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Interested in the latest and greatest technology for work and life? Here are five things to look for at CES 2018 in Las Vegas
Every January the top technology companies convene at CES to reveal and demonstrate their latest innovations. First held in 1967, the show started with just 117 exhibitors and has since grown to more than 4,000 tech firms and 180,000 attendees (at CES 2017 in Las Vegas). Owned and produced by the Consumer Technology Association, CES is a “launch pad for innovation that changes the world,” according to a show press release.
According to CES, some of the innovations it has showcased include the VCR (1970), the DVD (1996), digital radio (2000), and Blu-ray recording standards (2002). More recently, the expo floor has been graced by consumer 3D printers, AR/VR, artificial intelligence, smartphones, tablets, self-driving vehicles, 5G wireless, the Internet of Things (IoT), drones, and 4K Ultra HD Television.
5 Innovations Worth Watching
As technology continues to evolve and advance at the speed of light, the number of new innovations meant to help us live and work better is expanding exponentially. Here are five tech trends to watch for the year ahead:
- The emergence of “smart cities.” In 2016, Deloitte and AT&T joined forces to help accelerate the adoption of smart city technology across the U.S. Key features include the ability to alert commuters on their mobile phone that their normal route home is delayed, reduce energy use in public buildings with sensing technologies, and network homebound elderly to medical professionals. The new comprehensive program destination, Smart Cities, is going to be unveiled at CES 2018 and will feature a dedicated exhibit area and a multi-day conference program. “With global spending on smart cities projected to reach $34.35B by 2020, we are excited to announce this dedicated program at CES as the perfect opportunity for companies operating in the smart city space to get together and discuss the future,” said the CTA’s Gary Shapiro.
- Devices that help people live longer, healthier lives. Remote monitoring products, wearables, diagnostic solutions–new technologies that shape today’s lifestyles continue to be released at a rapid pace. From Fitbit to Phillips, expect the CES 2018 expo floor to include a wide range of new digital health, fitness tracker, wearables, smart headphones, and other health-related devices. KuaiFit Headphones are a comprehensive cardio training tool with users being able to add their music to the device’s 8GB memory, download training plans from the online store, and set their workout settings from their online account. Eco Life, a maker of air purifiers, combines both indoor and outdoor sensors to provide personalized warnings and recommendations about the air around you. Enter an area with too much smog or unhealthy chemicals, for example, and a nearby Eco Life would notify you through its phone app that monitors the purifiers. This data can easily be shared or seen by others with Eco Life purifiers, ensuring that a community can stay knowledgeable about their air quality.
- Artificial intelligence comes of age. Of high interest to both public and private organizations right now is the emerging field of artificial intelligence (AI), where computers are effectively simulating the human intelligence processes. In the banking world, for example, FICO is using neural networks to predict fraudulent transactions, factoring in information like recent frequency of transactions, transaction size, and the type of retailer involved in the transaction to replace any “manual reviews” of transaction activity. Expect to see a plethora of AI-driven innovations at the upcoming CES show, where the Artificial Intelligence Marketplace will be the destination for the latest innovations in AI infrastructure and computer systems able to perform human-intelligence tasks.
- Vehicles that drive themselves. The investment in autonomous vehicle R&D was huge in 2016, according to Apiumhub, and not just from Google and Tesla. Most of the large automotive groups are developing prototypes of these next generation cars. In the meantime, taxi companies such as Uber don’t want to miss this opportunity and, as such, are also working on self-driving taxis. The same technology is being applied in warehouses, distribution centers, and across the supply chain, where autonomous drones are beginning to emerge as a viable alternative to human-operated aircraft. NVIDIA’s GPU computing for self-driving cars, Torc Robotics’ end-to-end self-driving solutions, and Renesas’ design innovation and semiconductor solutions (for connecting intelligent devices) are just a handful of the self-driving technologies being demonstrated at CES 2018.
- Robots get more intelligent than ever. Robots stole the show at CES 2017, and are expected to continue their reign at CES 2018. From robotic toys for children to drones to even a robotic Albert Einstein, there is something for everyone this year. A hub for intelligent, autonomous machines that are changing the way we live at work, at school, at the doctor’s office, and at home, the show’s Robotics Marketplace will feature new innovations that are connected to the cloud; controllable by mobile devices; and capable of seeing, hearing and reacting to the environment in ways once thought impossible.
CES is a global consumer electronics and consumer technology tradeshow that takes place every January in Las Vegas. For 2018, the event is being held January 9-12 at Mandalay Bay.
