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Can't Stop the Global Innovation at CES 2018Despite a brief power outage at CES® 2018, global innovation persevered as more than 3,900 companies, including some 900 startups, spurred new business and partnerships across every major industry. The second and third days of the world's largest tech event focused on 5G innovation, the future of video and reimaging the world of television. Owned and produced by the Consumer Technology Association (CTA)TM, CES 2018 runs through January 12 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Keynotes The revolution of 5G connectivity has been ubiquitous throughout the CES show floor. During the keynote, "Mobile Innovation: How 5G will Enable the Future," executives from Baidu, Qualcomm and Verizon discussed the ways in which 5G connectivity will transform industries, business models and society as a whole. All agreed that the technical revolution pales in comparison to what lies ahead for 5G mobility. The Future of Video keynote, presented by MediaLink keynote panel featured leaders from 605, A+E Networks, Comcast (News - Alert), Discovery Communications, LionTree LLC, MARCO and YouTube to discuss how the business of streaming content is changing the landscape of the entertainment industry. "We're not in the business of today," said Nancy Dubuc, president and CEO, A&E Networks. "We're always trying to guess - or second guess - what might be around the corner." The panelists underscored the importance of mobile video and partnerships and how rapidly current business models are changing. Wednesday's keynote with John Martin, chairman and CEO of Turner, and Randy Freer, CEO of Hulu, featured a candid conversation with the content leaders and moderator, Matthew Garrahan, global editor of Financial Times. The conversation touched on several topics, including both companies' pending mergers; competition among other networks and streaming services; other tech giants looking to enter the content creation space and how to best engage with the millennial cohort. SuperSessions With nearly 300,000 NSF of automotive exhibit space, the vehicle footprint at CES makes it the fifth largest stand-alone automotive show in the U.S. and self-driving vehicles are at the show in a big way. The Self-Driving Cars: The Future of Personal Transportation SuperSession featured executives from Nissan, Allstate and Baidu, as well as Michigan Governor Rick Snyder (News - Alert), spotlighting the changing attitudes and ideas on self-driving cars. C Space Storytellers Series The C Space Storytellers Series is where influencers and newsmakers share stories and case studies about the unique relationships between brands, entertainment and technology. Brand executives were on hand to highlight best practices in leveraging artificial intelligence, data and analytics and digital content to enhance the brand narrative. Allan Thygesen, Google's President of Americas, hosted Dean Evans, CMO of Hyundai Motors America and Keith Bryan, SVP Media, Engagement and Personalization of Best Buy (News - Alert) on the C Space Storytellers stage to discuss how brands can win today's consumers with more relevant, assistive and instant experiences. Leaders from Knotch, Heineken, Belkin and Bank of America explored the pressing issue of industry standards for transparency. The group agreed that transparency standards need to continue for companies to create new expecations and trust with data agencies. Executives from Disney (News - Alert) are excited about new creative content possibilities, following the recent acquisition of 21st Century Fox. Disney is leveraging AI, AR, VR and robotics to transform the way stories are told. In 2017, the company introduced four new interactive experiences powered by the Google Home digital assistant using voice activation. Executives from Oath: A Verizon Company announced its recent partnership with the NFL, allowing consumers to stream all four NFL playoff games beginning January 13, through the Yahoo Sports app regardless of carrier. Sports Business Innovation CES provides the perfect arena for sports technology advancements. The panel, Evolving the Content Ecosystem, featured prominent figures from some of the world's top sport leagues and content producers. Moderated by Inside the NBA's Ernie Johnson, the session explored different ways to deliver content to constituents and creative storytelling techniques to engage today's fans. Thursday's session, Players Only: Bridging the Gap Between Fans and Athletes, featured former NBA players Chris Webber, Baron Davis, Isiah Thomas, Dennis Scott and WNBA star Elena Delle Donne. The session explored how athletes are using social media and other mediums to bring real conversations from the locker room to increase fandom and comradery. Where Music and Technology Collide During the session, Madison Avenue meets the Recording Studio, music, talent and venue executives discussed emerging partnerships between music and brands and how technology influences them and agreed that partnerships have now become a 360 storytelling opportunity. The How Streaming Saved the Music Business panel, experts agreed that streaming music has increased revenue, number of listeners, and the collection of consumer data. This increase in data allows for a more customized experience, as well as an opportunity for consumers to be exposed to new artists. Awards and Events The annual Stuff CES 2018 Wearable Tech Award winners were announced Wednesday, with honorees spanning a range of categories, including watches, health and beauty gadgets and fitness devices. The full list of winners can be found at Stuff.tv. Ten companies competed to be the Last Gadget Standing at CES 2018, a live session produced by Living in Digital Times and hosted by David Pogue of Yahoo Tech. The in-person audience voted the Play Impossible Gameball as the winner - a ball with embedded sensors to track speed, spin and height for points so you play connected games on your own or with friends. There was also an online vote that crowned the OrCam MyEye 2.0 as the winner - a smart sensor device that connects to eyeglasses to read text from any surface. "Our job isn't to pick winners, it's to help people who would already be winners win a little faster," said XTC's Bill Tai during the Xtreme Tech Challenge Semi-finals. Selected by judges Gary Shapiro (News - Alert) of CTA, Young Sohn of Samsung, Koichi Narasaki of Sompo, Scott Robinson of Plug and Play and Lars Rasmussen of Weav Music - the startups moving to the final round of competition at Sir Richard Branson's Nekar Island in October are Revl, a 360 action camera that also sells smart editing as a service; Owlet, a baby sock that tracks heart rate and oxygen levels to prevent SIDS; and Power Ledger, a centralized energy system that pays consumers for generating electricity. CES 2018 concludes tomorrow, Friday, January 12. For the latest breaking news and product announcements, visit CES.tech. Take a look at three new areas at CES 2018. High-definition video b-roll from CES is available for easy download on CESbroll.com. See exclusive photos from the CES show floor, keynotes, conference sessions, events and award ceremonies in the CES photo gallery. Produced by the Consumer Technology Association, Inside CES 2018 - Trends and Takeaways provides a complete overview of the entirety of CES, including exclusive CTA research and trend analysis not available anywhere else. Ensure you understand the most important trends impacting the tech industry in the year ahead. Learn more and order your copy today. About CES: CES® is the world's gathering place for all who thrive on the business of consumer technologies. It has served as the proving ground for innovators and breakthrough technologies for 50 years-the global stage where next-generation innovations are introduced to the marketplace. As the largest hands-on event of its kind, CES features all aspects of the industry. Owned and produced by the Consumer Technology Association (CTA)TM, it attracts the world's business leaders and pioneering thinkers. Check out CES video highlights. Follow CES online at CES.tech and on social. About Consumer Technology Association: Consumer Technology Association (CTA)™ is the trade association representing the $351 billion U.S. consumer technology industry, which supports more than 15 million U.S. jobs. More than 2,200 companies - 80 percent are small businesses and startups; others are among the world's best known brands - enjoy the benefits of CTA membership including policy advocacy, market research, technical education, industry promotion, standards development and the fostering of business and strategic relationships. CTA also owns and produces CES® - the world's gathering place for all who thrive on the business of consumer technologies. Profits from CES are reinvested into CTA's industry services. UPCOMING EVENTS
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