(Originally published on Blogcritics.org)
Technological advances have dominated our work and lifestyles for years, and, according to information shared at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), it’s just beginning.
The Consumer Electronics Show (CES), the world’s largest conference of its type, went live and online January 5-8, from Las Vegas, Nevada. The Consumer Technology Association (CTA), a standards and trade organization representing more than 2,200 consumer technology companies in the United States, runs CES. CTA works to influence public policy, holds events such as the CES, conducts market research, and helps its members and regulators implementing technical standards. It started as the RMA – Radio Manufacturers Association – in 1924.
Steve Koenig, CTA Vice President for Research, kicked off media day with a Tech Trends Update. He shared both the challenges and opportunities available to entrepreneurs and consumers.
Economy and Innovation
Koenig pointed out that although the world economy has many positive signs, such as China dropping its zero-COVID policy, supply chains still remain vulnerable. Also, for the electronic industry, semi-conductor issues remain. Chip inventories are rising, which means faster response times. The downside of this, he suggested, was that technical innovation could be stalled as manufacturers wait for those inventories to come down.
In the United States, he explained, growth difficulties arise because of the shortage of 10 million workers the country faces. Humans, he said, now are the “nice to have” element of a business. This, combined with inflation and the Federal Reserve raising interest rates six times in 2022, makes for a less than encouraging space for entrepreneurs.
Taking the long view, he recalled how emerging from The Great Recession of 2008-2009 led to increased use of 4G LTE, smartphones, tablets, and netbooks. During The Great Recession only 30% of households owned a smartphone, now everyone has at least one. He expected a 2023 Recession, but hoped to see new technologies get a boost, including 5G industrial Internet of Things applications, artificial intelligence, and autonomous systems.
Metaverse Time
“The Metaverse” so far has been mostly a gaming concept. Koenig, however, sees it coming into the business world. Through virtualization, for instance, a consumer could handle an item they want to buy online. They could even sit in or virtually drive a car they were evaluating.
Businesspeople could use their metaverse virtual twin to meet with others, walk through proposed construction projects, and share ideas in a much more realistic way than can be done in ZOOM or other current technologies. He mentioned OVR Technology, exhibiting at CES, who had developed Scentware software and hardware. Way more advanced than Smell-O-Vision of the 1960s, Scentware adds smell to the virtual reality experience. Koenig said that smell triggers more than 70% of our daily memories and emotions and that scent memory lasts 70% longer than sudatory or visual memories.
On the Road
Recent years have seen a lot of high tech incorporated into cars and trucks. Much more will happen soon, according to Koenig. He showed a slide of a car in which the entire dashboard was a video screen. Beyond that, a driver, without taking his hands off the wheel, could order by voice, from stores or entertainment services.
Koenig also explained that manufacturers were developing Features as a Service (FaaS). FaaS would allow them to interactively add or remove features to a car’s system, and bill for them on a recurring basis.
Autonomous vehicles (self-driving) should not be far off. Autonomous race cars have been competing for several years at speeds of over a hundred miles per hour. An entire industry could evolve based on this technology.
Home and Farm
On the home front, Koenig said that consumers could look forward to a “Home Health Hub”. During COVID people began virtual doctor visits. He predicted advances in this area which would enable monitoring of chronic health conditions, more connections to exercise and sports equipment, anxiety management, and other therapeutic treatments. One CES exhibitor Koenig mentioned had developed what looked like ordinary glasses, but monitored the person wearing them for potential epileptic seizures.
“Old MacDonald had a Drone” may become a new kids song. Koenig explained how farmers could also be part of the electronics revolution underway. Farming robots will be able to do plowing, planting, and harvesting. Drones and soil sensors can monitor the ground and what grows out of it in order to optimize watering and fertilizing crops. Even silos can be made smart, to track the condition of farm produce packed inside them. The result, Koenig predicted, would be more and better food for more people.
More information about Consumer Technology Association and CES can be found at the CTA website.
