5 takeaways from CES 2020

CES has a well-earned reputation of being the world’s stage for companies to announce or display some of the most technologically innovative products, concepts and initiatives across several categories.

Here, we spotlight some of the products, innovations and initiatives that made headlines this year.

Toyota is building a city

Historically, Toyota has not had a prominent presence at CES. However, the Japanese auto manufacturer made headlines this year when they announced a collaboration with BIG Designs on building a new modern city. Toyota’s new city will be used as an incubator to test out the gamut of mobility, sustainability and other tech innovations, such as self-driving vehicles, autonomous delivery bots, hydrogen-powered infrastructure, artificial intelligence and smart home technology.

Clean water makes a splash

Sustainability has been a prominent theme at CES over recent years as global companies continue to develop solutions that can reduce the impact of anthropocentric climate change. Watergen and Hydraloop are two companies that have produced innovative products related to household water usage. Watergen’s Genny pulls the water from the atmosphere and purifies it into premium drinking water. Hydraloop provides a water recycling product that recycles up to 85% of a household’s total in-house domestic water use. One product improves access to clean drinking water, while the other reduces the amount that is wasted.

Folding screens – take two

If last year was about folding smartphones, this year is about folding laptops. Lenovo and Dell displayed folding laptops at CES 2020 this year; Lenovo debuted the ThinkPad X1 Fold, and Dell introduced the concept Ori and Duet laptops. Microsoft announced a new version of Windows late 2019, Windows 10X, which has been purposely built for dual-screen devices like folding laptops. With the support of big tech players, dual-screen laptops could gain prominence among consumers in the next few years.

Mobile gaming gets a controller

Razer revealed the Kishi, a universal mobile gaming controller that works for Android and iOS phones. The device connects to a smartphone and has a similar look and feel as the controls of the Nintendo Switch, turning any smartphone into a mobile handheld gaming device. The Kishi comes at a time where mobile gaming could take the next step with 5G connectivity as well as cloud gaming services like Google Stadia and Apple Arcade, that are beginning to attract consumer attention. The Kishi is aimed at gamers that play on the go.

Smart visors to drive into the luxury market

Bosch introduced the Virtual Visor, a smart visor that uses cameras, artificial intelligence and a transparent LCD screen to be able to block out the sun when it shines on a driver’s face. Although it’s a high-tech solution for a problem that already has a low-cost solution such as solid visors or hats, the Virtual Visor could be appealing to those with the means to buy “the latest and greatest.” The Virtual Visor does improve safety and provides another level of convenience, a big draw for the luxury auto market. The Virtual Visor could has potential to be installed in a handful of luxury vehicles within the next five years.