2014 CES First Day - Car Related Report - Not as Exciting as 3D Printing

Las Vegas, NV, by Py - At the record breaking amount of exhibitors in the 2014 CES show, we scouted the car related news and products to give our first hand observations of what's happening and what to expect in the next several months for car lovers.  Sadly to say, we have lukewarm feelings about the results for this year.  Granted, CES is not SEMA, however, there are so many car innovations in technology that can be done via electronic gadgetry or equipment or purely electronically, there is a desire to have more focuses and investment in this field.

Google/Android, Nvidia, and GM, Audi and a few other car companies announced ahead of the show that they are forming an alliance, Open Automotive Alliance (OAA) to bring Android operating platform to the car dashboard and car systems.  Talking to an Nvidia person we learned that mainly there are two levels of the integration.  One is to bring the connectivity and extension-capabilities from your Android device to the console screen.  This is not quite an innovation but rather an attempt to consolidate the field by building up a closed eco-system.  The actually functionality is not materialized yet as this is a fresh alliance announcement so we cannot see what features we can expect.  We do hope to see something that can have a dramatic departure from the current console systems (GPS, Volume adjustment, Call someone,...) to something much more beyond.   The second level is to have a deeper integration with the car sensors and systems.  This could be interesting, especially to the car modifiers and accessorizers.  Imagine that you can lower your car just by pushing a button on your Android phone.  Or change your oxygen intake ratio by sliding a dial... The possibility is cool, but the future is far, as we can tell.  We do hope that we will see something really innovative coming out of this exercise, not just another wall-off effort by forming an alliance.

Other news include Kenwood's new connectivity technologies with cars' dash-kit systems by Kenwood, showing together with 2014 Ford Mustang.  Also some press releases include "Monster and Lamborghini Unveil For the First Time in the US the Limited Edition Veneno Roadster with High Performance Audio by Monster® Monster® " by the Monster Cable, as well as "Experience the Power & Precision of the Rare Audio Amplifier" by Rare Audio and others.

We cannot say any of them are ground breaking, but we will take anything that improves our car driving experience and car ownership / maintenance to any level, vertical or lateral.  Maybe keyboard tapping hands and grease dripping hands should have lunch together someday.  Something cool may happen!  You never know!



By the end of the first show day, most of the floors are almost empty, with only the booth guardians remained.  However, at the 3D printing section, it's still hot and noisy like a Moroccan bazaar. Tons of people checking out all kinds of things, from abstract 3D flowers, to full set doll houses to miniature Iron Man, to skeletal fragments.  3D printing is the new black in this year's CES.