Press. Voanews.
The trade group
behind the Consumer Electronics Show set to start the Tuesday forecast that US
gadget love will grow despite trust and privacy issues hammering the tech
world. The Consumer Technology Association (CTA) predicted that US retail
revenue in the sector would climb to a record high $398 billion this year. "There
are so many cool things happening in the consumer electronics industry right
now," said CTA vice president of market research Steve Koenig.
"We are
fast approaching a new era of consumer technology."
Trends gaining
momentum, and expected to be on display on the CES show floor, included super
high resolution 8K televisions; blazingly-fast 5G wireless internet, and
virtual aides such as Google Assistant and Amazon's Alexa woven into devices of
all kinds.
The CTA forecast
revenue growth in the US for smart phones, speakers, homes and watches along
with televisions, drones, 'in-vehicle tech,' and streaming services. Amid trade
wars, geopolitical tensions and a decline in public trust, the technology
sector is seeking to put its problems aside with CES, the annual extravaganza
showcasing futuristic innovations.
The January 8-11
Las Vegas trade event offers a glimpse into new products and services designed
to make people's lives easier, fun and more productive, reaching across diverse
sectors such as entertainment, health, transportation, agriculture and sports.
But the
celebration of innovation will be mixed with concerns about public trust in new
technology and other factors that could cool the growth of a sizzling economic
sector. "I think 2019 will be a
year of trust-related challenges for the tech industry," said Bob
O'Donnell of Technalysis Research.
CES features
4,500 exhibitors across 2.75 million square feet (250,000 square meters) of
exhibit space showcasing artificial intelligence, augmented and virtual
reality, smart homes, smart cities, sports gadgets and other cutting-edge
devices. Some 182,000 trade professionals are expected.