By Kyle Davi & Paula Rothman
For BU News Service
LAS VEGAS — Over the next few days, Las Vegas, Nev., will become the tech capital of the world. Between Jan. 5-8, more than 170,000 people will arrive in the city to attend CES, the world’s leading event focused on consumer technology. From smart kitchens to drones to self-driving cars, CES is the place to see the products and technologies that will trend in 2017.
For those who are unfamiliar with it, CES is a trade show, an exhibition closed to the general public and open only to industry representatives and members of the press. Think of it as a cross between a huge science fair and series of lectures. It allows participants to walk around different company booths, network with each other and attend presentations on specific launches or market trends.
Throughout the years, CES has become one of the most important tech and business events in the world, where innovations such as the VCR and the CD player were announced for the first time. This year, robotics, virtual reality, drones and smart home appliances are among some of the most-anticipated.
CES celebrates its 50th anniversary this year with more than 3,800 exhibitors, including industry giants like LG, Panasonic and Sony, to small startups from places like California, Belgium and Netherlands. Overall, the conference sprawls over 2.6 million square feet of show space.
The official event begins on January 5, but as journalists arrive a couple of days earlier, Boston University News Service is already on ground checking out some of the new launches first-hand.
Over the next days, we will be showing you the newest, coolest and weirdest products and ideas at CES 2017.
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