MONTANA — Greetings from the Big Sky Country.
On my latest trip out of town I missed the winter storm that visited Missoula for several days. So, while everyone around Missoula was enjoying the snow and ice and freezing temperatures, I was stuck down in Vegas and having to endure blue skies, sunshine and temperatures in the 50’s.
Oh, the price I’m willing to pay just to stay on top of things going on in the world.
The Consumer Electronics Show has been happening for over 50 years and I’ve been attending the show in Las Vegas for about 15 years. I didn’t attend last year because it was virtual.
This year I joined about 40,000 others to attend CES 2022. Now that may sound like a lot of people but before the pandemic CES used to have over 150,000 in attendance.
The Convention Center felt almost empty as I wandered through the exhibits. But I had lots of time to check out products and talk to sales reps.
I really enjoy getting a glimpse of the technology heading our way and this year was no exception.
Autonomy was a big theme in this year’s convention — not for people but for things.
Of course there were many autonomous (self-driving) cars but there was so much more. Autonomous shuttles look like an obvious solution for moving people around in a city. There were even autonomous flying cars. That’s still a ways off but they are impressive. And there were many examples of autonomous delivery systems. Key tools behind all of this autonomous work is AI - Artificial Intelligence and 5G.
There was heavy construction equipment operating on “it’s own” which is really impressive.
A John Deere tractor plowed a field without the help of … oh, what do you call them? … oh, yeah, a farmer. I had to watch that on video because there aren’t too many large scale farms in Vegas.
I also saw an autonomous “farm laborer” work. He or she or it would pick an apple from a tree and place it in the correct spot in a shipping box. Just think of what that means. It can work 24/7 and doesn’t join a union or suffer from illnesses or have family problems.
At CES there were incredible developments in agriculture, health care, drones, education, robotics, home and business security, lifestyle choices, the metaverse, and entertainment, and the list goes on and on.
And there were some little things that caught my attention.
One of those little things was a bird feeder that could be set out in your yard. Not only would it take pictures of the birds that visited but it would send notifications to your phone and identify the species of each bird.
Okay, that’s not life changing but it is very cool.
I had a great time at CES this year even though I did miss the Missoula cold front.
President Dwight Eisenhower shares with members of the U. S. Naval Academy what he believes are the key principles that have brought us together as a nation.
Here are some links I thought you might enjoy.
“Bird Buddy” is a smart bird feeder. Yes, a smart bird feeder. It won an Innovation award at CES. I’ve linked to their website so you can see it in operation.
“Pivo” is a small tracking device that let’s your phone video camera track you while you talk and move around. I was able to test it out on the CES floor and loved it, so when I got home, I purchased one. I’ve linked to their website.
“John Deere Autonomous Tractor” YouTube video that shows a driverless tractor.
“What Ever Happened to the Men of Hawk Hill?” by Morton Dean. I have to admit that most of you will have no interest in this story. I was interested because Hawk Hill was the first place I was sent when I arrived in Vietnam back in 1970.
“American Traitors: Academics Working for China” by Gordon G. Chang. This is one of those stories we don’t hear a lot about in most media outlets but it’s one of which we should take note. Is China actually trying to infiltrate American universities for their purposes?
“Report: Spy Cameras, Blackmail Rampant in China” by China In Focus on Epoch TV. This is important information about the surveillance society. It’s looking at spy cams in Japan and China but we need to be aware of what is happening in our country as well. The story begins 2 minutes into the broadcast. The stories that follow the spy cam report are equally concerning. I would encourage you to watch the entire broadcast.
Before I go, I’d like to share a blessing with you from the Old Testament.
“May the Lord bless and protect you; may the Lord’s face radiate with joy because of you; may he be gracious to you, show you his favor, and give you his peace.”
Numbers 6:24-26 (The Living Bible)
Until the next time -- be the reason someone smiles today.
Clint
Glimpses
Clint, What is this about? Having to re-establish my security clearance to send you and E mail!!!
I watched the bird video. We could do some creative things with that bird catcher. Put a donut in it and you might catch a cop. Or put an MRE in it and catch a soldier. I am not sure what I'd put in it to catch a crook. I always enjoy hearing about your conferences in Las Vegas.. They are always entertaining. I will look forward to hearing more interesting stuff this year from you. Tim Thompson
Tim,
Always a delight to hear from you. Can you imagine what we could have done in our youth if we had access to the technology that is available today? Of course, I'm sure it would all have been good and uplifting.
Hope 2022 is an outstanding year for you.
Clint