Good morning, CES attendees!
The doors of the CES show floors have officially opened, and it’s pretty clear that Amazon, Google, and Apple have come for the smart home.
Unless you’ve been walking around blindfolded—a la Bird Box—to avoid the myriad and obvious evils of CES, you’ve seen the “Works with Alexa” or “Works with the Google Assistant” badges plastered on the side of countless demo booths.
For years the smart home industry seemed unmoored: disparate sets of lights and smart plugs and security devices without an easy-to-use interface to bind them all together. Smart speakers from Amazon and Google have quickly rushed to fill that void, and smart-home companies are happy to gain the validation and elevated status conferred by having a Google or Alexa logo on their box.
Google announced new features for its assistant, including the ability to translate conversations in real time, and new connected-car and smart-home devices, while Amazon has let its third-party partners such as Lenovo, Asus, GE, and Kohler take center stage with new product announcements featuring Alexa.
Apple extended its well-guarded HomeKit compatibility to more devices, including certain WeMo light switches, KwikSet smart locks, and ConnectSense smart outlets, which will work natively with Apple products upon release this year.
All of this adds up to mainstream acceptance of the smart home. Google and Amazon are household names, and their ability to simplify the smart home experience through voice interfaces will translate to an ever greater acceptance of the technology. And if it’s simple enough, people might overcome the feeling their home is spying on them.
What to watch for today
Keynotes continue. On day two of the conference, chipmaker AMD’s CEO, Lisa Su, will talk about the future of computing at 9am in the Venetian’s Palazzo Ballroom. At 11am at the convention center, a group of transportation experts, including Chris Urmson, founder of Aurora and one of the earliest employees of Google self-driving car program, and Amnon Shashua, CEO of car-vision company Mobileye, will discuss autonomy and what comes next in mobility. At 2pm at the MGM, AT&T Communications CEO John Donovan will talk mobile tech, and sit on a panel of media executives, including the chief marketing officers of Adobe and National Geographic.
Media day. Variety is hosting a day of sessions around the future of TV, film, music, and entertainment at the Aria. Viacom CEO Bob Bakish will take the stage at 10am. WWE chief marketing officer Stephanie McMahon will talk about the evolution of women in wrestling around 2pm. And executives from media companies including YouTube, Facebook, Hulu, and Discovery will speak on panels throughout the day. Steve Harvey will also be there.
#BasketballTwitter. NBA commissioner Adam Silver and Twitter co-founder and CEO Jack Dorsey will speak with ESPN’s Rachel Nichols at the Aria at 1:30pm. They’ll discuss basketball’s increasing use of tech, and how Twitter has become integral to the online basketball-watching community.
Party planner
Internet radio face-off. Both Pandora and iHeartRadio are hosting parties on Wednesday night. Rapper Lil Wayne will perform at Pandora’s party, which kicks of at 7pm at the Aria’s Jewel Nightclub. Ellie Goulding and Mark Ronson will take the stage at iHeartMedia’s event, which starts at 9pm at Drai’s Nightclub.
Twitter tunes. Everyone’s favorite microblogging platform will hold its annual bash at the Marquee club at the Cosmopolitan, and everyone’s favorite autotuned singer T-Pain will DJ the party. It’s invite-only, but try tweeting @jack and see what happens.
What everyone is talking about
The CTA vs women. The organization that runs CES, the Consumer Technology Association (CTA), rescinded an innovation award that had been given to sex-tech company Lora DiCarlo, retroactively classifying its product as “immoral, obscene, indecent, [or] profane.” The CTA then banned the device from CES altogether. Lora DiCarlo founder Lora Haddock said in a statement that this reflected an “obvious double-standard,” as a VR porn company had previously attended.
The CTA vs marijuana. Pax, the company hailed as the “iPhone of vapes,” wasn’t allowed to attend CES since the company explicitly is a marijuana product, the company told Quartz at an event at the Mirage. The app is pretty cool, though—you can control the heat that burns the THC oil, how big of a drag you can take, and even lock others out of the vape.
Furloughed speakers. The continued partial shutdown of the US government has taken its toll on CES. Many government employees who were scheduled to speak, including Federal Communications Commissioner Ajit Pai and transportation secretary Elaine Chao, had to pull out. NASA had to cancel a party it planned to host. The shutdown, which has seen an estimated 800,000 government workers go without pay, didn’t stop the FBI from showing up, though.
Measles. The Southern Nevada Health District confirmed a case of the measles in Las Vegas just days before this year’s CES show. Unfortunately, Quartz hasn’t found an exhibitor re-upping vaccinations.
Yesterday’s highlight reel
The future of work. IBM CEO Ginni Rometty said in her keynote speech that “100% of jobs will be different” because of AI. Rometty also defended quantum computing, saying that it’s not just research anymore, but a “full system.” That said, IBM announced ExxonMobil is joining the IBM Q Network, a collaboration for quantum computing research, suggesting plenty of work lies ahead. IBM also announced a quantum computer “product,” but it’s not nearly powerful enough to do anything that would help a business.
A self-driving bike. BMW showed off a self-balancing, autonomous motorbike concept vehicle in its lot by the Las Vegas Convention Center. The company said the bike—which was being shown for the first time outside of BMW’s German headquarters—was just a proof of concept, and said it didn’t have any plans to turn it into a product. But it was pretty neat to see a bike doing figure-eights on its own.
Mike became a robot, briefly. During its press conference Monday, Samsung unveiled that it had secretly been working on a whole suite of robotics products. That included Samsung Bot Care, a stout robot that can read your vitals and remind you to take your medicine; the Bot Air, effectively an air purifier with eyes; and a robot meant to serve food in restaurants. The company also introduced Gems, a set of exoskeletons meant to aid people with mobility issues, correcting their gait, and taking the strain out of walking. Mike tried on the hip braces, and reader, he really wanted to steal them for the rest of the conference.
Cars of the ~future~. In recent years, CES has become as much a car show as one for gadgets. Most major automakers turn out, showing their latest tech innovations, and even using CES as a platform to unveil new cars (even though the Detroit auto show is next week). Mercedes showed off its new CLA sedan, which it hopes will somehow be the “ultimate wearable.” Many car companies also use the show to give glimpses at what they believe the future of driving will be. BMW apparently thinks tomorrow’s cars will have hardwood and shag carpeting; Mercedes predicts glowing balls; and Kia envisions home theaters on wheels.
The real 5G. Verizon CEO Hans Vestberg addressed his—and CES’s—favorite topic, 5G. Vestburg said the next generation of wireless technology was “quantum leaps” ahead of 4G. He brought along some Verizon partners to talk about the potential of 5G for sectors like entertainment, drones, health, and home internet service. Disney StudioLab, a new Verizon partner, plans to explore using 5G to make film and TV production easier or change the way movies are delivered to cinemas. Verizon announced a goal to become the first company to connect 1 million drone flights to 5G networks. And, unlike some of its competitors, Verizon didn’t pretend to have 5G on mobile phones. Instead, the company showcased the first home to be connected to its 5G service in Houston, Texas.
Hey Google
Google, which is all over CES this year, announced a bunch new features for the Google Assistant and new Google Assistant-connected devices. It’s rolling out a feature called Interpreter Mode that will effectively translate a conversation in real time, in spoken word and written on a display. It hits Google Home devices and Smart Displays in the next few weeks. Google Assistant will also soon be able to check people into flights and book hotel rooms with certain partners. A new opt-in feature will allow people to use Google Assistant when their Android phones are locked, to do things like search for restaurants or turn off alarms.
There’s also a new smart clock from Lenovo with Google Assistant that will learn your daily routines and suggest times to wake up, which will be available this spring. And Google is working with Anker and JBL on new accessories that will allow people to use the Google Assistant hands-free in the car.
The new features were showcased at the Google Assistant Playground, which was outfitted with a whimsical, Disney-esque ride that took people through a day in the life with the voice assistant.
Seen and heard
Bustling past a Quartz reporter as the LVCC show floor opened, a man was holding his phone out in front of him, live-streaming his experience, telling his audience: “Welcome to the big show!”
Amazon ran a banana stand at the Sands showroom, a continuation of its infamous banana giveaways in Seattle.
Italy celebrated its allegiance to coffee with a car that features a built-in espresso machine. It’s a whole new meaning to ordering a “latte to go.”
A company is offering free DNA testing at CES, but please don’t do it. You never know how they’ll sell your DNA.
“I hate working for companies like this,” a booth worker in the digital health section told a colleague.
“I couldn’t find gum last year, so this year I brought eight packs of gum,” a prepared CES-goer told his colleague, who graciously accepted a piece.
Roughly half a dozen cryptocurrency hardware companies are in attendance. They’re tucked into a tiny corner of the Sands, surrounded by smart fitness equipment.
A water bottle that is also a smart speaker. For some reason.
An internet-connected kettle bell called Jaxjox wants to be the Peloton of kettle bells.
News from around the world
Trump delivered a speech about a wall. In a prime-time broadcast from the Oval Office, the president rallied support for his proposed border wall, as anger over the government shutdown deepens. He justified his demands for more than $5 billion in funding for the wall by calling it “a choice between right and wrong.” Fact-checkers challenged many of Trump’s claims.
Vietnam accused Facebook of breaking its new cybersecurity law. It said Facebook had refused to shut down fanpages that allegedly promote anti-government activities. (Facebook disputes this.) The new legislation, in effect from Jan. 1, includes requirements for technology firms to set up local offices and store data locally, which could make it easier for the government to access user data and arrest employees.
Japan scrapped its British beef ban. The country originally imposed a ban on UK beef in the 1990s, at the height of fears over Mad Cow Disease. The move comes after China lifted its ban on UK beef in June.
Matters of debate
The simple act of taking a bus can reveal class disparities. A ride to school shows many US kids how the other half lives.
Errands never end. The key to managing the eternal onslaught of menial tasks is to connect with your future self.
Democracy is in serious crisis in Latin America. The continent’s already fragile democratic institutions are being threatened further by the leaders of Brazil and Venezuela.
Surprising discoveries
Even fatbergs need a holiday. A 209-foot (64-meter) mass of congealed fat, oil, and wet wipes was discovered beneath an English seaside resort town.
Baby Shark is a top 40 hit. The super addictive song for kids entered the Billboard Hot 100 at number 32.
Australia’s prime minister has two left feet. Staff doctored a family photo of Scott Morrison to spruce up his scruffy sneakers, and everyone noticed.
Our best wishes for another successful day in Las Vegas. Please send any news, tips, connected exercise equipment, and futuristic cars to us, Dave, Ashley, and Mike. The best way to keep up with news while you’re on the go this week is the Quartz app for iPhone and Android.