ces 2014 - top picks

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24/01/14

CES 2014 PICKS

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WHAT I’LL BE COVERING

• What is CES?• The future of TV• The internet of things • Wearable tech• It will improve your life• The weird and the wonderful

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CONSUMER ELECTRONICS SHOW

A proving ground for innovators and breakthrough technologies for 40 years

1970 – VCR1981 – Camcorder 1993 – Mini-disc2001 – Xbox2009 – 3D HDTV

................................................................................................................................................THE FUTURE OF TV

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THE FUTURE IS 4 X BETTER AND CURVED

4K Ultra HD TV

Curved screens

Range of sizes up to 105 inches!

The problem now is finding content for such super-detailed screens. Netflix's boss, Reed Hastings, announced that series two of House of Cards, starring Kevin Spacey, will be streamed in 4K – for those with a special version of the Netflix app, and a suitable TV. The World Cup final will also be broadcast in 4K, though it is unclear how many broadcasters will be able to transmit it.

Samsung flaunted an 85in LCD set which starts off flat but with the touch of a button curves in from the shorter sides. However, the idea of a curving screen wasn’t received with undiluted enthusiasm. "Like a lot of concept demos at CES, the bendable TV is more a novelty with little practical application," remarked David Katzmaier, who has reviewed TV sets for the website CNet since 2002. "The housing [of the device] is larger than a typical TV, and I can't begin to imagine how much it would cost." Samsung hasn't released pricing.

................................................................................................................................................THE INTERNET OF THINGS

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FANCY CHATTING TO YOUR FRIDGE?…

What do I need to buy?“ ”

I’m just finishing the spin cycle, won’t be long“ ”

What do I need for the recipe?“ ”

You can text the fridge to find out what you need to buy" – though he skimmed past the detail of how your fridge will know what's inside it.Washing machines too will answer to your texts, he explained…

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FANCY CHATTING TO YOUR FRIDGE?…

What do I need to buy?“ ”

I’m just finishing the spin cycle, won’t be long“ ”

What do I need for the recipe?“ ”

A $19 trillion market according to Cisco!!!!!

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IT COULD COME BACK TO HAUNT YOU

But… fridges, TVs and hi-fis have been hacked and used to launch hundreds of thousands of malicious spam email attacks.They are among growing numbers of household appliances being rounded into botnets controlled by criminals, say researchers.

The domestic goods are then used to unleash spam by gangs who are looking to steal personal details and passwords.One botnet attack involved 750,000 emails sent from 100,000 gadgets, including TVs, Wi-Fi routers and at least one fridge, say internet security experts at Proofpoint.

................................................................................................................................................WEARABLE TECH

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SMART WATCHES

Samsung's Galaxy Gear, a smartwatch released last September to general indifference at about £250. Pebble, which raised $10.2m to build a smartwatch in 2012 – and delivered it in 2013 – announced the Steel, a new version with a multi-coloured screen and metal surround - £150 no release date yet though

There's no sign yet though that anyone is actually buying them in significant numbers. "The market for smartwatches is getting crowded before there is even a real market of smartwatches,"

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IT’S NOT ENOUGH JUST TO TRACK FITNESS

LG Lifeband Touch – touch sensitive screen displaying call and text messages and enabling control of music

Razer Nabu – tracks motions like most fitness bands but has two small screens, one for notification icons and one scrolling screen for texts and emails

Sony Smartband – offers ‘life empowerment’ by logging daily activities (music you listened to and where you’ve been). Enables you to ‘quantify your life’ in even more ways

"Personal health and wellbeing will be important factors in all wearable devices as consumers try to rationalise buying 'gadget bling' under the pretext of it improving their health and fitness,"

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BE COACHED BY YOUR SOCKS AND T-SHIRT

Your socks can monitor your running gait and suggest improvements to prevent injury

When combined with Google glass, you can chase down your own virtual avatar (who’s running ahead of you at the pace you want to achieve)

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LOSE THE LOBSTER LOOK

Tells you how much UV exposure you’ve had from harmful rays

Connects to your smartphone via Bluetooth, so you can monitor your tanning progress without that dreaded sunburn rouge

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THERE’S GOLD IN THEM HILLS…

Crowdfunding investment to date: $100m

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THERE’S GOLD IN THEM HILLS…

Crowdfunding investment to date: $100m

Steve Brookstein is a reminder that many wearable tech devices will have their 5 mins of fame at CES then disappear into obscurity!

................................................................................................................................................IT WILL IMPROVE YOUR LIFE

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BECOME A BETTER BRUSHER

Using an accelerometer and a magnetometer to sense direction, it knows how thoroughly you’ve brushed, whether you’ve reached all areas of your mouth, and tracks your efficiency.

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INCREASE YOUR HARMONY

‘Blends into your daily life to make it serene, healthy and pleasurable’

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INCREASE YOUR HARMONY

Connects to series of small sensors that ‘blend into your daily life to make it serene, healthy and pleasurable’Via a range of sensors it can monitor everything from the number of steps you take a day, to who’s in the house, and can even fire off reminders to water the plants and warn when the fridge door is openIt takes all the data and relays it to a phone, tablet or via notification lights

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GUIDES AS YOU RIDE

Schwinn is attempting to solve the problem of finding your way on two wheels with the CycleNav

Connects to smartphones and guides the rider via three LED lit green lights and voice instructions

Also works as a bike light and provides journey data

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LOOK MUM NO HANDS

Bosch helps us to tackle tricky driving tasks such as the dreaded parallel park

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A BOWL OF ENERGY

New gadget from Intel

Throw your smartphone and tablet into the bowl and it will charge. No need to mess around with fiddly cables

10 inches in diameter and works via magnetic resonance technology

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NO MORE STREAKY WINDOWS

A robot that cleans your windows for you!

................................................................................................................................................THE WEIRD AND THE WONDERFUL

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EYES IN THE SKY

14 megapixel camera on boardControlled by smartphone with a 25 min flight time

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SELF-DRIVING CARS

Can drift around corners and slalom between cones!

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STAR TREK AND SELF-DEFENCE

Device that turns your smartphone into a star trek-like tricorder medical diagnosis kit

Smartphone case that can deliver a 650,000 volt shock

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PRINTABLE CHOCOLATE

Video (best part at 2mins 50 sec)3D food printers that create sweets and chocolatesBasic version costs £3,000 and the more advance one, double that!

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SNORE-STOPPER

$8,000 ‘super bed’Loaded with monitoring technology that will report back on sleep patterns and behaviour to a tablet appClaims to be able to stop snoring!

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THINGS DON’T ALWAYS GO TO PLAN

Michael Bay imploding on stage when trying to promote Samsung’s new 4K HDTV