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Consumer Electronics Daily News Wednesday, January 4, 2017 1 6 ASHA POLL: PARENTS, TEENS WILLING TO MODERATE TECH USE TO IMPROVE COMMUNICATION Telling parents and teens about the risks personal technology overuse poses to speech and language development prompts an overwhelming willingness to change usage habits, according to an American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) poll of parents and teens taken this past year. After reading a statement about communication and social development in children and teenagers, nearly 80 per- cent of parents said they would be more likely to set stronger household guide- lines for managing technology use. Of parents polled, 93 percent said they'd be more likely to make a concerted effort to engage in more conversation with their children (ages 0-19), and 90 percent said they'd be more likely to encourage their children to have more interaction with their peers to support communication devel- opment. The same infor- mation led about three- quarters of teens to say they'd be more willing to use devices less and communi- cate in person more. Both parents and teens rely on tech- nology to keep them connected to friends, news and each other, the poll found. Fifty-nine percent of parents inter- act with their children while looking at their phones. Ninety percent of teens pre- fer texting or instant messaging friends over having phone conversations. More than 50 percent of teens text or instant message their parents while both are at home. ASHA's efforts to pro- mote healthy communica- tion are ongoing. Currently, it is developing an initiative that will focus on the impact of technology on human communication. CES attendees are invited to stop by the ASHA booth to learn more and perhaps help shape the development of the initiative by sharing their feedback and ideas and maybe even getting involved. For more information, stop by booth #44654 (Sands Expo) or go to www.asha.org. DOD TECH DASH CAMERAS: INNOVATING ON HOW YOU RECORD YOUR DRIVE THIS YEAR AT CES DOD Tech is back at CES this year and it is showcasing its new dash camera line up. In addition to new models, DOD Tech is giving demos on how its "Ultra Night Vision" feature works. According to Henry Chan, Sales Manager at DOD Tech, Ultra Night Vision is the difference between daytime driving and being able to see the details in front of your vehicle in absolute darkness. "A lot of dash cam- era companies emphasize their video quality and clarity on day time driving. But they forget that a lot of driving is done at night, which is why we build dash cameras that provide clear video both day and night." With many other dash camera com- panies highlighting features that assist drivers with driving such as lane departure warning, red light camera alerts and radar detectors, Henry Chan says that DOD Tech's focus on innovation continues to be on building a dash camera with superior video quality to the rest. "Our focus has always been dash cameras and nothing else. Our video quality has been and continues to be superior, which is why we have not devi- ated to other non-video related features on our models. Any bonus features that our dash cameras come with are all relat- ed to getting you the best picture quality. Be it a CPL filter to reduce windshield glare and enhance picture or a higher ISO of 12800 for a clearer image at night. If you're looking for a dash camera, it's because you want your drive recorded clearly. Legible license plates, clear vehicle and traffic sign details and a picture without distortion both day or night is what drivers get when they pur- chase a DOD Tech dash camera." For more information, stop by booth #5606 in the North Hall. SMART LIVING: CONSUMER EXPECTATIONS FOR SMART HOME TECHNOLOGY By Carley Knobloch, Technical Consultant, HGTV Smart Home The Smart Home market has exploded in recent years, and CES has been ground zero for all the new developments. There aren't too many appliances or devices left that don't have a sensor or two, or can't be controlled by an app. But is that all it takes to capture a consumer's heart (and wallet)? As the technical consultant for the annual HGTV Smart Home, I'm always on the hunt for the latest and greatest in home technology. My job is to make sure the house is cutting edge year after year but also relevant to our audience, many of whom are just now contemplating their first connected device. Some are concerned about safety, and some are unsure whether the premium is worth the features they'll get. Many are concerned they'll end up with too many clunky black boxes they can't maintain. With all that in mind, I set out each year to tell the smart home story to our audience in a way that's reassuring, exciting and of course, beautiful. (We are HGTV, after all!) Here are a few con- sumer expectations I'll be looking to meet while I'm scouting for what's new on the floor this year. A person's smartphone is as unique to them as their fingerprint: I've yet to see two set up identically. Highly cus- tomizable devices are the new normal, both for personal technology and smart home devices. Any product that can be customized on the outside (like light switches and outlets in myriad finishes), or creates a customized experience (like coffee brewed just the way you like it, or a shower pre-set to your exact temperature) is now expected by consumers. It's great to see so many connected devices happy to oblige. I'm always thrilled to see technology companies investing in good design. Partnerships with celebrity designers are always exciting, but even smaller ges- tures like décor-friendly colors and unex- pected shapes will help even the most tech averse proudly display their new gadget as a bookshelf objet. And the good news is that beauty is rarely skin- deep – a well-designed exterior often means that the user experience is highly considered as well. At the HGTV Smart Home, we have a mix of tech that hides in cabinets and technology that is left, beautifully, out in the open. Finally, we've seen that pretty much any device you can think of can become "connect- ed" (Belts? Forks?! CES has featured them all!) but it's time to move to the next level of intelli- gence. Consumers are voting again and again for devices that offer peace of mind and anticipate their needs. A smart lock that texts you when your kids get home from school so you know they're safe. A cam- era that alerts you when it sees unfamil- iar faces in your home, but recognizes your wife and cat as persona grata. These are both examples of connected devices that are tapping into deep consumer needs by making good use of the data they're collecting. In other words, thoughtful is the new smart. For more information, go to www.scripps networksinteractive.com or stop by the hospitality tent – #CP 22 or the hospital- ity suite – Titian #2203. SENNHEISER'S NEW PXC 550 WIRELESS HEADPHONES For the discerning business traveler, the new Sennheiser PXC 550 Wireless headphones are the ultimate compan- ion. The new headphones deliver Sennheiser's renowned high-quality sound and up to 30 hours of battery per- formance in a sleek wireless head- phone. The PXC 550 is also sensitive to the way you want to listen: a personal- ized listening experience on the move can be tailored with ease using Sennheiser's companion app, CapTune™. Just like the ultimate busi- ness travel experience, Sennheiser's new PXC 550 Wireless headphones anticipate the listener's every need, delivering high quality audio and wire- less comfort – without distraction. The Ultimate Flexibility The new PXC 550 Wireless features four presets for adjusting sound and one customizable Director mode that can be tailored with ease using Sennheiser's companion app, CapTune. As the audio specialist's first sound personalization app, CapTune has been developed with the discerning headphone user in mind. Free to download for Android and iOS smart- phones, the application is both a premium quali- ty music player and a powerful sound tuning app that gives users greater sonic control. Permitting precise adjustments with the equalizer and featuring the unique SoundCheck with which users can tune their music's sound by A/B-testing dif- ferent set-ups, CapTune allows for a personalized listening experience. The specially developed plug-in for the PXC 550 Wireless also facilitates per- sonalization of adaptive noise cancella- tion, audio prompts and the activation of Smart Pause. Ready for Your Next Journey With class-leading ergonom- ics, a supreme lightweight design and high-quality mate- rials, the PXC 550 Wireless delivers extreme comfort and oustanding audio quality for even the longest listening sessions. Its smart collapsible design allows the head- phones to be folded away, ready for your next journey. The PXC 550 is priced at $399, and is available at Sennheiser's online shop and through authorized Sennheiser dealers. For more information, visit www.sennheiser.com. Learn more at booth #20606.