CES 2019: Setting the Stage For This Year’s Trends in Tech

The tech world is kicking the new year off right with the annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas. Here, the curtain was pulled back on some of the major trends that are expected to emerge this year, including AI, improved self-driving cars, gaming, 5G technology and more. The four-day event also hosted many keynotes from speakers from Verizon, IBM, AT&T among others.

These were some of the top picks for new tech at CES this year

Sphero Specdrums

Apps and toys to teach children, or even adults to code, are not new, but Sphero has developed a way that may be irresistible for anyone. The Sphero Specdrums work like this: use the app to assign sounds to each color. These sounds can be beats, loops, musical notes, or even just a sound. Then with the silicone ring tap on the colored playpad or record your own sounds and capture your own colors to play on the world around you.  

FenSens

Make your car an intelligent, autonomous car with the FenSens rear-mounted easy to install sensor and app that can warn you if there’s something too close to your vehicle.

KitchenAid Smart Display

This isn’t the first Google Assistant enabled display, but this might be the first one you aren’t worried about having in your kitchen. The KitchenAid Smart Display has a 10–inch screen and the specs you’d expect to find in a smart speaker, but also is IPX5 water and dust resistant, so you can spill near in, drop food on it, anything you’d expect to happen while cooking. The company even suggests that you can wash it in your sink if the need arises.

Samsung GEMS-H

The Gait Enhancing Motivational System (or GEMS) is Samsung’s line of assistive wearable concepts. The GEMS-H is a lightweight lower-body exoskeleton that helps aid in mobility and can even add resistance for injury rehabilitation

FenSens

Make your car an intelligent, autonomous car with the FenSens rear-mounted easy to install sensor and app that can warn you if there’s something too close to your vehicle.

Bell Nexus

Uber and Bell Helicopter partnered with other parties to develop the Bell Nexus, which is essentially an air taxi. The concept goes along with Uber’s goal of launching and on-demand air service by 2023.

BotBoxer

For the techie that is also into fitness, BotBoxer is the answer to the Peloton trend of smart exercise. A punching bag on a stick that is loaded with motion and pressure sensors as well as analytics that can determine your body position and predict where your hits will be so it can react to your movements.

Otter+ Pop Symmetry Series

The convenience of a Popsocket with the safety of an Otterbox case. The Otter + Pop symmetry series lets you maximize your phone with easy swapping of Pop Sockets for personalization.

Royale FlexPai

The first genuine foldable smartphone isn’t really a smartphone at all, it’s a compact tablet with a 7.8 inch display that when doubled over and folded is a fully functional smartphone. It’s not perfected yet, but it is a glance at things to come on the innovation front.

Samsung 75-inch MicroLED TV “The Wall”

Samsung’s first MicroLED TV was introduced last year at CES, but that was mostly to show what was coming. Now, the technology is something that you can have in your own home. The 75 inch TV is going to be massively expensive but will have all the near-perfect picture quality as OLED without the feared durability issues.

BreadBot

While kitchen devices are nothing new to CES, but the enormous BreadBot may be more for bakery usage. The huge appliance says it can make 10 loaves of bread every hour.

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Tech Radar- Mobile World Congress 2018

Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain is a huge event, and it seems as though excitement behind the tech showcase isn’t stopping anytime soon. From the Galaxy S9 to new laptops, this is what MWC attendees got to encounter this year.

Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus

The Galaxy ecosystem has stayed pretty consistent in the designs the last few years, but the new flagship phone is freshened up with new features, from AR Emojis to low light photography, there is something for everyone, both on a fun and practical wavelength.

MateBook X Pro

Huawei does not have new phones that were released at this event, but the tech company did show off the MateBook X Pro, an impossibly thin machine with an all screen display, a webcam that can be stored within the keyboard, and specs that rival those of the MacBook Pro.

5G

5G has been thrown around as a buzzword for a few years now, but this year the hype was real. It sounds like we can expect to see carriers deploying the service and devices with 5G capabilities later this year.

Nokia 8110

Feeding into 90s nostalgia HMD’s Nokia 8110 slider phone is a call back to the Matrix’s banana phones, only this time with 4G and social media. Not to worry, you can still play Snake on this classic redux.

Asus Zenfone 5

The iPhone X was a key influence for smartphone design this year, from the software to the infamous notch on the top of the screen. Asus new Zenfone iteration, the Zenfone 5, is almost an identical twin of the iPhone X on the hardware side, but at half the price. The new model boasts a Snapdragon 845 processor, and a headphone jack, making it a powerful addition to the Zen ecosystem.

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Recap: CES 2018

LG’s Display at CES 2018

Kobby Dagan / Shutterstock.com

We are in the midst of one of the biggest tech events of the year, the Consumer Electronics Show or CES. Held this year from January 9-12 in Las Vegas, CES is a stage where those in the business of consumer technologies come to showcase and explore emerging technologies and innovators. Past years have brought us the reveal of self-driving cars, VR headsets, and smart thermostats, and this year’s presentations have continued to shake up the tech industry. These are some of the standout products this year.

Sony Aibo

Nearly a decade after the release of its first robotic pet, Sony warmed the hearts of the tech world with its newest iteration, the Sony Aibo. This adorable robotic puppy “grows” it’s personality from a puppy to an adult dog and it can learn new commands and tricks when paired with the Aibo app. See how it works here.

LG Rollable OLED TV

LG’s follow-up to its 2016 rollable 18-inch display panel certainly lines up with the futuristic innovations you expect to see at CES. The all-new LG product is a much larger one, at 65 inches, with a 4K resolution and a crisp OLED screen. Read The Verge’s take for more information.

Samsung “The Wall” TV

The Wall is Samsung’s newest MicroLED based on their Cinema Screen technology (used in movie theaters) The Wall is scaled down for home use, but is still a whopping 146 inches (more than 10 feet wide and nearly 6 feet tall) and could continue to grow in size because of its modular nature. Read more about The Wall here.

Peloton Tread

Fitness company Peloton is known for their indoor cycling training, with instructors hosting videos that can be live streamed or viewed on demand. But the boutique fitness class disruptor is branching out and announced its newest product, the Peloton Tread. The Tread is an all-new high-end treadmill (which will retail for $3,995) that is designed to include more than just running. Peloton Tread classes also include circuit and weight training, hiking, walking and mat exercises. See how it works here.

Razer Mamba HyperFlux

Wireless charging mouse pads are one of the top accessories in the gaming world, and Razer’s new Mamba HyperFlux Mouse and Firefly HyperFlux mouse pad are just one of a few different versions of this concept showcased at CES. This updates two existing Razer products to be lighter, more streamlined and more competitive than before. Read why in this feature from The Verge.

L’Oreal UV Sense

Wearable technology is constantly evolving, and now, beauty brand L’Oreal is shaking things up at CES. The UV Sense sensor is a 2mm thick, 9mm diameter, battery-free button that can fit on a fingernail and monitors how much sun exposure you are getting. The device has an adhesive that can be reused. UV Sense works alongside a mobile app and compiles data for users using NFC technology. Read more about this tiny sensor here.

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Conferences For Entrepreneurs, Marketers & More in 2018

One of the best ways to learn and get involved in a community built around your work is to attend a conference, summit or keynote.  Whether your work is marketing, content creation, entrepreneurship or technology focused, there will be an event that fits your list of needs. Check some of these events out to get started exploring the world of conferences.

No Longer Virtual– Denver, February 22-23

This conference focused on improving your personal communication, sales, and leadership skills is one of the most exclusive events this year, as there is a registration limit of 50 people. NLV is being called a “can’t miss” by Forbes. Because attendance is limited, those who participate are able to work more one on one with other attendees, make more meaningful connections, and attendees contribute to sessions rather than keynote speakers being the main focus.

Forbes Under 30 Summit– Boston, October TBD

The 30 Under 30 Summit is Forbes showcase event of their “Under 30” listmakers. With over 6,000 in attendance and participants that work in fields that range from tech to content marketing, this event is heralded as “the greatest gathering of world changers and entrepreneurs ever.” Complete with musical performances and a food festival, this summit is more than just inspiring speakers. Listmakers are always welcome, but if you haven’t found your name on one just yet, you can request a premium pass to attend this event.

GrowthHackers– San Diego, February 6

For those looking to grow their businesses, a great way to “Kickstart your growth” is to attend the GrowthHackers Conference, hosted by Sean Ellis and Dani Hart of GrowthHackers. With speakers from LinkedIn to ClassPass and everything in between, GrowthHackers can help push your business to the next level. Past speakers have included Larry Kim of Wordstream, Eleana Verna of Survey Monkey, and Chris More of Mozilla, to name a few.

Social Media Marketing World– San Diego, February 28- March 2

Social Media Examiner is presenting a three-day conference this year that will help you to master social media for your business this year. With over 120 training sessions from some of the world’s leaders in social media and content creation, you can learn everything you need to succeed with social media while connecting with influencers, customers, and other marketers. Join speakers Mari Smith, Gary Vaynerchuk, Jay Baer and more in sessions tailored to the needs of both marketers and content creators.

This is only a handful of the great events that you can take advantage of this year, and there are more that are yet to be announced. Keep your eyes open for more conferences that suit the needs of your business.

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The Best Conferences to Attend in 2017: Tech, Marketing and Business

TechCrunch Disrupt NYC May 15th to 18th

Ideal for startups, TechCrunch Disrupt is for innovators, investors, tech fans and everyone in between, unveiling the latest in technology and key industry innovations. The Startup Battlefield puts early stage startups together to compete for the Disrupt Cup, cash prizes and the attention of investors.

World Business Forum May 31st to June 1st

Held in Sydney, Australia, the World Business Forum will host speakers including Arianna Huffington and promotes a “state of permanent beta”. Introducing new technologies and strategies is key to living in this state, and this conference empowers entrepreneurs, business owners and more to learn how to see new opportunities, use new tools and strategies and thrive with these changes.

Next Gen Summit June 2nd to June 4th

Specifically for the younger crowd of entrepreneurs, influencers and more, the Next Gen Summit was built for young minds by young minds in the entrepreneurial world. If you fit the bill for this niche opportunity, this conference in  New York City will be the place to be.

Confab Central June 7th to 9th

Minneapolis will hold the Confab conference for content strategy this June. Workshops, higher ed programming and great networking events for teams or individuals. With a focus on content strategy there are talks centered on UX, marketing, communications and more.

BlogHer June 22nd to June 24th

A conference specifically  for female content creators (bloggers, marketers, social media influencers etc.) this event is being held in Orlando, and  invites the fans, brands and other content creators to meet, collaborate and get inspired through networking with other attendees, workshops, and keynote speakers.

Summit November 3rd to November 6th

This invite only event in Los Angeles connects leaders in nearly every space, from technology to arts and culture, hosting thoughtful, well-rounded and meaningful discussion about the world we are living in. Keynote speakers at Summit 2017 include Kobe Bryant, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, CNN’s Van Jones, Jane Fonda, Olympic Gold Medalist Kerri Walsh Jennings and more. This impressive lineup of great minds will replace the Summit-at-Sea conference cruise.

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