Pepcom Digital Experience at CES 2024

There are several pre-CES events in the Vegas area that kick off before the official show is opened.  These include CES Unveiled, Showstoppers, CES Keynotes and several independent events often hosted by a single company.  Over the years of attending CES I have attended all of these and one year I was urged to attend every single one.

However, there is one event that I have not mentioned, Digital Experience.   You see all of the preceding events are associated with the Consumer Technology Association (CTA) which is the governing body hosting the Consumer Electronics Show (CES).  Digital Experience is an independent event that requires separate registration and just happens to occur a day before CES officially opens.

What makes Digital Experience different is that the event is only open to invited and registered media and is one of the only pre-CES events where the companies attending are guaranteed that if they speak with someone that person will be a member of the press.

For me, this is a great event for several reasons. 

• It allows me to meet up with other hardware press and reviewers
• They have free food and drink
• The event is only 3 hours long
• Is extremely casual and a great way to relax while still getting work done
• There is a different theme each year
• Limited RSVP (Super important)

CES Unveiled and Showstoppers are great events but, often have the same companies at each, which is great for exposure but, boring if you are looking for variety.  These are also open to anyone with a CES badge and will quickly become overcrowded and loud.  Contrast that with the chill at Digital Experience and you can see why I like it so much.

The theme this year was “Robots” which seemed fitting given the importance of AI at CES.  Wandering around the show floor were the Robot girls handing out goodies and directing traffic.

As you can imagine the place was setup similar to a trade show with equally sized booths arraigned in row, except for Pivotal who had their Helix Trasport system sitting in the middle of the room.

Speaking of Helix, This eVTOL aircraft is powered by eight small propellers offering up to 960 lbs of static thrust allowing it to carry a 220 lb person for about 20 miles with a cruising speed around 63 mph.  The Helix is classified as a Part 103 ultralight and flies just like a normal drone.   It weighs 348 lbs empty and is made from a carbon fiber composite.

According to Pivotal, the Helix requires no pilots license and is 100% electric making it perfect for quick travel.  However, the limited range does prevent it from being used in the big city though seems to be perfect for a commercial farm or ranch.

HP HyperX was showing off their new Alloy Rise gaming keyboards and super small Clutch Tanto Mini wired controller along with some new cover designs for the popular Cloud series headsets.

It is not uncommon to see health related vendors at CES and Aspen Dental was showing off their solution for resin printed dentures.  This new digital system allows offices to create a set of dentures much faster than the traditional method with fewer visits and lower cost to the patient. 

In what might be the most appropriate vendor product at Digital Experience we have RoboUp showing their Rhino 1 All Terrain Robot Mower.  As we all have seen the robot mower scene is full of potential solutions but, they all require a perfect lawn to work properly.  This is where the Rhino is different.  This All-Terrain mower can climb 70% slopes, is all wheel drive and features aggressive suspension and tires for the AVERAGE lawn anywhere. 

If you consider some of the recent housing trends in American, you know, the lazy builder does this as cheaply as possible on lots that are technical unbuildable because Cali folks have money and will pay for anything type houses you will recognize that the lots are not flat and even if you have a decent lawn there are always bumps and ruts that will prevent a normal mowing robot from working.

The final vendor for this highlight article is Meater showing off their Meater 2 wireless digital thermometer.  This product started as a kickstarter and after a couple years has become a rather successful company.  The Meater 2 is a wireless app controlled thermometer that is also quite smart.  You configure the app with the type of meat you are cooking, how you want it cooked and it will tell you how long it will take based on the cooking temperature.  The app control goes well beyond the simple and factors in rest time, carryover cooking and takes the guesswork out of when you need to pull the meat. 

As an accomplished cook, this can be a little annoying but is a great product for cooks that may get distracted or would rather enjoy a drink and company instead of watching the grill. 

The Pepcom event is only open for a limited time and am looking forward to attending the Pepcom event again next year.  If you want to know more about Pepcom and the events they host check out their website. https://www.pepcom.com/