CES opens in digital-only format for 2021

The Consumer Electronics Show (CES) began yesterday, 11 January, after switching to a virtual-only format for this year.

The Coronavirus pandemic meant the physical event could not go ahead as planned, and so many digital showcases for new products and technologies took place.

Speakers at this year’s event will include Brad Smith, President of Microsoft, Damien Kieran, Chief Privacy Officer at Twitter, singer/songwriter Dua Lipa and many more.

5G is the theme of the event, which is expected to attract 150,000 virtual attendees and 1,800 exhibitors.

Some of the products that have already been unveiled include ‘tuneable’ glasses which let you adjust the lenses to your needs, a smart toilet that analyses your diet based on your body’s “key outputs”, and a Bluetooth-enabled dog door which opens when in proximity to a collar.

Major players like Sony and Verizon also held press conferences, announcing a new series of camera drones and an initiative to get 5G into more schools.

Gary Shapiro, president of the Consumer Technology Association, said: "It's different. Obviously we're not going to be in Las Vegas, we'll be spread out around the world. But I think there's an attitude that, because of Covid, that we're all in this together and that is what the CES is about. It's really the shared experience of the industry. Everyone just wants to come together."