Inside CES: Wrapping Up

Well, it’s been another whirlwind year at the Consumer Electronics Show. As a true lover of consumer tech, I honestly say that I came, I saw, and I was inspired! There are definitely some clear trends in tech this year and I think we can expect to see them continue throughout the year. If you haven’t been following along this week, here’s a little wrap up of the trends we saw.

Connected Home

As I expected, connected home technology was at the forefront of the Consumer Electronics Show this year. Devices that are connected to the Internet and can be controlled via smartphone are making our lives much more convenient and efficient. This year’s show featured a number of these devices like the Belkin WeMo appliances, which can be controlled remotely using nothing more than a smartphone. Other connected home devices I saw this week include connected thermostats, ovens, and even a connected bed that tracks your sleep habits.

I expect to see this trend to continue over the rest of the year. As we saw with Belkin’s WeMo, I think partnerships between technology giants and appliance manufacturers will continue to emerge, offering us some innovative tech solutions.

Connected Driving

Staying connected has also infiltrated driving at this year’s show. As I’ve mentioned, this year’s show saw record number of automotive exhibitors and they all had something interesting to offer.

Ultimately, the goal in automotive is to develop a driverless car. Although we’re still some time away from that, the automotive industry is getting closer while offering a wide range of other connected driving options. This year, we saw automated parking systems as well as applications that allow drivers to perform tasks such as locking their doors remotely. Innovative applications have also made it possible to stay in tune with the condition of a vehicle.

Wearable Technology

Wearable tech is hot and it’s only going to get hotter in 2014! This year’s show featured a wide array wearables with various functions. Not only did I see wearable technology designed to improve the way we experience television but also technology designed to augment the reality we live in. I also tried out tech designed to help users improve their fitness and overall health and wearable devices that keep users connected to their smartphones

Innovations in Television

TV is always bit at CES and this year was no exceptions. I think the new innovations that intrigued me the most were those featuring curved and flexible televisions. Having a curved screen, or one that has the ability to curve, offers a more immersive TV experience. I have to say though; SONY’s push to roll out its Netflix-for-gamers model with PlayStation Now also has me excited. Ultra HD, or 4K, has also made a big at the 2014 show. I do love the idea of an even better TV experience but videography will definitely have to improve to keep up with this new innovation.

By Mike Agerbo

January 11, 2014