Finally there's the question of how well things will really work. I find it ironic that in the midst of all the tech optimism at CES, people are constantly complaining that their hotel broadband is deadly slow, that the Wi-Fi hotspots on the show floor clash with each other, that the cell networks are overwhelmed with too many connected people. If we can't get today's stuff working smoothly, what does that portend for tomorrow's ambitious plans?

The video I'd really like to see would show those happy, shiny people rebooting frozen computers, impatiently waiting for videos to load on mobile phones and writhing in frustration that DRM restrictions prevent them from using their iPods to watch programming they ordered on demand from their cable company. But the odds of that happening are slimmer than those of hitting the million-dollar jackpot on a Vegas slot machine.

© 2008