The annual CES (Consumer Electronics Show) is under way in Las Vegas. Here’s our list of some of the technologies and devices that will dominate.
“Connected Cars” is a category that’s been growing and changing rapidly. Google made a lot of pre-CES noise with its announcement of the Open Automobile Alliance, which will make its Android OS the default in-car entertainment OS in cars made by GM, Honda, Audi and others.
“4K” is the new buzz-worthy TV format. Manufacturers are searching for ways to get consumers to upgrade their TVs more frequently. After saturating the market with HDTVs, they’ve moved through “Smart TV” and 3D to get to 4K. The name refers to new super-high resolution screens that have about twice the horizontal resolution (4000 pixels) of the most common 1080P HDTVs (1920 pixels). Along with 4K hardware rollouts, a number of content providers are jumping into 4K. According to Gizmodo, YouTube is about to launch a low-bandwidth 4K streaming service. And Netflix announced that season 2 of its popular House of Cards series would stream in 4K. CNN covers the implications of 4K and other innovations in TV on display at the CES.
These categories all have entertainment in common, but “consumer electronics” can – and does – encompass a lot more. In fact, the next big wave will be the mundane, not the flashy. It’s the “Internet of Things.”
This is the movement to hook everyday items to the Internet: toothbrushes, beds, thermostats, and a lot more. As frivolous as this may seem today, it’s the wave of the future. But, as the Wall Street Journal points out, the Internet of Things may create even more privacy concerns than bemused chuckles.
Wearable technology, which Google Glass brought to the public consciousness, is a big category, as is 3D printing, which also made inroads in 2013.
Next week, Pollack Media Group President, Tommy Hadges, will present a comprehensive overview of CES 2014.
– Pat Welsh