Monday has been a busy day as tech enthusiasts gathered in Las Vegas to view some early CES 2019 exhibits.
In just a few hours, the doors of the Las Vegas Convention Center will officially open to all the CES 2019 exhibits. However, Monday (the unofficial first day of CES) was still full of exciting announcements and pre-event displays from some of the biggest names in the consumer tech industry.
Here are some of the highlights from yesterday’s unofficial CES opening day.
Apple’s Snarky Advertisement
This year, Apple will not officially participate at CES 2019. However, as always, it still managed to make its presence felt by everyone. In what appears to be a not-so-subtle poke at its rival Google, Apple plastered a huge advertisement, approximately 13 floors high, on the side of the Marriott hotel overlooking the Las Vegas Convention Center where CES will be taking place. The controversial ad, showing an outline of an iPhone device, reads:
“What happens on your iPhone, stays on your iPhone.”
To the amusement of the attendees of this year’s CES, the advertisement also sits right next to the Las Vegas monorail system whose shuttles are clad in ads for Google Assistant.
Aside from Apple’s now famous ad, the Silicon Valley giant also made its presence known in Samsung’s smart televisions through its iTunes and AirPlay 2 streaming applications.
Samsung Announcements
Apple Partnership
As mentioned, Samsung announced Monday that its spring 2019 smart televisions will support Apple’s iTunes and AirPlay 2 streaming. Apple enthusiasts can soon purchase or rent films and TV shows from Apple’s streaming services on a Samsung smart TV. Previous models of Samsung smart TVs will also be able to gain the two Apple features through a firmware update.
New Smart Home Appliances
Aside from its partnership with Apple, Samsung also introduced a new range of Samsung smart home appliances. To name a few, there’s a fridge that reminds its owner through a phone alert that its door has been left open, and a washing machine that can suggest a cycle depending on the color of the clothes you are washing or its level of dirt.
The company also introduced its new set of robots designed to perform specific tasks. For instance, Samsung’s Bot Care was developed to check blood pressure, pulse, and heart rates. The machine can also track medicine intake and monitor a person’s sleep. All the robots will be part of Samsung’s CES 2019 exhibits.
Panasonic Announcements
Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway
In its press conference yesterday, Panasonic talked about an attraction that the company will be putting up at CES. The attraction, called the Mickey and Minnie Mouse’s Runaway Railway, was made in collaboration with Walt Disney Imagineering. It will utilize Panasonic’s state-of-the-art projection technology for its visual effects.
Harley Davidson Partnership and Other Panasonic Techs
Aside from the Disney-themed technology show, Panasonic also announced its latest partnership with Harley Davidson. The two companies will work together to create a new electric motorcycle called LiveWire. The bike will be smartphone-connected, allowing owners to check on the 2-wheel vehicle’s battery status and other maintenance essentials.
There’s also a new Technics turntable equipped with the latest play functions and the Lumix S full-frame mirrorless camera. This includes a feature allowing the camera to take photos of expansive landscapes in high-resolution.
LG Announcements
Consumer Version of the LG Roll-Up TV
Following its introduction last year, LG finally announced the sale of its retractable Signature OLED TV in the United States. Aside from that, the company also showed a glimpse of a new OLED TV model which is reportedly the biggest OLED display to date. LG also said that its latest set of smart TVs included in the long line of CES 2019 exhibits would support the Amazon’s Alexa and Google’s Assistant AI assistants.
Smart Doorbells
Home security is still a primary concern of many smart homeowners so, this year, the CES 2019 exhibits will include a wide range of smart doorbells to help keep homes safer.
Ring’s Door View Cam
The Amazon-owned Ring will showcase its new Door View Cam that can be attached at existing door peepholes without the need for drilling. It notifies a homeowner if someone fails to use the doorbell and is knocking on the door.
Netatmo Smart Video
Instead of offering storage subscription to its patrons, France-based Netatmo will be providing free video storage for its latest smart doorbell product. The Netatmo Smart Video Doorbell has a microSD slot so owners can securely store their videos. The videos the device will record can also be transferred to a Dropbox account. The Netatmo Smart Video Doorbell can be used alongside Apple’s HomeKit system and other Android or web applications.
Other Products
Aside from Netatmo and Ring, California-based Maximus unveiled its Answer DualCam Video Doorbell, a video doorbell equipped with two cameras for broader field vision. First Alert also introduced its first smart doorbell system called One Link Bell which can be used together with the Amazon Echo or Google Assistant smart speakers.
Hey Google
As part of the company’s annual CES tradition, Google is once again preparing something big, but this time it’s not a massive booth. This year, the tech giant reportedly set up an interactive ride for the public at its booth. The attraction is reportedly part of the company’s efforts to drive enthusiasm for the Google Assistant.
These are just some of the happenings from yesterday’s press conferences and announcements. Stay tuned as Edgy brings you more updates from the CES 2019 tech show in Las Vegas.
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