FIND OUT WHAT’S SIN AT LAS VEGAS TECH SHOWCASE
The Consumer Electronics Show – or CES to its friends – opens in Las Vegas next week with technology companies from around the globe descending on Sin City to offer us a glimpse into our digital future.
From the camcorder and CD player to the Xbox and plasma TV, some of the best-known technologies have debuted at CES, and some of the most famous industry figures have spoken there too, including Bill Gates, Michael Dell and Elon Musk.
This year, the show will focus on the key themes shaping today’s technology industry, such as artificial intelligence, digital health, augmented reality and smart cities.
Here are some of the key innovations to look out for.
8K TVs
You may still be weighing up the benefits of investing in a 4K ‘Ultra HD’ TV, but one company is already planning to use CES to showcase the generation after that. LG has developed an 88-inch OLED TV screen that can squeeze a whopping 7680 × 4320 pixels onto the display – that’s twice the resolution of a 4K display.
Smart speakers with screens
Amazon launched the Echo Show, its first smart speaker with a built-in display, at the end of last year, and is already preparing its second device known as the Echo Spot. Rumour has it that Google could unveil its rival device, codenamed Manhattan, at CES, allowing Google Home users to call up video clips with a few words.
Foldable phones
Smartphones are all much of a muchness these days, but Samsung has long been rumoured to be
working on a foldable phone with two displays, thought to be called the Galaxy X. The company’s president has previously hinted that the new device will arrive this year, giving rise to rumours that it will make an appearance at Las Vegas.
Smart fabrics
Taking wearable technology to the next level, an official CES preview event revealed some interesting uses of smart fabrics which integrate sensors into clothes. These include smart underpants that reduce radiation from smartphones, as well as an intelligent scarf designed to cut down on air pollution.
5G connectivity
5G (the next generation of mobile networks after 4G) is a major theme at CES this year because it will provide the foundation for a new generation of smart technologies – from self-driving cars to drones and robotics. The UK government is already investing millions in 5G with the aim of making Britain a world leader in the technology.