked up a cup of coffee as I was talking to a client.  To my dismay, the PDA slid off and shattered on the ground before I could react.  I could have saved a lot of time and stress had my Palm been dressed with an EGrip.™  EGrips are a pliable rubber strip you connect to the back of your PDA, cell phone, or any device that keeps it from sliding off a counter or dashboard, and the $10 investment can save you much more than a warranty repair. 
• Finally, there is always a gadget that is just plain elegant.  This year, the Motorola RAZR cell phone takes the prize for the thinnest, coolest looking device…something that James Bond would actually use!

For now, those are the highlights for the 2005 International Consumer Electronics Show.  For additional information, please visit their website (www.cesweb.org).   Have a great busy season! 

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