CES moved their schedule to be held from Thur – Sun, which meant that the tradeshow was sandwiched between Agenda Long Beach and Outdoor Retailer this year. With only a day and a half to walk the show floor I focused on many of the accessories and gadgets rather than completely new brands or technology and unfortunately missed the Sands Expo section altogether. Here’s what I came to find.
Goal Zero has introduced their first gas generator, the Yeti Fuel, to add to their robust line-up of solar and electric power banks. The Yeti Fuel is designed to provide power in an efficient way when the use of solar isn’t readily available. The integrated ecosystem is packed with power saving features as it can sense when the battery is full and automatically shut itself off conserve gas.
They also launched the new Yeti Lithium charging solutions, new generators with improvements over the previous models such as a smart digital screen for monitoring energy consumption, faster charging times, less weight, a more powerful AC inverter, and the ability to daisy chain the batteries for longer run times.
Propel Star Wars Battle Drones
Propel unveiled their Star Wars licensed battle drones. Four styles from the original trilogy are offered with a speeder bike, an X-Wing, a TIE fighter and the Millennium Falcon. The drones feature four rotors capable of accelerating from zero to 30 MPH in three seconds, with peak speeds of up to 35 MPH. The drones are equipped with laser-tag technology to shoot your enemy down from the sky as you battle each other (up to 24 players at once).
Razer introduced the first triple display laptop. The 12K display is powered by an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 GPU and supporting NVIDIA Surround View with a whopping resolution of 11520 x 2160. The portable laptop gives you access to three 4K displays on the go, which are deployed automatically in seconds.
Thule showcased their new additions to the Subterra collection line of gadget friendly bags alongside their durable iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus cases. As expected the bags are very sleek and designed with both form and function in mind making it easy to transition from work to play to travel with the same bag. They also had the Allroad Outfitters Audi complete with an Audi motorsports heritage livery.
Incase impressed with the first showing of their new smart collection of luggage. Two new carry-on bags (one hard shell and one soft shell) are equipped with power stations, multiple USB-C ports, and a removable battery pack. I look forward to putting these to the test (hopefully) soon.
Along with the smart luggage, Incase also featured their new collaboration collection with Kaskade that includes a headphone case, carry-on, backpack, iPhone 7 and 7 Plus cases, portable power, SD Card Wallet, Passport Wallet, and a Cable Accessory Bag.
Incipio featured their award winning CommandKit Wireless Smart Wall Switch and Wireless Smart Power Strip that lets you power four devices and can turn a device into a Homekit-controlled accessory. The wireless smart power strip has four outlets that can be controlled via Siri and Alexa voice commands. With Apple HomeKit compatibility you can use your iPhone or iPad to also control the outlets. It will also track the energy usage of whatever you’re plugging into it.
Braven introduced their next generation of rugged outdoor speakers with the Ready line. The speakers are optimized for adventure being water-resistant, shockproof, and have built-in powerbanks and Bluetooth® Smart integration. The speakers can be controlled via an app for ease of use and convenience.
Lifeproof featured their waterproof, impact absorbing options for their line of iPhone cases including the NUUD and FRE for the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus. The slim design gives that extra piece of mind for your smart phone in the case of drops, while offering additional protection from the elements and a touch of color. And for those looking for more versatility the LifeActiv accessories work seamlessly with their cases (technically with any case) to provide quickmount options while you workout, bike, or for those that like belt mounts. I personally will be giving the Armband a try, while I work to lose this dad bod.
Catalyst showcased their new iPhone 7, 7 Plus and Apple Watch Series 2 line of products, which increase the waterproof capabilities of the previous generation of products. They introduced a solution for the 38mm and 42mm Apple Watch 2, transforming it into a rugged, waterproof, watch built to withstand the elements. For iPad owners you may be interested in the waterproof cases that provides extra protection to those expensive devices.
myCharge displayed an assortment of new portable power solutions that really caught my attention. With so many great products on display its tough to know where to begin…so here’s a quick run down.
First the Adventure series of portable power includes 3 USB ports and an AC outlet to power items from your smart phone to a television. The portable charger is splash resistant, drop resistant, and dirt proof ensuring you have power while in the great outdoors.
The Home and Go Plus is another great solution as its not only portable, but has a built-in plug for quick charging at home, no more wasting time or valuable USB ports to re-charge the charger.
A couple other options include the Razor Platinum line – thin and sleek and comes in multiple finishes and can power a MacBook in 100 minutes via the USB-C port, Power Brick, HubMax – various sizes and finishes with AC plug for quick charging, Charging Hub – allows to charge up to 3 devices at once, and the PowerGear Sound for charging wireless earbuds such as the PowerBeats 2.
BlueLounge showcased their collection of home and office organization solutions. I’ve been a fan of theirs for a few years having used their CableDrop daily. They added a CableDrop Mini and CableDrop Multi, which will be added to my list of office essentials.
The Cableyoyo is an earbud wire organizer that keeps the wires from tangling. It can also be used for other cables such as the Apple Lightning cable.
What really stood out is their Quick Peek system. Collectors and hoarders alike will be impressed by what they created. The system is actually quite genius. You simply pay for the 32 self-adhesive smart labels for $9.95 and use the free app. The app allows you to track what is inside each box that you adhere a label to. You can label the contents within the app, snap photos, and even assign a location for the item. Then using the app you can search for the item without having to open multiple boxes. Imagine this for sneaker collectors, hot wheels hoarders, or even if you’re moving or storing items – you now are able to quickly see and manage the contents inside.
Concept Cars
Each year CES brings out manufacturers to show off their latest innovations and technology to showcase the future of automotive.
Toyota Concept-1
Faraday Future
Mercedes Vision Van
Nissan
Battle of TV supremacy
The winners in my opinion were Sony, Samsung, and LG (in no particular order). They each showcased very impressive televisions loaded with new technology including QLED, Nano Cell, and improved HDR that made me want to upgrade my current flat screen situation.
Sony showcased the Bravia A1 Series OLED with Dolby Vision HDR tech support and will come in 65″ and 77″ sizes. The television was as thin as it gets and the black levels were amazing along with the vibrant color. What was unique is the sound, which aren’t from conventional speakers, but rather from their “Acoustic Surface” sound technology, in which the entire screen resonates with rich sound emanating directly from the screen itself.
Samsung debuted QLED, an evolution of their Quantum Dot technology with move vivid and bright colors along with crushing blacks. Three ranges will be made available with two flat and one curved.
LG has an impressive OLED-W television (65″ and 77″) that is a mere 2.57mm thick and can hang on the wall using magnets. The OLED TV is 25% brighter than previous iterations. They also had one of the more impressive experiences showcasing their technology as you enter their booth.