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CES 2014: Ultra HD And Wearable Tech Dominate(Sky News (UK) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) The annual International Consumer Electronics Show is expected to draw more than 150,000 people to Las Vegas this week. They will see the unveiling of an estimated 20,000 new products, bearing the names of some of the world's biggest companies and some of its newest start-ups. The headlines will be dominated by the growth of so-called 4K televisions - LG and Samsung are expected to reveal the latest super high resolution giant screens - and the race to provide content to match. But perhaps the greatest interest is being generated by the possibilities in the weird and wonderful world of wearable technology. Analysts expect 1.5 million wearable devices to be sold worldwide in 2014, taking what was a niche market dominated by Google Glass into the mainstream. At the CES Unveiled preview event, more than a dozen firms displayed new wearable products, most directed at health and fitness, and almost all as companions to smartphones. Stuart Miles, founder of the tech website Pocket-Lint, told Sky News: "I've seen things you wear on your arms, put in your mouth, wear on your shoulders and head. "This is the year we'll see lots of them attempting to break through. Whether any actually catch the imagination and become mainstream is another thing. It is a very young market." The promise of the "connected life", devices linked and run through the web, is a theme of much of the development by companies at CES. It extends even to cars and home life. Cheaper and better sensors - informing our devices of temperatures, heart rates, movements and reactions - increasingly means more dynamic interactions between humans and technology. And it raises questions about how much information people are willing to share and how it is protected. Gary Shapiro, president and CEO of the Consumer Electronics Association, told Sky News: "Privacy is definitely an issue. We all recognise we live in a different environment now. "The truth is that even when the credit card was introduced that was a concern. "We have a way of integrating technology and being comfortable with what we're sharing and not sharing. "Every person has a different comfort level and it is a matter of the choices you make." Among the other categories on display are audio, gaming, laptops and tablets, and a hugely expanded presence by the car industry. The prospect of more autonomous cars is a staple thrill at CES. The show will also feature presentations from Sony president Kazuo Hirai, Yahoo chief Marissa Mayer and Twitter chief executive Dick Costolo. :: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202. (c) Sky News 2014 |