CES 2017: Press Day, LaunchIt and Showstoppers

Estimated reading time: 11 minutes

OK, let’s get back to the list of notable observations: 

3. Intel announced that they have “joined forces with the world's leaders in automated design and technology to pave the way for self-driving cars. With investments and expertise in a broad set of in-vehicle and cloud technologies, connectivity, safety and security features, and deep learning assets, Intel is uniquely positioned to turn the dream of automated driving into a reality.” My immediate thought was does that mean that Intel is now catching up with or staying ahead of NVIDIA in the autonomous car universe? It was not that many years ago, that they were not even in the same universe. How things evolve. 

Intel is adding to the uses of VR with its new Volke technology. Historically, the footage of what spectators can watch from a live event is limited to whatever broadcasters have chosen to air, which is further limited by the camera operators’ angle. New VR technology by Volke VR, recently acquired by Intel, is immersing fans into basketball and football games, allowing them to see the game from any nearly angle on the field.” 

Of course, Intel is constantly pushing the envelope with updated CPUs, the heart of any powerful PC, and they are announcing advances in the upcoming next generation of connectivity, 5G. Intel states, “In the next few years, 5G will fundamentally transform our lives, bringing us a society and environment where everything is smarter and more connected. From smart cities to intelligent wind farms, agriculture, and hospitals, the Internet of Things and connected infrastructures will generate zettabytes of data from an estimated 50 billion devices.” 

4. ASUS—Asus seemed to want to focus on their new Zen and Zen AR smartphones. Yes, 8Gb of RAM in a phone is exciting but if the focus is on more games on a smartphone and even VR from a phone, I find myself yawning. One thing that Asus is showing, even if it was not a key focus, is their new monitor, the Design Curve MX38VQ, a massive 37.5-inch monitor with a 2300R curved IPS panel that boasts ultra-wide QHD (3840x1600) resolution. The MX38VQ also features a Harman Kardin branded 8-watt stereo speaker system and Qi wireless charging base built into the stand. Monitors are in full transition from the standard TV 1080p standard, finally. For those of us who never embraced 1080p have been considering 4Kor other interim technologies waiting for the next standard. This unit is a big positive step in the right direction. 

5. Mobile help and Medical—A few of many medical IoT devices. Two companies, and Medical and Mobile help, have teamed up. These are devices for managing patients even at home. They address chronic care with 86% of medical costs in the U.S. spent on chronic disease. These and the very many other medical IoT devices being announced help to get individuals to assist with managing their own care. They also offer a connected weight scale. Plusses are affordability; usability in connected as well as non-connected mode; design—does not look like a medical device, which is considered a plus for some. Today, a patient with one of these devices is monitored while at home throughout the day, enabling any events to be caught in advance. 

6. Many other medical alarms and monitors are being introduced and these can be life savers for some of the highest risk patients. Medical alarms gather BP, weight and other vitals and sends the information to the caregiver each day. For now, however, they only run on the Android platform. The nurse or caregiver immediately contacts patient if data is outside of safe parameters. The patient can video conference and call for help if needed and can also communicate with their family. The subscriber fee for this service is about $50/month. 

7. Royole was showing flexible design and flexible sensors. Human machine interface displays and smart devices (such as VR headsets), 0.001 mm very thin flexible display, the screen was an amazing, very thin and transparent screen. This allows a flex phone that can be bent around and worn on your wrist. Car dashboards flow with the curves of the dash instead of a flat panel. Also, flex signs on the rear of a cyclist’s backpack. Royal moon also announced an advanced VR headset for use with TV, movies, games, etc. It will be available from Amazon this month. 

Showstoppers offered two events—Launch.it as well as the Showstoppers mini CES for press only show.

Launch.It

ShowStoppers has been running this Shark Tank-like competition for the past five years. At CES they allow the finalists to make a short presentation and demo their technology and products. The contestants are then questioned by a panel of distinguished judges and the event is open to individual discussions between the contestants and the press, as well as interested investors. 

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