The Tech Landscape #135 š¾
STS-135 was the 135thāand finalāmission of the US Space Shuttle programme. Itās also the name of a synthetic cannibinoid used in the drug Spice.
Lots of news from CES last week; Iāve picked out some of the more relevant announcements below. But firstā¦
Digital Tech: Things to Watch in 2020
As I mentioned last week, at the beginning of each year I try to clarify my thoughts by writing about digital & behavioural things I think are worth keeping an eye on in the year ahead. This yearās piece looks at extended reality and āthe mirrorworldā, synthetic media, assistants in the smart home, and more. You can read it here:
Consumer Digital Technology: Things to Watch in 2020
Because itās quite long, with lots of references, Iāve also produced an edited preview as a web-based Story. This gives a taste of the full piece in a snack-sized format. Itāll work best on your phone.
Digital Tech to Watch in 2020: Preview
I would LOVE IT if you could share one or both of these pieces with your friends or colleagues. Thanks!
Samsung CES Keynote
Samsung showed off someā¦ differentā¦ concept devices in its CES keynote, including a robot ball, a fitness exoskeleton, AR glasses (no details), and an internet fridge (yay!).
news.samsung.com/global/recapping-the-biggest-announcements-and-reveals-from-samsungs-ces-2020-keynote
Assistants & Voice
Google announced new features for Assistant including easier setup of connected devices, Scheduled Actions (e.g. āturn on the lamp at 7pmā), household āpost-itā notes on smart displays, and the ability to read web pages aloud with natural inflection.
blog.google/products/assistant/ces-2020-google-assistant/
Samsungās long-awaited smart speaker, the Galaxy Home Mini, may finally be released this yearāat least 18 months after the initial announcement of the Galaxy Home which never materialised. The Home Mini is arriving somewhat late into a market which shows signs of slowing.
theverge.com/2020/1/6/21054360/samsung-galaxy-home-mini-bixby-smart-speaker-launch-early-2020-ces
Google announced a partnership that will see Assistantās real-time translation Interpreter Mode implemented in airports, hotels, stadiums and more.
blog.google/products/assistant/interpreter-mode-expands-help-more-people-communicate-around-world/
Social
Facebook introduced new policies against manipulated videos, banning so-called ādeepfakesā and misleadingly-edited video.
about.fb.com/news/2020/01/enforcing-against-manipulated-media/
Twitter is testing a tool which will let users choose who can reply to their tweets.
theverge.com/2020/1/8/21056856/twitter-replies-limit-option-compose-screen-beta-app-features-new-ces-2020
Instagram is rolling out new effects and tools for Boomerang, āone of the most beloved camera formatsā. This seems like an effort to take on the popularity of TikTokās creative tools.
techcrunch.com/2020/01/10/boomerang-filters/
WeChat is adding short-form video creation to its platform, taking on popular rival services like Douyin (Chinaās TikTok).
abacusnews.com/tech/wechat-takes-chinas-tiktok-short-videos/article/3045579
(The above two news stories are basically the same but reflect the different trends in their markets.)
McDonaldās and Coca Cola are the first two clients to use Snapchat Scan, a service which unlocks lenses when it recognises the brands logos. Scan was announced earlier in 2019.
mobilemarketer.com/news/coke-mcdonalds-logos-deliver-ar-content-via-snapchat-scan/569495/
Audio
Bluetooth LE Audio, the latest version of the wireless standard, brings new features for hearable devices including better audio quality, hearing aid support, and multiple audio streams.
theverge.com/2020/1/6/21050631/bluetooth-hearing-aids-sharing-audio-le-lc3-codec-ces-2020
Spotify announced its Podcast Ads platform, which uses Streaming Ad Insertion to inserts ads in streamed podcasts (duh) with planning, reporting, and measurement.
spotifyforbrands.com/en-US/news/sai-announcement
Transit
Sony unveiled an electric concept car at CES. Itās likely that theyāre aiming to get into the components market rather than manufacturing their own cars.
techcrunch.com/2020/01/06/sony-just-announced-a-car/
Owners of cars with Alexa Auto will be able to pay for petrol at ExxonMobil stations with a voice command.
edition.cnn.com/2020/01/06/business/alexa-gas-exxon/index.html
Everything Else
Sonos is suing Google for allegedly infringing on five patents relating to speaker synchronisation. It wants a sales ban on all of Googleās Home/Nest speakers, and Pixel laptops and phones.
nytimes.com/2020/01/07/technology/sonos-sues-google.html
YouTube introduced new rules for creators making content for kids, which demonetises and removes all chat features from any designated videos. This follows recent criticism from US government agencies.
youtube.googleblog.com/2020/01/better-protecting-kids-privacy-on-YouTube.html
L'Oreal showed off Perso, a home cosmetics āprinterā which can dynamically update the mix based on external variables such as your skin condition and fashion. Scheduled for 2021.
inputmag.com/style/loreal-perso-will-print-you-custom-makeup-skincare-at-home-in-2021
Microsoft released details of a technique to help detect grooming by child sex predators. The exclusive license for āProject Artemisā has been given to child protection charity, Thorn.
blogs.microsoft.com/on-the-issues/2020/01/09/artemis-online-grooming-detection/