Recently I attended an event at a local college where Bill Gates was the featured speaker. It was essentially an informal event where Bill did not deliver a speech as much as he made himself available to answer questions asked by a number of preselected students.

Tactile-based technology, or in other words the touch screen interface, has become the de facto standard for computing devices and we didn't even see it coming.

"Obvious to the most casual observer" is a phrase I use quite frequently. The message has to do with de-complicating our solutions. The bottom line: good ideas do not have to be complex.

What does particle physics and the Higgs boson have to do with banking? Well, in a very small way, the "physics" of banking will soon be changing again. If you haven't noticed, our technology has been shrinking in size yet growing in power over the last six decades.

If you haven't noticed, there is a theme to my most recent blogs. The relationship between ourselves and our technology is changing! You have read about neural interfaces, the headsets that capture your brainwaves and convert them into basic commands on the computer. This amazing technology is improving daily. Disappearing keyboards was the topic of my most recent blog, detailing how input is being delivered through a variety of technologies and methods.

Will the evolution of technology eliminate the need for a keyboard or mouse? As amazing as the concept appears, in reality it is entirely plausible.

"Frequently" best describes how often I am asked why a banking consultant attends the International Consumer Electronics Show, and my answer is always the same. The CES is relevant to banking and our future. The consumer technology innovation represents the best that companies-large and start-ups-have to offer. Their work represents vision, values, and creativity unplugged.

International CES is the space where time speeds up!  As you tour the exhibit hall you quickly realize that no matter what you thought, tomorrow has already passed you by. The future or the state of the art is no longer a cycle or trend, but a daily event of rapid innovation.

The world of electronics takes center stage in the desert today, the opening date for the 2013 CES in Las Vegas. Bucking the usual Vegas tag line, what happens there this week will definitely not stay there, but will affect almost every consumer and business, including the financial industry, in one way or another.

Here is the future of computing: Solid state memory (no disk drives); neural interfaces that enable your thoughts to interact with the computer operating system (not keyboards); batteries that recharge by motion created as you walk through the airport or to the office; holographic displays (no monitor); smart communication cards that know your data plan, track your usage and find the cheapest route automatically (and encrypt your communications over public networks); GPS navigation systems that know your driving habits and automatically alert you to traffic issues and call you with alternatives.