What are you expecting/hoping to see at CES?

[ericl]

CES is this week, and I'm sure there's going to be oodles and oodles of cool stuff. So, let's share. What do you have your eye on? What are you hoping to see?

My BOLD Prediction

actually doesn't involve CES. It involves Apple, who hosts their own MacWorld convention right after CES. In the fall they said they'd be releasing a mysterious "iTV" device to connect to your television that would wirelessly streaming music and video to your tv/stereo, but i think it's going to be much, much bigger than that. This is going to be Apple's assault on Windows MCE, Tivo and all the other living room Media Centers out there.

My mostly speculative feature list:

• DVR/Tivo-like functionality with High Definition recording
• Blu-Ray DVD player
• CableCard 2.0
• Small Mac Mini form factor
• Able to browse all of your computers and play movies, music, and photos
• Giant hard drive for storing content, and you'll be able to download HighDef Movies from the iTunes store.
• You'll be able to download movies and DVR'd content directly to the new HighDef iPod Phone via iTV's built in iPod Dock
• Mac OS X based, super easy to use and stable as a rock

It's going to be competitively priced and it's going to blow everyone away, even the anything-but-apple folks. It one fell swoop, they are going to strike at the heals of Tivo, Windows MCE, Netflix, and a host of other companies. The iPod for the living room.

At least, that's what I'm fantasizing about.

eric