Numbers fall at technology industry's main event as US sales set to slow

Logging on: Launch of Consumer Electronics Show:The technology industry's biggest annual event, the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), opened in Las Vegas yesterday, but the number of exhibitors and attendees is down on last year and new research forecasts consumer electronics sales will drop this year, writes John Collinsin Las Vegas

Research by event organisers the Consumer Electronics Association estimates that, despite the slowing US economy, factory sales to dealers grew 5.4 per cent to $172 billion (€125 billion) in 2008, but will probably shrink by 0.6 per cent this year. The number of companies exhibiting at CES this year is 2,700, down from more than 3,000 last year, while 130,000 industry professionals have registered to attend, compared with 140,000 in 2008.

CES was opened with the traditional keynote presentation from Microsoft which this year was presented by chief executive Steve Ballmer rather than founder Bill Gates who has stepped down from a day-to-day role at the company.

While acknowledging the difficult economic situation, Mr Ballmer urged businesses to remain positive and to continue to invest in technology.

He announced that a beta, or test version, of the next release of the Windows operating system would be available to download from the Microsoft website from today. Windows 7, which will replace the much-maligned Vista, is expected to go on sale later this year, but Mr Ballmer did not discuss the timing of its release.

Mr Ballmer and other Microsoft executives also demonstrated how Windows can be used to simplify the interaction between PCs, mobile phones and televisions. Microsoft also released a new version of Windows Live Essentials, a suite of software that extends Windows to the web.

Sony chief executive Sir Howard Stringer also showcased his firm's new releases. As expected, Sony entered the market for lightweight ultraportable notebook PCs known as netbooks. The high-end Vaio P series has a built-in 3G network connection, GPS functionality and a webcam but will retail for $900 rather than the sub-$400 price tag favoured by most netbook makers.

Many manufacturers are introducing televisions based on organic light emitting diode (OLED) technology which are as thin as 2mm and produce a brighter picture than current models. Sony also showed off a flexible OLED screen that fits in the viewer's hand while Samsung showed a translucent display which is likely to be used for applications such as providing driving directions without impairing the driver's view of the road.

Other common themes of the show including adding internet functions to televisions, bringing live TV broadcasts and internet access to cars, and prototypes of 3D TVs.

A number of Irish firms made the trip to Las Vegas including APT, a Belfast maker of audio software; FireComms, which produces technology that can be used in high-speed home and in-car networks, and Dublin start-up Amulet Devices, which has a remote control for media centre PCs that can be controlled with voice commands.