Here are some key highlights from the 2016 Consumer Electronics Show, which concluded Saturday:
— Wearable technology probed deeper to get more data about health, while making inroads into the medical field: diagnosing conditions and even offering treatment for pain and other ailments. Shoes measured steps and shirts kept tabs on heart rates. French-based health group VisioMed introduced its Bewell Connect “virtual checkup though a smartphone app that communicates with its connected blood pressure and glucose monitor, thermometer and blood oxygen sensor.
— The Internet of Things showed spectacular growth from products like a smart mirror from Haier that delivers news and weather and connects to other appliances, and connected spoons and diet scales. Samsung unveiled a smart refrigerator that lets its owner use a smartphone to virtually peer inside and see what should be on a shopping list.
— Startups turned attention to ways to tap into the brain. A “mind control” headband unveiled by startup BrainCo effectively hacks into brain signals with a range of possible applications — from helping to improve attention spans, to detecting disease, controlling smart home appliances or even a prosthetic device.
— Automakers moved to connect not only to the smartphone, but to the smart home and other parts of the digital life. Ford teamed with Amazon to link up the carmaker’s Sync vehicle hub with the online giant’s smart home hub called Echo.
— Virtual reality spread beyond video games to touch sex, sports, sales and space exploration. Facebook-owned Oculus began taking pre-orders for its eagerly-anticipated Rift VR headsets at a price of $599, and CES was rife with companies scrambling to field competing devices or content that could draw people into faux worlds.
— Google and Lenovo announced plans to produce the first consumer handset using the computing giant’s Project Tango 3-D technology. The device set to launch worldwide later this year aims for a new generation of smart devices that can be used for indoor mapping, augmented reality and more.
— The 4K high-definition television format became the standard base for manufacturers, which showcased thinner and more spectacular displays for those willing to pay the price. The Consumer Technology Association, the trade group behind CES, said one in every five televisions sold this year is expected to be 50 inches or more, measured diagonally, and feature ultra high-definition 4K resolution.
— Netflix stunned the show with the announcement that it added 130 new countries for its streaming TV service to bring its total to 190, calling it “the birth of a new global Internet TV network.” India will be one of the new markets for Netflix, which is still studying ways to get into China.
Copyright Agence France-Presse, 2016
