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Motors chairman and CEO Rick Wagoner delivered
the afternoon keynote, marking the first CES
keynote address by an automaker. As Wagoner
noted in his remarks, GM’s presence at
the show is further evidence of the convergence
of the automotive and consumer electronics
industries.
"If
the automobile were invented today, it would
have debuted at CES," said Wagoner,
"because more and more, that’s
exactly what today’s cars and trucks
are – highly sophisticated consumer
electronics."
Wagoner
updated attendees on the company’s
OnStar technology, which he says will one
day give drivers control of their cars directly
from their wireless phones. However, Wagoner
noted that GM’s focus is increasingly
in the area of fuel cell technology. Wagoner
arrived on stage in a new Chevy Volt, GM’s
first demonstration of a new family of electrically
driven propulsion systems. He also debuted
the new Cadillac Provoq, which uses GM’s
fifth-generation fuel cell with a lithium-ion
battery to produce an electrically driven
vehicle that uses no petroleum and has no
emission other than water.
The
Industry Insider programme featured Federal
Communications Commission (FCC) chairman
Kevin Martin, who joined CEA president and
CEO Gary Shapiro for a one-on-one conversation
about broadband deployment in the US, net
neutrality, two-way Cablecard and the balance
of copyright. Chairman Martin took questions
from the audience, many of which focused
on the transition to digital television
(DTV).
When
asked about the upcoming year, Martin said,
“The spectrum auction and the one-year
countdown to the DTV transition will be
at the forefront off the FCC’s work.”
In
a SuperSession Keeping CE off the Curb,
executives from Dell, HP, Sony, Panasonic
and TechTurn discussed the hot-button issue
of electronic waste. Exploring the successes
and challenges of both state-mandated and
corporate electronics recycling programmes,
panelists revealed the topic’s many
complexities, such as who should pay for
electronics recycling and how to address
unscrupulous recycling in the developing
world.
There
was a consensus among the panellists that
to be successful a programme must be convenient
for consumers. The panelists also focused
on the importance of reuse, refurbishment
and eco-friendly design as an important
part of the end-of-use equation.
An
international SuperSession explored how
broadband policy framework will support
future growth and access around the globe.
Some of the world’s leading policymakers
highlighted their broadband challenges and
success stories regarding deployment and
availability. The panel discussed the current
state of broadband in the US, Europe and
Japan. With digital content, services and
products becoming part of the global landscape,
the panelists agreed that the value proposition
of broadband is changing every day.
Another
SuperSession called Big Thinkers, Disruptive
Technologies – Today’s Thought
Leaders, Tomorrow’s Technologies
offered predictions for future disruptive
technologies that ranged from medical devices
using advanced microchips; a universal availability
of open-source software; all DRM-free music
and the recent change in encryption licensing
allowing consumers to download and burn
their own media. The common theme of the
panel was a future where consumers enjoy
the democratisation of information and technology.
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