CES 2020 has come and gone, and as always the technology and automotive worlds have presented their best-and-brightest. Whether it's compelling concepts, gadgets that democratize the best of cutting-edge tech, or just meaningful improvements on devices many already find essential, the competition at this year's show was high. Read on for SlashGear's Best of CES 2020.
Once in a while, one company stumbles onto a new technology that pulls the rug out from under their industry - and sparks plenty of competitors trying to do the same. For Nura, that innovation centered on how it could create truly personalized hearing profiles simply by having people sit through a series of beeps and boops while wearing their headphones. Headphones offering personalized audio has since then popped up left and right, pushing the company to step up its game. That next level comes in the form of the NuraLoop, a pair of around the neck earbuds that brings Nura's technology to a more discreet and more personal wearable device.
Panasonic HDR-capable UHD VR glasses shown this week at CES 2020 showed the world that such devices needn't look like a boxy nightmare. Where the first several generations of VR headset from companies like Oculus and HTC brought about a new sort of design language with the hunk-on-face look, the Panasonic design looks like they dropped in from an alternate dimension to bring us some VR glasses that'd be right at home in The Matrix.
The Samsung "Indoor Gardening Appliance" is a new device that'll allow users to grow plants inside their home. From the outside, this appliance looks simple. Much like Samsung's other modern appliances, this piece of hardware is made to be a part of your established home life - unassuming, simple, and generally aesthetically pleasing. This Indoor Gardening Appliance was revealed at CES 2020.
We are too glued to our screens and yet almost all the solutions being offered mostly involve quitting cold turkey with a dumber than dumb phone. That may no longer be that practical in this day and age but that doesn't mean there isn't an answer. One answer could come in the form of phones using colored e-paper displays such as the one shown off by Hisense at CES 2020. This phone, which is a significant step up from regular E-Ink displays, could offer a perfect balance of utility and simplicity that could keep people off their phones.
Given its timing, CES is often an auspicious opportunity for companies to start the year right with their best foot forward. Sometimes, it involves revealing things yet to come while other times it revolves around strengthening existing products. At CES 2020, Honor sort of did both. It showcased the MagicWatch 2, the Band 5, and the MagicBook alongside a new Band 5 Sport, the latter two slated for a global launch really soon.
Autel Robotics has taken the wraps off EVO 2, its own drone product unveiled at CES 2020. The company claims that its foldable drone is exceedingly advanced and powerful, offering up to an 8K video camera, long flight time, and high speeds. The drone will be offered in different configurations, including a Pro version with a 6K camera and a Dual version that also packs a FLIR thermal camera.
The number of our electronic devices may be multiplying but the sockets we charge them from definitely aren't. Even in homes and offices, charging ports may be a diminishing commodity and typical USB hubs don't exactly push out enough watts to meet the hungriest of gadgets. At CES 2020, Satechi is unveiling a new 108W Pro Desktop Charger that will supply all the power that your devices need, no matter how much that may be.
Leave it to the Swedes to make an e-bike like no other, with CAKE bringing its endearingly atypical Osa+ to CES 2020 where it wows with its detailing. And to be frank, at a show like CES - where a significant proportion of the products shown feel like they're already halfway to landfill - finding something that actually blends tech with craftsmanship is an unexpected pleasure.
The mobile lifestyle now no longer just applies to smartphones. It's no longer unusual to see people carrying laptops around and working anywhere there's a Wi-Fi connection or a power outlet or both. The change in lifestyle and work habits has also changed the way we store and access data or even the volume of data we accumulate in a short amount of time. That means that portable storage, even usually expensive SSDs, has become more common and so is the risk of theft or loss. Samsung is coming to the rescue with a portable SSD that offers an additional layer of security on top, literally.
Smart door locks are one of the hardest parts of the smart home market to get into. Given the risks and potential fallout, few seemed to dare promise security married to hi-tech convenience. August dared and, to date, remains one of the top names in that corner of the IoT industry. At CES 2020, it's showing that it isn't done yet even after nine products. Its latest offer slims down the door lock to a more convenient size and includes Wi-Fi from the get-go.
Yale is a name best known for all sorts of locks and bolts, which means it is also one of those hit by the sudden rush to make all things inside the home smart. Fortunately, Yale is not at all averse to expanding its portfolio to embrace the latest technologies and trends. In fact, at CES 2020, it is announcing three new products that connect to the Internet and, indirectly, to your smartphone to solve two of the biggest theft problems in the world: packages and cookies.