CES SPECIAL: The Reading Room – What’s The SCOOP?

In a regular Friday spot, this is the Reading Room, a weekly roundup of what we’ve been reading, watching and listening to. You can see these updates even more regularly if you follow me on LinkedIn or Twitter.

This week saw the first CES (Consumer Electronics Show) of the Twenty Twenties. The annual show serves as an appetizer to the year’s degustation of technology. Keynotes offer highlights from every industry where technology has an impact, and let’s face it that’s almost every industry. The CTA (Consumer Technology Association) provide their findings on the ingredient technologies having the largest impact and the sectors likely to move fastest in the coming year. And the show floor is full of the latest and greatest gadget and devices, including numerous new innovations from the startups in Eureka Park. The show has become increasingly diverse over the last decade bringing more sectors together, proving just about every company is a technology company. Here are a few highlights that caught my eye this week:

• My first read of the week was this excellent piece in Forbes by Dave Evans, CEO of Fictiv, offering his insight into what to expect at CES and what technologies are driving innovation in 2020. CES 2020: What’s Driving Innovation.
• Also in Forbes, this time from Nargess Banks, CES 2020: Toyota and BIG to Build a Prototype Future City in Japan. Smart City has been a major theme at this year’s CES and it seems to be something very close the heart of the car makers.
• Time has its own “25 Best Products of CES 2020” list, starting with the Samsung Ballie, an interesting ball-shaped combination of a smart home device and a robotic companion.
• I am a big fan of the research that CTA do and announce during CES, especially the Innovation Scorecard; this year a Record 15 States are Innovation Champions in New CTA Innovation Scorecard. Check out their International Scorecard to see which countries make the innovation grade.
• The WIRED crew is roaming the CES 2020 show floor to find the coolest and strangest gadgets this year. Take a look at “CES Liveblog Days 3-4: Smart Vibrator, Robot Arms, and More”
• According to CNN Business, “These were the most talked-about products at CES”. They include plenty of robotics, flying taxis, hydrofoil bikes and a big focus on data security and privacy.

 

VIDEO OF THE WEEK: Check out the YouTube channel of CNET with lots of CES content and live video from the show floor through the last day or two.

MORE FROM PRODUCTRONICA: With APEX just around the corner we’re busy closing out the last few videos from Productronica, check out the Productronica 2019 playlist on our YouTube channel.

That’s it until next week! For more regular musing connect or follow me on LinkedIn or Twitter.

Read more, watch more, hear more, know more – that’s the SCOOP!