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Digital Trends Live: Highlights from day 2 of CES 2019 outline future of tech

Brie Barbee
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During our second day of live coverage for CES 2019, Digital Trends Live presented another 8-hour broadcast to bring you the latest in tech news. Our continued coverage of the week-long tech conference in the City of Neon saw interviews with industry leaders from Microsoft, Intel, and Verizon, as well as sneak peaks at new products and booths on the showroom floor.

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The future of laptop computing

In our first segment of the day, we were joined by computing editor Luke Larsen,  Joel Liefke, the business director of portfolio and solutions at Microsoft, and Josh Newman, the general manager of mobile PC innovation at Intel, to discuss the future of computing.

“We look at the PC and the laptop as the place people go to get their most meaningful stuff done,” said Newman. “Some of the most advanced laptops today come from a result of working together with our partners to create, to put performance in, to make them super mobile, to make them connected, to make the most modern laptop devices possible.”

Newman and Liefke went on to explain Project Athena, a partnership between Intel and other PC makers to bring the most advanced laptops to life. Besides a decrease in bezels to increase screen size without adding bulk, laptops featuring Athena-level specs will also push for more connection, mobility, and reliability.

When asked if they planned to double down on current elements of the PC or continue to innovate, both men expressed the importance of keeping what people liked in one of the important pieces of technology in their lives.

Verizon’s plans for 5G

We were also joined by Toby Redshaw to discuss 5G and how Verizon is encouraging developers to work on compatible applications. A project that started over three years ago and requires updates to current networks to run properly, 5G promises 1,000 times more bandwidth than 4G, as well as less latency and more reliability.

In the past, Verizon has funded challenges in fields such as robotics to help push innovation. It is doing the same thing for 5G with its 5G Challenge, and is offering up to $1 million to developers willing to work on 5G applications. Redshaw explained that 5G may be a lot of work, but Verizon is willing to put its money where its mouth is to ensure advancements in areas such as autonomous mobility, healthcare, education, and manufacturing.

Live from Amazon’s Booth

We also joined smart home editor Kim Wetzel on the showroom floor to talk with Rohit Shivastava, the general manager of Key by Amazon. While previously known as Amazon Key, the name shift, Shivastava explains, better explains Amazon’s goal of making its customers’ lives easier and providing solutions to protect their belongings, privacy, and security.

Smart locks have made it easier for people to give those they trust access to their homes without relying on multiple sets of keys. Amazon, realizing package theft was a serious issue, devised a plan to help you keep your stuff. As Key by Amazon customer, you can see your door and manage access to your house from an app on your phone. This means you can also give Amazon delivery drivers access to your front door, car, or garage so they can safely drop off your packages where pesky porch pirates can’t reach them.

For added peace of mind, all of the information passed between devices is encrypted, and drivers don’t have access to your house after they’ve left, and also cannot move on to their next delivery without making sure your home is correctly secured.

Digital Trends Live airs at 9 a.m. PT from Monday through Friday, with highlights available on demand after the stream ends. For more information, check out the DT Live homepage, and be sure to watch live for the chance to win occasional prizes.

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Brie Barbee
Brie Barbee
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Brie is a writer from Portland, Oregon. She received a bachelor's degree from Portland State University in 2016, where she…
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