CES 2014 is just a few days away. We look ahead at what
Sony, Samsung, LG and the rest could have in store for the Consumer Electronics
Show in Las Vegas.
Before we even entertain the idea of stuffing our faces with
mince pies and leftover turkey, it's time to turn our attention to CES 2014
that takes place in Las Vegas from January 7th to the 11th.
Setting the tone for the coming year in tech, the likes of
Samsung, Sony, Panasonic and LG will be among the industry's big players hoping
to make a good impression and hog the CES 2014 headlines.
Last year, CES highlights included 4K OLED TVs, more
wearable tech to wrap around your wrists, the birth of the Steam Box, Nvidia's
Project Shield games console, affordable 3D printers and 'that' Qualcomm Born
Mobile press conference.
LG and Samsung flexible OLED TVS
4K dominated TV talk at CES 2013 and 3D the year before
that. Now it looks like Samsung and LG could be set to get more innovative
specifically with TV design by unveiling flexible OLED screens. Both
manufacturers showcased curved OLED televisions last year and the next step
could be introducing sizeable curved panels where the angle of the curve can be
altered by remote control. LG has already shown its bendy tech skills with the
LG G Flex and it looks like both Korean manufacaturers will be taking the tech
to much bigger screens.
Wearable Tech
From the Fitbit Flex to the Pebble smartwatch, 2013 was a
big year for wearable tech and there's definitely plenty more to come in 2014.
On the fitness-tracking front, Fitbug, Fitbit and Withings will be among the
exhibitors at the show while Archos has already announced its own Fibit-rival
called the Archos Activity Tracker. LG had a fitness tracker prototype on show
last year and looks set to announce the Nike Fuelband-rival currently dubbed
the Lifeband Touch is tipped to land at CES 2014.
Smartwatches is where things could really get interesting
with talk of a Samsung Galaxy Gear 2 a wrist-worn device from ZTE we now know
is called the ZTE BlueWatch and even Epson is expected to make an announcement
regarding wearable technology. Anyone for a printer watch?
64-bit smartphones
After Apple announced its 64-bit A7 processor-packing iPhone
5S earlier this year, Nvidia and Qualcomm are among the companies tipped to
introduce their own
take on 64-bit smartphone processors. The more intelligent
processers deliver a faster and smoother performance and the ability to handle
more demanding software and applications. After a Qualcomm spokesperson
recently claimed that the A7 processor in the new iPhone was nothing more than
a marketing gimmick, it looks like other chip manufacturers will be trying to
play catch up with Apple once again. 64-bit mobile processors could mean more
powerful Windows-based tablets, too, an easy to overlook benefit.
Smartphones from Sony, LG and ZTE
Last year the Sony Xperia Z, Huawei Ascend D2 and ZTE Grand
S were among a host of new smartphones announced and it could be more of the
same for CES 2014. The Sony Xperia Z1f, a smaller version of the Xperia Z1 has
been rumoured for a global launch while Huawei and ZTE has now confirmed we can
expect the ZTE Grand S II, its first phablet and the 4G-ready ZTE Sonata. After
unleashing the LG G2 as a rival for the Samsung Galaxy S4 and HTC One the
Korean phone-maker is rumoured to have a LG G2 mini with a 4.7-inch screen in
the works.
Samsung Galaxy tablets
Just when you think the family of Galaxy tablets couldn't
get any bigger, Samsung could be set to swell the ranks further by as much as
four tablets early next year most of which are likely to be shown off at CES
2014. There has already been talk of Samsung Galaxy 12.2 and 13.3 tablets for a
while now and they could be joined by a sub-£100 Galaxy Tab 3 Lite. The 7-inch
Android tablet market has become far more competitive place since the first
Galaxy tab was launched so a cheaper 7-inch slate makes a lot of sense.
Steam Machines
If 2013 was all about console gaming, then 2014 looks set to
be a memorable one for the PC gaming brigade thanks to the arrival of Valve's
SteamOS operating system. The first 'Steam Box' was announced at CES 2013, and
as Valve's own Steam machines and controller already make their way to members
of the Steam community, CES 2014 will see a raft of as yet unnamed hardware
manufacturers put their own spin on creating a home for the gaming-centric OS.
Oculus Rift
If that’s not enough to get the tongues of PC gamers
wagging, a new version of the Oculus Rift VR headset is set to launch at CES
and this time it won't make you feel sick. Having secured an additional $75m in
funding to launch a consumer model of the Rift, Oculus VR is aiming to make big
improvements to the original headset sent out to developers with reducing
motion blur and full position tracking top on the list of priorities.
Asus will have something ‘incredible’
Well, at least that's what the invite suggests along with a
blurry image in the background. Asus it seems has something special to announce
at its CES event on January 6th. The safe bet is on a new hybrid tablet or
ultrabook, however the Transformer Pad and Padfone-maker is tipped to jump on
the Chromebook bandwagon in 2014 and could also join the wearable revolution so
maybe we will see an Asus Padwatch Padfone Infinity.
Kazuo Hirai to give opening CES 2014 keynote
Sony President and CEO Kazuo Hirai will be the man entrusted
with delivering a killer opening keynote address at CES 2014. Key individuals
from Twitter, Facebook and Ford will also be making keynotes throughout the
show to give their insight into the tech industry. One of the most interesting
keynotes should come from CEO, President and director of Yahoo, Marissa Mayer
who is aiming to turn things around at the fading company. Mayer will
apparently present 'her visions for products, services and networks’.
4K and Ultra HD
4K was the big TV theme of CES 2013 and in 2014 there will
be more TVs, projectors and even monitors. The price of 4K TVs are tipped to drop
this year and Sony looks set to make a greater push with Ultra HD not only with
hardware but ramping up production to deliver more 4K content. In a recent
interview Phil Molyneux, president of Sony electronics confirmed the company’s
4K commitment for CES saying: "We’re the only company in the world that
allows you to shoot 4K content, edit it on our computers, play it back on our
4K TVs via HDMI," Moylenux added: "We’ve built that eco-system out
together with Vegas Pro so that people can come to Sony and have that unique
experience."
3D printing
2013 was the year that 3D printing really took off. Home 3D
printers from the likes of Makerbot, Formlabs and even the Cube 3D printer that
went on sale in Currys let pretty much anyone make three dimensional products.
The technology has been embraced in many positive ways but the ability to
easily manufacture 3D guns is more of a concern. CES 2014 will showcase the next
development in 3D printing and the more inventive an innovative ways to make
the most of the revolutionary technology.
Connected cars
CES 2014 will see a record number of automotive exhibitors
with the likes of Audi, Mazda, Mercedes and Toyota all expected to unveil the
latest connected developments for infotainment, communication, safety and
driving assistance technology. Last year Ford and General Motors announced open
development platforms to bring apps and services inside its cars and Pioneer
has already painted the future of satnavs with its augmented reality HUD
display. Among the stories to look out for, Audi is working with Google while
Mercedes Benz is set to add Pebble smartwatch integration. The growth of 4G
could also play big part as in-car tech becomes smarter, faster and more
reliable.
Home gets more connected
Beyond tablets, computers, phones and TVs, other areas of
the home will continue to get smarter. Last year Belkin introduced its WeMo
lightswitch in the quest to automate your home and Nest recently unveiled its
follow-up to the smart thermostat with the smart smoke alarm/carbon detector.
Whether it's the bathroom, kitchen or even the garden, we fully expect
manufacturers to explore how to have the internet seeping out of every room in
your house.
Self-driving cars
Google is already working on one with Tesla, CES regulars
Ford has already announced its first autonomous car and Mercedes has introduced
self-driving technology in its S-Class. Prototypes continue to be tested with
Volvo the most recent car manufacturer to test self-driving cars on Swedish
roads. It feels like we are still some time away from being able to totally
ignore the steering wheel, but we fully expect technology like the 360-degree
infrared visions and danger-sensing technology in Ford’s self-driving car to
begin becoming the norm for all cars.
Robots
Google will of course not be present at the show, but having
bought up seven separate robotics companies within the past six months
including the most recent acquisition of Boston Dynamics, it could have a
postitive impact on the robotics industry and CES 2014 could be the start of
the new developments. Robotics has already made great strides in the medical
industry and the military but with a mainstream company like Google actively
exploring the idea maybe we are not that far away from those sophisticated AI
beings.
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