All Things Technology

The biggest technology show of the year, the Consumer Electronics Show(CES 2015) will take place next week at 'Sin City' Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. It's a show where over 150,000 geeks from around the world converge at Las Vegas to see the latest offerings from big names like Sony, Samsung, LG, Audi,Panasonic, Sharp, Kodak etc. As you all know, this year's event will be spread across three areas to allow for less commute. But what exactly should we expect from CES 2015? Find out.


Wearables
Last year, we were awash in a sea of wearables. Everyone wanted to have one (and they did). What resulted was basically a lot of the same thing. Wrist-worn bands of slightly varying shapes, colors, and sizes that track movement, steps, calories burned, and sleep. While we’re sure to see more of these next year, we expect more differentiation. Wearables will be smarter, more refined, and more uniquely styled.

Now that basic fitness tracking can be accomplished relatively easily, companies can start making all that data useful and actionable. They can start quantifying more useful types of biometric data, like heart rate patterns and blood oxygen levels, and rather than relay that to you through largely meaningless graphs, they can offer real world advice. For example, based on your daily habits, they can start suggesting subtle changes to help you sleep better and be more active.

The hardware itself will get better too, with more advanced chips, greater battery life, and more form factors to choose from. Companies are realizing that not everyone wants to wear a plastic black band on their wrist, so they’re offering more colors and more styles at a wider variety of price points, so you can have an appropriate wearable whether you’re going for a jog or having cocktails at a swanky bar. The goal is that you can find the exact wearable (or wearables) that are right for you. The result may still be an overwhelming buffet of options, though.

4K Displays



We’ll see 4K TVs—curved and flat, cheap and pricey—all over the show floor. Expect to see LG pushing its new OLED technology and joining Samsung, Sony, and other manufacturers in touting new displays based on “quantum dot” technology that promises to deliver a wider color gamut. And because no one will buy a 4K TV unless there’s 4K programming to watch on it, look for service providers to announce new products to fill that niche.

Samsung

Speaking of service providers, Dish Network Chairman Charlie Ergen mentioned a self-imposed deadline to launch its over-the-top pay-TV service by the end of 2014, but the company has been quiet on that front since then. If it doesn’t launch by New Year’s Eve, we’ll certainly hear more about the as-yet-unnamed service at Dish’s CES press conference.

Android on the TV

Android isn’t only going to invade cars this year. CES 2015 promises to herald in the rise of Android TV, Google’s second attempt at creating a smart TV platform after the failure of the confusing and poorly implemented Google TV devices from 2010.


Android TV builds on the success of Google’s Chromecast streaming device, attempting to bring a smartphone-like experience to the TV rather than attempting to recreate a PC in the living room. A raft of manufacturers are expected to release new TVs with Android TV built in.

Google has a chance to unify the befuddled mess of smart TV platforms that currently exists and make apps on a television something consumers might actually want to use rather than simply ignore.

Virtual Reality Gets Real

Virtual reality’s been a pipe dream for decades, emerging and receding in waves of hype and failed attempts. Then the Oculus Rift showed us how it’s done at CES 2013 and CES 2014 before being acquired by Facebook earlier this year.

But Oculus isn’t alone. There’s growing momentum around Samsung’s $199 Gear VR platform, too. And in addition to seeing new software that takes advantage of these virtual reality setups, we’ll surely be seeing new hardware from other companies hoping to get in on the hype, too. It could be the dawn of a new age of entertainment, but the technology is so young, we hope the excitement and app development isn’t premature. 

Intel, laptops, two-in-ones, and hybrids rule the roost

Samsung, Lenovo, Dell. Intel. You know the names. All big laptop manufacturers and Intel, who makes the chips to power them. All are at CES in force with their new Ultrabooks, laptops, tablets, and PCs for 2015.
Intel is expected to show off their full range of next-gen Broadwell chips to power those Ultrabooks and laptops. Sure, Lenovo has the one for the Yoga 3 Pro, but that was the low-end tablet version. Intel's full Broadwell range should run the gamut up to high-end.


Because of Intel's new chips, Dell, Samsung, and Lenovo will also reveal new hardware. We expect devices like the new Samsung Book Blade 9, a 2.1-pound Ultrabook with a 12.2-inch WQXGA (2,560 x 1,600) LED display and 10.5 hours of battery life and the 12.2-inch Series 9 2015 Edition Notebook with 12 hours of battery life. Huzzah!
Although a Surface Pro 4 is off in the distance, when it does happen Broadwell is likely to power it. So take notes.

Credit Techradar, Wired, Pcworld and Theguardian