The digital transformation is impacting every part of our lives, shifting our world at a breakneck pace. Last week's Consumer Electronics Show showcased innovative new products from dozens of tech companies whose collective goal is to revolutionize our daily lives. The flood of new products can be overwhelming, but these new devices grow the internet of things, allowing us to do less while they do more.
AMD Ryzen 4000 Mobile
In the digital age, workflows are shifting away from being exclusively handled at the office. Workers around the world design, brainstorm, and process files on the go filling the nooks and crannies of the day. AMD's new Ryzen 4000 mobile processor is the world's most advanced laptop processor, providing a substantial power boost to laptops and tablets in the coming months. The standout feature is the size of the chip itself. Packing more cores into a smaller package, the newest laptops taking advantage of this technology are ultrathin powerhouses. The newest machines will tackle everything from rendering to gaming at a higher quality than anything previously seen on an ultrathin device.
Samsung's "Ballie" Personal AI Assistant
Siri and Alexa have become deeply ingrained in the routines of millions around the world as the AI-powered personal assistants have risen to fame over the past few years. Samsung's assistant, Bixby, has been unable to gain much traction with users since launching in 2017. Ballie, on the other hand, has potential. Completely integrated with the Internet of Things, Ballie is an in-home personal assistant. From helping with your morning workout to entertaining pets while you're away, Ballie has it handled. An onboard camera allows for enhanced usability as compared to simple personal assistants, providing an inside look at your home while you're away. Finally, perhaps the best feature of all, it closely resembles BB-8 (a very important feature).
Smart Cities
The industry has seen the advent of "smart" devices of every size. From the "Smart Watch" to the "Smart Home," the technology in our lives has been advancing at a rapid pace. Toyota is ready to take strides towards making that a reality with plans for entire Smart Cities. Buildings, cars, watches, phones – all connected through high-speed wireless 5G internet. Energy-saving sensors and a connected system of autonomous cars are just two concepts. Toyota is taking an aggressive approach, breaking ground on a roughly 16-acre prototype city of the future that integrates autonomous car systems, in-home AI assistants, and more.
Samsung Sero TV
Some love it, others hate it – vertical video. The advent of Tik Tok and IGTV, in combination with a global firestorm of mobile content consumption, has solidified the vertical format as one that's here to stay. Until now, black sidebars have cramped the viewing experience for those watching on a traditional 16:9 monitor. Now, Samsung's Sero TV monitors the content orientation, automatically rotating to fit each video's needs. This new tech is geared toward younger audiences to match their vertical viewing habits. However, Samsung's new display has the potential to revolutionize office waiting rooms, meeting areas, gyms, and more as developers and content creators begin to integrate new tech into their content plans.
Foldable Screens
2019's debut of consumer-grade foldable screens wasn't as smooth as many industry professionals would have hoped (sorry, Samsung). That initial wave was just the beginning, as tech giants at CES have rolled out plans for integrating foldable technology not only into more phones, but also tablets and laptops as well. Lenovo's ThinkPad X1 Fold is the world's first truly foldable laptop. At the same time, TCL's prototype phone is reportedly undercutting the price of competing foldable devices to cater to the price-minded market. Individuals and businesses are always on the prowl for the newest devices to optimize their workflows and boost efficiency. Constant research and improvements are being made, pushing foldable technology towards wider adoption in every sector.
The most incredible aspect of everything shown at CES 2020 is that these innovative devices are laying the foundation for more research and development. As folding screens, robotic assistants, and advanced monitors become ingrained into our daily lives, the newest groundbreaking tech coming to shake up the digital continuum is already on the horizon.
