Each year, CES has a little bit of everything and 2018 did not disappoint. Globalization was center stage at the 2018 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas as human and technological linkages continue to develop and thrive. The event attracts every global industry and business sector imaginable from virtual reality to AI, to Blockchain, connected homes, autonomous cars, and flying drones. On display were smart beds, virtual reality headsets, personal robots, 360 degree cameras and super sharp TV screens, 5G connectivity along with a self-driving shuttle bus that taps into the power of the cloud. As regular attendees at the show (and, if we are being honest, self-confessed innovation addicts) here’s our edit on which technologies will gain footing and which are meant purely to generate buzz.

Technology: In-vehicle translator to allow ride-hailing services to offer communication between passengers when they do not share a common language.

Review: The translator feature uses cloud-based translation services, and will not require the passenger to preload an app in their smartphones. Instead, the driver of the commercial vehicle will come equipped app on his or her phone, and can start the system in the vehicle when a passenger enters the ride-sharing car. Developed in partnership with Ford and the Smart Device Link Consortium, we’re excited to see where it goes.

Technology: Ear buds with real-time language translation.

Review: New line of ear buds marketed in Asia this year and promise real-time language translation powered by AI. This gadget may help bridge the language barrier by translating conversation simultaneously, providing flexibility instead of having to rely on a human interpretation. Mars (from Korean company Naver) will translate English, Korean, Mandarin, Japanese, French, Vietnamese, Thai, and Indonesian.

Technology: Blockchain technology connecting people quickly and securely throughout the world.

Review: Offering the potential to be the general ledger for commerce and globalization, Blockchain is emerging as a way to do more than create crypto-currencies. The technology offers potential to play a needed role in IP protection and ownership as a well as identification of counterfeit products.

With over 4,000 exhibitors and 184,000 product buyers from over 150 countries, CES is a testament to technology’s global impact. Please reach out to info@translations.com if you would like to discuss how rapidly unfolding technology frontiers are changing your business.