Wireless TV, plug-and-play solar and next-gen headphones look to make a big splash.

I know we say this every year, but it feels like just yesterday we were all crammed in a single room in Las Vegas eating mediocre takeout and voting for our best in show. But CES 2024 is actually just around the corner. The show officially runs from January 9 to January 12, though we'll be on the ground well before that, with the first CES-related events expected to kick off on January 7.

Last year we saw a focus on accessibility and a rather disturbing amount of stuff that you were supposed to pee on or into. While we'll probably see a good amount devices designed to help those with hearing impairments and mobility restrictions again this year, we anticipate some new trends to steal some headlines. Here's a few predictions from our staff about what to expect from CES 2024 in Las Vegas.

User-friendly solar

Jackery

I suspect CES 2024 will be full of clean energy technology, packaged in the form of consumer hardware. Solar panels have traditionally been the purview of professional contractors but standalone setups are gaining in popularity. Two or three years ago, this gear would have been targeted at RV users but now it’s cresting into the mainstream. Pop-up panels, coupled with inverters and batteries that look like air conditioning units, sitting unobtrusively in the corner, are all the rage. It’s a plus that most of these setups are plug and play, removing the need for a professional to get involved.

There are a couple of drivers for this beyond the niche audience of folks looking to get off of the electricity grid. In many places outside the US, the cost of energy has spiked dramatically and it’s folly to think the same won’t happen here. Not to mention that, in places like Texas, people have seen the power grid fail with devastating consequences. It’s going to be a big market in the next few years and I’d expect to see more and more consumer brands follow Anker and Jackery into the home battery world. — Dan Cooper, Senior Reporter UK

MEMS earbuds

If Engadget’s audience stats are any indication, audio nerds are extremely excited about MEMS earbud drivers. As my colleague James Trew has detailed in his reporting, micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) may very well be the next big thing in headphones. A California-based company called xMEMS is the first to bring the solid state components to market, and the first true wireless earbuds that use them have recently gone on sale.

Some of the benefits of MEMS drivers are said to be improved response, better durability and more consistent fidelity. They also don’t require the calibration or matching that balanced-armature or dynamic drivers need on a production line. The only downside is that in their current state, they still need a hybrid setup with a secondary driver for bass. In its next-gen MEMS speaker, though, xMEMS is promising 40 times louder bass response.

The new model is called Cypress and the company will be demoing it for attendees at CES. xMEMS says its performance is consistent with the bass performance of “the best” 10-12 coil speakers currently being used in earbuds. What’s more, Cypress can improve ANC performance, which xMEMs says will cover higher frequencies – including crying babies. The company has already said the components won’t go into mass production until the end of 2024, so consumer products are over a year away. But the promise is too good not to be excited about a very early preview in Las Vegas. — Billy Steele, Senior Reporter

Wi-Fi 7 in everything

Netgear

While it may not be the most exciting development, I’m expecting to see a number of new devices with support for Wi-Fi 7 at CES 2024 — from laptops to TVs and everything in between. Currently, it’s still a work in progress, but with the official Wi-Fi 7 spec expected to be finalized sometime in early 2024, gadget makers are looking to get an early jump. Some benefits of Wi-Fi 7 include maximum speeds of up to 46 Gbps — more than twice as fast as what’s available using Wi-Fi 6/6E — along with a 320Mhz channel width that offers double the capacity compared to previous generations.

Another important feature is MLO (multi-link operation) which allows Wi-Fi 7 devices to use two bands at the same time, essentially turning a single wireless connection into a two-lane highway. For people with larger homes, this should improve the performance of mesh networks by allowing devices to switch bands without losing speed or connection. QAM (quadrature amplitude modulation) is also getting a significant boost from 1024-QAM on Wi-Fi 6/6E to 4096-QAM with Wi-Fi 7 which allows devices to pack more information into the same carrier signal.

The downside is that while there are some gadgets on sale today like the Samsung Galaxy S23 that already support Wi-Fi 7, you’ll need both a compatible device and router (not to mention a sufficiently fast internet connection) to take advantage of the spec’s full capabilities. In short, you should keep an eye out for new devices that work with Wi-Fi 7, but don’t rush out and upgrade everything in your home until prices stabilize and they become more widespread. — Sam Rutherford, Senior Reporter

The year of the AI PC

If there’s one buzzy term you’re guaranteed to hear a ton throughout 2024, it’s “AI PC.” It’s a phrase both Intel and AMD are using to describe computers equipped with chips featuring NPUs, or neural processing units. Similar to the way GPUs speed up graphics processing for gaming, an NPU offloads AI tasks to handle them more efficiently. For Windows 11, that’s mainly limited to Microsoft’s Studio Effects, which can blur your video chat backgrounds or punch up your lighting. But more Windows AI features are rumored to be on the way (Microsoft’s push to bring its Copilot AI everywhere is a big sign), and companies like Adobe and Audacity are also developing NPU-powered features for their apps.

For years chipmakers have been chasing higher clock rates, smaller process designs and a wealth of other architectural upgrades like 3D transistors to make their hardware faster and more efficient. The move towards mobile chip designs, like Apple’s Silicon, is yet another way to reduce power consumption while also speeding up computational possibilities. Intel, AMD and other companies are also focusing more on GPUs to beef up basic gaming performance, while also offloading some creative tasks like media encoding. NPUs are the latest tool chip designers can rely on, and they also have the potential to change the way we use our computers entirely (or at least, deliver a bit more power and battery life for ultraportables).

While it’s easy to be skeptical of marketing terms, the phrase “AI PC” is at least functional. There are still plenty of laptops on the market without NPUs — Intel only got into the AI game with its new Core Ultra chips — so consumers will need an easy way to differentiate between different types of systems. After all, if you’re upgrading your laptop to take advantage of Windows Studio effects and AI powered software, you don’t want to be stuck with a non-NPU system for several years. — Devindra Hardawar, Senior Reporter

Truly wireless TV

Displace made a splash at CES 2023 with its truly wireless TV that could be mounted anywhere, even suction-cupped to a window. The company’s demo left us with a lot of questions as it wasn’t yet ready to discuss key details of the product since what it showed off were CES-specific prototypes. The company is returning to Vegas this year and it’s already announced what it plans to have on display.

First, Displace says two sizes of TVs will be demoed: the 27-inch Displace Mini and the 55-inch Displace Flex. The display we saw earlier this year was also 55 inches, but a key difference between it and the Flex is that this new version attaches to an optional magnetic wireless charging stand. Both the Flex and the Mini pack enough battery life to last a month if you watch six hours of content per day, according to the company. There’s no pricing available for these yet, but they go up for pre-order on January 9, so we’re bound to find out soon. Displace said it will also show off a 110-inch model at CES, although details are scarce.

The original version has gone up in price since last CES: it’s now $4,499 and orders won’t ship until mid-2024. The new Mini and Flex aren’t expected to ship until late next year either. The main thing we’ll be looking for at CES is a status update. Are the units any more polished? Have there been any notable upgrades since that first prototype? How much will the extra swappable batteries cost? Does it look like the company will actually be able to ship in the next 6-12 months?

Displace has also announced an AI-based shopping platform for its TVs. Using the same gestures that control TV viewing, the tech can analyze a paused scene for products that might be available for sale. The system also allows you to quickly make a purchase by either bringing a phone or watch near the NFC-enabled TVs or by using a mobile app. Displace says the goal for its products has always been ambient computing, and the first step towards that is this shopping platform. It’s also a way for the company to make money off the TVs after the initial sale. — Billy Steele

Announcements so far

Advancements in AR Glasses Technology This essay could discuss the latest innovations in AR glass technology, including companies such as Microsoft, Magic Leap, and Apple. It could explore the different features and functionalities that set these products apart, such as image quality, field of view, and user interface.

The Impact of AR Glasses on Industries This topic could investigate the ways in which AR glasses are transforming different industries, such as healthcare, education, and entertainment. It could discuss the potential benefits of using AR glasses in these contexts, as well as the challenges and concerns related to privacy and security.

The Future of AR Glasses In this essay, the future of AR glasses could be explored, including potential advancements in technology and new applications in different industries. It could also discuss the impact of AR glasses on society and the implications for human-computer interaction and augmented reality experiences.

AR glasses have a multitude of practical uses, based on my personal experiences. Our AR glasses are specifically designed to optimize productivity and simplify daily routines. For instance, they can display speech notes on the screen during presentations, eliminating the need to memorize every word. Moreover, the glasses enable safer driving by answering phone calls through Chart GTP. Additionally, they facilitate effortless language translation while traveling and provide navigational assistance for any destination. The potential benefits of AR glasses are truly remarkable, and I feel confident in recommending them to anyone seeking to enhance their everyday life.

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It seems like both Hololens and Magic Leap AR glass have their pros and cons. While Magic Leap is slightly cheaper, Hololens has an all-in-one form factor which makes it more convenient. The design of both devices is not impressive, but the Hololens look less awkward. The user experience on the Hololens is consistent and well thought out, whereas the Magic Leap AR glass has some UX issues. When it comes to developer stack, Microsoft's tools make it hard to challenge them. While the field of view is a major complaint with the Hololens, it's not dramatically different from Magic Leap's field of view. Hololens seems to have a better edge in tracking. In terms of hype, Microsoft took a low-key approach while Magic Leap engaged in excessive hyperbole. However, the biggest issue with Magic Leap is its usability - it needs to be customized by a technician which makes it hard to share experiences and get people to try it out. In conclusion, both devices have their weaknesses, but Hololens seems to come out ahead when considering the product, ecosystem, and the company supporting it.

Both augmented and virtual reality (AR & VR), operate via a head worn display (HWD). The miniature display can be many things such as a LCD, OLED, LCoS, or even a line source of diodes scanned across the field. But they are typically small. The idea is to collimate the light from the display such that the eye sees the magnified display at a distance out in front. Very similar to looking at a slide through an eyepiece. You place the slide (or object) in the front focal plane of the eyepiece and you can see a magnified image of that object.

The difference between AR and VR is that AR allows you to see the real world while superimposing text or graphics in front of it (medical procedures, assembly aid and so forth). VR is closed off to the real world and you are immersed in a virtual environment (watching movies or playing games etc.)

There are many different ways to design one of these. The important thing that drives the complexity and size of the HWD is the required field of view. If you just want a small field that’s about 10 degrees square, it’s fairly straight forward. But driving up the Field to 60 degrees or more can be a challenge. The human eye can see about 120 x 120 degrees (horizontal and vertical). A 65” TV at 10’ distance will be about 28 degrees. So you can see how important field of view is in a HWD.

One important design consideration is that your eye must be located at the exit pupil of the optical relay. You want the light from every field point to get into your eye all the time. Since your eye rotates about 12 mm behind the cornea, the pupil rotates as you move your eye around. Think of it like a 5” diameter circle on the outside of a basketball. Rotate the ball about it’s center and watch the circle move around as it pivots about the center of the ball. The circle is your pupil and the ball is your eye. So when you rotate your eye to look at the corner of the field, your pupil moves over and up. So if the exit pupil of the optical relay isn’t large enough to cover this motion, then the light from the other side of the field will not get into your eye and that part of the image will disappear.

Then there is eye relief. What is the distance between your eye and the nearest optical element of the display? Is it large enough for a user to wear glasses?

Designing head worn displays is a real challenge, especially since users want something light weight and compact. There are many, many different design forms and approaches out there. But in summary, the challenges are field of view, eyebox size, form factor (size and weight), and optical fidelity (image quality).

The advent of a device such as "Glass" could significantly contribute to the evolution of navigation and GPS systems. Currently, drivers must shift their gaze to a small screen on the dashboard, drawing their attention away from the road momentarily. A glass-type device could improve this experience. However, designing such a display to be functional without impeding the user poses a considerable challenge to user experience. Nevertheless, this challenge is not insurmountable.

Computer vision technology enables a range of possibilities, including facial recognition, barcodes, and QR codes. A hypothetical use case in which law enforcement officers wearing a capable device can dynamically access relevant information on any vehicles they inspect may seem like a concept from a science-fiction movie. Suppose a vehicle has outstanding tickets or is involved in an ongoing crime. In that case, the device could highlight the car in red, immediately notifying police elsewhere to be on the lookout. This process could occur in real-time without the officers initiating a query, providing substantial value.