0107-ctt-CES-lo

 [Image credit] NVIDIA; Flickr CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

 

Last week was the consumer electronics industry’s time to shine—quite literally.

The 2015 International Consumer Electronics Show, January 6–9, was brighter than the lights of Las Vegas.

CES is the ultimate show-and-tell for the devices and technologies we can’t live without as well as those we never even knew we needed, and this year was no different. 

Sadly, I wasn’t able to be there, but I’ve sifted through and rounded up a collection of some of the most buzzed-about technologies and products unveiled on the CES floor.

Ceramic and glass materials, materials everywhere. Corning’s booth was all about the company’s extra-strong Gorilla Glass 4, optical cables, and Fibrance optical fiber. It also introduced Iris Glass, which can thin up bulky LCD displays, “making it as thin as a smartphone.” Lenovo showcased its AnyPen, which lets you write on its Ashai glass tablet screen sans stylus while withstanding scratches. 3M brought its latest line of optical films and adhesivesEmpire Robotics debuted its VERSABALL gripper—an “out-of-the-box, multitask solution” that can pick up ceramic parts AND play beer pong.

 

3-D printers (obviously). Hat tip to Gigaom, which did the heavy lifting here. And if you’re in the mood for something truly sweet—a chocolate 3D printer from 3D Systems. Technology—satisfying and tasty!

 

Bendy stuff. An OLED TV from LG that can “bend on command.” A bendable smartphone (also from LG). Not to be outdone, Samsung put the spotlight on its bendable 105-inch HDTV.

 

“Smart” stuff. A smart pot that ensures your plant’s getting the right mix of moisture, light, heat, and fertilizer. Smartwatches galore. BMW introduced a smartwatch that can drive a car without a driver and Audi unveiled one that allows you to talk to your car. (What—you don’t already do that?) A fridge as smart as you. Wearables (here, here, and here). And a smart mirror that lets you test a new look before committing a crime against fashion (or your moustache).

 

Not-necessarily-material stuff that could change your non-material world. Could Dish Network’s streaming TV service, Sling TV, make you cut the cable cord for good? Is Toshiba’s “lifelike” robot a dream or nightmare come to life? A nannycam for nervous pet moms (gulp) and dads. A selfie flash (maybe we should invest in one for #matsciselfies, part two?) And drones. Lots of drones. Whether they’re you’re cup of (wi-fi) tea or not, they were everywhere.

Did you see anything here (or elsewhere on the Web) that really grabbed your attention? Share it in the comments!

For some additional and related reading, click here for a recent post on the industry’s impact and the “game-changing” nature of Oregon State University’s see-through semiconductors.

Share/Print