Consumer Electronics Show 2020
The new decade got off to an uneventful start in the world of technology. The Consumer Electronics Show which happens in Las Vegas every year went by without much fanfare. CES is usually the main stage in which manufacturing companies showcase upcoming technology being developed. However, Jacob Davie summed up this year’s event with stating that “There wasn’t anything that blew me away.” The event which previously has seen the emergence of Augmented and virtual reality seems to have fallen a bit closer to general reality this year.
The tech that many students might be most interested in was the Petit Qoobo, by the Qoobo company. They unveiled the full-size version at a previous convention and this year introduced the version that can travel in your purse more easily. For those unfamiliar, Qoobo is “A tailed cushion that heals your heart.” The tail moves in response to being pet, rubbed, or even ignored. The new model will enter the market later this year. Another companion type technology that was introduced for release is the Lovot by GrooveX. Designed to navigate the home environment and offer companionship these devices will see release in the Japanese market later this year. But starting at $2700 plus a monthly fee of nearly $100 this may not be the cheapest form of companionship.
For those students that will become familiar with travel for work ForwardX has introduced a new suitcase to ease the troubles of travel. A new luggage that will be able to follow you without you needing to physically drag it behind you. “New TSA-Compliant Smart Carry-On That Employs AI Technology to Help Make Travel Easier and More Effortless” Available now for pre-order; $799 and comes with a wristband to alert the user if luggage has strayed too far from its owner. Harnessing AI and self-driving technology it will make travel “Hands-Free, Carefree.” As the hype of the “IOT” buzzword has begun to fade it seems that AI has taken the stage. Angel Gamboa summed up the moving tides by saying “The next step can only logically be AI.”
One of the more tangible, and concerning, technology that leaked out of Las Vegas was the Lumi line of products from the Proctor and Gamble company Pampers. The website states that 1. “It starts with a video monitor”, 2. “A baby activity sensor joins”, 3. “It all comes together in the app.” P and G offers that this diaper attachment tech can track sleep patterns of your baby, as well as track “wet diapers and diaper changes.” Considering “IOT” technology has proven security flaws related to baby monitors it’s important for parents to consider the risks of this (and all) technology versus the rewards.
The concerns for security in our technology has rushed to the front of all of our minds in the recent years. From fears of the next data breach to targeted doxing and phishing society is ‘waking-up’ to the problems we are discovering in the cyber realm. The low representation at this year’s event may be a sign that manufacturing companies are more carefully examining the risks associated with their products before release, or it simply could be a sign of an over saturated market. Either way those eager to discover the next big break through will have to wait for at least another year.
