What’s new from Consumer Electronics Show

The International Consumer Electronics Show is my second Christmas, and this year’s record-breaking show did not disappoint. The Las Vegas mega-event showcases some of the greatest ideas that land on the shelf and take money out of your wallet. It is also a look into the future—or now—with ideas that seem far-fetched, but are real! Ideas and products that will have you thinking to yourself, “Wow, why didn’t I think of that?” Some just make you smile.

Question: did you ever make a paper airplane? Well take a look at this…

A small battery-operated device that slips onto the paper airplane you just made that can be controlled using a Bluetooth interface from—you guessed it—your smartphone! PowerUp Toys is the manufacturer and they exhibited at the show.

The Electronic House is always very big at the show—using technology to manage the domestic environment—but the same ideas can be applied to a financial institution lobby or drive-up. A simple idea would be blue-tooth device sensors that could identify a bank app on the smartphone. As the customer arrived at the teller window, the needed relationship information would be displayed on the display of the teller or new account representative. After an authentication step, you could service the customer in a fast and efficient manner.  Voila… The Smart Lobby or Smart Drive-through!

More CES news and video in my next blog. From simple ideas to complex devices, these innovations will impact the expectations of your customers.

The Wombat!