Every January, after New Year’s celebrations die down, the tech industry gathers in Las Vegas to show off the future. And though there are thousands of products and technologies being shown – from basics like TVs and phones to the more sublime, like robots and drones – the Consumer Electronics Show is also the place to find the most innovative travel tech and gadgets for the coming year. And beyond.
Here’s what you need to know about the latest travel gear unveiled at CES 2020.
Delta’s tech upgrades
The airline is soaring into the new decade and Delta CEO Ed Bastian was the keynote speaker for the State of the Industry Address at the show. Here, he unveiled some of the company’s longer-term plans, like free onboard WiFi and a permanent GPS bag tag which will follow you around the world.
And a few things you’ll see this year, like the evolution of the Fly Delta app, which will alert you when your group is boarding (not just the plane) and will allow you to link your Delta SkyMiles with your Lyft account to earn more miles. A longer-term partnership with Lyft includes offering a Delta-Lyft experience at airports and allowing you to pay for your ride-share with miles as well as earn miles when you ride.
Another feature travelers can get excited about is the on-the-go in-flight entertainment, which Delta says will let you start watching free entertainment as soon as you check in, then finish on the plane.
Pow AUDIO Una Biz Speaker
This pocket-sized, magnetic wireless speaker can easily morph into a buttoned-up, teleconferencing speakerphone. Super portable, it can also be collapsed to just 1 inch when it’s time to pack it away, and it includes a 360-degree microphone with dual drivers, echo and noise cancellation. Stick it on any metal surface or mount it wherever you may roam using the included Universal Mount. It will retail for $150 at powaudio.com with no release date announced yet.
Trova Go Portable Safe
Want to take a dip in the ocean but don’t want to leave your wallet and phone on the sand? This is just one situation The Trova Go portable safe was made for. Lightweight and wireless, it is a miniature safe crafted from aluminum alloy which can hold all your smaller personal items – it even comes with a magnetic ring holder. Just connect it to your phone via Bluetooth and open it with either biometrics or a passcode. The accompanying app will let you know when the safe is opened when it’s not with you. Retails for $250 at trovaofficial.com.
HP Elite Dragonfly G2
This 2-in-1 laptop with a touchscreen is not only light and easy to tote, it will also come with next-gen 5G wireless, a privacy display which blocks your screen from people peeping over your shoulder, and – for anyone who has a hard time keeping track of things on the road – built-in tracking via Tile support. Audio by Bang & Olufsen rounds out the impressive specs though it won’t be on shelves until the middle of 2020.
Opte Precision Skincare System
Leave that bottle of foundation at home and throw this portable skincare gadget in your travel bag. The Opte is essentially an inkjet printer for your face and uses an advanced HD camera to scan your face with blue lights, looking for dark spots or other discolorations. It then uses a custom printer and cartridge to deposit a perfect, matching drop of the tinted moisturizing serum enhanced with mineral pigments – hiding the spot without smearing your whole face with make-up – and letting your pores breathe. It also corrects sun damage and hyperpigmentation spots if used over a long period of time – without lasers or lightening cream. Retails for $600 and you can join the waitlist at opteskin.com.
Suunto 7
This Finnish company is offering its very first wearable watch that combines the brains of a smart watch with the brawn of a sports watch. Powered by Google’s Wear OS, the Suunto 7 includes GPS tracking, Google Maps directions and offline maps, as well as heart rate sensors, a sleep tracker and even an altimeter. For fitness buffs, it also comes with over 70 different exercise modes and is water-resistant enough to swim laps, pace and distance. Google Assistant can be summoned with a few words and you won’t have to charge it for at least 48 hours. Preorder now for $479 at suunto.com.
Shure Aonic 50 Headphones
These great-looking, over-the-ear headphones are both travel-friendly and comfy, all while offering excellent audio quality. The earcups are padded with cushions and the adjustable noise-canceling also comes with an Environment Mode to allow you to hear things like announcements at the airport – and can be accessed through the ShurePlus PLAY app. Battery life is approximately 20 hours. On sale this spring at shure.com.
