Wednesday, January 25, 2017
Thousands of tech companies descended on Las Vegas for CES 2017 this week to show off what they think youll buy in the coming year
Thousands of tech companies descended on Las Vegas for CES 2017 this week to show off what they think youll buy in the coming year
Although we saw more of what dominated the tech scene last year -- smart home products, wearables and enough Amazon Echo partnerships to make your head spin -- some new products shined brightly above the rest.
From an underwater drone to the car of the future, heres a look at what impressed us most.
1. Toyota Concept-i
Toyota unveiled a concept car to highlight its vision for what cars may look like in 2030. With see-through glass doors, wheels built directly into the body and a bright white interior and exterior, the future is looking pretty sleek.
While youd think wed be riding in self-driving vehicles by then, the car isnt fully autonomous. Toyota believes youll still want to drive yourself around 14 years from now.
2. Willow breast pump
3. PowerRay drone
The high-flying trend will (once again) be out in full force in 2017. We saw pocket-sized drones and ones that follow you around, but PowerVisions underwater drone -- called the PowerRay -- took a clever approach by bringing the concept down under. The waterproof drone can swim 30 meters below water and uses sonar to help recreational fisherman better track fish.
Thanks to built-in Wi-Fi, the drone sends alerts to users back on land when fish are nearby. Itll even capture 4K video and photos, so you can replay the moment you caught your dinner.
Official pricing hasnt been announced, but it will be in the $3,000 range. Pre-orders start in February.
4. Moro robot
The Moro robot does all of your chores, such as pouring drinks, picking up groceries and folding laundry. At about four feet tall, the white cylindrical robot -- with arms but no face or eyes -- moves in all directions. The system includes voice and facial recognition technology to take task requests and learn who is commanding it over time. Theres no official launch date, but it comes with a hefty $30,000 price tag.
5. Vuzix glasses
Vuzix wants to succeed where Google Glass failed. The companys sunglasses pair with Android devices and display whats on the screen in the right lens. You can watch videos, get directions and read text messages via the small projected image is small. The glasses can be controlled with your voice or a touch pad on the right stem. The left lens is for snapping photos through its built-in camera. The Vuzix glasses will launch in the second half of 2017. Price is still unknown.
6. Little Fish smart speaker
Baidus Little Fish smart speaker has potential to be the Amazon Echo of China. The Chinese technology company, often referred to as the Google (GOOGL, Tech30) of China, announced a device with a built-in screen that can control appliances, music and connected devices.
Baidu uses its own AI tech and doesnt rely on Amazons Alexa system like other smart speaker assistants (were looking at you, Lenovo). Price and availability hasnt yet been announced.
7. Lego coding kit woooooo
Tech isnt just for adults. Lego launched an innovative building and coding set that brings movement to Legos. Kids can build five different smart toy models, including a cat, robot and guitar, with the help of sensors and motors. The kit works alongside a corresponding app, which features 60 coding activities. Its also possible to add voice recordings via the app to give toys the ability to speak.
Available link for download
