Mari Silbey

Mari’s tech career started when she became the default “IT guy” in her first job out of college. Since leaving help-desk duties to the experts, she’s focused on trends in technology as a consultant, writer, reporter, analyst and at-home gadget tinkerer. Her current paid gig is with the non-profit organization US Ignite where she focuses on how networks and digital technologies impact smart cities. All posts on ZNF represent her own opinions and not those of US Ignite. Mari is a sucker for anything in the digital media space and covers interesting happenings in cable, telecom, and whatever else she feels like. Find her on Twitter at @msilbey.

Kid Tech

I’m always a little disconcerted seeing kids in Vegas, but kid tech I can get behind. Yesterday in the Sands there was a whole section dedicated to making money off the under-10 population. Mattel’s set-up included everything from custom Barbie nail decals, to virtual tweener worlds, to mind control games complete with pulse-sensing electrodes. Really. … Read more

Still Waiting for Wireless Power

There are a ton of companies showing off wireless power solutions this year, with PowerMat possibly getting the most hype. While I haven’t run into the PowerMat folks yet, I did stop by the Fulton Innovation and Leggett & Platt booths at Digital Experience last night. Fulton is behind something called eCoupled technology. The technology … Read more

GiiNii – Welcome to the Internet-Connected World

Pepcom’s Digital Experience is like a small, tame version of the full CES, and yet it’s still overwhelming. My strategy this year was to hone in on a couple of companies and see what I could learn. First stop: GiiNii. I targeted GiiNii because of the company’s new Wi-Fi photo frame. My experience with eStarling’s … Read more

ZNF Representin’ at CES

Following Dave by about 24 hours, I arrived in Vegas this afternoon after losing one connecting flight to a cancellation and then boarding another earlier flight in Phoenix for the final leg of the trip. Miraculously my checked luggage even made the transfer successfully, and now I’m here in time to see the hottest porn … Read more

Netbooks – Race to the Bottom Not Such a Bad Thing

With the netbook craze in full swing, there is some fear that the new cheap portables will inspire a “race to the bottom” for laptop makers. In other words, manufacturers will get squeezed as consumers expect cheaper and cheaper computers available in retail or subsidized with mobile broadband contracts. So is this a bad thing? … Read more

The Content Wars Get Interesting

In the latest round of chicken between content owners and TV service providers, Viacom is threatening to pull all of its programming from Time Warner Cable (TWC) at midnight tonight unless it gets a January 1 pay increase. That includes Comedy Central, Nickelodeon, MTV, and VH1 content. I find the scenario a lot more interesting … Read more

I’m Dreaming of a Green CES

Last year was the year CES jumped on the green bandwagon, going over the top to promote new energy-saving initiatives and ways to offset the show’s massive carbon footprint. It was all a bit ridiculous given the numerous ways in which the CE industry and CES in particular are environmentally unfriendly. (You know, lots of … Read more

…And an iPod Touch or Three

Per usual, Christmas with my family was a CE lover’s dream. Among the gifts given and received: 1 Slacker G2 (to replace the one I had to give away) 1 Skooba checkpoint-friendly laptop bag 1 Asus Eee 1000HA (okay, I bought it for myself right before X’mas; it’s a tax write-off) 1 Logitech diNovo Edge … Read more