Long gone the days when CES actually stood for “Consumer Electronics Show” – the CTA made sure of that in its various small print. I recommend you check out our latest the best of CES 2012 History for a look back at the days when things like smartphones were the focus of the event. The Mobile World Congress took some wind out of the sails of the CES and increasingly pushed companies to present flagships at their own events.
This year we got what, Samsung budget flagship and a preview of the latest OnePlus device from a parallel event? Certainly the fact that LG and HTC – both of which were involved in the show in some form – are either largely or entirely out of the smartphone game. And Huawei, which had a large presence at the show a few years ago, won’t be attending CES any time soon.
Much of this vacuum was filled by the transport. Over the past decade, CES has grown into a major auto show where automakers want to prove to the world that they are on the cutting edge of technology, from autonomy to in-car systems to sending robots to the Mars metaverse. The show definitely held Kirsten and Rebecca are very busy this week.
THOSE continues to be a major event on the consumer hardware side, even though there aren’t as many phones as they used to be. It’s still a major showcase for personal computers, connected health, smart home gadgets, accessories, and even robotics. It’s also a fascinating glimpse into how the industry is evolving. Take fitness – the sheer amount of wearables has decreased as companies experiment with newer form factors like rings. Meanwhile, there has been a surge in companies looking to take on Peloton and Mirror.
Credit: Garmin
In a rather subdued appearance for wearables, Garmin made headlines with its hybrid sports smartwatch. Hybrid smartwatches have admittedly been a mixed bag over the years, but Garmin has proven to be a surprisingly strong brand in the wearables category. And the Vivomove Sport is a pretty good looking watch with a clean design that will appeal to those who are put off by more flashy smartwatches.
Trackers have had a period of time due to the popularity of products like Tile and Apple AirTags. This year, the former has another PC partner than the latter in Lenovo ThinkPad X1 received tile tracking support that allows users to find their lost laptop for up to 14 days even when it is powered off. Targus, on the other hand, has Apple’s Find My Support directly in his newest backpack.
Credit: Chipolo
But Chipolo gets the nod here with the introduction of MAP. The device, which also supports Find My, is slightly larger than a credit card and is designed to be kept in a wallet, so you’ll be notified every time you leave the product behind. I currently have an AirTag that I use on my keys. As someone who has misplaced their wallet more than once in my adult life, I would say that this is a pretty compelling use case that would make me want to invest for someone else.
Credit: TP-Link
Devin ditched the AXE11000 Tri-Band Wi-Fi 6E Router at the end of its total time What my home work would be like if I were independently wealthy Summary (rewrite here). This thing is pretty wild – especially when it comes to the world of routers. The system has a motorized antenna that adjusts to get a stronger signal. Not a word on the price, but you’ll likely pay for this luxury on top of TP-Link’s already high base price. But can you really put a price tag on faster WiFi?
Credit: anchor
Make a call, which is probably a far cheaper remote control accessory. Last but not least, Anker knows how to keep costs down; $ 220 gets you the video bar, This is a kind of all-in-one webcam solution. You get a 2K camera with an AI-based picture frame, coupled with an integrated light bar and speakers. It won’t replace more advanced studio setups (or even the Opal), but it’s a solid plug-and-play solution for those looking to spice up their home video game (relatively) cheaply.
Credit: Labrador systems
Earlier this week I wrote a lot of words about the evolution of the CES as a robotics show. One of the biggest sticking points is the general lack of workable home robotics, beyond the Roomba and an army of other robotic vacuums. I was happy to get a better look at it Labradors System this week, however, because it addresses a very real need – especially for those with limited mobility who want to remain independent. The system is practically a mobile helper for the home.
Credit: Asus
It’s not a CES without fun new form factors, and those Asus Zenbook 17-fold OLED is taking the cake by a mile this year and taking the foldable phone form factor into a full-fledged laptop. The most amazing thing about it is that the company actually plans to bring the thing out. I suspect I’m not alone in assuming this thing was just a concept when I first saw a rendering, but Asus plans to release the system in the second quarter of this year. So we’ll see soon enough how close the commercial product can get to these recordings.
Credit: Samsung
Samsung skipped its usual sensory bombardment this year. There were no robots, just bespoke washing machines and inexpensive telephones, but he managed to smuggle in a funny projector of all things. Despite their relatively low appeal, companies continue to try to make projectors a reality, and at least This one here is small, well built and looks good. It also costs $ 900, which means it will likely stay in its niche.
