When it comes to Apple products, CES can’t match the excitement of Macworld, which is slated for March of this year. At CES, we heard a lot about 4K televisions and a million different kinds of wearables, but that doesn’t mean there weren’t any gems for iOS and OS X users. Here’s a list of five products unveiled at CES 2014 that I think are significant for Apple owners.
The Resound Linx heralds in the first generation of smart consumer medical devices, starting with one of the most practical applications, a hearing aid. This smart hearing aid connects to an iPhone or iPod touch and sends both calls and music right from the iOS device into the person’s ears. The device is so small, you can hardly tell someone is wearing it.
Pebble unveiled its second generation smartwatch, the Pebble Steel. Building on the success of the first Pebble, the Steel will feature a steel casing, a gorilla glass face, a tricolor LED and leather straps. The significance in this product is not in the materials, though. It is in the fact that there is enough interest in this category of device for Pebble to even consider building a second version. Smartwatches and wearables are beginning their meteoric climb, and hopefully Apple will be a part of this trend with its iWatch.
CES was filled with 4K products, but none caught my eye as much as Dell’s upcoming 28-inch 4K monitor. The most attractive part of the display is it price tag — a cool $700. To me, this brings the technology down from the upper echelon, which often is the target consumer for display devices at CES, to professional users who own a Mac Pro. In ten months from now, the price will fall even further, making 4K monitors one of the hot items to look for during the end-of-the-year holiday shopping season.
You are probably wondering what an air conditioner has to do with Apple, other than keeping the fruit cool on a warm early fall day. This air conditioner is different from any other air conditioner produced — it is the first model that is authorized by Apple’s MFi program. The MFi standard ensures devices connect to an Apple device with minimal configuration and make it easy for a consumer to control the appliance using their iOS device. This air conditioner is more than a cooling device, it is the beginning of the connected home as envisioned by Apple.
Mophie showed off its latest battery case that combines an extended battery with storage space. It’s a sleek looking case that shows Mophie is not done innovating in the iOS accessory world. It also is a sign that the iOS accessory market is alive and well. I can’t wait to see what Mophie and other manufactures have in store for us this year and in the coming years.
From: http://www.iphonehacks.com/2014/01/apple-ces-2014-five-things-mattered.html
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