TV-scroll and mother’s milk from a test tube: the results of the CES-2021 forum

The largest electronics and technology forum, CES-2021, has ended in Las Vegas. By tradition, the main novelties and inventions of the year are presented there. We have collected all the most interesting in one review

How the pandemic has affected technology

Several companies at once presented novelties that help during the pandemic and self-isolation. For example, a smart face mask MaskFone from Binatone (Hong Kong). This respirator features a #95 filter and built-in microphone and earphones to answer calls with the clearest possible voice without distortion. The mask can be controlled using the application on the phone, as well as voice assistants Alexa or Google Assistant. In the US, it sells for $49,99.

The Chinese Razer also introduced a mask for synchronization with a smartphone – Project Hazel with multi-colored LED lights. It also has a built-in microphone that makes it louder and clearer when you’re talking on the phone. In addition to the No. 95 filter, there are also mini-fans that provide fresh air, as well as a charging case where the fans can be disinfected with ultraviolet light.

Targus introduced the 2Office Antimicrobial Backpack, which can hold an entire mobile office. Inside fit a laptop, keyboard, mouse, pad, cables and even food containers. The backpack is coated with a special antimicrobial compound and costs $120. In addition, the company offered a $299 Targus UV-C LED disinfectant lamp. It emits UV-C rays, which, according to the FDA (US Food and Drug Administration), kill the coronavirus. The lamp can be pointed at keyboards, mice and work surfaces.

Smart thermometers from Kinsa collect measurement data into a single system and notify of possible outbreaks of coronavirus.

Remote control and telemedicine is another big topic this year: Philips, Omron Healthcare and South Korea’s ICON.AI demonstrate variants of a “remote health monitoring platform”. CarePlus.AI showed a system that can be used to monitor the health and safety of older people in their own homes, using artificial intelligence to alert them to unusual behavior. Another exhibitor, Nobi, has built similar features into his smart bedside lamp.

Sanitizer robots, companions and pets

This year at CES, everyone could find a robot to their liking. The most popular are disinfectants. For example, the South Korean unmanned Coro-Bot, which itself determines which areas need cleaning and sterilizes them using ultraviolet light. It also has an air circulator that the manufacturers say kills SARS-CoV-2 and other viruses with a ceramic IF filter.

LG introduced its disinfector – it is called Cloi UV and also uses ultraviolet light. It can be used in hotels, shopping malls, restaurants and other public places.

Moxie is a cute companion robot from startup Embodied. It helps children develop social, emotional and cognitive skills through playful learning.

The contender for the cutest robot is the Japanese toy Qoobo Petit, which is covered with artificial wool and can wag its tail. His improved version of Moflin learns through communication with the owner and develops a unique personality that expresses emotions through sounds and gestures.

Samsung showed off Bot Care, Bot Handy, and JetBot 90 robot assistants. The first of these monitors your health. The second is able to pour a glass of wine, load and unload the dishwasher and washing machine. JetBot 90 is a smart robot vacuum cleaner equipped with lidar for navigation and a self-cleaning dust bag. It recognizes any obstacles, including cables, and bypasses them.

Moorebot is a tiny, palm-sized robot that can watch over your home (equipped with night vision) and alert you to everything via two-way radio.

The Daesung robot can extract honey from bee hives and look after them, while DARS has very dexterous hands – to perform complex operations or play the piano.

Bosch: from smart batteries to robots on the moon

Bosch has released a whole series of “smart” devices that help during the pandemic. Among them is a special device that measures the humidity and purity of the air, tracking the content of aerosols. This is especially important when processing rooms, so as not to overdo it with an antiseptic. “Smart” cameras measure body temperature with an error of 0,5C and count the number of people in the room. Bosch Vivalytic gadget makes PCR tests for coronavirus, analyzing up to five samples in 30 minutes. These are already being used in hospitals and nursing homes.

Bosch engineers also raised the issue of harmful emissions, including from the huge number of cars that still run on conventional fuel. 400 Bosch locations around the world already operate with zero carbon emissions. The next step is to reduce emissions at all stages, including delivery and sales of goods.

To achieve this, Bosch Climate Solutions, a consultancy founded in 2020, is applying AI to reduce energy consumption in manufacturing and logistics. The platform is already in use at 100 different locations. A dedicated Bosch IoT energy-saving device reduces energy consumption by up to 60%, while cloud battery reduces EV battery wear by up to 20%.

The company has even more ambitious goals. As part of the NASA Tipping Point program, Bosch is working with Astrobotic, WiBotic and the University of Washington to develop technologies for intelligent navigation and wireless charging of small robots on the Moon. The results of developments and research in this area will then be used for “smart” devices on Earth.

“Smart House

Philips showed “smart” electric toothbrushes Sonicare 9900 Prestige. They analyze how you brush your teeth, adapt to you and automatically adjust the intensity so as not to damage your gums. With their help, you can even get advice on caring for your teeth online.

Perso’s Yves Saint Laurent Rouge Sur Mesure ‘smart’ lipstick mixes different lipsticks to create new shades. Colors can be chosen in the application, there are also recommendations: for the color of eyes, hair, skin and clothes. The issue price is $299.

Kohler introduced “smart” plumbing. For example, a toilet with lighting, a heated lid and built-in speakers. It can be controlled from your phone, including using voice assistants, to arrange a real disco in your bathroom. The price is from $600 to $1. A jacuzzi bath for $16 replaces a SPA-salon: with massage, lighting, music and aromatherapy. All this can also be controlled from your smartphone. This can be supplemented with a contactless faucet of the same brand.

But Konka’s smart home features an intelligent lighting system – including a special light for those who shoot videos on TikTok.

Cars of the future

Among the interesting cars is the Cadillac eVTOL, an electric air car from General Motors.

Cadillac eVTOL – double, has a vertical takeoff and landing, speeds up to 90 km / h, battery capacity – 90 kW / h. Most likely, it will be suitable for short trips within the city. Many of GM’s competitors introduced their models long ago. Their concept stands out, perhaps, with a futuristic and premium design – as befits a Cadillac. Now electric vehicles seem especially promising: batteries are rapidly becoming cheaper, becoming more and more capacious.

Mercedes-Benz has unveiled a new premium electric car EQS with a full-screen touch panel – MBUX Hyperscreen. It’s a 55,5-inch wide display that takes up the entire dashboard. It consists of three OLED touch screens for control, navigation, smartphone messaging and video. The “stuffing” consists of 12 mechanisms for touch control, as well as an AI-based system that recognizes the user and adapts to his habits and driving style.

Sono Motors showcased a solar-powered Sion vehicle. 248 panels generate electricity, which is enough for 35 km per day, if you drive at speeds up to 140 km/h.

Hummer showed an electric car that can tilt the wheels at an angle of up to 10 degrees to move sideways – like a crab.

Scroll televisions and transparent screens

Among the main sensations are the new LG TVs. One of them is with a 55-inch 40% transparent OLED screen. The TV can be placed anywhere: on the wall, closet, window or sliding doors.

When the concept goes on sale and how much it will cost is still unknown, but the previous version was released in a limited edition in South Korea and was sold for 7 million rubles.

The second novelty from LG Rail and Pivot also has a 55-inch OLED screen. The retractable model of the TV leaves the frame, supports horizontal and vertical orientations. The bottom of the screen is touch sensitive. The company expects OLED models to be especially in demand in smart homes, drones, airplanes, subways, airports, hotels, fitness centers and restaurants.

The third model is the 48-inch LG Bendable CSO, designed for gamers. This is an ultra-slim (0,6mm) TV with a 1m bending radius that can be straightened at the touch of a button.

The competitor here was TCL with Roku 6-Series TVs, which also support 8K resolution.

Models of OD Zero TVs are created using Mini-LED technology: ultra-thin screens with the highest image quality over the entire surface and illuminated by tens of thousands of mini-LEDs. Finally, The XL Collection is a series of large TVs from 85 inches.

Sony also introduced the A90J OLED TV with 4K resolution and cognitive image processing, where colors, brightness and contrast automatically adjust to lighting and other settings. Powered by the latest Cognitive Processor XR, these monitors deliver the best in contrast and depth.

Samsung showed Micro LED 4K TVs with a diagonal of 88, 99 and 110 inches. They contain millions of microscopic red, green and blue LEDs, each of which is self-emitting. This means that they automatically adjust the brightness of the backlight independently of each other.

The Samsung Q900A Neo is an 8K QLED TV with the latest Quantum Mini LED technology. Its feature is the “frameless” design of Infinity One, thanks to which the image on the screen seems to flow into the environment.

Smartphones and tablets: foldable and rollable

The leaders are all the same companies. LG showed a new Rollable model with a retractable screen. When folded, it is a regular smartphone, and when unfolded, it is a small tablet. Presumably, the model will go on sale by the end of the year.

A similar path has been taken by TCL, whose smartphone concept unfolds both ways, like a scroll, to a 17-inch tablet. The company is sure that such a gadget will be convenient to take with you on long trips or hikes in order to navigate the terrain, type text and watch videos. Both smartphones are equipped with an OLED display.

Apple seems to have already shown all the major innovations at its presentations in the fall, and here it presented only a series of accessories for the iPhone. For example, PopSocket holders compatible with MagSafe magnetic charging. There are stands for home and car, fixing the smartphone in three different modes and complemented by a wallet for three plastic cards.

Another folding gadget is the Square Off electronic chessboard. You can play using an application where a neural network acts as an opponent. The gadget can be ordered for $199.

Inseego has created the world’s first 5G hotspot for mobile devices, as well as 5G home routers.

New generation processors

Intel showed off five 12th generation Alder Lake APUs. They combine the high performance Golden Lake cores and the power efficient Gracemont cores and are similar to the mobile ARM chips that Apple uses. The basis is still a 10-nanometer process technology.

The main competitor – AMD – has already switched to 7nm processors: these are the Ryzen 5000 for laptops and the U series for ultrabooks. In comparison, Apple processors are even smaller: 5 nanometers. The smaller the nanometers, the smaller the distance between the transistors in the chip and the more they can be placed inside. For example, laptops with Ryzen 7 5800 processors will run up to 17,5 hours on a single charge. This directly affects performance, energy efficiency and heat dissipation.

Nvidia has unveiled the affordable GeForce RTX 3060 graphics card, as well as the RTX 3070 and 3080 for gaming laptops. The former is equipped with 12 GB of memory and is ten times more powerful than the previous version, while the latter supports games up to 100 frames per second.

Laptops and accessories

Among laptops, the most interesting is the HP Elite Dragonfly Max. It is designed for work tasks and takes into account all the intricacies of remote work. For example, it contains four wide-range microphones that enhance sound with the help of AI, and a high-quality 5-megapixel camera. EyeSafe technology reduces strain during extended use. The laptop is equipped with an 11th generation Intel processor and a 13,3-inch screen, supports 5G network.

Samsung has introduced an OLED display for laptops with Blade Bezel technology, which allows you to place the camera under the screen, which makes the laptop lighter and thinner with high image quality.

Dell’s Latitude webcams are capable of image correction with a built-in automatic physical shutter. This will save the user from a “red face” or out of focus during a working video conference.

Sound: headphones, speakers and speakers

TCL’s Alto R1 soundbar with 3.2.1-channel surround sound connects wirelessly to your TV and is extremely easy to set up.

JBL Bar 5.0 supports Dolby Atmos surround sound (the new standard for XNUMXD audio) and is compatible with Apple AirPlay, Alexa and Google Chromecast.

The JBL Reflect Mini NC headphones are designed specifically for evening walks or jogs. They reflect light, illuminating the path and helping drivers to spot the user on the road. They work up to 7 hours without recharging, they suppress noise and do not let water through. Their competitor – V-Moda M-200 ANC – hold a charge up to 20 hours, have high noise reduction and customizable bezels.

But the main discovery is Ampere’s Bluetooth speaker system that works in the shower. To do this, you just need to insert it instead of a watering can and connect it to your phone or player.

Wi-Fi 6E is here

Wi-Fi 6E is a new wireless standard that operates in three bands: 2,4 GHz is added to the old 5 GHz and 6 GHz. This allows you to increase the bandwidth of your home wireless network and smart home systems in order to increase transmission speed and bypass interference in the signal path. At CES-2021, Linksys’ Velop routers and Asus’ ROG Rapture GT-AXE11000 routers were shown. Both support Wi-Fi 6E. Now it’s the turn of smartphones, laptops and smart devices.

Games and VR

John Deere, the largest American manufacturer of agricultural equipment, has introduced a VR farm simulator. Here you can feel like a tractor driver who sows and harvests.

The Impulse neuro-glove from Canadian startup Brink Bionics is designed for super-fast control in games. She reads nerve impulses, instantly transmitting signals to the game.

Razor’s Project Brooklyn Concept Chair with 60-inch XNUMX-degree OLED monitor is designed primarily for gamers who are looking for maximum immersion and comfort – especially in tight spaces.

BioMilq – human milk created in the laboratory

Among biotechnologies it is worth noting BioMilq – artificially recreated milk for feeding babies. It is obtained from mammary epithelial cells, which are placed in a laboratory and stimulated to produce milk. When enough milk is collected, it is given to the nursing mother. Suitable for women who are unable to feed themselves.

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