Best of the best at the CES Show in LA 2019

The Usual Suspects at a Tech Innovation Show

With over 4000 companies exhibiting at CES Las Vegas, you’ll find all the big and small names at the world’s biggest tech show-and-tell (if they’re anybody in the innovation game). Of course, the usual suspects resurface every year but do little more to revolutionise the crowd (we’re tough critics). Participation trophy for the cute robot dog? Dodging our way through the abundance of overhyped gadgets and unrealistic concepts,  we’ve made note of the some of the most promising technology that we believe form the frontline in tangibly bringing innovation into our lives.

 Here’s our list of the worthwhile – keep your finger on it

5G – Qualcomm

For the last 5-8 years, 3G or 4G have commanded our mobile ecosystem, allowing our phones to run a little bit faster and smoother (buffer icon not sorely missed).  Paving the way for the breakthrough of the fifth generation, Qualcomm now brings us 5G, which  can provide even greater network capacity as its speed takes us to a whole new spectrum altogether – the milimeter wave (mmWave). You know something’s reaching lightspeed when there’s new terminology. A true protagonist in the Internet of Things movement, it hosts an ability to support and connect an unparalleled range of smart devices (an army of intelligent devices on the horizon) to ultimately power a smarter city. We’re pretty pumped with more everyday objects coming to life each day; we plan to make the most of these opportunities to identify the inefficiencies in our lives, analyse and create solutions to make life even easier. (Convenience or first world problems?). Conquering the struggle of quantitative power demands through scaling down latency issues, data rates, power and mobility, 5G will be the 2019 solution to powering a growing wireless system. Samsung CEO HS Kim was quick to announce their partnership with Qualcomm and may be releasing the first 5G Smartphone. Anti-Apple protestors rejoice. 

• 5G network speeds have reached 60x faster than 4G
• 5G speeds will be more noticeable for large downloads 
• Latency dropping from 9ms to 1ms with 5G

Self-driving Car – Lyft

Imagine a world where you can hail a car without dreaded expectations of uncomfortable babble with the driver. Ridesharing just got a bit more peaceful with the launch of Lyft’s self-driving technology. Its cutting-edge technology lies in the ability to generate high resolution 3D maps of entire cities from a smartphone mounted on the dashboard of a car. Paired with the LIDAR sensors (developed by AR company Blue Vision Labs) which form geometric maps, Lyft cars can easily navigate complex environments. Tying the knot between top-tier car manufacturers (BMW displayed on show) and self-driving AI technology, Lyft believes it can deliver over 1 million rides per day. (They’ve already completed more than 5000 self-driving rides through its app) Revved up with a team of 300 engineers and technicians, they have set their sights on delivering these long-term goals

• 90% reduction in accidents as common human errors that cause accidents are eliminated
• Decrease in traffic jams when there’s enough on the road (self-driving cars are more constant and steady)
• 80% fewer vehicles on the road with ridesharing services 

 With a self-driving trial underway in Boston and even a red-carpet opportunity to test this out at the exhibition, it’s only a matter of time before it hits our streets.

Source – Pete Pachal / Mashable

Signature OLED TV R – LG

Netflix has revolutionised the way we watch TV, and now LG has revolutionised the TV itself. Rolling out the world’s first rollable OLED TV (literally), this innovation provides a more dynamic entertaining experience. Most TVs  remain shackled to the same wall or cabinet but this new model brings its liberation. Rising and unravelling at the touch of a button, people can curate their own spaces with portability, convenience and elegance (It disappears when you don’t need it). LG has even developed 3 different modes, at which the TV can be unfurled with varying screen sizes to suit the need of the user. It is both practical for those younger starting out in a smaller home who might need to maximise on space and elegant enough for those keen to integrate another even smarter device to a ‘smart lifestyle’. 

• 4K resolution 
• 100- Watt Dolby Atmos Surround System (5.1 virtual surround)
• 2 inbuilt virtual assistants to choose from (Google Assistant & Alexa)

AR Window – DeepFrame

The world’s always been fascinated with the idea of holograms and teleportation, particularly in the bottomless pool of drool-worthy sci-fi movies. In a rare moment where life does imitate art, DeepFrame brings us a step closer to that big-screen magic. Using augmented reality technology (innovative buzz word of the year) DeepFrame can beam you into someone else’s room. Whilst VR is primarily an individual-focused experience, AR is more immersive, projecting the visuals seamlessly to an entire audience. The 64-inch glass window uses special opticals that reflect life-sized digital objects into a physical space. Putting aside the slight narcissistic vanity of cloning ourselves digitally ( with a price tag of $50,000 a screen it’s not quite ready for the average consumer), we can only fathom its potential in revolutionising business; particularly the gaming industry,  retail (imagine store windows & in-store experiences), education programs (show, don’t tell) and museum lobbies.

Ovis Autonomous Suitcase – ForwardX Robotics

The airport can be a stressful place, no matter how early you are or when you’re rushing that last-minute Duty Free purchase. With one hand locked onto the handle, mobilising quickly has always been hard. Well thankfully, Ovis has stepped in with a suitcase that walks itself. Connected with an app (what isn’t nowadays) and locating you through your phone GPS, it follows you around the airport, equipped with smart sensors to avoid people and obstacles. We’re curious to see if this smart technology will soon partner with airlines to further simplify airport processes for travellers – the limit doesn’t exist in the world of API integrations. Not only sleek and elegant in appearance, it’s also loaded with of additional useful features 

• Wide-angle camera lens that computes facial recognition
• TSA approved removable battery
• Body Movement-tracking algorithm for smooth movement
• USB – charging capability
• Dual ability to follow from behind and on the side (we’re a sucker for choice)
• Anti-loss alarm & location tracker 
• Inbuilt weight sensor