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Not all of the gadgetry announced at the Consumer Electronics Show this year solves just business problems. Some new technologies help people have fun, keep track of things, or enhance personal spaces.

Here’s a summary of three new items that check those boxes. We found this emerging technology intriguing, and you may wonder why no one thought of it before.

Verge Motorcycles launches high-performance model

A highly anticipated new electric motorcycle line from Verge Motorcycles is now available for pre-reservations in the US. The company announced that it will start selling in select states during 2023.

By making an early reservation, fans can indicate their interest to be in touch when the long-awaited electric motorcycles go on sale in the United States. Verge announced the start of series production of its other models, the Verge TS and Verge TS Pro, for select European markets in November. Here is their brand clip “Introducing Verge TS Pro – The Electric Superbike”.

The new Verge TS Ultra model (pictured above) is one of the most advanced electric motorcycles out there. The Verge is known for its unique design and innovative integration of the rim motor inside the rear wheel. This pioneering technology enables a bigger battery, more extended range and great performance. Furthermore, the center of gravity is lower, providing a better riding experience than conventional electric motorcycles.

“We see a lot of potential in the market and look forward to [by] Bike enthusiasts will soon be rewarded with even more powerful and futuristic electric motorcycles,” said Tuomo Lehtimäki, CEO of Verge Motorcycles.

The Verge TS Ultra is a high-performance model designed from the ground up with electric drive in mind. The Verge TS and Verge TS Pro models already represent innovation. The performance of the new Ultra model is exceptional, with a range of up to 233 miles and a fast charging time of 25 minutes. With its 201 horsepower output, the bike accelerates from zero to 60 mph in just 2.5 seconds.

Commercial Smart Label Tracking Device

Pod Group, a Giesecke+Devrient (G+D) company and the world’s first Enterprise Network Operator (ENO), in partnership with Sodak and Lufthansa Industry Solutions (LHIND), announced on Tuesday the launch of a paper-thin tracking device. form of a smart label.

Smart Label Paper-Thin Tracking Device

The device could revolutionize the logistics industry by allowing the tracking of smaller and lighter items. According to the company, this capability has not been possible before using traditional tracking devices.

“Smart mobile devices will play an increasing role in digital transformation across all industries. Due to its form factor and unique technology, smart labels enable a range of new use cases,” said Ingo Pietruska, Vice President of Business Development at LHIND.

Smart labels use low-power cellular connectivity (LTE CAT-M) to transmit data about device location and temperature back to a centralized dashboard, enabling logistics companies to track valuable items.

The package can be as small and light as an envelope containing important documents or as large as a full-size oil painting. The LEAP platform provided by LHIND enables geofences with notifications that can be set to alert the user when a package has entered or left strategic points along the supply chain.

The printed battery keeps the label as light as possible, while the use of low-power connectivity ensures that battery life is optimized and can last up to six months. The label can be used multiple times depending on the frequency of transmission. Alkaline batteries are also more environmentally friendly than traditional lithium batteries, and the materials used are recyclable.

“With smart labels, companies with complex supply chains can track their goods efficiently, reducing spoilage and theft. State-of-the-art low-power cellular communication technology can now deliver real-time tracking from a recyclable ultra-thin device can reliably send position, near temperature and shock alerts,” said Oli Smeenek, co-CEO of IoT hardware company Sodak.

AI powered personalized air improvement solutions

Airosphera, a new company operated by Airovation Technologies, showcased an unprecedented product and concept at CES 2023 – Personal Air Improvement.

AI-powered air improvement solutions personalize a variety of environments for wellbeing and performance at home, work and other indoor locations. Aerosphaera is collaborating with leading brands in home appliances, air purification, and other relevant markets to embed its technology and AI capabilities into their products in a variety of ways and across multiple use scenarios.

The technology uses artificial intelligence, unique remote sensing capability and cloud processing to produce an all-in-one solution designed to create the optimal personal indoor environment customized for each user. Machine learning technology enables bio-sensing to continuously monitor actions such as heart rate, breathing rate and daily routines – all remotely.

With manually entered data, it creates personalized baseline parameters for an optimal breathing environment.

According to Marat Mayan, founder and CEO of Aerovation Technologies, these air-improvement products will stand out in the market by activating air treatment, monitoring user-critical vital parameters and instructing users to improve their environment with an accompanying app.

Air purifiers also deal with CO2 Level and treatment of particulate and microbiological pollutants within indoor spaces, thereby improving people’s productivity and well-being.

The Aerosphaera Trio of Air-Improvement Products

Aerosphaera Product Line

Aerosfera Pro Improves the air around users such as students and workplace professionals and helps them be aware of their vitals and surroundings to help improve focus, productivity and learning skills.

aero An air treatment device that improves air quality for the vitality, well-being and improved performance of users. It cleans the air of pollutants and captures CO2,

aerosphere Junior is an all-in-one air control solution for babies, equipped with multi-sensors that measure and reflect environmental and baby conditions and treat the air to improve baby’s well-being.

It’s the start of a new year, and I hope 2023 works out better than I currently think. Financially, we’re in a bit of trouble, but there are some amazing technologies coming to market this year that I look forward to seeing.

CES, starting shortly, will be the first big showcase of what’s to come – and from the pre-briefings I’ve seen, there are a lot of good things to come this year.

Let’s explore some of them this week. We’ll get to my first product of the week for 2023 next week because I don’t have room in this column.

The Economy of 2023 Looks Ugly

The last few years have not been good for many reasons, but mostly because governments have not handled the pandemic well. The shutdown crippled the supply chain, and when people started coming back, they wanted to buy goods, creating a supply-demand imbalance that caused government agencies to do terrible things for interest rates.

It looks like in 2023 those chickens will come to roost. We’ll have an ominous mix of buyers who don’t have money but have excessive inventory due to improved manufacturing efficiencies and I expect layoffs to accelerate.

This should be a time when sellers ramp up marketing for demand generation to capture as much of the shrinking market as possible. Still, most people would ignore this Business 101 lesson and instead reduce demand generation, allowing firms that audited Business 101 during this time to cut back on marketing.

I think 2023 will again show that demand management should have both carrot and stick, the stick being high interest rates on borrowings and the carrot being high interest rates on savings. More effort is needed to shift perceptions so that there is a rapid change in buying behavior to mitigate the problem.

Communicating effectively with citizens so that they can modify their behavior in a timely manner, apart from interest rate changes, has a more significant, faster impact on this category of problem which is primarily behavior-based.

wars

China will continue to be a problem largely because its Covid responses are failing, and its government is unwilling to ask for help. China’s vaccines appear ineffective, but instead of seeking overseas vaccines that work, they struggle to cope with being overwhelmed by sick people.

These circumstances could force an unwarranted war with Taiwan to distract from domestic issues at home. But the vaccine’s lack of effectiveness points to a more significant problem in China and many other countries: a tendency to cover up issues rather than address them. All this suggests that China’s military, like Russia’s, may not be able to perform as expected by the Chinese leadership.

While the dynamics of the war with Taiwan may seem very different from the one in Ukraine, the coverage of the problems is consistent between Russia and China, potentially creating a similar standoff between the countries. However, as long as the conflict continues, manufacturing in Taiwan and exports from China will take a hit and potentially create a new and even bigger supply chain problem.

Companies are moving aggressively to reduce their exposure, but most programs like the CHIPS Act I’ve seen won’t mature until closer to 2025, leaving us exposed in 2023. Ukraine is not expected to be able to recover its manufacturing capacity. Two to five years after the end of the war. Since this has not happened yet, there will likely be shortages associated with Ukrainian manufacturing until 2023 – such as the ASIC chips that are a vital part of most electronics, including cars.

electric vehicles

2023 will be the year that electric charging capabilities increase dramatically, and we will begin to see second generation battery and engine technology with increased range and performance hit the market. However, when it comes to distance we’ll still fall short of making electric cars a proper replacement for gas vehicles.

Nonetheless, we’ll start to see the release of the next generation of electric cars and a further increase in driver assistance and in-car entertainment capabilities. However, it looks like the most significant changes are likely to happen in 2024 for the 2025 line of cars due to be launched that year.

Think of 2023 as the last year of the current generation of electrics and 2024 as the first wave of the next generation of electric cars, which will likely be released as 2025 models.

As a result, in 2023, I’d favor buying used rather than new in anticipation of more significant changes for the 2025 model year release. The exceptions would be cars from vendors like Rivian and Lucid, which are already building cars that we might call next-generation, recognizing that there are unique risks to buying cutting-edge technology.

personal flying vehicle

We should see an impressive number of electric flying personal recreational vehicles on the market. Some of these are already visible.

Basically, they use drone technology to fly humans, resulting in something relatively easy to build and not really the skill required to fly things under a recreational flying license. Where I live, we get regular complaints about people flying ultralight vehicles over houses, which I’m sure will increase with these new vehicles.

Still, they look like a ton of fun. I’m tempted to treat myself as a toy that will work in the summer and assuming I can handle the cold, winter as a nearly perfect all-terrain vehicle. Just don’t lose power at the height.

personal computers

PCs will go through multiple screen revisions throughout the years, from multiple screens to rolling screens. The rolling screen was teased during several announcements recently.

The idea of ​​being able to expand your screen vertically or horizontally (doing both at the same time is beyond us for now) could be a game changer for those of us who go through screen size envy with current laptops.

Expect more efficient chargers, a greater focus on sustainability overall, and a continued effort to find that sweet spot for PC as a Service (PCaaS).

Look for progress in recycling and adaptation this year as the industry is likely to have a particularly soft sales period due to massive overbuying during the past several years.

smartphones

There’s going to be a new Apple iPhone contender, but I’ll talk about that when it launches.

Expect to see rollable displays before the end of the year and improvements to the camera software are focused on helping you create better looking avatars to come with the latest phones.

Real-time video streaming enhancements and features will improve, and we should get our first look at the next generation of AI-based digital assistants before the end of the year.

Conversational AI has improved substantially since Siri launched, and we should start to see the resulting benefits on most platforms next year.

Look for wireless charging enhancements in premium phones as the year progresses.

Video Conferencing and Collaboration

Confusion over whether people will stay home or return to office has really messed up this segment, and I am yet to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

As a result, solutions will be diverse, with some focused on improving the experience in larger rooms and others in the home.

Expect better camera tracking with cameras, better noise isolation with microphones and speakers, and significantly stronger audience monitoring tools, which will probably make video gamers cringe during Zoom calls (yes, we know you do). Huh).

We’ll likely see at least one vendor develop a unique way to solve the camera placement problem with built-in and aftermarket cameras.

metaverse

The metaverse is a bit of a mess, largely thanks to the early implementation of meta. However, this is ironic because once it matures, the Metaverse will have the potential to convey a vision of the future better than any prior technology.

There’s a chance that Meta will eventually figure this out and instead of showing where it is, start showing what it will be. Nvidia has been doing this for a while in the commercial space, which while compelling, most of us aren’t touching.

As a result, if Meta doesn’t take steps to communicate a vision, the consumer side of the Metaverse will go into decline in 2023, waiting for a company to blend the Metaverse’s power with its ability to deliver benefits and compelling narratives. The nature of what it will be, rather than the despair of what it currently is.

AI and Robotics

2023 will be a huge year for AI and robotics. I’m grouping these technologies because this will be the year AI-powered personal robotics expands far beyond the initial wave of robotic vacuum cleaners.

I’m looking forward to robotic security solutions, robotic snow blowers and even a growing number of robotic personal assistants. We’ll also see more robot bartenders, french fry machines and the first realistic prototypes of automated fast-food restaurants.

While we will still be at the beginning of the coming robotic wave, by the end of 2023, we should have a better idea of ​​where this technology is going and how soon it will overwhelm us with robotic options.

One area that will see huge growth in the use of artificial intelligence is the health care industry. AI will be used more widely to create new treatments and cures and provide interactive AI interfaces for patients that more limited medical staff can provide than ever before. I’m recovering from the flu as I write this, so I’m especially looking forward to this medical AI improvement.

Television

2023 will be the true emergence of 8K TVs, and we’ll see more affordable rollable display TVs in limited runs. We’ve had 8K and rollable TVs before but mostly in prototype form. Both technologies are now going into production, allowing them to hit the high-end market.

We’ll have less of a problem with 8K than with the 4K TVs that preceded them because of the upscale improvements. While these sets will attract a lot of attention, sales will be hindered until 2023 when prices become much more reasonable than I expect. However, it is possible that by the end of the year, at least one of these two technologies has gone mainstream.

I think it’s more likely that 2025 will be the year that 8K and rollable display TVs show their potential. It will take at least that long to reach a critical mass of materials and rollable screen manufacturing capacity to provide the convergence of materials and technology as value to the buyer.

wrapping up

These predictions are far from exhaustive. I haven’t mentioned the pivot to air-to-rail travel in Europe that will accelerate next year, the potential failure of Twitter which I personally attribute to Elon Musk’s deliberately poor choice of new CEO, or advances in both broadcast power and microgrids. I see as Next year. We also have the renewed promise of fusion power, although I expect that will have to wait until the second half of the decade for it to go into widespread trials.

So far, I haven’t mentioned advances in robotic companions like robotic humans because I still find them creepy, autonomous vehicles because they aren’t massive until 2025, or robot pets, which will be more obvious in future years. Will happen Advances in farming with robotics and vertical farms, advances in disease detection, and the growing challenge of keeping personal things private will also continue to trend.

Overall, I expect 2023 to be especially difficult for companies that either don’t understand the market they’re in or lean too hard on demand generation funding, allowing their competitors to revolve around them. permission is granted.

Think of the year like musical chairs but with money instead of chairs. There will be a smaller pool of available spending dollars, and companies that don’t fight for every penny will fail.

I wish you and yours the best of luck in the new year, although 2023 itself may be a challenging year for most people to meet.

The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of ECT News Network.

Schools are pouring a flood of money on safety products. Yet, according to a new report from Parks Associates, there hasn’t been enough thought about how products can be leveraged to better respond to violence in schools.

The market research and consulting company in Edison, Texas, noted in its report that schools have promoted access control practices, the use of faculty badges and security cameras for nearly 20 years, but the measure does not adequately secure schools. have found. violence.

Citing data from the School Survey on Crime and Safety, the report said that during the 2017-18 school year, 71% of schools experienced at least one violent incident, and 21% reported one serious violent incident. experienced. The National Center for Education Statistics released similar figures for the 2019-20 school year.

“Although these data points are from a variety of organizations, the numbers show a 4% increase in serious violent incidents even though the use of surveillance cameras, access control and other security systems on school grounds is at an all-time high,” wrote author Parks . President and CMO Elizabeth Parks and research intern August Ward.

“Schools are spending a lot of money on security products, but they don’t do a great job at thinking through feedback,” said Mark Hatton, CEO of MutualLink, a provider of interoperability security solutions based in Wallingford, Conn.

“All of those security products are produced proof after the fact. They haven’t been coordinated and considered for response,” Hatton told TechNewsWorld.

better access control

The report notes that evolving school safety technology is providing increasingly efficient support to first responders.

“Advanced technologies increasingly give first responders a lot of additional information about what’s happening in the environment without relying on humans to relay that information,” Parks told TechNewsWorld.

The report noted that access control systems allow people to skip the step of tracking the closing of doors. Access control systems enable people to control whether the doors have been locked or not.

In the Uvalde tragedy, it added, a school door that would normally have been closed was left open, allowing gunmen to enter. A machine locking system may have prevented this.

The report indicated that advances in artificial intelligence and machine learning could also accelerate reaction times. AI and ML can identify suspicious activity, identify dangerous objects, recognize patterns and organize data and evidence, it continued. These are powerful capabilities to improve safety and response times, especially when this can happen without the assistance of an operator.

However, Parks said that automation should not be a substitute for human intervention. “Technology and automation should be used not to replace humans but to provide better information to humans so that humans can respond better,” she said.

zeroeyes technology

Dot Blackwell, the superintendent of Vassar Public Schools in Vassar, Michigan, however, believes that school safety technology is less effective at addressing violence problems when it relies on staff for monitoring or management.

Vassar Public School, 45 minutes from Oxford High School, the scene of a mass shooting in November 2021 that killed four students, and injured seven people, including a teacher, recently installed a new security system called ZeroEasy. was done.

ZeroEyes works with existing video surveillance systems at a school to identify firearms. It can alert first responders of a potential threat in three to five seconds – even though the image of a threat must pass human muster before it can be forwarded to the appropriate authorities.

Blackwell told TechNewsWorld, “ZeroEyes Technology is the first product our school district has discovered, offering an innovative way to monitor activities in our buildings and our parking lots that could give us precious minutes to save lives.” Is.”

press panic button

Another technology cited in the report is panic devices that enable emergencies to be reported without explanation. In some respects, technology is more efficient and effective than humans.

MutualLink can amplify information sent to first responders before tools such as panic buttons.

“When you press a panic button, in about four seconds, the school’s floor plan along with the camera feed is sent to the police,” Hatton explained.

“The fact is, if someone wants to cause harm, they are likely to enter the school,” he said.

“When security products designed to keep intruders out of school fail to do so, MutuLink may immediately share information about those products with police.”

“MutualLink converts day-to-day security products into effective response products,” Hatton said.

Technologies need to work together

The report also referred to the Personal Emergency Response System. It explained that the PEAR device enables school staff with just the press of a button to contact first responders when needed. According to the report, the technology can improve and simplify response times, which is one of the most important problems with threats operating on campuses.

One of the benefits of the devices mentioned in the report is their low cost, which is why they are being used more frequently in schools. However, one challenge with this technology and security systems, in general, are false alarms.

According to Parks’ research, nearly half of security owners say their security system triggers too many false alarms. Additionally, 62% of home security owners report experiencing one false alarm in the past 12 months, and about 10% report having experienced more than five false alarms in the past year.

The report states that a number of technologies must work together to effectively secure a school. Every school has a different layout, population size, and funding, which means that one set of security solutions will not work for everyone. Every state, it continued, has different rules and grant systems for their schools, which in turn makes it difficult to integrate security companies nationwide.

Time will tell how these new technologies perform, Parks’ report predicts. School safety technology is beneficial, but currently, more metrics are needed to evaluate the technology used for school safety. It noted that the technology cannot guarantee flawless defense against security breaches and threats. Nevertheless, it can help reduce the likelihood of a dangerous situation occurring and create efficiency in emergency response.

“How can we stop school violence is a million dollar question,” Parks said. “I don’t know if we have the answer yet. But any threat to the safety of children in school is the best answer we can have.”

Last mile delivery of products ordered online is a serious problem for merchants and consumers, and it is even more challenging for food retailers.

The innovative Phononic EV could drive a new solution to efficiently and sustainably deliver groceries, rivaling Amazon’s planned aerial drone package delivery system.

Phononic unveiled its electronic vehicle for permanent last mile delivery on August 31 at the Home Delivery World Show in Philadelphia. At this point, the vehicle is a functional proof of concept. It is not available in the market.

What happens next is in Sortimo’s hands. The two companies formed a partnership to fit the Ford E-Transit (Extended Edition) with reconfigurable shelving to create cold chain transport vans for grocery retailers without the risk of food spoilage on e-commerce Can go

Phononic’s new approach integrates thermoelectric-based cooling solutions into customized shelving. This partnership created the first truly sustainable cold chain grocery transport by turning an electric van into an all-electric tri-temperature vehicle.

The electric vehicle is free from environmentally harmful, artificially produced refrigerants called hydrofluorocarbons, or HFCs.

“We can see the potential for customer delivery by using EV vans equipped with Phononic technology for tri-temperature cooling in 2023,” Dana Krug, Phononic’s vice president and general manager, told TechNewsworld.

a peak inside

Phononic’s first electric vehicle is equipped with the company’s Activity Cooled Tote. Sortimo’s customized FR5 and SR5 van shelving is designed to be an optimal and efficient way to store chilled, frozen and general merchandise orders in one vehicle during grocery delivery.

With the SR5, shelves can be configured to fit any location to optimize payload and cargo capacity. As online ordering has become the preferred choice of consumers, all-electric technology can help grocers to grow their last-mile delivery fleet in a sustainable manner.

Phonetic Temperature Controlled Totes for Food Safety

image credit: phononic


According to Krug, it provides increased customer loyalty and access to same-day delivery while driving a stronger ROI with increased levels of consistency. Its technology is naturally a great mobile platform.

The delivery van uses proprietary solid-state cooling technology instead of existing compressor-based mechanical systems that can fail. Its system’s compact heat pump allows for greater capacity in a single space. Controls reduce energy requirements.

on demand heating up

Market studies show that the demand for online food purchase is increasing rapidly. Online grocery ordering and delivery is here to stay, making last mile execution even more important.

“Maintaining the right temperature for a range of food – frozen, chilled and ambient – ​​is forcing grocery retailers to rethink their entire operations,” Krug observed.

“As online ordering becomes the preferred choice for consumers, all-electric technology can help grocers grow their last mile delivery fleet in a more sustainable manner, driving a stronger ROI with improved customer loyalty and increased levels It provides access to same-day delivery and stability,” he said.

As the demand for grocery deliveries increases, the need for more vehicles to perform those deliveries will increase. Industry reports estimate the number of delivery vehicles on the road to increase by 36% by 2030.

“We give retailers the option of using electric vehicles that can be connected to our solid-state cooling technology. This reduces the total global warming potential (GWP) rather than compounding the problem with combustion-based vehicles fitted with compressor-based high GWP refrigerants,” he said.

If retailers want to remain relevant and competitive, the current grocery delivery process is not sustainable for longevity, Krug said. Today’s grocery delivery requires a new approach that is sustainable and cost-effective.

Expect Phonetic Fleet

Eric Nelson, Director of Sales Fleet Mobility Solutions at Sortimo, said the goal is to develop innovative mobility solutions that help solve issues plaguing the environment.

“Working with Phononic to fit this one-of-a-kind, eco-friendly, all-electric vehicle has allowed us to be part of designing the first wave of truly sustainable grocery delivery,” he offered.

Phononic is still testing the van to understand its impact on the vehicle’s range. But Krug expects the effect to be less.

The Tri-Temperature EV was designed to increase the route density of delivery for retailers. Its unique design allows retailers to add general merchandise and temperature controlled items in addition to groceries to optimize routing for fewer total delivery miles.

Phononic does not plan to sell the actual van, Krug said. By partnering with Sortimo, his company sees an opportunity to refit not only the Ford E-Transit but other vans.

how it works

A possible solution is Phononic’s cooling technology, which uses naturally available CO. Uses water mixed with2, Krug explained. Solid-state technology, portable freezing and refrigeration are now a reality, and the combination keeps anything cold anywhere.

Truly portable freezing and refrigeration has never been possible due to environmental challenges such as shock and vibration, weight, size and availability of power. Its DC-powered refrigeration is controlled by solid-state technology and can enable battery-powered refrigeration.

This method provides consistent, reliable cooling over a long period of time. This reality gives food traders confidence that the ingredients will be kept safely at the required temperature.

Phononic refrigerant system uses only CO2 and water

Phononic’s cooling technology is only CO. makes use of2 And water, as a refrigerant, eliminates environmentally destructive HFCs. (image credit: Phononic)


The system is monitored via Wi-Fi or cellular data to verify cold chain compliance. Solid-state cooling can respond to remote commands for complete temperature control anytime, anywhere.

An important advantage is the ability to reduce the temperature of the entire cargo container or specific compartments inside the vehicle as needed. This optimizes energy use while keeping the rest of the space at a standard temperature.

Thermoelectric technology has been around for more than a century. Until now, what was missing, according to Phononic, was integrating the engineering disciplines of pumping, moving, and controlling heat to create a new thermoelectric system that is powerful, flexible, and efficient.

About vehicle customization

Phononic started its EV delivery van project in June 2021. This vehicle is a fully functional test model, but can be adapted for other vans that require eventual cold chain delivery.

Sortimo’s FR5 shelves are foldable and designed specifically for courier, express delivery and parcel services. SR5 shelves provide the flexibility to develop the interior of the vehicle into any configuration that benefits delivery operation. Combined shelving options allow the transportation of chilled, frozen and general merchandise orders in one vehicle.

Ford’s E-Transit offers up to 487.3 cubic feet of cargo space inside the high ceiling. It has an extended wheelbase configuration and a range of about 126 miles on a single charge.

The market has seen a clear advantage for EV vehicles as compared to combustion based vehicles in distribution solutions. This is one reason you’ve seen announcements from major retailers with multiple EV companies for thousands of EV vans used for grocery delivery, Krug argued.

“Adding a tri-temperature cooling solution from Phononic gives retailers a cold chain solution that eliminates the need for dry ice or other passive cooling options, as well as the high GWP figurines used in compressor tri-temp delivery vans. ,” They said.