This week, Las Vegas is once again the scene of CES, the world's largest consumer tech fair. The show traditionally features many tech gadgets and gizmos, giving an indication of what is in demand and what developments we can expect.
The fair officially opens today, but has been going on since Sunday with all sorts of press conferences and individual presentations from companies. What can we all expect?
AI
There are 60 companies in the AI section this year, but the technology will feature in many more categories. "AI is the star of the show, the ingredient in other technology," Gary Shapiro, president of the Consumer Technology Association told CNN. AI actually shows up in everything: television companies use it to improve picture quality, for example, and in autonomous cars it is used to make vehicles safer and more efficient.
One of the other expectations is that a lot of televisions will be shown at CES. Big tech companies like Samsung and Panasonic save their big novelties for their own presentations, but are happy to show off their televisions in Vegas. Features that will be seen with the new televisions include larger screens, better picture quality with HDR (high-dynamic range) and MicroLED screens. Some 8K televisions and TVs with voice assistance are also expected.
5G has been talked about for years. The cellular-network technology should realise faster internet for everything from phones to self-driving cars. Expected to roll out 5G later this year, at CES chip makers and wireless providers will show more details of the 5G potential and what it will mean for various industries in the coming years.
China
There is no getting around it: China is on top of everyone's mind. Both small and large manufacturing companies are expected to consider moving their production to Asia because of the 'trade war' between the US and China. During CES, companies will explore the possibilities and see what their competitors are planning.
There is also another reason that China will attract attention during CES: their innovativeness. In this, too, the Chinese seem to be ahead of America, according to experts. For instance, several powerful camera lenses are being realised in increasingly small devices. CNN additionally points to the DJI mini gimbal camera, a major competitor to the GoPro, among others.
Less prominent
Previously hyped technologies such as 3D printing will have a less prominent place at the show. However, it is expected that, like last year, there will be a lot of robots and cars on display.
However, there will be a number of startups with partly groundbreaking introductions. For instance, a bakery robot will be on display and an American startup will present a new smart doorbell. Prince Constantijn, startup ambassador, will attend the so-called Holland Tech Square at CES with 50 Dutch startups. Most of them are active in digital health/medtech and e-commerce/consumer tech.
Many of the gadgets, technologies and products presented at CES never actually make it to market. On the other hand, the fair does give a good idea of what manufacturers are working on and what resonates with consumers.
Source: CNN
Photo: CES
