A look at a few highlights from CES held January 4-8 in Las Vegas.
A few highlights from my recent jaunt to CES, which ran January 4-8 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
HTC - HTC Vive Experiences employed a one of a kind feature called “chaperones,” a set of alarms that gently remind you - with a grid like flash - that you are potentially stepping out of bounds in your VR Experience. The HTC Vive VR Demo included a Titanic Experience – a documentary like trailer and a highly engaging animated experience called Mind Show. HTC also announced their new Viveport global app store, their first foray into a VR content subscription-based service. From the HTC Vive press releases:
With HTC VIVE you can explore new worlds, educate new audiences and create art or music. You can solve vast medical problems, connect and socialize with others and experience events and entertainment in a whole new way. This is all made possible by the intersection of hardware that powers VR and the software that drives those experiences and a bevy of partnered companies across CES that have unified to push VR forward.
Viveport, the HTC global app store, today announced at the 2017 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) that it is introducing the first-ever app subscription service for virtual reality (VR) content. Viveport will launch a monthly subscription service in early 2017. The new service is designed to help customers navigate the burgeoning market for VR apps as well as introduce a new channel through which VR developers can monetize their content.
AARP – The “reimagining” of aging is a disruptive concept that fits right in with the CES mantra of innovation. AARP’s core mission both at Consumer Electronics Show and as a company is to make sure to develop and shape the conversation around aging. AARP has expertise in how companies can develop consumer tech products that address the needs of people over 50, how autonomous vehicles and mobility technology are giving older populations more independence for longer, and the massive market opportunity of the "Longevity Economy" as well as other topics. I spoke with AARPs SVP of market innovation Ann Marie Killagon and she offered a few insights into how AARP is specifically challenging the conventional conversation around again.
AARP has an annual awards show that celebrates cinematic achievement for those behind the scenes and in front of the cameras – so long as they are over 50. Their show, the Movies for Grownup Awards, has kept pace and come as a bit of relief for a fast-growing segment of movie fans and attendees – the over 50 crowd! AARP’s Grownup Awards includes an animation category called “Best Movie for Grownups Who Refuse to Grow UP.” In addition to their unique partnership with CTA, the organizers of CES, AARP has a strong partnership with the Entertainment Software Association (ESA), the operators and partners behind the annual E3 show in Los Angeles. This long-standing collaboration has yielded panels with topics such as “looking at multi-generational applications of gaming,” such as using gaming as physical therapy. AARP has recently launched a new project called The Hatchery, an innovation lab dedicated to consumer insights and transformational change, setup in partnership with universities such as North Carolina University.
Noitom – The Noitom Hi5 is a wireless glove controller designed just for the HTC VIVE. Now, you can use both hands and fingers with pinpoint accuracy to touch and interact with the virtual world. The new gloves are set for release this April. We experienced the completely immersive experience firsthand during our demo – we did hand painting and played virtual ping pong.
NVIDIA - Founder, president, and CEO of NVIDIA Jen-Hsun Huang gave one of the CES Keynotes on Wednesday, January 4. His presentation included exciting information on the NVIDIA GeForce NOW game-streaming service available in March and the new version of their Shield TV box – the most advanced media streamer!
Here’s a downloadable link to peruse the Keynote Presentation from CES:
https://www.clearslide.com/view/mail?iID=vqcVXvxNWD9DdRfPJX5b
CES Asia is Growing
CTA released audited numbers for this past May’s CES Asia, their second edition, confirming over 33,000 industry attendees from around the world. Their press release:
CES Asia welcomed 33,879 industry professionals from 86 countries, regions and territories
Arlington, VA, November 8, 2016 – Today, the Consumer Technology Association (CTA) announced final, audited attendance numbers for CES Asia 2016, which ran May 11-13 in Shanghai, China. An independent audit performed by Vault Consulting, LLC, confirms the show attracted 33,879 industry professionals – an 18 percent increase over total attendance at the inaugural CES Asia 2015. Owned and produced by CTA and co-produced by Intex Shanghai, CES Asia is Asia’s premier technology event in China and will return to Shanghai June 7-9, 2017.
The audit also confirms strong global participation at CES Asia 2016, with 10 percent of attendees (3,601 attendees) coming from countries outside of Mainland China. Overall, attendees represented 86 countries, regions and territories from around the globe, up from 62 countries, regions and territories at CES Asia 2015.
“This audit confirms CES Asia’s status as a fast-growing, ‘must-attend’ tech tradeshow where both global and domestic businesses come to launch new product into the Asian market. It’s where ground-breaking technology debuts, global tech leaders converge and cross-market partnerships are formed,” said Karen Chupka, senior vice president, CES and corporate business strategy, Consumer Technology Association. “The tremendous growth the show experienced this year helps to truly cement our growing reputation as the premier event for consumer technology in the Asian marketplace.”
Spanning 36,308 gross square meters (18,154 net square meters) of exhibit space, CES Asia 2016 hosted 439 exhibiting companies, a 107 percent increase from 2015, from 23 countries, regions and territories showcasing ground-breaking innovation across 15 product categories. More, the show’s dynamic conference program featured 135 highly sought-after industry speakers across various industries.
CES Asia 2016 garnered global media attention, with 1,137 members of the media from 30 countries, regions and territories reporting on trend highlights, product launches, keynote addresses and more. A sampling of CES Asia media coverage can be found on CESAsia.com.
Vault Consulting, LLC is certified by the Exhibition and Event Industry Audit Commission (EEIAC) to perform audits. The CES audit provides absolute verification of exhibition records, including direct on-site observation, examination of registration systems and testing of attendee records. This audit complies with the industry standards for audits adopted by both the EEIAC and the International Association of Exhibition and Events (IAEE). CES Asia is also certified by UFI, the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry.
Highlights of the attendance breakdown can be found on CESAsia.com.
Note to Editors: Journalists traveling from outside of China will require a J-1 or J-2 visa. For questions about exhibiting at CES Asia, contact Brian Moon at bmoon@CTA.tech (link sends e-mail) or +1 703-907-4351.