CES is the place to see the newest technology, most of which will arrive on store shelves in the coming months.
But the annual trade show in Las Vegas is also the place to show off what top tech companies have up their sleeves for the years to come, and this year’s show was not at a loss for impressive concept devices.
Despite the fact that the Detroit Auto Show kicks off next week, top auto manufacturers were at CES to show off their latest cars and innovations. And though Doc Brown did, in fact, make an appearance at CES (with a Delorean in tow, no less), he was there for Gibson Guitars, and did not have news about flying cars. Instead, car makers focused on next-generation power and lighting options, among other things.
Beyond cars, we also saw concepts in gaming, phones, and PCs. Take a look below for some of the forward-thinking tech that caught our eye, and will likely be in stores (and your driveway) soon enough.
1. Sony Life Space UX
At the Sony keynote, Kaz Hirai revealed a concept known as Life Space UX, which will "transform living spaces into evolving environments." It essentially turns any wall surface into a 4K viewing experience. It will, for example, let you project a piece of art on the wall, create a virtual window displaying the action outside in real-time, or let you watch a concert you couldn't nab tickets to, Hirai said. One of the gadgets that will help make this a reality is the Sony 4K Ultra Short Throw Projector, also unveiled during the CES keynote.
2. Project Christine
Razer has a habit of introducing boundary-pushing designs that turn into category-defining products. With Project Christine, Razer aims to made PC building dead simple with a snap-on module "that allows users to build and customize PCs in any configuration without any prior technical knowledge." Each component is housed in a self-contained, pod-like module that connects to a base unit that contains a vertically oriented motherboard and a sealed liquid-cooling system in the base. Each module attaches not just the wired connections for each component, but a valve system that hooks up to the liquid cooling system instantly, without the hassle of rerouting hoses and reconfiguring the internals of a regular case.
3. Audi Laser Lights
Before you get too excited, the Audi Sport quattro laser lights are for seeing better during dark drives, not for vanquishing your enemies (yet). The Sport quattro’s laser light diodes are much smaller than the LED ones, Audi said, and can illuminate the road ahead for about 1,640 feet. "The laser high-beam light has approximately twice the lighting range and three times the luminosity of LED high beam lights," Audi said.
4. Ford Solar-Powered Car
The Ford C-MAX Solar Energi Concept "harnesses the power of the sun," via solar panels on the car's roof, Ford said. "A special concentrator...acts like a magnifying glass, directing intense rays to solar panels on the vehicle roof." As a result, drivers can rely on solar power rather than the electric grid to power their vehicle. In its current state, the car can drive for 20 minutes on solar power alone. For more, check out our Ford booth tour.
5. Toyota FV2
The Toyota FV2 is a concept vehicle for fast mobile transit. Hit a button and the hood opens up, allowing the driver to operate it standing up. It is a four-door concept fuel-cell vehicle that gasses up with hydrogen. Toyota says the car has a 300-mile driving range and can go from 0-60mph in about 10 seconds. Toyota took to the CES stage on Monday to announce that it plans to start selling electric vehicles powered by hydrogen fuel cells by next year.
6. Eco-Mobius
ZTE showed off Eco-Mobius, a competitor to Motorola's Project Ara/Phonebloks idea with gorgeous industrial design. Eco-Mobius is just a research project so far; ZTE hasn't committed to commercializing it.
7. Toshiba 5-in-1 Concept
Toshiba unveiled a new premium PC concept design that offers not only laptop and tablet functionality, but three additional function modes. The five modes offered by the concept PC are: Laptop Mode, which resembles a standard clamshell design; Canvas Mode, which puts the touch screen at an angle for drawing and touch; Tablet Mode, for mobile use; Presentation/TV Mode, propping up the display for viewing media; and a Desktop Mode, which detaches the keyboard and stands up the tablet half of the system as a small touch monitor.
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