EVERY year in the 2nd week of January, the world's biggest technology brands congregate in Las Vegas for the Consumer Electronics Show (CES). What has made CES the world's most anticipated technology event over its 49 years is its ability to showcase the most emerging tech trends and innovations. [caption id="attachment_115735" align="alignright" width="214"] LG Best of CES 2017. — Courtesy photos [/caption] Actually, this is not far removed from one of its star exhibitors this year, LG, which was born around the same time as CES. "CES provides the leading brands, LG included, with a unique platform in an industry that is in a constant state of reinvention," said Kevin Cha, president LG Electronics MEA, at the show. Today more than ever, the show remains a tech geek's paradise and a must-see on the events calendar. Like CES, LG since its creation has pushed the boundaries within its own range of TVs and other electronics — until today where it remains the next big thing in smart tech, wearables, Augmented Reality, 4K resolution and IoT (Internet of Things). IoT may have been around for more than a decade, but it is only since the demand for mobile devices, faster broadband, drones, robotics and the advent of smart home technologies that it has taken on a whole new lease of life. LG showcased its smart appliance app, SmartThinQ Hub (compatible with Amazon's intelligent personal assistant, Alexa), Smart InstaView refrigerator and the SmartThinQ washing machine. With the estimate that networking devices will increase worldwide from around 15 billion currently to 50 billion by 2020, IoT's potential is huge. That said, it remains to be seen whether tech companies will be able to continue capturing consumer's attention with new groundbreaking innovations. Staying on the subject of smart technologies, self-driving cars seem to be at the height of tech-talk at the moment, although we are still seemingly some way away from seeing them on the production line, or as a regular feature on our roads. But they are still on the verge of some groundbreaking innovations. It is predicted that 60 percent of new cars sold during 2017 will include IoT features, including data collection, infotainment and entertainment systems built in or added to vehicles, or recognition of other vehicles to improve safety. In smart car technology also, LG is leading the way. It has entered into a partnership with Volkswagen to develop a connected car platform, where drivers will be able to control and monitor smart devices in the home from their cars, and promote safer driving by giving alerts about real-time driving situations. The company is also supplying key components for smart vehicles to Toyota and GM. As one might have expected, Augmented Reality (AR) was a key showcase feature. Interestingly, like IoT, AR has been around for a decade or more. But it is only now that it is causing such a stir among the public. This is, of-course, partly due to the Pokémon Go phenomenon. Gaming aside, AR is poised to be a regular technology around the house during 2017, and LG is taking its own steps towards artificial intelligence — specifically in robotics which promise without doubt to be the next big thing. The company had its own take on AR technology at CES, with its robot vacuum cleaner, the HOM-BOT Turbo+, which allows the user to tell it where to clean via their smartphone camera. As Eddie Jun, LG Saudi Arabia president, said at CES, "With areas such as IoT, AR and robotics continuing to develop, it's only a matter of time before we see our way of living completely transformed. The interconnected home will really see a surge in the coming years." Moving forward, there is huge potential for AR to radically transform the way users interact with the world around them, assisting smartphones with aspects such as shopping, navigation or translation for example. Perhaps why both augmented reality and virtual reality (VR) are among the fastest growing sectors of the tech industry right now, with global revenues predicted to rise to $120 billion by 2020 for AR and $33.9 billion by 2022 for VR. When LG introduced its VR technology in Saudi Arabia in 2016 at the time of its G5 and friends campaign, it was an instant hit. Next on the agenda was the topic of smartphones — particularly how not to damage them if dropped from a great height. Again, LG technology came into play with its ‘military-grade' V20 smartphone. Made from premium materials most commonly found on aircraft, sailboats and mountain bikes, it conforms to US military standard drop tests. Military grade is a big statement, so before making such an assertion, LG put its V20 to the test — dropping it at all angles, including directly onto the screen, at increasing levels of height. It was only able to crack the screen after dropping it from eight feet in the air. For those prone to dropping their phones, this might be the one for you. It is also waterproof. The durability of LG's V10 and V20 smartphones were particularly heralded in the Saudi Arabia market. Another big topic of the past year has been wearables, in the wake of fitness wannabees measuring their distance, calorie intake, heart rate, sleep patterns and other vital signs. An innovator across multiple segments in the wearable space, LG showcased its series of smartwatches and its Tone Infinium wireless headset. "When we design our products, our main aim is always to meet the increasingly sophisticated demands of consumers," said Belal Alshanqiti, LG Saudi Corp marketing manager. "Our Bluetooth headset is a case in point. In Saudi Arabia it remains LG's best-selling accessory." There is every indication that the wearable craze will continue into 2017 through an expanding range of watches, glasses,‘hearables', clothing and jewelry. At the same time, challenges will remain during 2017, not least in manufacturers finding the right price point for their wearable goods. But at the end of the day, the technologies that started the story back in the early days of LG and CES still prevail, and remain a significant market for the company. We're talking about that standard living room feature, the TV set — but with some major differences. 2017 will see the advent of 4K (4000 pixel resolution) TV.The 4K OLED (organic light emitting diode) has been of particular interest as its technology makes it possible to build slimmer TV sets. This model was instantly popular when it was launched in Saudi Arabia in 2016. Coined as ‘next generation' TV, the picture quality of 4K is reported to be far beyond anything consumers have experienced thus far. It offers four times the resolution of full HD 1080p and supports HDR10 and Dolby Vision. Breakout products will potentially be 4K UHD, glasses-free 3D TVs, curved screens and integrated smart video streaming services. Cha summed it all up by highlighting: "Looking ahead, the world will soon be filled with everyday objects connected to the Internet. There is no doubt that IoT will usher in a new economic era across the globe. The IoT economy will revolutionize the way businesses produce, function, and perform. And the change is happening faster than any previous industrial revolution."
