F E B R U A RY 2 0 1 9
The Future of Consumer Electronics NEWS A World Without Engineers, Imagine That! (for all mags)
28 Water-Droplet Operated Computer (for TL & PWL)
36
Invisible Lightweight Materials Soon To Be A Reality (for all mags)
44
EDITOR‘S NOTE
Tech trends come and go. While last year technology had us at the edge of our seats with blockchain, autonomous vehicles and better AI, 2019 has a whole other menu in store for us. While news of the previous tech trends of 2018 has come to a close, the doors are just opening for 2019. Here’s a list of the tech trends that we’re anticipating this year and why we think they’re going to happen. Although news of AI creating their own language sparked a lot of criticism in the past, there hasn’t been any other noteworthy advancements in AI. Yes, there has been the achievements of Google, Amazone and other numerous tech companies. This year, we might see new developments including AI’s integration into newer devices such as home-bots and smart devices like smartbeds.
CES 2019 televisions, among others, it is tors in the Las Vegas show were not called the Consumer Elec- given great demonstrations. tronics Show for nothing. So what are the hottest techAt the Consumer Electronics nology trends present at CES Show (CES), exhibitors provide 2019? As curated from those a glimpse of what the future of have attended (hopefully by gadgets, appliances, smart- next year, a GineersNow rep phones, and laptops, among will be one of them), here are others, is like. This year, they the things to be most excited have proven the predictions about in consumer electronics: from years ago, with most attendees saying the event did not disappoint – despite flooded floors and a power outage during the convention.
Every year, the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) displays a wide collection of technology products that range from robots, smart home appliances, phones, laptops, and televisions, making it the largest annual technology event in the world. It is religiously attended by leading technology innovators, crowded by enthuFrom connected devices to siasts, and populated by the laptops and robots, the biggest media. consumer technology show on earth showcased diverse elecWith lots of innovation in laptronics innovation in 2019. Visitops, robots, wearables, and
6
CON TENTS
COVER STORY
10 AI Battle
17 Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality
20 Connected Devices
8
NEWS
28 A World Without Engineers, Imagine That!
36 Water-Droplet Operated Computer
44 Invisible Lightweight Materials Soon To Be A Reality
CES 2019 Consumer and Te c h n o l o g y Tr e n d s With lots of innovation in laptops, robots, wearables, and televisions, among others, it is not called the Consumer Electronics Show for nothing.
COVER STORY At the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), exhibitors provide a glimpse of what the future of gadgets, appliances, smartphones, and laptops, among others, is like. This year, they have proven the predictions from years ago, with most attendees saying the event did not disappoint – despite flooded floors and a power outage during the convention. From connected devices to laptops and robots, the biggest consumer technology show on earth showcased diverse electronics innovation in 2019. Visitors in the Las Vegas show were given great demonstrations.
12
So what are the hottest technology trends present at CES? As curated from those have attended (hopefully by next year, a GineersNow rep will be one of them), here are the things to be most excited about in consumer electronics:
13
COVER STORY
AI Battle
G
oogle Home and Ama- the competition is more fiercer zon Alexa are battling than the Game of Thrones batit out for the voice-pow- tle. ered smart speakers category. The AI powered home assistant marketing are skyrocketing and
14
COVER STORY
Convertible Tablets & Laptops
The Lenovo Yoga changes We are also fascinated with the way we use our laptops and Royole FlexPai, the world’s tablets, that’s because the con- 1st foldable smartphone. This vertible can be used as both. smartphone is a keeper. When the user wants to use it as a tablet, it only requires folding the keyboard behind the device.
16
Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality Audio
Here are the editor’s pick for the audio segment
These two, while being different in nature, still have immense applications since they were introduced. With the AR glass Vuzix Blade and the VR
• •
AfterShokz Xtrainerz Technics EAH-F70N noise-cancelling head phones
headset HTC Vive Pro exhibited at CES, we expect more immersion with our world and the imaginary.
•
Jabra Elite 85H
COVER STORY
Robots The show is not complete without robots. This year, companies are introducing robots not only for housework but for entertainment and companionship. Like Somnox, which created a robot to help you fall and stay asleep. Groove X’s adorable Lovot robot has an impressive AI and can steal your family’s hearts. Another robot which caught our attention is the Root robot, which teaches kids how to code designed with learning configurations according to their age. Worth to mention Ecovacs’ latest robot vacuum cleaner which has an impressive AI technology.
19
COVER STORY
Connected Devices
New devices will become part of the Internet of Things, and at CES 2019 they were present. Panasonic showcased an array of logistics-related technologies like sensors to track wine bottle purchas-
20
es and robots with the ability to perform a greater variety of tasks by themselves. Bosch presented machine-learning-enabled cameras can automatically report accidents to police.
Laptop Intel continues to develop better chips, this time with the graphics of Advanced Micro Devices Inc. (AMD). In a laptop chip battle with Nvidia (GeForce RTX 2060), the com-
pany forwards combo chips that combine high computing power, longer battery life, more memory, and major graphics capabilities.
Some of the Laptops that are worth noting are: • •
Huawei MateBook 13 Asus ZenBook S13
•
Samsung Notebook 9 Pro (2019) • Samsung Notebook Flash • MSI GS75 Stealth
21
Sleeping Aid Tech Engineers around the world can testify that sleep is the scarcest commodity, especially in the tech industry. 60% of the world are having trouble sleeping while the growing problem of sleeping disorder is rising by 10% every decade. Sleep Tech is a major category in CES 2019 and it has its own pavilion. This is one of the hottest trends in technology‌ How do we fall asleep? Luckily, we now have smartbeds that can contour according to our body.
COVER STORY
Wearables These are the editor’s picks for the 2019 wearable
• • •
24
TicWatch E2 TicWatch S2 Michael Kors Access Sofie 2.0
• • •
Kate Spade Scallop 2 Withings Move Withings Move ECG
COVER STORY
Televisions
-end-
Huge televisions made it to is the world’s first rollable TV. the show, like they always do, but far more than the size is the LG’s new ThinQ TV is now technology that came with it. supporting Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa and Apple AirLG just presented a rolling Play TV that pops out from a furniture. LG Signature OLED TV R
26
Samsung smart TVs is now featuring Apple’s iTunes and AirPlay 2 support. While its 98inch QLED 8K TV is a stateof-the-art bewildering piece of machine. It uses artificial intelligence, intelligently.
Smartphone
No doubt, Samsung and LG was defeated by Royole FlexPai, featuring a 7.8-inch AMOLED screen that folds in half.
Beautiful, gorgeous and elegant looking piece of device is stealing the hearts of our editors. -end-
NEWS
A World Without Engineers, Imagine That!
Imagine. What would our world be like without engineers? Pretty normal? Would the world be the same? Oh come on, this world may not even be livable without engineers. Imagine, if there were no Engineers, there would be no one to design the bridges you drive through. If there were no engineers, there
28
would be no cars. If there were no engineers there would be no video game designers to support your lazy-ass games. If there were no engineers how could you even “like” this post from the internet? Better yet, if there were no engineers, there would be no electricity in your area right now. I bet you didn’t
realize, but almost every mechanical, electrical, structural body in your house or even neighborhood is run by engineers. Engineering is one of the broadest fields of Science. It is subdivided into many divisions such as Civil Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Agricultural Engineering and the list goes on and on. The responsibilities of an engineer is undeniably very crucial in any part of the world. Unfortunately since it is the broadest, it is also one of the most difficult to understand. A lot of people don’t even know exactly what an engineer does, and this results in a shortage of people studying this field of Science.
Lyon Sprague DeCamp once said, “The story of civilisation is, in a sense, the story of engineering that long and arduous struggle to make the forces of nature work for man’s good.”
30
31
NEWS
The pictures on the right may be a bit too farfetched, but they speak for themselves. But if engineering really has an important role in our world, then why are the number of people studying them getting lesser and lesser? There are a lot of factors that are inducing the shortage of engineers in our
32
world. First is the most common, people don’t really understand what an engineer does. Some people even think that engineers are the people responsible for repairing vending machines. Some children think engineers are the people who drive “choo-choo� trains. These ideas were instilled onto a lot of
34
people as kids. But if students, especially high school students are properly guided by their professors on what engineering really is and, what the different roles of engineers are in the community, then they would have a better understanding of what the engineering field is all about. Who knows they might want to take an engineering course in the university. Another reason why people don’t invest themselves in the field of engineering is because, it doesn’t make you rich fast enough. A lot of people would rather spend their time taking up their MBA’s and open up a business. After all, business is the fastest way to make money. Engineering is definitely a necessary profession in every part of the world. If people would understand the scope of engineering and its effect to our world today, there might not be any shortages. Engineers nowadays need to be given the right credit they deserve, so they themselves see their worth and importance as engineers.
35
NEWS
Water-Droplet Operated Computer Just add water to make your computer work.
W
ater and a computer can be an unusual combination. However, an assistant professor of Bioengineering in Stanford, along with his students, has invented a syn-
36
chronous computer that works on the principle of moving droplets of water. These computers are being produced in such a way that they will be able to control as well as manipulate physical matter.
The group of engineers has been working on this project for almost a decade now. The idea of creating such computers came to Manu Prakash during his graduation. The dynamics of the fluid droplet manipulates the basic element of computer science. The computer performs the same functions as that of a normal electronic computer. Nevertheless, it is comparatively slow. Though, this is not included in the list of goals of the developers. The primary aim is to concentrate on the physical dimension and not on the fragments of information.
39
The all-new computer chip has been based on the rotating magnetic fields and a type of maze of glass for small single droplets that is inculcated with the magnetic field. Each movement of the rotating magnetic field mobilizes the droplets of liquid in a proposed direction. In a binary code, the presence of a water droplet is regarded as 1. These first generation chips are very minute in size. They’re almost half the size of available postage stamps. In fact the water droplets are smaller than the size of the poppy seeds. The engineers encourages anyone who are interested in trying out their new invention. They also want to enable people who want to design new circuits that are based on their start-up building blocks.
40
41
NEWS
Opening this technology to the lead to different new understandpublic, can open doorways for ings that may or may not make new technologies that can spring the world a better place. up. These new technologies can
42
NEWS
Invisible Lightweight Materials Soon To Be A Reality
Chemical Engineers, Rejoice
A
29-year old Iranian researcher, Dr. Mohsen Esmaily, at Chalmers University in Sweden has recently made a breakthrough in magnesium lightweight materials that could pave way to creating invisible materials. He has been awarded with the prestigious scientific prize by the Royal Swed-
44
ish Academy of Engineering Sciences for his breakthrough in magnesium alloys. His research could greatly impact the future of materials science as the backbone of every industrialized nation science and important to developing countries. According to the Dr. Esmaily, saving our resources is of utmost importance as
46
we now experience climate change and depleting environmental resources. Manufacturing lighter components is an effective way to reduce uses of our resources and prevent further carbon emissions.
H
is results in magnesium alloys demonstrate possible microstructural design improvements for enhanced properties such as the invisibility effect. It is related to the interaction of light and the material and producing such ‘metamaterials’ through nanotechnology. Now, it is possible to control the bending of light in the materials. Imagine those invisible laptops and phones in the coming decade, he says.
47
NEWS
There has been an emerg- Germany and Japan are also ing arena in research to create undertaking major national relightweight materials around search in this area. the globe in the last decade. Countries like the UK, the USA,
48
PRESS RELEASE
INTERIOR & DESIGN MANILA 2019 EMBRACES RESILIENCE OF DESIGN
T
he Philippine Institute of Interior Designers (PIID) in partnership with Global-Link Exhibitions Specialist, Inc. (GESI) will be holding the 4th edition of Interior & Design Manila (IDMNL) at the SMX Convention Center, Mall of Asia Complex on March 7 to 9, 2019. This year, the event will be held back-to-back with Philippines International Furniture Show (PIFS) making it a complete showcase for all design enthusiasts. Focusing more on what the country needs, the organizers of IDMNL 2019 will implement a new theme for this year: Resilience of Design: Future Spaces. According to Resilient Design Institute, resilient design is defined as the intentional design of buildings, landscapes, communities, and regions in order to respond to natural and manmade disasters and disturbances-as well as long-term changes resulting from climate change. “Each day is not just about the design we do for our clients, we also would like to make a difference in helping them live in a beautifully resilient home”, shared IDr. Gino Lim, Exhibit Chairman. “Resilient design should be given more emphasis not only from us designers, but politicians, engineers and city planners as well.” “Interior & Design Manila is the Philippines’ sole exhibit curated specifically to help our lo-
50
For its 4th edition, the organizers of Interior & Design Manila decided to focus its theme to what our fellow countrymen needs the most - Resilience of Design: Future Spaces. “Each day is not just about the design we do for our clients, we also would like to make a difference in helping them live in a beautifully resilient home”, shared IDr. Gino Lim, Exhibit Chairman. The expo will run from March 7 to 9 at the SMX Convention Center, Mall of Asia Complex, Pasay City. Interested visitors may register at www.gesi.com.ph/IDMNL to secure a free 1-day visitor pass. For more information, visit the event’s official Facebook page @IDMNL. cal interior designers be updated with the latest trends and updates in the industry including the implementation of resilient design,” stated Patrick Lawrence Tan, CEO of Global-Link. “That’s why we are very fortunate to work with PIID in putting together such a meaningful event which is sure to open up countless doors of opportunities for the growth of our country’s design industry.”
The 4th edition of Interior & Design Manila 2019 will feature a pavilion of never-before-seen concepts for the modern home arranged by selected members of the Philippine Institute of Interior Designers. The expo will run from March 7 to 9 at the SMX Convention Center, Mall of Asia Complex, Pasay City. Interested visitors may register at www.gesi.com.ph/IDMNL to secure a free 1-day visitor pass. For more information, visit the event’s official Facebook page @IDMNL.
The exhibit is expected to show off a showcase of the latest trends from GRM Biowood Interiors Corp., Landlite Philippines Corp., La Casa Deco, Global Trend Building Materials Specialist, Big Pix Graphics Systems, FerCui Ventures Corp., Ashton Technologies Corp., CT-Eidiya Enterprise, Mobler Enterprises, Teresa Marble Corp., Woodcaretech Marketing Philippines, Yuyukorea.co.kr., CSI Philippines, LC5 and Mach Enter-
prises, Rich Graphix Brand, S2mit Corp., Timbermate – HMT Industries Corp., and a lot more. Selected members of the PIID will also be presenting never-before-seen concepts for the modern home and to complete the industry experience, the organizers will also bring in an international CPD convention and workshop with prominent design gurus flying in from around the globe where dele-
51
PRESS RELEASE
gates can elevate their profession- gesi.com.ph/IDMNL or Facebook al portfolio and get CPD points. page @IDMNL. For more information about the CPD Convention and Workshop, visit the official website of PIID at www.piid.org.ph. For exhibit inquiries, contact Global-Link at (02) 893 -7973. You may also visit Interior & Design Manila’s official website www.
be the biggest event, but we assure you to deliver the best design-led trade event put together in the IDMNL 2019 is also supported country and no other event even by the Chamber of Furniture In- comes close.” added IDr. Lilia De dustries of the Philippines (CFIP), Jesus, National President of PIID. Cebu Furniture Industries Foundation (CFIF), Pampanga Furniture Industries Foundation (PFIF) and United Architects of the Philippines (UAP). “IDMNL may not
The 4th Interior & Design Manila will be featuring an international Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Convention and Workshop Space where world renowned speakers flying in from around the globe will share their expertise on the latest trends and issues in today’s design industry. The conference themed Resilience of Design: Future Spaces is expected to draw in hundreds of Interior Designers to the show. For the schedule, topics, fees and further info on the said conference, visit Philippine Institute of Interior Designer’s website at www.piid.org.ph. Interior & Design Manila will run from March 7 to 9 at the SMX Convention Center, Mall of Asia Complex, Pasay City. For more information, visit the event’s official website at www.gesi.com.ph/IDMNL or Facebook page @IDMNL.
52