This post is a day-by-day update of my experience attending the very first fully online CES.

Like most folks in the tech industry, I’ve been attending CES events for many years. I was amped at the idea of an all-digital CES. It’s the first, after all. Plus, a year without CES blisters is a godsend. What I didn’t want to miss out on is the cool new tech.

If you want the Coles-Cliff Note version, you’ll find that below the day-to-day overviews.

CES — DAY ONE

It’s day one of four. …

VR is a fun way to escape into a new world, fight lifesize zombies, go fishing and actually catch things, and create musical jams with friends.

I’m sharing my particular unboxing experience to highlight a few user experience tips and snafus. As well, to plant a flag in writing/YouTube history of it because I believe this really is a monumental time in the VR space and consumer electronics. We’re entering a new phase, where accessibility is opening up, which means big things are ahead for consumers.

The Unboxing

Unboxing — Things You Should Know

• The headset and controllers have a battery charge straight…

1/22/2021 — Since this story was published, quite a few things have changed. It goes without saying that things can change quickly in every facet of our life. Often, when we least expect it or want it. All we can do is be as prepared as possible and hang on for dear life.

Being a TikTok creator is one of those careers that’s difficult to tell parents you want to be, and when successful, it is hard to describe to your family what you do for a living.

You do what now??

The TikTok app is a social media powerhouse…

The ban on China-made apps is just the tip of the iceberg.

If you’re reading this and you’re a member of a North American startup that has somehow withstood the storm from the pandemic, I tip my hat to you. It’s horrifying how many companies are now out of business, and people are out of work.

I’d love to say things only go up from here, but truthfully, things are going to get even worse before they get better. Similar to a hurricane that has an eerily peaceful eye of the storm.

Current pandemic aside, we’re now seeing how business…

Coverage from the livestream on July 9, 2020, with Brad Feld and Lucy Sanders via Computer History Museum

Brad Feld joined a live stream today as part of The Startup Community Way by Computer History Museum (CHM). He was accompanied by moderator Lucy Sanders, CEO and Co-Founder of NCWIT.

Brad is well known for being the founder of TechStars, one of the earliest VC bloggers and coiner of the term “startup community.” For anyone from or in the Bay area, he’s considered Silicon Valley royalty.

More specifically on the blogging side, Brad is a pioneer in demystifying venture capital. Back…

Often explaining VR to someone who has never tried, it ends up sounding more like incoherent fangirling. Explanatory buzzwords like “engaging,” “so-real,” and “like the movies” don’t cut it.

In the exciting moment of describing VR to others, I feel like I come off more like a pushy salesperson over an enthused user and storyteller. You know the kind that verbally bombards you with a list of things, many of which you have no context for or may not even care about.

So, I apologize on behalf of VR users everywhere, in particular those facing people like me trying to…

If you work for a company, chances are you’ve already signed a non-disclosure agreement (NDA). In its most basic form, an NDA is a legally binding agreement that creates a confidential relationship between a person and a company.

NDAs can come in the form of a mutual non-disclosures too, but oftentimes they’re one-way, meaning they specifically protect the company and its information.

As a startup company, protecting your intellectual property early on is pretty imperative. If you’re new to the subject, there are tons of online resources to help, including RocketLaywer and this Entrepreneur Magazine guide on legal documents.

NDAs…

Trade shows and events are all pay to play. The more money you have, the better placement and exposure you get. The great equalizer has been that at in-person events, you inevitably get foot traffic. This is especially true for CES, the world’s largest consumer technology event, where Fortune 500 companies send out scouts to look for cool new technologies.

What happens when more trade shows and events like these go online?

There is a real danger that this pay to play game will do very little for fledgling companies who need the exposure, and will only create an echo…