Melbourne Herald Sun, Thursday January 29, 2015
More than a decade ago I visited what is now called the Consumer Electronics Show, in Las Vegas, and at the time I thought it was the biggest trade exhibition I'd ever seen in my life. Well this month the 2015 show was far bigger than before.
At 200,000 square metres with 3600 exhibitors you could never see it all. And as always, within it are the pointers to what our future world will look like.
Some are predictable: TVs are getting bigger, brighter, more intensely coloured, glasses-free 3D; 4K Blu-ray is coming as is sensational virtual reality.
There are little innovations like ear buds that measure your biometric and fitness information even as they play the music you're jogging to.
Nanotechnology is moving towards centre stage, making possible inventions of once-impossible tinyness with greater power and wide applications.
The heroes of the show were in fact the cars. Some technologies are already here, or will be in very short order. Self-parking cars. Continuous connection to the web. Noise cancellation speaker systems that allow four passengers to each hear their preferred music at the same time, without disturbing other passengers.
Mercedes-Benz wowed them all with its concept car. Dr. Dieter Zetsche, head of Mercedes-Benz Cars, was there in person to introduce the "F015 Luxury in Motion". This beautiful machine looks sculpted and inside it has four comfortable swivel armchairs that can be turned to face each other. "The car is growing beyond its role as a mere means of transport and will ultimately become a mobile living space," said Dr Zetsche. In other words it's another room for your house or another office for your business.
Don't worry about the driver - the car will do that. Or, using a floating control console, any of the passengers can take over the driving duties. You a back-seat driver? Here's the steering wheel. Fortunately the car has its own anti-accident technology.
The endless display halls were also filled with robots. Some giving directions. Some serving on the stands. Others demonstrating how they can pick products in a warehouse or clean the floor of your house. There were pet dinosaur robots that loved being stroked or tickled, and another bot that will rock your baby to sleep. No doubt you have already noticed the appearance of numerous vacuum cleaner robots in Harvey Norman or Myer. Well brace yourself, there are many more robots on the immediate horizon.
Smart homes are well and truly on their way. Many new devices are built for remote control from your iPhone or Android phone. Cookers, washing machines, house lighting, music systems, security - all controllable from far away when you need it.
The Cicret bracelet looks purely decorative - till you turn it on. It then projects a smartphone screen onto your wrist which you can touch, drag, pinch, select in the same way you control your phone. I wouldn't recommend it if you have hairy arms, though.
The much-discussed Apple Watch is expected to arrive this autumn, meanwhile Google's Android Wear software keeps launching new apps, powering smartwatches from Samsung, LG and Motorola. Like the Moto 360 which can play games, run note-taking app Evernote, and take voice commands.
So thousands of inventions and gadgets are primed to come your way. At least you'll have no shortage of choice by Christmas time.