CES is the biggest trade show of the year for consumer electronics. The show ran from January 9-12, 2018 in Las Vegas. As usual, there were some big product reveals and announcements. This year there was also a power outage. Here are some of the CES highlights of 2018
Virtual Assistants
We’ve written about Alexa and other virtual assistants. Amazon and Google are dueling it out to make Alexa or Google Assistant the winner. It spilled out of the convention center as well. “Hey Google” was found everywhere in Vegas. On the product front, Google announced a competitor to the Echo Show.
Virtual assistants are already being integrated into things like thermostats. They’re making their way into the shower. Moen is adding Alexa and Siri to a showerhead. They’re also heading to the kitchen, like in this smart refrigerator from LG with Google Assistant. It’s clear that the integration is only going to continue into more and more things we use regularly.
Auto Tech
Auto Tech was the second biggest part of CES, after virtual assistants. All the major automakers (BMW, FCA, Ford, GM, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Mercedes, Nissan, Toyota, and Volkswagen) were present at CES. If you have been car shopping lately, you have noticed in-car tech is increasing. It was also a big part of the show, but it didn’t stop there. Some other highlights were announcements that Domino’s Pizza and Ford are teaming up to deliver pizzas. Pizza Hut and Toyota are also teaming up with self-driving cars. That brings us to the biggest auto tech of CES. Self-driving cars were all over Vegas for the show and might be coming to a street near you over the next few years.
Wearables
Usually, when we think of wearables, smart watches or fitness trackers come to mind. Wearables were well represented at CES, but there were many other products introduced that focus on health.
There were a couple of new products directed at seniors. The Hip’Air is a device that looks like a fanny pack. It’s actually a protective equipment designed for seniors. During a fall it will deploy airbags to protect them from falls. E-Vone is a smart shoe that can detect falls and send alerts.
L’Oreal introduced a UV sensor that you can put on your glasses, watch or even fingernail. It pairs with your phone and lets you know if you’ve been out in the sun too long.
Allergy suffers might appreciate the Sensio Air, which technically isn’t a wearable. It’s a football-shaped allergen and pollutant detector that you use in your home. It pairs with a smart app that helps you deal with the outdoor conditions by measuring allergen and pollutant levels across 210 cities.
Wireless Charging
Wireless charging has been available for some time on a few phones and other devices, mostly Samsung or Google phones. Now the iPhone 8 and iPhone X have added it. It was a big part of new devices at CES and we expect more widespread availability of wireless charging in the near future. Along with charging, there was also much buzz about more efficient chips that will help batteries last longer.
These things only scratch the surface of the tech covered at CES. Many things introduced there never make it to market, but many do. Check back for updates in 2018.