C_NCENTRATE #868: Obligatory CES wrap, batteries, Watson AI, mind-reading robots...
THIS ISSUE OF C_NCENTRATE IS FREE THANKS TO TBD CONFERENCE
ANOTHER QUIET CES WITH SOME COOL STUFF
Official figures aren’t in, but it’s safe to say, compared with previous years, CES was dead. Meta, Google and +50 other huge companies decided to save bucks and not press the nerd flesh this year. It’s not all bad news, though. Some bright sparks included a colour changing car, a very curvy vertical screen from Samsung (and a gaming hub), a remote that works using wifi (see below), the Freestyle from Samsung will be good home projector fun, lots of home cameras, sentry-esque systems, robot home cleaning gadgets (a mere $1400!!), a foldable laptop, more fitness wearable (Movano is getting a lot of buzz) and e-bikes and scooters got a lot of airtime.
So what does this all mean? Well, a lot more smart home, TV, VR/AR and generally more shiny stuff for you to buy, but more than this…we don't know quite yet. The big guys didn't come to play, so expect more 'amazing' and 'revolutionary' news cycles than ever this year surrounding tech announcements as many were expected to go to CES but pulled out very late. Is this all a good thing? Maybe, there will be less spin, but it also enables the companies to control the reaction more (they'll go to friends of the brand etc.). One thing for certain is sustainability seems to have taken a backseat this year (minus the Samsung remote, that's a huge nod to a battery-less future the world needs). Now more than ever, it's time to think before you buy the next shiny thing and from whom.
__ DO __ Expect more big announcements this year regarding AR/gaming, especially smart glasses. A huge area of/for growth during the pandemic (and as we come out of it). // __ DON'T __ Ignore the multiverse. More on this to come…watch this space.
Why you resist change. > 10 mins
China has cracked 6G (in a lab). > 3 mins
Chinese robots can now read your mind (well, what tool you want at least). > 4 mins
How to set career priorities when everything is uncertain. > 8 mins
Clubhouse isn’t deat (yet), it’s growing in South Asia. > 6 mins
How to make sure laziness doesn’t lead to groupthink. > 6 mins
Tesla has drastically upped the battery for next-gen models. > 5 mins
Lufthansa has been flying hundreds of empty flights to keep its spot at airports. >. 4 mins
Samsung has made a remote that slurps up WiFi for energy (bye-bye batteries). > 5 mins
Remember Watson AI? IBM is trying to sell it again. > 5 mins