In appliances, CES is a kind of dreamy futurescape, where manufacturers can take a break from staid metal boxes and show off gadget prototypes straight out of The Jetsons. In past years, the futuristic appliances we’ve seen at CES were all about connecting you to the Internet – but does anyone need to Facebook from their refrigerator? This year, expect to see function triumph over the outlandish, with integrated smart appliances that share information about your activities to make your home hum along seamlessly. Will the next Nest pop up at CES? We’ll have to wait and see.
A breakout year for 4K TVs
We’ll see 4K TVs – curved and flat, cheap and pricey – all over the show floor. Expect to see LG pushing its new OLED technology and joining Samsung, Sony, and other manufacturers in touting new displays based on ‘quantum dot’ technology that promises to deliver a wider color gamut. And because no one will buy a 4K TV unless there’s 4K programming to watch on it, look for service providers to announce new products to fill that niche.
Wearables
It would be much too generous to say wearables are growing up this year, but clearly the consumer tech industry is advancing and expanding the definition of what a wearable can be. At this year’s CES, expect a new generation of much more niche and mission-specific wearables – perhaps a reaction to the fact that activity trackers have become ho-hum commodity hardware; that Android Wear and Apple Watch have sucked all the oxygen out of the smartwatch space; and that wearables are still struggling to find a receptive audience.
Among the highly specialised flights of fancy we anticipate seeing, a new wearable called Thync promises to alters one’s mood, using ‘enhanced neurosignaling’ to shift one’s ‘vibe’ to either an energised or relaxed state. Fuhu, meanwhile, is planning to demo a ‘child-friendly, gamified’ pedometer, while Sensoria Fitness will show off new ‘smart socks’ that help track cadence and center-of-balance while you run. We should also see Vert, a wearable that tracks your jumping stats (perfect for volleyball and basketball training); GoMore, which is being marketed as a ‘stamina sensor’ that helps calibrate workout intensity; and Linx, a new head concussion monitor that could be great for anyone who competes in contact sports.
And those are just the niche players. We’re already hearing that a number of much bigger-name companies will have wearable tech announcements. The question is: Will they stick to traditional formulas like the conventional activity trackers, or will they go big with innovative risks?
Cars rev to catch up to phones
Smartphones change fast. Cars don’t. That’s made their relationship difficult, but CES 2015 will mark a milestone, where cars aren’t just catching up to smartphones – they’re converging.
We expect to see signs of Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and MirrorLink, the three technologies moving in from the smartphone side. All offer mobile experiences adjusted for car safety. Ford’s completely revamped Sync 3 infotainment platform will also make its first public debut. Announced in mid-December, it promises better touch, voice and app interfaces. But it’s not just Ford: All the car companies and their technology suppliers are eager to show how connected and easy their systems are, now that smartphones have redefined what’s intuitive and user-friendly.
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