Predictions for CES 2016
By Mike Agerbo
January 05, 2016
Product Discovery
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Happy New Year!
As we ring in the new year tech nerds from every continent descend on Las Vegas to preview the upcoming year’s gadgets and innovations at the Consumer Electronics Show. Despite the fact that I’ve been attending CES for over a decade, I’m still always excited to see what the show is going to have in store for me. As I mentally prepare myself for four exhilarating but hectic days, I like to make a few little predictions about what’s going to be big at the show this year. So, what are my predictions for CES 2016? Read on to find out.
In the past few years, we’ve seen car technology become smarter and more connected at CES and I predict that we’ll see a bigger show of force from car manufacturers this year than we have in the past. Most of the biggest car manufacturers have signed on this year and they’ll be taking up 25 per cent more space on the show floor.
Major car companies will be showing off new car concepts focusing on electric and autonomous cars. Though we’ve seen autonomous cars at the show for several years now, the technology hasn’t been ready to hit the mass market quite yet. That being said, I expect that a lot of progress has been made in the past year and I’m interested to see how much closer we are to seeing these out on the roads.
Drones have been a hot topic in the past year as we saw more models hit the market at prices that amateur photographers and videographers could afford. While those affordable prices have made the devices more accessible at every skill level, safety concerns have also come to light. These concerns came to the forefront this past summer as a drone flying near a wildfire in British Columbia made it unsafe for helicopters and skimmers to battle the blaze.
In light of all this, I’m interested to see new technology that will help make drones easier to use and safer to fly. My prediction is that the unmanned systems showcased at CES 2016 will be more autonomous than ones we’ve seen in previous years.
Home automation has advanced steadily over the past several years and it’s been interesting to see a wide range of connected devices for the home. However, many of these devices use different frameworks, making it difficult for users to control all of them from one place. Tech giants such as Apple and Google are working on building standard platforms—HomeKit and Brillo, respectively—that manufacturers will be able to use to develop their smart home devices. This year, I hope to see which standards manufacturers are adopting and how they work together.
Wearables aren’t a new trend at CES either; we’ve seen bands, watches, and jewelry take the stage in this category in the past. But what’s next for wearable tech? I predict that as this category grows, we’ll see it transform areas such as parenting and healthcare. This year, I expect to see more specific applications for babies, kids, and seniors.
As we ring in the new year tech nerds from every continent descend on Las Vegas to preview the upcoming year’s gadgets and innovations at the Consumer Electronics Show. Despite the fact that I’ve been attending CES for over a decade, I’m still always excited to see what the show is going to have in store for me. As I mentally prepare myself for four exhilarating but hectic days, I like to make a few little predictions about what’s going to be big at the show this year. So, what are my predictions for CES 2016? Read on to find out.
- Connected Cars
In the past few years, we’ve seen car technology become smarter and more connected at CES and I predict that we’ll see a bigger show of force from car manufacturers this year than we have in the past. Most of the biggest car manufacturers have signed on this year and they’ll be taking up 25 per cent more space on the show floor.
Major car companies will be showing off new car concepts focusing on electric and autonomous cars. Though we’ve seen autonomous cars at the show for several years now, the technology hasn’t been ready to hit the mass market quite yet. That being said, I expect that a lot of progress has been made in the past year and I’m interested to see how much closer we are to seeing these out on the roads.
- Drones
Drones have been a hot topic in the past year as we saw more models hit the market at prices that amateur photographers and videographers could afford. While those affordable prices have made the devices more accessible at every skill level, safety concerns have also come to light. These concerns came to the forefront this past summer as a drone flying near a wildfire in British Columbia made it unsafe for helicopters and skimmers to battle the blaze.
In light of all this, I’m interested to see new technology that will help make drones easier to use and safer to fly. My prediction is that the unmanned systems showcased at CES 2016 will be more autonomous than ones we’ve seen in previous years.
- Smart home devices
Home automation has advanced steadily over the past several years and it’s been interesting to see a wide range of connected devices for the home. However, many of these devices use different frameworks, making it difficult for users to control all of them from one place. Tech giants such as Apple and Google are working on building standard platforms—HomeKit and Brillo, respectively—that manufacturers will be able to use to develop their smart home devices. This year, I hope to see which standards manufacturers are adopting and how they work together.
- Wearables
Wearables aren’t a new trend at CES either; we’ve seen bands, watches, and jewelry take the stage in this category in the past. But what’s next for wearable tech? I predict that as this category grows, we’ll see it transform areas such as parenting and healthcare. This year, I expect to see more specific applications for babies, kids, and seniors.