Launched in 1967 with just 14 exhibitors the Consumer Electronics Show – long since truncated to CES – is now the definitive place to see the latest innovations in consumer tech.
In 2016 the event drew 177,393 visitors from around the world with 3,200 vendors exhibiting across floor space spanning 2.47 million square feet.
As you can imagine, the kind of products showcased at CES, which this year takes place between 5-8 January in Las Vegas, have changed quite a lot in its 50-year history – with a particularly seismic change witnessed in just the last few years.
At its inception the show mainly featured televisions, before diversifying into VCRs and, in the 80s, video games.
The myriad products now on display includes a growing number of security products, a category that until recently didn’t feature at all by dint of domestic security products’ lack of glamour (like the humble burglar alarm) or because they weren’t even electronic at all (gates, locks and so forth – and these are even now often digitised).
And the internet of things (IoT), whereby everyday consumer products contain computer chips and are connected to the internet via Wi-Fi, has created multiple new vectors through which cyber criminals can access your personal data. In a very short space of time, then, security has gone from playing hardly any part in CES to having an integral role. Indeed, the show now has a dedicated Cyber Security Forum.
As CES celebrates its 50th birthday, let’s take a look at some of the products being unveiled.
Security products unveiled at CES 2017
The light bulb with a hidden security camera
Blink set to unveil home security system with moisture sensors for leak detection
First “enterprise-grade complete solution” for IoT data security unveiled
GeeksterLabs has posted this video looking at the Ring Security Floodlight Cam live from CES.
Fire-safety products unveiled at CES 2017
Oven that prevents fires and false alarms set to be unveiled by GE Appliances
Airthings Wave detects deadly radon gas that causes more deaths than house fires and C02 poisoning combined
5 fire-safety innovations showcased at CES 2017
As the world’s consumer press descends on Las Vegas, IFSEC Global is reporting on the products and solutions that enhance home security and fire safety, as well as the cyber vulnerabilities of non-security products.
Polling the views of hundreds of installers last year, we found that 92% saw the ‘smart home’ – whereby lighting, heating, alarms and other household functions are interconnected and remotely controlled via smartphone or PC – as a potential area for diversification.
“It would be great to see a security system that integrates as one package,” said one installer who completed the survey. “As far as we are aware this does not exist. We’ve been trying to push the home automation side, but are still seeking the right product.”
The Internet of ransomware things. Don’t forget the security in IoT with FPS from @FingerprintCard! #CES2017 #fingerprint #FPC #IoT #sensor pic.twitter.com/7PpxMbWNvG
— Materiel (@materiel) January 4, 2017
We’ve highlighted the 5 most innovative security products launched at CES 2017, featuring Kuri the robot nanny and a curiously shaped IoT security device from Norton. It’s been a busy year for Netatmo, as it jostles for market share with Nest Labs…
?Please welcome our newcomer: the Indoor Security Siren! ➡️https://t.co/dIm9JmYZuK#CES2017 #iot #tech pic.twitter.com/MLCpKpyRA6 — Netatmo (@netatmo) January 4, 2017
Meanwhile, motorized shade company Somfy has diversified into install-it-yourself home security with an all-in-one device called the Somfy One. Somfy’s entrance into the smart home market follows its 2016 acquisition of security startup Myfox.
Just to broaden our focus beyond security for a moment, it seems that not everyone is in thrall to the endless possibilities thrown up by the IoT. Reporting for the Guardian Adam Gabbatt sneers: “If this year’s CES continues to predict future tech trends, then we can soon expect to have emotional relationships with our cars, virtual reality devices so realistic you need a sick bag, and products so pricey most people won’t be able to afford them.”
And it’s a veritable field day for spoof account @internetofshit which tweets sardonically or mock despairingly (because you know they actually relish it) on the myriad bizarre products to emerge in Las Vegas.
thank god someone finally put the internet in a hairbrush https://t.co/2wYMqvwkh3 pic.twitter.com/1axBpGUvhY
— Internet of Shit (@internetofshit) January 5, 2017
PLEASE STOP https://t.co/agaOfeoTD6 — Internet of Shit (@internetofshit) January 5, 2017
And here is a radon detector being showcased for the first time at CES, the Airthings Wave. Pretty nifty.
As with the commercial market, when it comes to security products its the cameras that tend to dominate in the home automation space. Here’s another one amid a another flurry of launches in 2017.
This year’s most interesting gadgets, according to Wired, include programmable lego, Amazon Echo and a spectacular autonomous car from Toyota.
Check out some of the best images from CES 2017 in the official photo gallery here.
At the Consumer Electronics Show? Us too! Visit us to learn about the ultra low-power mesh system in our smoke alarm. #ces2017 #smarthome pic.twitter.com/w2f2PKEERz
— Birdi (@birdi) January 7, 2017
A scathing take on some of the drones out on the show floor, courtesy of the Verge…