CES 2015: New Tech Gadgets Galore, But Why Do They Matter?

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LAS VEGAS — A seemingly endless assortment of fitness trackers,
smart appliances and self-driving cars are on display at this
year's Consumer Electronics Show — some 20,000 tech products in
total. But as visitors sort through row after row of gadgetry,
they'll probably notice that many of the products at this year's
show are strikingly similar.

And it's not just that there are a lot of smartwatches
on display. There's a real sense that the 3D printer in one row
is somehow related to the Wi-Fi-connected dog bowl in another.
But how?

In a talk here yesterday (Jan. 5), Shawn DuBravac, chief
economist for the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA),
explained the underlying similarities between technologies that,
at first glance, don't appear to have much in common. One trend
helps explain why a high-tech dog bowl and 3D
printer may seem intrinsically linked. [ Best
Fitness Tracker Bands ]

"We're taking something that's happening in the physical space
and digitizing it," DuBravac said. This is a trend that's been
building for at least the past three years, he added.

The Wi-Fi-enabled dog bowl turns a totally analog, everyday
activity into a digital process. Just tap your smartphone and
Fido will receive the right amount of food, instantly. And a 3D
printer lets you see an object in the real world, digitize it,
and then recreate it at the press of a button.

This trend, which DuBravac dubbed the "digitization of physical
space," is dominant
at CES this year. There is an abundance of products designed
to help you track, monitor, correct or detect just about any
physical activity imaginable. You can finally perfect your
snowboarding jumps with one device. Another connects your running
shoes to your smartphone, monitoring every footfall. There are
even products that can help you track unhealthy habits, such as a
"smart" lighter that stores data about cigarette breaks.

But with all these products aimed at digitizing even the most
ordinary of everyday experiences, one question comes to mind: Who
cares? That's the question that today's consumers will want
answered, DuBravac said.

"We're going to see a number of products this week that are
digitizing some space, and it's not enough," DuBravac said.
"We're moving beyond just showing that something is
technologically possible. We're now moving into an environment
where we accept that it's technologically possible and now we
[ask]
is it technologically meaningful ? Does it really matter?"

Companies that can tap into technologically meaningful data will
likely be the ones that make a splash in 2015, DuBravac
suggested. Pacif-i, a smart baby pacifier designed by U.K.-based
Blue Maestro, is one example, he said. This product connects to
parents' smartphones via Bluetooth, and can alert moms and dads
when their baby is running a fever. Pacif-i isn't just recording
information for the sake of having it — it's making parents aware
of the health of their children, allowing them to see how well a
medicine is working or whether it's time to bring a sick kid to
the doctor.

Even fitness and lifestyle companies are trying to design devices
that track more meaningful data for consumers. Certain fitness
tech brands, such as Jawbone
UP, are teaming with companies like Uber, to convert hard
data into meaningful information. For instance, Jawbone customers
will soon be able to see how many calories they would have burned
if they had walked to the gym rather than jumped into an Uber
car.