The Consumer Electronics Show is a showcase of modern technology on a massive scale. This year’s event in Las Vegas was equivalent in size to 28 football fields, and filled with tens of thousands of new products or product announcements. If history is any indication, some of those products will go on to define their market category, or even change the way consumers live. Other products will fall by the wayside, failing to live up to commercial expectations, even with the boost of appearing at CES 2014.
Let’s examine five trends we’re likely to see in the wake of this year’s show.
The Beginning of the Ultra High Definition Television Era
In a few short years, high definition televisions have gone from an ultra-expensive luxury and relative novelty to an inexpensive industry standard. Prices have fallen so fast that profit margins for manufacturers have taken a significant hit. While this is great news for consumers, it’s not great for the corporate bottom line. Enter ultra high definition. This technology offers resolution four times higher than standard 1080p. Several large manufacturers, including Sony and Samsung, displayed ultra high definition sets at CES 2014. While the picture quality is fantastic, expect some sticker shock. Technology expert and Scottsdale, Arizona entrepreneur Jason Hope says we can expect this technology to soon see widespread adoption. “Once content providers start adding ultra high definition content to their offerings and prices start to drop, which they inevitably will, expect these televisions to capture a large chunk of the market.”
The Rising Popularity of Wearable Technology
Smartwatches have yet to capture the imagination of the public the way smartphones have, but new offerings from Sony and Pebble are likely to help push the category to new market heights. Other wearables soon to be in the market include wearable cameras that can stream over cellular networks, pet activity trackers (basically “smart pet collars”), wearable virtual reality game systems, and baby sleep monitors. Expect to see Google Glass competitors emerge as well, including iOptik, a contact lens-based alternative that was on display at CES 2014. While wearing smart glasses is largely a “geek chic” phenomenon these days, Google is betting that’s going to change as people become more comfortable with smart glass aesthetics.
Android Migrating to Automobiles
For many of us, the inside of our cars often serves as a makeshift office — while we’re not driving, of course. Google’s announcement that it’s teaming up with automakers such as Audi, Honda and General Motors to provide Android in cars is a major step forward. Google’s vision includes apps that can be accessed through an interactive dashboard. This would allow all sorts of real-time capabilities. Drivers could avoid traffic jams and poor road conditions by using up-to-the second updates provided by map and traffic apps. Music and other entertainment inside the car can be easily integrated with smartphones and other devices. With several major car companies on board, expect to see the first Android-equipped automobiles on the streets in 2014.
The Emergence of 3D Printing
Few new technologies are as exciting as 3D printing, and the latest offerings from the industry at CES 2014 did nothing to dampen the excitement. In fact, 3D printing booths were perhaps the most popular bits of real estate at the show this year. That’s due in part to the potential of the technology — many observers believe 3D printing could have transformative effects, and is now on the cusp of mainstream adoption. For those unfamiliar with the technology, 3D printing allows an individual to manufacture a product without a factory, by printing a three-dimensional object from a digital model. Today you can make things such as plastic utensils, clothes and food. The possibilities for 3D printing in the future are almost limitless.
The Continuing Popularity of CES
Each year our love of tech objects seems to grow. For most of us, these objects are fully integrated into our lives in a way that would have seemed nearly impossible even two decades ago. The Consumer Electronics Show is now a mecca of modern technology, and is poised to maintain that status for the foreseeable future.
About Author: Amy Taylor is a technology and business writer. Amy began her career as a small business owner in Phoenix, Arizona. She has taken that knowledge and experience and brought that to her unique writing capabilities. She really enjoys new business related issues that are tied directly to technology.
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