| USA TODAY
Welcome back, readers of Talking Tech! This is co-host Brett Molina here to bring you the latest technology headlines.
It’s January, which means CES season. The technological boom, formerly known as the Consumer Electronics Show, provided insights into the future of technology, both immediate and in the future (sorry, no flying cars this year).
Now that the robots have shut down and CES is ending another year, here’s a look at three things we’ve learned:
1. Making you more comfortable at home
As you remember, CES was completely virtual this year, thanks to the pandemic. With technology manufacturers well aware of the amount of time you spend at home, there were many products designed to make you comfortable. Can’t you go to the movies? Consider the wide selection of TVs that seem to grow every day for your own personal home theater. Need help keeping your house in order? This is a practical robot capable of loading the dishwasher and allowing you to kick while they pour a glass of wine (or beer or other beverage of your choice).
2. Technology to keep you safe too
We live in an era with smart toothbrushes, so it’s no surprise that CES would offer a way to improve the masks we use in the midst of the pandemic. For example, AirLoop featured a sensor that measures the air around you and your breathing rate. Another mask, Maskfone, combines a mask with wireless buttons. But it goes beyond what you wear on your face. There are backpacks to help ward off germs and robots that travel through indoor spaces, eliminating pollutants in the air with ultraviolet light.
3. Get your hands off this technology
At this time when we are concerned with germs, what better technology than the non-touch variety? Companies like Kohler and Moen have unveiled a number of non-touch products, including a faucet with a pre-programmed hand washing feature to ensure you keep them clean.
If you need more news from CES, our colleagues at Review.com have everything for you. If you’re ready to move on:
Other tech news this week:
• Here’s a new challenger, the iPhone 12! Samsung announced the Galaxy S21, along with the S21 + (larger screen) and S21 Ultra (five cameras). They will be released on January 29.
• After the Capitol riot, social media sites cracked down on accounts linked to QAnon. As a result, Republican lawmakers lost thousands of followers on Twitter, according to an analysis by USA TODAY.
• Attention, bell owners: a security breach in the Neighbors application has exposed users’ home addresses and their locations.
This week’s Talking Tech podcasts
Many CES and many Samsung Galaxy smartphones. Co-host Mike Snider and I discussed robots, COVID technology and TVs. Also, tune in this weekend to hear about CES gadgets that we would really buy and the strangest things on this year’s show.
Follow Brett Molina on Twitter: @ brettmolina23.