For 50 years, CES has been a mecca for the tech industry, showcasing the latest products and advances in consumer technology. From its humble beginnings (the first instance of the Consumer Electronics Show had 14 exhibitors in a space of about 100,000 square feet), CES has grown to colossal proportions. CES 2017 had 4,000 exhibitors spread out over 2.6 million square feet of space (that’s roughly 45 football fields), and CES 2018, the latest installment of the trade show, should be similarly large.
Digital Trends has covered CES for years now, witnessing some of that growth firsthand, and exploring the latest gadgets and concepts on display. Last year, Amazon’s Alexa was an overwhelming presence, and that trend has not abated. Many companies are exploring new ways to incorporate Alexa’s voice recognition into their products, and other digital assistants, such Google Assistant and Siri, are also showing up in various gadgets. “I think eventually everything we own is going to have some kind of a home assistant inside of it,” said Greg Nibler, Digital Trends host.
On a similar note, smart home technology will only continue to flourish in 2018. That includes the usual appliances like refrigerators, toasters, and washers, as well as a new wave of home security devices. Tired of marauders stealing packages from your porch? You can set up smart cameras that will detect motion and send an alert to your phone.
With all of the smart devices you can set up in your home, smart hubs will need to become even more intuitive and hassle-free to use. Devices like the Lynky Go Button allow users to manage their home from any room, making comfort feel automatic.
Wireless charging is another trend to look out for. A few companies have been fighting to establish the standards in the wireless charging space, with Qi prevailing as the dominant method. Wireless charging tech is still a developing technology, but companies are already finding novel ways to use it, such as in smart underwear.
Digital Trends has up-to-the-minute coverage throughout the course of CES 2018, so be sure to check out our latest features, as well as our live-stream.
