FAST FORWARD TO THE FUTURE IN TECHNOLOGY
By: Hope Wilkos, Writer/Blogger Photographer: George Whylie Videographer: Maxine NolanJust as fashionistas excite to Fashion Week, tech titans excite to the Consumer Electronic Show held annually to introduce some of the most innovative gadgets that give us a glimpse into the future. The trade show was held this year from January 8th to the 11th, 2013, in the immense Las Vegas Convention Center. This is a venue large enough to accommodate the millions of interested attendees that made their way to Vegas for more than just the slots.
The show is credited with the debut of some of the high-tech technology that has had an impact and an influence on our lives over the years. In 1970 it was the videocassette recorder, in 1981 it was the Camcorder, in 1994 it was the digital satellite system, the year 2001 brought with it Microsoft Xbox along with the Plasma TV and then we fast forward to the last few years which have brought us 3D HDTV, HD Radio and tablets and notebooks and android devices.
This January the event attracted over 3,000 exhibitors who showcased accessories, audio, lifestyle electronics, embedded technology and a host of other cutting-edge ideas meant to impress that have the potential to shape our dreams of tomorrow.
Business Week gave their top ten picks for this year and we tend to agree with their conclusions:
1. Tablets may just become the overwhelming laptop of the future with mounts to convert them into creative kiosks and even quality control monitors. This can possibly be a breakthrough for many major industries including the medical field. Check out www.compulocks.com and ihealthlabs.com.
2. Who needs your traditional remote anymore? LG and Sony are introducing apps to let your smartphone do all the work. Turn on your dishwasher from the phone or change the channel on your tv with the push of the remote. Automakers are going as far to hint at using smartphones to replace the built-in GPS Systems in cars. It could prove to be cheaper and more convenient for all. Orbotix is making this idea a reality.
3. Say hello to the “people-cams”, tiny HD video cameras that can be worn by police officers and bank tellers so all activity for a day can be easily tracked. www.dropcam.com.
4. The drone is going to revolutionize the surveillance industry as inexpensive drones are in the process of making it possible for companies to monitor their operations that much easier, even in remote locations. The drone can be programmed with a iPhone to fly exact routes over buildings, highways or construction sites to monitor activity.
5. Walking into a retail store no longer means a long wait time for a few salespeople to descend upon you all at once. Through means of a mobile Video kiosk, you can receive one on one attention via a video screen, still getting the personal experience as you see the sales assistant on the screen, but at the same time they can cover various locations at once, a more cost effective solution for the company.
6. Wouldn’t it be convenient to be able to turn off the light in the bedroom or control all the locks in the house remotely right from your iPhone? It isn’t too far down the road in the future. It is all thanks to Wi-Fi and cloud computing. Appliance manufacturers such as LG and Samsung already have self-monitoring refrigerators, ovens and washers that can be controlled remotely and report back performance. Companies can now take the next step to understand customers’ needs and track their usage so they can improve upon their products. Check out skylinkhome.com and NEXT STEP.
7. The human body can be monitored so that we can see how to live longer and healthier lives with no excuses. Heart Math produces heart monitors that report results from the body to the laptop to the doctor in a matter of seconds. You can track the number of calories you consume in a day with an accelerometer or an athletic monitor from Nike. HapiLabs now introduces the Hapi Fork to track eating patterns and alert you if you eat too quickly.
8. The ideas just keep getting more futuristic as brainwaves begin to be monitored and converted into energy with the possibility of moving physical objects just by concentrating intently. The idea come alive with Interaxon with a brain-sensing headband called the Muse. Right now it has endless capabilities but it is being used as a video game controller at present.
9. HD becomes even more full of definition and clarity beyond belief as we go into the ultra sleek high definition world of video and photography and welcome to a more lifelike image in front of you. Bring your pictures to life with super HD. Companies such as Panasonic, Sony and Samsung Electronics are jumping on the bandwagon to satisfy their consumers.
10. Don’t be bound by the plug. Charge your phone and tablet anytime and anywhere with the Magic Charger from Mobee and PowerNow from DateXX.
These are just a few of the most originative tech items to hit the market and the largest consumer technology show to hit the nation, the Consumer Electronic Show which was the means to show us it can really happen today, tomorrow and in the future.
PHOTO CREDITS: Google Images
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