APRIL 2020 | MACFORMAT | 75licensers, so don’t be surprised to
see it popping up in multiple places
close to the end of the year.Digital friends
Robots were everywhere at CES
this year, because of course they
were, but let’s be realistic – even
floor-roving vacuum cleaners have
Dalek-esque critical flaws, and
given the brain power behind them
we’d really rather not have a flyingvacuum just yet. Robots
are often touted as the
a perfect companion for
the lonely or infirm, but
Samsung’s Neon
project could be a
smarter answer. The
company is working on
creating fully digital
humans to use as
chatbots, teachers and
more – we’re not going
to suggest there isn’t something
a little creepy about the results,
but Siri or Alexa (or, given that it’s
Samsung, the slightly less-good
Bixby) rendered into humanoid
form could well be the future of
our home assistants and a cute
way to bond slightly better with
that ever-present robo-buddy.
If you are caring for an elderly
person, making sure they’re OK
when they’re on their own isn’t just
a case of giving them a virtual
person to talk to. If they were to
have a fall, an emergency button
would only work if they were ableto press it, and installing a camera
system to keep tabs on them feels
a little like a gross invasion of
privacy. The updated-for-2020
Walabot Home (price on request)
seems like a solid solution. Rather
than using a camera it employs
a privacy-ensuring radar system,
scanning back and forth
throughout the home. If it detects
a fall, it can immediately call
emergency contacts – if that’s
not a smart home device, we
don’t know what is.CES 2020 APPLE HOME
Image credits (left to right top to bottom): Qualcomm, Shine Bathroom Tech, Procter & Gamble
Caught with your pants down? Call in the Rollbot!The Shine Bathroom Assistant automatically
cleans your toilet with no harsh chemicals.5G is massive, and CES proved that
it’s definitely not just for phones.
Case in point: Razer, known for its
gaming peripherals, unveiled a new
version of its tri-band Sila router, part
5G-based home router, part mobile
hotspot, with a firmware package
designed to prioritise low latency
and high bandwidth. Not far enough
from phones? Fine. Samsung showed
off its 5G telematics system for cars,
which should (pending regulatory
approval) enable tomorrow’s smart
vehicles to sense their surroundings,
work out what pedestrians are up to,
and communicate that from car to
car near-instantly. Qualcomm,
definitely all-in on 5G and excited
about its effects on vehicles, also
demonstrated completely wireless
VR and AR solutions.
And yes, 5G popped up in laptops,
tablets and desktop PCs from justabout every major company, with word
that newer low-cost radios have been
developed which should, as expected,
drive prices down and see device
usage rise as networks expand.
Notably we still did not see 5G in
anything from Apple, which attendedCES for the first time since 1992 but
didn’t think to actually bring any new
products. That, again, was expected- Apple is going to reveal new products
on its own schedule, and we’d imagine
5G will arrive closer to the end of this
year, if not early next.
5G everywhere 5G will enable augmented reality
experiences which are quick,
accurate and fun.