This comprehensive event coverage captures the excitement of Chicago's tech community when gdgt brought their live gadget showcase to the Tribune Tower in September 2011. Patrick Bisch and Rick Torres from pinglio documented an evening where major technology companies demonstrated their latest innovations to an enthusiastic local audience, providing both video interviews and detailed photography of cutting-edge consumer electronics.
The article serves as a time capsule of mobile technology trends from 2011, showcasing how companies were positioning themselves in rapidly evolving markets. AT&T's booth highlighted the transition to 4G smartphones while maintaining a nostalgic connection to cellular history, displaying everything from early pagers to the latest Blackberry models. The inclusion of their Cell Phones for Soldiers recycling program demonstrates how corporate social responsibility was becoming integrated into tech events.
What makes this coverage particularly valuable is its focus on emerging product categories that would soon become mainstream. BodyMedia's fitness tracking armband presaged the explosion of wearable technology, while 3M's pocket projectors represented early attempts at mobile projection that would eventually evolve into today's portable presentation solutions. Cobra's smartphone-integrated radar detection and location tracking services anticipated the connected car movement by several years.
The multi-format approach, combining written coverage with embedded video interviews and extensive photo galleries, creates an immersive documentation of the event. Each company section includes both product demonstrations and pricing information, making it a practical resource for readers considering purchases. The personal touch of including photos of the pinglio team members adds authenticity to what could have been purely promotional coverage.
Looking back from today's perspective, this article documents a pivotal moment when smartphones were becoming central to all consumer electronics, with every company finding ways to integrate mobile connectivity into their products. The enthusiasm for technological innovation and the community aspect of these live events reflects an era when gadget culture was transitioning from niche hobby to mainstream lifestyle.
This summary was created by Dave Rogers. The original post was written by Patrick Bisch and published on September 20, 2011.
If you'd like to view the original post, you can find it here.