Wake up with Veronica De La Cruz on American Morning this week! VDLC will be doing the NEW THIS MORNING segment Mon-Wed. Look for her near the top of each hour!!! (6-9am Eastern Standard Time or 3-6am Pacific Standard time)
Afterwards, don’t forget to let CNN know how you feel about Veronica. Go to:
I'm heading to Vegas for the 41st Annual International Consumer Electronics Show and I'm really excited, as it will be my first time covering the event. The geek in me can hardly wait, and I AM ECSTATIC!
I board my flight, which is full, and realize I'm surrounded by many others who are just as ecstatic -- maybe even more so -- because by the time I find my seat, I'm surrounded by passengers who are talking (loudly), laughing (obnoxiously), joking (inappropriately) and drinking (period).
I should also mention that it's 7 in the a.m. Yes, that's 7 A.M. -- not to be confused with the other 7 o'clock -- you know --the one that takes place during the time of day in which a rowdy plane full of revelers headed to Vegas seems a little more tolerable.
I slap on an eye-mask and my Bose Noise-Cancellation headphones, and sit back for a LONG flight. Seven-and-a-half hours later (delayed on the runway for three) we FINALLY land in Vegas.
Arriving at the hotel I have just enough time to change some clothes and grab a quick shower. We're off to cover the opening event, the official CES preview party.
I make my way out to the floor and take a quick look around. Immediately, I'm captivated.
There on the floor before me is my new found love: a Human Touch Zero-Gravity Massage Chair equipped with Accu-point detection. It's a massage chair made of soft black leather. The accu-point detector scans my back and finds the knots perfectly; I never even utter a word. The whole experience is earth-shattering and I'm determined to take my new love home, until I discover the price: $4,000.
My heart says "YES," but my wallet says "NO." I force myself to move on.
Watch CNN's Veronica De La Cruz talk to Lance Ulanoff about the latest gadgets.
Another jog around the room and I find that I also adore the bright red design of the Ladybug I-pod Docking Station. I'm in awe of the technology behind Viable Inc's touch screen for the deaf and hearing-impaired and I'm riveted by the Invisible Shield, a clear skin that keeps your gadgets safe and scratch-free.
My producers realize it's getting late and we still have to go back to the hotel to edit our video piece. One last parting glance at my chair and I'm out the door.
The next morning my alarm goes off at 6 a.m. Not a lot of sleep considering we were up really late trying to feed the video package back to Atlanta.
My mind wanders to my massage chair for a moment, but then I quickly shift focus to the present: my upcoming interview with Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates. I have just one hour until the interview and my mind races. What questions will I ask? What will he be like? Is he a nice guy? Is he a tyrant? Will he be a good interview or will he stare at me like I have two heads and I'm speaking in tongues? Watching the clock tick I realize I'm out of time and my crew is waiting for me downstairs.
Arriving at the Microsoft tent I'm pleasantly surprised. The place is crawling with Microsoft product and I find the people are nice and friendly. A publicist for Mr. Gates approaches me. His name is Chris and he wants to brief me on the parameters of the interview. I get ten minutes with Mr. Gates. I'm to keep my questions on topic. Any "off-topic" questions should be saved for last. I am sure they do this so I will run out of time during the interview before I ever get to the "off-topic" questions and therefore, Mr. Gates will never be subjected to them.
Walking up the stairs, Mr. Gates is sitting with a bunch of people. He stands, I shake his hand and give him a big smile. He returns his signature half-smile he's famous for. So far, so good. Seems like a really nice guy.
I sit down and the whole thing goes by like a flash, in fact, looking back I can't even tell you what I asked.
All I know is we discussed the future of technology. We talked about his future, as he steps down from the helm of Microsoft to shift his attention to philanthropy. I tell him my little brother lives in a virtual world and communicates almost solely through instant messenger and I'm worried that future generations might be socially stunted. Are we becoming too dependent on technology? Will technology cripple the social interaction of future generations?
Mr. Gates talks about his kids. He tells me they search online for dogs that need to be rescued and his kids beg him to adopt them. This is all good stuff. I love it, and for a split second, I forget that I'm sitting with one of the richest, most powerful and most successful visionaries in history.
The time flies by. My ten minutes are up. He stands and shakes my hand. "That was good!" he exclaims. He gives me his signature half-smile and even agrees to pose with me for a picture. What a rock star. He's made my day. Decades at the helm of Microsoft and ten minutes in a room with me -- and a conversation that will stay with me forever.
Tune in Friday morning, December 21st on American Morning. Veronica De La Cruz will be hosting with John Roberts... That's right! A full 3 hours of our lovely Veronica 6-9am Eastern Standard Time or 3-6am Pacific Standard time.
Afterwards, don't forget to let CNN know how you feel about Veronica. Go to:
CNN.com's Veronica De La Cruz Joins American Morning
Veronica De La Cruz, most recently a news anchor for CNN.com, has joined CNN's flagship morning news program, American Morning, as an Internet correspondent, beginning Thursday, Oct. 18. Based in New York, De La Cruz will report on the hottest news from online sources and blogs and guide viewers through the most popular and essential stories from CNN.com and i-Reports, the network's user-generated content initiative.
"Veronica has demonstrated an enviable ability to connect with audiences on television as well as on the Internet," said Ed Litvak, executive producer of American Morning. "Her enthusiasm and connections to CNN's online audience make her a welcome addition to American Morning."
For CNN.com, De La Cruz anchored CNN.com Live, CNN Pipeline and "Now in the News," a fast-paced hourly Web- and wireless-exclusive news update. In that time, she anchored live coverage of major breaking stories including the death of former President Ronald Reagan, the tsunami in Southeast Asia, the Hezbollah-Israeli conflict and Hurricane Katrina. She also provided briefings on CNN/U.S. and Headline News about the most popular stories on CNN.com and served as a substitute anchor for both networks.
ecstatic