Get ready, earthlings! The mother of all tech shows, CES 2018, invades Las Vegas this Tuesday, Jan. 9. The Consumer Electronics Show will tease all the latest technology and trends coming to you in the new year. Every CES brings bigger, clearer TVs resembling portals to climb through, smarter gadgets that can outsmart a smartass, and more wearables than your body can fit! CES has gotten so immense, it’s nearly impossible to cover it all. More than 175,000 exhibitors, industry insiders, and media members are expected to convene and set the stage for what’s to come in the new year.
Join us as we look at a few trends that will surely captivate at CES 2018.
8K TVs
Just when you saved enough and started feeling good about your stunning 4K TV, here comes CES to spoil your party. As companies like Samsung and Sharp have already teased their 8K prototypes at past shows, LG will be dazzling with their 88-inch 8K TV (they sure like the number 8). With rich blacker-than-black levels and sharp details that could cut through your retina, it will be interesting to witness if the TV is as amazing in person as the photo suggests.
Smarthome
The Jetsons’s home automation is becoming a reality with home cleaning robots, temperature and lighting control, and fridges telling you when you need more beer. Last year, although Amazon did not have an exhibit, they were seemingly everywhere—thanks to their virtual assistant Alexa. This year, Google is making an aggressive push in the same fashion with their own AI-infused interface Google Assistant. But it’s not only digital assistants and smart speakers getting smarter, CES will unveil smarty-pants products such as robotic sun shades and smart tupperware.
Cars and Transportation
Still waiting for a vehicle that can hit 88 miles per hour and time travel, but these autonomous concept cars are pretty nifty in their own right, albeit a tad scary to get into. CES 2018 looks to be more about the tech inside rather than the cars themselves. Ford, along with its competitors, have their eyes on the future as the auto industry is filled with electric vehicles (EV) and smart mobility startups today. Many will showcase self-driving technologies, electric scooters, autonomous shuttles, and other futuristic transportation concepts.
A new player, Byton, will join the fun and present its first car—a flashy, super smart SUV that is all electric. Byton is a Chinese automaker that hopes it can emulate Tesla’s success rather than Faraday Future’s future.
Another thing to pay attention to is the continuing battle for supremacy between Lyft and Uber. Last year, Uber offered helicopter rides (!!!) through their app for those wanting to arrive at CES in style. This year, Lyft is offering rides to the show in semi-autonomous cars.
This is just a tease of what to expect at CES 2018. While we here at AVProSupply don’t have any flying cars or 10K portal TVs, we do carry the latest residential, commercial, and industrial solutions for all your audiovisual needs. Contact us with your AV problems; we love a challenge!
