Highlights of Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas

CES 2019,   One of our favorite shows to participate in for the year.  The trade show booths are so unique based on some of the other events we do and there is so much technology being used - everything is pushed to the envelope!  The biggest difference in this show that we see is the use of  AV RENTALS - specifically some of our LED panels.  Here are some of the big announcement made at the trade show event last week from some major players:

Google released a number of announcements today regarding the Assistant, including the fact that it is now in beta on Sonos' smart speakers, and that it can now be an interpreter for you. This could be especially useful if you do not speak the language in the country you are currently in. Google Assistant is also coming, everywhere, literally. It has arrived on Google Maps, and it is also going to be on your bedside table, thanks to the latest smart display that Lenovo made. This display is also a smart clock, which means its much smaller (about four inches, measured diagonally), and there's no camera. So you don't need to worry about Google watching you sleep.

Amazon Alexa also got a couple of new smart displays. One coming from ARCHOS which is more of a budget smart display. And then Lenovo debuted two tablets that can be docked and turn into smart displays with Amazon Alexa on-board. If you ever thought that you needed a smart mirror in your life, well that debuted today as well. Capstone has a new smart mirror that has the Google Assistant included, but there's no word on pricing or availability yet.

Smart home and the Internet of Things also remained big topics today, as you might expect from a tech-centric trade-show in 2019.  Here's everything that was announced at CES 2019 today:

Amazon Alexa

• ARCHOS’ Budget Smart Displays With Alexa Integration Available Soon
• Lenovo’s Intros “Smart Tabs”, 2-In-1 Tablets With Alexa Support

Audio

• VIZIO Brings Immersion, AI & Casting To Its Home Audio Line 

Google Assistant

• Google Assistant Can Now Cook Rice With Instant Pot Support
• Lenovo’s New Smart Clock Is A Shrunken Smart Display Sans Camera 
• After Many Lengthy Delays, Google Assistant Is Now In Beta On Sonos One & Beam
• Google Assistant Becoming An Interpreter But Not Where It Matters The Most
• New Capstone Mirror Has Google Assistant Smarts But Doesn’t Brag
• “Hey Google, Take Me Home” Google Assistant Comes To Maps
• Google’s New Connect Platform To Help Expand Assistant Footprint
• DISH Brings AI Full-Circle For Set-Top Boxes With Google Assistant

IoT & Smart Home

• Samsung’s Successes Put Its IoT Philosophy Into Overdrive
• LG Promises To Make Your Life Better With AI
• Sprint Announces First 5G IoT Smart City Infrastructure Partnership

Smartphones & Accessories

• Ams Launches Invisible Light & Proximity Sensors For OLED Phones
• Alcatel 1X & 1C Phones Offer A Lot For Not A Lot Of Money
• TCL Doubles Down On In-House Displays, Including Flexible Panels
• Ams Intros Tiny ToF Sensor For Better Photos & Slimmer Bezels
• Verizon Is Getting The BlackBerry KEY2 LE Soon, But There's A Catch
• Budget LG Q9 Introduced With A Pleasant Surprise, A Hi-Fi Quad DAC

Wearables

• kate spade new york Debuts Scallop Smartwatch 2 With An Old & Slow Processor