The next generation of hardware: insights from CES 2016

January 21, 2016

By Peter Nicholson

As reported in WARC Event Reports, CES, January 2016

Virtual reality, as expected, was big. Skiing down a world-class downhill run with a world-class downhiller rocked. I could never ski that run for real, and now I don’t have to. It was that real. This technology’s true value, though, lies in the awareness it is raising around important issues that impact all of our lives.

Take species extinction: The Discovery Channel and GoPro have partnered in this space, and VR technology put me up close and in the middle of real human issues. You can’t help but feel emotionally involved.

Much of what I experienced this year had human-first thinking — humanity meets technology — at its core. Previously, CES was the other way around — technology meets humanity — and we didn’t see the practical and emotional purpose of a lot of the innovation.

Samsung, one of our clients at McKinney, has embraced this idea. Its new refrigerator that has a giant tablet screen on the front was (unfairly) seen as gimmicky at first. But when people experienced it and learned how it worked, it was no joke. In fact, of all the products in every booth — other than maybe the Mercedes-Benz concept car — Samsung’s refrigerator with a family hub generated the most interest and chatter.

Samsung’s keynote address was also impressive. Dr. WP Hong discussed the Internet of Things, another buzz term at CES. And, again, Samsung put humanity first. Through using its “Smart Things” technology, the Internet of Things makes good sense for everyday life — and provides usable solutions.