Inventors: A "Tradeshow" can be a valuable tool for the "Independent Inventor" or "Entrepreneur". Attending a tradeshow allows you to learn more about existing and emerging technologies from the companies manufacturing their “Product” or “Products”. While talking to the Exhibitors, you can learn so much from the Sales and Marketing People, Manufacturers, Distributors, Presidents, Vice-Presidents, Engineers, Employees, Journalists, Reporters and other Inventors. Large companies and professional tradeshow Exhibitors usually supply product specifications and marketing literature, demonstrations, samples and some of them even hand out promotional freebies. Attending a tradeshow or exhibiting at a tradeshow can be a very important learning experience for the "Inventor" and "Entrepreneur".
If exhibiting at a tradeshow is one of your objectives, take notice of the techniques exhibitors use to draw you into their booth to show you their technology and answer any questions that you may have. Look at the exhibitor’s booth display and it’s construction. Does the booth display announce to everyone passing the booth what the product or products are and what each product does? Were the booth displays constructed for quick and easy deployment and disassembly? Were the booth’s displays compactable, lightweight and indestructible for shipping? How well does the handout literature explain the product or products and what each product does? Does the exhibitor have a website and is it well displayed? How well does the website provide a description of the product or products, along with what each product does? These are just some of the issues that you will have to face if you are planning to exhibit at a tradeshow or market a new invention.
Introducing or launching your invention or product to the world, or to a high percentage of the tradeshow attendees at a tradeshow, is a very difficult thing to do. Try to be optimistic in your endeavor, but at the same time be realistic. Don’t be afraid of failure, at least you have tried to pursue your dreams and you will learn from any mistakes you make. Every year more and more new inventions are invented and then introduced into our world through patent applications or commercial products. To protect your invention worldwide, the inventor must file patents in around 50 countries, which is far beyond the financial capabilities of almost all independent inventors. The world’s modern patent system owes its origin to King James of England, who rewrote the laws regarding monopolies in 1624. King James banned all monopolies, except for inventors of new manufacturers, who were allowed the sole rights to their inventions for 14 years.
The International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) is the biggest tradeshow in Las Vegas, Nevada and the world’s largest annual tradeshow of consumer electronic products. The Consumer Electronics Show "CES" (CESweb.org) is sponsored by The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA). CEA (CE.org) has more than 1,000 corporate members who design, development, manufacture, distribute and integrate audio, video, mobile electronics, wireless, landline communications, information technology, multimedia and accessory products, home networking, and related services accounting for more than $80 billion in annual sales.
The 2009 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) was held January 7-11 and featured 1.25 million square feet of exhibit space. 116,687 people attended CES from 128 countries throughout the world. Attendee figures plummet by 23% from 2008. CES showcased the latest innovations from 2,700 international exhibitors and more than 20,000 new products spanning 30 product categories from markets including audio, digital content creation and distribution, digital imaging, embedded technology, gaming (digital entertainment), high-performance audio & home theater, home networking, in-vehicle technology, wireless & telecommunication communications, mobile electronics, navigation systems, satellite systems, home security & automation, digital video, consumer technology networking, broadband, content media, new business technology, delivery systems, accessories, computer hardware & software, the Internet and a variety of other of products. The 2009 CES show occupied the Las Vegas Convention Center North Hall, Central Hall and South Hall, the Hilton Convention Center and the Sands Convention Center (behind the Venetian). At the same time the CES convention was held, the AVN "Porn Convention" took place in a separate area of the Sands Convention Center.
In 2008 the country began entering a recession. You would never believe this if you looked at all the construction taking place in Las Vegas. The Wynn Casino's $2.5 billion Encore project just opened last month The $6.3 billion City Center project is still being built. The FountainBleau condominium tower is still under construction. An addition to the Palazzo/Venetian is under construction. A new TurnBerry condominium building is under construction. The Encore project has temporarily stopped construction.
Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer delivered his first pre-event CES Keynote Speech. Ballmer topics covered: Microsoft invested more than $8 billion in research and development, Windows 7 solves the problems found in the Windows Vista operating system, Microsoft's primary goal is the convergence of the PC, the phone and the TV (Life Without Walls), 1 billion people in the world have a PC, more than 1 billion mobile phones were sold in 2008, next year, 50% of the cell phone market will be smartphones, the boundary between the PC and the TV will disappear and “digital textbooks” using touch screens and paper-thin, flexible displays.
Some of the companies and notable inventions or products at the 2009 CES tradeshow were:
A new high speed USB connection was just introduced and is called the SuperSpeed
USB. Download a 27 GB HD movie in 60-70 seconds. Download 8 GB of photos from
your camera in 20 seconds. Transfer 16 GB of data to a USB Thumb Drive in 40 seconds. 5 Gbps Signaling Rate. Backward Compatible with USB
2.0.
SD memory cards went up to 2 Gigabytes. SDHC (High Capacity)
cards go up to 32 Gigabytes. Before the end of 2009, the new SDXC cards will be
introduced at 64 Gigabytes and will go up to 2 Terabytes within a few years.
Intel was displaying their Classmate PC, running a Windows or Linux operating system, their Mobile My Wi-Fi software
(downloadable patch) for the Centrino2 chip, their 1.33 GHz Atom low power processor chip and i7 processor chip.
Intel was displaying devices using their Atom low power processor and SU7 Video
Card found in Netbooks and Mobile Internet Devices (MIDs), the next evolution Core i7 processor and Core i7
Extreme processor with a new 45 nanometer micro architecture which is faster than their Core
2 Quad processor.
Luxiium Lighting & Technology was displaying their Luxeed Programmable Color Keyboards protected by worldwide patents and pending patents.
FC Industries was displaying their LED lighting products and their 180 watt LED Street Light which produced 2/3 the luminosity of a 400 watt sodium light.
Greness Enterprise Co. was displaying their Waterproof Speakers protected by patents.
The North American distributor Areaware was displaying the patented 22 lb. Strida Folding Bicycle, invented by UK industrial designer Mark Sanders.
Data Locker was displaying the World's Most Secure Portable Hard Drive with 256 bit AES CBC mode encryption.
Liquid Image was displaying their underwater digital camera face masks.
Yingzhen Cyber Blue Industry Co. was displaying the Smallest USB Dongle in the World.
nPower PEG was displaying the World's First Personal Power Generator.
An Inventor was displaying his patented Electronic Tape Measure called eTape.
NVIDIA was demonstrating their new GeForce 9400M graphics chip.
Maxtek was displaying their 1 to 6 watt LED light bulbs and spotlights (50-250 lumen) which last 50K to 100K hours.
Inlife-Handnet Co. was displaying the first portable stereoscopic video recorder and camera
with a 3D player and image display which is protected by worldwide patents and pending patents.
Kodak was displaying their new 12 mega pixel camera with a 24X
optical zoom, 3" display, hot shoe, horizontal and vertical shutter release,
wide angle shooting, image stabilization and is
powered with 4 AA batteries. Kodak was also showing their 3 mil. thick OLED invention on a 480 pixel x 800 pixel
resolution picture and video viewer with a 30,000 to 1 contrast ratio and 180
degree viewing angle.
Simcraft.com was displaying their video race car simulator with 3 degrees of freedom (40º
roll / 25º pitch / 40º yaw capabilities). The simulator has a hefty $44,00 price
tag. One Indy car driver, Sarah Fischer, endorses and uses the product to train
for races. (Patent Pending)
ThrustMaster.com was displaying their magnetic T16,000M PC game joystick
controller that is 250 times more responsive than optical or mechanical
joysticks and is a patent pending invention.
Showa Industries Ltd. was displaying their LED light bulbs and LED tubes.
Beijing Gaoxin Haukang Technology Co.
was displaying their Portable Oxygen Concentrators, Double Bottle Oxygen
Concentrator and Timer Oxygen Concentrator.
Pen Laboratory Inc. was displaying their PaperTablet position tracking digital
pen that can work in a mouse mode or in a writing mode where the user writes on
regular paper or on a projected screen to
input the sketching into a computer program. The technology is protected by worldwide patents and pending patents.
Tianjin Jinneng Solar Cell Co.
was displaying their double junction a-Si JNsolar Thin Film Photovoltaic Modules
with a 5% efficiency, which are less effected by temperature and low light
conditions than mono or poly crystalline photovoltaic solar cells and flexible
thin film a-Si solar modules with an efficiency around 6% - 8%. Temperature,
solar intensity and the solar spectrum all change the output of a solar cell.
Classet Co. was displaying their portable DVB-T, ISDB-T, T-DMB and Analog TV LCD receivers and multimedia players.
ISV Co. was displaying their Pen and Mouse input device which can be used as a mouse,
laser pointer, computer writing instrument, portable LED light, note taker and has
a scrolling function which is protected by pending patents.
Primpo was displaying their iSonic Ultrasonic Detector for the Blind which is attached
to the cane and perceives obstacles which the cane cannot detect and notifies
the user of the distance of obstacles in 1/2 meter intervals and is protected by
pending patents.
Enputech / Purelight, Inc. was displaying their 25 watt / 45 watt fluorescent
Insect Repellant Light which lasts for 8,000 hours and their Insect Repellant
Metal Halide bulb which is protected by
a trade secret coating and process.
Enputech was also displaying their Air Disinfectors decompose all germs
(bacteria, virus, mold) and all odors into a non-hazardous and non-odorous
nitrogen, water and carbon dioxide in 30 minutes using a TiO2 coated
Carbon filter, a TiO2 coated Zeolite filter and UV light.
MoleTech was displaying a fuel saving device installed in the fuel tank which changes the
molecular structure of the fuel molecules and another device which is installed just
before the air filter which causes the air particles to cluster together
and is protected by worldwide patents and pending patents. Achieves fuel savings
up to 20% on gasoline engines and fuel savings up to 10% on diesel engines,
lower emissions and increased horsepower.
Samsung was displaying their Pico Projector (DLP projection technology) with
internal storage, their 82" Ultra High Definition LED TVs with a 3840 x 2160 ratio,
Ultra High Definition Plasma TVs with a 4096 x 2180 ratio with four times the
resolution of conventional Full HD and their OLED TVs.
Super Imaging was displaying their full color windshield display on glass which is protected by worldwide patents and pending patents. GM is working on implementing the invention into future vehicles.
Casio was displaying their EX-F1 camera with 60 6MP images per second capabilities,
ultra high speed 1,200 frames per second video recording, 1080i HD video
recording and slow motion viewing.
Analog Devices was displaying their technology in consumer products.
One product was the ScriptTalk from EnVision America which uses RFID chips to tell a blind or visually disabled person what is in a bottle of medication.
Kyosemi Corporation was displaying their Spherical Solar Cell which is 20% efficient, it can use reflected and diffused
light from all directions to produce electricity and is suitable for window
applications on buildings. The technology is protected by worldwide patents and pending patents.
Pilot e-Lite Technology Ltd. was displaying LED strips and ceiling panels which were extremely brighter than any other LED manufacturer and highly efficient.
Sony was displaying a Organic LED 3 credit card thin (a 3mm thin TV) and its Wi-Fi equipped G3 Camera with an embedded web browser.
Southwire was displaying their flatwire products for use in multiple electrical
connection applications and is protected by worldwide patents and pending
patents.
PowerFilm was displaying products using a 20 year old technology on indoor and
outdoor flexible silicon substrate solar cell products up to 52" x 44'' The
products are protected by trade secret processes. ?% efficient?
ELV Motors was displaying their 20 mph 120V rechargable lithium powered drive (20 miles
est.) or pedal assisted (40 miles est.) A2B bicycle product.
Kinyo was displaying their 5V DC, 2A, 3W LED, 50 Lumen, Liquid Crystal on
Silicon (LCOS), M100 mini projector with a 640 x 480 resolution and VGA
connection. The projector is protected by pending patents.
3E Technologies Inc, was displaying their Smart Lite™, Eco Bulb™ and 920 lumens
natural light spectrum E Lamp™ products protected by worldwide patents and pending patents.
LG Electronics was displaying their GD910 Watch Phone, a 1W LED, 10 lumen, 100" screen
Pico Projector with HVGA 480 x 320 resolution on a touch screen OZ CYON cell
phone and the 1920 x 1080 resolution M4714V Triple View Display which displays 3
different types of content .
Panasonic was displaying their 1/6" thick Vacuum Thermal Insulation Technology
with 30 times times the thermal insulation of fiberglass, their Heat Pump
Technology used in refrigerators, bathtubs and construction materials, and their instant on
fluorescent bulbs.
IOGear was displaying their GPEN200N Mobile Digital Scribe with 12 language
supported handwriting recognition software (OCR) and stores up to 50 pages.
GPEN200N Mobile Digital Scribe is the first portable device
ever to capture natural handwriting from any surface and is protected by
worldwide patents and pending patents.
Lok8u was displaying their Nu·M8 GPS locator watch for children.
AnyBots/OLogic was displaying their robotic technologies on the QA robot with tele-presence.
The Dino-Lite USB digital microscope has 10x - 230x magnification.
AEE was displaying their MD80 Mini DV, the smallest digital video camera in the world.
OQO was displaying their 60G (1G RAM) or 120G solid state (2G RAM) OQO, the world's smallest computer, using the 1.33 GHz Intel Atom processor, with an OLED touch screen, a 4-8 hour battery life, running Windows XP.
Satync was displaying their SM010A 8 in 1 Multi-Function MP4 with emergency battery
power (700 mAh), MP3 and MP4 player, flashlight, radio, alarm, pest repeller,
alcohol tester, cell phone charger and pull string generator.
DeviceVM was displaying their SplashTop software which makes your computer ready to use
seconds after you turn it on and is immune to malware.
Poloroid was displaying their PoGo instant digital camera which prints your pictures
using an integrated internal printer.
OC Detox was displaying the Ocean Cleanse Detox Generator used in a footbath for
detoxifying the body. The device removes the body's toxins by generating a mix
of positive and negative ions in 30 minute sessions. Males wear the wrist
contact band on their left hand and females wear the wrist contact band on their
right hand.
Sendero Group was displaying their featherweight 3-ounce GPS receiver which connects wirelessly to a PK or mPower using Bluetooth technology
for the blind and visually disabled.
The National Federation for the Blind was providing information on how to make accessible consumer electronics (vision free designs) for the blind and visually disabled.
A disabled attendee was good enough to allow a picture of his iBot Wheelchair which was invented by the same person that invented the Segway.
If you are interested in finding out more information about any of the products discussed on this page, search the company name and product name in a search engine to find more information about a specific product or better pictures of a product.