What to expect from 2019's biggest tech show?

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This year's tech extravaganza, the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), will take place from January 8 to 11 in Las Vegas.

Featuring 4,500 exhibitors across 250,000 square meters of exhibition space, the biggest tech carnival of the year will impress you with thousands of futuristic innovations.

Smart gadgets, still a major focus

A woman experiencing a FLIR Virtual Reality Simulator during the CES in Las Vegas, Nevada, January 7, 2017. /VCG Photo

Visitors are likely to see more dazzling TV screens, intuitive robots, a range of voice-activated devices, and folding or roll-up smartphone displays.

Also on display will be refinements to autonomous transportation and gadgets taking advantage of 5G, or fifth-generation wireless networks.

Much ado about data

There will be a focus on artificial intelligence (AI) that can "personalize" a user's experience with a device, or even predict what someone is seeking, whether it's music or medical care.

But because this ecosystem is built around data, confidence has been eroded by scandals involving Facebook, Google and other guardians of private information.

"The public is wary because of recent events," said Roger Kay, analyst and consultant with Endpoint Technologies Associates. "I think the industry will be slowed by this skepticism."

Carolina Milanesi, an analyst with Creative Strategies, said, "You'll definitely hear people talk about security more, and really looking at how you secure the data," at the CES.

Polaroid OneStep 2 future concept instant cameras on display at the Las Vegas Convention Center during the CES 2018 in Las Vegas, January 12, 2018. /VCG Photo

AI and personalization

The auto sector will again have a major presence at the CES with most major manufacturers on hand, some with prototypes of self-driving vehicles.

Japanese carmaker Honda will be showing an "autonomous work vehicle" which can be configured for search and rescue operations, firefighting and other uses.

An autonomous Mercedes-Benz Smart Vision EQ concept car with no steering wheels or pedals on display at the CES in Las Vegas, Nevada, January 12, 2018. /VCG Photo

Other exhibitors will be showing technology designed to serve as the "brains" of self-driving vehicles, not only for navigation but to create a better, more personalized "user experience" for travelers.

The show includes startups offering "predictive" health care solutions designed to anticipate the kind of care senior citizens may need.

Facial recognition, which is already being used on many smartphones, will be incorporated into vehicles, doorbells and security systems as part of efforts to increase personalization and improve security.

Consumer products group Procter & Gamble, making its first appearance at the CES, will demonstrate ways to use facial recognition and AI for improved skin care and beauty recommendations.

Source(s): AFP