Microsoft, Intel and GM join a growing list of companies pulling out of CES

[Shawn Knight]

Editor's take: Microsoft is the latest tech titan to withdraw from CES 2022 in Las Vegas, joining dozens of others that have already pulled out of the in-person show early next year. At this rate, it seems all but certain that CES will again be a virtual-only event like CES 2021 was.

The Verge was first to report on the matter. According to the publication, an unnamed Microsoft spokesperson said via e-mail that after reviewing the latest data on the rapidly evolving Covid environment, Microsoft has decided not to participate in person at CES 2022. Instead, the Redmond-based tech company will have a digital presence for its Microsoft Partner Innovation Experience and Automotive Press Kit.

Those that have been keeping score know that Microsoft joins a growing list of participants that have opted out of the in-person aspect of next month’s trade show. As of this writing, Lenovo, Intel, Amazon, GM, Google, Meta, Twitter, Pinterest, AT&T and Waymo have canceled in-person plans. T-Mobile said it will significantly limit its in-person participation.

The Consumer Tech Association, the organizing body of CES, said on December 22 that CES 2022 would still have an in-person element. Now that even more companies have dropped out (and with more likely to do so in the coming days), I’d be surprised if the organization sticks to its guns much longer.

The Consumer Electronics Show takes place on January 5 through January 8, 2022, in Las Vegas, with January 3 and January 4 designed as media-only days.

Image credit Charles Platiau, Kio

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https://www.techspot.com/news/92747-microsoft-intel-gm-join-growing-list-companies-pulling.html

 

[Squid Surprise]

While I’m sure the anti-vaxxers on this site will be quick to say how terribly stupid MS (and all the other companies who are pulling out) is, it’s become pretty obvious that Covid is still with us.

Hopefully Omicron is the last wave. There is a “super vaccine” in phase 1 of trials that is still months away - but it might actually work against all variants and finally put this pandemic to bed.

In the meantime, large indoor gatherings like CES are still a really dumb idea - and it’s clear that most intelligent organizations realize this.

 

[Mister_K]

It's a shame that these tech companies can't actually think outside the box and collaborate on a totally virtual show. We are in the 21st century, keep up.

 

[QuantumPhysics]

It's a shame that these tech companies can't actually think outside the box and collaborate on a totally virtual show. We are in the 21st century, keep up.

Ironically, APPLE has already a shown everyone how to do a good virtual show. I see no reason why there can’t be a VR CES / REMOTE CES that everyone can watch at home on their phones or VR sets.

In most ways, we’ll done presentations would eclipse actually being there.

I live in NYC. I have never been nor ever plan to attend a CES.

 

[Kosmoz]

AMD was smart, from the beginning they said they will have their own live-stream on the same day as the CES start day (January 4th), but not actually pertaining the show.

 

[VaRmeNsI]

While I’m sure the anti-vaxxers on this site will be quick to say how terribly stupid MS (and all the other companies who are pulling out) is, it’s become pretty obvious that Covid is still with us.

Hopefully Omicron is the last wave. There is a “super vaccine” in phase 1 of trials that is still months away - but it might actually work against all variants and finally put this pandemic to bed.

In the meantime, large indoor gatherings like CES are still a really dumb idea - and it’s clear that most intelligent organizations realize this.

The common cold is a variant of coronavirus, it's always been here and most probably always will be as long as humans exist, covid-19 is just another variant.

 

[amghwk]

The common cold is a variant of coronavirus, it's always been here and most probably always will be as long as humans exist, covid-19 is just another variant.

Remember that "common cold" didn't cause the current 815,000++ deaths in US alone and more than 5 million deaths worldwide. It's a highly contagious and destructive virus. No one will know who will have severe symptoms and who will have mild symptoms and who die from it. We have seen even the young and energetic were in the ICUs.

Hence humans need to be given some sort of protection from proven methods like from vaccinations which now help the US population from diseases like Polio. I'm sure many millenials don't have a clue about the destruction the Polio virus caused and the huge mass vaccination drive that finally helped to eradicate it. Same for small pox.

Yes, the Corona virus will be with us just like the "common cold" but humans will develop better protection against the virus when we have been armed with some sort of immunity. Had the omicron variant appeared before the mass vaccination drive, the damage caused would have been unspeakable. One day even the omicron variant will only cause the common cold just like countless other related viruses we see nowadays.

Skeptics will only take the vaccinations seriously if their loved ones were seriously affected or died. But by then, the damage has been done.

 

[Vulcanproject]

Looks like the plug will be pulled for CES. I hope that we still get chance to see hardware in person early next year. I want to see the LG OLEDs at some point.

Covid is no joke. I have had Omicron this month and not suffered too many ill effects but I am (fairly) young. I almost certainly spread it unknowingly and incredibly quickly to both my parents with minimal contact. One was ill enough to need some treatment, the other had no symptoms. Quite a spread of effects. Very likely it would have been far worse if they hadn't been vaccinated. They're both still here thankfully.

Covid is like climate change for a lot of people. They don't care and don't believe until they see it for themselves no matter what science says. Even so I wish you never to see it, have good health for you and your family these holidays.

 

[ScottSoapbox]

Covid is never going away. It will be an annual occurrence like the flu season.

At some point, we're going to have to decide to live in a bubble the rest of our lives or get back to living with acceptable risks.

 

[Squid Surprise]

Covid is never going away. It will be an annual occurrence like the flu season.

At some point, we're going to have to decide to live in a bubble the rest of our lives or get back to living with acceptable risks.

It might not "go away".... but we WILL have treatments, vaccines and hopefully even a "cure" for it shortly...

How about we wait until THEN to go back to our lives... sound reasonable?

 

[Faelan]

Covid is no joke. I have had Omicron this month and not suffered too many ill effects but I am (fairly) young.

I like to compare Covid with playing Russian roulette. Sure, being young and healthy helps, but it may still go ‘bang, you’re dead’. Likewise, you may be past your prime and not overly healthy, yet end up being mostly asymptomatic. It all depends (oversimplifying here for dramatic effect) on whether your immune system decides to launch cruise missile strikes or order a full thermonuclear war.

When the first Covid wave hit my country, my wife got it and passed it on to me. We have no clue as to where we got it from. We don’t go out much and rarely attend events and we were doing even less of that at the time because it had started popping up in our particular area. In short, we were being careful, but it had zero effect. She was bedridden for over a week and I’ve never seen her this sick before. She couldn’t eat and barely drink for days. When not asleep, she was coughing and crying from the pain of her muscles cramping. She was as close as you can get from being hospitalized. They took x-ray pictures and her lungs were OK, but she was so weak from not being able to eat and drink that there were times where her senses were obviously not working, seeing colors wrong and not being able to judge size/distance and hearing things that weren’t there. Me on the other hand? Just felt like a very mild case of bronchitis with no mucus. Had I been alone, I would not have suspected anything and probably gone to work, spreading it everywhere…

 

[kapital98]

Ironically, APPLE has already a shown everyone how to do a good virtual show. I see no reason why there can’t be a VR CES / REMOTE CES that everyone can watch at home on their phones or VR sets.

In most ways, we’ll done presentations would eclipse actually being there.

I live in NYC. I have never been nor ever plan to attend a CES.

These shows are more about networking than showing off products. If you can pay a bunch of media members to fly out, get drunk, mingle, and have a fun time... they tend to like what you are selling.

Admittedly, this was easier when there were less media organizations and the "reviews" were dramatically more subjective (read just about any GPU review from today and any "review" in an 80's tech magazine O.o ).

Networking can be done virtually but it is much, much more difficult to do than in-person. Even for people who are adept at virtual networking (and most older business exec simply aren't).

 

[Dimitriid]

These shows are more about networking than showing off products. If you can pay a bunch of media members to fly out, get drunk, mingle, and have a fun time... they tend to like what you are selling.

Admittedly, this was easier when there were less media organizations and the "reviews" were dramatically more subjective (read just about any GPU review from today and any "review" in an 80's tech magazine O.o ).

Networking can be done virtually but it is much, much more difficult to do than in-person. Even for people who are adept at virtual networking (and most older business exec simply aren't).

You're not wrong but basically you make it sound like something consumers should be demanding it just never happens again: We don't need an event that's designed to foster the corruption of the tech press out in the open.

 

[ScottSoapbox]

It might not "go away".... but we WILL have treatments, vaccines and hopefully even a "cure" for it shortly...

How about we wait until THEN to go back to our lives... sound reasonable?

We already have treatments, vaccines, and a 75+% vaccination rate and climbing in most places.

Your "then" is now. So following your suggestion, it's time to go back to our lives.

 

[VaRmeNsI]

Remember that "common cold" didn't cause the current 815,000++ deaths in US alone and more than 5 million deaths worldwide. It's a highly contagious and destructive virus. No one will know who will have severe symptoms and who will have mild symptoms and who die from it. We have seen even the young and energetic were in the ICUs.



Hence humans need to be given some sort of protection from proven methods like from vaccinations which now help the US population from diseases like Polio. I'm sure many millenials don't have a clue about the destruction the Polio virus caused and the huge mass vaccination drive that finally helped to eradicate it. Same for small pox.



Yes, the Corona virus will be with us just like the "common cold" but humans will develop better protection against the virus when we have been armed with some sort of immunity. Had the omicron variant appeared before the mass vaccination drive, the damage caused would have been unspeakable. One day even the omicron variant will only cause the common cold just like countless other related viruses we see nowadays.



Skeptics will only take the vaccinations seriously if their loved ones were seriously affected or died. But by then, the damage has been done.

Viruses that kill their host die out quickly, much like ebola, vaccine or not.

 

[scavengerspc]

Viruses that kill their host die out quickly, much like ebola, vaccine or not.

Ebola lasted 2 and a half years and killed a total of 11,000 people worldwide.

 

[Trapped Nowhere]

Covid is never going away. It will be an annual occurrence like the flu season.

At some point, we're going to have to decide to live in a bubble the rest of our lives or get back to living with acceptable risks.

At least the flu is a controlled and predictable spread. If covid spread like the flu instead of outbreaking worldwide with multiple waves, this could have been infinitely easier tbh

 

[Squid Surprise]

We already have treatments, vaccines, and a 75+% vaccination rate and climbing in most places.

Your "then" is now. So following your suggestion, it's time to go back to our lives.

It’s ALMOST time... we don’t have a cure, treatment drugs are still not in mass production and are quite costly... while the end is in sight, there’s no reason to jump the gun now.

 

[Uncle Al]

At this point they might as well cancel ... just not worth the time or danger to continue ....

 

[Gezzer]

While I’m sure the anti-vaxxers on this site will be quick to say how terribly stupid MS (and all the other companies who are pulling out) is, it’s become pretty obvious that Covid is still with us.

Hopefully Omicron is the last wave. There is a “super vaccine” in phase 1 of trials that is still months away - but it might actually work against all variants and finally put this pandemic to bed.

In the meantime, large indoor gatherings like CES are still a really dumb idea - and it’s clear that most intelligent organizations realize this.

Omicron could be, but I doubt it. The problem as I see it isn't the type of vaccinations available or soon to be available. The problem is going to be vaccination rates in poorer countries lagging behind those of richer ones, by a very large margin. As long as a significant number of people globally are at risk we still run the risk of more dangerous variants, if not a brand new strain emerging just like Delta and Omicron did.

 

[Squid Surprise]

Omicron could be, but I doubt it. The problem as I see it isn't the type of vaccinations available or soon to be available. The problem is going to be vaccination rates in poorer countries lagging behind those of richer ones, by a very large margin. As long as a significant number of people globally are at risk we still run the risk of more dangerous variants, if not a brand new strain emerging just like Delta and Omicron did.

Yep… alas, there are plenty of people who don’t look beyond their front door… let’s hope we’re both wrong and everything goes back to normal soon