My Top 5 Picks From CES 2022

This past week, I participated in multiple panels, talks, and book signings, with one of my partner companies, Strategy of Things, at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas. We were joined by 40,000 of our closest friends (a more modest affair relative to the 182,000 attendees in 2019 BC). There were 2300 exhibiting companies showing off the latest in robotics, AI, automotive, drones, smart cities and homes, healthcare, and much more.

Here are my top 5 picks from CES 2022:

1. Sony Electric Cars

I grew up with Sony. I knew them for good quality audio equipment. They nailed it with their Walkman. In the 1980's, you weren't cool if you didn't have their cassette player appended to your hip. So, I was amazed that at CES, Sony announced their entrance to the car market. I suppose if you now consider that cars have become computers with wheels, it kind of makes sense. It gives us a tease of the other potential companies that may enter the car space soon and completely reshape the automotive industry.

2. Samsung Frame TVs

Full disclosure: I am a happy Samsung television owner. As you can imagine, CES 2022 was full of new, impressive screens from a large number of providers. There were plenty of 8K resolution screens which are simply glorious to behold. The Samsung pavilion featured their Frame TVs for displaying art. In a nutshell, the newest versions look like paintings. They provide a matt-finish experience, have new anti-reflective film and other anti-glare measures, and provide access to thousands of the world's best art. Frankly, I was stunned at how well they emulated an analog picture on the wall.

3. Hisense Short Throw Projector

On the continuing topic of screens, I was introduced to a completely new form-factor of which I was not familiar: the short throw projector. Also known as a laser TV, these devices, unlike projectors that need to be suspended from the ceiling, fit up close to the wall and beneath where a normal TV would be positioned. The device then shoots light at an extreme angle and emulates a physical flat-panel TV. Remarkably, it performs well in ambient light conditions too. It provides a convincing 120 inch viewing experience. I explored the Hisense offering, but other vendors were demonstrating their laser TVs too.

4. Canon AMLOS (Activate My Line Of Sight)

One digital camera can simultaneously capture and stream multiple views.

Canon's pavilion presented a mixture of new products from cameras to printers under the TogetherNext theme. They also demonstrated their Kokomo virtual reality platform. However, what impressed me was one feature of their Activate My Line of Sight (AMLOS) platform. It is designed to give remote participants the ability to clearly access multiple lines of sight, so they can focus on the speaker, the screen, the whiteboard, or other key visuals in the meeting. Specifically, one digital camera can simultaneously capture and stream multiple views. Even if a physical whiteboard is at an angle, a remote participant can access a visual of the whiteboard which is then digitally manipulated to appear as if the camera is directly in front of it (as shown in the image above).

5. The LVCC Loop system

This last item will likely come as a surprise. Technically not part of CES, the Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC) loop system is Elon Musk's Boring Company's underground roadway system that connects the venue's different halls. From outside the North Hall of the LVCC, my colleague and I took an escalator underground where we were greeted and ushered to an awaiting Tesla vehicle. We asked to be taken to the West Hall. Our Tesla driver took one of the two paths in front of us and we were driven on a short ride through a bright white tunnel. I thought the driver might activate the ludicrous mode, but instead we travelled at a gentle 22 mph. Is it the future of urban travel? I don't think so, but it seemed like a fun marketing platform for Tesla.

My Final CES 2022 Thoughts

Attending an event of this scale in-person during a pandemic carries many risks. Credit goes to CES for insisting on comprehensive safety steps. I took a lot of precautions and even painfully participated in a long formal meal voluntarily wearing my mask in-between every bite. If there was an upside, I actually enjoyed the quietness of the low attendance (I don't think the exhibiting vendors would share this view). There was lots of new innovation to enjoy, everything was easily accessible, and there were no wait times.

CES gives innovators an opportunity to excite us about the possibilities of the future and it forces us to think differently. In a world facing significant challenges, that's exactly what we need.

Find Me At These Upcoming Events (Many Free and Virtual)

[Not an exhaustive list.?Also, private and invite-only events not included]

• Jan 19: Golden Gate Breakfast Club (Virtual)
• Jan 25: The Other Society (Virtual)
• Jan 26: Data Governance?Essentials?(Virtual)
• Feb 1:?LEAP, Saudi Arabia (On-site)
• Feb 6: Al Madinah Smart City Forum (On-site)
• Feb 16: Global Cryptocurrency?Summit?(Virtual)
• Spring: Launch of my new book,?Cryptocurrencies QuickStart Guide

Did you know? You can follow my adventures on Instagram.

That's all for now.

Remember, life is short. Be bold and be kind.