What to expect in CES 2018

[mankeez]

We all know what CES is and have fond memories of it (LinusDropTips2015 if you know what I mean) and this year is no different. I will,be going over some stuff that we expect to see in CES 2018.

1 - AI Improvements and Smart Home Assistants

Because right now it's the cool thing to have, we will probably see devices like Alexa, Echo and Google's Home lineup of products announced everywhere. In the recent months, Amazon has been teaming up with a lot of  companies to distribute alexa farther away than it's fancy black cylinder case. Companies have been developing apps for alexa which work with it's voice commands, Sonos, a premium audio engineering company has released a speaker which works with Alexa...

In a not so surprising move Apple is going to release the Apple HomePod, a smart speaker wich relies on Apple's own assistant Siri to pump up those sales and manage remotely some smarthome stuff like lightbulbs, thermostats and whatnot, and on that note, Samsung is going to release a major update to their own assistant Bixby.

2 - Smart Cities

So we've all seen smart home stuff like lightbulbs, thermostats... and even though Samsung is planning to release a smart fridge which you can control by voice command and can manage other smarthome stuff, the Smart City concept is the hot new girl in class. As explained in the New York Times article (https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/03/technology/personaltech/ces-2018.html):

Quote

Now tech companies are looking to push internet connectivity beyond products in your home. Consider parking spaces that can sense whether cars are occupying them, and can then alert people when spots free up. Or a garbage can that can notify a waste collection facility when the container is full, or street lamps planted throughout a city that could monitor air quality.

It would be awesome to see and live with all of that hi-tech around you, and it will definitely be promoted all over the place with big plans for the coming years. It is not the first time we have seen this concept and it'll definitely not be the last.

 

3 - Self driving cars and Smart Cars

Self driving cars have been around for a bit with the Tesla X and S, but it is now when other, more mainstream companies like Ford, Hyundai, BMW and Audi are catching up, doing their homework and presenting their brand new self driving technology. The self driving car trend, even though of how promising it might be is still far from hitting the mainstream since governments have proven that they do not adapt well to new tech so regulations have to be put in place, tests have to be conducted, and maybe in a few decades we may finally see driving as something you do for fun, but nor for need, like horseriding.

The before mentioned companies will show off new crash prevention technology, new, more accurate parking technology and a lot more features that we still have no idea about.

But it's not all bad. More exciting car technology is coming, and most of it we might actually see very soon in the mainstream market. Companies are planning on releasing what they like to call "connected cars" and I'm gonna let NY times do the talking here.

Quote

Likely coming sooner is the so-called connected car. Tech and car companies will demonstrate new features for internet-equipped cars, like the ability to pay for parking and gas through a dashboard or cameras that enhance a driver’s side and rear vision. At the trade show, Gentex Corporation, a company that develops car technology, will demonstratein-vehicle biometrics that scan a driver’s iris to verify his or her identity before turning on the car.

I'm personally specially stoked on the Iris one. If that was integrated in every car, car robberies would be very rare and would only be possible if the car was already on or if the robber is some kind of tech guru and messes eith the car's electronics to bypass the iris thing.

 

4 - Advanced and improved wireless technology

 It's not like we haven't heard about it before, but especially this year companies like AT&T and Verizon will be giving progress reports on their 5G wireless. Some companies claim 5G is over 100 times faster than today's standard LTE/4G and will let you download a movie in a few seconds, although we are quite the ways away from that, since 5G will not be coming out until 2020 since telecom equipment makers and tech companies are still fighting to see which one lf their technologies should be standardized globally.

It's not all bad new though because the wait will probably be worth it as 5G looks very promising and aside from higher wireless speeds it also promises to reduce latency between devices meaning super fast response times between one phone and another.

 

5 - AR and VR

The truth is, this year we won't probably see many significant development goals neither in AR nor in VR, as many have predicted. The hype for VR and AR has faded out since the decay of Oculus and this year, companies like HTC with it's Vive VR headset and companies like Apple or Google with their ARkit and ARCore respectively will make some advancements in their respective technologies, some experts think they might actually focus on user experience. Have you ever found yourself using a VR headset for more than 20 minutes straight without it hitting your nose or whatever? Well VRs and ARs respective power players will most likely focus on that intead of focusing on software.

Although other people believe that VR will fall behind as AR rises and becomes the most mainstream of the two. It's all based on esrly predictions and opinions.

 

6 - A strong year for PC Gaming

The PC gaming insustry is growing larger and the platform is growing, but some sources like The Verge thinks of it this way:

Quote

A gadget show like CES will be overrun this year by all manner of PC gaming accessories, prototype towers, and new and experimental VR hardware. There should also be some exciting advancements in GPU enclosure technology, which makes it easier for lower-end laptops and desktops to game without needing a high-end graphics card installed directly, and cloud gaming hardware and software, to let us stream games over the internet and do away with hardware requirements entirely.

 

7 - Wearables will focus on health

As wearables get crazier, more compact and more powerful they are able to do more stuff, and because the market of wearables has been filed to the brim with watches, earphones and that stuff, it is time to shift the focus to health. The health and fitness department in CES is at an all time low, at least compared to last year. Only 51 exhibitors will attend this year, compared to last year's 82. This is partly because well known companies like Fitbit and Polar will not show up at CES this year, they apparently plan to release their stuff separately. Even though, the market has shifted to health. Connected blood pressure monitors, medical alert devices designed for the grannies, gluten sensors, sleep trackers are all ideas of what kind of health wearables will appear in CES.

(LTT actually made a video about weird wearables, here's the link)

 

 

Sources (3):

New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/03/technology/personaltech/ces-2018.htm

The Verge: https://www.theverge.com/2018/1/3/16842608/ces-2018-las-vegas-rumors-lg-sony-samsung-preview

Techspot: https://www.techspot.com/article/1552-tech-predictions-2018/

 

If you know of any other cool whatever they might also be releasing/announcing this year's CES tell us about it. I'm really curious  I sadly couln't make it this year but I'm really looking forward to seeing LTTs videos over there. Let's see kf LDT(LinusDropTips) comes back. #bringbacklinusdroptipsforces2018thishashtagistoolarge

 

UPDATE: If you want to learn more about what will go on in CES 2018, visit this Cnet section: 

https://www.cnet.com/ces/

It has way more info that I could ever type up

[mankeez]

2 minutes ago, Nicholatian said:

So we have:

1. Internet of Things
2. More Internet of Things
3. Even more Internet of Things
4. Anticipation of a wireless technology leap for 5G (didn't we already get our hopes up once before?)
5. Virtual Reality dragging along
6. Iterative improvements for PC gaming
7. An icing of more Internet of Things

Anyone else find this list of things to be somewhat disappointing? IoT seems to be getting a boatload of attention, and I'm scratching my head as to why the industry thinks that's warranted. Even AR/VR seem to be more interesting for the common consumer than smart fridges and whatnot.

I'm just here to inform man. I wish you were wrong and every company released something new, revolutionary and exciting, but sadly you are right.

[kb5zue]

Just what I need, a smart refrigerator or freezer.  Just another thing to listen to that tells me I don't need another bowl of ice cream.  Thanks a bunch for nothing.........

[mankeez]

Just now, kb5zue said:

Just what I need, a smart refrigerator or freezer.  Just another thing to listen to that tells me I don't need another bowl of ice cream.  Thanks a bunch for nothing.........

Next thing we are going to see is a smart table which zaps you every time you eat something unhealthy.

[Deli]

Lots of "smart" junks.

[mvitkun]

I'm hopeful that we'll see stuff like Kaby Lake G and the 2700u, oh and probably some interesting monitors.

[kb5zue]

So here we are with smart refrigerators.  There is also a service I believe offered by Amazon where you tell them what veggies and stuff you want from the store and they will deliver and even put in your house/fridge for you.  Next thing ya know, we will all need some AI to cook the stuff for us so the only thing left for the individual person to do will be to eat it.  No questions asked.

 

And now Crazyfornia wants to pass a law eliminating ALL gasoline driven automobiles and devices such as lawnmowers from the environment by the year 2040.  Since I'm already 63, I don't think I will have to worry about it.

California, land of fruits and nuts.  And since the first of the year, illegals, convicts, and gang members have more rights than any natural borne citizens.

[mankeez]

Just now, Deli said:

Lots of "smart" junks.

CES 2019: Smart doorknob which adjusts it's temperature so when you touch it it's a t the perfect temperature

CES 2020: Smart air which doesn't wait for you to breathe it, it comes in to your nose automatically.

CES 202SMART/ Smart Smart. Smart smart smart smart, smart smart smart. Smar smart!

[NumLock21]

More ces coverage here

https://www.cnet.com/ces/

[mankeez]

1 minute ago, mvitkun said:

I'm hopeful that we'll see stuff like Kaby Lake G and the 2700u, oh and probably some interesting monitors.

I remember a couple of years ago linus tested a tv which went from flat to curved, I wonder if we'll see that sooner or later.

[mankeez]

1 minute ago, NumLock21 said:

More ces coverage here

https://www.cnet.com/ces/

Very intrestint. Can't wait for it?

[mvitkun]

3 minutes ago, mankeez said:

I remember a couple of years ago linus tested a tv which went from flat to curved, I wonder if we'll see that sooner or later.

 

[Froody129]

All I want is for VR/AR to become mainstream, and wearable mobile AR to become a thing. It’s just so much more natural than a mouse and keyboard and you don’t have to take out a phone every time.

 

Also VR Gaming is awesome 

[mankeez]

Just now, Froody129 said:

All I want is for VR/AR to become mainstream, and wearable mobile AR to become a thing. It’s just so much more natural than a mouse and keyboard and you don’t have to take out a phone every time.

 

Also VR Gaming is awesome 

Agreed

[Techicolors]

i would like to see a status update on those 4k 144hz HDR monitors. and overhaul of HDR support for PC 

[Shreyas1]

not Ajit Pai

 

https://www.theverge.com/2018/1/3/16846932/ajit-pai-ces-appearance-canceled

 

 

[Shreyas1]

oh yeah, this too

 

https://www.cnet.com/roadshow/news/nissans-ces-concept-reads-brain-waves-to-predict-your-moves/

 

this probably should be added to the car section

[divito]

VR/AR has always been over-hyped for what it offers. It's been on the precipice for years and it's gotten no traction at a reasonable level. 

[mr moose]

36 minutes ago, Nicholatian said:

 

1. Anticipation of a wireless technology leap for 5G (didn't we already get our hopes up once before)

 

Yes, many did, but this is one of those technology things that has been in the pipeline for more than 5 years now and needs both a little more time to implement and better understanding.   

[schwellmo92]

200Hz 3440x1440 monitors and ryzen+ baby!!!

[schwellmo92]

42 minutes ago, mr moose said:

 

Yes, many did, but this is one of those technology things that has been in the pipeline for more than 5 years now and needs both a little more time to implement and better understanding.   

I already get up to 1Gbps on 4G, I don’t think 5G is really a necessity tbh.

[Cookybiscuit]

The botnet grows larger.

[mr moose]

7 minutes ago, schwellmo92 said:

I already get up to 1Gbps on 4G, I don’t think 5G is really a necessity tbh.

It's not just speed, although 1Gb/s is currently rare on 4g (area wise) the advantage to the newer (and changing) specs of 5g is that it can handle more users with lower latency and current tests have speeds upto 6.4Gb/s.   More users is important as more devices are becoming part of the IoT and they are becoming more mobile.

[Taf the Ghost]

1 hour ago, mankeez said:

CES 2019: Smart doorknob which adjusts it's temperature so when you touch it it's a t the perfect temperature

CES 2020: Smart air which doesn't wait for you to breathe it, it comes in to your nose automatically.

CES 202SMART/ Smart Smart. Smart smart smart smart, smart smart smart. Smar smart!

IoT has business applications, and quite a good number of them. It's a bit more useful than 3D printing, but minus terrible OpSec violations, it's pretty worthless in-home tech.

 

But the real problem IoT in the home has comes down to the reality that it's nothing "new". It's minor control/UI/modification implementations for existing appliances. The improvements are incredibly minor, cost a lot, make your home horribly compromised to outside attackers with computer skills and is likely to cause you far more problems than it solves.

 

It also needs to be noted that they've been talking about the "Wired" home since at least the 90s, and it still doesn't really improve much of anything. The more important improvements have come from the building materials side of things.

[dizmo]

Haha, that smart garbage can example is...pointless. The list looks rather lackluster, but that's not surprising. CES isn't meant for consumers. Not sure what The Verge is on about either. What the hell do they mean by graphics enclosures improving low level systems? You don't build one and buy an enclosure.