By Gadjo Cardenas Sevilla
Now that International CES 2014 is over and done with, we’re left with a taste of what’s likely to come in the near future. Here are some emerging tech trends we spotted from the show.
New Mobile Entrants
The current crop of mobile manufacturers are soon getting competition from the most unlikely places. Companies that were fringe players who created components or cellular network equipment are now making waves with their own products and testing them in emerging markets. They will likely start invading North America and Europe with their new devices selling at competitive prices. We’re talking about manufacturers like Lenovo, ZTE, Huawei, Asus, Archos, Oppo and others have shown off compelling products and are set to make a big splash when their new smartphones come to market.
Intel’s new processors are changing the game
Intel is catching up to ARM processors from Qualcomm and NVIDIA with their own energy-efficient yet sufficiently powerful mobile processors. The result is that we can now run full-versions of Windows 8.1 in smaller form-factors such as tablets as well as having Intel-powered smartphones. What this means is the democratization of Windows into newer, cheaper form factors which may attract more users. We already have 8-inch Windows 8.1 tablets from Dell, Lenovo and others that are professional-grade, generally affordable and offer the full-range of classic Windows apps in the most portable device.
Wearables are the new Wild West
There’s a ton of devices in the $100 price point catering to the ‘quantified life’ that help track our activities, diet, fitness levels and even sleep quality. We have the first batch of smartwatches that interface with smartphones in order to push notifications and alerts in the market now, but they still lack any true innovation. Intelligent heads up displays like Google Glass are starting to surface but they’re either super expensive or limited in functionality. Google still has the advantage in terms to having an evolved product but since it’s not for general consumption, upstart companies are scampering to release their own versions on wearable computers.
Smart Car technologies surge
CES has also become quite the car show with various vehicle manufacturers highlighting new features and technologies to set their models apart from the pack. What was evident this year is the move to self-driving cars is getting much closer. Various car companies demoed self-parking cars that can parallel-park themselves quickly and efficiently. The automotive side of CES also showcased Android coming to cars, the availability of 4G-LTE internet in vehicles and increased connectivity for navigation and in-car entertainment.
These are some of the more outstanding trends that are likely to continue through the year.
