Five things to look out for at the CES tech megashow

After two years of being ravaged by the coronavirus pandemic, the world’s largest tech megashow, CES (Consumer Electronics Show) gets underway in Las Vegas. Organizers are hoping to reclaim the excitement of years ago.

These are the things you should be looking out for in this edition.

How big is it? –

More than 117,000 people attended Las Vegas’ extravaganza in January 2020. This was just weeks before Covid-19 put a lot of the world under lockdown.

The 2021 edition was held virtually. A hybrid version, which was held last year, saw around 40,000 people.

“People are excited about heading back to Las Vegas to attend CES 2023,” stated Gary Shapiro (President of the Consumer Technology Association, organizer of the annual jamboree).

The organizers hope to reach more participants than 100,000.

Auto Show –

This year’s largest ever attendance of auto companies will be at the event. Nearly 300 exhibitors will be grouped in a hall dedicated to them, which will also feature keynote events by Stellantis and BMW.

“This year, it’s going to feel like you’re almost at an auto show,” said Kevan Yalowitz, global software & platforms lead at Accenture, the consultancy.

Although the promise of driverless cars may not be realized immediately, companies will promote innovations that mainly include replacing the human driver.

Software for cars, which can be updated remotely via a smartphone or laptop, will also be a major highlight.

Yalowitz stated that these programs could “tweak user experience (like maintenance or speed limits) at a moment’s notice and identify problems that can be fixed without consumers ever realizing that they have been addressed.”

– Meta’s Metaverse –

The idea that virtual reality would become the internet of the future was dominant at CES 2013. It was accessible through a variety a headgear available from a wide range of companies.

One year later, blind faith in the metaverse is now at risk. This was caused by the difficulties faced by Meta, the company that used to be known as Facebook and which gambled its future building a virtual world for all.

Carolina Milanesi from Creative Strategies said that, despite Meta’s bold bets, the metaverse “is still a niche category just yet”.

She said that virtual worlds will still be a major part of the CES, as Meta and other skeptics continue to try to convert them.

– ‘Connected’ revolution –

A quiet revolution occurred last year away from the headlines. Experts believe it will make an impact on connected devices.

Matter, a new norm was established in October. This means that devices designed for Amazon’s Alexa and Google’s Nest can now be interoperable. It opens up a huge opportunity for developers to innovate and reach the largest audience.

Avi Greengart, Techsponential analyst said that “the first version is out”, a few products have been certified and there will be many more at CES.

He said, “We will see the Matter devices combined with doorbells, vacuum cleaners, and more.”

– Green tech

CES has always stressed the importance of consumer technology in addressing climate change challenges. However, events don’t draw large crowds of connected cars or the most recent gaming devices.

Green tech will have a greater place at CES, and its own space, due to the government’s higher priority for the environment.

Companies will also highlight their sustainability outlook by highlighting recyclable materials in products and low carbon footprint.

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