The tech world heats up as soon as we all step into another year as all companies look to make a mark at the annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES) that is held in Las Vegas.
Driverless or self-driving cars galore
The trend had started a few years back with Ford being the first company to grace the floor. Now, it seems that all car companies want to show their latest tech developments on the floor. So, please don’t expect anything else this year.
Autonomous cars are all set to steal the show this year and companies will make sure that they make these cars as normal as any other car on the road. Another important aspect will be the connected cars side of things. As IoT develops, our cars are all slated to be more smart. This year might see more and more vehicles come equipped with cellular data connections to send information back to the cloud on everything from maintenance issues like low tire warnings to reminders about upcoming service requirements.
Self-driving cars will need to be way more connected, sharing and receiving data on road conditions, changes to traffic flow, and restrictions on where they can and can’t drive. Expect a glimpse of all this in CES.
Time of the rideables is gone
Electric hoverboards or popularly known as skateboards stole the show at CES last year. There were plenty of booths that had all kinds of jazzy stuff with wheels and a motor.
However, controversies that these things can explode has drifted the limelight away from them. Even if they have a presence in the show, people wouldn’t be paying much attention.
Virtual Reality (VR) to take the next leap
If you remember, Virtual Reality or VR, dominated the floor in CES 2016. But a lot of work has been done in VR till then and it will be interesting to see what new incremental updates or features companies will come up with to make more use cases or get more mainstream.
A big crop of headsets are expected to be aimed at the Chinese market — a particularly interesting, fast-growing part of the global VR industry. A lot of these products feel more like one-off pieces of hardware than the relatively robust Rift and Vive platforms, but they could also create a larger VR ecosystem in the long term. And big electronics companies like Qualcomm and Intel, both of which are likely to be talking virtual reality at the show, could help lift all boats by building better core components.
Augmented Reality or AR will also be seen at the show. With Microsoft’s HoloLens acheiving perfection, we might see some consumer products come to the fore.
The reign of wireless audio may start
If you think audio, then wireless is the word on the street. Long have we looked to cut off those cables which get tangled and are infitely exposed to wear and tear. The phenomenon really started when Apple removed the 3.5mm headphone jack from its latest iPhone series and also brought in AirPods.
Other categories like gaming and audiophile-grade headphones — as exhibited by the Bowers & Wilkins P7 Wireless in December — are likely to also see new wireless choices to pick from. And as to speakers, any manufacturer that wants to sell speakers that aren’t wireless will probably need a strong justification for it.
