The first conclusion from the annual Consumer Technology Products in Las Vegas, which brought together 3,600 manufacturers and 170,000 professional visitors from around the world, is that the pace of things is now unimaginable.
Before we even learned about 3D printers that make original objects in plastic, they acquired the ability to "mold" utilitarian items from metal or even wood. Before we even wore our personal... trainer around our wrist, it shrank into adhesive gauze. The television we bought last year is already considered outdated this year.
The second conclusion is that the smartphone or tablet is taking on a central role in our lives. They communicate with a myriad of gadgets, from our home security cameras to the sensors that ensure the good health of our plants, they collect data, they become an extension of us. What this means for privacy, for our concentration index (which is certainly affected when we look at a screen every minute) or for our lifestyle is a topic of much, much discussion.
Netatmo,
Welcome
The camera that recognizes who enters the house
The "latest word in technology" in security cameras has a facial recognition function and sends a notification to your mobile or tablet about when and who enters (or leaves) the house. It can also record high-resolution video, so that, when you receive the "stranger at home" notification, you can... take a look remotely and your heart will go to its place: it was just a delivery. The specifications are fully adjustable, so that people can be added or excluded from the notifications, while the data is encrypted and stored on a memory card instead of the vulnerable, to malicious attacks, cloud.
www.netatmo.com
Adidas, miCoach Smart Ball
Do it like Beckham
Because not all promising footballers are born with David Beckham's gift for set pieces, Adidas equipped its "smart" ball with a sensor that measures and records speed, distance, deflection and spin, predicts the end point and sends all the information, including video, to the mobile phone, so that the trainee can archive his progress and learn from his mistakes.
micoach.adidas.com
Bragi,
The Dash
Workout with music
It looks like a common "louse" headphone, but it hides a bunch of surprises: anatomical, wireless and waterproof, with a built-in player with a capacity of up to 1,000 songs, with dynamic external noise adjustment so that you can completely isolate yourself or hear everything depending on the conditions, with a microphone that recognizes your voice from the vibrations in the ear labyrinth to answer the phone (which you have in your pocket), with an accelerometer and gyroscope that respond to every movement of the head and activate a multitude of functions (e.g. you look at the sky and a voice tells you the weather forecast, you run and it measures your speed), as well as sensors for basic physical indicators, such as pulse, oxygenation, burns, etc. In short, the ideal companion for every athlete, at the price of $299. Release date has not been announced.
www.bragi.com
Mercedes Benz F-015 Luxury In Motion
The car of the future
Who said that the front seats of a car have to "face" forward? In the new Mercedes concept, they rotate 180 degrees so that the four passengers sit facing each other in the ultra-luxurious living room, which is transformed into a space for work, communication, rest or entertainment. Passengers' commands to the vehicle are given vocally, with gestures or by touching the six touch screens installed all around, obstacles are automatically avoided, while the driving style - relaxed, dynamic, city, travel - is adjusted with a touch. The hybrid battery and hydrogen cell engine offers a range of 1,100 kilometers with zero emissions. More than a show car concept, the F-015 was registered in the state of Nevada and was seen on the streets, attracting all eyes with its "space" appearance.
www.mercedes-benz.com
LG Twin Wash
Samsung Flex Duo Dual Door Oven
Two in one
The Korean technology giants are revolutionizing two of the most… aging household appliances, with a common denominator of saving time and energy. Samsung's double oven allows the simultaneous baking of two foods at different temperatures, without the smells mixing and the checking of one causing heat loss to the other. LG's washing machine has two drums and loading doors, one conventional and one horizontal - drawer, so that it can wash your basic laundry and the most delicate clothes simultaneously, with different programs.
Airdog
The camera that flies above your head
Drones of all types and sizes were one of the dominant trends at CES, although two main issues (flight regulations and autonomy) are preventing the market from "taking off". One of the most interesting models follows the user from above and from a distance of up to 300 meters thanks to an invisible "strap" activated by a bracelet, records his athletic feats with a common GoPro camera and amazing stability even in 28-knot winds (thanks to a built-in gyroscope), develops speeds of up to 60 km/h for 10-20 minutes and is easily adjusted, via a smartphone app, to constantly maintain the desired shooting angle. The first batch (February '15) has sold out, at a price of $ 1,295. > www.airdog.com
FitlinxxAmpstrip
The patch that trains you
Before "smart" fitness and activity monitors in the form of a watch or bracelet were well established, the American company Fitlinxx set out to make them disappear: its own version, in the form of a band-aid, is waterproof, can be stuck to the body for up to 7 days (after which you simply replace the adhesive tape) and sends heart rate, body temperature and activity data to your mobile phone, thanks to a tiny three-axis accelerometer. It is recommended for professional athletes – as well as those who take their exercise seriously. It is expected in June at a price of $150.
www.ampstrip.com
Samsung
4K SUHD
TV Better than the cinema
The competition for the "ultimate" TV is fierce – new models "rain" at the Las Vegas show! Samsung's new proposal offers ultra-high resolution of over 8 million pixels and color performance 64 times greater than conventional TVs thanks to nanocrystal semiconductor technology, a curved design for a sense of depth in the image and two and a half times greater brightness, automatically adjusted to save energy, in dimensions of 48-88 inches.
www.samsung.com
Energous,
Watt Up
Charges our devices remotely
Based on the operating principle of WiFi routers, the Californian Energous system can "send" energy with radio waves at the same safe frequency of 5.7-5.8 GHz via BlueTooth, simultaneously charging up to 12 devices (mobile phones, tablets, cameras, mice, etc.) with a power of up to 10 watts, within a radius of 5 meters. Its simple software allows for centralized control of charging, so that devices are not constantly "bombarded" with energy: e.g. you can set the mobile phone to charge when the battery drops to 5%, the tablet to 10% and so on. In addition, if someone installs more than one energy router in their home, the charged devices can automatically connect to one or the other. Although the technology is subject to improvement, the manufacturers aspire to launch it by the end of the year.
www.energous.com
Emiota,
Belty
The belt that tightens itself
Health and fitness trackers of all kinds are among the most dynamic branches of technology, and it was probably only a matter of time before they took the form of the most… stressful male accessory: the belt. This one connects to smart devices and constantly measures waist circumference, as well as physical activity, ringing a “bell” when it increases or decreases. Its most impressive feature, however, is that it senses pressure and can automatically narrow or widen when the user has… overeaten, as well as when he is sitting or standing.
Motorola Scout5000
Live connection with your dog!
The lost pet ads of K9 and other animal welfare columns will… disappear if the use of Motorola's collar, which is equipped with a camera, becomes widespread, allowing you to see the world through your dog's… eyes, talk to him from afar and of course know where he is at all times, via the built-in GPS. The device itself, costing $200, will operate, of course, with WiFi that will send images and sound to your smartphone or tablet, while its use with 3G in the US will be free for the first year and then with a subscription of $5 per month.
www.motorola.com
Spin Master
Meccanoid G15 KS
The friend you assemble yourself
First, you build a 1.21 m tall robot exactly as you imagine it, and then you program it either manually or with open, easy-to-use software via any Bluetooth-enabled smart device, so that it imitates your movements, accepts voice commands, dances, does tricks, tells jokes, or responds to hundreds of simple phrases – and you just made a new friend! The most awarded toy of CES, which fascinated young and old, marks the passage of the historic company Meccano (ed. founded in 1901) into a new era of training future builders and programmers and proves that our time is exciting to be a child… It is expected to be released in 2015 at a price of 400 dollars.
HP
Sprout
Next-generation personal computer
Radical in architecture and functions, HP's new PC is being launched as a workstation that can take off creativity - and is primarily aimed at designers, animators, etc. It combines a touch screen, projector, two- and three-dimensional scanner and cameras, while in place of the keyboard it has a flexible surface that also serves as a second screen. At its "heart" is an Intel Core i7-4790S processor, 8GB RAM and a 1 TB hybrid drive. Its price in the US is $ 1,899.
Edyn Garden Sensor & Water Valve
Networked garden, healthy plants
Good news for amateur gardeners everywhere. Edyn's "plantable" sensor runs on solar energy (even on cloudy days) and sends readings of light, soil nutrients, air and soil moisture, and alerts to your smartphone or tablet when it needs watering or fertilizing. Your tomatoes, radishes, and rose bushes will never feel lonely again.
Gogoro Smartscooter
Smart battery scooter
Horace Luke, a former HTC and Nike designer, has raised $150 million in funding and worked in secret for three years to revolutionize urban mobility, targeting a young audience. And here's the result: It's not only the most user-friendly, quietest, cleanest, and smartest two-wheeler ever built, with 55 sensors that communicate with your smartphone to let you know the status of each component and let you customize settings like lighting and sound alerts. It's not even the first electric vehicle to implement the idea of swapping empty batteries for charged ones at dedicated charging stations, eliminating the time-consuming process of charging. But these stations are ATM-sized, cost just $10,000 (so they can be placed anywhere) and allow the two Panasonic lithium-ion batteries (weighing just 10 kilos and similar to those in the Tesla S) to be changed in six seconds, with a "click", without complicated connections. The autonomy reaches 60 kilometers, the maximum speed is 95 km/h, while the acceleration time from 0 to 50 km/h is just 4.2 seconds!
Source: kathimerini.gr
