I love writing this article. I’ve been writing a version of it since 2013. Take a look at the 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, and 2014, versions of this article. And I’m back this year, with a whole new crop of contenders.
A little bit of a difference this year: All these photos were taken midday on day one, which is supposed to be the busiest day of the show. Let’s hope that things perk up for these folks who plunked down six figures to be in the busy Central Hall.
Sharp
Hey remember Sharp? They were a staple of 1980s home theater. I guess they’re not the face of the ’20s, since their booth was emptier than a midday showing of Cats.
Delta
I do not know what Delta Air Lines was doing at the show this year. Their booth was much emptier than this photo makes it look, mostly because I had to back up well into the adjacent booth in order to get the shot. No one knew what to make of this exhibit, populated by people dressed as flight attendants.
CNC
CNC has nothing to do with the computer controlled router. It’s a Chinese maker of televisions and other general consumer electronics. I gotta tell you if the ceiling caved in on their booth no one would have been hurt. It was that empty. (Note: I had to take a “panorama” to show the scope of the emptiness, which accounts for some of the weirdness in the shot.)
Benewake
Benewake makes, uh, well it’s hard to know what they make. I actually went into the booth and the four people there, all exhibitors, didn’t want to talk to me. I guess we know why no one is there.
No Casio… again
Once again Casio outsmarted me. As longtime readers of this article series know, they were the only exhibitor to make every consecutive article from 2013 to 2018. They skipped the 2019 show and once again abandoned their Central Hall home this year. Quite a pity since they might have attracted some attention given all the retro tech at the show this year.
Not to mention, you can see Chris Pine giving Diana Prince a shiny Casio digital watch in the trailer from Wonder Woman: 1984. Here’s a still in case you missed it:
We’ll be back next year with another installment of everyone’s favorite series, and until then enjoy the rest of our CES 2020 coverage!
