Las Vegas CES: Smart cars, smart assistants

Every year, consumers get a sneak peak at future and just-around-the-corner technology when at the electronics-focused CES trade show.

This year was not lacking for new and exciting gear, but two themes demanded much of the attention, and it is clear that smart assistants and self-driving cars are on the precipice of turning mainstream.

Smart Assistants
Move over, Siri. According to Bloomberg, 2017 marked the start of a race for dominance of digital home assistants. Until now, home assistant technology has been glitchy and presented owners with a complicated interface. While most big technology companies, including Apple’s Siri, have taken a crack at the smart personal assistant game, Techradar.com has annointed Amazon’s Alexa as the current champion.

The real secret that separates Alexa from the pack is the widespread adoption of the technology into other household items. Everything from clocks to vacuums displayed their

Alexian connectivity.
Amazon’s next, and biggest trick, will be getting Alexa into the newest AI-driven cars of the future.

Smart Cars, Smartly Assisted
Until recently, there was no reason to mention Ford and Amazon in the same breath. According to The Wall Street Journal, however, as of 2017 you could be talking Alexa in your new Mustang. Leading a new trend amongst automakers, Amazon wants to help drivers use their voices to help navigate and direct their vehicles. Users will be able to start the engine and unlock the doors from inside their homes and be able to search for an address or add a product to their Amazon shopping list without taking their eyes off the road.

Don’t worry. Non-Ford fans can expect to see offerings from BMW, Hyundai, Audi, Toyota, and Nissan shortly.