CES 2018 experienced some interesting happenings. From the first power outage to CEO outrage, crazy tech and another year of zero inventions, CES lit the entire city of Las Vegas. Every year, this show manages to outdo itself with the area of coverage and number of visitors. This year was no exception. We take a look at the largest trade show ever and bring you 15 amazing products at CES 2018.
1. Intel Voxel
This is an intelligent software made by Intel. Voxel enables every camera (5K capable of now) recording in a 3D space and the footage being shown from any possible angle. Imagine these cameras all around a cricket ground. Voxel can let users see an amazing shot from the perspective of the batsman, bowler, umpire or the ball as well. Intel calls it Volumetric video. This was earlier possible in virtual games but watching real-life events from any possible point of view is remarkable.
2. Synaptics’ Clear ID Fingerprint scanner
Vivo hosted an unnamed model with the first ever fingerprint scanner embedded under the phone’s display. Synaptics teased their Clear ID fingerprint scanner and Vivo agreed to showcase it at CES 2018. It is a thin chip that sits inside a smartphone LED display. Thereby, eliminating the need for a separate fingerprint scanner. A true innovation in smartphone technology, this sensor is all set to make its way to most flagship phones of this year. As the technology improves, the speed and accuracy will improve even further.
3. Samsung’s MicroLED
Samsung introduced “The Wall” at CES 2018. The Wall is a 146-inch TV with limitless possibilities as it is modular and made of several smaller patches of MicroLED. MicroLED produces deeper blacks than OLED and possibly infinite contrast. The best part is that you could upgrade your television size and shape as per your requirements. Will it be a consumer or a commercial product is, yet to be seen.
4. LG’s Foldable Television
LG teased us with its foldable LED displays for several years. Finally, LG has a production-ready 65-inch foldable LED television. The base houses speakers, I/O ports and the entire display when you switch off the TV. Switch it on and the display rolls vertically to a massive 16:9 4k HDR foldable LED panel. Thanks to the rolling mechanism, you can make it a widescreen 21:9 or 18:9 display at the touch of a button. Also, if its only playing music or using a voice assistant, the TV automatically converts into a thin wide display.
Modularity in televisions is now real.
5. Sony’s AIBO – Smart Robot Dog
Sony’s AIBO was one of the cutest pieces of technology at CES 2018. AIBO is a robot dog with touch sensors all over its body and LED eyes. If that was not enough, it self-charges when low on battery and also learns faces it interacts with. Hence, it recognises its owner better than others. It also responds to the touch sensors all over its body. If you need a dog without the worries of owning a real one, Sony’s AIBO is what you need.
6. Razor’s Project – Linda
Razor is known to come up with some crazy concepts at CES. But, this year’s concept felt like a well thought retail package and it might as well become one!
Project Linda is 12-inch laptop shell that is powered by the Razor phone. The shell matches Razor’s laptop built quality standards whilst using the Razor phone as its brain and trackpad. The shell has a 1080p display with a built-in battery to charge the phone when its docked as a trackpad/secondary display. It hosts few connectivity options and the phone speakers double up as the speakers for this package. Overall, a brilliant concept that could be real someday for sure. We have seen Snapdragon chips run Windows and this concept bridges the gap for brilliant ideas of the future.
7. Dell XPS 15
Dell XPS 15 2-in-1 has one of the first laptops to feature Intel CPUs powered by discrete AMD Radeon RV Vega M GPUs. Intel and AMD have come together after decades of competing against each other. This laptop also features a Maglev keyboard that makes 0.7 mm key travel feel clicker than it actually is. Dell’s XPS 15 is one of the first in a line of laptops to come that will truly do-it-all. Gaming, tablet modes, satisfactory typing and possibly good battery life could be the future of laptops.
8. HTC Vive Pro
HTC Vive Pro is a worthy upgrade to the HTC Vive VR headset. Better VR resolution, built-in headphones, dual cameras and wireless connectivity, make it a viable VR option. You will still need a powerful gaming setup to experience this headset with other sensors but freedom from cables gives it an edge over the competition.
9. Game training robots
The CES floor was filled with robots. Some of them had AI-powered game training capabilities. From intelligent Scrabble playing to table tennis training robots, the show floor was filled with it. Omron Forpheous Ping Pong robot not only learns from players that it plays against but also rates and encourages players to perform better. With audio and visual encouragement dialogues, these robots could be coaching entry-level and professional players soon.
10. Sennheiser HD 820
Up until 2018, audiophile professional headphones had to be open back. With amazing audio spaciousness came a lot of sound leaks thanks to open back design. Sennheiser HD 820 plans to rethink professional headphones with a Gorilla Glass instead of a mesh. This does make them closed back but without compromising on audio quality and isolating the user from surrounding noises. Apparently, glass is better than wood or plastic when it comes to audio quality. Is this the new premium headphone design, we shall see.
11. Byton’s Concept Electric Car
Unlike Tesla, Byton launched their concept electric car without any numerical figures for top speed, etc. Launching in late 2019, Byton has designed this car with all the bells and whistles one can expect from a premium electric car of the future. A single widescreen display over the dashboard, rotating seats, level 4 automated driving and several other features are promised on road as soon as 2020. Tesla now has a serious competitor.
12. NVIDIA’s BFGD
With the rising cost of PC components and threats of cyber attacks, many prefer console gaming. Televisions today are smarter than ever but none are designed to handle gaming motions. NVIDIA is all set to change this when they announced their Big Format Gaming Display. It features a 56-inch 4K HDR display with 120Hz refresh rate and support for G-Sync technology. Consider this as a large gaming monitor that can do it all. Something like this will drastically change the way we consume multimedia (gaming, sports, movies and smooth videos) as technology improves.
13. Vuzix Blade AR Glasses
AR is still a few years away from being a consumer tech, but Vuzix Blade VR glasses make it look good for sure. The glasses look surprisingly normal when you consider these as a piece of technology. Featuring Alexa voice assistant and a crisper colourful display than before, the Vuzix Blade feels like a viable AR option.
14. Mercedes MBUX
Mercedes has made a smart assistant for their cars called MBUX. Nothing fancy, other than voice and possibly gesture-based operations to control everything that a car is expected to do. It runs on Mercedes’ own OS and helps users interact with the car without any unneeded extra features. All we need is a car that makes driving it a pleasure and easy with the aid of essential technology. You could just sit in a Merc and say its too hot in here and the car would adjust the temperature accordingly.
Good job, Mercedes!
15. Smart Assistants everywhere
Last year we saw the dominance of Alexa in every appliance one could think about. This year, it was Google Assistant that made its way to all the major appliances, smart displays and many other tech categories. Some manufacturers have extended support to both Amazon and Google’s voice assistants. From smart glasses, smart displays, appliances, cars to laptops, these assistants are just about everywhere. Expect these assistants to make a home in all our gadgets sooner or later.
