Disneyland after the carnival

Connectivity, healthcare, and automotive ecosystems CES 2023 showcased where communication is moving next, and in a tangible way

- PRATIMA HARIGUNANI

After a two-year pause button, the drum roll at the world's annual tech mecca was quite audible, even if you are sitting miles away. There was a flying electric boat and wireless surprises - TV and other boxes. The Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2023 also showcased eye-glass size Virtual Reality (VR), a BMW with an Augmented Reality (AR) display, a Mercedes with Dolby Atmos, and pee sensor analytics for home toilets.

Visitors also got a whiff of the digital scent wearables and witnessed the power of smart John Deere excavators. On the smart agriculture front, there were fertiliser analytics, crop-watching robots, and smart sprinklers. Impressively enough, Indian innovators were betting high on the future too with 3-D printing, e-mobility, drones, audio wearables, and mixed reality.

DEVICES AND COMMUNICATIONS

Communication devices and gadgets rule the roost in the new digital world and the CES 2023 had several innovations to showcase. While satellite innovators like the Bullitt Satellite Connect presented satellite messaging solutions, Qualcomm displayed its satellite offering for Android phones with two-way messaging via the Snapdragon Satellite tech. We also had a big disruption in the black rectangle' form fatigue of smartphones with a new era of foldability, like the Samsung promise of Flex Hybrid.

There was, of course, a separate space for 5G and Smart Cities, showcasing the connected ecosystem that brings together the technologies, solutions, players, and audiences in the smart city sector. The focus was clearly on the Internet of Things (IoT), 5G connectivity, transportation and smart automotive, energy and utilities, health and public safety, artificial intelligence, and data analytics.