The largest show of its kind is not a revolution, but an evolution of technology.
As I crisscrossed the three football fields worth of gadgets, curved TVs and self-driving cars at the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, it became clear that consumer technology is evolving into a personal, connected space that is banking on you not only wanting it, but feeling like you need it.
Curved television is a perfect example. The new technology gives you a theater-like perspective, but at a high price tag even the most committed techie wonders if there is a need.
"I'm not sure how many consumers really care about this product," said Mark Hung, Gartner analyst. "I think it is really up to the company to come up with a value proposition that is attractive to customers."
Dozens of companies are hoping that easier transportation is attractive and necessary. Boosted Boards, OneWheel and Bosch Bicycles are enhancing standard skateboards, unicycles and bicycles with powerful motors that gives you enough boost to leave the car at home and use the low-carbon footprint transportation to get to work.
Boosted Boards gets six miles on a single charge. Its high-end $1,500 model lets you go at an almost frightening speed.
Bosch's new electric motors makes pedaling uphill almost as easy as going downhill.
And OneWheel puts a new spin on the unicycle with gyroscopes and technology that lets you stand tall and zoom down streets, gravel or even grassy areas with ease. It retails at $1,500.
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But a true Angeleno is really about their car. We love them. And car companies are banking on that love and our need to get across the hill to the valley in comfort, luxury and most importantly convenience. BMW is developing not only self-driving cars, but cars that park themselves.
In the land of few parking spots and high-priced valet, a self-parking car seems like almost a need. So, we took a BMW up on a test park and it made me not fear going to West Hollywood to find a space. The "ActiveAssist" technology is an automated valet system.
BMW uses a Samsung smartwatch to send the i3 to find a parking space, and then have it return. With no driver, it heads down a line of cars until it identified a parking spot and backs into it. And when you need to go, there is no need to walk to the car. Just talk into the watch "BMW pick me up" and the car pulls out of the space and heads your way. BMW says the technology is still seven years away.
Valeo thinks its automated driving technology is only two years away, but after we took a test drive live during the NBC4 News at Noon, it could be a little longer. The Cruise4U technology can be added to any car and, as long as there are lines on the road, the car does an amazing job of following the road, speeding up and down in traffic and turning lanes when prompted by the driver. Where things went wrong was when the car entered intersections and lost the lines. The car swerves slightly to the right.
Luckily, the engineer corrected and avoided a collision. The technology is still being worked on and engineers say they are tweaking it to accommodate intersections and recognizing human beings and bicycles that enter the traffic flow.
The great thing about CES is that you can see the technology in the process of being perfected, even if that perfection is still years away.
