Smarter, purposeful technology at Consumer Electronics Show
Venturing into Las Vegas at this time of year is no fun. Unless you’re a geek who lives for what technology will bring us next. At this year’s Consumer Electronics Show, which ran Wednesday through Saturday, there was no shortage of next. Here’s what caug
Fridge photos: For years, we’ve heard the promise of smart refrigerators that will keep track of our food. But “smart” meant delegating that chore to us, and who has time to document depleting food? Samsung Electronics gets closer to smartness with its $5,000 Family Hub and not because of its 21.5-inch touchscreen. As the fridge closes, cameras take a snapshot of what’s inside. Pictures are uploaded to the Internet and are accessible by smartphone. While grocery shopping, you really will be able to know what needs to be on your shopping list. There’s also a plan to connect the fridge to online grocers, like Fresh Direct and MyWebGrocer, so you don’t have to leave home — or walk over to your computer. Family Hub is expected to go on sale this spring.
No blind spots: With no regular side and rearview mirrors, the prototype BMW i8 will take getting used to. Instead of looking in the rearview mirror for traffic, the driver looks at a screen that shows cars to the left, right and behind the car. Three cameras are built into the vehicle’s side mirrors and back window to take that 180-degree view. The real-time footage is stitched together for a seamless view at what surrounds the car and thus eliminates blind spots.
Rechargeable door lock: A smart door that unlocks when it knows you (and your Bluetooth phone) are approaching has enamored us for years. But there’s been a minor disconnect: power. Many DIY deadbolts rely on batteries that need to be replaced. The new Brinks Home Security Array Wi-Fi connected deadbolt still requires a battery. But the rechargeable battery has a solar panel to capture power from the sun — or a porch light. According to a CNET report, the Array needs 33 hours of sunlight a year to keep its lithium-ion battery charged. The deadbolt and its app are expected to be available in the fourth quarter.
Better Wi-Fi: Wi-Fi works great at home or at the coffee shop. But in basements and the wide expanse between buildings, access to such wireless Internet can frustrate with spotty coverage, if there is any at all. Plus, Wi-Fi drains batteries. The Wi-Fi Alliance has been working on how to address the issues. The result is Wi-Fi HaLow, a signal with twice the range of existing WiFi, better wall penetration and, most important, less power consumption. Possible uses include wearables, Internet of Things devices and attempts to build smart cities. And it’ll work with the earth’s existing 6.8 billion Wi-Fi gadgets. For geeks, HaLow relies on IEEE’s 802.11ah specification and operates over 900 MHz. The first devices are expected to show up in 2017. Iron Man-inspired helmet: Science fiction becomes reality with the Daqri Smart Helmet. It’s meant for industrial workers, but we’re sure superheroes would benefit from the technology, like Intel’s RealSense camera. The helmet’s eye shield overlays images that can explain the strange equipment a worker is staring at and suggest A snowboard equipped with the Intel Curie chip is designed to better track and monitor achievements. repairs. Or it can use thermal vision to sense hot spots. While the helmet probably won’t get the attention of Oculus Rift, the augmented-reality gaming goggles made available for pre-order last week, Daqri’s Smart Helmet is one of the more practical uses of a technology to keep workers safer and better informed. The helmet goes on sale in the first quarter.
Toddler code: Teaching computer coding to a toddler is an impossible task because most toddlers can’t read. But use pictures, symbols and color, and now we’re talking! Fisher-Price’s Think & Learn Code-a-Piller lets children put together a toy caterpillar that moves based on how the kid connects the pieces. The child can arrange the caterpillar parts to make the toy move left, right, forward or pause, and there are flashing lights. And maybe, just maybe, it’ll teach children the basics of coding. Fisher-Price says Code-a-Piller goes on sale this fall with a mobile app to encourage counting and patterning.
Smarter X Games: The Internet of Things is infiltrating snowboards, BMX bikes and equipment for other extreme sports. Through a new partnership with ESPN, Intel will embed its low-powered Curie computer into athletes’ gear during this month’s X Games in Aspen. Smarter equipment lets athletes, ESPN and others get better data and insight into “in-air rotations, jump height, jump distance, speed and force on landing,” says Intel. And that, of course, adds more fodder for broadcasters and viewers to wax poetic.