euronews takes a look at what tech CES 17 might unveil
ADVERTISEMENTThe Consumer Electronics Show (CES) is an annual showcase for gadgets and electronic innovations, held in Las Vegas, USA.
Over 60,000 companies and inventors exhibited their products to more than 176,000 visitors at the 2016 edition, and similar numbers are expected this year.
The range of exhibits is huge, from 3D printing, to biotech, to robots and smart home technology, if it’s new and electronic, you can find it at CES.
Robots
In 2016, Amazon’s home help robot Alexa was a huge hit. It uses voice recognition to assist with daily tasks, by making lists, providing weather and traffic news, and setting alarms.
And the call for more domestic helpers has not abated.
Using technology that has benefitted from the continued growth of smartphones, at least 25 exhibitors will be showing off their new personal assistants, including Korean giants LG.
LG will reveal at least three robots this week, one referred to as a “personal assistant”, another designed for “tending to one’s lawn and garden”, and another which the firm calls a “Hub Robot”, thought to act as a gateway to a ‘smart home’.
LG have been building robotic vacuum cleaners for the best part of a decade, but have recently said they would invest in the development of artificial intelligence.
Cars
Driverless cars have been the talk of 2016, with Honda and Uber among those developing the automatic machines. President Obama even gave the okay for self-driving cars to drive on US highways.
And in 2017, CES will again showcase many producers’ new models and future ideas for the expanding sector.
But perhaps one of the most anticipated cars of CES 17 will not be automated.
Instead, the FF 91 from Faraday Future is a high powered electric car, said to have the speed of a Ferrari, but the staying power of a Tesla.
The FF 91 will posses 1,000 horsepower, while also being able to provide a nearly 500km range.
Here's the
FaradayFuture</a> FF91 as close as I can get to it <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CES2017?src=hash">#CES2017</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/QZatCES?src=hash">#QZatCES</a> <a href="https://t.co/5A7GLkL90Z">pic.twitter.com/5A7GLkL90Z</a></p>— Mike Murphy (mcwm) January 4, 2017
TVs
Televisions are also expected to be a growth area in 2017, after the success of 4K definition sets in 2016.
But CES is expected to show the next step in high definition television 2017, with 8K offerings from Samsung and LG among others.
ADVERTISEMENTA highlight from #CES last year was our Invisible TV! We're excited to show you what we have instore at this years #CES on Thursday! pic.twitter.com/UkLHMNlWRf
— Panasonic Canada (@PanasonicCanada) January 3, 2017
TCL US product line up for 2017. #TCL#CES2017#CES#DSeries#SSeries#PSeries#CSeries#tvpic.twitter.com/SyAKOLyrgP
— Tee/ThatsITLA (@ThatsITLA) January 4, 2017
Audio
Wireless headphones and earphones aren’t new. But who can forget the furore the Apple sparked when they revealed their new ‘Airpods’, and that the newest iPhone would be without a headphone jack?
Let’s just say that some of the reactions weren’t so kind…
Not bad #AirPods#AppleEventpic.twitter.com/x0b4IKfFOu
— Nicola Felaco (@Felasquez) September 7, 2016
But despite this, iPhone sales were still high and others have clearly realised that the lack of jacks and wires won’t cause problems for sales.
Along with Apple, the enthusiastic embrace of wireless audio options by brands such as Beats by Dre, and Bowers & Wilkins shows that 2017 may well be the year of wireless listening.
ADVERTISEMENTCan
SamsungUK</a> really upscale any old wireless audio to 32bit? Brogue can't wait to find out <a href="https://twitter.com/CES">CES#audio#ces2017https://t.co/pm56r5JOu7pic.twitter.com/GfBaJvQqFd— Brogue (@getbrogue) January 2, 2017
hovering above its base, the wireless LG levitating #speakers deliver high audio quality at CES 2017.
LGUS</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CES2017?src=hash">#CES2017</a> <a href="https://t.co/LIXvmivhW5">https://t.co/LIXvmivhW5</a> <a href="https://t.co/IpNP8BXy17">pic.twitter.com/IpNP8BXy17</a></p>— designboom (designboom) January 4, 2017