I love gadgets so I’m always eager to see what new tech is on display at the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. I’ve scoured all the exhibitions and wanted to share the best with you — along with ways you can use them to help your business.
Smartwatches and other wearables
CNET called the wearables on display at CES “connected, invisible, and everywhere.” There was the Fenix 3 from Garmin, the OneTouch from Alcatel (a great deal at about $150), and the SmartWatch from Sony. All feature small but legible interfaces on wrist-sized screens. But they also need to be Bluetooth-connected to an actual phone in your purse or wallet. That’s why I like the GoldKey Secure Communicator, which runs Android all on its own. Your move, Apple.
But there was other wearable tech at CES. Sony debuted the Smart Eyeglass, a competitor to Google Glass, and Misfit exhibited the Swarovski Shine, a fitness wearable in the form of a blue crystal pendant.
How this will affect your business: Mobile marketing and recruiting is only going to increase, since everyone will soon be wearing at least one mobile device. That means responsive web design that can shrink to the size of a screen 1.6 inches square. It also means large buttons and minimal text. The fight for people’s attention will get more intense, but companies that send too many push notifications will likely get deleted. So the search for a good balance will continue.
Software and hardware
There was all sorts of tech at CES that promises to make running your business easier. As someone who’s always losing power cords, I was excited by Zolt’s “ultra-small” Laptop Charger Plus, which has ports for charging three devices at once — and comes in eye-catching red or blue to you’ll never forget to grab it after a meeting. I also liked WakaWaka’s solar-powered charger and Lynktec’s Reeljuice, “the world’s first back-up battery for mobile devices to full integrate a fully retractable cord reel design.” Green tech and less cords on the conference table combine for the win.
CES doesn’t really focus on software, but I was impressed by Opera Max, which can shrink photos, videos, and text on any Android phone by up to 50%, giving users more data across apps and browsers, which means saving money on data plans. I’m also keeping my eye on Lima, which won two CES Innovation awards. It unifies all your devices so that you see the same screen on each platform, just in a different size. When you rename a file on your phone, it’s renamed on your tablet and laptop as well. And it all does all this without access to the cloud, which means increased security and privacy for your content.
How this will affect your business: All these innovations are ways for your organization to work smarter, not harder, and to save time and money. These may not be as sexy as futuristic watches or virtual reality, but you’ll notice an increase in efficiency and improved time management, as will your employees — and job candidates when they come to your office. After all, no one wants to work for an company that seems stuck in the past.
Virtual reality and drones
VR and drones are on the verge of changing photography and videography. Oculus Rift’s new Crescent Bay headset was a huge hit at CES, showcasing better optics, a friendlier fit, and 360-degree audio which made you feel even more immersed in the scenery. I love it, but the company still has no release date for a consumer version.
Drones were also immensely popular at the show. To me, the best (and cutest) was the Zano.Fresh, which is about the size of your hand, can be controlled by your smartphone, and shoots HD video.
How this will affect your business: I always recommend that employers show off their location and workplace to job-seekers, and these new technologies take that to the next level. Soon candidates will be able to virtually walk around your entire building, “sit” in the conference home, “eat” in the breakroom, and “see” the view from the CEO’s office. Drones will let you take unobtrusive video of your work, such as constructing a building, or your volunteer events, like running a 5K. Giving top talent a memorable experience will become an important differentiator for recruiters in the very near future.
Jody Ordioni is President of Brandemix.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jody Ordioni is the author of “The Talent Brand.” In her role as Founder and Chief Brand Officer of Brandemix, she leads the firm in creating brand-aligned talent communications that connect employees to cultures, companies, and business goals. She engages with HR professionals and corporate teams on how to build and promote talent brands, and implement best-practice talent acquisition and engagement strategies across all media and platforms. She has been named a "recruitment thought leader to follow" and her mission is to integrate marketing, human resources, internal communications, and social media to foster a seamless brand experience through the employee lifecycle.