The big trend for 2018?

It’s challenging to pick new trends at the recent 2018 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. After all, with 4,000 vendors showing big and small technology spread out over 2.7 million square feet between several spread-out huge halls, it’s impossible to see it all.

This year though, one repetitive new technology won hands-down. Voice assistant technology from Amazon’s Alexa and Google’s Home Assistant were everywhere and in the most interesting appliances.

Although Siri and Google voice assistants in cell phones were the trailblazers in voice command, now you can talk to anything that has the right installed electronics services from the likes of Apple, Google, Amazon or newbie Samsung Electronics and high quality Sonos PLAY speaker. It doesn’t have to be a speaker, but does require good quality microphones, half a dozen for the best voice recognition.

This means running anything plugged or plumed into a wall at home, from kitchen appliances, light dimmers even toilets and faucets.

Let’s check some out.

GOOGLE ASSISTANT

• Kohler announced a new service for its products it calls Konnect, which can be linked to Assistant. This lets users interact with faucets, mirrors and toilets via voice commands, gestures, and other presets. For example you would ask your kitchen faucet to “pour eight ounces” or “toilet flush” cool? http://www.androidpolice.com/2018/01/13/ces-2018-wrap-up-assistant/
• Adobe’s iota all-in-one security system, featuring 1080p camera, as well as a ZigBee/Z-Wave/Abode RF hub to control your smart devices that works with Assistant, available in Q1 in the US.

• Google’s Android Auto was getting Assistant. This new version can listen to more detailed commands or questions. Your phone handles the data transmission while the car’s head unit displays and answers your query. With Assistant, you can ask the usual questions you would your phone, but the car display takes over.

• Gourmia introduces five new Assistant capable kitchen products. The older WiFi Air Fryer (GTA2800) and “Kitchen Machine” (GKM9000) and will leikely be upgraded to full Assistant status along with three new Google Assistant-compatible products, the Smart Coffee Maker (GCM4750), Electric Smart Pot Pressure Cooker (GWC850), and a Sous Vide & Multi Cooker (GWM670).
• The JBL Link View version uses Assistant with a typical JBL elliptical design with two 10W speakers, a passive radiator. You ask and it shows answers on its 8” screen.

• Alarm clocks are back, only they are a lot smarter like the Jensen JVA-500 with Chromecast and Assistant support, a 1.8″ LED display, and a 5W wireless charging mat on top. Pricing and availability are not available yet.

AMAZON ALEXA PRODUCTS

• Acer announced the V6820M/i projector with 4K resolution and HDR support.It can play 3D content over HDMI. After enabling the Acer Projector Smart Home skill in Alexa, you can use commands like “Turn on the projector,” “Select HDMI as the projector source,” and “Alexa, change projector display mode to bright.”
• The Delta Touch2O Technology faucet, is a smart water faucet with Alexa integration. You can command to turn water on or off and even command it to “pour eight ounces”.

• The Garmin Speak Plus was which is a fully-functional dashboard camera on steroids, with Alexa built-in. It will automatically records and save files when an incident is detected and will alert you when you are too close to the car ahead you are drifting on the road. It has to be connected to a Bluetooth-enabled smartphone to work.