CES 2018 Top Picks

     

                        Picture Credit: Review Jornal

     Hello, fellow Steemians! I hope all is well. With CES coming to a close yesterday, I want to hear about some of your top picks from the convention. Personally, I think there was there was more excitement and hype about it all last year, but we’ve seen some pretty great stuff from CES this year. For example, Intel’s amazing drone light display at the Fountains of Bellagio has got to win the best show award hands down. A whopping 250 Intel shooting-star drones grazed the sky with 4 billion color combinations. The goal? To show us that there is always time to stop and take in the moment and awe of technology. Being set to the tune “Stargazing” by Kygo was, in my opinion, a perfect choice. It not only brought us into reflection, but tugged on our heartstrings. “Look up for love,” the lyrics croon--reminding us to remain positive of the future. If you missed it, I’ll be dropping the link down at the bottom, so make sure you check it out! Anyway, here a few of my other favorite moments at CES this year:

ROBOTICS: Aeolus vs. Kuri-bot

     Deciding on my favorite robot was so difficult because there were a lot of good ones on display. Aeolus has the latest home solution: a butler-bot of sorts dedicated to cleaning and serving. For the “low” price of $20,000, this robot will fetch drinks from your fridge, sweep your house, pick up clutter, find your glasses, and even monitor your house for familiar faces. Sounds great, right? Unfortunately, one down side to the display is that it only showed limited motion and a single aspect of the robot’s functionality, not its entire design. However, if  the Aeolus robot can meet the date, it should have full capabilities.
     By contrast, Kuri presents a robot with practical home monitoring functionality. Rolled out at last year’s CES, this cute little fella comes equipped with speakers that can be controlled remotely. Ever want to take a walk-through of your house while you’re gone? What about wake your kids up from the comfort of your bed? The Kuri robot may just be your solution. It also comes equipped with a sensor that will alarm you by e-mail if it detects anything or anybody unusual. Sounds cool, right? Coming in at a high price of $799, the Kuri robot is a little pricey, but at least it’s already shipping out.
     Overall, my pick for robotics has to be the Kuri robot. If you can afford it, not only has its functionality been demonstrated -- you can already get it! The Aeolus may be top dog in robo-butlering someday, but even if it were shipping out, the $20,000 price tag is just not realistic for a robot in the average home.

(Check out The Mac Observer's  coverage on the robot here. 

COMPUTER TECH:

      Razer Mamba and Firefly combo The most impressive computer accessory is Razer’s hot new Mamba mouse and its partner, the FireFly mousepad. For any serious PC gamer tired of being dragged down by cords or batteries, this accessory combo is an absolute must. Together, they form a wireless mouse that never needs charged. Containing no battery, the Mamba is even lightweight. The FireFly comes with an interchangeable surface to satisfy gamers who like the speed of hard shell versus the precision of a soft pad. A choice product for professional gamers, they claim no input lag time and utilize top of the line sensors. Pick up one of these bad boys for a meager $250. Its release date is planned for the end of March.

TRANSPORTATION: 

                              Picture Credit: CNET

      Toyota Autonomous E-PaletteLooking like the lovechild of a car and toaster, Toyota’s new line may be the most futuristic look in the transportation industry. From ride-sharing to pizza delivery, this transporter has the potential to really shake things up. But just what is it? Imagine if Amazon had to make 10 deliveries to a block. This baby pulls up equipped with deployable Amazon-issued droids that drop packages directly to customers’ doors. Ready for the next block, they return to base, and roll out for the next mission. Projections are aiming this will be on the streets by 2020-- but why not 2018? I need this in my life now.

WEARABLES: 

      Sgnl wristbandCool and admittedly a little freaky, this tracker is innovative to the wearable fitness tracker market. This band sends vibrations up your hand and through to your finger, allowing you to hear transmitted by touching your ear. With Bluetooth capability, you can connect your phone and listen to music or calls that may come in. According to this reviewer, it works surprisingly well. But I have to wonder, does the band also have a microphone, or do you have to pull out your phone to talk? If you already have a fitness tracker-- don't worry, they have an attachment to transform your hand into a phone as well. This is the final version of the project, and Sgnl will be released to its Kickstarter backers this year. Check out this demo by Engadget.

     There you have it, my favorites for CES 2018. Please let me know what you think, but more importantly, I want to know what your CES highlights are!

If you missed it check here for the official video of Intel's drone show.