And the shiny new gadgets to be found at it:
"Electronics show putting a focus on Internet of Things" by Molly Wood, New York Times January 05, 2015
NEW YORK — By just about any measure, the International Consumer Electronics Show is big. The event, held in Las Vegas, attracts more than 150,000 visitors. It occupies 2 million square feet, the equivalent of about 35 football fields, of exhibition space. More than 3,500 companies come to show their wares.
But something has been lacking in recent years: big excitement. Companies have promoted largely unwelcome new versions of existing products, like 3-D television, or new devices with unproven consumer appeal, like clunky virtual-reality headsets.
Didn't that already fizzle?
This year, though, the International CES may be energized by a wave of new exhibitors chasing a top trend in consumer electronics: the Internet of Things.
The term refers to the concept of a world full of connected devices controlled through a consumer-friendly hub, like a smartphone app.
The new devices at the event, which opens to the news media on Monday and to the public on Tuesday, will include a Wi-Fi-connected ceiling fan controlled by a Nest Learning Thermostat and automated door locks, light switches, and LED bulbs. Under Armour, the sports apparel company that has experimented with smart sports clothing, will exhibit at CES, as will the Girl Scouts of America, which is introducing a new digital app.
“This is the digital lifestyle not just coming into concept but into practical execution,” said John Curran, managing director of communications, media, and technology at the consulting firm Accenture. “The Internet of Things is touching almost every aspect of your life, and it’s bringing in a host of new companies and new partnerships.”
Major tech companies that are not usually part of the CES will play a part in the show, too, because of their relationship to the new generation of connected devices. Although Apple, for example, will not have any official presence at the CES, expect companies to announce home automation devices that work with its HomeKit development platform. HomeKit lets companies build smart home gadgets that can be controlled with iPhones or iPads and can even work with Siri, Apple’s built-in assistant.
The stakes for the companies could be huge. IDC, a market research firm, predicts that the global market for Internet of Things devices and services will exceed $7 trillion by 2020, up from $1.9 trillion in 2013.
That sort of prediction and others like it have encouraged companies of nearly all types to seek a piece of the market.
In some cases, companies have joined in head-scratching collaborations, building devices that do not show an obvious need for an Internet connection, but that may find consumer interest anyway. For example, two separate wristbands on display — the Reemo and the Myo — will let their wearers control video games, phones, and connected devices in the home using arm waves and gestures.
Other devices are targeting a niche consumer base. Tagg’s GPS-enabled pet trackers can report your pet’s location and the temperature there. Connected workout clothing from Hexoskin will let trainers monitor athletes from afar — even from other countries.
“These devices get new life breathed into them as they become connected,” Curran said. “Aesthetics and fashion become a core component. It’s either hanging in my house or I’m wearing it every day.”
The number of connected devices will generate another unusual discussion point for the CES: security. Traditionally, the show’s focus on stand-alone gadgets has meant that security and privacy were not a big part of the event.
And of course, it would not be the CES without a lot of big televisions. Manufacturers like LG, Samsung, Sharp, and Sony traditionally anchor the event with huge TV displays and other announcements.
Analysts say they expect so-called 4K TVs, or ultra-high-definition sets, with built-in Internet connections to be among the highlights of this year’s announcements.
With all the spying trapdoors and new technology, one has to wonder if the TV is not watching you!
The new televisions will most likely combine 4K resolution with other new technologies like OLED (organic light-emitting diode) displays, which are thinner and use less energy than typical displays. And virtually all television makers are likely to tout new sets that allow viewers to watch streaming content from sources like Amazon and Netflix — in addition to traditional cable or satellite television — without the need for external streaming devices.
--more--"
You can obviously see my interest in those things.
Also see:
Gadgets you didn’t know you needed
Drones are everywhere — except the sky
Or underwater, right?
I do know where you can find them.
FAA grants permits for agriculture, real estate drones
Yeah, those are just fined.
"38 killed in Pakistani, US airstrikes" Associated Press January 05, 2015
PESHAWAR, Pakistan — Government airstrikes killed 31 militants and a suspected US drone strike killed another seven, officials said Sunday, as local troops pressed an ongoing offensive in the country’s tribal regions along the Afghan border that have been longtime insurgent havens.
The airstrikes late Saturday in the Tirrah valley of the Khyber region destroyed four militant hideouts and a training center for suicide bombers, the army said. The military said several would-be suicide bombers were among the dead, without providing further details.
The military says the operation in Khyber is aimed at militants who have fled an offensive in neighboring North Waziristan that was launched in June. The army says that offensive has resulted in the killing of 1,200 militants.
Last month’s school massacre in Peshawar — in which 150 people were killed, mostly schoolchildren — is believed to have been launched from Khyber. The attack prompted both Afghanistan and Pakistan to vow tougher action along their porous border.
Related: The Pakistan School Shooting Psyop
I was wondering about that even at the time.
Related: Pakistan lawmakers approve military courts for terror trials
Two Pakistani intelligence officials said US drone-fired missiles struck a militant compound in the Datta Khel area of North Waziristan early Sunday, killing seven militants and wounding four. The compound, some 330 yards from the Afghan border, was used by fighters loyal to the Pakistani Taliban commander Hafiz Gul Bahadur as well as Uzbek militants.
They said Bahadur’s men, who frequently launch attacks in neighboring Afghanistan, and Uzbek fighters were among those killed.
--more--"
Now look who is in Pakistan, as the propaganda machine is going all out in one last push (given what has happened -- or not -- in Paris:
"Taliban fighters said to join ISIS
ISLAMABAD — An online video released Saturday purports to show former militants of the Pakistani Taliban pledging allegiance to the Islamic State group and beheading a man they identify as a Pakistani soldier. The video shows ex-Pakistani Taliban spokesman Shahidullah Shahid and dozens of other militants in woods. Shahid had already backed the Islamic State in an audio message in October. He was later replaced by the Pakistani Taliban (AP)."
You will think it's SILLI when I tell you who are their enablers.
Related: 62 killed after bus collides with oil tanker in Pakistan
It was a NATO supply tanker.
You can wander across the border if you want:
Thousands flee homes in Indian-held Kashmir to escape firing
That coverage was quickly dropped.
Time for me to power down for the night.
NEXT DAY UPDATES:
Students return to Pakistan school where 150 died in Taliban attack
