Despite high-profile attendees like Amazon, Google and Intel pulling out of in-person presentations at the CES technology conference, the show is scheduled to go on. So, what can we expect?
Is anyone going to CES this year?
A long-simmering question in the tech world will finally get its answer as the influential gadget show returns to the Las Vegas Strip after a hiatus caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
"We know it will be a smaller show this year, for obvious reasons," said Jean Foster, senior vice president at the Consumer Technology Association, the event's organizer. Several huge tech companies have abandoned plans to attend in person. The latest sign of its dwindling size was Friday's announcement that CES will run one day shorter than originally planned.
The sprawling exhibition floors open Wednesday as the spread of COVID-19's omicron variant has heightened concerns about the safety of indoor events and international travel. The CTA by late December was anticipating between 50,000 and 75,000 attendees for this week's conference, down from more than 170,000 who came for the last in-person gathering two years ago.
Crowds enter the convention center on the first day of the CES tech show on Jan. 7, 2020, in Las Vegas.
Some die-hard CES devotees were mulling over the choice to go or stay home right up until last week.
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"An online CES is not a real CES," said Prince Constantijn of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in a December interview. "You've got to see the products and meet the people." But a week later, the royal who regularly serves as a special envoy for Dutch technology startups had opted to stay home after all. His country is sending a barebones crew to CES 2022. So are many big tech companies — if they send anyone at all.
The last physical CES in January 2020 pumped an estimated $300 million into the Las Vegas economy. Few attendees would have known then about the coronavirus outbreak emerging in central China and still months away from being declared a pandemic. The CTA took the conference online in 2021 as COVID-19 hospitalizations were spiking around the world and vaccines weren't yet widely available.
The trade group announced eight months ago it was ready to come back to Nevada in 2022 but would offer options for remote participants to see some of it virtually. Those who do travel to CES are required to show they are fully vaccinated and will be given a COVID-19 test kit. Masks are required inside.
"CES is maybe the most significant event economically of the year in terms of conventions," said Alan Feldman, a former casino executive who is a fellow at the International Gaming Institute at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Even a significantly reduced event will be "something to look forward to" for local hotels, restaurants, casinos, retailers and entertainment crews, Feldman said.
With a smaller audience and the same sprawling footprint occupied by some 2,000 exhibitors, and a desire to keep people distanced, the CTA's Foster said the "main change for people" will be more empty space and wider aisles.
Much about the omicron coronavirus variant remains unknown, including whether it causes more or less severe illness. Scientists say omicron spreads even more easily than other coronavirus strains, including delta.
Even without a pandemic to dampen the party, tech industry analyst Carolina Milanesi said "big industry events like this are becoming less important than they used to be" as digital technology has supplied other ways to network and keep up with trends.
CES used to stand for Consumer Electronics Show, but Milanesi said the decades-old gathering has become less a place to find the next line of consumer gadgetry and more focused on longer-term technology cycles, like self-driving cars or the artificial intelligence applications being fused into smart homes and cities.
"You no longer go to CES to see what's going to be in the Best Buy near you by summer," Milanesi said.
New expo categories centered around the digital assets called non-fungible tokens, or NFTs, as well as space technology and food, reflect the latest tech buzzwords on the minds of investors and marketers. Some companies also plan to hype their vision for the next generation of the internet – a collection of virtual worlds known as the metaverse — though explored from the confines of a physical convention floor.
From smart clocks to GoPro cameras, here's CNN's look at the technology, services and apps that made a big impact on our everyday lives in 2021:
The tech we couldn't live without in 2021
Lenovo smart clock
Lenovo Smart Clock ($29) is a cheap, basic alarm clock that allows me to leave my phone in the other room before bed and not check it right when I wake up. I was worried at first that it wouldn't go off and I'd be late for work, but it has always worked. And it's been great to create that distance from my phone. Whenever I need to really focus on a writing task without distractions, I also throw on Freedom, a free website blocker, for a set time period. It's been a huge help and prevents me from checking social media and other websites that tend to suck up my time. — Nathaniel Meyersohn, retail reporter
Philips Smart Hue light bulbs
The thought of having your light bulbs connect to your WiFi, at first, seemed completely useless to me. But I've become a huge fan of Philips Hue smart light bulbs (starter kits start at $59) and controlling my apartment's lighting with just my phone. It makes moving through the apartment a lot easier, even if it makes me a bit lazier. — John General, video producer
Peloton bike
I used to bike daily, but with two little kids, it's nearly impossible to find time to go out on a ride. This year I dedicated myself to getting back on the bike, at least indoors. In May, I bought a Peloton ($1495, plus $39 monthly for classes), and it has truly been life-altering. I've been using it most days every week for a quick workout, and my husband — who was initially skeptical of the purchase — has also become a devotee. Eight months later, we're in noticeably better shape and really glad to be back in a healthier routine. — Rachel Metz, senior tech writer
GoPro camera
I stole my dad's old GoPro Hero 5 Session ($699)that he wasn't using, and it's been a great gadget to have during Year 2 of the pandemic. I largely swapped bars and restaurants for outdoorsy California activities because of business closures and safety concerns. That's made for some good Rishi's-eye-view movies of fun backpacking, camping and kayaking trips. GoPro has newer models on its website, too, but I've loved this version. — Rishi Iyengar, tech writer
Apple AirTags
As someone who chronically loses their keys in between couch cushions, I'm glad to have a button that can tell me my item is exactly three feet northwest from my current location. Apple's AirTags ($29 each) can be fastened to keys, cars, bookbags, remotes and other things you might want to track down. Its precision finding feature has saved me so much time and many headaches. — Jennifer Korn, writer
B The Method
During yet another year of working from home when my movement consisted of walking from my couch to my desk and back again, Lia Bartha's pilates app, B the Method, has been a huge boost to my mental and physical health. The range of class formats and times makes it easy to take a 15-minute midday cardio break from work or to wind down at the end of the day with an hour of slower, more meditative movement. An annual subscription costs $159.99 (or $17.99 per month), and the app has totally made me appreciate exercising from home. — Clare Duffy, tech writer
Common Sense Media app reviews
For many families, mine included, handing over a tablet to little fingers to get through the days inside has become a necessity. But I felt much better about how my son spent his screen time this year thanks to Common Sense Media's apps reviews. The organization researches, rates and reviews apps, TV shows and books, weighing in on what's age appropriate and the best options for growing minds. I swapped a handful of apps for ones that encourage imagination play, problem solving and building — apps he loves and actually learns from. — Samantha Kelly, senior tech editor
Whirlpool side-by-side fridge
Some people mark the pandemic by lockdown periods. I mark it by refrigeration equipment. In year one, we panic bought a large chest freezer and shoved it in the corner of our small galley kitchen to stockpile all the food we couldn't fit in our lousy 20-year-old fridge. Then, in a burst of post-vaxx optimism, we ditched the freezer — only to have our busted old fridge break. A bleak period of heightened mini-fridge scarcity followed before we somehow scored a Whirlpool side-by-side refrigerator ($1700) during the supply chain crunch. Whirlpool: Enough space to support the good times and the bad, side-by-side. — Seth Fiegerman, tech editor
Google Nest Hub
Putting a screen on a smart speaker makes it so much smarter. The Nest Hub (on sale for $59) is primarily a digital photo frame that intelligently displays photos from recent events and anniversaries but it also syncs with Google Photos and is easy to manage. It also works with Google's video calling app, Duo, and if you put it on a bedside table, it's an unobtrusive smartphone replacement if you're trying to kick your phone addiction without missing an alarm. — David Goldman, managing editor
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