IBM demonstrates its black light-emitting diode (LED), incorporated in a customized cell phone, that allows a cell phone's video camera to scan an invisible ink barcode printed on regular paper and translate it into an internet link or data code. (Damian Dovarganes/Associated Press)

As the display booths and gear are packed up, the banners come down and the sun sets on this year's Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, the industry is starting to digest the roughly 20,000 product launches and announcements that flooded out of the event.

"The 2007 International CES succeeded beyond our expectations," Gary Shapiro, president and CEO of the Consumer Electronics Association, which mounts the show, said in a statement.

"It had buzz and optimism and attracted the world leaders of the content, technology and services, communications and automobile industries."

But despite this A-list crowd, the 40th anniversary instalment of the event, which has been held here since it moved from Chicago in 1978, was by many accounts a much tamer, quieter, less exciting shadow of its former self.

The crowds in the CES exhibit halls, while ample, were manageable, instead of the mad crush that exhibitors have had to deal with at previous shows.

While there was no shortage of gadgets on display, the real buzz at CES was about how much the show had changed over the years. People were routinely heard commenting that the event was in decline, noting that there was little in the way of exciting innovation to be seen at this year's show and that the audience appeared to be lower than previous years.

Officials maintained that this year's show was attended by 140,000 people, which was in line with the pre-show prediction of about 150,000.

Improvement versus innovation

Audience numbers aside, the show is still a major hotspot for all things high-tech. Although the annual industry event has become a showcase of what many purport to be the state of the art in consumer electronics — and often gives hints about what types of innovations are coming next — the emphasis this year appeared to be on incremental advances in more conventional devices such as televisions and computer software.

The week officially kicked off with a Sunday night keynote speech by Microsoft Corp. founder Bill Gates in which, as predicted, he talked about the upcoming versions of the company's Windows Vista operating system. The talk highlighted features such as Vista's built-in entertainment features and productivity tools.

The next morning, the conference opened with a keynote speech by Motorola chairman and CEO Ed Zander, who discussed how the company is focusing on creating "cool experiences" for users of its cellphones and other devices as a way to enhance people's lives.

Gates and Zander focused on the idea of remaining connected to networks, a theme that was repeated throughout the week on the show floor as vendors offered up products that would link computers, cellphones, entertainment devices and more in the workplace, home and even the car.

The strong emphasis on connecting at the show was in evidence with a wide range of Bluetooth wireless devices offered by a range of manufacturers that included iPod adapters from companies like Belkin Corp., and stereo earphones like the Bluetooth headset for handsfree use anywhere.

Intel was touting its version of the latest improvement to wireless networking, commonly called Wireless N, based on the latest draft of the networking communications standard known technically as 802.11n.

The company is set to launch a range of products on Jan. 23 that it will call Intel Next-Gen Wireless N Technology.

The high-speed connection is capable of transmitting large volumes of data at speeds that can surpass fixed-line network connections, a capability demonstrated by Intel's display of multiple data-heavy high-definition video streams running simultaneously through a connection using its Wireless N chips.

On Tuesday, Dell Inc. CEO Michael Dell announced a range of products, including a new service called DataSafe that people could use to back up their files online for safekeeping.

Dell also issued a challenge to the industry to join his company in offering free hardware recycling services as he introduced his firm's Plant a Tree for Me program. The plan would let Dell customers donate $2 per notebook computer and $6 for every desktop PC they buy to environmental groups such as the Conservation Fund and the Carbonfund.

The same day, Leslie Moonves, president and CEO of CBS Corp., emphasized in his keynote speech that there is no such thing as new media or old media as he discussed the future and the potential for growth that media companies represent.

Apple crashes the party

But Tuesday's news was dominated by one consumer electronics story that didn't even originate at CES.

The much anticipated iPhone — an iPod cellphone — was announced at the MacWorld conference in San Francisco by Steve Jobs, CEO of the newly renamed Apple Inc.

While the international media frenzy surrounding the iPhone was strong, the reaction at CES was muted.

Many people attending the show saw it as an interesting development but don't consider it a terribly significant development until the company actually starts shipping units later this year.

Entertainment was a central theme of the show and there was plenty of competition for the iPhone.

A broad range of cellphone makers showed off handsets that could display standard TV signals broadcast over the air and a plethora of firms unveiled personal digital media devices — ranging in size from a wristwatch to a small serving tray — capable of playing audio and video.

The TV arms race continued its steady march with Sharp setting a new record for screen size with its 108-inch LCD TV.

The future of TV was also on display, with LG showing its naked-eye 3-D television. The technology will be available for commercial uses such as advertising within the next year and one LG official said it may reach consumers by 2014.

On the home video front, LG Electronics launched its dual-format high-definition DVD player and Warner unveiled its dual-format high-definition blue laser DVD at the show.

Industry observers think the moves could help speed up adoption of the high-definition DVD formats by convincing risk-averse consumers they don't have to wait on the sidelines over fears they will be stuck with an unsupported DVD format if they move to high-definition discs.

As the conference wound down, the industry ended the week on a high note. The CEA projected that revenue from consumer electronics is expected to exceed $155 billion US this year, representing growth of about seven per cent, hinting at a bright future in the months ahead.

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