CES envy? The best places to catch up online

By Brian Kovalesky, StartUp Beat Editor

Feeling like you’re missing something by not attending CES? I can relate. While there was too little focus on early-stage startups for me to justify the trip to Vegas to cover the show, it still is the center of the tech business world this week, with plenty of startups on site trying to cut through the noise and show off their wares. So, being relegated to streaming coverage of the show, I thought I’d share my favorite news and video sources for those of you itching to catch up on the excitement. And when you really think about it—travel, traffic, crowds, cab lines, etc., this may just be the best way for most of us to experience the show. Then again, it IS in Vegas, so I guess it just depends on your perspective:

1. TechCrunch: The TechCrunch livestream is my favorite source because they are most focused on startups—sending reporters to roam the show floor to interview exhibiting entrepreneurs with some often fun and often fascinating innovations. If you can get past the awkward on-camera manner of its writers-turned-on-camera interviewers, the stream provides a great way to experience the show from wherever you are. Plus, they are conducting a ‘Startup Battlefield’ throughout the week, where a group of startups pitch their products in front of industry-expert panelists—which, in addition to the usual VCs and tech CEOs, included Martha Stewart this year, believe-it-or-not.

Live streaming video by Ustream

2. IEEE Spectrum: If a live stream isn’t your cup of tea, IEEE Spectrum is making excellent use of Tweets, Vines, and the Storify app in its CES coverage. It allows you to see some of the cooler, more interesting products in a compact, quick manner. It’s worth checking out: http://spectrum.ieee.org/consumer-electronics/gadgets/ces2014

3. The Verge: I have to give The Verge credit—its combo of video and tweets in its ‘unfiltered’ daily coverage is interesting. However, it lacks the substance and breadth of coverage of the two sources above, and it’s less focused on startups, which is a deal-breaker for me. That said, its video includes some of the big keynotes and press conferences that the others miss…if you’re into that sort of thing. Today’s coverage: http://live.theverge.com/the-verge-at-ces-liveblog-wednesday/; Video archive: http://live.theverge.com