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Iconic UK designer Sebastian Conran entertained visitors at the Future Trends stage today as he quipped his way through why he believes good product design is essential. Talking to a packed audience, he said that constant innovation is essential to keep customers coming back. "There is nothing manmade that can't be made better," he said. He also explained that as well as looking for innovative products in terms of performance, aesthetics is also important. "Form does follow fashion, however unfunctional it that may be, and sales follow fashion," he said. Conran also explained the importance of perceived value and conveyed to the audience his equation for a successful product. The designer said that by adding the brand, design and quality together and then dividing this by the cost, you can work out the true value of a product. Although retailers may be facing a tough time over the next year, Conran believes that quality design-led products will become more important in a cash-strapped consumer climate rather than less important. "There is a perfect French saying to explain this," Conran told Springfair.com Marketplace after his presentation. "It translates as the better the quality, the less expensive. Bad design is expensive." He said that if a consumer is faced with an uncertain economic climate, a good sales technique can be to encourage them to spend a little bit more for a product that will last for a lifetime, compared with a product that will need to be replaced every few years. Conran also made frequent reference to his favourite brand of the moment, Apple. As well as creating functional, good-looking products, he said that what set the retailer apart from competitors was its attention to detail in areas such as packaging. He said that this is essential to providing an overall quality customer experience.

Spring Fair 2008: Colony launches Royal Horticultural Society candles Colony Gift Corporation has teamed up with the Royal Horticultural Society to launch a range of new candles. A portion of the price of the candles will be donated to the gardening charity. The Royal Horticultural Society collection is inspired by the rich variety of UK plant life and features fragrances such as fresh herbs, pine, mulberry and frosted magnolia. The range is available as a small wax-filled jar, which retails for £2.99, a large wax jar that has a retail price tag of £7.99 or a large wax-filled tin that carries a price of £4.99. The Royal Horticultural Society is a UK gardening charity dedicated to promoting the very best in gardening and helping all gardeners. The organisation was set up in 1804. Colony Gift Corporation is exhibiting in Hall 7.

CES is filled with thousands of gadgets and lots of people to talk to. But most of these "new" products are really just moderate updates. So in case you missed the goodies in the wave of CES news, here's just our favorite stuff after the jump. Yes, lazy people—life takes care of you again! Biggest TV: Panasonic's 150-inch TV We love it because: It makes us feel small. Trouble is: You have to build your house around this TV. Almost Big Enough: 31-inch OLED We Love it because: OLED is the future, it's thinner, faster, deeper. Trouble is: These prototypes are years away from being affordable. Best Media Player: iRiver Media Players We Love it because: We thought they were all concepts, but they're not. They're just incredible. Best TV Tech: Tie: 9mm Plasma the Blackest and Mitsubishi's Laser TV because it uses lasers. We love it because: Pioneer's plasmas literally eat light. Lasers, cool. Trouble is: Are we going to have to replace our plasma every year? Coolest Geek: Bill Gates Playing With Dolls Like in Spaceballs and on Windows Sucking We love him because: Without him we wouldn't be here. Trouble is: He's retiring! And when we asked him to play racquetball, Gates said he'd be washing his hair...for the next 30 years. Making the Format War Irrelevant: Samsung BP-U5500 We love it because: It makes the format war go away. Trouble is: The format war may already be irrelevant. Best for those already entrenched in HD DVD Best Ambush: Blu-ray Winning the War by getting Warner to announce a change to Blu Jan 4th. We love it because: Sony plays a good game of chess. Trouble is: We prefer HD-DVD! Nameless Women We Love: Non-Booth Babe Babes We love them because: Women should not be on display like TVs at this show. Trouble is: We can't stare at them without feeling a little guilty. Most Deceptively Dangerous Gadget: Leopard Skin Taser with built in MP3 player We love it because: It's the Frankenstein of gadgets. Trouble is: We want to run it out of town with pitchforks and torches. Best Ghetto Fabulous TV: Vizio HDTV with Silicon Optix Reon inside We love it because: A budget company went for some high end video scaling gear. Trouble is: Can the rest of the set keep up with the Silicon Optix? Reon chip? Best Follow Up to Steve Jobs' Favorite Cameras: Camcorders Panasonic HDC-SD9 We love it because: Tiny, 1080p, under $1000. Trouble is: Sony+Canon=competition. Best Propaganda: Microsoft-at-Home Server Book Low blow, Microsoft (which means it was perfect). Sweetest Laptop Asus Eee PC, 8.9-inch We love it because: The only thing wrong with our Eee is the screen size. Trouble is: Like Viagra bottles tell us, erections lasting over 8 hours require doctor consultations. Best Insulting Robot This Guy War with robots? It's freakin' on! You'd better grow some lasers fast before we kick your... Best UMPC Aigo Silverthorne-based system We love it because: Intel Silverthorne chipset makes it tiny. Trouble is: The early version we saw needs some polish. Hottest Peripheral Lasonic iPod Boombox We love it because: Minimalist design is played out. Trouble is: Boomboxes are too big for today's weak geeks to tote anywhere. Most Pants-Worthy Phone Sony Ericsson W350 We love it because: It has a sexy, thin design that takes a chance. Trouble is: CES was absolute crap for phones. Best Couch Masturbation Enabler: FyreTV We love it because: "Quick draws" are rewarded with cheap viewing. Trouble is: It's not disguised as a PS3 or something else that our kids/wives will never touch. Biggest Surprise: Optimus Maximus Keyboard We loved it because: We considered the hype met. OLED keys make our geek hearts palpitate. Trouble is: People whining about the price - like a Ferrari, just because we can't afford it doesn't mean we don't want one.

Microsoft's outgoing chairman holds forth on the "second digital decade" and bids farewell as a "Guitar Hero" GOING OUT A GUITAR HERO: Bill Gates' final keynote address at the Consumer Electronics Show featured an appearance by guitar legend Slash, formerly of Guns 'n Roses. LAS VEGAS - Bill Gates, the co-founder and current chairman of software powerhouse Microsoft, has given a keynote lecture at the Consumer Electronics Show for eight years in a row, or 11 times in total. For his final turn at the lectern, he chose to emphasize his vision of what he referred to as "the second digital decade." "My first keynote was in 1994 - a long time ago," Gates said in his introductory remarks. "Windows 95 just coming together, the Internet was just getting started... and we [soon after] entered the start of what we called 'the first digital decade.'" In a star-studded address, which included video appearances by the likes of Sen. Hillary Clinton, Jon Stewart, Jay-Z and Bob Costas - not to mention an in-the-flesh cameo by former Guns 'n Roses guitarist Slash - Gates, bedecked in a purple V-neck sweater, pink shirt and black slacks, laid out a vision for the future of computing. Among the tenets of the next digital decade will be ubiquitous high-definition experiences, seamless connection of data streams between different devices (like cellphones, PCs and TVs), and a more natural user interface, allowing people to execute commands with touch and voice. "People are very interested in a simpler way of navigating information; all of these things come together with the other elements to create very new experiences," Gates said. "[This type of capability] is something the software industry will build into the platform." Like the Apple iPhone and Microsoft's TellMe service, a prime example of this natural user interface is Microsoft's new tabletop computer Surface. (Click here to see the personal demo that Gates gave to Scientific American.) The computer, halfway between a coffee table and the Pac-Man games found in pizza parlors of the 1980s, is made up of a high-end PC with five cameras that allows a translucent top or monitor to function as a touch screen. While documenting some of Microsoft's experiences of the last year (according to Gates, its Windows Mobile property gained 10 million new users, and 100 million people are using the company's new operating system, Windows Vista) the underlying theme of the speech dealt with Gates's post-Microsoft future. "This is my last keynote," Gates announced to the thousands of attendees assembled in a ballroom at the Venetian Hotel and Casino. "This will be the first time since I was 17 that I won't have my full-time Microsoft job." In the summer of 2006 Microsoft announced that this coming July, Gates would transition out of his day-to-day duties at the software giant and assume a more hands-on role in the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, a $37.6-billion organization that is dedicated global public health. The Microsoft chairman's role will be split between two colleagues: Co-chief technical officer Ray Ozzie will assume the role of chief software architect, shepherding product design and technical architecture. Craig Mundie, the other chief technical officer, will become chief research and strategy officer, leading the incubation and development pipeline. To commemorate Gates's move, the keynote included a video montage from many of the chairman's famous friends - most of them fending off Gates' attempts to horn in on their projects. Presidential candidates Sen. Barack Obama and Clinton couldn't offer him a position as a running mate; Bono couldn't find a spot in U2 for Gates's middling Guitar Hero skills and Jon Stewart was nonplussed at the idea of having the Microsoft co-founder as a regular guest on The Daily Show, (Fans will remember that Gates' appearance there last year ended with the mogul exiting the stage before the end of the interview, when the show cut to a commercial.) There was also a humorous scene where Gates was bulking up with Hollywood hunk Matthew McConaughey, doing bench presses and other exercises. "Am I ready to take my shirt off?" Gates asks at one point. "Not yet," responds McConaughey, setting off a roar of laughter among the legions of geeks. There were many announcements, specifically from Microsoft's entertainment division. The company is teaming with NBC to broadcast the entirety of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. In a video played during the speech, Bob Costas called the project "the most ambitious and comprehensive broadband video coverage of any event ever." All told, Microsoft will offer over 3,000 hours of video on the Olympics. "Events like this in broadcast format just aren't as satisfying," Gates added. Microsoft also announced partnerships with ABC and Disney that will allow consumers to use the live functionality on their Xbox 360s to download episodes of shows like Desperate Housewives and Hannah Montana for play on their TVs. A similar collaboration with MGM will allow access to movies like Terminator, Silence of the Lambs and Legally Blonde. Finally, an alliance with TNT will allow viewers to customize their experience while watching NASCAR races, enabling them to follow their favorite drivers, just as joining up with cable news network CNN will add a new dimension to election coverage. Other topics discussed were Zune Social, a MySpace-like network centered around Microsoft's digital music player, the Zune. According to the company, the newest version of Zune has done well and the device "is becoming a clear alternative to the iPod." Toward the end of the presentation, Gates, accompanied by Robbie Bach, president of Microsoft's entertainment and devices division, demonstrated a technology of the future called software camera acquisition that would enable a user with a cell phone to identify people in the vicinity, alert them to reservations at a restaurant and see what's going on in other locations simply by pointing the device at a target. In addition, using the same gadget, Gates was able to browse through video, image and document histories of his past keynote addresses. Based on the size of the device Gates was holding - it looked more like a shoe box than a cell phone - this technology, fresh out of the lab, is far from being realized. To end, Bach challenged Gates to a Guitar Hero–duel, only to bring out Kelly Law-One, a certified expert at the video game, who rattled off a perfect interpretation of the Guns 'n Roses hit "Welcome to the Jungle." But, never to be outdone, Gates had a ringer of his own, as Slash, the original Guns 'n Roses guitarist materialized on stage to play the riffs he himself had written. With the chairman declared the winner amidst a curtain of fog, the Gates era, at least as a CES keynote speaker, came to a close - and the second digital decade began.

Yearly electronics blowout should be heavy on touch screens and wireless communication, along with the occasional robot and ecofriendly solution. LAS VEGAS - The annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES) is a maddening array of stimuli - flashy displays, buzzing processors and beeping devices - located in a city known for pretty much all the same hallmarks. From the looks of last night's press preview, the two primary orders of the day are touch screen–enabled software and hardware, as well as wireless transmission of data. On the touch screen end, there was a raft of new smartphones, as well as universal remotes to control various home media, like the Logitech Harmony One. Microsoft Vista-enabled software solutions also made a showing, including one from British outfit Ergo, which unveiled Invu, a visual search engine that culls results from sources like Google, Yahoo!, and even Flickr and then groups the hits into contextual subsets (a search for African mammals may separate entries on elephants from entries on giraffes). Webpages can then be marked up - provided you have a touch screen–enabled PC, like the Dell Latitude XT - by writing directly on the screen, and then sent to others via e-mail. Wireless solutions were everywhere, transmitting data without cords from digital cameras to laptops or external media players or HDTVs. One device manufacturer partnered with Westinghouse to produce the Pulse-Link, which, with its ultra wideband high definition multimedia interface, streams video in 1080p from either Blu-Ray Disc or HD-DVD players to LCD TVs. Also on this front, the Logitech Squeezebox Duet enables users to play all the music on their PC from anywhere in their house using standard 802.11 wireless protocol. Interspersed with the media transmission and transmogrification devices was a sea of iPod docking stations, far and away the most ubiquitous type of new tech toy, with varieties for every age group and demographic. Massachusetts-based Cue offers r1 radio, an iPod dock with a car radio–quality AM / FM tuner. The whole device is controlled by only three-buttons, so it's both elegant and retro (read: meant for an aging baby boomer). For the "I want an iPod nano dock I can put in my fish aquarium"–set, there is the iceBar, a waterproof dock that floats. For a little biomimicry, VestaLife provides a dock that resembles a shiny ladybug. And for stoner college coeds who just discovered Pink Floyd comes the Aquallusion iTube light. Among several advances in robotic automation was the Wowwee Rovio, a GPS-enabled exploratory stingray on wheels that transmits surveillance video accessible from any PC browser via WiFi. Beyond that, in the coming days SciAm hopes to bring you some footage of "Boss," the Carnegie Mellon University–designed fully autonomous vehicle that won last November's DARPA Urban Challenge race in Victorville, Calif. Giving a nod to environmentally friendly tech, the 603 Sun from Iqua is a solar-powered Bluetooth headset that can supply up to 12 hours of continuous talk time (more than most phones allow for) as long as it is exposed to ambient light. Similarly, the NRG Dock can, if its solar panel is placed in a window, allow users to charge iPods and cell phones without ever drawing power from the grid. Finally, of particular interest to the SciAm CES team was the Celestron LCD Digital Microscope, which the Torrance, Calif.–company is sneak previewing at CES and unveiling at a science teachers' conference in March. The rig has three objective lenses (4x, 10x and 40x magnification) and sports a 3.5-inch (8.9-centimeter) LCD screen with a 4,000x zoom that ensures that next generation's high school students and college freshman will not be closing one eye to spy on a paramecium or their own cheek swabs in biology lab. As overwhelming as they were, the wares on display at this year's CES press preview are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to new product announcements at the conference. Stay tuned for more - we'll be in Las Vegas covering the CES all week.

The keynote addresses at the International CES offer attendees the opportunity to hear a star-studded lineup of CE industry leaders share their experience, insight and vision first-hand. All keynotes take place in the spacious Palazzo Ballroom at The Venetian. Pre-show Keynote Address 6:30 p.m. Sunday, January 6, 2008, The Venetian, Palazzo Ballroom Bill Gates Chairman, Microsoft Corp. Under Bill Gates' leadership, Microsoft has continually advanced and improved software technology. With the full attention of the consumer technology world, Gates has previously used the International CES to preview products and technology on the horizon for consumers. Microsoft's previous product debuts at CES include consumer technologies and services such as the Xbox, Tablet PC, eBook, Microsoft TV and Windows Vista. Day 1 Opening Keynote Address 8:30 a.m. Monday, January 7, 2008, The Venetian, Palazzo Ballroom Gary Shapiro President and CEO, Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) Gary Shapiro is president and CEO of the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), the U.S. trade association that represents some 2000 consumer electronics companies and produces the International CES. Shapiro is an active leader in the development, launch and marketing of HDTV. He is a charter inductee to the Academy of Digital Television Pioneers, receiving its highest award in 2003 as the industry leader most influential in advancing HDTV. As chairman of the Home Recording Rights Coalition (HRRC), Shapiro has led the manufacturers' legal and legislative battle to preserve the legality of recording technology and the consumer battle to protect fair use rights. Toshihiro Sakamoto President, Panasonic AVC Networks Company Toshihiro Sakamoto is president of Panasonic AVC Networks Company, the consumer electronics and PC manufacturing arm of Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. Sakamoto has been responsible for creating and driving the company's digital consumer electronics device strategies for flat panel displays and other high-definition networkable products. A seasoned global manager, his career includes two years as president of Taiwan Matsushita Electric and three assignments to Panasonic companies in the U.S., which totaled 14 years. Day 1 Afternoon Keynote Address 4:30 p.m. Monday, January 7, 2008, The Venetian, Palazzo Ballroom Paul Otellini President and CEO, Intel Corp. Paul Otellini became CEO of Intel Corp. in 2005, after serving as the president and chief operating officer for three years. Otellini, who joined Intel in 1974, previously held senior management positions where he managed all Intel microprocessor product divisions as well as the company's global sales and marketing operations. Otellini was responsible for driving Intel's shift from focusing solely on producing fast microprocessors, commonly known as the PC's "brain," to combining high-performance, energy-efficient microprocessors with additional integrated technologies - that are changing how people use computers, electronics and devices to learn, live, work and communicate. Day Two Opening Keynote Address 9 a.m. Tuesday, January 8, 2008, The Venetian, Palazzo Ballroom Brian L. Roberts Chairman and CEO, Comcast Corp. The home entertainment and CE markets continue to converge, providing seamless connectivity of content to households around the world. That's why CES welcomes the leader of the nation's largest provider of cable, entertainment and communications products and services to the lineup of 2008 keynote speakers. CEA President Gary Shapiro calls Brian Roberts instrumental in the growth and development of the cable and telecommunications industries. Under Roberts' direction, Comcast has grown into a Fortune 100 company with $25 billion in revenues in 2006, 24.1 million customers and 90,000 employees. Roberts also is the chairman of the board of directors of the National Cable & Telecommunications Association (NCTA). In October 2006, Roberts was inducted into the Cable Television Hall of Fame, and in May 2007, he was presented with the cable industry's highest honor, the Distinguished Vanguard Award for Leadership. Day Two Afternoon Keynote Address 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, January 8, 2008, The Venetian, Palazzo Ballroom Rick Wagoner Chairman and CEO, General Motors "The consumer technology and automotive industries continue to intertwine as consumers demand more innovation and functionality from in-vehicle electronics products. This exciting keynote address by the world's largest automaker is further proof that the International CES is the must-attend event for in-vehicle technology," said Gary Shapiro, president and CEO, CEA. "We're thrilled to have Rick Wagoner speak at the 2008 CES and look forward to hearing his vision for the growth of consumer technology in the automotive industry." Rick Wagoner was elected GM chairman and chief executive officer on May 1, 2003, and had served as president and chief executive officer since June 2000. In 1998, Wagoner was elected president and chief operating officer, and had served as executive vice president of GM and president of North American Operations since 1994.