Ziff Davis' DigitalLife Gadget Show Cancelled For 2008Tech
reporters are often caught in tradeshow gridlock: Just as one is
ending, another is beginning. This year, the load is lightened a
bit by one of them, the Ziff Davis publishing group's own
DigitalLife, getting cut at the last minute. We asked why, but
in the meantime, we can only guess the reasons: Primarily, we
think it's lack of serious newsdraw. Last year's highlights were
mid-level at best: iRobot's Looj gutter cleaner, Palm's Centro
and Gateway's One. September is already late for companies
introducing stuff for Christmas, and two big electronics
shows—IFA and CEDIA—already provide far too much expo space just
before it. It may even be that trade shows are no longer that
big a deal: A combination of the internet and FedEx is all that
online pubs really need to bring you a nonstop stream of gadget
news and in-person impressions throughout the year. I for one
will miss seeing all the company reps and catching up, but I
won't miss the vast tradeshow