Monthly Archives: January 2017

My New Friend 

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AvatarMind iPal™ Robot

He And She AvatarMind iPal™ Robots


I was walking the aisles of CES in Las Vegas when all of a sudden I saw the future, the AvatarMind iPal™ Robot. I knew immediately that this was an innovation I wanted to be associated with as soon as possible.

As luck would have it, the first person I approached at the iPal booth turned out to be the CEO. He told me he is marketing the iPal for the  children, elder care, hospitality and retail market.
You are one of the first humans to see this robot. Check out the video 

Children 

iPal is a fun companion. It can talk, dance, tell stories, play games, encourage physical activity, and enable them to chat with friends, share videos, and safely connect to the internet and social media.

​Parents 

iPal is a teacher for their children with spoken language learning and tablet-based educational programs, providing educational content in an engaging manner that supports social development and encourages interest in science and technology. Parents can remotely control iPal and monitor their child’s safety and activity on their smartphone or desktop from anywhere and at any time.

​Elder Companionship/Care

Many elders are alone and lonely. They often have problems keeping track of everyday activities, such as taking their medicine. iPal is a constant companion that supplements personal care services and provides security with alerts for many medical emergencies such as falling down.

​Retail/Hospitality

An example is a chain of children’s stores where iPal greets children when they come in the door, entertains them, tells them about products, etc. Another is as a concierge/greeter in hotels to provide guests with a higher level of personal service.

I’ll let you know about future developments. The iPal Robots will be available mid-year.
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Stories I wanted to share with you.

1-The biggest Ikea in the U.S. will open next month in Burbank – Curbed LA. Click here for story.

2-Don’t miss this one. Seth Meyers Interviews Kellyanne Conway About President-Elect Trump

Earbuds That Help You Hear

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Company video 

My CES video interview 

I have a solution for seniors who have some hearing problems, but are not quite ready for hearing aids. I was introduced to the IQbuds at CES. They are a combination of wireless headphones and a hearing aid.

Made by a company called Nuheara from Perth, Australia, the Bluetooth IQbuds are capable of cancelling out ambient noise yet amplifying the human voice. You can also use them for hands-free calls, streaming of music, and to personalize a user’s experience

They sell for $199.00.

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RIP Steven McDonald, Paralyzed Officer Who Championed Forgiveness, Dies at 59

Stephen was the brother of Owen McDonald and cousin of Danny McDonald. Eliot and I worked with both Owen and Danny in the 1970’s and are still in touch with them. Stephen, a New York City police officer, was shot in Central Park in 1986.The McDonalds are a big, wonderful family. You can read all about Stephen here. 

Volkswagen Wants A Million Electric Cars On The Road By 2025

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Here we go again. Hippie time. Volkswagen is planning to bring back the 194-inch long boxy van that we all know so well. The original, rear-engined bus was launched in 1950. 


The new bus is nothing like the old.  It’s powered by a pair of electric motors that provide 369 horsepower to all four wheels. That means the bus can travel as far as 270 miles of range.
The Beatle-type bus may even become an autonomous driving model. The spokeless steering wheel retracts into the dash at the simple push of the round VW logo. There is space for eight passengers over three rows .

Read more about it in Digital Trends, a well-respected tech site. Click here.

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Taken from my Facebook page. 


My Children New Year’s Eve 

Meryl Streep Gave The Speech Of Her, Our Lifetime At Golden Globes 

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We are living in very strange times. Meryl Streep reminds us not to tolerate bullies, and people who support them. Thank you Meryl for being a leader in this effort. 

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Brooke Wanser of the Las Vegas Review Journal

Brooke Wanser and me at the Luxe Cafe, Palazzo, Hotel, Las Vegas.

 

There are five decades between us, yet Las Vegas Review Journal Brooke Wanser and I had no lull in our conversation when she came to interview me about being the only one to attend 50 years of CES trade shows. I had such a good time talking to her. It was like reliving my career as a journalist again as she told me about her newspaper beats. I thank Brooke over and over for my profile story.

Here it is. 

Tech reporter turned PR maven celebrates 50th anniversary attending CES | Las Vegas Review-Journal.
Click here 

CES Attractions 

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Hi-res holographic visuals were a Showstopper at CES. Kino.mo, based in London, was offering their Hypervision holograms for retailers, advertising, trade shows, events, showrooms, etc. Watch the video. It’s quite amazing.

https://youtu.be/z5TY46KwV2Y

If You Want A Butt Case, Let Me Know. Watch The Demo. No Joke. Click on link.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFS9yU6D8EM

http://youtu.be/HFS9yU6D8EM


Full Disclosure: My Client

If you attend CES, be prepared for long bus lines 

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It’s Baby Time

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Bloomlife got a lot of attention at CES, primarily because women with big stomachs were walking around showing off their automatic track and monitoring systems. Bloomlife tells pregnant women the frequency and duration of their labor contractions. It’s a  personalized digital pregnancy wearable.  

The concept is brand new. The company is only renting the monitor for the last trimester at $149.00. While some future moms may not feel that this gizmo is necessary, I bet most will love ❤️ it.  There’s nothing like having a little reassurance that’s it’s time to head to the hospital. I did a video with a company executive giving a fast synopsis of the product,  and I also posted a Bloomlife one which gives you great insight. 

I stayed at the Palazzo Hotel in Las Vegas this year. Our new favorite.  

Wallpaper TV 

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Image: LG Electronics

LG Electronics introduced its first Picture on Wall “wallpaper” TV at CES. This is pretty  miraculous.  David VanderWaal, head of marketing for LG Electronics USA, said the new W7 series measures just one-tenth of an inch in depth at the 65-inch screen size.  It attaches to the wall via magnetic brackets that leave no gap between the wall and the TV.  It’s like looking through a window.”

Customers will be able to see the new LG Signature W7 at seven Magnolia locations at Best Buy across the country: San Francisco, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Houston, Dallas, Boca Raton, Fla., and Paramus, N.J.

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Another 50 Year CES Celebration


My Bootcamp Radio Interview 

Hi Lois. Thanks for taking time out to chat on Bootcamp radio! Here’s a link to the full interview. Click here. 

Congratulations and we look forward to seeing you soon.

Best Regards,

Fred

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Light Therapy 

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I went looking for Apira Science of Boca Raton, FL, at CES, because I heard that they are  recognized as one of the global leaders in aesthetic light-based therapies. I really thought light therapy was voodoo until I heard Jonathan Graff, director of clinical research and education, at Apira Science, explain the technology.

Instead of trying to capture the details of what he said about growing hair and reducing wrinkles, I thought you should hear it for yourself. Please play the video.

Apira is truly a pioneer in the development, manufacturing, and distribution of low-level light therapy  systems and devices for the consumer market. They claim that their iGrow product increased hair counts of more than 35%, following only 16 weeks of iGrow light therapy. Pretty impressive! 

Let’s hope that Iderma is a great anti-aging solution. It’s all in the lighting.

 

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In-Home Eye Exam

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I arrived in Las Vegas this afternoon for the 2017 CES. I have already done 12,999 steps looking at the latest innovations. The one I want to tell you about immediately is the EyeQue Personal Vision Tracker. This is the first in-home vision testing system that features an optical miniscope and a smartphone application so you can now get corrective vision measurements whenever, and wherever, you choose. 

“Now you can take your eye measurements at home and then order a pair of eye glasses,” said John A. Serri, PhD, founder of EyeQue. He said he feels that it’s very important to keep track of your of your vision. “EyeQue is not meant to replace the eye doctor. It’s meant to be a support system for between eye doctor visits.”

Read more about EyeQue in the company’s press release. Click here. 

I also included an official video interview I did with Dr. Serri. 

Here is the official product video.

https://youtu.be/Zbq28h_-hAM

My 50 Years At CES 

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Now

Then

 

Out of 170,000 people attending CES this year, I am the only one who has attended every show. Yes, every single one of them. There are a handful of others who claim they have too, but I didn’t see them. And if I didn’t see them, I’m pretty sure they weren’t there.

For the first 11 years of CES, I was one of the most important members of the consumer electronics press. I was a reporter and columnist for HFD and then Consumer Electronics monthly. I had more news scoops in a year than Häagen-Dazs served. The industry was so small that I knew everyone, and everyone knew me.
In those days, I couldn’t make my way down an aisle of CES without stopping a dozen times to shake the hands of industry friends. We all knew each other by first name. I knew their wives, (sometimes their girl friends), children, brothers, sisters, parents and pets. My social life was their press conferences, weddings, anniversaries, holiday parties, Bar Mitzvahs, Baptisms, funerals, and memorials. My calendar was completely full.

Those were the days. I knew about products that were going to be introduced before certain company executives. The inner press core was often asked their opinions about the potential of products while they were still on the drawing board. I sometimes felt that editors like Aaron Neretin, Manning Greenberg, Dave Lachenbruch, Richard Ekstract, Bob Gerson, Cathy Ciccolella, Art Levis, Art Weinberg, Bob Angus, Murray Slovick and yours truly shaped the direction of the industry. 

Murray is still here but I don’t remember him from the very beginning. The first year was 1967 at the Hilton and Americana hotels in NYC. The Consumer Electronics Show (now CES) had about 20 to 25 exhibitors. I was assigned to cover retailer reaction to the show because I was too young to talk to the gentleman of the industry. My editors thought I couldn’t do too much damage with what they termed “the sweaty arm-pit crowd.” I loved all of the retailers back in the day (Trader Horn, Friendly Frost, E.J. Korvette, Newmark & Lewis, Luskin’s, Stereo Warehouse, etc.) 

I didn’t know it then, but I know it now. The education I received during my eight years at HFD covering retail was in some way better than a business degree at an Ivy League institution. It gave me the knowledge and foundation to be an entrepreneur for more than 40 years. 

Life was very different then. Retailers used to send groups of 10 or 15 executives to cover CES. They would work all day and party all night. My next boss, Richard Ekstract, owner of CES Publishing, (not to be confused with CES) hosted some of the most lavish parties during the show. I was so lucky when he drafted me to be managing editor at CE Monthly because not only was I a thought leader at a well-respected monthly magazine, but I also became the editor of the daily magazines at CES for three years. The shows were twice a year then so that totaled six shows, four days each. I was in charge of 24 issues. Mama Mia! Where did I get the strength?

The shows were minuscule in those years compared to today. I remember Jack Wayman, (the founder) and his then wife Sheila, standing in the luggage arrival area at the Las Vegas airport greeting everyone with balloons. He was quite the showman.

I consider myself very fortunate to have worked in an industry that is filled with innovation every day of the year. My PR agency, HWH PR, which I co-own with my husband Eliot Hess, has been privileged to introduce many of the inventions in the industry over the years. We represented Samsung for 17 years. They were a no-name Korean manufacturer when we started with them. They got famous, we made history. 

Today, as I prepare to leave for CES in Vegas, I’m just as excited as I was day one in 1967. What’s the big payoff? HWH PR is introducing a product for a client that is going to change the world of medicine and automobiles forever. Other industries to come. It’s truly wonderful to be in a leadership position at my stage of the game. 

 I am thrilled and grateful to get new clients and to constantly be creative for the ones we represent year after year. It’s a wonderful time to be alive and work in the digital era. 

 Thank you, 

Lois

 

 

 

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