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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Vegas airport amenities cater to tech conference

Travelers use a charging station Dec. 29 at McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas. (Associated Press)
Kimberly Pierceall Associated Press

LAS VEGAS – While the gadgets of the future are only just arriving in Las Vegas for the annual International CES show, officials at the city’s main airport are updating a decades-old terminal to cater to legions of tech-savvy travelers.

By Friday at McCarran International Airport, a couple thousand outlets and USB ports under seats and inside bars and restaurants will be available for those looking for a power charge in Terminal 1 before heading home after the gadget convention.

The airport had already installed free Wi-Fi ahead of the electronics show 10 years ago at a time when travelers had either a laptop or personal digital assistant, if that, and were at most checking email or finishing up a PowerPoint presentation.

Now, there are movies to stream, virtual meetings to conduct, Internet games to play and books to download. More than 160,000 people attended the 2014 show, which takes over the Las Vegas Convention Center, the Sands Expo and several nearby hotels with more than 2 million square feet of exhibit space.

Hot trends this year include Internet connectivity in everyday products such as cars and appliances and the growth of online video as an alternative to traditional television channels. New TVs with sharper images and better colors are also expected. The four-day show begins Tuesday.

Karen Chupka, senior vice president with CES and the Consumer Electronics Association, said her group is likely the biggest electricity and Internet user when it comes to town.

“We tend to push the limits of everything,” she said.

Travelers with gadgets often face a dilemma to grab a bite to eat in a restaurant or bar lacking outlets or plug into a wall outlet and slump against the wall near a boarding gate and watch as the battery is recharged.

“You don’t have to make that choice,” said Samuel Ingalls, assistant director of aviation information services at the airport.

The 500 under-seat power supplies with two outlets and two USB ports each – and more power outlet upgrades to come – are expected to cost the airport $400,000.