January 14, 2013
One of the world's most glamorous and most important technology shows has wrapped up in Las Vegas and one thing is clear. The future is all about bigger, better and more connected than ever.
Technology enthusiasts gathered by the thousands for CES 2013. And what they got was eye-opening.
Bigger TVs. 3-D TVs. TV screens that are curved.
LG's Pete Hollenhorst says curved is better. “It eliminates any distortion that you see. I’m seeing with both eyes in a very natural environment, that same 180 degrees that we normally see," he said.
Tablet computers are also getting bigger, like this one from Lenovo, which can replace the traditional family board game.
Other video screens are designed to look and feel more like paper.
Products are getting tougher, too. Kip Walls with Panasonic said, “This machine [the new ToughPad B-1] is rated for a five-foot [almost 2 meters] drop to a hard surface. You can use it in the shower.”
Because in the end, says LG's Katie Krauss, technology is becoming all about the convenience of being constantly connected.
“Allowing our consumers to live without boundaries. Essentially, do things on a smartphone they never thought possible," he said.
Even in the kitchen, where your new refrigerator can send a shopping list to your phone, get discounts, plan the meal and tell the stove to start cooking...
Of course, you might be tempted to eat too much, so there's Hapi Fork, which can tell your smartphone if you are eating too much, too fast.
Phillipe Montiero is cofounder of Hapi Labs said, “The slower you eat, the less you eat, as a matter of fact. You give time to your brain to send the message, oh, I’m full. I don’t need to eat anymore.”
And if you worry the kids are too addicted to technology, there's iBitz, which connects to your smartphone, to get them moving.
GeoPalz's Zan O'Leary said, “It’s a Tamagotchi-like character they get to keep alive based on physical activity. So the more physical activity they have, the more things they can do with their character.”
How is all this interconnected technology supposed to make you feel? There's technology for that, too.