A

s I headed to Las Vegas for another week 
of “all tech all the time” at the annual 
Consumer Electronics Show (CES), I was 
excited to see if last year’
s promises had turned 
into reality. Each year, CES attendees roll their 
eyes at the amazing prototypes that will never 
come to market, but this year seemed to be the 
year the tech concepts actually became a reality 
for consumers. I was not disappointed.
The 8K television revealed at last year’
s CES is 
now available to consumers. The robot prototypes 
that left me in awe a year ago have come down in 
price and can now be introduced into your home 
to make it smarter and more like The Jetsons. 
Perhaps the most exciting news is that a mobile 
future with 5G networks will be revolutionary 
— and not only for human-to-human communi-
cation but also for communication between our 
connected cars.
CES is the world’
s largest and most influential 
tech event with more than 182,000 attendees, 
including more than 63,000 from outside the U.S. 
The convention featured 4,500 exhibiting com-
panies, which included more than 1,200 startups 
and more than 20,000 new products.
Franklin resident Gary Shapiro, CEO of the 
Consumer Technology Association, which is 
responsible for producing CES, said, “The entire 
technology ecosystem gathered at CES 2019 with 
the latest in 5G, artificial intelligence, augmented 
and virtual reality, smart cities, sports tech, 8K 
video technology, robotics and more. With every 

major and emerging industry at the show, CES 
2019 is truly the global hub for innovation.
”
The roll-up OLED TV from LG and Samsung’
s 
219-inch “The Wall” TV were very cool, as were 
the FlexPai, a foldable mobile phone from Royole 
Corporation, and all the Alexa-controlled devices 
(e.g., the Kohler Numi 2.0 Intelligent Toilet, the 
Cybec Legend bicycle, a motorcycle helmet, eye-
glasses, a mattress, etc.). However, what I really 
appreciated were the computer-generated custom 
3D shoe inserts by Dr. Scholl’
s. A computer took 
photos of my bare feet and analyzed everything 
from my arch type to the various pressure points. 
It then created custom orthotics with my name on 
them and shipped them to my home. I’
ve already 
noticed that my posture has improved when 
wearing the inserts. Anyone can be fitted for these 
inserts using the Dr. Scholl’
s mobile app (iOS or 
Android).
I also enjoyed the Tennispot, a tennis simula-
tor from GOLFZON, which allowed me to play 
tennis against the screen. While I have tried many 
golf simulators over the years, this was the first 
time I had an opportunity to work on my tennis 
game using augmented reality. Tennispot is more 
than simply a green screen around a ball machine. 
It virtually plots the trajectory of the ball to let you 
know if you are in or out of bounds. It can also 
read the speed of delivery and adjust its pitch-
back speed and direction to keep the player guess-
ing just like in an actual game of tennis against a 
human opponent. At $50,000, it’
s a little pricey to 
get for my basement.

AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES
Last year at CES, I had the opportunity to ride 
in an autonomous vehicle on the streets of Las 
Vegas. This year, there were more BMW models 
powered by Aptiv’
s autonomous vehicle technol-
ogy for attendees to try. However, I opted to do 
something different. I rode in the passenger seat 
of a Valeo Drive4U Remote autonomous vehicle 
controlled by an off-site operator. The technology 
is designed to assist drivers, relieve them of cer-
tain driving tasks or even switch to manual driv-
ing mode when the vehicle is unable to handle a 
given situation. 
Anything can happen on the road, from sudden 
severe weather conditions to an unexpected medi-
cal problem, which is when having an off-site con-
troller is necessary. The Drive4U Remote will also 
come in handy in the future when we reach the 

final level of autonomous vehicles and our cars 
will be able to self-park at the curb of a restaurant, 
meaning valet parkers won’
t be needed anymore.

ISRAEL TECH
CES is teeming with Israeli tech innovators and 
entrepreneurs. At Eureka Park, the area of CES 
filled with startups, an entire area of Israeli com-
panies with pioneering technologies showcased 
new products. Israeli companies are at the fore-
front of tech innovation. Israeli startup Lishtot 
TestDrop Pro created the first personal water 
detecting device. At only $50, it will test water 
to ensure the tap water, bottled water or natural 
water you’
re drinking is safe. These would have 
been beneficial during the Flint water crisis.
Another Israeli company that caught my atten-
tion at CES was Nanoscent. This startup makes 
human scent readable, which is similar to image 
and voice recognition, both now realities of our 
everyday digital world. Nanoscent can use its 
technology to test a potential couple’
s matching 
likelihood based on their skin scent. 
2sens is an Israeli company that has made it 
possible for anyone with a dual-camera to create 
mixed-reality videos (computer animation with 
actual real-time display). The 2sens solution 
allows users to mix between virtual content 
and the real world, including Occlusion and 
Interaction, all while the real-world content is 
dynamically changing. It is applicable to both AR 
glasses and smartphones. Check out the website at 
www.2sens.com to see it in action.
Each year after I return from CES, many people 
ask me what I saw. It’
s not possible to recount all 
the innovative gadgets and futuristic computers, 
phones, drones and robots at CES. It is truly a 
sensory overload experience. However, it also is 
a taste of the future. Technology is evolving more 
rapidly than ever, and it’
s exciting to witness. ■

Rabbi Jason Miller is president of Access Technology in West 
Bloomfield and a national expert on the intersection of tech-
nology and the Jewish world. Follow him on Twitter at 
@RabbiJason.

22 February 7 • 2019
jn

The Consumers 
Electronics Show
Doesn’t Disappoint

jews d
in 
the
jews in the digital age

Rabbi
Jason Miller

Dr. Scholl’
s 

Custom 

Insert Kiosk

LG Rollable 

OLED TV

