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CES – big hits and a few of the misses

By Victoria Fellows

03/01/2020

It’s January once more and with just a couple of days to go until CES 2020, the tech industry is already starting to speculate about the revolutionary gadgets we can expect to see at the World’s leading Consumer Electronics Show.
 

From medical advancements to wearables and larger than life applications, CES has earned its reputation for being the event to announce upcoming projects and technological innovations.CES has been the launch platform for some of the most popular advances in technology in recent years. Some of the products unveiled have changed entire industries, but not all have made it to market.

CES Big Hitters from the last 5 years


1. BMW’s Air Touch control system was unveiled at CES 2017. Since then, gesture control has been rolled out in BMW’s 7-series, the X5 and the X7. Meanwhile, other manufacturers are cashing in on gesture control concepts. Whilst this is still very much the domain of luxury cars, keyless boot opening is appearing in more and more mid-range cars.  


2. HTC’s Vice Pro is the virtual reality headset that can be controlled simply by sight. Introduced at CES 2019, the Vice Pro offered much promise for industrial and commercial applications but it’s also available for Joe Public as just €1700. However, the biggest challenge for those wanting to control their VR without lifting a finger is having a computer with some serious horsepower to be able to cope with VR.

CES isn’t just about big kid toys, there’s a whole section dedicated to Smart toys for real kids too.

3. In 2017 Lego launched Lego Boost, designed to encourage kids into coding. Lego now has 2 Lego Boost products available for sale on their website, accompanied by a flood of gushing reviews.

4. One of my favourite all-time CES products was the Alfac Duck. A companion toy for children with Cancer, the Alfac Duck was created to help Cancer patients face the treatments that they need and help them to express their emotions. It was originally tipped to hit the market late 2018/ early 2019 and, just one year on, is already providing invaluable support to Childhood Cancer patients in the US. As well as giving invaluable support to these youngsters, it also picked up the Time Best Inventions Award, 2018.

5. Another product that finds itself fanning the flames of success following its unveiling at 2019 CES is the Impossible Burger. A burger that is made of plant-based proteins, no fat and zero cholesterol is building up an impressive distribution list.

6. CES 2018 provided the launch platform for the Byton – a concept car that was more like a living room than a car. Byton, the manufacturer of this Concept Car, is now taking reservations for the M-byte Electric SUV, available for a relatively attainable £40,000.

Then, of course, there are those items available for those who can afford them; LG’s 8K 88-inch Z9 OLED TV (CES 2019) can be purchased by the masses for a mere £29,999.99, and the applauded 2TB Data traveller which can be picked up on Amazon for just £1469.99.
 
However, not all of these ground-breaking applications have continued on the anticipated trajectory. 
 

CES Misses


1. Last Year, there was much excitement among the tech industry about The Razor Sense Haptic Gaming Chair which allows gamers to feel their gaming experience, as well as see and hear it. However, despite igniting excitement at last year’s show, the Razor Sense chair has, so far, remained a concept.

2. In 2018, Heatworks Tetra, the countertop dishwasher was launched. Shipping was originally expected to be at the end of that year but, following significant delays, environmentally friendly dishwashing in small spaces is still just a pipe dream …  at least until later this year.

3. CES 2019 saw LG Signature’s OLED TV R unveiled. Although the bendy TV was originally teased in 2018, 2019 was supposed to be the year that this 65-inch rollable TV was first available to buy. However, further delays have meant that this particular rollable TV is still not yet available on the high street (or the internet).

4. The opportunity offered by the B-Secur HeartKey® steering wheel got imaginations running wild. The B-Secur HeartKey® detects users based on their unique cardiac rhythms. It can also monitor stress levels and alert drivers when they become drowsy. A clever bit of kit with plenty of potential, but we’re still waiting to see this in cars on the forecourt.

5. In 2017, LG’s Hub Robot made its debut at CES, however, for the moment, succumbing to the large eyes of this friendly robot hub isn’t something we have to worry about as, despite attracting a crowd at CES, these cute little critters haven’t yet reached the shops.

This year, CES will run from 7th to 10th January 2020. We’ve been tipped to expect a focus on travel, tourism, data analytics and customer experiences and those with tickets will be treated to demos of 5G Phones, see-through TVs and hyper-fast laptops. But which of these will actually make it to market?

At CES 2020? Catch up with our brand Ambassador, Liliana Mellinger. You can reach Liliana on xxxxxxxxxxx.
 

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