Dateline: Friday, January 13

"What is the biggest thing at CES this year?" "Is there a game-changer?" These are the two most popular questions I've been asked on the CES floor this year. They are good questions certainly, but the more important question is, "What are the implications of what you've seen at the show?"

Before I answer that, here are the Top 4 Takeaways for Publishers and their Businesses:

1. The CLOUD, of course! - If you don't understand it, you'd better, and quickly. The cloud is the driving force behind many of the new networked products that have debuted this year. The Cloud discussion has moved from the benefits to companies and commerce to the real benefits and impacts on consumers. The individual consumer cloud experience (known as the Fog) is a huge focus and is reflected in much of what’s debuted.

The growth of the Cloud and the extraordinary connectivity it provides is a game changer.
The ease of which content can be shared among people, companies, and devices within the home and around the world, as demonstrated here this week, is staggering.

2. The proliferation of "Connected Devices" - At every OEM I visited, the suite of products have been designed to provide ease of connectivity and integration with Social Media Platforms. Connectivity equals Sharing. Whether its music, photos, or articles, the innovation of features and consumer benefits is rapid and unstoppable. Ericsson predicts 50 billion Connected Devices by 2020.

3. Size matters - It started with TVs and has now moved from desktop, laptop and Ultrabook computers to tablets and smartphones. A year ago, when "80 new tablets” were announced, there were basically two tablet sizes: 10" and 7". This year choice in size seems to matter. There are several OEMs making 5", 7", 10", 13", and 16" Tablets in a range of colors and finishes. All of the devices are connected, and soon all will be touch screen.

4. Wearable Connected Devices - With the advent of constant consumer connectedness, several manufacturers debuted fashionable watches with all of the functionality of a smartphone or tablet. The reception from attendees was very strong with brisk preorders for these new products across all demographics. Of course, this is just the beginning.

Dateline: Thursday, January 12

I have seen three waterproof tablets, so far, here at CES. The best known OEM with the most intriguing display by far is Toshiba. They are supporting their claim of "leading innovation" with a 10” waterproof tablet that enjoys wireless power transfer while not forsaking anything in terms of screen dimensions or picture quality. This is the answer for all of you who want to take your tablets to the bath and beach. On the beach front, sorry to report, you'll still be dealing with a lot of glare.

Toshiba's new line consists of a 5.1", 7.7", 10.1", and an impressive 13.3". The 13" and the 5.1" are not alone at the show. Several other OEMs are building the big and smaller "fit in your pocket tablets." (In fact, Samsung Galaxy's Note is also a mini tablet that is also a phone, but more on that later.)

All these new Toshiba tablets are coming at "better than Apple" price points and with a nice look and feel. And while they provide the consumer with more choice, which is good, they present real challenges for Magazine Editors and Publishers who now must create branded magazine content that works on as many as four different tablet screen sizes and many more various smartphone screen sizes.

The implications for magazine content creation are both exciting and staggering.

Dateline: Tuesday, January 10

Last night Steve Ballmer, Microsoft CEO, gave his last CES keynote for at least a while. Ballmer will not be back to keynote in 2013.

To add just the right Vegas element, Ballmer was interviewed by Hollywood's Ryan Seacrest. Here's what Seacrest sussed out of Ballmer that is interesting for Magazine Media:

Consumers trust Microsoft and the company is rolling out lots of new products with various OEMs that will feature Windows 8.

Including, the Nokia Lumia 900, a 4G phone for AT&T. It features a 4.3-inch AMOLED screen and should be out by Q2. AT&T will host the HTC Titan 2, another 4G phone, with a 4.7-inch screen and 16-megapixel camera.

In line with what seems to be the 2012 CES buzz, super-thin/super-light "ULTRA-BOOKS,” Microsoft 8 will be found on the new Samsung Series 9 and HP Envy 14.

Ballmer made a compelling point supporting the value of and ongoing interest in Windows: there are more than 500 million Windows 7 users worldwide. All of which will be able to make the upgrade.

Late next month, Microsoft will get in the app store business with the "Windows Store." Many of the new apps will be HTML5, which even before the show opened, was a much-discussed issue that will be impacting and shaping the digital world.

As widely expected there was no major "News" from Ballmer and Microsoft. But there was the display of steady product improvement and innovation that consumers have come to expect from Microsoft. The introduction of a Microsoft Store for Apps is good for consumers and should be good for magazines. More choice, more competition and improved findability is always good.

So, the question is, now that Seacrest and Ballmer have become acquainted, will there soon be a reality show celebrating new technology in people’s lives? I know I'd be watching to see the future!

Microsoft keynote image courtesy of 2012 CES.