- So the big nerd playground known as CES
was in Las Vegas this week.
I am not in Las Vegas.
This is actually the first time since 2010
that I haven't actually been there.
And you know what?
I'm okay with that.
My waistline is happier for it.
My wallet's a little happier for it.
So I'll tell you a little secret.
The vast majority of everything coming out
of CES this week isn't ready yet.
It won't be ready for, I don't know, at least six months,
later this year, if ever.
So it's actually as easy to cover a press release as it is
from your couch as it is from a casino.
It's just, you know, nowhere near as much fun.
So anyway, here's the stuff I actually care about
coming out of CES this year.
No, it's not robots, it's not driverless cars.
It's actually stuff you're gonna be able to buy
later this year.
So hang on, let's go take a look.
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Think number one, wireless Android Auto.
This is kinda my big sort of pet project
is to get everyone I know, you guys out there too,
please don't touch your phone while you're driving.
Just put it down.
It'll be okay.
So in my car I use Android Auto.
And I've been using it for a couple years now
and I tell ya, it's really good.
It's easily the best infotainment system I've ever used.
But, as a whole bunch of us have found out off and on
over the years, and this depends on a lot of things,
there can be connection problems.
It might have to do with your phone.
It might have to do with the cable.
I might have to do with the head unit
you're plugging it in to.
But it has happened.
And wireless Android Auto is gonna take care of that.
Google actually announced what,
a year and a half ago, almost two years ago,
at it's Google I/O Developer Conference.
We're now just starting to see
the first after-market head units.
Pioneer has a couple, JVC Kenwood has a couple.
And yeah, eventually it will be built into new cars
and maybe even retrofitted into existing cars
that also have WiFi connections.
We'll just have to see.
One other software announcement on this front
that came out this week is that an updated Google Assistant
is now working with Android Auto.
Before it was the old Google Now style thing even though
they look the same, anyway, it'll just work better.
So speaking of Google Assistant, I mentioned that
it was coming to a bunch of connected speakers as well.
And that's great.
If you haven't already, go watch my video
on the Google Home Max.
That sort of thing only from other
manufacturers than Google.
But even better is that we're gonna get it on devices
with a display, a lot like the Amazon Echo Show.
Go watch my video on the Amazon Echo Show.
I was super excited about it when it came out.
It's kinda fallen flat since, right?
The headline is that it shows you all the time, suck,
they're useless.
You can't watch YouTube on it anymore because Amazon
and Google are fighting and we see why.
And basically it's just kind of a big,
expensive Alexa in my kitchen.
But finally, later this year, eventually,
we're gonna see this new stuff from Google
with Google Assistant built in and some displays.
That's all based off the Android Things platform
which is sort of Android for the internet of things.
So, Lenovo has a smart display.
It's got a couple of them, actually.
There's an eight incher for $200 and a 10 incher for $250.
So LG has this horribly named, Thinq, T-H-I-N-Q WK9,
that'll come out later this year.
And we've also got displays coming from JVL and Sony.
So a couple other things that came out of CES
that actually I think are really cool,
if not very practical and likely to end up in your house.
No, they're still not robots.
There's the new version of the HTC VIVE
virtual reality system.
It's got a higher resolution and that means everything
that you see in front of your eyes in this virtual world
is gonna be a lot clearer.
I tell ya, this still isn't the sort of thing
that everyone is gonna run out and buy.
It's still expensive, still requires a full computer.
But I tell ya, if you ever get the chance to demo it, do it.
It is just ridiculously cool.
There's also Project Linda from Razer,
which I know our friend, Mr. Mobile is going nuts about.
It's yet another attempt to turn a phone
that nobody actually is buying into a laptop.
Which nobody ever really wants to do.
I mean, yeah, it's still very cool.
It's just not all that practical and not something
we're gonna see happen in any really numbers.
Alright, now this is pretty bass ass.
It's a 65 inch HDR gaming display that Nvidia
has teamed up with a bunch of manufacturers to make.
It's got Nvidia Shield baked into it
and that means Android TV.
And they're working with Acer, HP and ASUS to make 'em.
And we'll see 'em towards the back half of the year.
Not gonna be cheap.
Alright, one more and this looks way cool.
But I have a feeling it's not gonna be nearly
as simple as they're making it look.
It's this cool touch screen light switch
coming from a company called, Brilliant.
They start at a couple hundred bucks a pop.
But apparently they can control all sorts of stuff.
So notice in your lights and do intercom things.
But let's face it, unless you're building a new home,
maybe, or are just super, super nerdy,
probably not something you're gonna spend
that much money on in your house.
But, you know, it's cool.
So that's it for all the cool stuff
that I've seen announced at CES this year.
If I missed somethin', if there's somethin' really cool
you me to take a look at, let me know.
But yeah, I'll definitely be playing with some of this
when it's finally released.
But I tell ya, it was kinda nice to, you know,
not be in the desert this year and escape the blackout
and just cover it from the comfortable couch in my own home.
So that's it.
If you haven't subscribed to Modern Dad already, do it.
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Word of mouth, super important.
Share this video, give it a thumbs up, all that cool stuff.
Lots more comin' in 2018.
Catch ya later.
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