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Last week the tech world showed off its future at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas. This convention has brought the world innovative tech for over 50 years and this year we saw amazing new gadgets and impressive updates to existing gadgets.
While the show was plagued by a record-setting flood and a massive power outage, exhibitors were still able to dazzle the world with a glimpse of what’s ahead for tech.
Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant
Digital assistants, such as Alexa and Google Assistant, are coming to more smart home devices. Companies beyond Google and Amazon are using these assistants to make their tech smarter and more interactive.
Speak Music Muse
If you want Alexa in your car, but don’t want to get a new car, check out the Speak Music Muse. This disc, about the size of a cookie, lets you use Alexa in your car.
The Muse plugs into the USB port in your car and connects to your phone via Bluetooth. Then you can command it using your voice to perform any of Alexa’s thousands of skills.
Ask Alexa to play music from Amazon Music, iHeart Radio or TuneIn Radio. Have Alexa control your smart home devices or tell you what’s next on your calendar. Ask Alexa to play podcasts or Audible audiobooks.
Originally funded as an Indiegogo project, Muse is now available at Amazon for $69.99, which is much less expensive than most new cars…
Whirlpool Smart Appliances
At CES, Whirlpool announced a line of appliances that will use Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant so you can use voice commands to operate them. You can ask Alexa to turn off the oven, how much time is left on the washing machine cycle and whether your refrigerator filter needs changing.
Whirlpool also announced that later this year it will launch an Apple Watch app so you can control these appliances from your Apple Watch, even when you’re away from home.
Google Assistant on Smart Displays
If you’ve been hankering for a smart speaker with a screen, but prefer Google Assistant to Alexa, CES had good news for you. Google Assistant is coming to smart speakers with displays, also known as “smart displays.”
This video from Google shows you what you can do with a smart display:
With a Google Assistant smart display you can ask for directions and see a map. You can then send that map and those directions to your phone. A Google Assistant smart display can show you your Google Photos, make video calls, control your smart home and guide you through recipes. Watch YouTube videos and check on your Google Calendar.
Lenovo Smart Display
Lenovo announced its Google Assistant Smart Display at CES with an HD touchscreen in either 8 or 10 inch (20.32 or 25.4 cm) sizes. This display is due mid-year and comes in either gray or bamboo styling.
The projected price of the Lenovo Smart Display is $249.99 for the larger model and $199.99 for the smaller one. Find out more information at the Lenovo blog.
FoldiMate
CES introduced us to another way of making laundry easier with the FoldiMate. This device is designed to save you time and effort by folding your laundry for you.
Feed each item into FoldiMate and watch folded clothes appear. The company says that FoldiMate can fold 20-40 items in 2-4 minutes.
This video shows what you might want to do with the time you save using FoldiMate:
https://youtu.be/_BVrLYY4jZg
A target price of $980 has been set and the product is projected to arrive in late 2019. You can find out more information at the FoldiMate website.
Sony Aibo Dog
If you’ve wanted a dog, but someone in the family is allergic, or your apartment building doesn’t allow pets, or you travel too much, you may think you won’t be able to get a pup. But new tech may make your wish come true.
Sony introduced Aibo at CES, its robot dog that can be the next best thing to having an actual pup. With microphones in its ears, Aibo can hear and respond to commands. Electronic sensors let him respond to your petting his back or scratching his head. A camera in his nose lets him see the world and react to objects around him.
Aibo is only available in Japan for now and has the price of a pure bred at $1700. But when you consider what you pay for vet bills, food, kennels and grooming, you may be saving a lot of money by getting an Aibo instead of a real-life pooch!
Find out more at Sony’s Aibo page.
LG Display Rollable TV
While you may think of portable TVs as small and lower quality, a new portable TV by LG actually is high end. The LG Display Rollable TV rolls down into a base, similar to a window shade. You can roll the TV down when you aren’t watching it to reveal the wall behind it. Roll the TV back up when it’s time to watch a show.
The TV can also roll part way up if you’re watching a movie and need a different screen size. The The screen uses an OLED display and, when fully unrolled, measures 65 inches (165.1 cm).
No word yet on when the LG Rollable Display TV will launch or what the price will be.
Razor Riding Turbo Jetts
If turbo-propelled roller skates sound like a futuristic idea from the Jetsons, you’re right. But you’ll also be surprised to know that these skates were introduced at CES last week.
The Razor Riding Turbo Jetts are motorized roller skates that attach to your shoes. The skates can reach speeds of up to 10 mph/16 kmph and can run for up to 30 minutes on a charge. Only one of the skates has a motor so you can have better control as you whiz through the world.
This video shows how the Jetts work:
Look for them in February at the Razor website for about $130.
Byton Smart Vehicle
A new Chinese car company called Byton, founded by alumni of BMW and Infiniti, used CES to introduce an electric car called an SIV: Smart Intuitive Vehicle. Instead of having gauges, the dashboard has a 4 foot touchscreen for entertainment and productivity. A second touchscreen is embedded in the steering wheel for added controls.
The car’s 71-kWh battery has a range of up to 249 miles, and can be charged up to 80% in 30 minutes. When the Byton comes to market, it will have self-driving capabilities.
Facial recognition is used to unlock the car and adjust the cabin settings. Amazon Alexa is available for voice commands.
The Byton SIV has a projected base price of $45,000, making it a potential competitor with the Tesla Model 3.
See, Tesla Delivers Its First Model 3 — A Game-Changing Electric Car
The company expects to launch its SIV in China in 2019 and in the US in 2020.
Find out more about the SIV at the Byton website.
Your Thoughts
Which of these new tech products from CES is the most interesting to you? Would you like a machine to fold your clothes? Would you like to unlock your car by using your face? Where would you like to see Alexa and Google Assistant appear next?
Share your thoughts in the Comments section below!
A machine to bathe me (dry clean or whatever, should clean me up) and get me ready for work while I sleep. And make Alexa so advanced that she could look do household work too “Alexa, make a coffee for me.” Please!
And I can see mixed content issue on your blog. So, you probably still need to call your social media widgets over SSL.
Hi Narender, Great ideas for future tech. Who knows? Your wish may someday come true at CES!
And your wish has already come true about commanding Alexa to make coffee: Alexa Skill Home Connect Coffee Machine.
Thanks for lettings me know about the issue with image rendering. I have made corrections and now everything should be good.
Ah thank you! But.. “You are not eligible to enable this skill due to geographical restrictions.” So i still need to wait for it to happen for me.
I don’t own one of those coffee machines anyways tho. Probably when this skill becomes available in India.
Hi Narender, That’s why I like the Speak Music Muse. The Muse lets you add Alexa to your car, so you don’t have to buy a new model. It would be great to have a Muse for appliances too, so you could add Alexa to your own coffee maker, washing machine, etc.
Hey Carolyn
such an amazing post about electronics , but you was define about Sony Aibo Dog in great way ,, i really appreciate your effort in this post
Thank you for sharing
Hi Nichy, Thank you for your kind words. I’m glad you like this tech and I hope Sony lowers the price on the Aibo dog and releases it in more countries. It would be fun to have the Aibo dog delight many families!
CES was amazing. I always looking forward for more innovation in the television industry. I am always keen to experience better, bigger and vivid LED panels. LG is doing pretty great in this industry. 8K panel would be something that would definitely going to blow our minds.
Thanks Carolyn for sharing.
Hi Mike, Yes, CES always is exciting, giving us a sneak peak of what’s ahead in our tech future. 8K TV would be amazing, I’m still impressed with 4K TV.