I am currently the de facto CTO, CIO and Geek Squad for my friends and family. If the Internet is out, call Rick. If someone has spilled water on a laptop, “let’s call Rick first.” Lately, I have been trying to share new concepts and product categories in the hopes of reducing tech support phone calls. My goal is to have them call me and teach me about something new or how this new gadget they read about has made their lives better.
Since the International Consumer Electronic Show (CES) is happening this week, now is a perfect time for me to cut through the noise and point out products that I think will impact my friends and family in 2015. For those unfamiliar with CES, just Google “CES 2015.” CES is the world’s largest consumer technology trade show; it takes place every year in Las Vegas.
There are a ton of cool innovative technologies on display but three segments have grabbed my interest.
The Connected Car
The concept of the connected car has been around for a while. Cars that can talk to infrastructure; cars talking to cars; cars having access to my calendar, Facebook and Twitter. Car companies such as Tesla, Mercedes Benz, Audi and GM have slowly been rolling out advance (safety) features in their cars. There is a good chance if you buy a car in 2015 your car will be capable of:
– autonomous driving
– automatic braking for collision or pedestrian detection
– internet access
– lock/unlock & drive with just a phone (no key necessary)
– access to the internet, streaming entertainment and access to calendar, text, email and social
The Connected Home
Much like the connected car, the home is being connected as well. Companies like Belkin, Sonometer, Apple, Samsung and Google are all trying to invade our refrigerators, televisions and washing machines.
Wearables
For the last (almost) two years wearables have been becoming more and more common place. Fitbit, Pebble and Samsung were early pioneers that led the charge for everyone to have some sort of wearable device with them. As time moves on and computers continue to shrink and battery technology continues to improve, wearables will become more powerful, useful and integrated into our daily lives.
In 2015 we will see a deeper integration of wearables with the things around us:
Audi & LG have a teamed up to create a watch that actually drives a car. While that will not be available in 2015 what could be available is replacing my key fob with my smart watch. Receiving notifications from appliances around the home that the cookies are done or it’s time to put my clothes in the dryer. Jewelry that I can give to an old member of my family to track their activity level and vitals.