Key Innovations and Takeaways from CES 2018

McAfee

Jan 17, 2018

3 MIN READ

Every year, practically everyone in the consumer electronics industry catches a flight and heads to Las Vegas for The International Consumer Electronics Show (CES). Though 2018’s show was colored by some power outages and even some flooding, it still delivered upon its typical expectations and showcased the best innovation that the industry brings to the table. And out of all of these technological marvels, a few key themes emerged. Here are some of my takeaways from the event:

AR is the new reality

Given its prolific presence at CES, (augmented reality) AR tech is likely to become everyone’s shiny new toy this year. Just think about it, with AR technology, consumers have immersive experiences available right at their fingertips. A popular AR contender was the Vuzix Blade, which is a pair of Android-powered sunglasses that deliver notifications and even Alexa functionality right to your eyes via a color display. Other notable mentions include the Lenovo Mirage Solo and Arsenz Thermoglass with FLIR.

Smart homes are the new norm

At CES last year, connected household devices were popular, but now they’re so prevalent that they’ll soon redefine the modern home entirely. There were smart doorbells that allow users to answer their door even if they’re not at home, a connected thermostat that learns the behavior of homeowners, and even a voice-lighted mirror with Amazon Alexa embedded into it. In fact, Samsung said it will increase its own smart home offerings, pledging that all of its devices from TVs to washing machines will be “smart” by 2020.

Security goes beyond standard devices

At McAfee, we understand that IoT devices continue to permeate the modern home. That’s why we’ve created McAfee Secure Home Platform as the answer to the IoT boom. At this year’s CES, we even took over the Public House Restaurant in the Venetian and simulated a smart home experience to showcase how exactly McAfee Secure Home Platform works. We also continued our mission of protecting the connected home by working with D-Link on the new AC2600 Wi-Fi Router Powered by McAfee.

We continued the theme of extending protection beyond the PC or mobile phone by partnering with Samsung on Samsung Secure Wi-Fi, with back-end technology from McAfee to encrypts personal information during sensitive transaction and online activities.

And last but not least, we moved into a new space with the launch of McAfee Identity Theft Protection, designed to provide exactly that. This solution allows users to take a proactive approach to protecting their identities with personal and financial monitoring and recovery tools to help keep their identities personal and secure.

All in all, CES 2018 proved that innovation isn’t slowing down, and that also goes for connected devices and the technology that protects them. Both IoT devices and cybersecurity landscape are adapting to the needs of everyday consumers to make sure everyone can enjoy their digital life in a safe way.

To stay on top of McAfee’s CES news, and, of course, the latest consumer and mobile security threats, be sure to follow me and @McAfee_Home on Twitter, and ‘Like’ us on Facebook.