CES has come a long way from the duck phones and bread makers of 1986. But just how far? We compare some of the best tech from previous years to where we are now.
CES 2016 – Virtual reality
CES 1985 – The Nintendo Entertainment System
Virtual reality might be the next big thing for gamers, but back in 1985 it was all about the Nintendo Entertainment System. The 8-bit console brought us the iconic characters of Super Mario and Donkey Kong, and is often hailed as ‘the machine that saved the gaming industry’.
CES 2016 – Drones
CES 1981 – The Camcorder
In light of news that The Lily Camera, a drone that tracks and films you as you move about, has already won a CES 2016 Innovation Award for being ‘uniquely helpful’, we look back to CES 1981, where JVC and Sony unveiled the very first camcorders. Although reportedly so big they were moved around in wheelbarrows, the shoulder-mounted machines were revolutionary for their time. Sony went on to release the first consumer camcorders in 1983.
CES 2016 – Smart home products
CES 1970 – The VCR
Brands like Apple and Google are racing to get our home products talking, but in 1970 this worry was still a long way off – Sony had just demoed the then groundbreaking VCR prototype. Its cartridges were bigger than the VHS tapes of the early ‘90s with a maximum playing time of 60 minutes, but the VCR dominated home viewing and recording until DVDs debuted at the 1996 CES.
CES 2016 – Connected cars
CES 2010 – Ford’s Tweeting Car
Almost overnight, CES has become one of the most important auto shows around. It was only 2010 when Ford revealed its ‘Tweeting Car’ – the first of many steps in a plan to connect its cars to the Internet. Now – just 6 short years later – we’re seeing self-driving cars, cars that learn your driving habits and cars that can be controlled from the outside via your smartphone.
That’s all from us for now, but we’ve still got plenty to see at CES 2016, so make sure you check back soon.