January 14, 2016
4 minute read
CES 2016 finished this weekend in Las Vegas and we were treated to some interesting and innovative new technologies at this year’s rendition of the event. We’ve compiled a list that details some of the most intriguing technologies we’ve heard about at this years event, from Smart Refrigerators, to Personal transportation, and wearable translators to retro film making.
Samsung Family Hub Refrigerator
- Pictures of the inside of your fridge on your smartphone every time the door is closed
- The ability to buy groceries using the 21.5 inch touch screen on your fridge
- Leave notes for your family members right on the touch screen, or send them directly to their phone
- Display your family calendar in real time from your smartphone on your fridge
- Play music or watch TV right on your fridge or connect your own Bluetooth speakers to the system.
There are some great and useful features packed into the Samsung Family Hub Refrigerator, but at $5000 the price is most likely out of the typical homeowners range. The wonderful thing about technology though, is that over time costs decrease. As technology improves the manufacturing process the cost of items such as the Family Hub Refrigerator moves down. We are looking forward to seeing this technology make it’s way into a more competitive price range and helping make everyday tasks a little easier.
The Refrigerator Announcement at starts at 3:09
Segway Advanced Personal Robot
Is this the first robot that we see more widely used around the world? I think it could be because it serves multiple purposes. We’ve seen people on Segways, and some people use robots to help with a few everyday tasks, but combining them together allows you to take your Robot anywhere with you. In fact you might just bring it along cause it’s easier to get where you’re going than if you left it at home! With a maximum travel distance of 30km’s and a speed of 18km’s per hour you can essentially take your robot with you for 1 hour in any direction up to about 15km’s away. That means going to the grocery store, to the mall, and many other places with your personal assistant quickly and easily. The real tell tale sign for me that this product could end up being useful are the companies behind it. Intel, Segway and Xiaomi have teamed up to create this robot butler and I expect they will continue to make advancements in this field especially with voice recognition and directions.
ili Wearable Translator
Many of us have been in a situation where we are trying to communicate with someone who doesn’t speak our language. It often requires a lot of patience and hand gestures to get the message across. We’ve seen some translation technologies become more prevalent with the advancements in Google Translate, including offline translation, but this is the first wearable with that technology. With just one click you can speak into the device and it will translate and repeat your words in your desired language. Currently the languages supported are English, Chinese and English.
The Xcooter Urban Rider
A fold-able electric scooter that allows you to travel up to 15 miles on one charge at a maximum speed of 17 miles per hour. The name leaves something to be desired as feels almost forced given the X shape of the scooter itself, not to mention it’s ties to other products from the early 2000’s. Overall reviews have been quite positive for the product itself though, with the ability to fold up in 1 second, shocks, headlights, brake lights, and comfortable to ride. The Xcooter is currently available for a pre-order price of $1499 with an estimated ship date for early summer this year.
Kodak Super 8mm Film Camera
Kodak is claiming a renaissance in film and in this case specifically for video. They have created a super 8 camera with the modern updates of digital device. The idea behind this product is to reach back to the roots of film making that many of the great directors and filmmakers of our time started with and make those products accessible again. The combination of digital updates such as a viewfinder, audio recording, and digital display to show what you are shooting allows the modern filmmaker to create videos in a familiar way, but recorded on the 8mm film.
My favourite part about this product is it’s ability to combine new and old. Too often we hear how well things we’re made in past generations, and that those qualities have been lost today. This type of mix allows us to combine the warmth of film with the ease of digital technologies. I hope they are able to continue combing these types of products in the future.
Thanks for reading!