Don’t look now, but 2019 is almost here. Hope you had a refreshing break, because the new year, as it always does, kicks things off with a technological bang. CES, the biggest consumer tech trade show, gets started on Tuesday, Jan. 8 in Las Vegas. GeekWire will be reporting from the show floor.
Here are some of the items on our coverage list.
5G tech is likely to be all the rage this year. We’ve been talking about it for about a decade, but it’s finally starting to show up. Some major cities got a sneak peek in 2018, but it’s set to roll out in even more locations in 2019. Another major topic will be AI and its increasing use in some products you might not expect, like mattresses and golf gear.
The competition between Alexa and Google Assistant is really starting to heat up. Google made a strong push in 2018, but will they be able to continue that momentum in 2019?
There’s an unusually large government presence this year. The U.S. Department of Transportation will be talking about using emerging technology in public transit systems and the U.S. Secretary of Transportation will be giving the scoop on how self-driving technology is likely to be implemented into everyday life.
Entertainment business executives will also be talking about using services like Twitter to make sure they stay on the cutting edge of marketing their products.
That’s just a quick overview of some of the things we can expect to see. Stay tuned to GeekWire throughout the show to keep up with the latest news.
Here are more highlights from the GeekWire Calendar.
- How to Build a Hydrophone: A presentation about how to build underwater microphones and what we use them for at the Ada Developers Academy in Seattle; 7 to 10 p.m. Tuesday, January 8.
- Alexa’s Former Product Lead on Voice-Driven Products: A presentation and networking event at Zillow Downtown Seattle; 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 9
- OrcaCon: A conference all about tabletop games at the Hilton Bellevue; 10 a.m. on Friday, Jan. 11 to 6 p.m. Sunday, Jan 13.
- From Stress to Bliss: A workshop about setting the right mindset to face future challenges at the Together Center in Redmond; 2 to 5 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 13.
- Clear Vision Data-Driven Modernization: An education event about modernizing IT infrastructure at Google’s Fremont office; 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 15.
- Software Engineer Speed Mentoring: A presentation and mentoring workshop about software engineering in a variety of industries at the Flatiron School in Seattle; 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 15.
- Startup Financials with Kathleen Baxley: A presentation about how to make good financial business decisions in the startup space at the University of Washington Comotion Innovation Center; 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 15.
