Hot Technology & Gadget Gamechangers at CE Week

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Geeking Out at Consumer Electronics Week

The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) touts CE Week in NYC as the “mid-year consumer electronics industry reality check.” I spent last Wednesday walking the floor at the CEA Line Shows, listening in at key tech and CE panels at the Digital Downtown Conference and demo-ing the latest gadgets at Pepcom’s Digital Experience. Regardless of whether or not you work in the CE industry, you’re likely to be affected in some way by the trends coming out of these events. This year especially, tech companies are bringing to market groundbreaking new products and technologies at lightning speed – and while not all catch on, there are a few key trends worth watching.

Hot Technology

Mobility – Shawn Dubravac, chief CEA economist and director of research, kicked off the 2011 conference with an overview of how the CE industry is faring financially and discussed the massive consumer preference shift toward mobility, made evident by the fact that tablet and smartphone sales surpassed those of PC sales in 2010. Laptops are lighter and thinner than ever, making them easier to transport. Multimedia use on-the-go and on mobile devices is also on the rise.

3D - The push toward 3D was discussed several times over at CE Week, and it’s not limited to television and computers. LG held a press conference announcing the industry’s first glasses-free 3D mobile phone, the Thrill 4. Currently there’s a major divide among tech enthusiasts who debate on whether 3D is a viable technology and if it is the logical next step for consumer electronics of the future, or whether it’s a gimmick reserved for high-octane action movies.

Tablets – Tablets are everywhere, and everyone and their mom is getting in on the action. Technology companies ranging from the expected PC manufacturers to the odd television makers are coming out with 7-, 8- and 10-inch tablets based on Google’s Android operating platform. Some tech companies that aren’t traditionally in the computing space are even jumping on the tablet bandwagon.

Gadget Gamechangers

One panel, made up entirely of tech editors from key industry publications, discussed 10 technologies that are changing the tech world as we know it. A few examples stood out:

• Software – Software is playing a huge role in the market right now, enabling or in some cases, hindering, the ease of usability on mobile and computing devices. Whether it’s the constantly changing operating system of Google, or new capabilities for social networking apps, the industry should pay close attention to keep up with what consumers find the most comprehensible; it’s all about user interface.
• Health & Fitness - From mobile apps that help patients fill and remember prescriptions, to others that allow doctors the freedom from transferring pen and paper to a digital file, technology in the consumer electronics industry is directly affecting the healthcare sector. While they agreed that the health and fitness industries have been the slowest to jump on the mobile app bandwagon, it is a natural fit.
• Video-streaming technology/set-top boxes - This technology allows consumers to rely less and less on cable companies, with access to particular television programming and movies via platforms such as Hulu and Netflix. This is a huge game changer because it saves consumers time and eliminates fees associated with cable and unwanted channels and services.

Next-Gen Kids

If millennials are the wave of the tech future, why not hear directly from them on what gadgets and gear they are using? Three high schoolers answered a number of questions on how they use technology, and some of the discussion was a bit surprising.

Contrary to popular belief, teens don’t crave the latest mobile phone and aren’t addicted to Twitter. In fact, not all of the panelists had smartphones, and some said they didn’t even see the need for them. As for tablets, schools aren’t embracing this technology but rather banning its use, so these teens felt that whatever benefits they could gain from using a tablet, they could easily get from a light laptop and would prefer a PC over a personal mobile device.

Facebook and Gchat are the two most common forms of communication for this generation. One panelist even cited that he wouldn’t use Twitter to get breaking news since he recently found out about the latest news on the Middle East via Facebook before any other source.

Green and Clean

According to industry experts, consumers don’t appear to prioritize the “greenness” of electronic products they are considering for purchase. It seems instead that their priorities, according to Martin Lamonica, green editor for CNET, include performance, features and price.

One way to encourage consumers to take a more energy-conscious approach to buying? According to Michael Kanellos, editor in chief of Greentech Media, manufacturers must create programs to alleviate any consumer burden. For example, recycling programs that include pick up, is a way that private companies can take responsibility and do the work for consumers.

CES 2012 is only seven months away – how will your brand create the newest tech craze? - by Dinah Alobeid, Account Executive, Text 100 NYC

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