Wear it, drive it or fly it appear to be the themes evolving from the Consumer Electronics Show's sneak peek event “Unveil” Sunday in Las Vegas.
It’s the first event in the country’s oldest and largest electronics show that officially kicks off on Tuesday.
NBC4 scoured the floor at the event to find emerging technology that dazzled CES officials and soon the public. Among the big favorites is a simple concept, earphones embedded into a headband for running.
“RunPhones” walked away with an innovation award at the show and was a big hit on the floor. “It’s a simple concept, but one that a lot of runners needed,” said Casey Macioge, RunPhone marketing manager. “Earbuds always fall out of your ear and it can ruin the running experience. This solves it.”
Drones are also back this year, but the have evolved from toys.
DJI Innovations, with offices in Los Angeles, showed off an eight propeller drone that can hold a Canon 5D camera and be used by cinematogephers.
The idea could be revolutionary for Hollywood and cost effective.
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“It’s still in the early stages, but the prototype images are amazing,” said Paul Pan, DJI Innovations product manager.
“We still need to gain federal approval to fly these devices, but we are confident we are well on our way.”
The Federal Communication Commission is set to address drone use for business by 2015. Amazon has recently unveiled its plan to use the devices for delivery purposes.
Cars will also be highlighted at CES this year with nine of the world’s top manufacturers showcasing at the show.
Ford is expected to unveil a solar powered car with solar panels built into the roof of the cars.
But by far, the biggest trend appears to be wearable technology.
From wristwatches that sync to your mobile device to fitness monitors that collect data on your body, wearable technology is set to dominate the show.
“We are advancing our wearable technology from not only a device but also advice,” said Paul Landau, CEO of FitBug. “We want to take the data FitBug collects and help design a program that you choose that can help you lose weight or build muscle."
Heapslyon unveiled the world’s first “smart socks.”
The $100 socks can track how a user’s foot hits the ground, the rhythm of each step and length of each stride.
The socks’ sensors learn how the user runs and claim they can alert people to the possibility of injury. Heapslyon is among an emerging trend of startups that raised money through online investors like crowdfunders Kickstarter or Indiegogo.