CES 2015: A Small List Of The Biggest Things

In case you didn’t know, CES stands for Consumer Electronics Show, an internationally-recognized private tech event showcasing new products from dozens of companies hoping to either change the world, or entertain the crowd with a crazy idea put to life. Held in Las Vegas for a week every January, CES has been going on since the late ‘60’s, serving as the nesting grounds for a number of products that all had groundbreaking potential. Below, I list some of the ones from this year that stood out to me, and in the near future, could prove to be major successes.

Although there were tons of cool things that probably wowed the crowd for a fair amount of time, like fully waterproof smartphone cases, self-adjusting belts, and dancing spider robots, I’ll try to only focus on what can’t be ignored, simply because of the promise they show.

Let’s Start With Cars

Mercedes Benz F015 Design

A handful of cars were featured, including the Mercedes Benz F 015, an electrically powered autonomous vehicle with the car seatsable to form a circle, to make for easier conversation and passive travel. Also shown was the Volkswagen Passat, which similarly offers autonomous driving, but only in certain situations like crash avoidance. Other cars focused on ways the car could connect with our devices, in order to carry out tasks like lock car doors with a smartwatch. These concepts and models all bring attention to the fact that cars are undergoing some major transformations, and as the next decade approaches, we will immerse ourselves in a rich landscape of fully autonomous, electrically powered, sleek and eco-friendly driving machines. A promotional video of the F015 can be found here.

Tesla Model X Crossover Vehicle

In my opinion, the Tesla Model X stood out among the other cars at the show. With a tablet-like display in the front, plenty of space, and upgraded design features, these Tesla cars plan to go on market in the third quarter of 2015. Sales are expected to be high, as the Model X will be a crossover, combining different parts of SUV’s and passenger vehicles for an outward appearance and degree of functionality most drivers can appreciate. What’s probably most impressive about the Roadster 3.0 (as it’s also called) is not its look or feel, but its more efficient battery, which has now soared to an estimated 300-400 miles/charge. This added benefit, coupled with a very modern look, could spell doom for traditional autos as EV’s dominate the roadway and lead us to a better, less ecologically degrading future.

This next announcement covers something nonphysical, but still very important. Toyota plans to release thousands of its fuel cell patents to the public, all for free. Information covering the potential future of automobile transportation will soon be viewable by any one of us, free of charge. This will hopefully energize the car industry, and that's just what they're counting on. The spokesman, Bob Carter, said in a speech that "the first generation hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, launched between 2015 and 2020, will be critical [and require] unconventional collaboration”.

Innovative Wearables And Accessories

The Withings Activité Pop (AP) is a smartwatch that debuted at the event, and surprised passersby because it looked alarmingly similar to a Swiss watch. Their gasps turned into shrieks upon learning that it offered a helluva lot more than the overpriced, single use counterparts. With a price tag 3 times less than its predecessor, the watch immediately stands out as a wearable because almost anyone can afford it, and it retains the same elegance and beauty of traditional watches. If that’s not enough, the AP offers a range of new features that most standard watches don't provide: it's a fitness tracker, changes time automatically, is waterproof, and even tracks your sleep cycles!

Now for a futuristic, scarier-sounding wearable: the Thync headset. Presented by a startup who raised millions last year from their Kickstarter, it can apparently change the mood of the wearer by "stimulating the neural pathways that lead to your brain" (Business Insider). As a test of merit, an attendee tried it on and noticed a strong change in behavior, feeling more energetic and conversational as the day progressed. While this doesn’t tell us much, it does reveal that this device, with enough love and care, could replace beverage stimulants like coffee in the near future. No pictures could be taken, so we'll just have to guess how this big piece of metal and plastic will attach to our heads.

CES also gave a chance for a recent startup, The Eye Tribe, to show their product, an eye tracker than when applied to one's software, can follow your gaze and carry out orders like flipping a page, aiming a gun, or closing tabs. This is insane, and the tech may start to appear in the consumer market this year. I am looking forward to the eye tracker, as well as other products that will eventually reshape what it means to interact with technology. -->

A smaller discovery of mine, that still needed mentioning, was this incredibly fast phone battery charger called the StoreDot. Clocking in at 30 seconds, you probably thought it sounds too impressive to be true, and you're right- for the time being, its amp requirements are far beyond even the best of the best, so unfortunately we'll have to wait until 2017. When that time comes, you may never have to worry about running out of juice again.

Other Cool Tech

A Japanese communications robot, with the face and body of a middle aged women, was tentatively revealed by Toshiba. Her movements are a bit jerky, and her vocabulary limited, but this prototype still amazed the crowd, albeit in a strange, creepy sort of way. The company stated that their goal is to bolster the relationship between humans and nonhumans, first in the service industry by speaking with bedridden elderly people, and later in other social contexts. ChihiraAico’s production is nothing short of impressive, but there have been earlier versions boasting similar motor capabilities. Nonetheless, the manner in which she moved and spoke could signal the beginning of an era where our symbiotic connectedness with machine intelligence grows closer to reality (see, I’m already saying “her”).

Another technology showcased that captured my attention was the IO Hawk, a two wheeled motorized skateboard, which moves at a speed of around 5 mph when you shift your feet forward. Some think it will replace the Segway, and even most street vehicles of choice, like the scooter and skateboard. At 22 pounds and nearly $2K, it will be hard convincing most interested buyers to consider a purchase, but the bigger idea of getting to and from places in a jiffy, without looking silly, was enough for me to add it to my wish list. See it in action here.

 

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That's about everything I decided to cover in this blog post. Overall, I was impressed by the gadgets and gizmos that the tech event had to offer. A wide range of products and devices were featured that will soon enter our homes, workplace, and fundamentally alter how we perceive the world. If you'd like more information on anything I mentioned, I will provide links down below for your ultimate viewing pleasure. Take care everyone, and stay tuned for next week's debriefing.

Overview of cars featured at event

Glimpse of Tesla Model X interior

Toyota fuel cell announcement

Withings Activite Pop smartwatch

“Thync” mood-changing headset

Eye tracker from The Eye Tribe, promotional video

StoreDot phone battery

Creepy Toshiba robot

IO Hawk motorized skateboard

Panoply of articles discussing the best CES had to offer: #1, #2, #3, #4