Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2016

Same as every year, the biggest Electronics tradeshow is back.

CES 2016 changed it’s logo, but not its true colors. It still displays all the latest and greatest (sometimes) innovations in technology, gadgets and naturally, electronics.

This year, it’s mostly about 4K/UHD (and even some 8K insanity), autonomous cars, and many connected gadgets.

Here are a few of the interesting items I found online, as sadly, I cannot go to attend:

1. OLED big screens. It took a few years, but the OLED revolution is finally here. OLED, or Organic LED has been around for a while, and is known especially from Samsung Galaxy Smartphone product line (a version of it called AMOLED). They’ve introduced small sharp screens that gives vibrant colors and real black (meaning there is no light leakage that will make the black more of a dark grey). However, manufacturing big versions of the same proved much more difficult and took a few years to accomplish. But with this technological advancement, comes big and very thin screens both from LG and from Samsung. LG showed off big and very thin screens (4 credit card thin) that also boast HDR option, which they call “Super UHD TV”. LG also showed 18 inch prototype that is so thin in fact that they can be rolled or folded and carried around.

   

2. Faraday Future Electric Car. The automobile industry showed up in force this year, with many prototypes and technologies that they hope will take the world by storm. One of the more interesting ones is this behemoth from Faraday Future. It’s an electric car that can put Tesla to shame.. It is basically an electric super car, smartphone connected, with a glass roof, single seat, projected 1000 HP (yes..) and a top speed of 200 MP/H, or 321 KM/H which I suspect is electronically limited.. perhaps they’re afraid it’ll go airborne?

   

3. Samsung Family Hub. The smart home is a concept that used to belong to the rich and spending. But the manufacturers really want to push it to the general consumer market, and with the aid of cheaper technology costs, they are trying to make the IOT (Internet of things) an every-day and at-every-home reality. Personally, I think that it’s taking technology and human laziness a step too far. Imagine all the electric appliances at your home (including oven, TV, air conditioning, and even electronically controlled doors) connected to the world wide web. Supposedly it will make life easier, as you’ll be able to monitor and control your home from afar, but it also presents a whole new set of dangers and problems, when every small time hacker will have potential access to your home and can do what ever they feel like (freeze it or heat it up, lock you in, or simply spy on you without your knowledge) from the comfort of his/her sofa. Samsung contribution to this brave new world is a slick looking fridge they call “Family Hub” (fridge is too common, Samsung?) which is smartphone connected and you can even peek in using inner cameras (yes..) to check what’s missing when you’re out shopping. Gone are the days of leaving a sticky note on the fridge, as there’s a built-in 21.5″ Full HD screen where you can leave messages, It will also be able to alert you in advance so you’ll never go without eggs, milk or the occasional beer, and even a sound system so you can listen to music, or the radio and even watch video or TV!

So that’s a taste of CES 2016, which ended a few days ago. Maybe next year I’ll be able to go and watch first hand!