CES ~ CONSUMER ELECTRONICS SHOW 2023 ~ Highlights

CONSUMER ELECTRONICS SHOW 2023 ~ Highlights Of Some Unique Showings …. BOB SKIDMORE (Please note that Google’s BlogSpot, the provider we use to publish this monthly column, has changed the allowable format style. So, if the column’s format looks a bit strange it’s due to Google and BlogSpot, not THE GADGETEER.) CORRESPONDENT © 2023 BOB SKIDMORE ALL RIGHTS RESERVED Each year manufacturers, distributors, retailers and the media get together in Las Vegas for the annual Consumer Electronics Show. CES, as it’s better known, is an opportunity for inventors to test prototype ideas and manufacturers to show soon to be available new gadgets and products to resellers and the media. 2023 was no different, with the exception that some 115,000+ attended compared to only 45,000 last year caused by COVID. Exhibits increased as well with some 3200 exhibitors showing their wares, up from 2200 in the previous year. CES is also a venue where tech announcements are made. One such announcement came from Delta Airlines with word that FREE Wi-Fi is coming February 1st to initially more than 500 domestic planes. This access will use T-Mobile service with equipment supplied by Viasat, a U. S. based satellite broadband provider, and will be limited to frequent flyer, members only, however anyone can become a frequent flyer SkyMiles member for free. There will be no limit on the number of devices that can be connected to this in-flight Wi-Fi service. International flight access is planned sometime in the future. This service feature has no effect on rules applying to cell phone usage aboard flights…. Automobiles and their gadgets were a large part of the show. German manufacturer, BMW, I Vision Dee, sees a time when your car will allow you to program emotive, human-like faces into the car’s grille via E Ink technology. The entire car will be made up of 240 E Ink panels allowing you to change the color and create patterns in seconds. AI, artificial intelligence, technology will be able to speak to you like a friend. Bear in mind that some of these features are a concept, but some could actually find their way to BMW’s actual cars…. There were plenty of gadgets utilizing “Matter”, an open-source, universal smart home protocol supported by companies like Amazon, Apple, Google, Samsung and many, many others. This protocol consists of a single, Wi-Fi-based standard that bundles together with Alexa, Google Assistant, Siri and SmartThings just to mention a few. Devices using this technology include smart lights, smart plugs, roller blinds and a new SmartThings hub. Later in the year we can expect to see more robot vacuums and smart home cameras incorporating this technology too. Many of these items already exist, but improvements are always coming with upgrades using newly developed technology…. Health technology also had a big presence at CES this year. Two companies, Withings and Vivoo displayed sensors that attach to your toilet bowl to analyze your urine. These sensors can monitor nutrient levels, hormones and much more. Another company, Casana, showed a Heart Seat that’s designed to monitor your heart rate, blood oxygen and blood pressure while you sit on the smart toilet seat during extrication. Nuralogix, announced a process to use AI to measure your blood pressure, heart rate and much more by simply analyzing your face from a selfie. Valencell, showed a blood pressure fingertip sensor without the use of a traditional cuff. Hearing aids were also on display since the FDA’s recent approval of over-the-counter sales of hearing aid devices. Some makes and models can even double as earbuds….

Samsung showed an 8K projector known as The Premiere. It can turn any wall into a screen as big as 150” diagonally. Makes for the possibility of large screen displays in tight areas such as apartments, RV’s and mobile homes. This design simply sits on any small table that’s placed against the screen wall and shoots the image in an upward direction thus displaying the video on the wall…. Samsung also introduced their ICX system known as Ready Care. This system uses sensors to measure a driver’s drowsiness and will employ driver-facing infrared cameras to monitor their status. Naturally, this system is expected to interface with Samsung’s many other products such as Galaxy Watch. While we’re speaking of watches, Citizen displayed a smartwatch that can gauge fatigue…. Without question, CES 2023 had many innovative devices and gadgets on display, too many to highlight here. Please remember, some of these items show what the future may hold, but don’t expect to see all of them in stores any time soon. Who really knows what the future holds? The manufacturers and customer interest will dictate this and thus make it happen! Graphic credits: CES Bob Skidmore is a freelance writer, who may be contacted at bskidmore@mac.com, or followed at twitter.com/bskidmore for the latest gadget industry news. He does not represent, or endorse any of the products he reviews and his opinions are solely his points of view and not those of the manufacturer, or any legal resource. The manufacturer generally supplies products and press releases at no cost for the articles and no other compensation is received. THE GADGETEER is highly selective as to products he feels worthy of review so as not to waste the reader’s time, thus the reason for many superior ratings. ## Check out Bob’s Twitter page for up to the minute gadget news. Available at: https://twitter.com/bskidmore