Everything We’re Buzzing About After CES 2017

Before we jump into CES 2017, let’s think about how much technology has advanced within the last few years. In 2014, Tesla started offering the first version of its “Autopilot” to dedicated drivers. The following year, Boeing unveiled the 777X, a greener plane with a 235-foot wingspan and more affordable seats. Samsung also released the affordable SUHD Series, a 4K television that sold at half the price of its competitors. And in 2016, Officials made progress on Buffalo, New York’s SolarCity Gigafactory, which will eventually produce 10,000 solar panels a day. Researchers at Penn State also used CRISPR-Cas9 to make button mushrooms stand the test of time.

CES sheds light on all of this technological innovation. The CES 2017 Conference, sponsored by the Consumer Technology Association, explored this kind of changing technology through the eyes of industry leaders. This year, those leaders included folks such as Huawei CEO Richard Yu, Condé Nast CBO Jim Norton and Alison Lewis of Johnson & Johnson.

The CES 2017 Conference took place in fabulous Las Vegas, Nevada, from Jan. 5 to 8, and gave attendees a taste of emerging technology that’s sure to change the world.

Here are a few of our personal favorites from the conference.

The Occly Wearable Safety Device

Occly is a startup based out of Chicago with a big mission — keeping you safe from harm. The company, which launched this month, was a featured exhibitor and also pitched during HSN’s American Dreams initiative.

This wearable personal safety device does it all. It includes “a panic button, four cameras that provide nearly 360 degrees of coverage, sirens, a microphone, LED lighting, wireless capabilities, and a number of automatic alarm sensors.”

The visual deterrent will also warn you when you’re in or approaching an unsafe area. And when you’re at home, the device converts to a home safety system. If the alarm is triggered, Occly’s trained staff will assess the situation, provide support and dispatch local authorities to the scene, if necessary.

Occly covers all your bases, and we think that’s pretty neat.

The Polaroid Pop

Sure, it’s not exactly an emerging technology or startup, but how could we resist? From Polaroid‘s Swing app to its famous Instant camera (Christmas 2016, anyone?), the brand is one of the most celebrated in photography — and rightfully so.

At CES 2017, Polaroid debuted intriguing new products such as WiFi-enabled security cameras, 3D pens, a new series of smartwatches and camera drones. It seems that they’re diversifying, and that can only be a good thing.

Our personal favorite at the conference? The Polaroid Pop, the newest addition to their line of instant digital cameras. Keeping with older tradition and the famous “Polaroid feel,” the camera takes and prints 3 x 4 photos reminiscent of its older instant cameras. The Polaroid Pop also uses ZINK technology (in layperson’s terms, that means it doesn’t use ink, and each photo already has color inside of it). Photos also save on an SD card, and you can hook up your phone to the Polaroid Pop with an app. All of this makes for easy and seamless sharing. We hope customers share their photos with us — we’d love to Scope them out and show them to the world.

The brand also celebrated its 80th birthday and the decades of memories captured through Polaroid products.

Polaroid increased sales by 180% just by using UGC. Let’s see how you can, too.

ZBAM Design’s GekkoXL

This design hub based out of Israel is all about functionality, and it definitely proved that to everyone at CES 2017. Each of ZBAM’s products is rugged and durable, yet designed carefully enough to fulfill its purpose perfectly.

Products include the Beamcool, which converts any smartphone into a table lamp, the Beamoco, which allows you to control the angle of your phone’s flashlight, and the 3Pod, a (very impressive) selfie stick slash flexible tripod that can fit an iPhone or a GoPro.

We loved the GekkoXL, which fits larger iPhone, Android and Windows phones. It retails from $29.95 to $34.95 and is a perfect gift for travelers, outdoorsy types or smartphone photographers. Similarly to the 3Pod, this rugged and flexible tripod allows you to wrap your phone around just about anything. Whether you want to take pictures from a tree, a bike, a rock or even a stop sign, don’t limit yourself. And if you have one, submit your photos to us so we can share them with the world!

Kodak’s Revamped Super 8

Kodak has a long history in the photography industry, starting with George Eastman’s Kodak camera in 1888. In an era where photography was for upper-class amateurs and professionals, Eastman’s Kodak brought photography to the masses. All consumers had to do was push a few buttons and send their film off to developers.

In 1965, the Kodak company also changed the face of videography with its wildly popular Super 8 format. The new line of film, cameras and projectors eliminated many of the problems with film video cameras and made the entire process easier.

At CES 2017, Kodak unleashed a new, (partly) digitized version of the famous Super 8 camera. Much to the delight of film aficionados and videography buffs, the new Super 8 still shoots film. When you’re done with a reel, just send it off to Kodak to develop, process and digitize the footage. The end results are available online, and they’ll also send your film back to you.

The camera’s body might have a vintage look, but it also boasts an enticing array of modern features. The new Super 8 comes with a handy LCD screen you can use to frame shots, variable shooting speeds, inputs and outputs for audio, an HDMI port, a slot for an SD card (to record audio), and a built-in battery, which CNET notes will last you between 12 and 15 cartridges. It also fits a variety of different lenses. Pretty sweet, if we do say so ourselves.

If you do end up buying the camera, submit your videos to us. Brands and companies might just pick them up.

Scopio is the industry’s premier search and licensing platform for images and videos on social media. We help companies find and use the photos and videos that matter to their audience, from capturing content to evaluating the analytics on campaigns. Wondering how you can leverage UGC to help you tout your brand? Request a demo with the button below or email [email protected]. Featured photo courtesy of CES’ B-Roll footage.

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