ETC’s George Gerba and Don Levy spent Thursday navigating the Las Vegas Convention Center’s Central Hall looking for unique products from major exhibitors at CES 2022 that would be of special interest to the entertainment industry. They found a Hisense ultra-short throw projection TV, a Samsung TV with an adjustment capability that would be useful in-camera as well, Fraunhofer tech for adjusting the volume of dialog separately from other audio in a consumer device, a winged drone with impressive flight duration and speed, and a few other products of note. Continue reading CES: TV, Audio and Drone Tech Make a Splash at Central Hall

Citing laptops as the fastest-growing PC platform, Nvidia is doing its part to ensure gamers and creators can keep up, unveiling 160 new models equipped with its GeForce RTX GPUs at CES 2022. More than 100 of them are AI-powered Nvidia Studio laptops, optimized for creatives and VFX professionals. After four years in beta, Nvidia is making its Omniverse platform free to individuals and introducing cloud-based collaboration capability as the company stakes its claim on creating for the multiverse. Omniverse lets creators use different typically incompatible software packages in one workflow in real time. Continue reading CES: Nvidia Optimizes Studio Laptops for Creatives, VFX Pros

Much has been written on how gaming can be an incentive to change behavior. But can it also be used to clinically improve health outcomes? Lygeia Ricciardi, founder and chief executive of AdaRose — “a community of powerful women who are maximizing self care, health and wellness” — gathered executives at CES who said their companies have successfully used gaming to improve health for numerous use cases including pain reduction, aid in concentrating, lower drug reliance and more medical compliance as well as generally improved levels of well-being. Continue reading CES: Case Studies on How Gaming Tech Can Improve Health

General Motors chair Mary Barra outlined a future of zero emission EVs and emphasized the Ultifi software platform to keep GM drivers connected during her virtual CES keynote that centered on the 2024 Chevrolet Silverado EV and ended with futuristic Cadillac concept vehicles including air transport. She predicts 50 percent of GM’s factory production in North America and China will be all-electric by 2030 and that the company will deliver personal autonomous vehicles “as soon as the middle of this decade.” Helping GM’s more immediate plan to lead EV market share are Chevy’s 2023 Equinox and Blazer EV SUV models. Continue reading CES: GM Chief Details Ambitious EV and Autonomous Plans

Consumer Technology Association (CTA) president and chief executive officer Gary Shapiro and CTA executive vice president Karen Chupka cut the ribbon to mark the official opening of CES 2022 and then took two photos: one with masks and, quickly, one without. The message was clear: CES is back in person, but safety protocols are still in place. “We made it to Las Vegas at a time when innovation has never been more important,” said Shapiro. “We’ve embraced technology during the pandemic and survived a virtual world in large part due to modern technology.” Continue reading Innovation Takes Center Stage at CTA’s State of the Industry

Samsung introduced its largest curved monitor ever, the 55-inch Odyssey Ark, which will come with a special stand, enabling it to rotate vertically when it is released Q3. The flexible and curved gaming screen debut came at the end of Samsung’s Gaming Hub presentation at CES, although immersive lifestyle applications (like workouts and movies) were also demonstrated in a socially responsible keynote themed “Together for Tomorrow.” The Gaming Hub will come with select 2022 Samsung monitors and TVs, and will include access to the cloud libraries of Nvidia GeForce, Google Stadia, Utomik and others as part of Samsung’s Bespoke smart TV menu due later this year. Continue reading CES: Samsung Reveals Gaming Hub, 55-Inch Curved Monitor

ETC’s George Gerba visited the CES Unveiled show floor in Las Vegas Monday evening looking for companies and products that would be of interest to our members, illustrate emerging trends, or are simply unusual. Gerba discovered a range of compelling technologies across areas such as blockchain, non-fungible tokens, Li-Fi, wearables, large-scale video screens, the metaverse, remote work, cell signal boosters, health, batteries and more. Among the more interesting companies at CES Unveiled this year were Icecap, Oledcomm, Somalytics, VideowindoW, Toraru, SureCall, Biospectal, Prinker, Airxom and Nanotech Energy.  Continue reading CES: Highlights from the 2022 CES Unveiled Pre-Show Event

Inspired by two years of challenging remote work environments due to COVID-19, Canon announced it is developing AMLOS (Activate My Line of Sight), a hybrid meeting software solution enabled by its image processing technology. The company has also teamed with actor and producer Joseph Gordon-Levitt and his company HitRecord to show how this technology can help create a virtual, real-time writers’ room. At CES 2022 in Las Vegas, Canon defined its offerings under the rubric “TogetherNext,” to demonstrate how interactive digital experiences connect people and cultures. Continue reading CES: Canon Intros Hybrid Meeting Software and VR Solution

During CES 2022, Qualcomm president and chief executive officer Cristiano Amon announced that the company intends to focus on the connected intelligent edge, which he says is a $700 billion market. “We’re becoming the partner of choice for the edge,” he declared. “We continue to see momentum across key opportunities.” The company’s momentum encompasses next generation Arm PCs, virtual and augmented reality, including a continued partnership with Meta, wireless fiber and the automotive sector. The latter includes new deals inked with Volvo, Honda and the Renault Group. Continue reading CES: Qualcomm Targets 5G, Auto, Edge Computing, AR, VR

With a focus on sustainability, accessibility and personalization across its offerings, LG Electronics debuted a suite of smart TVs and appliances. Company chief executive William Cho, who hosted a press conference at CES 2022 today in Las Vegas, emphasized “an enhanced lifestyle and a better future for all.” “We have stories about innovation and progress and also about values that never change,” he said. Futuristic products included CLOi, a door-to-door delivery robot and LG OMNIPOD, a mobile office for autonomous vehicles. Continue reading CES: LG Electronics Promises ‘The Better Life You Deserve’

A U.S. Court of Appeals has paved the way for Wi-Fi 6E, the biggest Wi-Fi upgrade in more than two decades, by upholding a 2020 FCC order to make 1,200MHz of spectrum in the 6GHz band available for unlicensed use. Poised to benefit are router manufacturers and those who make devices for home offices and IoT. FCC chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel called the decision timely in the wake of COVID-19, when “so much of modern life has migrated online.” FCC commissioner Brendan Carr emphasized ancillary benefits, calling the additional spectrum “the oxygen needed to power 5G.” Continue reading U.S. Court Clears FCC’s Path for Seismic Wi-Fi 6E Upgrade

According to CTA vice president of research Steve Koenig’s “Tech Trends to Watch” presentation at CES in Las Vegas, developments in 2022 will emerge from the transportation, space tech, sustainable technology and digital health sectors. Innovations will include electric vehicles, micro-mobility solutions and space tourism as well as alternative power sources, smart cities and homes and, in digital health, an increased use of wearables as well as an emphasis on solutions for mental health. Last year also saw historic highs of consumer demand in a wide variety of sectors. Continue reading CES: CTA’s Research VP Steve Koenig on ‘Trends to Watch’

Maryland-based VisiSonics, a 3D spatial audio company, is revealing its licensable hardware and software audio solutions at CES 2022 in Las Vegas this week, booking appointments for one-on-one product demonstrations at its Venetian Resort suite (#3310). “We’ve developed two lines of technology to capture audio with all the directions preserved,” explains chief technology officer and co-founder Adam O’Donovan. “Our 64-microphone array on a sphere to capture audio led to our RealSpace 3D sound engine that allows 3D spatial audio to be personalized.” Continue reading CES: VisiSonics Showcases New 3D Spatial Audio Solutions

Samsung is heading to CES this week with new smart TV features including its Gaming Hub and an NFT platform that integrates the purchase and trade of digital art and assets. The company is also introducing the 4K 32-inch M8 smart monitor, which like the M7 combines computer functionality with smart TV features such as preloaded streaming apps but bests its predecessor by adding a SlimFit camera for video calls and a SmartThings IoT hub that maps smart devices throughout the household and lets you control them from the monitor. The M8 price and release date has yet to be announced. Continue reading CES: Samsung Reveals Its Latest Smart TVs and M8 Monitor

Oracle is expanding its healthcare footprint and teeing up to turbo-charge its cloud business with the $28.3 billion purchase of medical software and IT firm Cerner Corporation. Many healthcare providers use Oracle database solutions, but the company says Cerner will be “Oracle’s anchor asset to expand into healthcare.” Oracle chairman and CTO Larry Ellison said in a statement that together the firms “have the capacity to transform healthcare delivery.” The deal — the largest in Oracle’s history — will provide “overworked medical professionals” with access to Oracle’s “hands-free voice interface to secure cloud applications,” Ellison added. Continue reading Oracle Ramps Up Cloud Expansion with Acquisition of Cerner