The electronic edge
In this age of instant communication, where all things global come to our desktop in email, I sometimes find one area of interest overlapping with another. I don’t mean in the sense that at new tech innovation profiled on CNET makes the new blast from the Washington Post, but in the more alchemical sense – the mixology of innovation, if you will.
One of the primary sources of this divine confusion is from CNET, as mentioned above. They have many e-blasts and I subscribe to several – News.com Morning dispatch, CNET Security Center, CNET Weekend Hit List. The latest product clips, the newest viral threat, the iWhat and the eHow, the cascade of technological innovation sometimes seems a world beyond control or apprehension, accelerating and self-magnifying in the celebrated Moore’s Law – doubling capacity every 18 months.
The other part of my inspiration is travel news. Sources for this are more varied and less regular. Among their many e-blasts the New York Times has a weekly electronic travel newsletter, spotlighting what’s to be found in the weekend print edition; there are occasional offers from hotel chains and airlines with whom I’ve registered, sometimes unwittingly; river running news from California to Chile (the last in Spanish); and I welcome news from the McAllen Chamber on the latest bird watching news from the Rio Grande Valley, and their fervent opposition to building a border fence (which would prevent wildlife migration as much as “illegal immigrants” – raising the question of why we have borders for people and not birds, or why we have borders at all.)
Is there a place where the two intersect – the travel with the technology? Both are about change. Be it innovation or adaptation, we make do with the hand we’re dealt, either on a river or in the lab; and if we have the skills, we can navigate and improve.
Perhaps the best analogy to the computer conferences of MacWorld or CES is Outdoor Retailer, a bi-annual gathering in Utah for aficionados and businesses in the outdoor world. Gear, apparel, accessories of all sorts are introduced and promoted at the two marketplaces; the Winter Market takes place in January, the Summer Market is just concluding at the Salt Palace in Salt Lake City. Chances are the first personal GPS location device was introduced here, the first waterproof digital camera, the first inflatable tent.
The show is 25 years old and going strong; the Winter Market had nearly 18,000 attendees. The first convention was held in Las Vegas in 1982, and although the location has changed several times it’s been at home in Salt Lake City since 1996.
They could do a better job at making their web site truly reflect the technical innovations their vendors promise – the default video starts over every time the home page is reloaded, to any surfer’s irritation – and the blogs from the floor leave a lot to be desired. But if you’re in the market for the latest in outdoor gear, wear, or destinations, there’s no better crossroads than the floor of the Salt Palace during Outdoor Retailer.
If you have a favorite e-blast on an adventure topic, let us know by adding a comment below.
One of the primary sources of this divine confusion is from CNET, as mentioned above. They have many e-blasts and I subscribe to several – News.com Morning dispatch, CNET Security Center, CNET Weekend Hit List. The latest product clips, the newest viral threat, the iWhat and the eHow, the cascade of technological innovation sometimes seems a world beyond control or apprehension, accelerating and self-magnifying in the celebrated Moore’s Law – doubling capacity every 18 months.
The other part of my inspiration is travel news. Sources for this are more varied and less regular. Among their many e-blasts the New York Times has a weekly electronic travel newsletter, spotlighting what’s to be found in the weekend print edition; there are occasional offers from hotel chains and airlines with whom I’ve registered, sometimes unwittingly; river running news from California to Chile (the last in Spanish); and I welcome news from the McAllen Chamber on the latest bird watching news from the Rio Grande Valley, and their fervent opposition to building a border fence (which would prevent wildlife migration as much as “illegal immigrants” – raising the question of why we have borders for people and not birds, or why we have borders at all.)
Is there a place where the two intersect – the travel with the technology? Both are about change. Be it innovation or adaptation, we make do with the hand we’re dealt, either on a river or in the lab; and if we have the skills, we can navigate and improve.
Perhaps the best analogy to the computer conferences of MacWorld or CES is Outdoor Retailer, a bi-annual gathering in Utah for aficionados and businesses in the outdoor world. Gear, apparel, accessories of all sorts are introduced and promoted at the two marketplaces; the Winter Market takes place in January, the Summer Market is just concluding at the Salt Palace in Salt Lake City. Chances are the first personal GPS location device was introduced here, the first waterproof digital camera, the first inflatable tent.
The show is 25 years old and going strong; the Winter Market had nearly 18,000 attendees. The first convention was held in Las Vegas in 1982, and although the location has changed several times it’s been at home in Salt Lake City since 1996.
They could do a better job at making their web site truly reflect the technical innovations their vendors promise – the default video starts over every time the home page is reloaded, to any surfer’s irritation – and the blogs from the floor leave a lot to be desired. But if you’re in the market for the latest in outdoor gear, wear, or destinations, there’s no better crossroads than the floor of the Salt Palace during Outdoor Retailer.
If you have a favorite e-blast on an adventure topic, let us know by adding a comment below.
posted by Christian Kallen | 12:03 PM
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