WynEdge Holds Quarterly Developer Meeting

Minnetonka, MN, March 28, 2012 - A rising tide of knowledge lifts all boats and at WynEdge we just had a Tsunami.  At our spring developer meeting we discussed the next generation of Windows, uniquely named Windows 8, and the new Metro UI.  We also talked about cross platform development on iOS and Android devices.

The meeting was held in Uptown at the “blue” Apartments, right next to Bryan Lake Bowl where we finished the evening with food, drinks, and rolling round heavy things.

Windows 8

The meeting started off with a demonstration of Windows 8 and the Metro UI.  Highlights included a short list of tips and tricks that greatly reduce pain of adoption and a discussion regarding the viability of Windows 8 as an operating system for the enterprise. 

The Metro UI works well on touch screen devices but at first seems out of place on laptop and desktop environments.  That is, until you learn a few keyboard shortcuts.  The big game changer for Windows, of course, is its ability to run on ARM platforms.

WynEdge is monitoring the adoption of the Metro UI and the company has already begun developing applications that support this new UI standard from Microsoft.

Android/iOS

WynEdge has been working on several iOS and Android applications and is currently leveraging MonoTouch and Mono for Android to increase code reuse and reduce development and maintenence costs.  The pros and cons of doing such were discussed and a cross platform “Hello World” application was developed.

Other possible cross platform solutions were discussed including mobile web pages, and just sticking with native development.  Each has its place and WynEdge always works to apply the correct solution depending on the needs of the project.

Bowling?

After the presentations we moved the meeting over to Bryant Lake Bowl where we wrapped up with some food, drinks, and fun.

Happily no injuries, other than some bruised egos, occurred.

The WynEdge Team is looking forward to the next quarterly where we will continue reviewing exciting and new technologies and discuss the viability of these technologies in the marketplace from both a consumer and developer perspective.

WynEdge at CES 2012

Minnetonka, MN, January 19, 2012 - In our constant drive to keep ahead of current trends in technology, several WynEdge engineers made the annual pilgrimage to CES 2012 in January. Below is a list of some of the reported highlights.

The trend toward connecting everything continues.  The blending of home automation, health montioring, and streaming content was the star of the show.  WynEdge has been hard at work with several of our clients adding this capability to their products and looks forward to helping more clients get connected this year.

OLED TVs are the future. Several vendors carried these, including a 55" version from LG, and they were amazing to see.  They are impressively thin and made current flat screens look old school.

iPad/iPhone peripherals were present in huge numbers, despite Apple not having a presence at CES.  The entire quadrant of the North Hall was dedicated to iPad products where the iPad is the controller.  Baby monitors, blood pressure monitors, temperature gauges; the array of devices coming out exclusively for the iPad was amazing.

Android tablets were much less prevalent compared to what we witnessed at CES 2011.  While Android was still present, it was mostly under the covers.  Not a lot of buzz at all about Android.  No green robot icons anywhere.  Sure there were some laptops running Android Ice Cream Sandwich or Honeycomb.  However, all the iPad killers from last year were gone.

There was a surprising amount of buzz around Windows 8 and the Windows Phone 7 products; particularly the Nokia Lumia 900.  That phone won best in show.  In general, a lot of favorable press existed at the show regarding Microsoft's upcoming Windows 8 release.  Many feel Microsoft has a chance to comeback in 2012 to make a dent and take away market share from Apple and Google in the mobile space.  However, the jury, not to mention Apple and Google, are still out on that one.

Tobii Eye Control was an innovative product that allows users to control what's on screen with nothing more than the user's eyes.  The product basically tracks where the user is looking on the screen with a simple eye blink to click.  This product will also be integrated into Windows 8.

BlueStacks can run Android applications on Windows 8 via an Android emulator layer that presents Android applications through a traditional and familiar Windows user interface.  I'm not sure about the performance, but an interesting idea that could remove a barrier to entry for some buyers.

InMotion Technology had an interesting blend of technologies that use GPS and video in ambulances to provide emergency telemedicine services.  The product allowed doctors and surgeons to get a head start on treatment while the patient was en route to the hospital.  Nothing radical here, but good packaging of existing technologies into marketable products.

WynEdge Expands Service Offering

Minnetonka, MN, March 10, 2011 - WynEdge, an award-winning, high technology services and product development firm providing startups and large enterprise corporations with innovative and robust software and system solutions, is proud to announce an expanded line of services aimed at addressing the ever increasing demands of embedded and mobile devices.  These services combine to provide:

• improved time to market for new devices
• centralized analytics and management capabilities for deployed devices
• next-generation user interface capabilities on small footprint, low cost, low power device platforms.

Time to market is everything in today's economy.  WynEdge's ability to deliver software solutions simultaneously across multiple platforms enables clients to reduce development costs and increase market exposure.  Cross-platform libraries developed by WynEdge accelerate time to market by simplifying deployment to:

• Windows, Windows Embedded, Windows Phone 7
• Linux
• iPhone, iPad
• Android
• BlackBerry
• VxWorks, QNX, uC/OS

WynEdge's multi-tier software and hardware system designs benefit medical device companies and others faced with delivering safe, highly reliable, mission critical systems combined with cutting edge technology and user interface designs.  The FDA and other regulatory agencies impose serious challenges to companies selling devices with relatively new technology.  WynEdge's designs separate mission critical and non-mission critical system aspects resulting in a decoupled, testable system and a lower risk path for device approval.

Leveraging analytics to gain insight into device deployment and usage patterns is critical to reducing cost and improving customer support.  WynEdge's cloud-based device aggregation solution (CDA) enables companies to easily manage and report on devices deployed across the globe.  Companies using CDA now have instant access to:

• device usage patterns
• consumable metrics
• geolocation
• fault history

In addition, CDA offers customization features enabling companies to add and report on any other device information deemed valuable or required by regulatory agencies.  CDA provides device management features simplifying device provisioning, device updating, and real-time customer support.  The backbone of CDA solves device interconnectivity across disparate networks by leveraging the latest web technology.  CDA provides real-time communication to devices behind firewalls and intranets, thereby enabling and simplifying deployments for many industries including telemedicine, fleet management, and others.

User interface technology has vastly improved over the last few years.  WynEdge is on the forefront of designing and implementing next generation user interfaces for devices that combine new levels of creativity with navigation efficiency that device user's demand.  WynEdge empowers companies to communicate brand value through custom user interaces that are effective, efficient, and provide a positive user experience.  This reduces user errors and training costs while building user trust and brand identity.  Across multiple device platforms, WynEdge experts design and implement user interfaces, previously unrealizable on actual devices, using technologies such as:

• Silverlight, Silverlight for Windows Embedded, WPF
• Cocoa, Cocoa Touch
• Android UI
• Mono, Moonlight
• Flash

From concept to commercialization, WynEdge partners closely with companies to reduce project risk, accelerate product development, and ensure that device products meet the market with a recognizable quality that surpasses the competition.

For more information, please call Eric Drury at (952) 358-6368 or email info@wynedge.com.

WynEdge CES 2011 Review

 

Several of the WynEdge team attended CES 2011 this year.  Here is a quick summary of the highlights and how WynEdge can contribute to them.

Tablets, tablets, tablets.  It seemed every company, both large and small, had at least one tablet solution.  The operating system of choice was Android.  Most had version 2.x but some, like the Motorola XOOM, were running 3.0.  It's a good bet that Android 3.0, which was designed with a tablet interface in mind, will become the standard as the year goes on.  What will be interesting to see is whether or not consumers adopt non-iPad tablets.

• WynEdge has demonstrated success in developing several tablet platforms and applications for the medical, consumer, industrial, and mobile markets.  We are excited to see further adoption of these low power, portable computing platforms.

Windows 7 falls short on a tablet device.  Microsoft is planning to remedy this with a new version of Windows, creatively named Windows 8, that will include tablet specific features much like Windows Phone 7.  Also of note from Microsoft is that Windows 8 will be able to run on ARM processors ending the long history of only running on x86 architectures.  Microsoft is playing catch-up to Apple and Android at this point.

• WynEdge has a breadth of experience developing mobile and desktop platforms running just about any version of Windows.  Recent projects include Windows Embedded Compact 7, Android 2.2, and Windows 7.

Medical Devices are fast becoming mainstays in the consumer product arena and will become increasingly available at the likes of Best Buy.  The trend is, well, trending.  That is, frequent monitoring and recording of vitals like blood pressure, glucose, and weight will be used to detect hypertension, diabetes, and other diseases much earlier.  Some of the devices will be wearable, while others will be familiar devices, like scales, that become connected to a monitoring hub. 

• WynEdge has a long history in the medical device arena.  From home health monitoring and telemedicine to custom device development, WynEdge is a proven competent partner in reducing time to market, reducing risk, and ensuring efficacy and safety. 

ZigBee seems to finally be for real in the home automation space.  There is wide adoption of the technology for linking home automation and entertainment equipment.  See Control 4.  Green initiatives will help fuel adoption of this standard as many energy monitoring devices are implementing ZigBee to communicate with monitoring gateways.

• WynEdge has leveraged ZigBee and other 802.15 based protocols on several projects ranging from remote device control to intrinsically safe industrial automation.

The phone is becoming the media HUB.  Media Center PC’s have been replaced by smart phones.  Check out the Motorola ATRIX for one take on this.

• WynEdge understands that the phone is rapidly becoming the user interface of choice.  Remote monitoring, telepresence, and mobile computing are only some of the applications that are rapidly moving to the mobile platform.  Additionally, these devices are raising the bar of user expectations when it comes to the user experience.  WynEdge leverages several technologies to address the mobile platform preference.

4G is a game changer.  Having the additional bandwidth and connectivity provided by 4G networks (WiMax/LTE) will allow faster data transactions, high quality video streaming, and online gaming.  Other sectors that will greatly benefit from 4G adoption are telematics and fixed wireleass broadband.  Why have a cable modem or DSL when the cell network can provide enough bandwidth?

• WynEdge understands that 4G will change how mobile (and fixed) platforms interact with the user, the user's content, and the rest of the world.  The flexibility and bandwidth provided by the technology will enable new streaming, monitoring, and communication applications.  WynEdge is working to incorporate this technology in several products to reduce latency in business intelligence gathering, improve logisical information processing, and improve quality of information.

 

Gene Lytwyn Receives Technology Executive of the Year Tekne Award

Eleventh annual Tekne Awards recognized Minnesota’s technology innovators and innovations

Minnetonka, MN, November 3, 2010 – The Minnesota High Tech Association (MHTA), in partnership with LifeScience Alley, Enterprise Minnesota and the BioBusiness Alliance of Minnesota, has named Gene Lytwyn of WynEdge Software as the recipient of the 2010 Tekne Award in the Technology Executive of the Year award category.  Held November 3^rd at the Minneapolis Convention Center, the Tekne Awards honor companies and individuals who have played a significant role in developing new technologies that positively impact the lives and futures of people living in Minnesota.

As Chief Executive Officer of WynEdge Software, Gene Lytwyn and his talented software team have assisted hundreds of companies across the state discover and commercialize technology solutions that have contributed to revenue growth and expansion.  In 2009, under Lytwyn's guidance, WynEdge was instrumental in assisting 3M's build of the Integrated Cycler, a microfluidic molecular diagnostic testing system that utilizes advanced data management software to help laboratories process, store and transfer data quickly.  This major advance in technology assisted labs and hospitals across the country in coping with the surge in testing demands created by the outbreak of H1N1 in 2009, saving many lives in the process.

“WynEdge has always focused on utilizing the amazing engineering talent born out of the Minnesota school system and applying that talent to solve the toughest and most exciting engineering problems Minnesota companies face,” said Lytwyn. “Receiving this Tekne is an incredible honor and recognizes the dedication of WynEdge Software to consistently deliver engineering excellence.”

Playing a significant role in bringing new technology to life, the 2010 Tekne Award recipients represent large global companies, as well as small entrepreneurial ventures, that have helped reinforce Minnesota’s place as one of the most competitive and technologically advanced regions in the world.  Judges selected one recipient out of the three finalists in each of the 12 Tekne Award categories, recognizing the best and brightest in development, education, commercialization and management of technology.  Some awards included separate categories for small and growing businesses (with annual revenues under $50 million) and established businesses (with annual revenues of $50 million or more).

“This year’s recipients, once again, raised the bar with the quality and originality of their entries and should all be very proud of their accomplishments,” said MaryFrances Schurb, interim president of MHTA.  “We are thrilled to recognize Gene Lytwyn and WynEdge Software for its proven leadership and commitment to technology development in Minnesota.”

This year’s Tekne Awards ceremony was emceed by Paul Douglas, author, entrepreneur and meteorologist. Senator Amy Klobuchar addressed attendees at the evening’s ceremony.  As the chair of the Subcommittee on Competitiveness, Innovation, and Export Promotion, Klobuchar has been a leading voice in calling for an innovation agenda that will grow our economy and create jobs in America.  A list of 2010 Tekne Award recipients and finalists is available online at www.tekneawards.org.

About WynEdge Software

WynEdge Software is a fast paced, high technology services firm providing startups and large enterprise corporations alike with innovative and robust software and system solutions.  To deliver solutions that immediately add value, we partner closely with our clients to understand their business needs and objectives.  Based in the Twin Cities, WynEdge Software began in 1994 as a software services firm delivering high end, professional software development solutions.  The company has since diversified into a full service product development firm working on some of the most exciting and cutting edge projects around.  Working in a number of industries, WynEdge Software has developed strong competencies in medical device development, control systems, manufacturing, data storage, pharmaceutical, and mobile solutions.  In addition to leveraging a breadth of experience, skills, and tools, the company employs the very best and brightest technical staff to guarantee client success now and in the future.  Find out more online at www.wynedge.com.

About Minnesota High Tech Association  

The Minnesota High Tech Association (MHTA) accelerates the growth, sustainability and global competitiveness of Minnesota's technology-based economy through public-policy advocacy, member collaboration, and education and community outreach. MHTA is the only membership organization that represents Minnesota’s entire technology-based economy. MHTA members include organizations of every size − involved in virtually every aspect of technology creation, production, application and education in Minnesota. MHTA works in partnership with TechAmerica, which represents Minnesota's technology organizations nationally. Find out more online at www.mhta.org or follow MHTA on Twitter at twitter.com/MHTA.

Gene Lytwyn Named Finalist for 11th Annual Tekne Awards

Minnetonka, MN, September 8, 2010 – The Minnesota High Tech Association (MHTA) has named Gene Lytwyn of WynEdge Software as a finalist in the Technology Executive of the Year category for the 2010 Tekne Awards, which will be held at the Minneapolis Convention Center on Wednesday, November 3rd. The Tekne Awards recognize Minnesota companies and individuals who have shown superior technology innovation and leadership.

As a leader in technology management for more than twenty years, Gene Lytwyn has been instrumental in assisting hundreds of companies across the state of Minnesota discover and productize technology solutions that have contributed to revenue growth and expansion. Among his career accomplishments, Gene founded two successful technology companies and a foundation, all dedicated to enhancing technology advancement.

After graduating from North Dakota State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science, Gene Lytwyn began his career in 1986 as a software engineer for Lee Data. Early in his career, Gene developed a passion for elegant design and system-level engineering with a single focus: understand the needs of the market and develop solution-based hardware/software systems that significantly and measurably enhance the user’s experience.

In 1994, Gene founded WynEdge Software, Inc. Under Gene’s guidance, WynEdge reached a number of milestones in its customer base, product delivery, and corporate growth during the first years of its inception. With Gene’s vision and experience in high growth environments, WynEdge satisfied the rapidly increasing demand for software solutions in the 1990s. For over 16 years, he and his team of engineers have worked quietly behind-the-scenes to help the best of high technology companies in Minnesota including Honeywell, Medtronic, 3M, Boston Scientific, MTS, St. Jude Medical, ADC, Hutchinson Technology, National Marrow Donor Program, and The Otto Bremer Foundation.

In addition to his WynEdge responsibilities, Gene serves as CEO/Founder of Element Data Group, LLC., an IT consulting company dedicated to supporting legal institutions in Minnesota.

“I am honored to be a finalist for the 2010 Tekne award,” said Lytwyn. “This nomination is certainly a tribute to both the engineering talent that WynEdge Software is built on and the impressive high technology community that exists in Minnesota.”

Presented by the MHTA in partnership with the BioBusiness Alliance of Minnesota, LifeScience Alley, Enterprise Minnesota, the Tekne Awards annually recognize Minnesota’s best and brightest technology users and developers in innovation, development, education, commercialization and management. A full list of finalists is available online at http://www.tekneawards.org.

“The Tekne Awards recognize those whose leadership and dedication to technological development helps demonstrate Minnesota as a global player in technology-based markets,” said MaryFrances Schurb, interim president of MHTA. “This year’s finalists should be extremely proud of their role in helping Minnesota excel.”

Recipients of the 2010 Tekne Awards will be announced at the award ceremony on Nov. 3. The event will begin with a VIP registration & reception at 4:30 p.m., followed by general registration and cocktails at 5 p.m., dinner at 5:45 p.m., the awards celebration at 7 p.m., and a post-Tekne party at 8:30 p.m. The event will be emceed by Paul Douglas, author, entrepreneur and meteorologist.

To register for the 2010 Tekne Awards ceremony, visit www.tekneawards.org or contact Kathy Marsh at 952-230-4554 or kmarsh@mhta.org.

About WynEdge Software
WynEdge Software is a fast paced, high technology services firm providing startups and large enterprise corporations alike with innovative and robust software and system solutions. To deliver solutions that immediately add value, we partner closely with our clients to understand their business needs and objectives. Based in the Twin Cities, WynEdge Software began in 1994 as a software services firm delivering high end, professional software development solutions. The company has since diversified into a full service product development firm working on some of the most exciting and cutting edge projects around. Working in a number of industries, WynEdge Software has developed strong competencies in medical device development, control systems, manufacturing, storage, B2B/API interfaces, and mobile technologies. In addition to leveraging a breadth of experience, skills, and tools, the company works with the very best and brightest engineers and project managers to guarantee client success now and in the future. Find out more online at www.wynedge.com.

About Minnesota High Tech Association (MHTA)
The Minnesota High Tech Association (MHTA) promotes the growth, sustainability and global competitiveness of Minnesota's technology-based economy through public policy advocacy, member collaboration and education, and community outreach. MHTA is the only membership organization that represents Minnesota’s entire technology-based economy. MHTA members include organizations of every size − involved in virtually every aspect of technology creation, production, application and education in Minnesota. MHTA works in partnership with TechAmerica, which represents Minnesota's technology organizations nationally. Find out more online at www.mhta.org or follow MHTA on Twitter at http://twitter.com/MHTA.

WynEdge Software Spins Off IT Consulting Business

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn., Jan 1, 2009 - To spur new business and enable creation of a more clear branding strategy, WynEdge Software is spinning off its two year old Information Technology (IT) consulting branch to form Element Data Group. Gene Lytwyn will continue to serve as CEO of both WynEdge Software and Element Data Group.

The WynEdge IT consulting practice was started two years ago to provide professional IT consulting services to the Twin Cities legal community. Jeff Alluri, who holds the position of Director at Element, brought over eight years of law firm IT knowledge to WynEdge when he became the very first IT consultant.

Over the last two years, Element has experienced triple digit top-line revenue growth. Element has grown from a having a single customer to over 25 as of the beginning of the year. Additionally, Element has experienced positive growth in terms of staff even through a very difficult economy.

As the Element group grew, it became difficult to create a coherent branding strategy under the single WynEdge name due to the very different nature of the customer base of the software consulting and IT consulting units. WynEdge Software caters to a very technically sophisticated audience of software engineers, engineering managers/directors, and CIOs. The target audience of Element’s services is comprised of managing partners, office managers, and attorneys. While many of these people are technically savvy, they are not interested in the same level of technical information.

As part of this spin off effort, Element IT now has its own website (http://www.ele-ment.com). Element also has a new logo and its own email domain. The two companies will continue to work very closely together, and will continue to co-locate in the same office in the Carlson Towers in Minnetonka, MN. WynEdge and Element are excited about the new branding prospects, and about the future opportunities to work together. WynEdge is currently working to build software products that can be used and sold by its sister company, Element Data Group.

WynEdge Presents at the Life Science Alley R&D SIG

WynEdge was recently a guest presenter in the Life Science Alley R&D Special Interest Group (SIG) meeting held at the Doubletree Hotel in St. Louis Park, MN. The presentation focused on the current state of embedded design in medical devices. Eric Drury, WynEdge Lead Principal Engineer, provided an overview on some of the more popular operating systems used in embedded design and Microsoft’s Windows Embedded technology.

Drawing from both experience and market research provided by Embedded System Designs, WynEdge pointed out that embedded operating systems vary dramatically from product to product. In some cases, simple designs require very small, very efficient operating systems or no operating system at all. But the convergence of faster, smaller, and more powerful embedded technologies make is possible to run complex operating systems such as Windows CE, Windows Mobile, and Windows Embedded.

The use of higher level, more feature-rich operating systems like Windows CE, has enormous implications in the design of medical devices. First, the universe of software engineers who can support your product is much higher thanks to Microsoft’s introduction of the .NET Compact Framework. Second, driver support is much more widespread on Microsoft platforms compared to more obscure operating systems such as QNX, VxWorks and Linux-based RTOS products. This has both cost and reliability implications.

WynEdge emphasized that embedded operating systems are not plug-and-play because – unlike computers running Windows XP or Mac OS X, Real Time Operating Systems are designed to be scaled and customized depending on the requirements of the product design. So, it’s critical that your team has experienced engineers with low-level embedded expertise.

This is where WynEdge comes in. Our senior-level engineering team has the training and experience to make sure your design has the right architecture to start with and the necessary support throughout the design life cycle. WynEdge is a Windows Embedded Partner and works with many of the most successful medical and commercial device companies in the world.

WynEdge provides expertise in designing, implementing and delivering leading edge embedded solutions focusing on advanced technology strategies, architectural development, and full life cycle product engineering.

Our clients have complex business requirements that demand strong partners like us. We are recognized as the industry leader due to our in-depth knowledge and expertise with developing end-to-end product solutions using Microsoft technologies.

The WynEdge Growth Path: 12 Years and Counting

April 12, 2007 - WynEdge is pleased to announce it has completed its 12th consecutive year of managed growth. From the perspective of our engineering team, this 12 year span started at a time when DOS and UNIX were the dominant operating systems and object oriented programming languages were just coming into vogue. 

Fast forward to 2007 and the world has changed dramatically. Gene Lytwyn , WynEdge’s founder, states, “Our consistent growth these past 12 years has been driven by loyal clients who expect the best and loyal employees who have done a phenomenal job learning new skills, new methodologies, and staying abreast of emerging technologies.”

So much has changed in 12 years. While C and C++ still have their place, Java and C# have become the programming languages of choice. Traditional software development models have new company from a variety of iterative and agile models, which enable larger teams to deliver their products to market more quickly and efficiently.  Wi-Fi, WiMAX, ZigBee, cellular, and GPS technologies have untethered millions of devices and applications. And, as processors and memory have become cheaper and more powerful, sophisticated embedded designs with real time operating systems can be found everywhere!

WynEdge’s consulting business in 2007 reflects these technology trends as illustrated by the recent projects listed below.

• WynEdge is helping a transportation client design a Windows Embedded-based wireless device for tracking assets on a global basis.  
• WynEdge is playing the lead architectural role in designing a web-based data warehousing system for a major life sciences client.
• WynEdge is developing a Java-based Linux system that makes it possible for our client to remotely manage and configure equipment located throughout the world.
• WynEdge developed a .NET-based SDK that enables system integrators to more easily support our client’s security identification systems.

As you look at your product or service roadmap, keep WynEdge in mind. Our team has a proven track record of engineering excellence – 12 years and counting

WynEdge Takes on the 2007 CES Show

Jan 26, 2007 The Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas is now in its 40th year and with over 140,000 attendees and 2,700 exhibitors, the annual convention is a great way for WynEdge engineers to better understand industry trends, see new products, and learn about emerging technologies. (It’s also a nice respite from Minnesota winters for our senior engineering team!).

After scouring the show floor from Sunday through Wednesday, here are the highlights our engineers thought were the most impressive.

Biggest Splash: Microsoft Vista
Microsoft dedicated an entire hall and pavilion to the launch of Vista at CES. Unlike Steve Jobs – who can make network routers look sexy – Bill Gates’ big vision was “a server in every home.” We’re not sure consumers care about client-server architectures, but Microsoft Vista does offer tremendous potential for integrating a variety of entertainment components in the modern home.

Under the hood, Vista is a big improvement from a developer’s perspective. Changes to the OS kernel have improved memory management and multiprocessor synchronization – which in turn will improve performance and reliability. Microsoft has also incorporated the .NET 3.0 framework in the Windows SDK and introduced new development components including Windows Presentation Foundation, Windows Communication Framework, Windows Workflow Foundation, and Windows CardSpace.

Most Consistent Theme: ConvergenceFrom HDTV running Windows, to mobile phones playing movies, to ultra mobile PCs in cars and trucks supporting everything, convergence was a consistent theme for large and small consumer electronic companies. An excellent example of this trend is the Nokia N76 mobile phone pictured above. The N76 supports digital music with 2 GB of memory, video and still image capture with a 2 megapixel sensor and 20x digital zoom, email, web access, and, of course, you can use it as a phone!

 

Most Exciting Trend:  Ultra Mobile PCs (UMPC)
Intel, Samsung, and Microsoft were just a few of the major players at CES showing off their UMPC technologies.  As processors get faster and footprints smaller, ultra mobiles can run Windows XP or Vista making it ideal for automotive, entertainment, factory automation, medical, and many other applications and vertical markets.  Microsoft and Intel have excellent websites detailing their support for UMPCs.

 

Best New Product: Solid State Disk from SanDisk
This 32GB nonvolatile storage device consumes less power and provides faster access times to data than traditional hard disks.  The side by side comparison was impressive with Windows Vista booting at least twice as fast on the solid state disk than on the hard disk. See http://www.sandisk.com/Oem/Default.aspx?CatID=1478

 

Best Emerging Technology: Wireless Power
The ability to power handheld device through RF debuted at CES. Our engineers spent time with Powercast and WildCharger. CNET writes, “After three years of keeping its technology under close guard, Powercast has come to CES 2007 to get consumer and manufacturer attention. Powercast is a radio frequency that is transmitted over a small area, and its energy is "harvested"--wirelessly--to give power to small devices like cell phones.” See http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-12760_7-9673092-5.html

 

Product You Would Most Like to Have in Your Home
OLED HDTV received quite a few votes. The Sony demonstration unit had a vivid 27 inch screen and the unit was only 1 cm thick. (Notice how the marketing folks can so easily mix English and metric units!) A nice review of OLED technology which outlines its advantage and disadvantages can be found at http://www.hdtvsolutions.com/oled_tv_technology.htm

Most Entertaining Event
Some of our engineers thought the best event was the opening ceremony with Bill Gates. Entertainment wise, it was interesting watching Venetian security trying to organize 4000 people into lines to enter the event. But the majority preferred Joan Jett’s rendition of “I Love Rock n Roll” at the Gibson Guitar tent.