Some new devices and gadgets appearing at CES 2014

Jim and I are still working on our demos for our upcoming webinar, "Making the Connection: Programming Devices and Gadgets with RAD Studio" on January 22, 2014 at 6am, 11am and 5pm Pacific Time. At the same time in Las Vegas, companies are announcing new devices and gadgets this week at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2014. While we won't have time to get some of these newly announced gadgets, during the webinar we'll show you how to use Delphi and C++Builder to program and connect to a range of other devices and gadgets. Here are a few of the new announcements at CES 2014 that caught my eye.

Open Automotive Alliance - a consortium of automotive industry partners, Google and NVidia have announced  the alliance to bring Android to cars in 2014 and beyond. The announcement took place on January 6 and includes Audi, GM, Honda and Hyundai as founding members. Quoting from the OAA web site, the benefit for developers focuses on the Android platform - "With one platform that developers are already familiar with to target (rather than a patchwork of platforms from different automakers), developers will be able to focus on delivering a powerful experience for users."

Mimo Baby Monitor - An advanced baby monitor built into a onesy. I wish I had these when our daughters were born. Being able to monitor movement, sleeping pattern, temperature, sleeping position and more would have let us rest knowing all was okay and alerted us to any issues. At least I'll be able to use the software as a grandfather someday. I hope

Whirlpool's Interactive Cooktop - what do you get when you combine a cooking surface with touch and internet connectivity? Then combine the two with your smart device and internet content? You get a cool next generation cooktop for your kitchen. On the Whirlpool site the say "Fluid interaction, just-in-time feedback and intuitive cooking technology will enable flexible and efficient use of the appliance. It provides information you need to make dinner intentions into dinner plans, lets you engage with friends and loved ones while cooking safely, and brings a sense of surprise and delight to the kitchen through approachable, cutting edge and intuitive design." I can't wait to get my hands on the API so that I can also play games, pay bills and chat with family and friends while also cooking!

Goji Smart Lock - a replacement smart deadbolt lock for your doors that integrates with your smartphone and home automation systems. The smart lock includes support for WiFi, Bluetooth and ZigBee connectivity. It even has a camera so you can see who is at your door. You can also give access to your home via the app. I can't wait to get one of these, it looks just like my Nest Thermostat. On their blog they say "Goji does to locks what Nest did to thermostats. The Goji is the smartest smart lock available, with picture alerts, access controls, access logs, customer support, and a suite of tools that let you control and access your lock from anywhere in the world." They smart lock also working with electronic fobs and traditional keys.

Samsung Smart Home and LG HomeChat Smart Platform - both smart device manufacturers announced home and device connectivity for appliances, smartphones and other systems. Our homes are going to be alot smarter this year. Samsung's announcement included their "Smarthome Software Protocol (SHP)" to support an ecosystem of devices, appliances and apps. LG's HomeChat "merges Natural Language Processing (NLP) and the mobile messenger phenomenon LINE".

Belkin Crock-Pot WeMo Smart Slow Cooker - finishing up the home, appliance and cooking category, Belkin introduced the smart slow cooker that you can control with your smartphone. Belkin has partnered with Jarden Corporation, makers of the Crock-Pot, to integrate the slow cooker into their WeMo home automation product family.

There are so many more announcements at CES in the home, automotive, game, tablet, TV, camera and other categories, you'll have to go to the CES website and other technology portals to find additional devices and gadgets that will appear this year. So many more ways for developers to build apps that integrate with a wide range of new devices and gadgets.

Remember to join us for our upcoming webinar, "Making the Connection: Programming Devices and Gadgets with RAD Studio" on January 22, 2014 at 6am, 11am and 5pm Pacific Time.