CES 2020: Here We Are Again

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Here we are again at what is probably the largest and most fascinating technology event globally—CES. It is hard for me to believe that as a post-semi-retirement activity for me, I have been attending and writing about CES for over 20 years. The progress that has taken place is immense, and the rate of change has also accelerated.

First, I will share some CES statistics. This year, the estimates are that over 4,400 exhibiting companies are using exhibit space of more than 2.9 million net square feet spread across all buildings and floors of the Las Vegas Convention Center as well as the Sands Convention Center, numerous hotels, and other locations. With total attendance approaching 200,000 people, CES continues to grow.

This first article will cover the highlights of the key events leading up to the show floor opening on Tuesday morning. There is much happening before the doors to the exhibition open. Yes, you must get to Vegas, get checked in and organized, pick up your press badge, and if you are media, you will want to head to a pre-show event. The largest media event is on pre-show day one, and one of the more interesting events is CES Unveiled, which takes place on Sunday evening. Many of the best new ideas and offerings are being shown there.

This first event provides an excellent opportunity for companies to exhibit and get coverage for new devices and ideas. The latest tech for consumers is in fitness and medical tracking as well as transportation, entertainment, wireless and smart home devices, and just about anything else, including connected baby diapers warning you on your phone when a diaper change is necessary.

CES Unveiled is crowded, but a good way to see as much as you can is to have a list of those you definitely want to see and peruse the aisles, stopping to speak with the exhibitors showing things that interest you. This year, smart home devices were in vogue with fewer drones, cellphones, and associated devices than I recall from previous years.

Exhibit Highlights

Some of the exhibits that grabbed my attention this year include the following.

Nanoleaf’s united light panels are hexagon-shaped panels that you can place on a wall in any design you wish and set patterns and colors to suit your mood. It’s not high-tech, but there were many admirers.

Clario is a new way to fight cyber-crime through a comprehensive and intuitive multi-platform app. It covers all protection needs in one and provides a simple interface, integrating on-hand, 24/7 security experts. It gives real-time protection against digital threats (malware, ransomware, spyware), money loss, breaches of personal information and identity theft, device security, data privacy, and more.

Clario’s simplified approach makes powerful security features seamlessly accessible through a single app powered by some of the world’s most sophisticated and trusted security providers, including BitDefender and NordVPN. It can be displayed on a desktop, laptop, tablet, or phone. Clario offers users a refreshing and strictly jargon-free product.

CookingPal is a pioneer in smart kitchen solutions and introduced Julia—an intelligent, autonomous cooking system that makes delicious meals materialize with minimal effort. The Julia system is comprised of a smart kitchen hub that suggests meals and provides step-by-step guides for following recipes and a smart kitchen appliance that takes the work out of preparing dishes with the ability to carry out a myriad of cooking tasks.

Reliefband is an FDA-cleared, clinically proven, wearable technology for use in the prevention and treatment of nausea and vomiting. Reliefband has been FDA-approved for the prevention and treatment of nausea and vomiting associated with morning sickness and chemotherapy and as an adjunct to antiemetics to treat post-operative nausea.

04/05/2023 | Nolan Johnson, I-Connect007

Hot on the heels of the news that U.S. President Biden signed a presidential determination in support of the printed circuit board industry, I-Connect007’s Nolan Johnson spoke with David Schild, executive director of the Printed Circuit Board Association of America, about some of the expected implications. David points out, among other things, that this signals increased momentum with government and defense to support U.S.-based printed circuit manufacturing, and the possibility that a renewed interest in the industry by private financing could possibly follow.

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