We hit the expo floor hard at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show or CES (#CES2016) to discover this year’s very best lifestyle technology products. Here’s what we found:
What is now known as “wearables” or wearable tech is now one of the biggest categories at CES, which is held each January in Las Vegas. From watches to health monitors built inside yoga wear, we watched how tech and fashion gets married into the best “wearables” at this year’s show, which featured more than 3,800 exhibitors in almost 2.5 million sq. ft. of exhibit space.
“At CES 2016 everyone saw that tech is about more than single products and services, it is about improving our world and providing hope for our future,” says Consumer Technology Association’s president and CEO Gary Shapiro. “It was awe-inspiring to see traditional and non-traditional ‘tech’ industries meet to brainstorm, partner and collaborate on ways to do business and address global issues.”
For example, ifit Coach gives its members expert recommendations for the four pillars of health: exercise, activity, nutrition and sleep.
Digital watches also fall under the wearables umbrella. In past years, “smart” watches were concepts, start ups and just a glimmer in the eye of tech enthusiasts. But 2016’s CES seemed to be the “year of the smart watch” as these digital arm bands abounded. Our top wearable-on-the-wrist pick is Huawei Watch Jewel because it finally did something that the majority of wearable companies had not done yet: made it fashionable and targeted women specially.
We also loved the Fitbit Blaze for its ability to maintain its simplicity to not over complicate its users with features that they don’t actually need which will ultimately drain battery life.
After wearables, “new technology” loomed large at the show. Some of these innovative tech companies and their products range from Skullcandy to LG to Panasonic.
Fully autonomous (self driving), partially autonomous, vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) and vehicle-to-cloud (V2C) communications were revealed at #CES2016. Chevy wowed the heavy media crowd with its launch of the all-electric, goes-200-miles-on-one-charge 2017 Chevrolet Bolt.
Kia also announced its award-winning Kia Soul EV has been given the green light by the state of Nevada to test its self-driving “autonomous” Soul EV on the state’s many remote highways.
Some of the most exciting products came from the “heart” of this year’s show: Eureka Park Marketplace. In 2015, 375 start ups exhibited while, in 2015, 500 start up companies participated. “Eureka Park was incredibly inspiring,” says Stamford International Inc. president Paul Sabbah. “The exhibitors see a future that many of us have forgotten was ever there.”
#CES2016 was a whirlwind of digital products and the latest tech products made with the masses in mind. Smartphone tech will obviously continue to drive every industry. We are excited to hear about the updates on these and other brand new products at next year’s CES. See you in Vegas at #CES2017!
