Power failure plunges CES into darkness
Blackout caused by heavy rainfall halts play for two hours
A power outage brought a halt to the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) last night, plunging the tech expo into darkness for two hours.
Large swaths of the sprawling Las Vegas convention centre lost power at about 11:15am local time, including exhibitor booths and rooms used by journalists covering the event, reports The Guardian.
Companies affected by the outage included LG, Samsung and Sony, The Verge reports, along with tech start-up firms that “paid thousands of dollars to have a presence on the massive show floor”.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The power cut was attributed to heavy rainfall earlier in the day, BBC News reports. An employee at the convention centre told the site that the downpour had affected cables delivering electricity to the show.
According to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, the downpour was the city’s first rainfall in 116 days, bringing an end to a “record-breaking dry spell”.
CES attendees posted images on social media of the blackout, with one sharing a video of a woman playing a violin to entertain guests at the Intel booth.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
'Solitude has become a notable, and worrisome, trend of our times'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Anya Jaremko-Greenwold, The Week US Published
-
Blake Lively accuses rom-com costar of smear job
Speed Read The actor accused Justin Baldoni, her director and costar on "It Ends With Us," of sexual harassment and a revenge campaign
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Germany arrests anti-Islam Saudi in SUV attack
Speed Read The attack on a Christmas market in Magdeburg left five people dead and more than 200 wounded
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Samsung Galaxy S11 news: design, five-lens camera and more
In Depth The iPhone 11 rival is being touted as the Korean firm’s ‘nuclear weapon’ for 2020
By The Week Staff Published
-
Samsung ‘clamshell’ concept: does it signal the return of the flip phone?
In Depth South Korean tech giant still betting on foldable screens despite teething problems
By The Week Staff Published
-
The Last of Us Part II: latest trailer, new features, plot details and release date
In Depth Sequel finally set to arrive after seven-year wait - here are all the details
By The Week Staff Last updated
-
Samsung Galaxy Note 10 and Note 10+: first reviews, prices, specs and where to order
In Depth Critics give their impressions as sales open in the UK
By The Week Staff Last updated
-
Samsung Galaxy Fold fiasco: smartphone to go on sale in September following screen fix
In Depth The foldable handset’s original launch was pulled at last minute amid reports of flickering displays and mysterious bulges
By The Week Staff Last updated
-
Best 5G smartphones on sale in 2019: Samsung Galaxy S10 5G, OnePlus 7 Pro 5G and more
The Week Recommends The next-generation mobile network is finally available in the UK - these are the phones that can connect to it
By The Week Staff Last updated
-
5G cities: where are the new networks availablein the UK?
In Depth O2 switches on its next-generation ultra-fast mobile service
By The Week Staff Last updated
-
Deepfakes: how Samsung brought the Mona Lisa to life
In Depth Controversial technology that was a porn trend is now animating famous images
By The Week Staff Published