The world's largest consumer electronics show. It's all about the Internet of Things!

We report live from CES 2014 (Consumer Electronics Show), held annually in January in Las Vegas, USA.

CES is the world's largest trading show, attracting participants from North America and beyond, including home appliance manufacturers, mobile companies, IT firms, medical technology providers, automakers, and numerous startups. Consequently, many media outlets are already covering CES, and you've likely seen news reports about it.

Therefore, in this report for Web Dentsu Inc., we will leave the introductions of the latest video products like 4K TVs and the newest smartphones and tablet PCs to other media outlets. Instead, we will deliver the latest CES trends from our unique perspective and consider their impact on communication.

TVs Take Center Stage

At CES, home appliance manufacturers from around the world (especially Japan and South Korea) compete to showcase their latest televisions and communicate the new value of TVs. When I first started attending CES four years ago, it was essentially the dawn of the smart TV era. Companies presented a future where internet-connected TVs not only streamed video content but also enabled gaming, shopping, and communication via Skype, Facebook, and Twitter. However, this year, the primary focus for most companies was a return to basics: image quality, highlighted by terms like "4K" and "Ultra HD." While some TV screens are now curved, this aspect is likely covered extensively by many media outlets, so I'll leave that for them.

The Keywords to Watch: IoT and Wearables

IoT stands for Internet of Things, often translated as "the Internet of Things." It refers to a world where not just PCs and mobile phones, but also appliances, cars, watches, scales... various "things" connect to the internet. Four years ago, at my first CES, "smart TVs" and "connected TVs" – televisions connected to the internet – were announced and drew significant attention. Four years on, CES now showcases various "things" that connect with smartphones, link to home Wi-Fi networks, and connect to the internet to deliver new value.

Another key term is wearables. While I consider 2012, when the Nike+ FuelBand launched, to be the first year of wearables, this year's CES saw many companies unveiling wearable devices and smartwatches. In fact, this trend is also part of IoT. This year's CES suggests the proliferation and development of various wearable "things" that rely on smartphone connectivity.