2020 has just began and it’s already wrap for the first big tech event – CES 2020. The event witnessed  announcement of Over 20,000 new products over 4,400 exhibiting companies, and majority of the innovation was dominated by use cases of  AI and 5G- What these technologies could do for us in the future.

Few of the important announcements made at CES 2020:

Automotive

Mercedes Benz launched an Avatar based concept car

(Source- Dezeen)

 Mercedes-Benz premiered a new concept car at CES  called the AVTR. The car was inspired by the film “Avatar,” and comes with a collection of bizarre features including a set of 33 moving “bionic flaps” on its rear.

It also forgoes a steering wheel in favour of a “control unit” a glowing mound near in the center of the car’s interior.

BMW unveiled a car with gaze detection system

(Source –Techcrunch)

BMW unveiled its new gaze detection system, which can track what user’re looking at outside of the car and then present relevant information about it. Using its AI tools, the car’s systems can follow the driver’s gaze and interpret it.

All of this works in conjunction with BMW’s Intelligent Personal Assistant, which can then use to kick off a conversation about the place you are looking at.

Sony demonstrated its sensor packed Vision S concept car

(Source-Dezeen)

Sony demonstrated electric concept car called the Vision-S which features 33 different sensors inside and outside of the car, multiple widescreen displays, 360 audio, and always-on connectivity, with some pieces coming from industry players like BlackBerry and Bosch.

It’s also powered by a “newly-designed EV platform” — which appears to have been engineered by automotive supplier Magna — that Sony says will be able to power other vehicle types, like SUVs.

Qualcomm announced the Snapdragon Ride Platform

Qualcomm announced its Car-to-Cloud service. It’s the company’s first product that integrates its automotive cockpit platform and Snapdragon automotive platforms with 4G and 5G support.

The platform will help automakers keep their cars up to date and allow them to update their infotainment platforms over the air.

Amazon drives deeper into cars with new Alexa partners

 Rivian and Lamborghini made announcements about bringing Alexa into their respective vehicles.

 Amazon will launch Echo Auto into new markets outside of the U.S. year, starting with India on January 15. Amazon  also said it will bring the latest Fire TV edition into car infotainment systems, beginning with future BMW and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles vehicles

 BlackBerry lands QNX deals with Renovo, Damon Motorcycles

 Blackberry announced two partnerships. The first is a partnership between QNX and Renovo, which has a data management platform used for autonomous and connected vehicles and the large datasets that go with them

The second partnership is between QNX and Damon Motorcycles to use a BlackBerry QNX powered advanced warning system in its electric motorcycles.

5G

TCL teases a 5G device, headset and its first foldable at CES

(Source- ZDnet)

TCL announced that TCL10 5G will be its first 5G handset, following the release of an Alcatel-branded router last year. The device is set for a Q2 launch in the U.S. and Canada.

The device will be powered by Qualcomm’s snapdragon chipset

Lenovo announces laptop with 5G connectivity

(Source-Slashgear)

Lenovo unveiled ThinkPad X1 Fold, the foldable PC that has been four years in development and through six designs and will launch in the second half of 2020, starting at $2,499

The laptop will be using Qualcomm chips

BMW and Samsung are Bringing 5G to an Electric SUV as soon as 2021

(Source- Digitaltrends)

BMW and Samsung are jointly developing 5G components for automotive use—the concept is manifestation of C-V2X (cellular vehicle-to-everything) tech and will also use 5G for infotainment.

The operators such as Verizon, T-Mobile and AT&T used the platform to demo their 5G networks

 Verizon is adding 20 5G-capable phones to its 2020 lineup

 Verizon announced at CES that it will launch 20 5G devices in 2020 that would cost anywhere from under $600 to about $800.

Right now, Verizon has only five 5G capable phones: The Samsung Galaxy S10 5G, the Galaxy Note 10 5G, the Moto Z3, the Moto Z4, and the LG V50 ThinQ 5G

MediaTek, Keysight Show 8K Video Over 5G

 Keysight Technologies announced a joint demonstration with MediaTek showcasing 8K video streaming to a smart TV using 5G wireless connectivity

The demonstration combines Keysight’s 5G emulation solutions with Dimensity 1000, MediaTek’s first 5G mobile system-on-chip (SOC), to deliver data rates of up to 1 gigabit per second.

IoT/ AR/VR/ AI

Google assistant being used in more than a billion devices

Google made announcement on its Google Assistant being used on more than one billion devices.

It also announced new feature additions—interpreter mode, privacy settings, scheduling and made it more natural sounding

Samsung launches chatbot Neon

Samsung launched Neon—a human shaped chatbot and Ballie—a small rolling personal assistant

The chatbots are designed to have conversations and behave like real humans.

Samsung unveiled a pair of augmented reality glasses

(Source-Endgadget)

Samsung unveiled a pair of augmented reality glasses — a new piece of hardware for the company — that appeared to be tethered to a nearby Galaxy smartphone.

The wearer could then pick a virtual-workout location and motivational trainer to guide them through some exercises

VRgineers’ New VR Headset Plays Virtual Reality in Crisp 8K Resolution

(Source-News18)

VRgineers announced a new 8K resolution headset which features two super high density displays inside, along with new, improved lenses with 180-degree fields of view, all of which enable super clear and precise visuals.

The new XTAL headset features foveated rendering to optimally use processing power and use precise eye tracking that can run at up to 210fps. The headset also comes with an add-on module for AR mixed reality

Toyota and BIG to Build A Prototype Future City In Japan

 Toyota announced Toyota Woven City, an urban prototype with a fully connected ecosystem, powered by hydrogen fuel cells.

Starting next year, Toyota Woven City will be constructed on a 708,200 m2 site on the foothills of Mount Fuji in Japan. The city will be living laboratory for testing and advancing mobility ideas – autonomy, connectivity, alternative-powered infrastructures

Open Connectivity Foundation reveals first open IoT standard devices

 Open Connectivity Foundation (OCF), showed OCF 2.1 specification, which is designed to bridge the gap between existing IoT ecosystems

It provides detailed implementations for Bluetooth, EnOcean, Zigbee, and Z-wave network protocols.