Bob Baker's The Buzz Factor

Pooki and I saw the much talked about "Avatar" movie in 3D last night. Usually, when something is that hyped and described by friends in such glowing terms, your expectations are so high, the thing doesn't live up to it.

But the Avatar movie certainly did!

I'm sure the regular movie would have been great too, but seeing it in 3D really opening my eyes (so to speak) to what the future of entertainment holds in store. It was visually stunning and the most realistic computer generated images I've ever seen.

And the plot was filled with something for everyone: action, adventure, romance, anti-war and anti-greed sentiments, an environmental message, and even spiritual themes. Oh yeah, and lots of scary creatures and stuff that blows up!

It's interesting that I saw Avatar on the last day of the annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES), where this year lots of new gadgets were introduced -- including new 3D televisions for the home.

As I mentioned last week, there are also new portable hand-held devices hitting the market that will act as mini multimedia centers. Much like the iPhone and Blackberry, you'll be able to surf the Internet, watch movies and TV shows, read ebooks, listen to audio, record and edit videos, and much more.

Sure, these things exist now, but the technology is becoming even more impressive, powerful and accessible to millions of people.

Are you feeding your fans through these new channels?

That's exactly why I just launched my new Virtual Music Coach web site, where I'm starting to offer online programs that deliver my message in multiple ways: text, audio, and video.

Sure, I'm a writer, and I could stay in my comfort zone and continue to just publish paper books and ebooks. But if I did, I'd miss an opportunity to inspire a LOT more people who prefer getting information by other means.

I encourage you not to get stuck in an outdated mode either. Embrace the new technologies. Use them yourself. See how other artists are using them. And start working them into the way you communicate with your fans.

FYI, here's a list of new gadget highlights from this year's CES.

To your multimedia success!

-Bob