Consumer Electronics Show 2014: 10 Prominent Companies, Technologies

by Don Reisinger

Apple set a new standard in the desktop market when it unveiled the cylindrical Mac Pro. That’s why companies like Dell, HP and others are expected to show off new desktop form factors at CES. For the first time in a long while, CES could play home to some neat desktop designs.

Expect to hear a lot of talk about the so-called “dual-screen experience.” What that essentially means is hardware and software makers are going to improve their products’ ability to bridge the gap between the big-screen TV in your living room and the smartphone or tablet in your hand. Microsoft is already doing it, as are many TV makers. But 2014 is expected to be the year when the technology finally grows up into something greater.

The 4K TV revolution will be in full cry at CES 2014. Now known as Ultra HD, the technology will deliver the highest screen resolution to date. The technology can display a resolution of 4,096 by 2,160 pixels. There will be some sets at CES that will come with a slightly lesser 3,840-by- 2,160 resolution, but either way, it’s a great advance from the 1,920 by 1,080 we’re getting now.

It wouldn’t be CES without a boatload of new notebooks on the show floor. But as with previous years, the notebook improvements are expected to be more internal than external. Most PC makers seem to be resigned to the fact that tablets are winning the battle right now, and they’d rather generate more profits on the PC than risk spending heavily on innovative notebook or laptop designs. Expect a ho-hum year for laptops.

With the Samsung Galaxy Gear, Google Glass and other wearable devices stealing headlines in 2013, it shouldn’t surprise anyone that a number of companies will be coming to CES with various types of wearable computing devices. Expect to see everything from fitness trackers to virtual reality goggles for video game players as device makers keep hoping this technology will catch on with buyers in a big way.

The 64-bit chip has become a bit of a must-have in mobile technologies now that Apple has gone all-in on it with the iPhone and iPad. That’s why CES will play host to several devices featuring 64-bit architecture. In fact, one might be hard-pressed to find many smartphones that don’t include 64-bit processors.

When Microsoft announced in the fall that it would return to CES after just a one-year absence, many wondered if that meant the company would again hold its major press event before the show kicks off. While Microsoft isn’t planning something that big, the company has said that it’ll have plenty of rooms, booths and displays on hand for attendees to check out its current and upcoming products.

Sony is expected to make a real splash at CES this year after its CEO Kazuo Hirai offers a keynote address. There’s no word yet on exactly what might be on the docket, but rumors suggest it could include new digital cameras, some wearable tech and game unveilings for the PlayStation 4. There might even be some TV talk. Sony is looking to make a splash at CES.

Intel is still far behind ARM in the mobile processor business. Still, the company is planning on coming to CES with technologies that it believes can get its products into smartphones and tablets. Microsoft’s Surface will of course help in that effort, but Intel has yet to announce a mobile technology that makes device makers swoon. Will this be the year?

Yahoo might be an online firm, which makes it a somewhat odd attendee at CES, but for years the company has made prominent appearances at the show due in large part to its HDTV widgets and other features. AT CES 2014, Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer will give a keynote address. There’s no word yet on what she will say, but given Mayer’s recent major moves, including hiring world-renowned journalists, picking up Tumblr and changing Yahoo’s corporate culture, the speech could set the path Yahoo will be on for years to come.