The document provides an overview of some of the notable technologies and exhibits at the 2014 International CES trade show in Las Vegas, including: 1) Gibson Guitars' exhibit of the tools and workbench used to make their guitars; 2) The Beam telepresence robot that allows remote users to navigate and interact with others at the show; 3) Various innovative waterproof cell phone cases on display.

1. International CES 2014 – Retrospective
It’s a week later and all 150,000 attendees, 3,200 exhibitors and many hundreds of
workers have left the building. Looking at it now, you’d never even know the biggest
tradeshow ever, some 2 million net square feet, even existed here. Gary Jesch, who
owns a live animation company in Nevada, captures some memories in his photos and
remarks, of some of the most exciting parts of this year’s CES.

2. The original Gibson Guitar Workbench
Inside a large tent at CES 2014, Gibson Guitars showed off the workbench of its
famous maker, exhibiting some of the many tools required to turn raw wood into a
thing of beauty, a Gibson guitar. The exhibit area was completely packed for the first
three days of the show, filled so full that people could barely get inside. Those who
did make it inside were allowed to play Gibsons, while wearing headphones.

3. Beam - The Cadillac of Remote Telepresence
The women in this picture are actually about 600 miles away from the CES 2014
tradeshow floor, at an office in Silicon Valley. yet they can walk and talk with anyone
who visited the Beam booth during the show, navigating via a built-in camera and
remote controls that move the video display stand around the booth or room.
This device, priced at around $20,000, is the leading product in its category. Users can
count on a high-quality video, audio and internet connection and long battery life.

4. Star of CES 2014 – the waterproof cell phone case
Innovators of cell phone cases could be found by the hundreds at the International
CES 2104 in Las Vegas this year. Most intriguing are the ones that solved the problem
of killing your phone accidentally by water, and there were plenty who addressed that
issue with good results. Today, there’s no excuse for losing a phone due to
submersion, or having a funky-looking case. In fact, you could have a new and
different case for each day of the month, easily.

5. At CES 2014, the medium is the massage
Massage chair makers were easy to find on the CES show floor – just look for a dozen
people laying down, with attendants hovering over them. Rarely could you find an
empty chair in any of the booths. Just what the doctor ordered for a long day of
booth-cruising at the world’s largest trade show.
And for those who actually bought a chair after their test drive, the not-so-easy task
of fitting these 200-lb. monsters into their house. Have a seat.

6. Avatar head in a robot’s body
This innovative Japanese robot designer incorporated an animated virtual character
into the head of its interact robot and gave it a video screen to carry around. The
futuristic combination allows the user to choose the appearance of the avatar face
and the language it speaks. Its built-in camera can aid in presentations and it can be
remotely controlled. Is this the next big thing in Japanese homes? Or US tradeshows?

7. Giant, mind-blowing 3D video wall greets visitors to CES
The entrance to the Main Hall at CES 2014 took attendees a few steps inside the exhibit hall
and in front of the largest 3D videowall ever presented at a tradeshow. LG captivated with its
approximately 80 ft. by 20 ft. curved wall of 120 high-res screens, all matched perfectly for
color, showing a lively program viewed through the same 3D glasses used in theaters. Of
course, the LG booth and the rest of the main hall opened up behind it. but after seeing this
videowall, those 70-inch screens were honestly a let-down.

8. A robot that washes windows? A Winbot, of course
This window-washing robot will clean one side of a normal-sized window in about 20
minutes, and never leave a streak or bug-spot behind. Its vacuum-powered suction
cup keeps it from falling off the glass as it makes its way around. For those high-up
windows, just give it a longer extension cord. The award-winning device sells for
about $400 and will make your all your windows sparkle inside and out, without you
lifting a finger. Now that’s a good robot.

9. Cool concept car attracts lovely ladies
Imagine being able to design the color and graphics of the surface of your next car,
being able to play your favorite videos on the skin of your doors and fenders and
showing your favorite slide show from your hood or roof. That’s what Toyota is
demonstrating with this futuristic concept car in their booth at CES. It’s a sexy, shiny
object and we may someday be driving these four-wheeled transports to work, or
they may be driving us.

10. No paint job - red one instant, green the next
To drive this machine, you merely hop in and close the hatch. It senses your weight
shifting, so no need for a steering wheel or handlebars. The side wheels tilt, turning
the vehicle to the left or right, and with one flick of your finger, you can start an whole
new video displaying on the skin and wheel covers. Incidentally, only the rubber part
of the wheels turn, or appear to, anyway. Called a “mobility concept” by Toyota, this
was one of the biggest draws of the show in the North Hall of CES.

11. This might make you give up your Harley
According to Toyota, someday a car won’t have a paint job. Instead, the body will be
fashioned of clear Lexan plastic, covering curving video displays that can change color
and even show images of their surroundings. Could this be the first invisible car? Stay
tuned for the next James Bond movie to find out. As high-res video displays become
easier to bend and shape, we think that using them for body parts is an exciting idea
whose time is coming soon. Thanks, Toyota auto designers, for your vision.

12. Gary Jesch and the 3D Digital Puppeteer
Check out Jesch’s work in the trade show and special events industries by visiting his
website at www.chops.com or find him on Facebook. He’s been performing his live
animated interactive avatars since 1993 for corporations and businesses all over the
world, and also has a webcasting and webinar production service. Learn more at
CHOPSWebcasting.com and WebinarsOnFire.com on the web. Tweet @chopsweb