The largest consumer technology conference, CES, is later this week. CES is where consumers can get a first look at tons of emerging technology for all facets of life. Many top trends were first launched at CES that are now marketplace staples.
With a scope so vast it can be difficult to keep track of all the announcements so we have created a few things you’ll want to pay special attention to at this years show.
Virtual Reality/Augmented Reality
For the past year both VR and AR have been primarily locked into the gaming realm with its applications however this year should see it burst out of that bubble. Additional uses for both commercial and home will bring new functionality and interest. In terms of gaming specifically, its footprint more than doubled between 2016 and 2016, so we can expect some big unveilings for our genre this year.
There have been two halls set aside for all the hardware, software and peripherals associated. You can count on HTC, Google, Samsung, and Microsoft to have a big presence in these.
Smart Home
The smart home devices have been popping up all over the place in the past year and that trend should continue with additional products from Amazon, Google, Microsoft, and Nest.
AI Assistants
Over the holidays there was a noticeable increase of home AI selling from both Amazon and Google. During the show we should expect new partnerships and app integration not only with Amazon’s Echo, but also Google Home. With Microsoft recently pushing Cortana, it wouldn’t be a shock to see something from them integrating their own AI into an at-home assistant.
Automobile Technology
Car technology seems to be bubbling up as a space with a lot of companies looking to jump into. Tesla is obviously the leader of the pack but keep an eye out for a whole host of new technology companies. From heads-up displays, autonomous driving, to smartwatch/smart home connectivity, there should be a ton of new direction to take technology on the move.
Miscellaneous Tech
Outside of the big areas there is always a ton of technology on the floor for the latest in smartphones and connected TVs. Expect to see a lot of integration with streaming platforms hoping to get partnered up with various Smart TVs. Speaking of smartphones, with the much talked about removal of the headphone jack in the latest iPhone there is going to be a lot of Bluetooth technology available in the wake. Expect to see a lot of new companies hoping to capitalize on the market created.
The Consumer Electronics Show is being held from January 5th through 8th in Las Vegas. Expect for some wild and wonderful tech that will become commonplace in our lives to make their first appearance here.