“The 3 Biggest Trends of CES 2014” by Sarah Stokes, Real Touch Media

Red Touch Media attended the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, NV this week. CES is one of the largest stages for advancements in technology and electronics in the world. Companies gather from across the globe to display and sell their newest products, as well as keep an eye on the competition. At this year’s show, a few trends really caught our eye.


1. Smartphones are getting even smarter

The Next Wave of Social Media?

Doesn’t it seem like you’re able to do something new on your smartphone every day? Well soon you’ll be able to add a couple more things to that list. One exciting development at CES 2014 was the implementation of a “social media vending machine.” This machine allowed attendees to purchase CES t-shirts through the use of the social media at their fingertips. Guests could tweet their desired shirt size and a unique code to @IntlCES and their shirt would fall right out. This could open up a treasure trove of new mobile transactions in the future.

Isis

Isis was also on hand to show attendees how easy it is becoming to pay for things straight through their smartphones. Upon downloading a simple app, guests could merely hold their phone up to yet another vending machine and purchase a shirt without touching their wallets.

Polaroid Fotobar

One last development was brought by the Polaroid Fotobar. They offered guests the chance to email photos from their smartphones to a specific address, which would then automatically print them a polaroid of their photo. Before long, this service will be available for parties or events across the country.


2. Wearables are for every inch of your body

Samsung Galaxy Gear smartwatch

Courtesy of Kārlis Dambrāns. No alterations made. License here.

Another recurring theme of the event was wearables – electronics that can (in theory) seamlessly fit into your day to day lifestyle. Examples of these included smartwatches from the likes of Sony and Samsung. These watches include a whole gamut of possibilities including social media apps, games, cameras, fitness meters, etc.

Dog Collars

Courtesy of John. No alterations made. License here.

Not all of the wearables presented were for humans. The Voyce is a smart collar for dogs. It works to feed pet owners health and wellness information on their pets to help them better care for them.


3. 4K may be coming whether we like it or not

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Every electronics brand that makes televisions made sure to show off their newest developments in 4K. Big beautiful, crystal clear screens glowed from walls anywhere we looked. If you don’t know what 4K is, it’s essentially an ultra high definition (UHD)picture. The reason we haven’t seen them go mainstream yet is that they lack content. Very few content creators have embraced the medium just yet, so this may be a trend we’ll see building up for years to come.

LG's UHD 3D TV Wall

LG had a breathtaking wall of 3D UHD screens as attendees entered the convention center. The color and clarity were impeccable, and truly a sight to be seen.


What are you most excited about? What do you predict the trends will be at next year’s show? Please share with us in the comments below.