CES 2020 Recap: Dallas-Fort Worth Shows Up and Shows Off

From Toyota's city of the future to Ericsson's connected cars, AT&T's 5G phone lineup to Polte's tracking devices, the region was well-represented at this year's annual Consumer Electronics Show.

[Photo: Courtesy CES]

The tech industry was abuzz this week with news from 2020 International CES, which ran from Jan. 7-10 in Las Vegas. 

Each year, the Consumer Electronics Show serves as a hotbed for experts on the business of consumer technologies. The Consumer Technology Association—the expo’s owners and producers—touts it as a sort of proving ground for next-gen innovators from across the globe.

And each year, Dallas-Fort Worth is right there, proving itself to be a growing hub for innovation. 

Per CNET, the trends with the biggest impact were: Impossible Pork, Toyota’s city of the future, health sensors, foldable computers, and subtle technology. North Texas-based companies were on-site to represent the region, adding to the large number of corporations, panelists, and attendees with local ties that were also there. 

We know there are a lot of people and companies involved in CES in a variety of capacities—be sure to let us know if you were involved and what excited you most. For now, here’s a glimpse at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show from a North Texas perspective. 

AT&T continued toward a 5G future

The Dallas-based AT&T Business subsidiary of the tech giant AT&T Inc. is a provider of industry-specific, edge-to-edge solutions that help deliver breakthrough customer experiences while keeping businesses ahead of the digital curve.

This year at CES 2020, AT&T showed what it’s doing with 5G and said it plans to up its 5G phone lineup from one phone is 2019 to 15 for use in its low band 5G spectrum in 2020, according to CRN magazine. That spectrum went live in December.

It also demonstrated its plans for tackling the opioid epidemic by using next-gen technology.

Ericsson took on transportation

The Swedish telecom giant maintains its U.S. base in Plano. At CES 2020, Ericsson and Microsoft inaugurated their new partnership to develop the next generation of connected cars, and, along with industry partner Veoneer, it showcased thought and technology leadership in Active Safety and Autonomous Driving.

Last year, Ericsson announced that it was building a new 300,000-square-foot fully automated “Factory of the Future” in Lewisville. There, the company plans to produce 5G and Advanced Antenna Systems radios. 

Deloitte gave us a front row seat

Deloitte, which is based in New York but has a major Dallas-Fort Worth regional presence (just over a decade ago, Deloitte selected a 107-acre property in North Texas as the home of Deloitte University), had leaders “defining and creating the smart future” all throughout this year’s CES.

With a full lineup of speakers throughout the week and tons of visual presentations, Deloitte had it all covered. Its smart future conference track consists of an integrated journey throughout each day that grows over the course of CES. The smart technology exploration shows how shifts in “traditional business models” are transforming both industries and lives.

Check out the roundup of tweets, photos, videos, and categories here. 

 

Toyota announced its city of the future

Toyota announced its plans for Woven City—a fully connected ecosystem built on a 175-acre site and based on hydrogen fuel cell power—during CES. Construction on the city of the future prototype is expected to begin in 2021.

Woven City will serve as what Toyota describes as a “living laboratory.” The automotive giant, which has its U.S. headquarters in Plano, expects it to be home to residents and researchers to develop, test, and use emerging tech like autonomy, robotics, personal mobility, smart homes, and artificial intelligence.

Woven City residents will include Toyota Motor Corporation employees and their families, retired couples, retailers, visiting scientists, and industry partners. Toyota said it will also offer an open invitation to commercial and academic partners, interested scientists, and researchers to collaborate and work on their own projects in what is expected to be a unique, real-world incubator for leading edge technologies in action.

[Rendering: Toyota]

Toyota also revealed more of its new mobility ecosystem strategy. Visitors experienced a visual depiction of Toyota’s ecosystem plans along with mobility products, including e-Palette, micro-Palette, LQ and Walking Area BEVs.

Also included in the booth were two innovation areas. Toyota AI Ventures is Toyota’s U.S.-based venture capital firm that features several portfolio companies along with an overview of its investment direction. And Toyota IP Solutions is Toyota’s newly formed patent team that will provide information about the benefits of licensing the impressive IP from Toyota’s accomplished R&D efforts.

[Image: Courtesy Toyota]

AllianceTexas was a “hot topic”

Last year, AllianceTexas owner Hillwood announced that it was turning its 26,000-acre master-planned development into the “AllianceTexas Mobility Innovation Zone,” to develop and deploy new transportation tech, from autonomous cars and trucks to high-flying drones and air taxis. 

During a panel at CES, Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price said Dallas-Fort Worth was an “ideal place” to test these concepts. According to NBCDFW, Price said the region will continue to play a crucial role in testing aircraft technology.

“This is talking about a vision for the next 50 years. While we don’t know exactly how that vision is going to look, we’ve got to plant trees—as the old saying goes—in shades you’ll never sit under,” she said on the panel.

https://twitter.com/alliancetexas/status/1214931034762022912

Interested parties could follow along from afar

Social media was buzzing all week, and Dallas-Fort Worth was well-represented under the #CES2020 hashtag. Here’s who said what, and what was on display that you might have missed. 

Polte Corporation

Polte provides Cloud Location over Cellular (C-LoC) technology, a patented “alternative to GPS.” Its location platform allows manufacturers, distributors, and sellers of goods to more effectively track and manage millions of distributed assets. During CES, Polte showcased some of its hardware partners’ tracking devices.

https://twitter.com/PolteCorp/status/1215058005923790849

Parks Associates 

This market research and consulting firm hosted Connections Summit during CES, which focuses on smart home and IoT innovation and disruption. During the event, Chris O’Dell, a Parks research analyst, led a panel on energy management and smart homes.

Siemens Digital Industries Software 

Siemens Digital Industries Software provides software for a range of industry domains. At Siemens’ CES booth, Siemens shared how it brings digital solutions for the auto industry.

Texas Instruments 

Texas Instruments, a semiconductor design and manufacturing company, launched its Jacinto 7 processor platform to solve challenges in advanced driver assistance systems and provide a 360-degree view of automated parking.

Coinsource

A world leader in Bitcoin ATMs, Fort Worth-based Coinsource offers in-house-developed, state-of-the-art software. Its says its platform is the safest, fastest, most-secure way to buy and sell Bitcoin using cash. In 2018, Sheffield Clark and Bobby Sharp of Coinsource were named the FinTech winner of the Entrepreneur of the Year Award in the Southwest by EY.

Electromedical Products International

Based in Mineral Wells, the company’s Alpha-Stem is a handheld prescription medical device that treats acute, post-traumatic and chronic pain as well as anxiety, insomnia, and depression. The low-level electrical prescription brain therapy can be used alone or with other therapies. It can be used as an adjunct to medication, too. 

CharaChorder

CharaChorder, which is headquartered in Plano, is a new class of peripheral device that allows ordinary people to “type at the speed of thought.” The startup’s mission is to establish a new standard for the digital age that allows people to type, game, code, and create using its product that replaces the QWERTY keyword with something that is similar to a combined mouse pad and keyboard.

Entegris

Entegris is a provider of products and systems that purify, protect, and transport critical materials used in semiconductor device fabrication processes. At CES 2020, its Poco Graphite business unit that’s based in Decatur showed off its Glassmate graphite materials used in the glass forming process.

And, even more DFW companies were there

Anchor Graphics Inc.

Pilot Point-based Anchor Graphics specializes in the cellular industry and has more than 40 years of labeling and printing experience. It’s a provider of refurbishing needs—from LDI/water evident labels, barcode & QR codes, lens tapes, IMEI Labels, security labels, and custom gaskets, to manuals, start guides, and custom boxes. Also it has four-color and custom printing  available. 

Brainchild Electronic Co., Ltd.

Taipei-based Brainchild is the company behind the McKinney-based brand Brilong that focuses on smart home security products and services with voice control via solutions including smart lock, smart video doorbell, and wire-free security cameras. It recently announced its Alexa certified product, Xenlock Pro.

Azpen Innovation

Plano-based Azpen Innovation is a global provider of consumer electronics, tablet PCs, wireless charging systems, smart home devices, Alexa voice, Google Assistant integration and other services and products. Azpen partners with some of the world’s industry leaders in semiconductor technology and manufacturing. It has established relationships with retailers ranging from traditional brick-and-mortar to some of the biggest e-commerce channels in the world.

Dogness Group, LLC

Dogness Group is a Chinese company with its U.S. headquarters in Plano. The company says it believes in simplifying the pet lifestyle, and holds 120 patents on collars, leashes, and harnesses that we manufacture. Available via a smartphone app, the company offers products that can feed, treat, see, play, and interact with pets all on one platform.

Garrett Metal Detectors

Garrett is a Garland-based designer and manufacturer of metal detection equipment for more than 55 years. The company offers technology to find all type of treasures, and showed off its new tech at CES 2020. The company was founded in 1964 by Eleanor and Charles Garrett.

Forever Gifts Inc.

Launched in 2004, the Arlington-based firm designs, brands, and sources products for a variety of retail channels and is a partner for some of the nation’s largest mass and specialty retailers. Its brands include Bluetooth speaker Nuvelon and outdoor solar-powered LED light brand Crosslight.

Syndiant, Inc.

The Dallas-based developer creates light modulators for projection and near-eye display markets. Fully-digital display tech is combined with exact requirements for cost, size, power, HD+ resolution, and color quality to enable next-gen head-mounted displays, consumer electronics, and automotive applications. 

ExportTek

Founded in 2010 and based in Carrollton, ExportTek is one of the fastest growing worldwide wholesale distributors of consumer electronics. It offers products such as tablets, iPhones, iPads, laptops and more. By gaining exclusive relationships with the largest brands and retailers, ExportTek says it’s able to provide liquidation and specialized offerings not found elsewhere.

Luraco Health & Beauty

Arlington-based Luraco Health and Beauty is a high-tech provider of research, advanced technologies, and innovative products to the military, industrial, residential, and commercial sectors. Its technical staff includes engineers and scientists who specialize in advanced robotic system designs, sensors and controls, embedded systems, mixed signal electronic designs, software application developments, PCB designs, condition-based monitoring, and mechanical system designs.

Lucid Audio

Lucid Audio is the Fort Worth-based, privately held maker of AMPED headphones, neckbands, and ear buds. Its patent-pending, smart technology is engineered to the “way we live and things we love,” according to the company.

Kimberly-Clark

Irving-based Kimberly-Clark is a global consumer goods maker that’s been in business for 144 years and has 43,000 employees. Its products include name brands such as Kleenex, Huggies, and U by Kotex. It’s an $18-billion-plus company that ranks No. 171 on the Fortune 500. In Dallas, the company has partnered with the Dallas Zoo on its RightCycle Program to make a better world for animals by recycling nitrile gloves used for animal care, cleaning, and food preparation.

ZTE USA Inc.

ZTE USA, the U.S. subsidiary of Chinese telecoms company ZTE Corporation, announced at CES that through its partnership with Qualcomm, they achieved 5G-enabled Voice over New Radio calling. Through this partnership, operators are expected to be able to provide high-quality voice services without needing an anchor 4G network. 

Toyshock International Ltd. 

The McKinney-based toy producer and distributor works with major brands such as Disney and Jeep.

Sprinkl

This DFW startup makes smart irrigation devices including Conserve, a water conserving device that can sync to a city’s water restrictions and local weather, and Control, a smart sprinkler hub that can work with Amazon’s Alexa.

Winner Wireless 

Winner Wireless is a wholesale distributor of smartphone accessories and tech gadgets based in Dallas.

ViewPoint Technology Systems, Inc. 

Keller-based ViewPoint Technology Systems, Inc. creates products to promote secure information and protect individuals’ privacy.

Alex Edwards, Lauren Hawkins, Lance Murray, and Quincy Preston contributed to this report.

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