If you’ve never been to CES, the huge Consumer Electronics Show held in Las Vegas each year, it’s hard to grasp the scale of the event. Imagine huge displays everywhere you turn, huge crowds, noise and sore feet from miles of walking and hours of standing. Every year, companies big and small vie for the spotlight by presenting their latest new products, concepts and technologies.
Apart from a power outage and heavy rain that caused a minor flood at the Google booth, CES 2018 was another glitzy and wacky showcase of the latest and greatest technologies. With any luck, we may even see a lot of these products in the not-too-distant future. Here are just a few of the ones that managed to grab my attention this year.
Accessibility
My Special Aflac Duck deserves particular mention. Designed to support children diagnosed with cancer, this robot features a port-a-cath with an RFID chip that helps children familiarize themselves with the chemotherapy process. This robotic ‘duck’ is RFID-enabled with emoji cards that kids can use to express their emotions, and it also doubles as a fun toy that kids can cuddle. Best of all, Aflac is committing to give a duck to any child diagnosed with cancer in the US, for free.
(image courtesy of CNET)
Best Startup / Fitness
Black Box VR was everywhere during this year’s show. It’s a combination video game and strength-training workout session that uses HTC’s Vive with some proprietary exercise equipment. Battling enemies while doing chest presses sounds like a great way to build up some muscle.
(image courtesy of CNET)
Best TV
While LG was busy at CES 2018 displaying its amazing LG OLED Canyon and a 65-inch LG ‘rollable’ OLED TV concept, I’d have to say that the standout for TVs at this year’s CES was Samsung’s monster 146-inch modular MicroLED TV, dubbed “The Wall.” Samsung took an unusual approach with The Wall, delivering the benefits of OLED but with greater brightness, better contrast, more vibrant colors and reduced burn-in. Because it’s made up of multiple MicroLED panels, a TV can theoretically be built to any custom size, while individual panels can easily be replaced if necessary. Smart!
(image courtesy of Wired)
Best Robot
This is a nostalgic one for me. I lived in Japan when the original Aibo launched back in the 90s. The new Aibo is still just as small but conveys much more emotion through its expressive OLED eyes. It’s smarter, too, with a webcam in its nose, and LTE (and WiFi) for connectivity. Boasting advanced sensors and AI, Aibo is able to recognize family members and learn about its environment. It’s not available outside Japan yet, but at around $1,800 it may be an ideal pet alternative for people who travel a lot.
(image courtesy of CNN Money)
Best Phone
Huawei has been making waves recently. There were rumors that its Honor brand of budget-priced phones would be sold through AT&T, but that deal apparently fizzled. Taking things into its own hands, Huawei decided to take a leaf out of the play book other phone manufacturers here like OnePlus by deciding to sell the phones direct to consumers. There’s been a lot of positive buzz around the phones and their feature sets, which are very competitively priced. It’s already a popular brand internationally, so Huawei will no doubt be hoping for some success in the U.S. as well.
(image courtesy of CNET)
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